Colorado Springs Functional Medicine

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Top 5 Health Tips To Keep You Out Of Your Doctor’s Office

I hate tips and lists but I’m not like everyone, or even close to the majority.  But I’ve had many questions and conversations about what I do personally to create and maintain health expression.  Hopefully this helps you in your journey.

Top 5 Health Tips To Keep You Out of Your Doctor’s Office

Read…a lot.

Reading isn’t just about information but also affirmation.  It’s not a question that I ask my clients but maybe I should.  “What was the last book you read or listened to?”  If the answer is romance novels, then we just need to add in some reading pertaining to their health challenges.  If they haven’t read a book since high school, that’s a problem.

If that resonates with you, then you’re destined to fail since you’re looking for someone else to solve the problem when you already possess the solution to 98% of your health issues.  The only long term, viable solution to you getting well is your personal efforts, on a consistent basis, for an extended period of time.  Picking up a book or listening to an audiobook about a health topic is the least expensive, yet most life changing thing you can possibly do to turn around your situation.

The clients that get the best results are the ones that say, “Hey, Dr. Kurt, have you read this book yet?”

Love Yourself.

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Full Body Fix Radio: Pain, Inflammation, and Auto-Immune

Functional Medicine Colorado Springs

 

I was recently interviewed on Dr. Scott Mills’ podcast, The Full Body Fix.  You can subscribe to it on iTunes or click the image above for show notes.  We dive into the topic of when your aches and pains are more than just aches and pain and where to look when traditional body work isn’t fixing the problem.  Enjoy.

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Are You Seeking Information or Affirmation?

In the age of information, are you actually seeking information or are you seeking affirmation?  When you accept something as truth, do you seek out other sources that may question that truth or do you seek out outlets that continually affirm your truth?

Functional Medicine Colorado Springs“If they would just be informed.”  I hear this statement often from people that are on a health journey and want the people in their closest circles to jump on board with them.  The statement should actually read something like this.  “If they would just accept my truth as their truth, they would then be affirming all the time and energy I have put into seeking out and creating this world view.  Whom do they think they are for not agreeing and affirming my views?”

I especially see this with diets.  Whether it’s vegan, paleo, keto, or the ‘hell no’ diet.  It’s easy to then seek out references and data points that back up your view point.  Seriously, how many 300 page books do you have to read that end with the same conclusion that gluten is bad?

If that is you (me included), you are practicing seeking affirmation, not seeking information.  The information you do seek regarding the other view point is often to show those supporters NOT how your view is right but how their view is ultimately dangerous.

If there’s something more annoying than arguing with a person seeking affirmation, it’s arguing with a person seeking affirmation through fear motivation.  This is our current presidential race right now.  If so and so is elected, look at all the ways our country will crumble under their leadership.  Relax, we will all be ok.

In honor of seeking information instead of just affirmation, I have a few challenges for you. [Read more…]

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I Wrote A Book, It’s Probably Not For You

I wrote a book.  It’s probably not for you.  If you’re reading this, you’re more choir than congregation to my message.  This is why I haven’t promoted it that much to you.  There’s really nothing ground breaking in it that you probably haven’t heard me say or someone else say when it comes to health related content.

In fact, I didn’t set out to write a health book.  I actually set out writing a blog post as a call to action for leaders to focus on health outcomes as one of their greatest strategies to expand their effectiveness as a leader.  It just kept building until one day I looked up and tens of thousands of words had been written.  Much too long for a blog post.

Even more, it was mostly intended for pastors of small congregations or those small business entrepreneurs that have roles of being the CEO, accountant, IT department, marketing, and facilities.  It’s for the leader, no matter the size of the following that does it all and won’t stop until it’s all done (hello super moms).  These are the people that need to find rest before rest finds them.  These are the people that look a lot like my brother, who died at age 37, and my father, who developed Alzheimer’s by his late 60’s and is under 24 hour surveillance being a hostage to his own home.  Both great leaders with great aspirations, that ignored (at least in my eyes), the single greatest determining factor on their leadership effectiveness and longevity…their health.

I’ve seen too many of those leaders, both my family and clients, that face burn out or have faced burn out.  They are then coming to me with health conditions that could have been prevented with a little TLC of their health to keep leadership effectiveness strong.  If this is you, then I’m wrong, you will get value out of this book.  If you don’t think you’re a leader, then you’re wrong again.  If you have influence (good or bad) with even one other person, you are a leader.  And again, you will find value in these pages.

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Everything in Moderation?

I think I’ve found the term that sets me off just as fast as when someone says, ‘I’m busy.’

The equally annoying phrase is, ‘Everything in moderation.’

Let’s make this short, simple and to the point.  Moderation is the fastest road to mediocrity and an early grave.  I dare you to live your life by this mantra and see where you end up.

#Moderation is the fastest road to mediocrity and an early grave. Click To Tweet

Do you moderately beat your dog?  Do you moderately smoke crack?  Do you moderately cheat on your wife?  Do you moderately shoot your rifle into crowds of people?  Do you moderately pay your mortgage?

You think those are extreme examples?  What does eating things in moderation look like?  What does exercising in moderation feel like?  What does being moderately grateful do for your mood?

When I hear people say, ‘I’m busy,’ it send a red flag up my spine to the actual meaning of ‘foolishly active.’  When people say, ‘everything in moderation,’ all I hear is justification after justification.  Just be honest with yourself and those around you.  If you aren’t going to do something, it’s ok to say, ‘no.’  Stop justifying that behavior that you have no intention of fulfilling.

When people do get to the point that their pain is greater than their pleasure, it’s amazing how that person won’t justify their moderations anymore.  I’ve yet to meet someone that I admire and strive to be that got to their level of living through moderation.

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Do Daddies Get Sick?

LESSONS LEARNED WHILE ON VACATION

• I’m either not that important, have no friends, or am a great delegator.  Where we were staying, I had ZERO cell phone reception.  Running a business, this can be a little stressful but decided to let it go.  When we got to the airport for our return trip, I turned the phone on.  I had 1 text message.  It was from my cell phone carrier reminding me of my upcoming bill due date. Whatever the reason for the lack of incoming messages, it all worked out great.

LESSON LEARNED:

Turn off your cell phone for extended periods of time when you’re with the people that you love and care about the most.   You’re not really missing anything.  I had everyone and everything at arms length.  It added confirmation that despite it being 2015, I still don’t need a smart phone, but maybe a better cell phone carrier…in case of emergencies.

Lifestyle Medicine

 

• I enjoyed some stand up paddle boarding in the ocean.  Usually I can pick up new activities fairly easy but I was getting frustrated with how much I was falling into the water standing on this barge.  I realized I was looking at my feet and the tip of the board.  I changed my gaze to the horizon and where I want to paddle to and it become easy.  I may or may not have pissed off some local fisherman casting off the pier.  I even had one offer to “come down there and help me out.”

LESSON LEARNED:

In life, look where you want to go.  In all honesty, I’ve heard this message before from leadership and personal development type books many times.  It took some kinesthetic learning to have it finally sink in (no pun intended).  You keep focusing on where you are, you’re going to stay where you are.  Sure you may make a little progress but until you fix your focus on where you want to go, you’ll be fighting a lot harder change your situation.

OTHER LESSON LEARNED: 

Fisherman are pretty mean.  Make sure you stay 300 feet away from them.

 

• I was preparing some lunch for the kids and my 3 year old asks me a question.  He asks, ‘Do daddies get sick?’  I said sometimes they do but I do my best to stay as healthy so I can take care of you.  His response was, “it’s OK if you get sick, mommy can just take care of you.”  I told him I would rather be strong and healthy so I can help mommy out.

LESSON LEARNED:

More is caught than taught and to my kids, healthy is normal.  If you’re a parent, you want nothing more than to see your kids healthy and happy.  And as a parent, you’ll do almost anything to achieve that.  At what expense?

Are you putting your own health and well being in jeopardy to make sure your kids have the best?  This doesn’t work in the long run.  At age 36, I wish I had a father that was well.  He was the epitome of being a servant leader. The problem is that his servant leadership turned into slave leadership and ignored his own health.  Now he has full blown Alzheimer’s and all those people that he served for decades want nothing to do with him because it’s ‘awkward’ to be around him.  Parents…start putting yourself first.  The first step might be shutting off the phone.

 

• I spent a lot of time either in the ocean or in a pool.  The only time I wore shoes was to workout in the morning and a shirt was 50/50.  After a workout, we headed to the water.

LESSON LEARNED:

Formal showers are optional when at the beach.  I only showered once during the week for a family photo and once before returning to civilization.  I don’t think I was stinky but if you enter a stinky room and can’t spot the stinky kid, it’s probably you.

Those that celebrate look forward to getting back to what allowed them to leave. Those that vacate dread getting back to what makes them want to leave. Click To Tweet

• By day 5, I was getting a little ancy to get back into the swing of regularly scheduled life.  I love what I do and hope that shines through with my clients.  Combing through lab reports, extensive health histories, Insight scans, adjusting giggling kids, and piecing all those together is really fun for me.  I had fun celebrating with family but don’t like to vacate my normal life for long periods of time.

LESSON LEARNED:

I don’t like the term ‘vacation’ and I feel bad for those that dread leaving vacation or dread Mondays in general.  Work at creating a life you enjoy and you don’t have to vacate.  You can go celebrate.  Take a ‘holiday’ and get refreshed to come back to what you love doing.  Those that celebrate look forward to getting back to what allowed them to leave.  Those that vacate dread getting back to what makes them want to leave.  Are you one that longs for vacation or one that celebrates?

What lessons have you learned while taking time away from your normal life?

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Healthcare Epic Fail

I think it’s really simple on why our healthcare system fails to produce health.  It’s not because our system is only accessible when you’re sick, therefore being a sick care system.  It’s not because a lack of insurance coverage for the masses.  It’s not because we don’t have a large enough vaccine coverage rate.  It’s not because the FDA and government regulations are just subsidiaries of the drug companies.  It’s not because of lack of technology, primary care physicians, and testing.

The healthcare epic fail comes down the basic premise of the goal of healthcare.  Healthcare has one premise.  That’s to remove disease.

Wait, what?  Isn’t removing disease a good thing?  In theory?  Yes.   In practicality, nope.

Removing disease is like trying to remove darkness.  You can’t do it.  Seriously, go into a dark room and try to remove the darkness.  Look at your sleeping cell phone and try to remove the darkness of that screen.  You’re not going to be able to do it unless…

candleYou add light.  If you want to remove darkness, you have to add light.  It doesn’t even have to be a big, bright, spot light.  It can be the slight glow of your smoke alarm’s red flashing light.

Disease is darkness.  Health is light.  The ONLY way you’re going to create less disease is by creating more health.  This is why this website is called ‘More Health, Less Healthcare.’

For this reason we have a healthcare epic fail.  Medicine cannot add light.  The best medicine can do is slow down the rate of darkness.  Medicine continues to attack darkness with short term results at best.  How many ‘fighting (insert diagnoses)’ campaigns are there out there.  We have walks for breast cancer, telethons for diabetes, and months dedicated to heart disease awareness.

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Investing with Purpose

This past weekend I finally finished one of my most favorite TV programs of all time, Breaking Bad.  I’m really excited because I just learned it may not be totally over with extra seasons being produced.

Walter WhiteIf you’re not familiar with the series, it’s about a high school chemistry teacher, diagnosed with lung cancer.  Long story short, Walter White became the greatest Meth cook in the southwest US amassing over $80,000,000…all in the name of helping his family.  It’s not the feel good story of the year as he has had to lie, cheat, steal, and murder to accumulate this wealth. The people that are most affected are the very reasons that he went into this shady industry.

If you’ve ever read anything previous, you may have seen me quote a statement that ‘contradictions lead to destruction.’  Walter White lead a life of contradictions that lead to destruction upon destruction of everything he valued in life.  He committed criminal acts to gain wealth all in the name of  supporting his family.

My question to you is, would you invest in Mr. White’s ultra pure blue Meth drug cartel to make a couple bucks to retire comfortably? Would you invest in ISIS so they can get buy up some more weapons and persecute and destroy more lives?  Would you look at Hitler and think, ‘that guy’s onto something, I gotta get a piece of the action?’  If you’re running in my circles, I bet the answer is easily, no.

You’ve probably heard that you are your greatest investment and asset and I don’t deny that.  But I want you to take a look at your actual monetary investments.  What type of investment vehicles are your IRA and 401K parked?

Are you cursing pharmaceutical companies for lying, cheating, stealing, and murdering yet have 80% of your retirement in funds with Merck, GlaxoSmithKline,  Novartis, Pfizer and Johnson and Johnson?  Then why not put your money in the local meth dealer?  It’s no difference.

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Creating Division

The single best way to create division is to make decisions.  The problem people run into is that their decisions are creating division in their own life affecting the matters they value.

I’m sure you have heard the quote, “You can please some of the people all of the time and you can please all of the people some of the time.  You just can’t please all of the people all of the time. “

EVERYTHING

If you fall into the category of trying to please everyone all of the time you risk many health factors coming your way.  You risk living life at an unsustainable speed for too long and risk the many consequences of this form of busyness.

Decisions have to be made but there’s a sure fire way to make sure you’re making the right decision.  The right decision is one based on enhancing and supporting your personal values.  I have talked about this in how to choose the right doctor.  If you and your doctor have differing views on why people get sick, you will have differing views on how to get your health better.  It won’t be a productive working relationship.

How do you know what you value?  There’s a couple ways to figure out what you value.

Assessment #1.

Take 5 minutes with a piece of paper and a pen.  Imagine you had a new born baby that you were going to raise until adulthood.  At the age of 18, your child is taken away from you and placed as leader of the free world.  The only influence on that person’s life up to age 18 was you.  His/her leadership is a direct reflection of the values you taught that child. 

On the piece of paper, write down every single characteristic you would want your child, now the leader of the world, to exhibit in his/her leadership decisions.

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