Pregnancy Squat Variations

During pregnancy, squats are an excellent resistance exercise to maintain strength and range of motion in the hips, glutes, core, and pelvic floor muscles. When performed correctly, squats can help improve posture, and they have the potential to assist with the birthing process. This is such a simple exercise to add to your day. We know you have a lot on your plate. Did you add squats into your daily routine when you were pregnant? Share your experience in the comments!
#elevatedlifefamilychiropractic #familychiropractic #elevatedlife #squats #pregnancyexercise #pregnancy #naturalpregnancy #naturalbirth #holisticpregnancy #webstertechnique #pregnancychiropractic #healthypregnancy #idahokoms #eastidahomoms #momsofinstagram #southeastidaho #idahochiropractor

Raising Healthy Kids Pt. 3

Raising healthy kids

Part 2: Immunity

The best thing you can do for your child’s immune system is to take the necessary steps to KEEP them healthy right from the start!

Building a strong foundation from the start can be crucial to keeping your kiddos healthy and happy!

When it comes to viruses and other sicknesses, our first line of defense is to choose an overall healthy LIFESTYLE! There are many preventive measures we can implement into our everyday lives to keep our kiddo's immune system balanced and functioning at its highest potential! ⁣

- Regular chiropractic adjustments

Did you know that the nervous system has a direct connection to immune function? When the nervous system is clear of any interference, the immune system can regulate properly!

- Try garlic oil vs antibiotics

We recommend trying garlic oil for ear infections rather than going straight to antibiotics! @shoporganicolivia has a great kids' line that we recommend.

- Use essential oils

Thieves, lavender, and oregano are great essential oils to support the immune system. How to use them? 5 drops of each oil diluted and rolled down the spine/on the feet.

- Probiotics for gut health

We recommend @klaire_labs probiotics for littles to optimize the gut-immune system! We carry them in the office if you are local.

- Let fevers do their things

Did you know fevers are a good thing for the body? It’s the way the body gets rid of the nasty bugs circulating! Take an Epsom salt bath and lots of skin-to-skin cuddles to help support the fever naturally!

What are things you are doing to set your kiddo's immune system up for success? Let us know in the comments below!

7 Steps to Becoming a Healthier You

Are you tired of feeling sick and tired, but not knowing where to start?

Check out our S E V E N tips to becoming a healthier YOU!

At Elevated Life Family Chiropractic, we encourage you to dive deeper into all 7 of these to see how you can adapt better to your lifestyle.

#elevatedlifefamilychiropractic #healthieryou #southeastidaho #idahochiropractor #idahofalls #idahomoms #ammonidaho #rigbyidaho #wyoming #montana #blackfootidaho #getadjusted #joyfulmovement #wholefoods #sleeproutines

Patient Testimonial

Thank you Shelby E. for sharing your experience with chiropractic care and Dr. Randy! Chiropractic care can be life-changing. It's a great place to start your health journey. If you have been searching for a healthcare provider that will spend more than 15 minutes with you and will listen to your concerns, Elevated Life Family Chiropractic is the place for you!

#elevatedlifefamilychiropractic #testimonialtuesday #idahochiropractor #southeastidaho #mountainwest #ammonidaho #wyoming #montana #chiropracticcare #nervoussystemhealth #blackfootidaho #idahofalls

Your Amazing Immune System!

Your immune system is comprised of a complex collection of different cells and organs of your body. All these parts work together to protect you from germs, bugs, and viruses that decide to invade you. Although simply amazing, this system is fully under the perfect guidance of your Nervous System; it helps you recover when you’re sick. 

The main parts of the immune system are: 

White blood cells: Serving as an army against harmful bacteria and viruses, white blood cells search for, attack, and destroy bugs and viruses to keep you healthy. They are a key part of your Immune System. There are many types of white blood cells and each cell type either circulates in your bloodstream and throughout your body, or resides in a particular tissue, waiting to be sprung and unleashed into action – like your body snipers. Each of these cells has a specific mission in your body’s defense system. They all have a different way of recognizing a foreign invader, communicating with other cells on the defense team, and performing their function – to annihilate the invader. No mercy! 

Lymph nodes: These small glands filter and destroy invading organisms so they can’t spread to other parts of your body and make you ill. They are also part of your body’s lymphatic system. Lymph nodes contain immune cells that analyze foreign invaders brought into your body. They then activate, replicate, and send specific white blood cells called lymphocytes to fight off a particular invader. You have hundreds of lymph nodes all over your body, including in your neck, armpits, and groin, and so on. Swollen, tender lymph nodes are a clue your body is fighting an infection. It is killing an invader. It is annihilating a bug of some sort. 

Spleen: Your spleen stores white blood cells that defend your body from foreigners. Your spleen also filters your blood, destroying old and damaged red blood cells. 

Tonsils and adenoids: Because they are located in your throat and nasal passage, tonsils and adenoids trap foreign invaders such as bacteria, or viruses as soon as they enter your body. They house immune cells that produce antibodies to protect you from any foreign invaders that cause throat and lung infections. Although fierce, they are totally on your side! 

Thymus: This small organ in your upper chest beneath your breastbone helps nurture and mature specific types of white blood cells. The task of these calls is to learn to recognize and remember an invader so that an attack can be quickly mounted the next time this invader is encountered. 

Bone marrow: Rudimentary cells, called Stem Cells, in the spongy center of your bones develop into red blood cells, plasma cells, a variety of white blood cells, and other types of immune cells. Your bone marrow makes billions of new blood cells every day and releases them into your bloodstream to make certain you are healthy. 

Skin, mucous membranes, and other first-line defenses: Your skin is the first line of defense in preventing and destroying germs before they enter your body. Your skin produces oils and secretes other protective immune system cells. Mucous membranes line the respiratory, digestive, urinary, and reproductive tracts. These membranes secrete mucus, which lubricates and moistens surfaces. Germs stick to mucus in the respiratory tract and then are moved out of the airways by microscopic, hair-like structures called cilia. Tiny hairs in your nose also catch germs. Enzymes found in sweat, tears, saliva, and mucus membranes, as well as secretions in the vagina, all defend and destroy germs. For that reason it is wise to lick a cut if you are not able to wash it first – your saliva will kill any germs that may be lurking there. 

Stomach and bowel: Stomach acid kills many bacteria instantly as soon as they end up in your stomach.
But you also have beneficial (good) bacteria in your intestines that kill harmful bacteria. These good bacteria are not damaged by your stomach acid for reasons that are not clearly understood. 

In its Innate wisdom, your body will not harm something that is beneficial to it. 

It is my hope this brief overview of your Immune System will help you understand how it protects and guards your health and wellbeing. 

And all under the perfect guidance of your Nervous System. Imagine! 

February Newsletter

January Newsletter

Innate Intelligence

You may be wondering: WHAT? What is that? And why is it so important? I’ve used these words when explaining your recovery to you, so here it is:

It has been coined the ‘Wisdom of the Body” by some, “Nature” by others, and “The Force” by George Lucas, producer of Star Wars. Chiropractors refer to this force as Innate Intelligence. It simply refers to your body’s own organizational ability and its ability to self-heal, self-regulate, self-thrive, and self-adapt. 

Deepak Chopra said it best: “Intelligence is present everywhere in our bodies . . . our own intelligence is far superior to any we can try to substitute from the outside.” 

There is a force we have inside us that guides our growth, our development, and our life. Examples of this force are ever present and are in our everyday environment. 

My very favorite is the bumblebee. You may not even be aware of this, but it never ceases to amaze me. According to scientists and computer models, the bumblebee can’t fly. Because of its weight, and ratio of its wings to its weight, the dihedral angle of wind assault, the speed of wing movements and other physical variables, it is mathematically impossible for a bumblebee to fly. However, bumblebees do not know this and fly anyway, defying all laws of science known to man. 

Did you know, for example, that every second of your life billions of cells in your body are breaking down foods, they are dying, and they are being reborn? Nerves are shooting information all over your very being and your lunch is being turned into muscle cells, heart cells, and skin cells. Damaged tissues are repaired and replaced, germs and cancer cells killed every minute, and the production of your cells and all chemical processes – approximately 150,000 - are being monitored every second. And all this amazing and wondrous activity takes place while you are sleeping, reading, or driving your car. Amazing, is it not? That is the wisdom of your body — Innate Intelligence.

What is Health?

I’d like to teach a bit on health and what it truly means. Many people assume they are in excellent health but when digging deeper, they believe they are healthy because: 1. they do not have an illness or disease or 2. they rarely get sick. But the WHO specifically says that health is "not merely the absence of disease or infirmity." Just because you aren't sick, doesn't mean you are healthy. 

During this time, the media and everyone on social media is preaching how NOT to get sick. What outward precautions to take. But we believe that we need to teach how to stay healthy! From the inside out.

I’d like you to take a look inside and ask: how is your physical health? Are you eating unhealthy snacks/junk food all day? Are you sitting on the couch binging shows/movies? Are you going for walks outside? Are you exercising? Are you eating plenty vegetable/fruits? Are you limiting your processed sugar intake? What are you doing to maintain, or better yet improve, your physical well-being?

How about your mental health? Are you feeling anxious/fearful? Are you looking forward to the future? Do you believe in the power of your body to fight illness? Are you meditating, journaling, or using another avenue to better your mental health? Are you seeing a therapist or other practitioner that assists you in have a better mental well-being?

What about your social well-being? I know that this one is struggling for a lot of people. And it's a huge factor in your health! Social interaction helps stimulate the Vagus nerve. Never heard of that? Well, it's become a hot topic among a lot of health professions. It plays a major role in your parasympathetic nervous system which helps to regulate many systems in your body. “Face-to-face social connectedness fortifies the "tend-and-befriend" parasympathetic response and engages your vagus nerve. This improves vagal tone and counteracts stress responses associated with "fight-or-flight" mechanisms. Social connectedness has also been clinically proven to improve heart rate variability (HRV), which is the measurement of variations within beat-to-beat intervals and indicates a healthy heart (From psychologytoday.com).” Are you having limited to no social interaction during this time or are you searching for ways to still have social interaction?

This period of time is allowing people the opportunity to reassess what is needed in their lives and what is not as important as what they once thought. Health may have once been far down the totem pole for many but is quickly rising in the ranks to being a top priority. If you’re wondering how you can make health a priority and how you can take charge of your health, please reach out. There are many ways to improve your health and many practitioners that can help but ultimately the responsibility it yours.

There’s a statement in chiropractic philosophy of Above-Down, Inside-Out (ADIO). What this means is that the brain (Above) is the control center of the body. The control comes from the brain (Above) and goes to the body (Down). As it goes down it begins “Inside” and travels “Out.” As it travels out, you not only are affecting yourself but are able to help others. 

How does ADIO philosophy relate to the principle of health? Health doesn’t come from an outside source. Health is already programmed inside all of us. Our bodies can and will fight off illnesses. You are designed to do so and far better than any outside source has the ability to fight off illnesses. The responsibility for you to achieve health doesn’t come from an outside source. Can outside sources help? Absolutely. Some examples in each category can be as follows:

Physical Well-being:

• Chiropractic: allows your nervous system to function without interference thus allowing for improved function of the body.

• Personal Trainers: provides an exercise program that best suites your needs

• Dietician/Nutritionist: assists in coming up with a well balanced food lifestyle that best suites your life.

There are many other examples of outside sources that can help elevate your physical well-being but it is still your responsibility. The Chiropractor can help but YOU must go to their office. The personal trainer may assist you in an exercise program but YOU are the one that does the exercise. A dietician/nutritionist may provide you a food lifestyle but YOU have to buy the food and choose to follow the plan.

Mental Well-being:

• Therapist: provides an avenue to properly process experiences of your life.

• Alternative healers: provide many different ways to assist in your mental well-being. 

• Friends: provide a safe place for you to vent and discuss what’s going on in your life.

• If you’re religious-God: prayer provides a way for you to discuss your needs with God and “let go and let God.”

You may have other outside sources that assist you in elevating your mental well-being but it is up to YOU to use them if you need. It is your responsibility to feel/deal/heal from mental struggles or hinderances in the present or past. 

Social Well-being:

• Friends: there is no better “face-to-face social connectedness” than interacting with a close friend.

• Mindset groups: provides an avenue to discuss goals and interact with people that want to achieve elevated levels of success and help you to achieve your goals.

• Sport leagues: for many sports are an avenue to not only interact with others socially but also provides an opportunity to improve their mental and physical well-being at the same time. 

• Hobby Groups: an avenue for people to interact with like minded individuals doing something they love.

Social well-being is one category that relies on others more than the other two. However, it is still YOUR responsibility to reach out and interact with others. You may be an introvert (like Dr. Randy) and think you do not need to have any interaction. However the interaction is needed. It may not look like an extroverts interaction, e.g. big parties or being around a lot of people. It may be one on one interaction or a large group for a short duration of time. But the more we realize how important our social well-being is to our overall health, the more we will seek opportunities to elevated our social well-being.

We at Elevated Life Family Chiropractic know how important it is to ELEVATE your health. We have been reminded, during this time, how important it is for us to educate and provide a safe place for people to not only learn but also to experience true health. We do our best at providing an opportunity for you to elevate your physical well-being through chiropractic adjustments.  While in our office we hope you feel comfortable enough to share your needs, not only physically but also mentally and socially. We opened Elevated Life Family Chiropractic in Shelley, ID because we want to be an asset to this community and provide a place for people to feel connected to others enough to help each other in their paths to elevating their health. 

We love hearing from you! Find us on social media: @ElevatedLifeFC, comment below or shoot us an email: info@elevatedlifefc.com