Having spent the last 13 years seeing a couple of hundred patients a day I’ve pretty much seen and heard it all. Although the lay population finds new and interesting ways to hurt themselves every year; some crowd favorites clearly rise to the top. I resist writing posts like this for fear that I am reinforcing the false popular notion that chiropractic care is for “people with bad backs”. However, I do recognize that there is a growing population of better-informed people who sincerely want to learn more about curbing the likelihood of joining the masses side-lined by low-back injury.

Here is a quick survival guide for those of us who are fortunate enough to live at a latitude that seems to mock the global warming projections.

1. How to shovel snow:

• Practice the 2015 Technique: Find a 15 year old and give them $20 to do it for you.
• If this is not possible, follow these rules:

i. Warm-up for fifteen minutes before you begin. (See Rule of Fifteens) Never exert yourself without sufficiently warming-up – go for a walk, jump on the tread mill, do 50 burpees…whatever. Never shovel “cold” (pun intended).

ii. Walk Quietly and Carry a Small Shovel: Using a smaller shovel will reduce load and strain and prevent the terrible. The shoveling position puts your spine at risk by nature of mechanics. (Your discs hate the coupled motions or combination of rotation, flexion and lateral flexion) The last thing that you should do is put a heavy weight at the end of a long stick, twist and try to throw it. Paraphrasing Bill Clinton’s infamous comment on the economy; “It’s physics, stupid.”

iii. Keep it Below the Belt. Good shoveling form takes place below the belt. Think of shoveling as a highly dynamic dead-lift. Start with your feet. When you shovel, stay on your heels. Keep your lower-back flat (in extension) to keep your posterior chain engaged (read: your hamstrings and buttocks). Always point your feet where your hands are working. Never twist; move your feet instead. When you exert yourself, engage your core muscles. Find these by imagining someone punching you in the belly. Inhale and hold your air as you lift or toss, tightening those core muscles.

iv. Ice When You Are Finished. There is no excuse; there is always plenty of ice around if you are shoveling snow. Ice is God’s anti-inflammatory. It’s free and readily available – and as long as you don’t put it directly on the skin or use it for more than 20 minutes – there are no side-effects. No one has ever gotten a bleeding ulcer from using ice. 90,000 Americans a year cannot say the same thing about Ibuprophrin. Stop. Think. Ice.

v. See Your Chiropractor Regularly. Adjustments are preparatory, not custodial. Yes, it is wise to get your spine checked after any physical stress or trauma; but a more effective strategy is to get adjusted before strenuous activity. Think about it. Spinal Subluxations are weak links in your structure. You are much less likely to experience an injury without a pre-existing weakness. I’m just sayin’…

Stay tuned for Doc’s Winter Survival Guide Part 2 and Part 3 in upcoming blog posts.

Now go book that vacation.

In Health,

Dr. Stephen Franson

• This activity burns approximately 395 calories per hour for an average, 145-pound person.

Hearing your name announced across the public address system at the airport is never a good thing. It’s not likely that they’re about to reward you for being the 1 millionth traveler served and hand you a pair of tickets for a free flight to Tahiti.

“Are you Stephen Franson?” The Southwest agent asked. She was dead-pan serious and visibly concerned. Now I was concerned.

In moments like this a part of your brain called the amygdala high-jacks you inner dialogue to a worst case scenario and your physiological stress response is not far behind. I had just stuffed my kids into their car seats and kissed them and my wife, Camilla, good bye as I took off for the west coast. We each drove off in different directions as we’ve done a thousand times before.

I confirmed my identity to the agent and asked her what the problem was. She avoided my question with a “come with me” and handed me off to a couple of TSA agents waiting nearby.

They repeated the exercise. “Are you Stephen Franson?” I confirmed my identity again and suddenly four more TSA agents were behind me. This was interesting.

“What seems to be the problem, officers?” My mind was now reeling with possibilities - none of them pleasant.

“We’ve found something in your checked luggage that we cannot identify and we have some questions for you…” sputtered the young officer, the only person in the group that appeared to be more nervous than I was.

I knew exactly what they were referring to. In my relief, I laughed out loud. Judging from their response, they did not share my sentiment. “It’s a fat model.” I said.

I spent the next twenty minutes explaining to the officers that I was presenting in California and that the object in my bag was a teaching tool. I explained that this strange looking, amorphous blob of rubber was actually a replica of 5 pounds of human fat. The article in question was not a bomb or a drug-smuggling device; although I did not miss the chance to educate these men on the very real threat that it did represent.

I taught them about extra calories and explained to them how easy it was them to gain this unwanted mass. I spoke in terms of muffins and large regular coffees. I told them how many days it was take to pack one of these on. Disgusted, but satisfied, they nodded their heads collectively and let me get on the plane.

I spent most of the first half of the flight answering questions from inquisitive passengers. They had seen me pulled aside by the authorities and watched my interrogation. In the course my explanation; I went from the Uni-bomber to the Fat Guy to the Wellness Expert.

I finally got settled down and was able to work on my presentation. I knew that the time that I had just spent educating the folks around me was well worth it. I shared a quite smile with my travel partner as we heard the chorus of “No, thank you’s” coming from our neighbors as the flight attendants passed, offering their cookies and chips. Mission accomplished.

Now go teach someone.

Dr. Stephen Franson

In 1964 Professor Walter Mischel of Stanford University set out to identify which personality traits could best predict an individual’s future success. The findings from this extensive research study altered the landscape of Behavioral Science forever.¹

This unique experiment involved a group of 5 year old children and a bag of marshmallows. The children were seated at an empty table with a single marshmallow set on a plate in front of them. They were given clear and simple instructions. They were told that the moderator was going to step out of the room for a few moments and that they had two options. They could either eat the marshmallow right away or wait for the moderator to return and they would be given a second marshmallow had they waited to eat the first one. They would then be able to eat both marshmallows.

The theory being tested revolved around one’s ability to delay gratification. Mischel was interested in learning what percentage of his young subjects could delay gratification and what impact, if any, this character trait would have on their adult lives.²  Of important note, it was widely held at the time that this personality trait was an inborn ability – some were fortunate to have it and others were not. Michel’s hypothesis was that children who were able to demonstrate self-control at a young age would enjoy greatest success later in life.³

Having followed the study participants for an incredible four decades, this personality trait of “self-control” had a more profound effect than anyone could have predicted. As it turned out, the children that had successfully delayed gratification matured into adults who were seen as more socially competent, self-assertive, dependable and capable of dealing with frustrations; and they scored an average of 210 points higher on their SAT’s than the kids that gulped down that first marshmallow.⁴

Future companion studies have been done to substantiate theses finding with different children, college students and adults. At the end of the day, those who display strong ability to delay gratification show strong tendencies towards better grades, relationships, careers and health.

The most interesting-and encouraging- result of these studies answers the obvious question: does that mean that “delayers” are pre-destined for greatness and the early “grabbers” are doomed to failure? Absolutely not.

In 1965 Dr.Mischel teamed up with Albert Bandura to answer this burning question. The result? Children were able to adopt better delay techniques and skills after being around adult role models who displayed these traits. After only brief sessions of exposure to better strategies children were able to model and retain delayed self-gratification methods that shifted them over to the “predictable success” column.

Remember this study when you are struggling with your own marshmallows.

Now go show someone,

Dr. Stephen Franson

1 – 4  K. Patterson, J. Grenny, D. Maxfield, R. McMillan, A. Switzler: Influencer, p. 115 - 117 (McGraw Hill 2008)

Allow me to suggest three great gifts this holiday season. These can be given to your spouse, children, neighbor, boss or friend. Each one comes with strings attached, as opposed to around - you must be the one to model the spirit of the gift.

1. A Microscope: Paying attention to the details in each others’ lives is one of the highest expressions of love. This starts with presence and is fortified by listening. Don’t miss the fantastically distinctive and infinitely unique things that make-up the whole of each being and experience. Don’t overlook the fine points and texture that complete the bigger picture.

2. Sunglasses: Point out the Bright Spots that make each one of us brilliant. The quirky traits and radiant qualities that we each possess become readily apparent when viewed through the right lenses. Take the time to recognize and edify these elements in the recipient of your choice – and then pass them on and let them return the favor.

3. A Telescope: “Without vision we perish.” Telescopes allow us to look far beyond our immediate circumstance. The vastness revealed by this intricate device puts immediate perspective on the here and now and frees our mind to wonder about tomorrow. The mind learns through repetition and exposure. Open the door to a view of this life that will create a new appreciation for the bigness of it all.

Enjoy the Season,

In Health,

Dr. Stephen Franson

A seal’s life is relatively simple. Find food, find mate and avoid 2-ton, jumping Great White sharks.

Seals are perfectly adapted to diving to great depths to find and chase food. They have developed the ability to hold their breath underwater for amazing lengths of time. And they have the uncanny ability to dodge the most stealth and ferocious of all predators in the sea.

A Great White will stalk its prey from deep below and charge upward in a vicious vertical attack that is likened to a violent car crash – with teeth. Fast and powerful, the sharks approach is nearly undetectable. Its favorite targets are surface dwelling animals, like a seal or sea turtle, a fact that is deeply unnerving to us surfers.

A seal’s entire physiology changes with a shark encounter. Stress hormones course through their body and immediately an explosive symphony of neurochemical reactions produces the “fight or flight” state. This short-term visceral change is physiologically expensive, but promotes the survival of the organism for the long run. Stay alive now, rest and repair later. This dance is part of a seal’s everyday life. It’s taxing – I know, because I’ve done it.

I’ve been forced out of the water because of sharks in four countries. Unfortunately, sharks are also part of a surfer’s life. They have cut my sessions short in Costa Rica, Mexico, Panama and Australia. You think that you’ve got stress? Try creeping across the water pass to South Stradbroke Island in Australia.

I was in Australia to teach a three day seminar in Melbourne in 2004. I quickly befriended a group of impassioned surfing chiropractors and spent the week scouring the local line-ups and enjoying world-class waves. They were eager to show me the best surf that the Gold Coast had to offer – which, unfortunately, meant a requisite trip out to South Stradbroke Island. “South Straddie” is known for two things: dredging beach break peaks and lots of big sharks.

To get to the island, surfers must first paddle across the Seaway Spit, a 100 yard outlet that serves as the sole portal for ships – and sharks- to pass in and out of the huge Runaway Bay. My short paddle across this notorious shark pit was so charged by adrenaline that I can barely recall it. Barely.

What I do remember was feeling my heart beat against my board as I paddled. I also remember thinking about the fact that sharks can pick up on a normal heart beat from over a mile away. I might as well have been chumming the water.

The mental stress that I was dealing with during that paddle triggered a powerful physiologic adaptation that was totally appropriate for the reality of my situation. This neuroendocrine response created a cascade of chemical and hormonal changes that shifted my body away from a rest, repair, digestion and reproduction state and slammed its gears into a DEFCON 5 “Do or Die” state. This survival mechanism is highly effective and a totally appropriate response to a real and present danger.

The fight or flight response begins with a stimulus. Whether the stimulus is real or perceived, the brain assesses the situation and responds accordingly. If the stimulus is perceived as a threat, the body prepares to act. In this case, a region of the brain called the hypothalamus calls your survival system into action. Your nervous system works with your hormone system (the adrenal-cortical system) to produce the stress hormones that will act as catalysts to trigger the appropriate physiological adaptive responses. In other words: all systems go!

Stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline (epinephrine) and noradrenalin (nor epinephrine) course through your blood stream and stimulate your organ systems to jump into action. The adrenal-cortical system becomes activated by way of the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland secretes a hormone known as ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) which journeys – via the bloodstream – to your adrenal cortex, which produces a host of different hormones to address the stressful situation at hand.

If you are being pursued by a shark, you want your body to be ready to move. Your eyes dilate, hearing sharpens, focus narrows, blood pressure builds, heart rate skyrockets, breathing intensifies and muscles tense. Below perception your blood sugar and blood lipids elevate for energy; clotting factors increase in your blood; and your immune, digestion, and reproductive systems are shut-down in the name of energy prioritization. All this for great surf?

In nature, danger is usually short-lived. The outcomes vary, but typically the danger passes and the threat is over – or your life is over. With the exception of weather and famine, there are few forms of sustained stress in nature. Historically man experienced a fairly predictable cycle of rest and repair, with brief, yet stimulating brushes with danger and the occasional intense life and death situation. All days were physically active and challenging, but overall, man was designed to enjoy a generally simple lifestyle.

Now consider modern man.

We now find ourselves in a constant state of low-grade stress, or more accurately, somewhere between “low grade pressure” and “moderately chaotic” on the lifestyle stress continuum. I love Mark Sisson’s take on the post-modern world’s affect on our health today:

“Theoretically then, persistent, low-level stress – which the body unfortunately interprets as warranting a “fight or flight” response – is destructive to health. In other words, being stuck in traffic for two hours a day, every day, is the equivalent of a serious survival threat to your as-yet “primal” brain, and the adrenals pump accordingly. Cortisol serves many important functions, including the rapid release of glycogen stores for immediate energy. But persistent cortisol release requires that other vital mechanisms effectively shut down – immunity, digestion, healthy endocrine function, and so on. Among other stress-health associations, the link between elevated cortisol and weight gain has already been established.

“The tremendous volume and scope of stressful stimuli present in the modern, fast-paced lifestyle may play a very critical role in the high rates of diabetes, metabolic syndrome, obesity, depression and anxiety we’re seeing.”

The reality is that our world has become more complex and stressful around us. As a natural consequence, so have our lives. There are countless contributors to the aggregate stress that we feel. Some things are out of our control, some things are not. Well People focus on developing more effective coping mechanisms to the unavoidables, while mitigating the reducible stressors with better decision-making.

Start every decision today with one simple question: Is this going to add to my stress or reduce it? Sometimes the waves are just as good on this side of the channel.

Choose well,

Dr. Stephen Franson

As things move forward, man recedes.

I fear that the new renaissance age of digital communication had created a new dark age in commitment and personal integrity.

This post is the first in a series of three discussing my observations around cell phone use and its impact on interpersonal communication and relationships. I am a big fan of the ready and easy communication afforded by my mobile. I admit that I have made the steady climb up the ladder of telecommunication offerings from a standard phone, to a Blackberry and now an iPhone. I catch myself fingering the heat sensitive screen to check my email more often than I thought I would. Heck, I even “text-message” regularly now. So please, do not dismiss my concerns as the irrelevant rantings of a technophobe. I love my cell phone.

The problem is the way that we use them. I can’t believe that I’m using this analogy, but, like the old saying goes, “Guns do not kill people; people kill people.” Cellular technology in itself is not evil, but if we’re not careful, it could promote the death of personal integrity.

I know that this commentary may seem uncharacteristically dark or overly dramatic, but I’ll suggest that there is a new communication dynamic that threatens to erode the very foundation of relationships – reliability.

In years past when plans were made, dates were set, times were agreed up on and destinations were decided. You would consider “the plan” an agreement between two or more people and the expectation was that there would be follow-through. Typically, the experience would match the plan; everyone who was physically able would show –up, on time, at the place to do what everyone had agreed to do. It was nice. You would spend more time enjoying what you were doing than planning what to do instead.

Plans today have morphed into mere plastic suggestions as to what might happen if nothing else at all comes up between now and then.

We are now a microsecond away from altering an entire day with one phone call. We can change times, destinations, even participants, with an instant message. We can even cancel our plans entirely with a 140 character text message. This drives me crazy.

People often rely on voice mail to dilute the sting of accountability to a commitment. “Sorry, something just came up.” No face to face apology. No visual feedback. No sense of disappointment. If 93% of communication is unspoken, what are we actually saying with all of this digital exchange?

With every human quirk comes the opportunity to be extraordinary. Be mindful of your commitments – when you make them and how you keep them. Do not fall into the cyber-trap of making temporary plans with the intention of changing them as you go. This is a slippery slope. Create a reputation for making commitments and sticking to them. Be exceptional here. By no means does this imply being rigid and inflexible. Flexibility is a critical character trait. The key is to be flexible when flexibility strengthens a situation.

Stand out in the crowd as the person who says that they’ll be there, at this time, to do that…and actually do it. Let your Yes be Yes.

Now go do that thing.

In health,

Dr. Stephen Franson

I have many sources of inspiration; but few compete with what I see every day in the 15 x 13 foot space that I like to call my “Adjustitorium”. My patients never cease to surprise me. In the midst of financial upheaval, job insecurity, media frenzy and legitimate economic contraction our patients remain steadfastly grateful.

As a common thread that weaves through so many lives in this community, I feel qualified to assess and compelled to recognize the level of genuine thankfulness that I witness each and every day. I stand awestruck at the depth and sincerity of the graciousness expressed so freely by this group of people. A contagious, infectious attitude of appreciation spreads between patients, staff and doctors. And I get to stand in the middle of it.

Outsiders often question me about the rising stress and despair that I must be hearing about from our robust patient interface. They are usually taken-back when I honestly reply to the contrary. These people are authentically thankful. Thankful for something…anything…everything.

I want to stop and recognize this group of people for being extraordinary. Not because they are gifted - or oblivious – but because they have chosen to an extraordinary attitude.

Every day we get to choose our attitude. Thankfulness is a choice, not a feeling. It’s a decision, not a sentiment.

If we wait for our situation, circumstances or environment to produce a feeling of thankfulness; we’ll be in for a bumpy ride. Our attitude is best described by Dr. James MacDonald as “a way of thinking developed over a long period of time.” We develop our attitude by repeating thoughts and responses over and over again. Like wearing a path in a rug, our brain simple starts firing neurons along a familiar course. This repeated practice develops a reflexive tract of thinking and reacting that inwardly directs us and outwardly defines us. Ask the people who know you best.

MacDonald goes on to describe our hearts as a bucket that we fill with our attitude over our lifetime. You can’t see what’s in this bucket until you bump it and its contents spill out.

Our circumstances may be challenging and seem out of our control at times; but our attitudes are always ours to choose. Replace criticism with acceptance. Choose gratitude over frustration. Dilute complaining with thankfulness.

When you say Grace this week, thank God for the clarity of sight, the resolve of faith and the ability to choose an attitude of thankfulness. Following the events of the last two years we shouldn’t be asking whether or not there will be bumps in the road along the way. Instead, the better question to ask is when they do happen, what spills out of your bucket?

In Thanksgiving for you all,

Dr. Stephen Franson

I stood on a large granite boulder, hands in my pockets looking down at my wiggling toes. I had stuffed them into some wooly socks and then jammed my feet into my flip flops. It’s not that I found my feet all that interesting; it’s just that I was too nervous to look up at the large set of waves that was detonating on the outside reef at my favorite local point break. The surf that was delivered-up by Hurricane Bill was so large that the states north and south of us had declared “Condition Black” – no one allowed in the water or be arrested for endangerment. But this is New Hampshire: Live Free or Die. Seemed ironic.

As I pulled on my wetsuit I remembered something that was said to me by a Chilean surfer on a similar big day in Costa Rica – “These are the days that define us.”

I was waxing the board that I only go to when the waves are extraordinarily large – I call it The Laxative. I grabbed my 6 foot heavy water leash and fastened it to my ankle. I must have checked that Velcro five times before I actually got in the water.

When you duck-dive under a big wave, you get an appreciation for just how insignificant you are in the big scheme of things. The waves this day were thick, powerful ground swell waves generated a thousand miles away by 125 MPH winds. They stood tall and clean, perfectly groomed by light offshore winds. They had marched across the Eastern Atlantic for days to meet me here this morning.

The set waves were spaced out every 18 seconds. An interval of that length is a key indicator of the power of the wave itself. 14 or 15 seconds is usually an epic day – 18 seconds is almost unheard of on the east coast. I took full advantage. I had some all time thrilling rides and some world class wipe-outs. As I ambled back up onto the rocks, arguably the most treacherous part of any surf session, I notice my “leggie” was no longer 6 feet long.

I laid my board on the side-walk to inspect my leash. It was now a full 9 feet. Incredible. The force of the surf had actually stretched it by an additional 50% - and it still held up. Physicists call this phenomenon plasticity: the ability of a material to stretch and be reshaped under stress.

Every day we have the incredible opportunity to get out of bed, “paddle out” and stretch our selves. The human mind has many innate requirements. These can be referred to as Essential Elements. One of these elements is struggle. Struggle gets a bad rap. From the beginning, we are taught that it something to be avoided. We fear it, complain about it or want to be rescued from it. Instead, we should embrace it.

Struggle shapes us. We are plastic beings. Neuroscience refers to this quality as neuroplasticity. With the right perspective, coping mechanisms and rest and repair strategies – we move forward, expanded.

The next morning I found myself more confident in somewhat smaller, but still challenging surf. The prior day’s experience had changed me as a surfer. I was stretched. I paddled into large waves comfortably and punched through the sets with ease, and smiled as I noticed my leash trailing further behind me than usual.

Now go stretch yourself,

Doc

Dr. Stephen Franson

My favorite part is watching her order her Latte.  “…and can I please have it in one of your large, white mugs.  Thank you.”  Always the same order, always the request for the big mug.  The girl behind the counter knowingly smiles and indulges Camilla.  She knows us by now, not because we’re there every day, but because it’s Sunday.  It’s our Coffee Break.

Camilla carries her steaming white mug over to our “spot”.  The coveted over-stuffed chairs in the corner round-out this ritual.  The chairs themselves are such a part of her experience that I catch her peering through the Starbuck’s window front as we drive-up, checking their availability.  She settles in and smiles at me, knowing that she has my undivided attention for the next two hours.

Two hours.  If you  had told me a year ago that I would, from now on, be scheduling two hours every Sunday for a Starbucks run with my wife, I would have told you that you were delusional.  Two hours?  Do you know what I could do in two hours?  Do you know what you can accomplish in two hours?  A two hour coffee break?  Unlikely.

It hit me while I was speaking at a leadership conference in Washington, DC.  I was having a surreal, out of body experience, actually – which is awkward when you are on a stage speaking to 600 people.  Ironically, I remember having this three-way conversation in my head as I was speaking on “Presence”.  The “Big Thought” in my message to this group of doctors was for them to learn how to leverage their time with their staff by having scheduled, focused face-time.  This time was to be honored and protected at all costs; and never to be canceled or re-scheduled.  When your team knows that you have allotted time for interface and value that time, and therefore them, they can relax and not occupy themselves vying for your attention all the time.  If they know that they’ll have that time –and you’ll be present – it changes all of the other time.

What struck me about this truth was that it was the solution for the same challenge that I also was experiencing – just in a different venue – at home.  We are all subject to the pulls of this world.  The combination of a busy office, a busy house and a busy life was compressing time in every category.  The symptoms of this compression are wide and varied, but the most acute signs were related to connection.   Even two people in love need time for exchange.

As a general rule, we all have limited resources in regards to our time, money, energy and focus.  How we spend these resources is the truest window into what we value.  Time has become the most valued currency.  If you want to show someone how much you care, give them your time.

Our behavior patterns predict our outcomes. There are some high-leverage, vital behaviors that lead directly to our desired outcomes.  Behaviors are chosen.  I’ll suggest that we should all identify exactly what life we would like to create, what behaviors create that life, and get committed to them.

The “Coffee Break” has earned a permanent spot in my day-timer.  The two hour window and twenty bucks for babysitting are some of the best investments of my week.  My wife and I are more relaxed in all of our communications throughout the week.  Barring any urgencies, we talk about the funny things that I missed that day with the kids.  I can’t overemphasize the impact that these Coffee Breaks have had on our everyday life.   The spill-over effect of this time is invaluable. 

If someone were to audit my schedule and tell me that my time demands were too much now to allow for a two-hour coffee break, I would tell them that they were delusional.   

As I sink deeper into this comfortable chair and enjoy my dark roast, I listen to Camilla weave through her thoughts, concerns and experiences of the past week.  My role here is clear: listener.  And as stories of life’s curve-balls and challenges often populate this two hour exchange, there’s something to be said for the calming effect of the warmth of that big, white mug in her hands.

Now go take a break,

Dr. Stephen Franson

As many of you might have guessed, I dread Trick-or-Treating. Don’t get me wrong, no one has more fun carving pumpkins, prepping costumes or scaring children in my driveway than I do. I can’t wait to walk my kids from house to house around Surf Side Park with the thirty or so friends that have gathered together for this tradition since the first offspring sprouted from our group five about years ago.

It’s the candy. Big surprise.

Last week I had my hands on about 700 patients. That’s a lot of germs. That’s a lot of H1N1 conversations. And that’s a fairly strong sampling of our community and its collective perspective on “getting sick”. I am a one man Nielson Rating.

I can summarize the consensus in three words: People are panicked.

Health has pushed the Economy out of the spot light for the moment. The Swine Flu story is a compelling one and its promotion has been unmatched. I am thankful that the opportunity has been created to discuss health, sickness and, more importantly, strategy. So let’s discuss a truth that no one seems to be covering: the strength of your immune system is the distinguishing factor that determines whether you are subject to getting sick or not.

Sugar depresses your immune system.

“Glucose (sugar) and Vitamin C are almost identical molecular structures In fact, Vitamin C is manufactured in most mammals from glucose. (Tigers don’t eat oranges.)”1

Molecules must enter cells to be used. Because these molecules are so similar in make-up and use, they utilize the exact same receptor sites (like doorways) on cell membranes. Because the brain runs on glucose for energy, the cells have a higher affinity for sugar than Vitamin C. Vitamin C is critical for immune function. But, your brain is the boss and your immune system is the subordinate.

High levels of sugar in the blood stream (from your food) mean that the Vitamin C receptors will be occupied by Glucose. Therefore Vitamin C cannot get into the cells to fuel your immune functions - problem. Worse yet, as Insulin resistance increases, the cell receptors become resistant to both glucose and Vitamin C. This produces a chronic immunocompromise - big problem.

“The phagocytic cells of the immune system require high amounts of Vitamin C to work properly. (They eat for proteins like bacteria, viruses and other pathogens.) A blood sugar level of 120 reduces the phagocytic index to 75%. (One saltine cracker will take the blood sugar over 100 and in some people to 150).”2

Imagine what 2 Twizlers, 1 Mars bar, 8 Gum Drops, a huge Tootsie Roll and a bag of Candy Corn does?

So the Swine Flu feeds on Candy Corn? Technically, yes. I predict a surge of H1N1 and seasonal flu cases appearing in or around the second week of November. Not because the germs are aggressively marching across the country – but because our children (and their escorts) have been choking down sugary sweets like they were getting paid by the pound.

Now I know the question you’re asking. Okay, Doc, don’t your kids get to enjoy some of their candy from the spoils of their efforts. The answer is, of course, yes.

But, we seize this opportunity to teach the kids a few valuable lessons: constraint, choice and personal responsibility top the list. I’ll have to admit, the “One Piece a Day” rule does create some incredible leverage around Kale Smoothie consumption as well.

Now go hide that candy,

Doc

1,2 Chestnut, James (The Innate Diet & Natural Hygiene p. 78)

You don’t GET sick, you DO sick.

How empowering - to think that we are not living “at effect”. To understand that the best minds in science can all agree on one thing: the way that you choose to live is the greatest predictor of your health. But wait, it gets better.

We now understand that your health is best represented by a point on a continuum. Imagine a spectrum that has SICKNESS at the far left and HEALTH at the far right. At any point in time, and more accurately, at every point in time, you are either moving towards sickness or towards health. In fact, there is no stasis. There is not one second out of the 84,600 seconds that you’ll enjoy today where you sit idle on this scale. Your health is absolutely dynamic, always changing, never the same from one moment to the next. Wait, there’s more.

Science also tells us that our lifestyle choices (read: how we eat, move and think) are not only additive, they are multiplicative. In other words, it’s not EAT + MOVE + THINK, it’s actually EAT X MOVE X THINK. Now get this: your choices actually COMPOUND over time. The longer you practice healthier behaviors, the benefits actually accrue geometrically – compounding wellness.

So what are you going to do about it?

It all adds up. Every little positive thing that you do adds to this equation and moves you towards HEATLH on the bigger continuum. Like points in a Pacman game, you should be gobbling up every opportunity make deposits into your wellness account (does anybody even remember Pacman - I guess I'm dating myself with that one). Every workout, every meditation, every avocado … point, point, point.

Of course, this presents a sobering truth. The opposite is also true. If good habits add together and you get well; bad habits must also add together and you get sick. Unfortunately, sickness is as much a holistic issue as wellness is. Our lifestyle choices can create debt as easily as abundance. Toxicity and deficiency follow the same mathematical laws and the outcomes are just as predictable.

These days everyone seems to fear that the sky is falling and radical measures are being considered. You should realize that there is nothing proven to be more effective at preventing disease and promoting health like a radical commitment to a healthy lifestyle. Point, by point, by point.

Remember, you don’t GET healthy, you Do healthy.

Dr. Stephen Franson

Tonight the Tribe gathered around the flat-screen. We were watching the New England Patriots rout the Tennessee Titans in white-out blizzard conditions in October. The same group that had originally planned to travel down to Foxborough to be at the game was now weathering the storm in front of the fireplace eating homemade chili instead. Life is good.

This group is made up of the type of friends that fight for air-time telling stories, laughter drowns out the din of the kids’ ruckus and time is just lost in its purity. This is fellowship.

We are social animals. We are drawn to others, groups and gatherings like moths to a street lamp. We have an innate need to connect, to share and to be accepted. Coiled deep within our genome lives the predilection to commune with like others. We want to give, take and share. We are driven to socialize – as if our lives depended on it - because, in fact, it once did.

All human wants and behaviors can be reduced down to 2 fundamental lowest common denominators. Every natural drive that we have today reflects a trait that somehow conferred either a reproductive or survival advantage to our ancestors. Our need to belong to a Tribe is certainly one of these.

The Tribe provided support, protection and relations. The free exchange of resources was the impetus for the birth of the village and the glue that held it together. The union of skills, strengths and abilities had a multiplicative quality that defies inductive calculation. The whole is much more than the sum of the parts. Each being brought their essence to the group and breathed an immeasurable spirit into the collective. Individuals shaped groups and groups shaped individuals.

The spoken word was the lubricant of socialization. The ability to recount facts, share vital information and to learn from others was the foundation of the tribal connection. Story telling was one of the most critical survival elements. Sharing stories multiplied everyone’s experience. By simply listening to the tribal elders, hunters or warriors one could benefit from their predecessors’ adventures, successes and failures. Back in the day, you’d get a lot of mileage out of sound advice like: “Fish over there”, “Don’t eat those berries” or “Stay away from that bear cave”.

Today the ability to communicate may still convey a reproductive advantage, but historically, it meant life and death.

We’ve moved into the cities and suburbs and out of the villages. We feel crowded, yet alone. Technology has allowed us to become “connected” – at the price of being disconnected. Our needs are subordinate to our schedules and structure. We are busier and busier each day and make choices based on scarcity not priority. We are left with deficiencies in all lifestyle domains – especially this one.

Deficiencies create stress. Stress creates adaptation, then fatigue and then failure.

We must seek opportunities to fulfill our innate needs and deliberately fill them. In our unnatural, modern and mechanized lives we have become dangerously independent. Yes, we can now outsource nearly everything and survive – but thrive? At the expense of sufficiency we now seek efficiency. This leads to deficits that must be reconciled.

In the interest of happiness, health and well-being, we must choose to supplement our disconnected lifestyles. As much as a multi-vitamin fills in the nutritional blanks in our diet-style or the treadmill supplements our relatively sedentary existence – our social lives must provide the essential elements missing from life outside the village. So by all means, give, love and share.

As the night came to an end, it was obvious that the kids were happy and content and the adults were relaxed and satisfied. Not just because of the Patriots’ big win, or the fantastic homemade chili, but because we felt fulfilled. We had satiated a need that quietly tugs inside of all of us, genuine fellowship.

Now go spend time together,

Doc

That’s Nuts. 

I was speeding through Logan Airport on my way to San Diego for a seminar by Dr. Loren Cordain, the uber-authority on genetically congruent lifestyles. I was still reeling from the security line shake-down; having had to give up the unopened bottle of water that I had just paid four dollars for – my bad. I stopped at the post-security Dunkin Doughnuts to re-purchase what now felt like an eight dollar bottle of water. 

While standing in the check-out line I noticed a large cardboard cut-out of a doughnut fixed above the register. There were bold red letters that stated: “Warning Health Alert: Doughnut Contains Almonds”.

I had one of those surreal moments when you actually stifle your natural reaction long enough to suspiciously look around for the hidden camera.  Surely this was a set-up. Someone must have arranged to have me standing in this very line, at this very moment, reading this very sign.  

Unfortunately, there was no set-up. The joke is on all of us.  We have actually come to the point where we can intellectualize the need for a warning sign about almonds on a doughnut.  Please don’t get me wrong; I am totally sensitive to the nut allergy issue. I have cared for hundreds of families who are faced with this serious challenge – an issue that has a made a recent appearance on our list of new healthcare epidemics.  In fact, it adds to the irony of this situation. 

How we have lost sight of the forest for the trees?

The only “food” in this picture is the almonds. The only element in this picture that was “food” 100 years ago is now being identified as a threat. Albeit, there is a growing population of our children that are mysteriously allergic to nuts – everyone is at risk from every other element in that doughnut. 

A doughnut is nothing short of a delivery system for high fructose corn syrup, refined flour, sugar, saturated / trans-fats and a multitude of other chemical additives and preservatives that have been unequivocally proven to cause diabetes, heart disease and cancer. Where’s the Health Alert cardboard cut-out?

At risk for inciting an airport security call; I held my comments to myself, paid my four dollars and boarded the plane. I relaxed back into my seat, comforted by the fact that I was flying to a place that would be filled with the people that are moving the nutritional IQ of this country forward.

“Nuts?” asked the flight attendant as she rolled the snack cart passed my seat.

“No thanks.”  I said “I brought my own.”

Vis Medicatrix Naturae*,

Dr. Stephen Franson

*Latin: the healing power of nature

Bonfire has launched. As the father of two children I am qualified to say that launching a project of this scope has been much like birthing a child. From conception, pregnancy, labor and delivery - the analogies are clear and readily available. And now, as precious and loved as this new project is, I find myself once again in the throes of late night feedings and diaper changes. And I love it.

The response of our Tribe to the arrival of Bonfire has been as expected: pure enthusiasm and excitement.  The reception was exhilarating and the adoption, participation and feedback have been incredible. Together we are shaping the Bonfire Experience.

The Ning site has been the center of the communication – a place for members to gather and ask questions, connect with the doctors and benefit from the insights, frustrations and experience of other members.  There has been no shortage of confusion with certain features or functions, but that is to be expected during a Beta launch. Now is the time to find the bugs, over-sights and feature flaws. Don’t hold back with ideas or requests. We are actively updating and changing functionalities, now is the time to create your Bonfire. 

A common question across all domains (Fuel, Air and Spark) is in regards to the ability to make substitutions within the recommendations or assignments (The Daily Meal Plan, Workout and Journaling). Most members are concerned about substituting their workout or menu selection with a healthy choice of their own.  Members wonder if they can still get the “Smiley Face” (emoticon) compliance credit for that day if they substitute with an alternate healthy choice. The answer is YES.

Bonfire will eventually have Alternate or Substitution and Equivalent selections in a future version. This was a complex feature that we chose not to incoporate in Bonfire version 1.0 because of the delays it would have caused. These options will allow for some “drift” within the program and will be presented in such a way as to protect the integrity of the program and ensure you the best results. Clearly, this community is ready for this feature – watch for it.  

The Bonfire Virtual Café Menus, Exercise Library and Spark Tool Box will be new features that get folded into the program as we move forward. These items will mitigate some of the confusion that new members have expressed and will enhance your family’s Bonfire Experience in the future. 

Eventually babies start to sleep through the night and even potty-train. As I did with my own kids, I am going to be sure to enjoy and appreciate every step of the process. 

Thanks for your support and enthusiasm.

SF

Bonfire Health Program Part 3 of 3

If the advent of the internet and its accompanying free flow of information have taught us anything about adopting healthier habits it’s this: People don’t need more information, they need transformation.   In any significant change effort, we don’t need more explaining or logical advice, we need help changing.  Because, let’s face it - change is hard.

In fact, the statistics show that it is almost impossible to change – unless you know how to change.  Social Scientists, Behavioral Psychologists and Influence Masters have identified human traits and tendencies, neurological automaticity pathways and trigger features that are nothing short of social jujitsu.  Face it, you’re covered with buttons.

Lost in the vortex of compulsion?  Use the force to help you.

In almost every attempt to create a good habit in place of a bad habit we must overcome indifference, complacency, fear and down-right laziness.  We could push our change effort uphill against the forces of gravity, friction and inertia or we could leverage the powerful findings of successful social change experts.

You have been subject to the findings and practices of these influence experts, choice architects and compliance gurus throughout your life.  Whether it was changing your driving habits, energy consumption or voting tendencies – you’ve been influenced.  If you’ve bought rental car insurance, 2 for 1 sneakers or Girl Scout Cookies, you’ve experienced social persuasion first hand.  Or if you’ve signed a petition, put a bumper sticker on your car or band on your wrist – you’ve been nudged. 

The Bonfire Health Program leverages these social influence forces in your favor.   Coiled within the DNA of the program are some of the most powerful compliance tools and influence weapons available.  It is time that we use the change technology that social science has discovered toward an honorable goal: you getting your life back. 

To get a different outcome, you must start acting differently.  You must address behavior. 

We have studied successful people.  Not just financially successful, but those that lead happy, healthy, well-balanced lives.  We’ve watched people who have successfully quit smoking, lost weight, saved money, stayed happily married, raised confident children and can get their dogs to sit on command.  We’ve studied the people that are doing it – in the real world; people who David Dorsey calls “positive deviants”.  We’ve observed behaviors, teased-out commonalities and emulated successful strategies.  Consistent behaviors create predictable outcomes. 

If you know what you want, identify the behaviors that lead to it and do them consistently.  Oh, it sounds so easy.  So why isn’t everybody doing it?

I wish that it was that simple.  Behaviors do not stand on their own.  In the Bonfire Experience we carefully address the belief systems that support - or detract from – constructive behaviors as well as the environment in which a change effort takes place.  But that’s another blog post. 

Welcome to Bonfire.  Remember, the life that you save will be your own.

Now let’s get started,

Dr. Stephen Franson

Bonfire Health Program Part 2 of 3

Intrinsic to The Bonfire Health Program is the premise that human beings experience their greatest health potential when exposed to the optimal environment. Our genes have been shaped over thousands of generations to require specific elements or nutrients in order to function optimally. These essential elements have been identified and documented by the best researchers in the fields of physiology, nutrition, psychology and genetics, among others. When these essential elements are provided consistently by our lifestyle choices and behavior patterns, cells function optimally.

Although our gene expression determines our physiology; our environment determines the expression of our genes. The science of Epigentics teaches us that our genes are subordinate to their internal and external environment.  Your internal environment is determined by your behavior patterns in three domains of lifestyle choice: how you eat, how you move and how you think.  When lifestyles are genetically congruent, man expresses better health.  In other words, when we eat, move and think in ways that compliment rather than contradict our genetic requirements for optimal cell function, we experience optimal health. Therefore, health is the natural consequence of a genetically congruent lifestyle.

Conversely, when we eat, move and/or think in ways that are contrary to our innate design, we interfere with the natural expression of cell function. In other words, when we make choices that are at odds with our genetic design, we express sickness. 

When we choose behavior patterns that are inherently toxic to our bodies, like poor food choices; or we neglect to include elements that are innately required for health, like exercise or adequate sleep, we interfere with the natural expression of health and get sick. 

Your life is a path. Imagine that path is lined with cobblestones. When complete, a cobblestone path provides shore-footing and a stable journey. When stones are missing, you can expect an uneasy, bumpy ride.  If the path is free and clear of debris, your walk is sure to be smooth and straight. If the road is littered with rubble, you will likely trip and fall. The essential elements that you choose to provide in your deliberate approach to your way of life are the cobblestones. Any toxic choices or behaviors that you choose to practice will clutter your path and cause you to stub your toe – or worse.

The Bonfire Health Program represents the definitive summary of the outcomes determined by the most current research on the essential elements that your cells require to express health. The best practices and vital behaviors recommended to ensure the provision of these elements are simple, but profound. And most importantly, the leverage of the science of social change infused throughout the program will guarantee you the greatest opportunity to get these behaviors into your life and sustain these changes. We help you do it – AND KEEP TO IT!

Stay tuned…

Now get to it!

Bonfire Health Program Part 1 of 3

Human beings can be predictably irrational.¹  

We have inherited a genome that has been shaped by the hammer and anvil of environmental pressures over time to produce two primary drives: 1. survival and 2. reproduction.  These drives are supported, even coerced by our emotions and feelings that are dictated by a hard-wired “GPS” - genetic positioning system described by Lisle and Goldhamer as the Motivational Triad².  In short, we are programmed to seek pleasure, avoid pain and do it all with the greatest economy of energy.  Although this innate tendency served us well when food was hard to come by and life-threatening dangers lurked around every corner of the cave; it can lead to our downfall in the secure, convenient and abundant world we find ourselves in today.   Our biggest challenges of today stem from the mismatch between our genetic programming for survival in famine and our modern sedentary lives of excess.³

Compounding this dynamic is the awareness of this Motivational Triad by the modern marketplace and their relentless exploitation of it.  The world is designed to service your wants, encourage your comfort and promote your excess.  On the front end this sounds like a life of comfort and ease, but unfortunately, the consequences are broad and devastating.  The world is not designed to promote optimal health, just immediate satisfaction.

Because our ancient hard-wiring can lead to our downfall in a modern world, we must be mindful and deliberate in our approach to better health.  We must clarify that our objective is ultimately true health and vitality and not simply symptom treatment.  We must discriminate and follow only the specific evidence-based strategies that research has shown to be aligned with our genetic make-up.  Most importantly, we must reinforce these genetically congruent behaviors by leveraging proven supportive influence techniques that are nothing short of social jujitsu. This is the essence of the Bonfire Health Program.  This is the solution.

The power of the program is found at the nexus of three unique qualities: 

1.  Our Objective - The Wellness Paradigm

2.  The Essential Elements

3.  The Science of Social Influence

Part 1: The Wellness Paradigm

The Bonfire Health Program is designed to fill a giant gap in our health care system today.  The current Traditional or Allopathic Paradigm is based on a sickness and disease treatment model.  With the exception of the incredible and heroic work done in emergency care, the current model is failing.  Tremendous effort is being made and fantastic technological advances are seen throughout our health care system.  But, despite incredible resources invested, our people continue to get sicker.  The impending tsunami of a chronically ill Baby Boomer population promises to collapse an already teetering system.  Although valiant work is being done to keep people from dying, our system is woefully incomplete in addressing true prevention and health promotion.  It is time to embrace the Wellness Paradigm.

The Wellness Paradigm addresses the body as an innately intelligent, self-governing and self-regulating being.  When that being is exposed to the appropriate environment it will express optimal health.  The Wellness Model endorses a pro-active, deliberate approach to living that encourages lifestyle behavioral patterns that ensure the provision of all elements considered essential for optimal cell function, while simultaneously avoiding those elements known to be inherently toxic to cell function.  The objective is to observe, support and encourage nature – not suppress, manipulate or interfere with it. 

The objective of the Bonfire Health Program is to empower individuals with the knowledge of a genetically congruent lifestyle and equip them with congruent behaviors and strategies using proven implementation methods.  Our purpose is to create Well People.

(Stay tuned for Part 2 and Part 3…)

REFERENCES

1. Ariely D, Predictably Irrational (2008)
2. Lisle, D & Goldhamer, A, The Pleasure Trap (2003)
3. O’Keefe JH Jr., Cordain L Cardiovascular Disease Resulting from a Lifestyle at Odds with Our Paleolithic Genome: How to become a 21st Century Hunter and Gatherer, Mayo Clinic Proc. 2004; 79:101 – 108.