A Grueling 2 Days of the Decathlon!

We at the California Wellness Center wanted to congratulate former NCAA Division II National Champion Chris Randolph on what turned out to be a grueling competition for three Olympic spots in the Decathlon. Chris endured two blazing days of this Olympic trial contest with fervor, relentless effort, and in the end all smiles for the completion of the most competitive track meet he's ever participated in! It has been an absolute pleasure to work Chiropractically on Chris Randolph the athlete, but I can't put into words what it means to share with Chris the person. It is my hunch that this is just the beginning of what will continue to be an illustrious career for this young athlete! Look for Chris Randolph in future World Games as well as the 2012 Olympics! Our praises go out to you Chris...you're Awesome!!!

Heroes!!!

After visiting the 2008 track & field Olympic trials in Eugene, Oregon, it has become increasingly clear how exciting it is to have a hero! Someone that you can look up to, share with, believe in, hope for, and someone to simply love! In Eugene, Oregon that hero was and still is some thirty years later the great runner Steve Prefontaine. He wasn't just fast. He didn't just win. Steve gave his fans something more...he gave them part of him! It was more than just about running for "Pre". It was about human will, about sharing with others, about learning, about team, it was about "Guts"! "Pre" lived every moment of every race and he dared to make others follow. I'm reminded of the great little saying utilized by Morgan Freeman in Shawshank Redemption, "We can either get busy living, or get busy dying!" Evidence is resounding, those people who have goals, stay positive, and continue to press onward will reduce their likelihood of plaguing chronic disease. Athlete or not, I ask you "Are you really living???"

Dr. Rex

Olympic Class!

I've had the incredible opportunity to work with 55 kg wrestler Matt Azevedo through his quest to make the United States Olympic team. Matt's focus, determination, and will to win are to be admired, yet it is his demeanor, body language, gentle spirit, contagious smile, and consistently positive attitude that is most impressive. Matt entered the Olympic trials in Las Vegas as the #1 seed, however, lost a tough semifinal match to keep him from making the 2008 Olympic team. Congratulations Matt on being crowned the 2008 US National Champion and continue to keep your head held high as you are a beacon of hope to so many that you continue to touch! For more info on Matt's journey go to www.mattazevedo.com.

Eat Food. Not Too Much. Mostly Plants.

Brilliance! Fundamental! Back to Basics! A must read and therefore it tops the current list of gotta have books! Michael Pollan does a phenomenal job of relaying how we veered from a group of people who ate food to a body of folks desperately looking and hoping to justify that what's in the food (specific nutrients) we've chosen to consume is certainly improving our health. Whether the nutrients claim to lower your cholesterol, decrease your risk for cancer, increase your energy, boost your immune system, or help you lose weight (just to name a few), food manufacturers have succeeded in getting Americans to buy based on the added nutrient not the food itself! The book reveals not only how since the inception of this change in behaviour that we've created more disease but that we've lost the need to ask the question, "What's wrong with the food itself that we must feel the need to fortify, add, or inject isolated, unnatural, environmentally imbalanced nutrients into the food?" The author eloquently shares many of the fundamental conflicts of interest behind those creating these anomalous chemical montages (still calling them food), government health standards, bias researchers, and the major implications and subsequent consequences of these decisions. Michael Pollan's articulately and fluently, without persuasion, encourages us to engage in thoughtful selection of our food that will augment our lives, improve our sensory perception of healthy food, and to revert back to the days of enjoying our meals again!!! I hope this book serves you and your family well!!!

going local...

We decided to sign up for the Huasna Valley Farm CSA (community supported agriculture) this year and LOVE it. we pick up a cooler of fresh, organic, locally grown vege's and eggs every week with some inspiration on cooking ideas (couldn't we all use a little of that). This week- dill, parsley, broccoli, asparagus, so so sweet carrots, bok choy, garlic, butter leaf lettuce, spinach, and 2 dozen eggs. I truly can't believe how much better the food tastes, especially the eggs. I guess what we put in our soil is actually important.

Dinner included salmon with dill and stir fry with all the greens. Scrumptious.


I'm hoping rex and i can get our tomatoes in the ground soon. nothing like a garden fresh tomato in the summer- with a little avocado, basil and olive oil. can't wait.

-molly

"Seeking Higher Ground"

Onwards and Upwards you ask? The theme our Wellness Blog will attempt to encapsulate is how we as humans progress, adapt, and evolutionize into an improving species that is “Seeking Higher Ground!” It is our innate desire as a people to do what is right, just, moral, and therefore advancing forward. In this case, we will address our aspirations of improving overall health, limiting self-inflicted disease, and escalating quality to human longevity!

And so we enter the "Blog World" in an effort to create a resource for SLO County residents. We will discuss lifestyle related diseases (heart disease, obesity, diabetes, etc.), environmental issues, hormones, food, supplements, must read books, and more. We will try and clarify commonly misunderstood “health” misnomers such as cholesterol, calcium, dairy, “diet” foods, weight loss, sunscreen, surgery, pregnancy, exercise, and more!

So as we broach this tall task of digging through and condensing the countless array of information both from the past and what is continuing to arise on a daily basis, we ask that your mind continues to gaze ahead. We trust that you will never be satisfied with hopeless conclusions about your health, but rather will be constantly looking forward knowing that your body always acts perfectly if given the perfect environment!

Come explore with us as we seek to find the fundamental answers behind this incredible creation known as the “human body”…of course, always looking “Onwards and Upwards” as we go!!!!

Dr. Rex