August 2024

23 September 2025

“Here we are, over halfway through the year and hopefully through the worst of winter! Speaking of winter I have had a lot of you guys coming in, mentioning how crook you’ve been this year. Now here is my theory and it is just MY theory.

We have had the past 4 years with covid lockdowns and restrictions. Even last year there were isolation protocols in place over winter. This is the first winter we are going through without any enforced restrictions, so coughs, colds, and flus are able to spread a lot more easily.

Your wonderful immune system is like your muscle system. It needs an amount of stress to build it and keep it heathy. Just like you work out your muscle to keep them strong, your immune system needs pathogens to help keep it active and healthy. It has had a “break” over the past 3/4 years and not had to work as hard as normal.

I have a feeling we will all find next years flu season a lot easier as our immune systems will be back from their “vacation” and ready to protect us.

I hope you enjoy what we have install for the newsletter this quarter, we received good feedback about the layout of the last one so we will keep this with the 5 keys to good health.”

-Dr Chad

Chiropractic

You heard it here first!

There is a lot of talk from various health outlets now regarding Fight/flight, vagus nerve, vagal tone and calming the nervous system. Well we chiropractors have been talking about this for years!

And now you guys get to hear it here first. We are learning that a very particular part of your brain is needed to help activate your prefrontal cortex, vagal tone and calming of the nervous system and this part of your brain is called…. YOUR CEREBELLUM.

The cerebellum is the super hero of the brain. This small part at the back base of the brain (orange in the picture) makes up less than 20% of the mass of your whole brain yet it contains over 60% of all the neuron’s in your brain.

More and more research is showing the importance of stimulating the cerebellum to allow proper cortical function. The cerebellum is super important for both our Baby/kids and Elderly populations. The cerebellum is what controls trunkal stability, balance and fine motor skills things needed needed particularly at the beginning and end of our life.

So how do you stimulate and supercharge this wonderful organ?

Via the spinocerebellar pathway

This is what chiropractic is all about. We adjust your spine and change the brain by stimulating the cerebellum. So in the next few years when the masses start talking about it, you can smile because you heard it hear first and are doing a multitude of wonderful things to help stimulate and promote health cerebellar function.

Move Well

Want live longer?

Well not not play some racquet sports…. yes RACQUET SPORTS!

This type of sport has been shown to be increasingly beneficial to both our brains and our health. Two studies done in 2018 and 2022 found a link in people who played regular (weekly) racquet sports had greater life expectancies than those who didn’t.

The coordination required to focus on a small moving target and move our bodies accordingly whether to serve or retaliate majorly impacts cerebellum function, which as we know from above stimulates whole brain function.

Not only that but racquet sports cause a person to under go high intensities of movement with very little impact to their body. Meaning racquet sports get a person heart rate up without putting too much strain on their physical body.

So what are you waiting for? When was the last time you had a game of tennis or badminton? have you tried something new like squash or pickleball? Pick up a racquet and start swinging. We can’t wait to celebrate your 100th birthday because of it.

Think Well

During the winter months when a lot of us are leaving the house in the dark and coming home in the dark. It is easy for us to get a case of the ‘winter blues’.

A great way to combat this is by getting out into nature and walking.

It doesn’t have to be far but it is best done without a device in your hand. The term for walking in nature is Shinrin-Yoku - using nature as mediation. Studies have shown that nature walking can be effective at lowering stress as it forces us to focus on the beauty of the external world and helps to get out of our heads. Another outdoor activity Dr Chad is especially fond of is gardening. There is bacteria in the soil that releases a chemical that activates dopamine (the happy hormone) within our brain.

Great ways to get out into nature are over the weekend with family and friends or during lunch breaks we have some fabulous walks around the city and the beautiful green spaces. Next time you’re having a 1-1 meeting try making it a walking meeting and go explore a park!

Sleep Well

Have you heard of a circadian rhythm? It’s the natural cycle our body goes through during a 24hr period. Your circadian rhythm is responsible for your sleep, hunger, mood and hormone balance.

Different seasons change our circadian rhythm. Research has shown that winter time we need more sleep. This is cued by 2 factors - temperature and light hours. During winter it is imperative we get adequate sleep to allow our bodies to heal and ward off sickness. One major disruptor to our sleep is bright screen lights during the nighttime.

Yes you’ve heard it all before but screen time around bed time disrupts the processes in your brain and stops you falling asleep and falling into deep sleep.

Some ways you can avoid this are:

Create a routine of no phones/screens 2 hours before sleep time.
Change your devices to full “red” screen to avoid any bright/blue light exposure while using them.
Download a phone lock or physically turn off devices to avoid temptations during your bedtime routine.

Devices are a part of our lives but they are also having an impact on our health. So if you’re a serial screen user during the night we challenge you to implement a new habit of reducing your screen time and improving your sleep.

If you’ve found a technique thats worked for you let us know by email so we can share it to help others.

Eat Well

I really love this recipe as its super quick to prepare - takes about 20 minutes start to finish. Can be eaten both warm or cold and makes you feel extra healthy in the cool months, when its so easy to reach for convenience.

Ingredients

1/2 cup tahini paste

1 tbs sesame oil

1 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp vinegar

1 tbs mayonnaise

1 tsp sugar

1 tsp miso paste (optional)

1/2 - 1 cup water

1x packet noodles

1x head of broccoli

1x carrot

2x spring onions

200g - protein

Sesame seeds &

Chilli crunch to garnish

Method

In a bowl whisk the tahini paste, sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar, sugar, mayonnaise (and miso paste if using).

Once you have a smooth consistency add half a cup of water and mix until smooth again - you should see the colour of the mixture go lighter. If you want a heavier thicker sauce use it as is, however if you prefer a thinner sauce then add more water to get your desired thickness. I like mine relatively thin almost like maple syrup consistency.

Gently blanch your carrot and broccoli till slightly tender. And cook off your protein source*.

Boil your noodles to the packet instructions.

Mix the veggies, protein, noodles and sauce together and serve topped with spring onions, sesame seeds and chilli crunch!

*I change up the protein source. Sometimes i’ll have chicken, others tofu, others pork it really doesn’t matter what you choose

Whats happening around the place

Chiropractic Closure

Our Doctors are just about to start their 2 week holiday in Canada. It will be Chad’s first time back since covid and they are both excited for Aidans family to meet Fred.

They shall return on August 12 for Dunedin and August 13th for Balclutha.

A reminder that phones will not be checked while away but they still have access to emails for any “urgent” matters.

Dunedin Bylaw Changes

There are proposed changes to dog bylaws and control. The submissions have now closed by hearing and deliberation are going ahead in September. These Bylaws were around dog access areas such as beaches. There were also proposed changes to how many dogs can be off lead by one person - limiting it to 2 dogs off lead per person. This if put through will affect a lot of dog owners and dog walkers.

“RUN FOREST, RUN!”

The Dunedin Marathon is coming up on 15th September. If you haven’t registered yet there is still time.

There are a few people also talking about the Queenstown Marathon on the 16th November.

Of Course the Horse Course

We are so proud of Dr Aidan who is now the only chiropractor south of Christchurch to be internationally accredited to provide chiropractic care to both small and large animals.

What this space as over the next few months she will be working to incorporate hours and days to see your beloved pets and work horses (pun intended).

*Wee Freddie got an honorary certificate for being there for all the classes.

Sing your hearts out Balclutha

If you’ve been under a rock you may not be aware that Balclutha has won an Encore performance by kiwi band Six60! The concert will be held on Saturday 31st August at

Te pou ō Mata-au

Tickets for their arrival are on sale at One Nz and Eccles.co.nz so crack into it!!!!

Fathers Day

Sunday 1st September is Fathers day. Cheers to all the dad figures in our lives!

Dr Chad will be eagerly awaiting a gardening voucher or a tool voucher….