Most of you know by now, how could you not you are being bombarded by all media outlets, that we are head first in to the dreaded Flu season. I hate to break it to you, but there's no such thing. Last time I checked, there were only four seasons, and we currently are in Fall and will be heading in to Winter. What we have is a combination of us coming out of Summer, and not getting the Vitamin D our immune system needs anymore. Along with sugar through all of the holidays, starting with Halloween tomorrow. And all the stress through the end of the year and holidays. This combination of lack of sun, increased sugar intake, and stress hormones weakens our immune system and makes us more susceptible to getting "sick". Nothing else has changed, we don't cross one day off on the calendar and then look and see that the next is Flu season and here comes the waive that hits us every year. Better get in line for our Flu Shots! I hope you sense the sarcasm. (For info on flu shots, the flu, and media hype, see archived blogs or old radio shows by clicking on the Media tab)
   So what can we do to avoid getting the flu? Glad you asked, you can start by getting on a Vitamin D supplement, more specifically Vitamin D3. We carry a great one in the office. But be careful where you are getting your supplements, in more plain English I WOULD'NT TAKE A SUPPLEMENT FROM WALMART. In fact any other grocery store or chain vitamin store. Supplements are not regulated by the FDA to begin with (EVEN though the Fraudulent Drug Administration is bought out everyday and does a piss poor job of regulating anything) and supplements are a dirty business. Trust and know where you are getting it. I also recommend taking a fish oil to reduce inflammation caused by stress. And guess what, in our office we have an extremely high quality fish oil that has your daily D3 in it too, one pill a day that's it. That is what I take personally.
   I also recommend avoiding sugar. If we eat candy the week of Halloween, load up during Thanksgiving, and you can't have Christmas without cookies, before you know it you have been on a three month binge. Sugar causes inflammation along with stress,that will weaken your immune system. I recommend developing a surge training routine. This can be in as little as 12 mins 3 times per week, that is the length of the workout I give my patients. And this is extremely effective in reducing stress hormones and shedding body fat which in turn will strengthen your immune system. 
   This "season" do things that build up your body, not break it down, and when January 1st comes around there will be no need for resolutions because you have already developed a healthy routine. To schedule a free consultation at my clinic Adjust Dallas contact us today.  

   I don't think anyone would argue that the most important thing in life is time. Once it's gone, you can't get it back. No matter how much money you have, you can't buy more. The clock never stops ticking. And when I look around (I can be guilty of it too) it seems like that it is the thing we are wasting most.
   You will never be where you are right now, ever again. Your children will never be the same age, ever again. They will never have their terrible two's, ever again. (My daughter) I could go on forever, but you get my point. Our culture has became obsessed with reality TV, facebook, Twitter, and plenty of other "technological advances" that take us further and further away from human interaction and communication. Think about the philosophy or definition of reality TV, you are watching other people live their lives. Well what happens when you watch other people live their lives? You miss out on living your own!
   It's common place for me to see couples at restaurants checking or scrolling through their phone while at dinner together, at the same time! Why even go to dinner with each other? Albert Einstein once said "I Fear the Day That Technology Will Surpass Our Human Interaction.The world will have a generation of idiots." Well guess what? That day is here.
   IF time is the most important thing on this planet, than it should be the thing least wasted right? All those TV hours, all those phone and computer hours. What are you missing in those hours? Are you missing a tea party with your daughter? A laugh or smile from your spouse? Catch with you son? Once those opportunities pass they are gone forever. If you spend 6 hours a day on your phone or watching TV that is 1/4 of your day. If you live to 80, that is 20 years of your life! Hopefully not 20 years of watching the Kardashians.
   Live everyday like it is your last, be in the present. Jim Parker came up with this acronym PTC. It stands for Present Time Consciousness. It means being in the moment, paying complete attention to who you are with. We all know the people who, when you are talking to them, you can tell they are not hearing a word you are saying. They are thinking of what they are going to say next. Then when you speak to a really good listener, it's almost strange, they never lose eye contact, completely in to what you are saying. Listening has became a lost art. I recently had a patient while I was taking their history on their first visit, they were checking their phone the whole time, and taking a few moments to answer my questions, while they were still looking at their phone. I stopped my questions, and waited in silence until the phone was put away, they got the point. But what kind of message does that say to someone?
   One thing I use, and I think it is very useful, when trying to practice PTC is to practice mental photographs. I use this with my family a lot. When my daughter is playing at the park, it is very easy to pull out my phone and see what is going on in the Facebook world. To avoid that, I take mental photographs, still frames of her going down the slide, running through the bark. We will never be in this moment again. I encourage you to eliminate or reduce distractions in your life. Things that are distracting you from life itself. Don't let this time be wasted.

   One thing I will have to say that my parents instilled in me from an early age is confidence. Confidence in myself, but also confidence to question authority, ask questions, and to stand up for what you know is right. We never had this blindly follow authority type attitude in our house. I remember as a kid, my parents saying in certain circumstances that involved myself or my brothers and another adult, that just because they're the adult doesn't mean that their right. I may have heard a "you may be smarter than them" on a few occasions too. Now don't get me wrong, we weren't raised to be defiant or rude, we were raised to be critical thinkers. 
   The world needs more critical thinkers, our country was founded by critical thinkers. People that one day said, I don't like how this is going, or I think we can do it better ourselves. I took a class called Critical Thinking my freshman year in college. At first I thought it was a very weird class, and that my teacher was definitely a hippie. But looking back, it was probably one of the most impacting classes I have ever taken. 
   Now nobody likes the annoying kid asking why over and over, but when we shut them down for asking questions, or give them the "cuz I said so...". What are we teaching them?
   Too many times I run in to patients who as I take their health history, and I ask them about the medications that they are on they have no idea what they are for. Or why they are on them, or even worse how long does their doctor think they are going to have to be on them. Now if you don't even know what drugs you are on, how in the world are you going to do something to change your current situation? As Americans we put doctors on a pedestal, wait why am I saying this I'm a doctor, and we never ask why. They are the doctor right? They shouldn't be questioned right? They know everything right? Everything they do is always in me best interest right? I don't know, why don't you ask!
   You see, my critical thinking has led me to some core beliefs that I now hold sacred. For example, I have thought long and hard, with research, and came to the conclusion that I don't agree with the CDC recommended vaccine schedule. Do you think a child from birth to adolescence should receive 86 shots? I don't. You have a very piece of equipment between you ears, use it. And teach your kids not just to learn, but to question everything that they learn.

   When George Clooney was asked if he could change one thing about himself what would it be, do you know what he said? Without hesitation he said his posture.
   You probably have memories of your mother or grandmother telling you to sit up straight or to fix your posture. Now unless you came from a chiropractic household, these attempts to stand you up straight were probably purely cosmetic. As is George Clooney's urge to have better posture. 
   But there is so much more going on than what we see. Posture is known as the window to your health. I have said for years that I can tell what kind of health someone is in within 30 seconds based on their posture. It is a direct reflection of what is going on in the inside. Do sick and tired people stand up straight? The answer is no, they don't. 
   I had a patient recently start care, not because of everything I told him that was going on with his spine, or the health problems that were starting to add up. He told me that he is noticing his posture getting worse and he doesn't want to look old. Well that was his motivating factor, but at the same time his health is dramatically improving as his posture is being corrected. On a side note, this is probably why Clooney wants to fix his posture, he's still a bachelor, and isn't getting any younger. He may have a hard time picking up these young models and actresses all hunched over like an old man.
   Now posture can be corrected but it's most likely going to take more than being more conscious of how your sitting or standing. If you have been at a computer or desk for years, and have some years still to come. Do you think it's going to get better by itself? No, the damage is done, you need a professional. Contact our office Adjust Dallas today for a free consultation. 

“Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself.”-Rumi


Perception defines reality, meaning the act of changing yourself will naturally change your perception of the world, and thus redefines (or changes) the world.

   What is really great about the Disney cruise line for kids is that in the rooms the TV's have like ten different channels playing Disney movies at all times. Maybe not so good for the adults once the kids figure that out like my daughter did. But I did catch a documentary on Walt Disney which I thought was great. He was truly an extraordinary individual who accomplished a lot and touched a lot of people in his short time on earth. One thing that stuck with me from the documentary was when a friend, a former actor, I forget his name, asked Walt if he would consider himself an optimist? The friend said you are always in a good mood, you are always smiling, and you lift up the people you are around. This is what Walt said:
   I am not an optimist, I am an OPTIMAL BEHAVIORIST. And he then explained that it mean't he tried to be in the best mood at all times. Performing at the highest level at all times. Vibrating on the highest frequency at all times. 
   I loved this, and it is so true. I have heard somewhere before that you should try to be the most enthusiastic person around.If you are positive and enthusiastic, people will be attracted to you, in all aspects of your life. They might not even know why, they might say there is just something about them.
   Later in the film while waiting out a snow storm in Squaw Valley, Walt was waiting to go live on television. It looked like they were going to have to cancel it because of the snow. Soon as it was time to go live, the snow stopped, sun came out. As soon as they were done filming, the snow came down again. The anchor who was live with Walt, said that was unbelievable, a miracle. Walt said If you are a good person, and in a good mood. Good things will happen to you. 
   You see Walt Disney didn't reach the success he did by accident. He didn't create a company that has been here for over 90 years by chance. The third most recognizable company and logo in the world had a lot of purpose behind it. What is your purpose? Are you truly enthusiastic about it? Because if you're not, you will never be successful. Steve Jobs was successful because he loved computers and electronics. Walt loved telling stories and making people smile. Be the most enthusiastic person you know, or as Walt said an OPTIMAL BEHAVIORIST. 

   As I mentioned yesterday I was going to give a recap of some of the trends that I noticed on our vacation. My family and I did a Disney cruise, which I highly recommend for anyone, even if you don't have kids. But of course, me being me, I was still thinking about stuff I noticed for blogs. If you have ever taken a cruise before you already know that almost the entire staff on board are foreign. One of our waiters was from Spain, the other from Portugal, the captain was Swedish, one of our favorite coffee bar's barista was from Romania, but pretty much everyone is foreign. And guess what... they are all thin!
   As I have said before in my talks and in my blogs, when I talk about weight, I am not trying to be insensitive, but we need a wake up call. That's why I founded Healthcare Intervention Inc. to begin with. If we all don't want to hurt each other's feelings than nothing will change. Two thirds of Americans are currently overweight. That government statistic was done by a phone survey of 400k people where they were asked their height and weight and their BMI was calculated. Do people ever lie about their height or weight? NEVER! Yea right... So this stat is believed to be seriously underestimated. After the cruise I would say that 90% of Americans are overweight. Im serious, 90. Maybe even more. 
   But all the foreign staff, thin. Now I'm not saying they all had 6 packs but Im saying they appeared to be at a healthy weight. And I started to get embarrassed. All of us Americans on this cruise, eating everything we see. All these thin foreigners, serving us, talking to each other in their native languages. What do you think they are saying? You think they don't talk about us eating everything and how big we are? I guarantee they do. You know how I know? Because I talked to my waiter about it. 
   Now when I am on vacation, my wife and I still generally eat pretty healthy. We got two workouts in during the week, less than we usually do, but why do I still get those in? Because I feel like crap if I don't. Now I will loosen my belt a little bit on vacation, and order some things I don't usually order, but I don't order dessert after every meal. On the first night, when the waiter asked us what we were having for dessert, he was shocked when we said we were passing. He said you didn't come on a cruise on a diet did you? I said no, there's just nothing on the menu tonight that caught my eye, that I thought was worth it. Now I did order dessert on the ship, but it was something that I really wanted, or thought looked good. I didn't just order it to order it. 
    Another thing that really bothered me was what we feed our kids. I was sitting at a table with a family who had two kids very close to my daughter's age. This family ordered their kids chocolate milk every dinner, and the kids ate Mac and Cheese and fries almost every meal. And we are wondering why our children are obese? My daughter eats what we do, chicken, fish, asparagus, broccoli, and she drinks water. In fact when I had subbed my daughter's fries for broccoli on the first night, the waiter brought her both. I asked him to please take it back and remove the fries. But why? The broccoli was still there... Because if there are fries in front of her, guess what she will eat? Fries! We are the adults, we are the parents, we make the decisions, we are in charge of creating her healthy habits. The mom of the other family was a nurse too, shouldn't she know what is healthy? What she an her husband ordered wasn't any better. But come to think about it, they probably serve chocolate milk and Mac and Cheese at the hospital too. The medical field is so far from health, they can't even recognize it. 
   Also if you ever been on a cruise ship you know that there are quite a few levels. Ours had 10, but you wouldn't believe the amount of people who would wait 10 minutes for an elevator to go one floor. We made it a point to always take the stairs, if you just took the stairs the whole week and never did any other workout, that would be enough! But even when we had the stroller, which is a big jogger, we would carry up or down the stairs. We have became lazy as a society.
   Not quite the recap you were expecting huh? Haha Im sorry, even on vacation, Im still Dr. Austin. We had a great time though. And some of you reading might think this blog was harsh. But Im not going to be the one standing around watching this go on. In my practice, on the very first visit, I give every single patient an impression on where I think their health is. Im not here to make friends, Im here to get people healthy. And that's why we are good at what we do. 

   If you are one of the 3 million people who follow my daily blog (HAHA JK) then you probably wondered where I was last week. There were no blogs! That's because my family and I took a much needed vacation. Vacationing is something that is essential to your health. And many of us seem to put it aside, or are too busy to take a vacation. Now your vacation doesn't have to be an expensive trip. It can be in your hometown or in your own house. But think of your vacation as an investment not an expense. If you have followed me for anytime you know that I talk a lot about investing in your health. Investments in your health are the most important ones you can make and they have the best return. So don't put off that vacation you have been wanting or needing. Make sure to read my blog tomorrow to hear the recap of my vacation and some health trends I noticed specific to us Americans.

  Most people spend their entire career saving up for retirement. With the hopes that someday they will be able to live the retirement of their dreams, whether that's on a beach somewhere or whatever your dream is. We invest in 401K's, IRA's, retirement funds, stocks, gold and silver. Now what happens if when you get there, to the age of retirement, and you are not in good enough health to enjoy it? What was all that work worth? 
   What if you work your entire life to make enough money to send your kids to the private schools, to drive the best cars, live in the best neighborhoods, but in order to achieve that you had to be more dedicated to your job than your family? In the mean time, as your kids grow, they dont know their parent, your spouse has fell out of love with you. But the facade looks good right? 
   What have you been investing in?
No matter how much money you have you can never buy your health back. We see that time and time again with celebrities. Look at Steve Jobs, all the money in the world, but couldn't buy his health back. Invest in your health and your loved ones on a daily basis. Whether it is going to the gym, taking a walk or jog, reading a book to your kids when you are too tired and dont feel like it. Invest in the things that matter, they will pay much larger dividends than any stock will ever pay.

   This month is breast cancer awareness month. So naturally, you will see pink ribbons everywhere. You will see walks for the cure, fundraising for the cure. You can buy anything in pink from vacuums to buckets of chicken from KFC to help raise money for a "cure". But myself, I don't participate. That is not because I do not support cancer patients or cancer survivors, because trust me I do, and I treat a lot of them in my practice. I don't PINK because I do not support the multi billion dollar INDUSTRY that is the cancer INDUSTRY.
   Now, this blog could get really lengthy in my explanation so I am going to try my best to make it as short as possible, bare with me. The whole cancer industry has exploded, it is actually a money making machine. While this money goes mysteriously somewhere to people who are desperately searching for a cure. For one, very little of your money actually goes to cancer research to begin with. There are very well paid executives sitting on these boards and a lot of people getting rich off you donating. There are also a lot of other corporations that aren't in the cancer business trying to ride the wave and get in on the cash cow. They will put a pink ribbon on anything if they think it might guilt you in to buying their product. Making you feel like a better person. Let's take KFC for example, if you buy a bucket of chicken in October "some" of the proceeds will go to cancer research. Let's see, people who sell hormone laced chicken who are contributing to the problem and epidemic now want to donate to try to help? Hmmm... How about start selling organic antibiotic and hormone free chicken so we can really cut down on cancer rates.
   So how do they get all of us to march miles and spend countless dollars to support them? They have us all focused on a cure. Well what happens when we only focus on a cure? We start to lose track of the cause. Why are we all getting cancer to begin with? Why are cancer rates going up every year, when we have raised trillions of dollars in research? That is because there will never be a miracle cure or drug. We all have cancer! Cancer is abnormal or mutated cells, I may have 500,000 of them in my body right now. You as you read this, may have 300,000. But our body is constantly turning these cells over and making sure they dont get out of control. Once that number reaches 1 Billion, that is detectable by modern day tests and diagnosed as "cancer". We all know someone who had cancer and went in to remission, and unfortunately a few years it came back. Why is that? Because all that person did was radiate or kill with chemo drugs enough abnormal (and normal) cells to get that number under 1 Billion. They never got to the root cause of why their body wasn't turning over these mutated cells to begin with. So as we all wait for a cure, we will continue to lose millions of lives, and corporations will continue to make billions of dollars. 
   In 1971 President Richard Nixon declared a war on cancer, in the first year alone we dedicated 1.2 Billion dollars to research. Since then we have raised trillions. Where has it gotten us? No where. Cancer rates continue to rise, hitting record setting numbers, and the future numbers being predicted get even worse. 
   Another reason I dont PINK is because a large portion of these proceeds that do go somewhere go to more radiation and more chemo to patients. Personally I dont believe in it, and would never put that poison in my body. I believe in support the bodys immune system to defeat cancer, from experience with family and friends it seems to be the most effect and has the longest lasting effects. Research has proven time and time again the ineffectiveness of chemo and radiation. Not to mention the quality of life those last days. You can read a research study on the 5 year survival rate with chemo here http://www.burtongoldberg.com/home/burtongoldberg/contribution-of-chemotherapy-to-five-year-survival-rate-morgan.pdf. There have also been many therapies and protocols that have been shown to be highly effective in fighting cancer, but unfortunately these cant be patented and profited off of, so they are squashed and doctors who support them are ostracized. 
   In this blog I have barely scratched the surface when it comes to cancer and the cancer industry. For more information on cancer you can listen to one of my radio shows on cancer here /media.html.  There is also a documentary that you can watch, it is also on Netflix call Pink Ribbon, INC. Or to get more information on alternative therapies contact my office for a free consultation.