Photo Karen Graham Dr. Robin Whale and Library Outreach Coordinator Lindsay Molloy with the exercise ball recommended for daily stretch routines.
The professionals practising at Whale Chiropractic in Millbrook came to the library in November to lead two public sessions providing information about managing your health.
Dr. Robin Whale came to speak to an adult audience about vitality. His presentation was based on the teachings of Dr. James Chestnut, a world renowned expert on healthy living from Australia. The discussion centred on lifestyle as a focus to develop health and prevent chronic illness. Dr. Whale explained that most illnesses stem from too much or too little or something, and that balance in all things leads to a healthy body. Dr. Whale discussed three components to good health; healthy eating, healthy moving and healthy thinking, mirroring Dr. Chestnut’s philosophy. The objective is to empower patients with common sense tools to manage their bodies through proactive action he calls natural hygiene.
The promotion of healthy eating is common practise amongst health professionals. In describing the importance of “healthy moving”, Dr. Whale described sitting as the modern day equivalent of smoking in terms of its consequences. He promotes walking as an accessible and effective exercise, and also suggests the use of large exercise balls which he likens to toothbrushes for the spine. To balance our current tendency to hunch forward over a keyboard, for example, Dr. Whale suggests extending on your back over the ball and gently rolling back and forth for a few minutes every day to counter this tendency and realign the spine. Healthy thinking refers to emotional health, and connects physical health to the adoption of healthy belief systems, positive social interaction and the management of negative thoughts and emotions.
Dr. Whale also suggested the daily use of three supplements for improved health. Due to our climate and lifestyle, he believes our bodies are low on vitamin D and suggests everyone would benefit from a daily dose of this critical element which is linked to cancer prevention. Secondly he suggested our digestive systems would benefit from the consumption of probiotics. Reminding us of the daily administration of fish oil to school children during the ‘40’s and ‘50’s, Dr. Whale recommended a return to the daily consumption of fish oil sourced from Norway which is known to stimulate brain health.
Dr. Caroline Taylor of Whale Chiropractic came to the Storytime event at the Millbrook Library to speak to 20 young children and their caregivers about spinal health. Using a model of the spine, she described how bones protect our organs and provide a channel for nerves to communicate with the brain. Using a story book targeted at young children, Dr. Taylor described how magic flows through nerves to the brain, telling legs and arms to move and ensuring the lungs and the heart function properly. The session concluded with a song reinforcing the importance of making sure your bones are in their favourite spot to allow this communication to happen so we can move well.
The public sessions reinforce the philosophy of these health practitioners who promote prevention in their practise. KG
