March Forth!

Wait…not March Forth…like marching band. March Fourth..as in the fourth of March! One of the many things going on in March besides the beginning of daylight savings time, March Madness, and of course the holidays, like St. Patty’s Day, the First Day of Spring, Easter… is World Obesity Day (observed on March the Fourth.)

World Obesity Day was established in 2015 to promote discussion and action around the steadily growing numbers of overweight people around the globe. Numbers from 2023, show that 41.9% of adults in the United States are obese. That means nearly half of adults in the U.S. are at least 20% above normal body weight, with many a lot more than 20% overweight. Those same numbers also suggest that 19.7% (nearly 1 in 5) of adolescents and children in the U.S. are obese. That’s 14.7 million kids! While weight and overall health are not always connected, obesity is often a risk factor for serious health conditions including heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and certain cancers. More importantly, multiple changes in our culture over the last several generations have promoted (and will likely continue to promote) weight gain in people of all ages for the foreseeable future.

Here’s the amazing part of all of this! First, your body is smart and storing fat is your body’s attempt to store up energy for a time that you might need it. When you eat more calories than your body needs at that time, it smartly squirrels away the extra for some later date. You may not like it but that’s smart, amazing body!

Second, your body can adapt. Your body adapts to you gaining weight and your body will adapt and you can lose weight. The heaviest recorded human in history was a man weighing about 1,400 lbs at his heaviest. He had been obese since childhood and regularly weighed between 800 and 900 lbs during his adult life. Sadly, he died at the age of 41 but remarkably his amazing body withstood that significant weight for many years. How is that even possible?

Similarly, many people who have been significantly overweight can and do transform their bodies. T.V. shows like My Big Fat Fabulous Life, My 600-Lb life, Too Large, and The Biggest Loser demonstrate how the body can change when given the proper circumstances. Which is more amazing: the fact that a body can tolerate a significant amount of weight or that it can change and rebound from it? Both are truly incredible and a testament to how amazing our bodies are.

Of course, how our body adapts to our weight or to anything primarily controlled by our nerve system. Your body is so sophisticated and so incredible that we often forget about all the amazing things it is and does. All of it is organized and maintained by your brain and nerve system and for you to be your most amazing self you need to have an optimally functioning nerve system. Dr.Miller can help you with that. He or she will check your spine for vertebral subluxations which are misalignments that create distortion in your nerve system. When necessary, Dr. Miller will gently adjust your spine to ensure your amazing body can adapt as well as possible under any circumstance. March forth friends!

We’re so excited to welcome Bre to the Miller Family Chiropractic team! 🎉 A proud Salina native, Bre graduated from Wichita State University in 2024 with a degree in Exercise Science—so she knows a thing or two about movement, wellness, and keeping the body in top shape!

When she’s not helping our patients feel their best, you can find her out in nature, adventuring with her dog Rue, or kicking back with a good action movie (she’s always up for a thrilling chase scene! 🎬).

Next time you’re in the office, be sure to say hi and give her a warm welcome! 👋💙

This exercise strengthens neck muscles and promotes proper alignment! And is Dr. Miller approved!

Cook butter, pasta, broth, water, and shallots:

Combine butter, pasta, broth, 2 cups water, and shallots in a large straight-sided skillet or stockpot; season with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until very al dente, about 5 minutes.

Add asparagus and cook:

Stir in asparagus; cook until crisp-tender, 1 to 2 minutes.

Stir in arugula, Parmesan, and lemon zest:

Add arugula, Parmesan, and lemon zest; stir to combine.

Add tuna and lemon juice and serve:

Fold in tuna and lemon juice. Serve immediately, drizzled with oil and sprinkled with more pepper and Parmesan.

Serve and Enjoy!!