As many of you are aware the Summer of 2012 my wife and I went to Thailand on our honeymoon and had many revelations during this trip. I have been very fortunate through life that I have done a lot and seen a lot but there is something about this trip that is making everything more memorable.

On July 3rd we booked an excursion to have breakfast with monks and in their temple there are rescue tigers where we had an unbelievable opportunity to play with them. We fed them, washed them, and went into a large playing area with them to give them their daily exercise which may have been one of the scariest things in my life. When I was in the tiger cage I remember pausing for a minute and becoming very present to that moment and realizing that this is all we have.

That moment was the only place I could be and what I was gaining was an unbelievable experience with someone I love, my wife. I was realizing that all we have at the end of this life are the experiences we gain every second of every day. They don’t always have to be extreme such as playing with tigers in Thailand but it opened my eyes up to the fact that these experiences are always happening. Some questions you may want to ask yourself to see if you are banking these experiences are: How observant am I in life? Am I present to experiences and my life right now? What stories am I creating to block me from being present to those experiences?

I used to be someone who would care what people thought about me and making sure I look good. I used to be someone who would get frustrated with people if they were not living my lifestyle and eventually push them away. I used to be someone that would get upset with my clients when they did not get chiropractic care and the value of it and irregularly come in for adjustments. I used to be someone that would be focused on the next moment and not the NOW moment. I used to be that guy and now I realize that at the end of this life NONE of those things matter and I have no control of other people choices or decisions. What I do have is an INFLUENCE over their decisions by being present and living in action. All I have are the moments I am in right now and being present to them. The things that matter to me are experiences and I have never been more present to this then I am right now.

*** The list goes on and the fact I am more present to it means that these experiences will be of an abundant supply.

I would love to hear from all of you the experiences you are present to in your life and how these are creating an impact.

i-am-an-addict

I am currently 32,000 ft in the air leaving the “Land of Smiles (Thailand) and just had the best 2 weeks of my life. On the plane where time seems to standstill I have been thinking about how excited I am to get back to Atlanta and get back on my routine. For the past 2 weeks on my honeymoon I have dropped from getting adjusted weekly to zero, to working out 6 days a week to none, eating 98% paleo to 20%, taking daily protein shakes and supplements to nothing, and the only thing I have maintained is massage, as for an hourlong Thai massage runs a whopping $7 or 200 Baht (for my new Thai subscribers).

Many people would tell me before my trip “Doc, I bet your excited to get off your diet and stop working out for a bit” or in some context let me know how good it is going to be for me to cheat. These statements could not be further from the truth on how I felt this trip! I always find it interesting that if you take someone who eats very clean and feed them junk food they don’t feel well or someone who eats a ton of junk and get them eating super clean they sometimes can’t tolerate it all at once. I didn’t get sick this trip but always felt full and could probably go the rest of my life without pad Thai or rice.

This whole thought process and the reason I am writing this is because I am 100% addicted to being healthy and living. My name is Austin Cohen and I am addicted to chiropractic adjustments, eating healthy, working out, and living my greatest life to reach my full potential. It may sound awkward that I am writing this but as a chiropractor I hear some of the most outlandish comments such as:

  • “”Once you get a chiropractic adjustment you have to get adjusted for the rest of your life.””
  • “Crossfit is like a cult of people where in order to get really good you have to workout here a lot and for a very long time”.
  • “I hear once you get a massage you will want to go the rest of your life”
  • “If I take fish oil or D3 do I have to take them the rest of my life”

These comments always confuse me because what is so wrong about being addicted to getting your spine properly lined up in its correct juxtaposition so the brain can send clear signals down your spine and out your nerves to all of your organs and organ systems at 100%. Is it a problem I am also addicted to my dentist and will go twice a year for the rest of my LIFE to make sure my teeth are clean there is no decay and my gums are healthy. What is wrong about working out at the SAME gym regularly and doing it for the rest of my life so I can be more functionally fit. What is wrong about living healthy the rest of my life and trying to find all the things out there nowadays that will allow me truly be healthy. I am bringing all of this up because watching the downward spiral of our country and the healthcare stats are really starting to fire me up. When did we become such a quick fix or want it now culture? Obviously if that model works so well we would be the healthiest and richest country in the world but if we look at the stats or even around us we know that is not true.

I ask and encourage all of you (yes, you!) to look at your addictions whether good or bad and how can you convert the bad ones to good ones. For example, some people are addicted to having an immobile spine with not 100% connection. Some people are addicted to eating junk foods such as grains, sugar, and processed dairy and other packaged foods. Some people are addicted to the television and couch and not getting proper exercise to keep their cardiovascular system working right.

My question of the week is: What addictions are in your life right now whether they are good or bad and how can you take the bad ones and convert them into healthy addictions?

Once you answer this then realize that you have an abundant amount of resources around you to help with this conversion. And guess what? It may not happen overnight but step by step and day by day you will begin to lose those unhealthy addictions. If you feel stuck then either post a comment below or go to facebook.com/draustincohen and join in on the discussion and ask away.

general-health-packet

Over the past couple years I have had dozens of people ask me what they can take for themselves on a daily basis to maintain and improve their health. Honestly, I have found nothing until recently that I feel could make a dramatic improvement on your health and would be worth taking. Before I found this product all I would take was fish oil, digestive enzyme, and protein powder. Now that I have done enough research I have concluded that Standard Process’ General Health Daily Fundamentals packet is the BEST product on the market and I take it twice a day. We have recently started carrying it as you can only get it from a healthcare practitioner and is not found in any vitamin shops or grocery stores. I recommend ALL of you get this product and begin using it daily as the benefits are huge and is finally a product that adds value to your health. We have it in the glass case along with our spinal hygiene kits, probiotics, and anti-aging hormone creams.

The product comes with 60 packets and here is what vitamins are included in each packet:

Catalyn (Whole Food Based Vitamin)

  • Supplies multiple vitamins and minerals for complete, complex nutritional supplementation
  • Designed to bridge nutritional gaps in the diet
  • Encourages healthy cell functioning
  • Supports overall well-being

Tuna Oil (From fish in the South Pacific water tested with no mercury or PCB’s)

  • Natural profile of tuna oil, not concentrated
  • Supports normal lipid profile
  • Supports the body’s natural inflammatory response
  • Provides antioxidants
  • Third-party tested for environmental contaminants
  • Supports cognition
  • DHA is important for proper fetal eye and brain development
  • Supports the nutritional needs of the mother and baby during lactation
  • Supports skin/hair health
  • Supports emotional balance
  • Supportive but not conclusive research has shown that EPA and DHA omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease.

Minerals and B12 (Essential for people with thyroid problems whether its hypo or hyperactive)

  • Spectrum of minerals that support a healthy body
  • Provides essential cofactors for healthy cell functioning
  • Provides iodine, which is required for healthy thyroid, spleen, and red blood cell functions
  • Among other functions, these trace minerals support ligament, cartilage, and bone structure; immune and thyroid function; fat metabolism; and calcium utilization


Six Months to Live: How Would You Live?

On June 29th, 2012 this concept and philosophy ran through my head as I was sitting on the runway on our Korean Air flight about to embark on the greatest trip of my life. I was all set and ready to go on my honeymoon after being married for 10 months and spending at least 40 hours of planning this trip through recommendations from people and copious amounts of TripAdvisor. In my head on this runway were two thoughts:

1) Why do we wait until the end of our lives or until some crisis situation happens before we realize how short our time is. All to often I meet cancer survivors or other people that survived crisis situations and their philosophy on life is much different than everyone else which is to have no regrets. A lot of people I know or meet that are not truly living life have the concept that they are “too busy” or “they don’t have enough time” which are the two BIGGEST excuses or reasons people never get to TRULY enjoy life.

2) This was more of advice that came from an amazing practice member, Gayle, which was to make sure during this trip I am fully present and whenever I see an opportunity to make this trip special for Shira to capitalize on it. This will be our only honeymoon so do everything possible to make this special for her, she said. Well, I feel very confident I did and by combining these two thoughts of life I not only had the time of my life but the time of my life with the person I love the most.

I wanted to take some time and share my experience with you as MANY of you have been asking me for pictures and about the trip.

We left Atlanta on June 29th and this would be my first trip away from practice for two weeks since opening my office. Of course I was going to miss everyone but knew this trip would bring me back more rejuvenated and refreshed to be a better chiropractor to my practice members. The flight to Bangkok was roughly 21 hours with a stop in Seoul and by leaving Atlanta on Friday at 1:00 PM we landed in Bangkok at 9:00 PM on Saturday night. Two of my best friends that are chiropractors in Singapore met us in Bangkok to spend the first night with us. We ended up going to Banyan Tree Hotel rooftop to see the city then close out the night with a late dinner and of course a coconut.
 

Day 1 we wanted to see the city and spend some time getting outside. We ended up going to Khaosan Rd and after tons of walking we were hungry. Our first true authentic Thai meal we had pad Thai street food for a whopping $1.

Being this was the first time I have had any form of grain in at least 6 months I of course had to relax for a bit and experience a 1 hour Thai massage for $6 followed by a 1 hour foot massage for $5.

The 2nd day we visited the Grand Palace which is where the royal family used to reside and the infrastructure and design of this place was magnificent.

 

On the 3rd day we decided to visit the Tiger Temple which is about 1.5 hour drive from Bangkok but was WELL worth it. Upon entering the Temple we offered food to the monks for their only meal of the day which was an honor followed by having breakfast with them. In the Temple is where the tigers live and was so surreal playing with these little and big guys to give them their breakfast, wash them, walk them, and exercise them. Definitely one of the scariest moments of my life but this excursion was a last minute decision and I am so happy we booked it. The thoughts of living life to the fullest kept crossing my head as we were deciding whether or not to book this as it was very expensive but I am so happy we did.

 
 

We left Bangkok on Wednesday, July 4th and head to Chiang Mai to spend some time in the mountains.

Once we arrived we went to a cooking class to make our own dinner and I made curry chicken while Shira made the pad Thai.

 

Our second day in Chiang Mai we ventured out to Patara Elephant Farm where we would become elephant owners for a day. We would feed them, bathe them, ride them, exercise them, and do the exact same chores the staff would do with them in a single day (except we weren’t getting paid and paying).

   

The final day in Chiang Mai we decided to relax by the pool and just BE with each other.

On Saturday, July 7th we headed to Koh Samui for some beach time and snorkeling.

The first day we wanted to relax so we head to Nikki Beach for their famous Sunday brunch. We laid out here all day and enjoyed the scene.

The second day in Koh Samui we took a boat trip to Koh Tao and Nuangyan for snorkeling. Here are some pictures of some of the fish we saw.

 

On the final day in Koh Samui we ended up at Chaweng Beach which was beautiful and had white sand with crystal clear water. We ended up spending the day relaxing here as well as closing the evening out with beachfront coconut oil massages.

 

The final location was Krabi Town where we left on Wednesday, July 11th for this small town.

On the first day in Krabi we went white water rafting in Class IV – V rapids and felt like this would definitely be illegal in the states. There is no training and the only time to paddle is when they shout “forward, no backward” out in broken English while going full speed through the rapid.

Following the rafting we ended to going to a waterfall and once again the “living life fully”  concept came to my mind. Once we arrived there were some locals jumping from a rock that was 30 ft high and in my head I was thinking “There was no way I could this. There may be a rock below, what if I slip, or what if I don’t jump out too far”. After about 10 seconds of negative self talk and me trying to talk myself from doing it I knew that this had to happen and I had to jump. Relating this to life I could’ve backed out and gone into fear mode but there is one quote I heard a few years back and will remain with me forever which is “how we do anything in life is how we do everything”. If I would have talked myself out of doing this from fear then what areas of my life am I limiting my potential because I  am talking myself out of doing it from fear (REREAD THAT SENTENCE AND GET IT). So with this running through my mind I jumped and what a thrilling and amazing breakthrough. I then proceeded to encourage Shira to make a jump and have a breakthrough and after about 5 minutes of her contemplating all the reasons not to jump we leaped together. Powerful!

On our final day we took a private long tail boat to Hong Island, Red Island, and Paradise Island to do some more snorkeling. It was at these islands we saw more beautiful fish, two sharks, and found Nemo.

 

All in all this trip was unforgettable and the memories from this will last with me for the rest of my life. A big thanks to Dr. Donny Pritt for taking extraordinary care of all my practice members and making sure nobody lost ground on their chiropractic care. When I came back and checked everyone last week for subluxation he definitely did a phenomenal job and I am forever grateful. Another thank you to Jenn, Shalonda, Keturah, Cathleen, and April for holding down the office and making sure everything ran with effortless ease.
My final thought and questions are: 
  • Where in your life can you live life to the max?
  • Where can you take risks that you are not taking?
  • What area of your life do you THINK you are waiting for to get better before you start LIVING?
We wait until we are in pain before seeing a chiropractor,
wait until we have no money before we realize we need to save,
wait until we have diabetes before getting off sugar,
wait until our relationship is failing before we want to work on it,
wait until business is not doing good before we do marketing,
wait until someone is on their deathbed before we reconnect with them,
and many other examples which are common ways our society reactively lives life.

Kids and Chiropractic

Many times during the tour in the office for new patients I always get the “You take care of kids”? I then respond with “Well, could you imagine your health if you were living this lifestyle from birth or even getting adjusted since then”. They then say “I probably wouldn’t be in the situations I am in right now and be much healthier.” If you have not brought your kids to the office to get adjusted please bring them by not for your or my benefit but for THEIR benefit. The World we live in is filled with plenty of children not eating right, not moving properly, low self esteem, and not getting adjusted. Let’s change this and make our community a much better place to live.

Here is some amazing research to pass on to your friends and family to see if chiropractic can help them or their families:

 

A Paleo Thanksgiving

As we enter the holiday season it is now more important than ever to make sure we eat healthily. Most people tend to overeat or eat massive amounts of grain, sugar, and dairy and complete inflame our body. If we wonder why we get sick in the Winter months it is because of Halloween candy, Thanksgiving meals, holiday stress, sedentary lifestyles, more indoor activities meaningless Vitamin D, and increase stress from traffic. It is essential we continue to be healthy and Thanksgiving is a great place to start when it comes to nutrition.

Here are some of the meals I would put together for my Thanksgiving meal and feel GOOD about eating it:

Appetizer

Braised Cabbage and Bacon

Roasted Sweet Potato With Rosemary

Paleo Stuffing Mushroom Butter Roasted Turkey

 

Meal

Mushroom Butter Roasted Turkey

 

Desserts

Baked Apple Pie Apples

Sweet Potato Pecan Pie

 

Please keep me posted if you make any of those and let us know how they turn out.

 

Health Doesn't Take Vacations

This past week I had client come back to the office with a sharp pain after taking a 1 year hiatus and doing nothing proactively with his spinal hygiene. He started chiropractic care in December 2010 with me and in June 2011 he stopped coming in because he said “life got busy”. I decided to take a re-xray of him this week to see if there were any changes in his spine from when he started to where he is now. I could see structurally he still had improvements from when he came in for 6 months but the permanent damage had gotten worse on his hiatus. There was increased disc deterioration, fusing of the joints, increased nerve pressure, more arthritic conditions, and overall the spine had progressed negatively. If only he could have come in every other week for some maintenance care then these problems could have been prevented and the permanent damage would not be as prominent. I understand we now live in a fast paced World that moves a million miles a second which is why it now more important to take better care of ourselves. If we are going to put our body through copious amounts of stress through long hours of sitting in front of the computer, lack of working out, eating poor quality foods, and thinking negative thoughts then it is crucial to be proactive. The years of only taking care of our body when we are in pain, overweight, sick, or recently diagnosed are over. It is time to become proactive and committed to living a healthy life everyday and every-way. We have ONE shot on this Earth so why not doing everything possible to make it your greatest and feel your best. I am sure your family and friends will be thankful! I am here to support you and be as much of a resource as possible.

Austin Cohen - Atlanta Chiropractor

Austin Cohen - Atlanta Chiropractor

1) I have never been on a roller coaster ride.
2) My favorite place in the World is Park City, Utah.
3) My first job was working for my uncle in a drugstore (My times have changed).
4) My grandfather owned one of the largest pharmacies in Charleston, SC.
5) My nickname in high school was Adogg.
6) My favorite book is “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”
7) I used to drink 2-3 diet cokes a day for a whole year in 2004.
8) I ran track and field in high school and my favorite races were the 1600M (1 mile) and 3200M (2 mile).
9) When I was in college a professor told me after my first exam in Biology that maybe I was not cutout for a pre-med major. (That lit a spark)
10) My favorite teacher was Mr. Wadsworth who was my middle school science teacher and I still remember learning about the Venus Flytrap.
11) At 15, I had a job working at a costume shop where I would have to dress up and dance on the side of the street to attract customers.
12) My favorite thing to do on a weekend is watch a movie and have some hot tea.
13) My grandfathers died in 2004 from cancer which taught my a big lesson on life and loving everyone in the present.
14) I have a sister that is 10 years younger than me that I couldn’t be more proud of.
15) I love getting work done in the airports and catching up on e-mails.
16) When I was younger I used think the wake from the water on a boat was hitting rocks.
17) I grew up in Charleston, SC and would like to move back when I retire.
18) I feel bad when I am 1 minute late to anything.
19) I meditate for 9 minutes every morning.
20) My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving.
21) I love my practice and clients more than anything in the World besides my family.

Homemade Workout Energy Bar

Many of you may know I am currently training for a half-Ironman on September 30th and man my body is wiped. Working out for 2-4 hours a day is something I am definitely not used to and all this working out is making me eat much more food. One of the other keys is to find healthy carbohydrate food as I paleo and grains is not on the food list.

When I went on my trip to Thailand I ordered a bunch of snacks called Steves Paleo Crunch bars which got to be pretty expensive. When I came back to Atlanta I said I was going to learn how to make this and finally I have found the right recipe. These are great for people who workout regularly and especially those doing the high cardio training. Many of you do crossfit and for those that are I would recommend this before a high intensity workout. If your goal is weight loss then these should not be eaten in high doses without any type of training.

I will make a fresh batch and bring it to the Advanced Nutrition Workshop this Tuesday night at 6:30 PM so you can taste them. This class explains how to eat the best anti-inflammatory foods and what a food pyramid should look like based on the latest research. If you are looking to maximize your nutrition then definitely make it out this Tuesday night for our Advanced Nutrition Corrective Class.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Raw Pumpkin Seeds
1/2 cup Pecans
1/2 cup Shredded (raw, unsweetened) Coconut
3/4 cup Almond Meal
1/2 cup Raw Sunflower Seeds
tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Pure Vanilla Extract
1/4 cup Coconut Oil (plus a little to grease the pan)
1/4 tcup Coconut Nectar

Step by Step Process:

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2) Grind the pumpkin seeds, pecans, and coconut in a food processor until it’s a coarse flour.
3) In a large mixing bowl, combine the pumpkin/pecan/coconut flour with the almond meal and sunflower seeds. Use your hand. This is also when you add the cinnamon.
4) Add in the vanilla and the coconut oil stir with a spatula until the mix is evenly coated.
5) Add the coconut nectar and fold the mixture together until it is consistent throughout.
6) Next, add a small amount of Coconut oil to your baking pan (8×12 works pretty well) and spread with a paper towel until it’s evenly greased.
7) Put the mix in the pan and press it in until it is even and spreads to all the sides.
8) Bake for about 15-20 minutes. Keep an eye on it though. Once it is golden brown and the aroma fills your kitchen, it’s ready. Remove it from the oven and use the spatula to cut it into 20 bars. Let it cool though before you take them out of the pan.

This post is dedicated to a fellow chiropractor colleague that took his own life this week in St. Mary’s, Georgia. Dr. Jon Shiels graduated a quarter before me and every time I saw him he always had a smile on his face with a positive outlook. The World will miss you Dr. Jon and your legacy will carry on. This is very unfortunate and completely refocuses and empowers me on my commitment to all of you on living your greatest life.

Atlanta, GA – When I decided to dedicate this post to Dr. Jon I knew this topic would have be powerful and something that could create a dramatic impact on others. The topic that came to me that affects roughly 1 in 4 of you that come to my office was on depression and anxiety. Many of you right now are either on a depression medication or anxiety medication and if not, then you know many people that are. The psychiatric industry is currently a $330 BILLION dollar business and no signs of slowing down as more people look for outside resources to solve their problems. I am not negating depression or anxiety but I want people to be more aware of what they are doing to their body and become more proactive with the decision to use more natural resources. When God created us we were not designed to be depressed or have anxiety but we were designed for happiness, abundance, service, love, and ultimately living an EXTRA-ordinary life. I have had friends in the past where they knew their life was about to get stressful whether it was deadlines, having a baby, or buying a house and decided to supplement with a xanax, zoloft, or paxil. I wander what people did to manage stress when there was no such thing as a pharmaceutical industry or anxiety or depression. I know when my life becomes stressful then maybe I go for a run, meditate, think about the good, or do something to increase serotonin.

When I looked at the research of the pharmaceutical drugs to treat depression most of them were no better than a sugar pill. As one doctor said about the drugs “they are an expensive tic-tac”. This is because depression or neuroemotional disorders are being related to toxicity or deficiency at a cellular level and not a lack of drugs. The next 4 steps are tips and tricks you can use to remove toxicity and provide sufficiency at the cellular level. I put them in order of importance so please be sure to follow the steps in order. Please forward this article on to your friends, family, and co-workers so these stories like Dr. Jon’s don’t happen.

1) See a Chiropractor

With 70 trillion cells in your body right now doing everything they need to do to keep you alive your body is smart. The system that controls all those cells is your central nervous system making up your brain, spine, and nerves, which control and coordinate all function. In today’s World we encounter significant stresses through long hours of computer usage, sleeping improperly, poor posture, toxic food, emotional damage, working out, and many others that can compromise this system. Only 10% of the nervous system perceives pain which means 90% of your nervous system does function which is why you will have no idea whether it is compromised or not unless you seek a chiropractor. A chiropractor‘s ultimate job is to remove misalignments or stress from the spine to allow your body to function optimally. The reason I put this first is because I see people who eat right, workout, think positive thoughts, and take supplements but are still not healthy because the system that controls all those processes is stressed out. If you need a referral for a chiropractor because you do not live in Atlanta please e-mail us @ CohenChiropractic1895@Gmail.Com so we can tell you how to find the right one. Our Advanced Spinal Corrective Class is the 3rd Tuesday of every month from 6:30 – 7:30 PM and active patients will receive their spinal hygiene kit at this workshop.

2) Load Up on Omega 3’s

Since a lot of research is pointing right now to the body being inflamed with people who have depression these fats help reduce that. Omega 3 fatty acids can be found in 100% grass-fed beef, west coast wild caught salmon, sardines, walnuts, flax seeds, and mackerel. If you have any questions about this come out to our Advanced Nutrition Corrective Class the 4th Tuesday of every month at 6:30 PM.

3) Burst Training

On a past radio show I spoke about burst training and how high intensity interval training can help you get fit, burn fat, and regulate hormones in 12 minutes a week. The workout was created by Dr. Tabata and the concept is during the workout you burn sugar but 24 hours later you burn fat. The workout calls for 20 seconds of all out movement than 10 seconds of rest. Continue this for 8 rounds for a total of 4 minutes and this would be your daily workout along with some strength training if desired. The movements to choose from during the 20 seconds are jumping jacks, running, biking, sit-ups, pushups, air squats, or any other movement you can do 100%. If you have an iPhone or computer go to iTunes and type in under search “Half hour to health with Dr. Austin Cohen” to get all the old shows. Also, the 2nd Tuesday of every month we hold our Advanced Fitness Corrective Class from 6:30 – 7:00 PM.

4) Load Up On Vitamin D

Most people who deal with depression or high levels of anxiety notice them more during the Winter months when they are inside and not getting as much vitamin D. Researcher Sonal Pathak, MD. studied 3 women who were taking anti-depressants and found that they were highly deficient in vitamin D-3 and by supplementing it back to their diet their symptoms significantly decreased. Vitamin D levels should be between 60-100 ng/ml. The key to get Vitamin D naturally is with 20-60 minutes of healthy sunlight every day or 10,000-50,000 IU of emulsified vitamin D3 daily to get the levels where they should be. My favorite website for vitamin D3 is Vitacost.com.