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Have Fun in the Sun, but
by Dr. Melissa Sonners
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 When did we begin to fear the sun? The sun is an essential part of our lives. If you need to know how much of an effect the sun has on our health and our emotions, ask anyone in upstate New York around April when they are on their 6th straight month of cloudy skies!
Jason and I have never been a family to liberally apply sunscreen. When I head outside with the boys to play, we either go out before 10 or after 4 when the sun isn’t as intense, or if we are going out midday we go out in shorter spurts. If we are out for an extended period of time during strong sun, I put hats or long sleeve shirts on them, or I apply sunscreen after we have been out for awhile. I am very picky about which sunscreens I use (more on that later).
Vitamin D is an essential nutrient and sunshine is our main source. The Center for Disease Control said in 2012 that 1 in 4 people are deficient in Vitamin D. Vitamin D is important for healthy bones, helps enhance our immune system, helps decrease the length and severity of the common cold, can help prevent multiple sclerosis, is vital for brain health and probably does much more that we aren’t even aware of yet. When we expose ourselves to sunshine, UVB rays interact with cholesterol in our skin, and our liver and kidneys convert everything over to Vitamin D.
When we get too much sun, the pigment in our skin begins to change and this is our indication that it’s time to get out of the sun. Isn’t the body brilliant?!
So what happens when we wear sunscreen? UVB rays are blocked (preventing sunburn) and vitamin D is never fully created or absorbed. The problem is that many sunscreens do not block UVA rays so they give a false sense of security and we become overexposed to damaging UVA rays. UVA rays were once thought to not be a threat, but recent research is showing that UVA rays damage skin cells called keritonocytesin, the basal layer of the epidermis where most skin cancers occur.
What about broad spectrum or full spectrum sunscreens? Most still allow some UVA rays through and, again, give us a false sense of security since our skin’s pigment doesn’t change, telling us to get out of the sun. And, even worse than that, most contain known carcinogens. Vitamin A which is in at least 25% of sunscreens –listed as retinylpalmitate or retinol - has been found to speed the development of tumors and lesions when applied to skin in the presence of sunlight.
 Even the FDA has said that their available clinical studies “do not demonstrate that even broad spectrum products with SPF greater than 15 alone reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging.” The International Agency for Research on Cancer advises that clothing, hats and shade should be used as primary barriers to UV radiation. They go on to say that “sunscreens should not be the first choice for skin cancer prevention and should not be used as the sole agent for protection against the sun.”
Bottom line: Whenever possible, avoid the sun between the hours of 10am and 4pm when UVA and UVB rays are the strongest.
Some exposure to sun is important for our health. If you are going to be out between 10 and 4, cover up as much as possible. Also apply a sunscreen that lists zinc and titanium as the main ingredients and doesn’t contain vitamin A (retinylpalmitate/retinol).
If you want to know how healthy or toxic your current sunscreen is, check out www.ewg.org and enter your sunscreen’s name into their Skin Deep database. This website is a great resource for learning which best companies are best for sunscreens, cleaning supplies, meat and much more.
Enjoy the sunshine!
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My Yoga Experience
by Dr. Melissa Sonners
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 Since CoreYoga opened, I have been taking classes once a week – something that has been a goal of mine for the past few years. I had intended to do it at home when I couldn’t make it to a class, but in reality that just didn’t happen. Whether it was the kids, the phone or other things, weekly yoga got pushed aside and my home practice became non-existent.
But now that I’m able to take weekly classes, I have noticed so many changes in my body, my mind and our home. I am standing straighter and feel more aligned. I get up off the ground from playing with the boys and rather than feeling like I have to take a few steps before my hips loosen, I instantly feel stretched out. My mind is calm and I have noticed that although still busy, I have been more present. This has translated into feeling a great sense of accomplishment when my head hits the pillow. I am 100% present during set times with our kids. Although some days I may not have a tremendous amount of time with them, it has all been quality time so less feels like more. I have become a better listener. It’s amazing the difference between saying hello and catching up with Jason while I’m doing the dishes, as opposed to completely stopping what I am doing even if just for a few minutes and giving him all of my attention. Again, when you are 100% present, a couple of minutes can give everyone the feeling of more quality time.
Being on the yoga mat challenges me physically and mentally, but rewards both like no other form of exercise I do. Part of my intention and the teachers’ intention with CoreYoga is to create a transformative experience for everyone who attends. I have been so excited to not only experience a transformative experience for myself, but to see the trickle effect and how it impacts everyone in our home.
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Yoga isn`t for me
Dr. Melissa Sonners
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 As a former marathon runner, Ironman and current “Crossfitter,” this was generally my feeling about yoga. For years I would think: “Why should I waste one of my workout days on something slow like yoga?”
One of our assistants was really into yoga and began taking me to classes once a week. After just a few classes, my beliefs about yoga were forever changed. My body felt better than it ever had before. I was recovering faster from my workouts, I was faster on my runs, and I also noticed that I was holding my adjustments better. I was able to get out of bed and up from sitting without feeling tight and stiff as I had ever since I’d begun running longer distances. As someone who has had scoliosis for many years, I was so excited to find a form of exercise that challenged me and gave me a great physical workout, but also helped with my alignment. I grew half an inch within the first few months of practicing.
I began to love my weekly yoga class as it was a way for me to challenge my body and mind in ways I never had before. Yoga has been one of the only forms of “exercise” where I become totally present and focused on what I am doing, rather than just another chance for me to go through my exercise to-do list for the day. One of the things I love about yoga is that it is something you can do forever. It can challenge you to try things you have never thought possible, and it can also heal you by loosening and lengthening tight muscles, ligaments and tendons.
I am so excited to be spearheading CoreYoga and making great yoga classes and talented teachers easily accessible to our clients. I challenge you to try one of our classes, even if yoga isn’t typically a part of your ritual. We would be happy to suggest a teacher and a class to suit your needs. Like me, you might in fact discover that “Yoga IS for me”!
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What should you do about the flu this season?
by Jason Sonners
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 As you undoubtedly know, there has been a very early onset to flu season this year. According to an article in the Health section of last week’s US News, flu cases are up 30% for this time of year. So it’s not surprising that we’re getting lots of questions at the office about flu shots and ways to mitigate flu symptoms should they occur.
Flu shots have been gaining in popularity, but a review of 10 independent studies from the last 12 years indicates only a 55-59% effectiveness for the flu shot. That’s a big difference from the 80-90% effective rate touted by vaccine manufacturers. Why is that? For those of you who do not know, the flu shot is a mix of a few strains which must be selected nearly a year in advance in order to allow time for incubation and manufacturing of the vaccine. The effectiveness of the shot is dependent on the accuracy of these selections. Inevitably, some years have produced better vaccines than others, with average effectiveness at slightly more than 50%.
So besides the flu shot, what else can you do to protect yourself and your family from the flu?
Like any other infection or illness, your ability to protect yourself and heal is dependent on your overall health. This includes your diet, your exercise program and your stress levels and stress management. Having a strong, well-defined plan for these areas in your life is paramount in your ability to lead a healthy life. Please let us know if you would like to discuss how to create such a plan for yourself.
More specifically though, there are certain nutrients and habits your body needs to improve your immune system function.
Prevention: In our office we use Myco-Select (a source of AHCC), whole food vitamin C (not just ascorbic acid), Vitamin D3 (1000-5000 units daily), probiotics (a source of healthy bacteria) and food-based multivitamins to provide the array of nutrients your body needs to be and remain healthy. We also recommend getting adjusted at least one or two times per month to keep the nervous system and immune system in tip top shape.
Treatment: In the event that you or a family member gets a bad cold or flu, there are a variety of natural products available to help get you through the infection. These include a higher dose of whole food vitamin C, Viral Immune Stimulator (a homeopathic remedy for viruses), elderberry, Congaplex (a multi vitamin/mineral for improved immune function) and Immune Terrain (another multi-herbal product for immune function stimulation). To help dissolve excess mucus, organic unfiltered apple cider vinegar has proven very effective this season. We recommend 1 tbsp taken 2x/day.
Remember that many of the symptoms of a flu or cold are normal, healthy responses to that infection. We do not necessarily want to suppress them as this may prolong your infection. One example of this is a fever. Does the virus cause the fever or does our body create the fever? Our body creates it. Fever has a very specific goal of increasing immune cell production and creating a temperature in which the infection cannot survive. Allowing a fever to remain present can help the body fight the infection, while prematurely lowering the fever could allow the infection to linger longer than it needs to.
If you have any questions regarding this information or want to know more, please contact our office.
Good luck this season and don’t forget to wash your hands regularly as this is one of the most important ways to reduce the spread of these illnesses.
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What will make this year different?
The Entire Core Therapies Team
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Dear Patients, Friends, and Colleagues…
 HAPPY, HAPPY, HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I am hoping this email is one of the first messages you read in 2013 because I would like to share an inspirational thought in order to help you make 2013 one of the best years of your life!!!
Every New Year seems to bring with it the best of intentions to make positive changes in our lives. We have all made resolutions in the past. Some we have stuck to, but most we have not. Why do so many of our intentions and resolutions fizzle out just months or sometimes weeks after getting started? We all want to improve the quality of our lives, don’t we? We all want more love in our relationships, more joy in our days, better health, and more satisfaction from our lives, don’t we?
So the question I pose is the following….What will make this year different than the past?
I woke up early this morning, to begin my new year on the right foot. I wanted to get a few things organized including my own health goals, professional goals and personal goals for the upcoming year. As I was getting myself together, I began to think about you, the friends, family, colleagues and patients of Core Therapies. I decided I wanted to share with you what we do every year to ensure the best possible results for our family and ourselves.
This is a three-step process:
- Set your goals. Dream big, there are no rules. Define what you want in your life and from your life. What would you have? Who would you be? What would you do? Remember, in your dreams, there are no rules.
- Let go of your past. So many of our goals are never set or are left to dwindle simply because some experience in our past continues to haunt us. “I’ve tried that before, it doesn’t work for me,” “This is just who I am,”, “That is too hard, I’ll never be able to do that.” These statements are self limiting realities and if you say them, or even think them, then you will be right. Let go of your past, let go of the “last time” you tried something that did not work, let go of these limiting thoughts that are holding you back from what you really want and really deserve. Look forward to trying it again. Be optimistic that this time you are ready for it to work and that this time you will succeed!
- We all need accountability! Find a friend, family member or choose to use us for your accountability. It is too easy to give up. It is too easy not to push yourself. It is too easy to revert back to old habits and comfortable behaviors. If you really want to make a change this year, you have to tell people about it and let them or let us hold you accountable. It takes 90 days to make long lasting changes in your life. Do not let go of your dreams, your goals or your health!
One of our goals as your Family Wellness Center is to provide the absolute best care, the most honest answers and the latest cutting edge treatments available today.. Part of this process includes us helping you regain control over r every dimension of your health.
Please Hold Us Accountable
I know this process will not be easy, but I promise it is worth it because on the other side of the resolution (the side you cannot see yet) is a life filled with personal recognition and abundance because you know that YOUR GOAL BECAME YOUR REALITY!
We are here for you as supporters, motivators, and people who are on the same journey you are on. Let’s work together in order to make 2013 OUR BEST YEAR YET!!!
Are you with us?
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Recording- What Are Your Child`s Behaviors Telling You?
by Dr. Meagan McGowan
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You will benefit from this free recording by receiving a basic understanding of the development of our nervous system and its primitive reflexes. You will learn how primitive reflexes guide our survival in our first year of life, how they pave the way for our development and ability to handle more mature demands as a child grows, and what can result if this development does not happen properly. |
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CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THIS AUDIO
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I Haven't Been Getting Adjusted
by Melissa Sonners
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 I have a confession to make. I haven't been getting adjusted as often as I would like. For the past ten years, I have been adjusted weekly with a week off here and there. I have found that this frequency is what works for me. Not only does it keep me free from pain potentially created by my scoliosis, hard workouts, sleeping in an awkward position, carrying Levi and Wyatt or other things, it also helps me manage life better. It's been two weeks since my last adjustment and I'm certainly not feeling like myself. I find that I am more affected by things that typically don't get to me - slow drivers, long lines, dropped phone calls, spilled drinks, temper tantrums, etc.
People always laugh when I tell them that I schedule appointments for my adjustments just like everyone else. But I so look forward to my time on the table and I like to be absolutely sure that I get it. There are times when I can go two weeks and be just fine. Right now, however, with two kids under two and the accompanying physical/emotional stress, is definitely not one of those times. I need to be hyper-vigilant in maintaining my adjustment schedule.
Can you tell that I’m really looking forward to this week’s adjustment? I can’t wait!
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My baby's first cold
by Melissa Sonners
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 Wyatt is now almost six weeks old. I can’t believe how quickly the time has gone. He has the good fortune of being exposed to germs early on thanks to his older brother, Levi. Levi picked up a cold last week and since he loves to kiss and hug Wyatt, Wyatt now has a bit of one as well.
We are exposed to germs all the time. It is this exposure that helps our immune systems flourish and, as long as our bodies are healthy, we are able to process these germs and remain symptom free. But due to stressors in our lives - the addition of another family member or starting school for a little boy, a new job or hectic schedule for an adult - our immune system goes "down” and we get "sick."
I "treat" my kids the same way I would treat myself. When I get a virus, I support the immune system rather than treating the symptoms. A runny nose and a cough are the body’s way of expelling the "bug" and helping us get back to our healthy state. Taking over-the-counter meds to suppress these symptoms can make the virus stick around longer and teaches our body to rely on outside sources rather than to heal itself from within.
In our home this week, we are taking extra vitamins: myco-select, probiotic, cod liver oil, congaplex, and multivitamins. Of course we’re also getting adjusted, eating healthy food, and having lots of snuggle time.
It may be inevitable that children get bugs, but we need to resist the temptation to reach for meds at the first sign of trouble. Create a healthy environment and the let our amazing bodies heal themselves whenever possible.
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Some Special Thoughts from Dr. Melissa
by Melissa Sonners
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 Our son, Wyatt Madden Sonners, was born at home on Friday, August 10th. Many of our patients and friends have asked about the pregnancy and birth, and so I decided to share some of my personal thoughts.
Jason and I had planned a homebirth working with Hackettstown Midwives. We trust the power of the human body and see pregnancy as a healthy expression of how intelligent our bodies really are. As long as I remained healthy during pregnancy and the midwives gave us the go ahead, we felt completely comfortable birthing our child in the privacy of our own home. We had planned a homebirth with our first son, Levi, but went to the hospital when my water broke at 35 weeks (you have to be at least 37 weeks pregnant to have a homebirth). This time, I was determined to do anything I could to make it full term.
While pregnant, I made sure to eat a healthy diet getting plenty of protein, fruits, vegetables, lots of water and great vitamins. I indulged in the occasional “treat” now and then, but made sure to keep it to a minimum. I stayed active by continuing my workouts at PUMP Crossfit; my coach, Scott Paltos, modified the exercises as my body changed. At 34 weeks, I was having signs of preterm labor which meant I had to stop working with patients and stop exercising. Three weeks later, I was able to resume some exercise so I could be ready for the big event of labor and delivery! Throughout the pregnancy, I was adjusted weekly by Dr. Meagan, had acupuncture with Katrina Haskell, and did body and breathwork with Megan Gouldner to help tune into my body. Monthly and then weekly visits with our midwives focused on making sure we felt healthy and supported. In addition to the typical things checked in a pregnancy - weight, blood pressure, sugar levels, etc. - we talked of our feelings about bringing another one into our family, stressors, who would be supporting us, and any questions we might have. This is something all midwives do and really helps create a trusting relationship with them.
Our midwife came to our home around 10am on Friday. She eventually let me know that I would definitely be having a baby that day. Jason, who was seeing patients at our home office, cancelled his appointments and came upstairs to help get our birthing tub ready. The birthing tub is basically a big kiddie pool with tall sides that I could lean on. We selected some peaceful music and when the contractions become more intense, I got into our birthing tub. Our midwives were with us in the room occasionally listening to the heartbeat via Doppler ultrasound and making sure everything was okay, but staying distant enough that it felt as if Jason and I were alone in the room. It was incredibly peaceful, which I’m convinced helped me feel safe and sped things along. Like any mammals, our labors tend to slow or stop if we are uncomfortable in our environments.
At 2:42pm, after a few intense pushes, our son Wyatt Madden was born!
Having a homebirth was a great experience for me on so many levels. I believe labor and delivery can and should be one of the most empowering moments in a woman’s life.
Even though we really don’t have control over how our deliveries will go, I hope for every woman to have whatever kind of experience will empower her and bring her child into the world in the most peaceful, loving way possible.
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Why do I Get Adjusted?
by Jason Sonners
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 I’ve been seeing a chiropractor regularly since I was 15 years old. I, like many of those who have seen a chiropractor, began treatment for a pain that I was having. I was first injured in wrestling practice my freshman year in high school, then had a trampoline accident that following summer. I was left in severe pain which no medicine seemed to help. After seeing many medical doctors, including neurologists, and trying a variety of prescription drugs (none of which helped me) someone finally convinced me to see a chiropractor.
I thought... CHIROPRATOR? How will a quack help me when medicine has not? That didn’t seem to make any sense to me at the time. Nonetheless I decided to give it a try. Needless to say this treatment not only had a profound effect on my condition at the time, but on my life as a whole.
The chiropractor was able to clear my pain within three weeks. More importantly he taught me that if I wanted to not only be pain free, but prevent injuries like that from happening in the future, that he could help me do that too. I stayed under his care for the remainder of high school and he did just that.
Chiropractic is not a natural pain reliever. Although pain relief is a very common side benefit to care, the treatments are geared toward increasing function and stability of the spine and nerve system. I have not had any major exacerbations of my condition in years now, but I continue to get adjusted 1-2 times per month. I do this because I have found that the better care I take of my body, the better care my body takes of me.
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Florham Park 
Livingston 
JCC MetroWest