Written by Dr. Angie Becerra
TLDR: Dr. A is working Mondays 8a-10a until we find our new Associate DC. Check out Our Favorite Things page for all sorts of products that we recommend-it will be evolving and changing over time (be warned, it is still very much under construction).
Hey ya'll!
Those of you who've seen me recently have noticed that I'm feeling better. I definitely am, but I still have random symptom days with no explanation.
Because I'm feeling better and because you need more treatment hours available to you, I've decided to cover a few hours on Monday mornings until we find a new doctor.
I'll be in the office Mondays 8a-10A.
Feel free to schedule online, but if you can't find any available appointments know that my staff are great at finessing the schedule to get as many people in as possible.
Now about my health:
Good news on some of my tests! My heart echocardiogram came back and I have 2 leaky valves, but not leaky enough that they should be causing any of my symptoms or be a detriment to my health in any way. My sleep study came back (after nearly 6 weeks) with minor sleep apnea, just enough to need to see an orthodontist, but not enough to get a CPAP. Losing some weight would probably help here as well.
While Candice from Radiant Body Thermography was working out of our office, I decided to schedule my own full-body thermal scan. The reading doctor saw a signal that has lead me to some additional testing...I'm not ready to talk about the details yet, but once I have more definite info one way or the other, I'll post it here.
I DO want to talk about the MILLION things that I've been doing that are working! I would never expect anyone to do all of these things unless they are experiencing unexplainable symptoms like me, but if you find a few things that resonate with you, please ask Dr. K or myself about them. If we recommend a product, it will eventually make it on to Our Favorite Things page on our website which will be updated and added to over time (please be patient with this page, it is soooooo under construction, that's why I linked so many things in this blog post instead of just on the page).
I'm still working on those 5 key areas of health:
1. Food/Nourishment
This has been always been a focus for me because, garbage-in-garbage-out. I've seen this every day of my career. Eating poorly & not staying hydrated=lacking the basic building blocks of healing. I've done some experimenting with keto (not for me) and fasting for my hormones (great for me, using the Oura Ring (get $40 off here) to help track my hormone cycles) and hope to bring you some good programs here in the future.
Supplementation and nutritional IVs always give me a boost so I've been sure to keep those in my regular routine. I drink electrolytes 2-3x/day (either Re-lyte or Endura). I am about due for another round of Bioenergetics testing in the office. I have been using Signos for monitoring my diet over the last 3 months. This has given me valuable insights to my body's response to food and I will be renewing my subscription with them very soon. We're considering becoming a Signos Partner, meaning we'll have a doctor's dashboard to review for patients who sign up through us. It looks AWESOME, but the cost is quite high. If we figure out a way to make this option reasonable, we'll bring it to the practice. I highly recommend the self-lead program though! Use code TAPROOT15 for 15% off.
2. Rest
Still, this is my hardest area. I caught a cold 3 weeks ago and didn't give myself time to rest. I'm only now just getting over it! I have a hard time resting when there's things to get done. I also have a hard time asking for help. Jeff has really been a life-saver though--he's picked up all of my slack at home while I recover.
3. Toxins
We already eat mostly organic, buy local, grass-fed meat (we love Pure Pastures), and meal-prep when possible. I use non-toxic deodorant, Redmond's toothpaste (we sell this in-office now), and low toxin shampoo/soaps (want to know the toxicity of your toiletries? Click Here). I've recently kicked my caffeine addiction (never would've thunk it), and only drink alcohol on special occasions. I'm incorporating castor oil packs to help with detoxification of my liver and thyroid. I've also committed myself to at least one detox protocol in Taproot's infrared sauna weekly.
We are considering carrying Purity Coffee (20% discount online using TAPROOT20) and Queen of Thrones Castor Oil Packs (10% discount using TAPROOTCHIROPRACTIC10) in-office as I like them so much (I drink decaf of course). If you want to schedule a sauna session for yourself click here or call us 830-999-7668.
4. Mindfulness
This is the second hardest area on my list, because it also requires slowing down. I've been mostly going on walks, grounding, and using active breathing techniques like Wim Hof. I am looking into grounding products for when I struggle to make time outside or for when the weather is bad. There's a variety of products out there, check out our link here if you're interested in learning more.
5. Movement
This is my favorite area of health (when I'm not feeling crummy). I'm getting adjusted 1-2x/week to make sure my brain and body are well connected. I'm also getting massages 2x/month. I'm doing some home rehab on my left ankle and knee as I think a decrease in my left sided proprioception (knowing where your body is in space) is contributing to my dizziness. I've gone back to personal training at Athletic Foundations, and I plan on transitioning my walking into running again as I recover my energy. I've been able to keep up at least a little here and there but nothing like I was doing 9 mos ago. I'll probably sign up for the Cap10k or Fiesta10K in early 2024 to keep myself motivated and force myself to a structured plan.
I know that was A LOT and I'm sure there's things I left out. Through all of this, I'm hopeful that I'll eventually heal enough to not experience symptoms anymore or doing all of these things will bring something to the surface that we can treat directly.
If you have any questions about these different tools I've written about, please ask one of our doctors and click the corresponding link. SOME of these links are affiliate links, some of these are just links that get YOU discounts, and some are just places/people/products we like.
See you on Monday!
Dr. Angie
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