Here’s my list of healthy Valentine gift ideas, especially for people in Denver and Colorado. Holidays don’t always have to be a reason to self indulge to the point where you sacrifice your health.

I hope this list can help you think of ways to recommit yourself to choosing wellness. If you can learn to think that way, your life will change. You’ll feel so much better, accomplish more and get all there is to get out of life.

Health is a gift you can give to yourself and others- all year round. Keep in mind while reading this you aren’t limited to just one idea!

So, without further ado (in no particular order), here is my Healthy Valentines Day Gift List, Colorado style…

1. Massage Gift Certificate at Massage Advantage Lakewood (Buy a package of six massages or more and get them all for $39/hour! Gift cards do NOT expire and they are sharable)
2. A weekend Colorado Ski and Spa Romance package
3. Organic whole leaf Green tea gift basket from the best tea store in Colorado “In-Tea” (Tell Carol I sent you)
4. A membership at Littleton Yoga Center (first class is free to new members)
5. A nice bottle of organic Red Wine (bring on the resveratrol, skip the sulfites)
6. Dinner for two at the romantic Manor House in picturesque Ken Caryl Valley
7. Pamper Yourself (or your Valentine) at my friend, Jessica Bachus’s website
8. An Italian dinner at “Best of Denver” Cafe Jordano (used to be my secret ‘hole in the wall’ but the word has gotten out)
9. A private serenade by local legend and one of my all-time favorites, Rich Italiano and the Rich Italiano Band (He’s a lovable cross between Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Milton Berle and Elvis)
10. A gift certificate for dinner at Romano’s Italian Restaurant, family owned by another one of my favorites, Ellie Romano
11. Enroll in master of personal development and good friend Bill Sumner’s MasterMind Experience (HURRY begins Feb 8th)
12. A romantic day ice skating outdoors in Boulder
13. Watch a soul-stirring movie (or two) that evokes tears of inspiration and love. My list: Field of Dreams, The Day of the Dolphin, Chariots of Fire, Dead Poets Society, Shakespeare in Love, Gladiator, Cinderella Man, Brian’s Song, World’s Fastest Indian, The Pursuit of Happyness, The Notebook, Legend’s of the Fall, On Golden Pond, Term’s of Endearment, A Walk to Remember, Marley and Me)
14. A home spa day. A bath, meditation, a walk, favorite music, healthy meals, another bath, give each other a massage- be creative, relaxed and peaceful with each other
15. A relationship building seminar by Bill Sumner, “The Inevitable Relationship.” (2/19/10) This seminar is for people of action who want to be part of a powerful program experiencing and learning revolutionary technologies for creating an unbelievable relationship.
16. An infrared home sauna from Colorado’s Luxsauna (One of my favorite healthy therapies for weight loss, detoxification, stress reduction. Located in Lakewood, they deliver fast!)
17. A healthy active outfit or two from Born Fit Clothing (A great Colorado company)
18. A nourishing organic lunch at OrganixxRestaurant
19. Followed by a healthy organic dinner at Mercury Cafe
20. A gift basket full of healthy goodies from Sunflower Markets or Vitamin Cottage, or Whole Foods
21. Healthy anti-oxidant rich sweets from Denver’s own “The Chocolate Therapist”
22. A weekend at the 5-star world renowned BroAdmoor in Colorado Springs- special because I got married there. (The author will accept gifts for this one )
23. Make a deal with the baby sitter and give your wife some ‘coupons’ for babysitting time that she can have ‘in the bank’ for some girl time later
24. A beautifying skin system from my good friend and hair dresser Lisa Comandari
25. My favorite blender in the world (Stay tuned here for more recipes and videos on how to ‘make this blender sing’)
26. Healthy ceramic cookware from the Compleat Gourmet (Say hi to my good friend Barb Trexler when you’re there)
27. A massage chair
28. Innovative jewelery (made from old scrabble tiles!) You have to check out Colorado company HappenStance. Of important note: They donate a portion of sales to Dolls for Daughters which was created by Jessica Bachus in December 2007 – in memory of her daughter Kenzi Bachus. This inspirational Non-Profit Organization collects dolls for underprivileged children throughout the year and distributes them to local Denver charities during the holiday season. (God bless, Jessica)
29. Wild Alaskan Sockeye, King, and Silver Salmon (This is one thing you should splurge on throughout the year, the health benefits are incomparable)
    
30. A healthy breakfast in bed. Frozen organic berries, shredded coconut, chopped almonds and walnuts, granola with almond milk. (See rest of list for what to do after)
31. A silent walk in the park holding hands
32. An invigorating walk with the dogs at a no leash dog park
33. My favorite juicer in the world (This gift alone is worth years of optimum health!)
34. An iPhone? What about a headset that protects iPhone users from electromagnetic radiation
35. Sleep  in …
36. A romantic Estes Park getaway
37. Subscription to a healthy magazine
38. A TRX Home Training System (One of my favorite ways to exercise anytime, anywhere, in Colorado)
39. A healthy nutrition and cookbook.  Here’s one of my all-time favorites: Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon,
40. Spend a lazy morning (or day) at the Tattered Cover Book Store in a cozy chair with a latte
41. An organic sleep system and bedding
42. Custom foot orthotics (For anyone who has foot, leg, hip or back pain, this would be a gift that would keep on giving)
43. A gym membership at 24 hour Fitness (See Miss Colorado, Ginny May, at Littleton/Belleview Sport
44. A soft, new, luxurious organic cotton blanket (Use it to wrap another gift in)
45. A big meaningful kiss… along with a promise to give a big meaningful kiss every day from here on out
46. A new house? See Mike Burns or Mike Haywood
47. A hot bath with essential oils, coconut water, coconut milk, red rose petals and red wine
48. Here’s a website devoted to helping you ladies find Valentine’s gifts for men
49. Complete chiropractic examination at Evocare Center for Physical Health (Mention this article to get Valentine’s special: $25 includes exam, x-ray, & consultation
50. Saturday February 13th is a new moon. During a new moon, the cleansing capabilities of the body are optimized and it’s capacity for detoxing is at its peak. Prepare a hot bath an add sea salt, baking soda and eucalyptus. Drink a lot of pure fresh water and go to bed early. Sleep, heal. If this seems ‘out there’ to some of you, think again. The moon moves vast oceans of waters, your body is 70% water- very cleansing and peaceful.
51. A paraffin bath (she’ll know what it is)
52. A gift from Colorado jewelry maker Circle Of Friends Jewelery and Gems. They also donate to Dolls for Daughters
53. A Pilates reformer
54. Here’s a list of Colorado mountain retreats
55. This may be my all-time favorite ’secret activity’ in Colorado-the Tennessee Pass Cook House. You snowshoe about a mile back in the woods to a secluded yurt and then partake in a gourmet cooked 5-star meal that they pack in. Amazing experience. (Shhh, don’t tell anyone!)
56. A romantic B&B
57. A getaway to a private ghost town (Dunton Hot Springs)  Truly one of the premier places in Colorado, if not anywhere in the world.
58. A day shopping at Vail $$$$
59. A day shopping at Cherry Creek $$$
60. A day shopping at Wal-Mart $
61. Lock yourself in a room and make love all day… Priceless!
62. A dog sledding tour for two
63. A romantic snowshoe hike & picnic in the woods. (Click here for the best places in Colorado)
64. Snowmobiling tour in Breckenridge
65. A holistic nutrition class
66. Indoor Golf Lessons (CO Springs)
67. Indoor Golf Lessons (Denver)
68. A gift certificate to Boulder Running Company
69. Horrible back pain interfering with your love life? Try Spinal Disc Decompression Therapy on the DRX9000
70. A new car! (See my friends Henry Block at Quality Mitsubishi or Randy Gradishar at Phil Long Ford
71. A truly healthy and delicious dinner at Root Down
72. A personal trainer
73. Healthy skin care products- Sanitas
74. Oxygen therapy for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue sufferers
75. A nap
76. An Amazon Kindle pre-loaded healthy books. (FREE 2-day shipping on Valentine’s gifts.)
77. A membership to Denver Botanic Gardens
78. Q-link products
79. A “Learn How to Golf DVD” (A back friendly ‘Dr. Spallone Approved’ method of perfecting your golf swing from my good friend Rob Bernard
80. Hire personal trainer Dan Demuth
81. A healthy gift basket from WellBaskets.com
    
82. Begin some new habits. Here’s one of my favorite resources for local farms that sell all-natural grass-fed and organic meats, game and raw dairy- www.EatWild.com
    
83. Cancel all your activities, unplug the phone and try to be thankful, gracious and loving for all that you have in your life. If you can’t do this all day. Do it for however long you can. When was the last time you did that?
    
84. Here’s a great life changing gift you may not have thought of- mind mapping software. It’s how I organize my businesses, my practice and my life. NovaMind mind mapping software
    
85. Manicure? Pedicure? Fingers and Toes Salon
    
86. A FitBook (Tracks your goals, workouts and progress) I love their slogan… Live. Life. Fit.
    
87. BONUS GIFT goes here… please contribute one of your healthy Valentine gift ideas ideas below
    
88. What the hey… get married! How about a “Mountain Top Matrimony at Loveland Ski Resort“  (I proposed on Valentine’s day 8 years ago! Happy ‘Proposal anniversary’ sweetie
    
89. Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Retreat
90. Gift Certificate to Vitamin Cottage
91. Make a Valentines Day stocking filled with luxurious healthy spa goodies (Who says stockings are only for Christmas?)
92. Gift Cards: Whole Foods
93. Instead of candy, have healthy Valentines snacks set out- graze
    
94. Single? Get a new best friend and change an animals life- adopt a Valentine pet at the animal shelter
95. Laugh. It’s proven to make you healthier and live longer.  Valentine’s Day Improv Comedy, Bovine Metropolis Theater, Saturday, February 13th at 8:00 PM
96. Healthy delectable indulgence: Strawberries, dark chocolate (70% or more cacao) and a nice organic wine.
97. His and hers snow shoes from REI
    
98. An heirloom family portrait at Baumgartner Portraiture
99. Sign up for yoga at Rishi’s Crossing in Lakewood. Thank you to my friends Mary Ann and Bruce Plocher and yoga guru Asia Cyr!
100. Healthy non-toxic cookware
101. A night at the opera

Whew! This was a lot of work but very fun. I hope that in some way I can help make a healthy impact on your choices. Many of the businesses I have mentioned above are owned by people who are members of my practice and have become great friends.

The creation of this list made me realize how blessed I am to have such wonderful people in my life.

In health, with love (of course, on Valentine’s Day),

Dr. Ron

P.S. PLEASE comment below and give me insight, opinions and feel free to contribute. There will be people and places and things that I just plain forgot to include that are deserving of making this list. let’s work on it together!

P.S.S. If you choose some of these ideas, please come back and let me know. I would love to hear your story. (Except for #61 )

P.S.S. Please share this, maybe you can help someone. After all that’s what love is about, right?

Best Lakewood Chiropractors

Being a Colorado sports chiropractor is the best. It’s a year-round affair.

Colorado is perpetually regarded as one of the healthiest states in the union. One of the biggest reasons, I believe, is due to the high participatory level of outdoor activities and sports. (Which is why I chose to make Colorado my home)

A few years ago I was given the honor of being Colorado’s Sports Chiropractor of the Year by the Colorado Chiropractic Association and CEPA’s (The chiropractic association for the Care of Elite and Professional Athlete’s) National Chiropractor of the Year. (blush, blush)

Because it’s just what I do, I understand it.

But you may not even be aware that a sports chiropractor can play an important role in the management and treatment of not only your injuries but your ability to perform and excel in your sport- whether it’s on a team or for you individually.

Here are some of the top athletes in the world explaining why they include chiropractic care in their sports medicine routine.

In the video below, you’ll see my good friend and sports chiropractic mentor Nick Athens taking care of the San Francisco 49ers. (This is where I worked before moving my sports injury clinic to Colorado) Above is Joe Montana after his treatment form me here in Denver at Mile High Stadium.

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DO NOT LEAVE ICE ON TOO LONG after an injury!

Listen to this story…

Researchers at the Dept. of Accident and Emergency Medicine at Southern General Hospital in Glasgow and Accident and Emergency Crosshouse Hospital in Kilmarnock, Scotland, made news of a case of a P.E. teacher who used a bag of frozen potatoes to get rid of pain in her foot. She let the bag sit on her foot for at least 40 minutes and the pain actually went away… temporarily! The report says the foot became discolored and the pain returned- with a vengeance. The woman lost feeling in a few of her toes. She was diagnosed with frostbite, then underwent surgery to treat the permanent nerve damage in two of her toes.

Maybe you’ve heard that after an acute injury, it’s best to ice the area for at least 20 minutes at a time. Maybe you did it for the same reasons as her.  It’s possible you’ve also heard that icing reduces inflammation.

It can.

But do you know why?

Don’t take my word for it, let’s  investigate the “20 minutes concept.” I want you to do a little experiment.

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Chiropractic Research Review

Video Reviews 3 Major Medical studies

Chiropractor Littleton, CO. Dr. Ron Spallone, DC.

I’ve lived in Littleton, Colorado for about 13 years now.

After finishing my professional studies I looked on the map for a place that I thought I could live for the rest of my life, literally.

There were a fair amount of chiropractors in Littleton, but I liked that the community supported natural health and wellness. I packed my Toyota 4-runner with some clothes and fishing gear and drove across the west in what is now a very memorable journey.

I chose Colorado to set up my chiropractic and natural health clinic because of the quality of the lifestyle. I grew up camping, fishing and playing sports all year round. I have an affinity for the open country, especially the west.

I grew up in the Sierra Nevada mountains in a one stoplight town on a small dirt road. I like that Denver and Littleton has that small town feel with the big city amenities.

I’ve practiced here ever since and have proudly embraced Colorado as my home. I’m proud to be a chiropractor in Littleton.

Chiropractic and ear infections? Here’s a small collection of interesting research on ear infections (Otitis media).

From a Postgraduate Medicine, Oct. ’87, review article by Moshe Frenkel, M.D., Acute Otitis Media; Does Therapy Alter its Course?:

Eichenwald (1985): no bacterial cause can be identified in 1/3 of cases; spontaneous resolution in 60% within ten days of onset

Fry (1958): 85% of those not receiving antibiotics had complete resolution; no differences in recurrence or hearing loss.

Townsend (1980): study showed that a placebo-treated group had no greater incidence of recurrence, or of middle-ear effusion than an antibiotic-treated group.

Van Buchem (1981):  children with symptomatic treatment alone did as well as those treated with antibiotics and/or myringotomy (ear tubes); no differences were noted in effectiveness of pain reduction, hearing levels, or incidence of complications.

Van Buchem (1985):  in a large-scale study of 4,860 children, 90% recovered with “minimal” treatment (nose drops and analgesics)

OTHER SOURCES:

Dr. E. Cantekin did a study of amoxicillin treatment of otitis media and fund that it was not effective for secretory otitis media (fluid behind the eardrum.)  He also found that the antibiotics Pediazole and ceflaclor were not effective.  (JAMA, Dec.  1991)

A number of recent studies have shown that for earaches, 2, 4, 5, and 7-day courses of treatment with antibiotics were just as effective as the usual 10-day course, when effective at all. (Schmidt, Beyond Antibiotics, 1993, p. 29)

A 1974 study showed that children with acute otitis media receiving antibiotics within the first few days of the illness had up to 2.9 times more recurrence that those in whom antibiotic use was delayed or avoided.  (Diamant, Arch Otolayrngol, 1974)

A 1991 article in the AMA Journal stated that children with chronic earaches who received antibiotics experienced two to six times more recurrent middle ear fluid that those receiving placebo.  (Cantekin et al, JAMA, 1991, 266(23)

A two-year study of myringotomy (surgical incision of the tympanum) and tymapanostomy (ear tubes) found that they did not alter the long-term course of otitis media; eardrum scars and tympanum thickening were 3X more frequent in the group receiving tubes. (J Laryngol. Otol. 86:881-888, 1972)

Many chiropractors and natural health doctors experts feel that recurrent upper respiratory infections, including otitis media, may be the result of allergies, including food allergies and intolerance.  Cow’s milk is the most frequently-mentioned allergen.  An ENT specialist in Florida who exclusively does tympanostomies (ear tubes) first puts all patients referred to him on a diet free of dairy products.  As a result, he claims three-fourths of them never need the tubes.  (cited in Schmidt, Beyond Antibiotics,  1993, p. 76)

Below are some great books to help you understand more about your options in helping childhood ear infections.

As a natural doctor and chiropractor, an important theory I adhere to holds that the nervous system is the ultimate controller of the human immune system, as it is of all body systems.

How does that apply to holistic chiropractic treatment?

The disruption of the nervous system by subluxation complex (involving joints, muscles and nerves which surround nervous system tissue) diminishes the body’s ability to react at peak efficiency to the presence of microbes or other physiological, emotional and/or chemical stresses, which can then weaken the body’s resistance, making it more susceptible to infection.

This is referred to as the neurodystrophic (loss of ‘fine tuning’ of the nervous system) hypothesis.

The conventional wisdom of most deems this “alternative health.” To me it should be called “common sense.”

Germs are not dumb, they go where there are ‘easy pickings’ to survive.

A weakened ‘host’ is the perfect place to set up camp.

As a wellness chiropractor and an alternative health doctor I’m aware that many other things influence human resistance, including nutrition, emotional stress, genetic factors, activity levels, even personal hygiene.

These things shouldn’t just be illogically dismissed by the chiropractor, alternative doctors, the physician or any other health professionals.

To pretend they aren’t important is folly. Inquiring about these factors and partnering with the patient to help ‘cover all bases’ is truly holistic care.

If I hypothetically asked you to list the 3 most important things in your life, what would they be?

Wait, this shouldn’t be hypothetical, let’s play for real. What are they?

Write them down before you read on…

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Oxygen therapy for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome?

Yep.

As a chiropractor in Denver I understand what it means to live ‘a mile high.’

Your brain uses about 20% of all the oxygen that enters your blood from the lungs. But the brain only makes up about 2% of your total body mass.

It’s an oxygen hog.

Your brain consumes and requires more oxygen than any other organ in the body. So, inherently, it’s extremely susceptible to damage related to oxygen deprivation.

That being said, here’s my FREE Healthy Tip of the Day: Breathe deeply to keep your brain joyfully swimming in cells that are bathed in oxygen.

I see a lot of patients with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Fibromyalgia (FM). One of the most important modalities that I employ is oxygen therapy.

It can be very effective.

In fact, oxygen therapy for Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome is one of the “keys” I use in managing those conditions naturally. Fibromyalgia has so many neurological components to it. The nervous system needs oxygen to function. Ignore that fact and you get sub-par results.

To make a complex concept simple, your brain and nervous system need two things to survive:

FUEL and ACTIVATION.

The most important forms of fuel come in the form of oxygen and glucose.  You get glucose from the foods that you eat, but as we age our ability to utilize oxygen decreases.  It’s called oxidative phosphorizalation (scientific talk for ‘your body doesn’t utilize oxygen as effectively as it should anymore.’)

Now add to the mix that most people are shallow breathers and that we live at 5,280 feet and you can start to see why you may not be getting enough fuel for your brain and nervous system. I’d feel tired, beat up and worn down too if I were a brain.

Oxygen is to the body what gas is to your car.  Without gas in the car you’re not driving anywhere.

Without sufficient amounts of oxygen available for your brain and nervous system, not only can you age prematurely but many of the various treatments you attempt may not get you much better.

Breathe…..

I’m a big fan of milking the magic out of everyday life- not really following the ’someday when things are just right’ philosophy.

It’s a beautiful winter day here in Colorado. In reality, it’s the only winter day.

Let me tell you a quick story of what just happened in my the clinic. I think you’ll appreciate it.

A father who’s been bringing his teenage son in for sports medicine care inquired about what it would take for his son to be a chiropractor. (His son achieved some pretty cool results )

He said the possibility of doing what I do, as a career, piqued his son’s interest. He winked at me and said, ‘That hasn’t really happened before.’ (Fair enough for a 14 year old. I didn’t find my calling until I was 27.)

Of all the rewarding aspects of my job, when this happens I feel like I’ve made a difference in someone’s life. Even if it’s just temporary and something important was etched in his mind.

Over the years I’ve had a handful of patients who’ve had a great experience in the office then one thing leads to another and…

AHA! A moment of inspiration occurs.

The same thing happened to me. And many others in my profession for that matter. In fact, it seems ubiquitous.

It’s truly humbling and heartwarming when it happens but somehow today seemed special.

“It’s a tough profession in a lot of ways,” I said to them both. “You’re always the underdog because it’s not mainstream medicine. You’re usually perceived as not being a real doctor.”

The father looked at me and said, “You got my kid back on the ice in 4 days- that’s real enough for me.”

How cool is that?

His son was injured to the point where he was in a lot of pain and could no longer even practice.

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