I am so thankful that I began both over 15 years ago…huge contributor to the balance that I live for daily…

Nearly a third of adults and about 12 percent of children in the U.S. are turning to complementary medicine to treat health issues such as back pain, stress management and internal symptoms like irritable bowel syndrome, according to a report from the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health. Yoga, meditation and chiropractic are the three top complementary approaches, with yoga being the most popular in the 18- to 44-year-old group, CNN said.

It’s only natural that a living being, animal or human, will gravitate toward things that make them feel better, and in this instance the takeaway is that a growing number of humans are finding nondrug ways to cure what ails them. I’m certain this doesn’t make Big Pharma happy, but the bottom line is the only feelings that count here is how YOU feel if you decide that one of these treatments best suits your health and well-being.

I recently talked about an epiphany I had with chiropractic care, when I learned I had some problems with my cervical spine. For one, a common assumption is that unless you’re experiencing pain, all is well. But, in reality, many if not most diseases are asymptomatic until the disease process is well underway.

On the other hand, if you are experiencing pain, chiropractic care may be a natural remedy that can help you avoid pain medications. In fact, by reducing your lower back pain, chiropractic care may have a significant impact on the opioid crisis.

The same is true if you decide to try yoga, meditation or both together. Research shows that yoga can be an important part of a comprehensive fitness program with both mental and physical benefits, regardless of your current state of health. Even if you decide to forgo separate meditation exercises, yoga in itself is a form of meditation.

Of course, another primary tool for maintaining good health is to choose the right foods for metabolic optimization, as diet also affects your structural function. By eating a healthy high-fat, low-carbohydrate and low- to moderate-protein diet, you enter into what is known as nutritional ketosis, a state in which your body burns fat as its primary fuel rather than glucose (sugar), a side effect of which is to reduce inflammation in your body.