Thoughtful Thursday - April 15th
Feels like a lot has changed in a week and hopefully for the better. This week, Craig chats to a chiro to the (cycling) stars, Michael heads south on your spine, and we plug the ‘less fun’ coffee… Intrigued? Read on for more!
Clinic Updates
No news is good news again!
As things open up a lil more, we would like to remind everyone to ensure they are vigilant in following guidance as much as possible. We’ve unfortunately had a few people trying to sneak in mask-free – pretty uncool to put our reception staff in that position. I think they are all generally lovely and just want to help you (and not have to create a scene for no real reason), so please remember to wear your mask when you come in.
We’ll have the May Bank Holidays finalised by next week’s edition (hopefully).
Fees
I know am harping on a bit, but don’t forget from Tuesday, May 4th the new PAYG fee will be:
Fulham/Kew/Putney/Tooting £50
Marylebone £55
As previously noted, all packages of adjustments will remain as is for the time being, so they’re definitely the way to go if you’re looking to save some pennies.
Podcast of the Week
It’s episode 51 on the Chiro.London Pod, proudly fuelled by Ground Coffee Society, and Craig has a chat with Matt Rabin DC, team chiropractor and head of physical therapy for a Tour de France professional cycling team. He's been to 13 tours, and has had Sir Bradley Wiggins, David Millar and all the current 30 riders at EF Pro Cycling on his table. But it’s not just cyclists that Matt looks after – he’s also the team chiro for pro football teams Crystal Palace and the Welsh national team.
Listen to the episode to hear all about a typical day on the tour, from training to nutrition to bike fitting and everything in between, and also to find out who would win a bar fight between a pro footballer and a pro cyclist!
You can find it on our website, Spotify, Apple and Google, too.
Vertebra of the Week
We continue to make our way down the thoracic region in Michael’s tour of your spine, and this week’s lucky vertebra is…
T7
The pancreas and duodenum are connected to this vertebral segment. You might have heard about these two organs, but do you know where they are and what they do?
The pancreas is placed just under and behind the stomach. It secretes enzymes into the small intestine to, firstly, buffer the acidity when food comes out of the stomach to make sure you don’t digest yourself, and secondly, to also help break down food. It is this organ that produces insulin, a hormone that is secreted into the bloodstream to regulate the sugar levels of the body.
The duodenum is the first part of the small intestine and the shortest part of your gut. It receives the partially digested food straight from the stomach and plays a vital role in the chemical preparation for the absorption of nutrients into the small intestine later in the process.
People suffering from nerve supply problems to these organs may be prone to developing gastritis, ulcers in the gut and can also have difficulty regulating their blood sugar.
Shameless Plug of the Week
I am currently writing this whilst sitting at “Drew’s Table” at 79 Collective (formerly Ground Coffee Society). The sun is shining on my face, I’m looking at PCC with a coffee and an “Into the Wild” sitting on my table, like a proper human being…. and it is lovely!
So I thought this might be a good opportunity to be a tad self-indulgent with this week’s plug. What was the catch with my lovely, mid-week brunch? My coffee was a… decaf! (Gasp!)
Dirty right?! Oh the shame of it all! While everyone was busy giving up alcohol in January, I made the switch to drinking decaf coffee, which I do 6 out of 7 days a week and always on a ‘school’ day. I have found it to be quite a good move.
Without any research other than my personal experience, I have been much calmer in day-to-day decision making, during what everyone would agree has been a trying period for us all. I sleep better on decaf days – my magic WHOOP strap stats confirm this. (Yes, Craig has a podcast and blog devoted to WHOOP and no, he was not paid to do it, he just loves it that much!) And I have felt much more focused when working on a task.
I’ve had to ride the wave of the stigma – however, the benefits for me have been great and I don’t feel like I have been missing out; I get the best of both worlds like Smart Hulk! Plus decafs these days have come a long way from the watery imposters of the past – it’s often really hard to spot the difference between the regular and decaf blends.
My favourite decaf brew is obvs from my heroes at Ground Coffee Society, which you can always find at 79 Collective in Putney and Tinto Coffee in Fulham. I also enjoy the Dark Arts decaf that’s available at Level Crossing Records in Sheen Lane – a nice mid-way stopping point when I walk back from our Kew clinic to Putney. (They also have the RIGHT records if you are into vinyl.)
For home, I like the decaf brews from Roundhill Roastery. They seem to take it pretty seriously and change their beans often, which keeps it interesting. I have also found it to be quite versatile, brewing well in both the Aeropress and stovetop – just make sure you select the right grind!
Keen to join me on the not-so-dark side? First person who gets back to me will receive a bag of decaf to brew at home from Ground Coffee Society!
That’s all for this week! Don’t forget to support your local hospitality venues and indie businesses but behave yourselves in the pub gardens this weekend!
Drew