What shape would your car be in if our car care system looked like our healthcare system?

Ferrari...!

...One of the finest cars ever made!

Even for me, a non car buff, the sight of a Ferrari gives me a sense of excitement. (Not that we see many of them here in the Panhandle of Idaho.) The other day, I drove my Subaru Forester to the Tubbs Hill trailhead adjacent to downtown Coeur d'Alene. This particular trailhead is at one end of a very large parking lot which also happens to be right next to the Coeur d'Alene Resort. When I arrived, there were two large trucks offloading their special cargo -- priceless vintage automobiles that were arriving for the start of the Northwest Passage Vintage Rally. The two pictures in this post are of a Ferrari that was offloaded just as I arrived. According to my automobile consultant (my son), this is a Ferrari 360 Spyder. I marveled at the sleek, exquisite beauty of the cars I saw. It was obvious to me that the owners put a lot of loving care into their cars! Good example for all of us to follow, whether we happen to be proud owners of a Bently or a Bug.

As I stepped off on my run around the Lake Trail, I began to wonder how many of those car owners take care of themselves as well as they take care of their cars. As my run proceeded and my thoughts progressed, I reflected on what shape our cars would be in if our "car care system" was designed the same as our healthcare system. Here's what we would have:
--Car insurance would cover a blown engine or transmission, but not oil changes or tune-ups.
--Most people wouldn't bother with tune-ups.
--Mechanics (also known as Mechanical Doers or MDs) wouldn't know -- or care -- how to do tune-ups anyway.
----MDs would only work with cars at the most superficial of levels, and would treat car problems by removing parts and by pouring lots and lots of dangerous, rust-producing useless gunky substances (DRUGS) into them.
--Most people would buy cheap "junk gas" that contained caustic ingredients that would significantly decrease their car's performance and would slice years off the life of the car. Even though people knew the gas was bad, they'd buy it anyway. All the time.
--Our government would heavily subsidize junk gas and DRUGS, and we would be indoctrinated during EVERY television commerical break on how wonderful our cars will be if we always use junk gas and DRUGS. Lots of them. Every day.

The result is obvious: We would have a national fleet of clunkers. Ferraris would be rare indeed!

In such a backward world, would there be any hope at all for our cars? Yes!There would be infinite hope...if we also had specially trained car lovers who Dote on Cars (also known as DCs)who would be experts on true car care -- from the inside out!

MDs may be able to slow down your clunkiness process. Sometimes. (Sometimes they speed it up.)

DCs help bring out your inner Ferrari!

Would you rather be a clunker...or a Ferrari? Your choice!




Until next time,
Dr. Mark William Cochran
Chiropractor, lightworker, energy healer, writer, speaker
Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

PS: Here is the latest update on the Oby Phenomenon:

I still have my fingers crossed for a review of Oby's Wisdom in O! The Oprah Magazine. (Read last week's super excting update.) Please keep yours crossed, too!




You can now purchase or order Oby's Wisdom! A Caveman's Simple Gude to Health and Well-being at your favorite local bookstore. Here in the Inland Northwest, Oby is on the shelves at these locations:
Spokane: Auntie's Bookstore, downtown
Coeur d'Alene: Hastings and Borders
Sandpoint: Inquire Within, Winter Ridge Natural Foods Market, Zero Point and Vanderford's Books & Office Products

Book signings:
We had a GREAT book signing will at Northpointe Borders in North Spokane yesterday. Thanks to all of you who came by!

If you would like to host or help arrange a book signing, please let me know and we will make it happen.

You can also visit the official Oby's Wisdom website to purchase a copy. www.ObysWisdom.com

Buy Oby's Wisdom on Amazon.

Buy Oby's Wisdom at BarnesAndNoble.com

In India and other locations in Asia, Oby's Wisdom is available at Infibeam.com
(Free shipping in India.)

If you would prefer to read the book digitally, you can find Oby's Wisdom in various digital formats at:

Barnes and Noble's Nook

Sony e-reader

Other digital formats at Smashwords.com

Oby's Wisdom is now available in Apple's iPad store.

Coming eventually to Kindle.

The Key to Health is Synergy.

I learned a brilliant lesson about health a few days ago -- in a game of dodgeball -- from an opposing team who calls themselves "Team Stupid"...!

A few evenings ago, my dodgeball team played our final match of the regular season. We discovered that we are not very good at coordinating our efforts as a team. The other team, on the other hand, was very good at that. Our opponents jokingly named themselves "Team Stupid," but, in reality, they were very smart. In contrast to my team,they were very effective at coordinating their efforts. There was one point when four people on Team Stupid each threw a ball at me all at the same time. They got me! They employed that tactic time after time and they won the best-of-five series against us.

A winning dodgeball team operates on the same principle as a healthy living being. That principle is synergy. When your body is functionng in a synergistic manner, with no interference, guided by your Innate intelligence, you are free to express vibrant health.

Unfortunately, our lifestyles bring in a lot of interference:
Processed, lifeless food...
Lack of sleep...
Not enough clear water...
Too much time in front of the tube...
Sedentary ways...
Prescription medications...
The list goes on...
and on...

These factors do not bring in poor health; what they do is diminish the expression of vibrant health. Here is an example that everybody can relate to from personal experience: We all need adequate sleep to function optimally in every aspect of our beings -- physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. Go just a few days on limited z's and you'll be cranky, you will zone out any time you try to concentrate on a mental task and you will tire quickly when performing physical tasks. Get a couple nights of good, restful sleep, and everything falls back into place.

Another great example that I have extensive experience in is the power of the Chiropractic Adjustment. Your spine is the center of the structural and neurological functioning of your body. It is also key to your spiritual expression. Time and time again, I have seen people's lives blossom when they are under Chiropractic wellness care. Why? Because, when there is less interference, there is greater synergy!

Life needs no help, just no interfernece!

Until next time,
Dr. Mark William Cochran
Chiropractor, lightworker, energy healer, writer, speaker
Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

PS: Here is the latest on the Oby Phenomenon:
You can now order Oby's Wisdom! A Caveman's Simple Gude to Health and Well-being through your favorite local bookstore. Here in the Inland Northwest, Oby is on the shelves at these locations:
Spokane: Auntie's Bookstore, downtown
Coeur d'Alene: Hastings
Sandpoint: Inquire Within, Winter Ridge Natural Foods Market, Zero Point and Vanderford's Books & Office Products

Upcoming book signings:
April 29, Thursday - Auntie's Book Store, Downtown Spokane, 7-9 PM. A reading and Q&A will precede the book signing.
May 1, Saturday - Borders in Coeur d'Alene, 1-3 PM

You can also visit the official Oby's Wisdom website to purchase a copy. www.ObysWisdom.com

Buy Oby's Wisdom on Amazon

Buy Oby's Wisdom at BarnesAndNoble.com

In India and other locations in Asia, Oby's Wisdom is available at Infibeam.com
(Free shipping in India.)

If you would prefer to read the book digitally, you can find Oby's Wisdom in various digital formats at:

Barnes and Noble's Nook

Sony e-reader

Other digital formats at Smashwords.com

Coming soon to Kindle and Apple's iPad.

Would you rather stay on top of the mountain, or hope someone can fix you after you fall...?

Enjoy old classic poem and my version of a well known nursery rhyme for a clear illustration of this week's healthy thought.



The Dangerous Cliff

'Twas a dangerous cliff, as they freely confessed,
Though to walk near its crest was so pleasant;
But over its terrible edge there had slipped
A duke and full many a peasant.
So the people said something would have to be done,
But their projects did not at all tally;
Some said, "Put a fence 'round the edge of the cliff,"
Some, "An ambulance down in the valley."

But the cry for the ambulance carried the day,
For it spread through the neighboring city;
A fence may be useful or not, it is true,
But each heart became full of pity
For those who slipped over the dangerous cliff;
And the dwellers in highway and alley
Gave pounds and gave pence, not to put up a fence,
But an ambulance down in the valley.

"For the cliff is all right, if you're careful," they said,
"And, if folks even slip and are dropping,
It isn't the slipping that hurts them so much
As the shock down below when they're stopping."
So day after day, as these mishaps occurred,
Quick forth would those rescuers sally
To pick up the victims who fell off the cliff,
With their ambulance down in the valley.

Then an old sage remarked: "It's a marvel to me
That people give far more attention
To repairing results than to stopping the cause,
When they'd much better aim at prevention.
Let us stop at its source all this mischief," cried he,
"Come, neighbors and friends, let us rally;
If the cliff we will fence, we might almost dispense
With the ambulance down in the valley."

"Oh he's a fanatic," the others rejoined,
"Dispense with the ambulance? Never!
He'd dispense with all charities, too, if he could;
No! No! We'll support them forever.
Aren't we picking up folks just as fast as they fall?
And shall this man dictate to us? Shall he?
Why should people of sense stop to put up a fence,
While the ambulance works in the valley?"

But the sensible few, who are practical too,
Will not bear with such nonsense much longer;
They believe that prevention is better than cure,
And their party will soon be the stronger.
Encourage them then, with your purse, voice, and pen,
And while other philanthropists dally,
They will scorn all pretense, and put up a stout fence
On the cliff that hangs over the valley.

Better guide well the young than reclaim them when old,
For the voice of true wisdom is calling.
"To rescue the fallen is good, but 'tis best
To prevent other people from falling."
Better close up the source of temptation and crime
Than deliver from dungeon or galley;
Better put a strong fence 'round the top of the cliff
Than an ambulance down in the valley.
~Joseph Malins
Circa. 1895



The best 'fence' is a wellness lifestyle. Without it, you are almost certain to fall. And once you fall, the ambulance may not be able to help you. Case in point:

Humpty dumpty sat on a wall.
Humpty dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's doctors and all the king's men
couldn't put Humpty together again.

Until next time,
Dr. Mark William Cochran
Chiropractor, lightworker, energy healer, writer, speaker
Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

PS: My new book, Oby's Wisdom! A Caveman's Simple Gude to Health and Well-being is now available in print! For those readers here in North Idaho, you can pick up a copy at Hastings in Coeur d'Alene, and Inquire Within in Sandpoint. If you live elsewhere, you can visit the official Oby's Wisdom website to purchase a copy. www.ObysWisdom.com

The World Around You Is Your Mirror

What Kind of People Live Here?
(My version of an old parable)

A young drifter was riding the range looking for a town where he could settle down. He rode into a small town, stopped at the general store and ambled in to visit the proprietor.

"What kind of people live here?" he asked.

"Well,” replied the storekeeper, “What kind of people were in the last town you lived in?"

“A buncha no accounts,” complained the newcomer. “Nothin' but mean, selfish thieves and liars. All they cared about was themselves, and they'd just as soon rob ya as look atcha.”

“Ya best ride on, cowpoke. You'll find nothing but the same in this town."

A few days later another traveling cowhand rode into town. He, too, stopped in to visit the owner of the general store.

"What kind of people live here?" he asked.

As before, the storekeeper answered, “What kind of people were in the last town you lived in?"

“Good folk; all of ‘em. Honest and hard workin,’” replied the young traveler. “Why, they'd give the shirt right off their back just to help a poor ol’ stranger.”

“Stick around, young feller,” smiled the storekeeper. “The folks hereabouts are just the same.”



Until next time,
Dr. Mark William Cochran
Chiropractor, lightworker, energy healer, writer, speaker
Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

PS:
Oby's Wisdom! A Caveman's Simple Gude to Health and Well-being is curently available as an e-book in various different formats:
To read all about Oby's Wisdom, download a free excerpt and purchase a pdf download, visit www.ObysWisdom.com.

Oby is available in various other digital formats at:
Smashwords
Barnes and Noble Nook e-reader.

Oby is coming soon to Amazon's Kindle e-reader and the Sony e-reader. Print version will be available sometime this spring.

Make one commitment to yourself today – just one – just for today.

This photo is of the breathtaking view of the Cabinet Mountains from South Chilco Peak in North Idaho.
(I made a commitment, and traveled to the summit, one step at a time!)

The type of commitment you make is important. (More on that below…)

As I said in last week’s blog, the most effective way to make profound changes in your life is to go one step at a time.

Just one step at a time.

So today, take one step. Make one commitment – just one – without even committing to do it tomorrow, much less every day for the rest of your life. Make it an easy step.

Ideas:
Eat more green veggies for dinner.
Uprade one food purchase from non-organic to organic.
Spend more quality time with your kids, your partner, your pet or even yourself.
Go out for a nice walk, run, bike ride, swim or whatever you enjoy.
Meditate or pray.
Drink as much water as you know you should be drinking.
Go back to the yoga class you’ve been missing.
Read something that's been waiting in your "gotta read" stack for awhile.
Go out and play!

Now a note about what type of commitment to make to yourself. Notice that all of the items on the list above have one thing in common: They all add value to your life. None of them are about quitting, cutting down or avoiding.

My commitment for today: to enjoy a longer yoga session than usual.

It's that simple!

Tomorrow, make another commitment – to yourself – just one – just for tomorrow. Make it a commitment that adds value to your life. It can be the same as today, or something new. You get to choose. But don’t even think about it until tomorrow.

Until next time,
Dr. Mark William Cochran
Chiropractor, energy healer, lightworker
Coeur d’Alene and Sandpoint, Idaho

PS: Remember to visit www.ObysWisdom.com to check out my award winning new e-book. There are some great limited-time-only bonuses AND you can download a free excerpt.

Prevention is not the answer. Wellness is.

Continued from last week...

When we last heard from our friends, Bright Dwight and Silly Willy, Willy had given up on ever swimming across the river and making it to the market to sell his heavy load of apples. He sat upon the bank, despondent, wondering what could be done to solve this river problem. His brother, Dwight, on the other hand, had devoted his thought, time, energy and resources to building a boat. His boat was strong and swift, and he glided across the river to the market with his load of apples and returned with a tidy profit.

Silly Willy knew that the river had been a threat in previous years. He had heard tell of the swift and rapid stream (SARS) a few years earlier. And only the previous year, waterfowl had been seen swimming in the river, giving rise to great fears of bird flow. And this very year, wild boars had been seen frolicking upon the banks of the river upstream of the village. “Certainly, with hogs in the river,” Willy thought aloud, “we must protect ourselves against swine flow.” Silly Willy thought and thought, and soon formulated a brilliant plan. “This river is a menace to all our land,” thought Willy. We must prevent this dangerous and life-threatening flow.”

Willy rose early the next morning and swam across the river to meet with the Village Executive Council. He swam with fear gripping his heart for he knew that the river threatened his very existence.

“First there was SARS, then Bird Flow, and now Swine Flow,” admonished Silly Willy to the council. “This river is a grave threat to the people of our fine village. Something must be done!”

“Yes, but what?” Asked the Chief of the Executive Council.

“We must stop the flow before it can reach us,” answered Silly Willy. “We need only build a dam, far upstream, and that will prevent the water from ever reaching us.”

“Brilliant!” exhorted the Chief Executive.

“Yes, brilliant indeed!” echoed the council.

“From now on, you will be known as Wise Willy,” proclaimed the Chief Executive.

“Wise Willy…Wise Willy…Wise Willy!” chanted the council with great adulation.

Soon after, the wisest of the land’s Magnificent Dambuilders (MD’s) teamed up with the Committees for Drainage and Canals (CDC) and before you could say, “belly flop,” they had a plan approved by the Fence and Dam Authority (FDA).

The people of the land rejoiced at the wisdom of the plan, knowing that their lives would be safer and more pleasant as soon as they were dammed.

Most people rejoiced, but not all…

Some warned that damming the river was dangerous, and a dam would never work anyway. Among these voices of reason was Bright Dwight. “We need the river,” he said. “If the river stops flowing, everybody’s well will go dry. Dry wells are a much greater threat to our health than a flowing river. We must preserve our wells. Well-ness is far better for us than trying to prevent the flow.”

“Preposterous!” replied the MD’s and the CDC in unison. “Don’t you know that 36,000 people die each year from the flow?”

“Um…who?” asked Dwight.

“Well…(ahem)…uh…we don’t know exactly who. Everybody just knows that 36,000 people die from the flow every year. This is an incontrovertible truth because we say it every year.”

One villager chuckled to a friend, “These ‘well-ness’ people are strange ones, to be sure.”

“Strange indeed,” agreed the friend. “And this Dwight fellow is the strangest among them. Too bad he isn’t brilliant like his brother, Wise Willy. Obviously one brother got most of the brains in the family.”

With that, this story—from a time long ago and a land far away—comes to a close. I don’t need to tell you the outcome. It’s easy to figure out…

Author’s note: Please forgive the unsophisticated humor in this tale. You may even consider it pun-demic! (Oh, that one even makes me groan!)

Until next time,
Dr. Mark William Cochran
Chiropractor, Energy Healer, Lightworker
Sandpoint and Coeur d'Alene, Idaho

Are you hoping for a healing miracle? The miracle is already inside of you, just waiting to be released…

There are countless miracle stories in Chiropractic, especially when it comes to children. One of my favorite miracle stories is the one of little Winifred Gardella. Stricken with polio, Winifred was the March of Dimes poster child in 1952-53. The image of this beautiful little girl standing with crutches and leg braces tugged heart strings nationwide. After two and a half years of the finest medical care available, her doctors pronounced her “hopeless” and condemned her to a life on crutches and braces.


Little Winifred, March of Dimes poster child, 1952-1953.
(Before Chiropractic)

Winifred’s grandparents refused to accept this fate and sought something different. They took Winifred to Dr. Lewis Robertson, a Chiropractor in Glendale, California. After six months of Chiropractic adjustments, Winifred no longer needed crutches or leg braces. She was again able to ride her tricycle and play with her friends!


Winifred after Chiropractic.
No more crutches, no more braces.
Ready to run and play again!

Did Dr. Robertson “cure” Winifred’s polio? No. What Dr. Robertson did was facilitate the expression of life. Chiropractic adjustments released Winifred’s own miraculous potential for vibrant health. It was her own innate healing ability—her beautiful and powerful life force—that allowed her to throw away the crutches and braces, and run and play again!



Photos originally published in Chiropractic Home, August 1957.

Getting back to basics is powerful, often difficult...and, ultimately, unavoidable.

Double rainbow picture I took from my
backyard a few years ago.

Deja vu?

You may notice that the title of this week's blog is the same as last week's. Last week, I addressed the first part: that getting back to basics is powerful. This week, I'm addressing the part about basics being difficult but ultimately unavoidable.

Take a look at the photo above. It's a double rainbow -- a rare and breathtaking spectacle. The concept of a rainbow is pretty simple. The rays of the sun shining through water droplets suspended in the air refract into the colors of the visible spectrum. We all learned about that in elementary school science classes. We can duplicate the process with a prism. Simple. Basic. Why, then, do I claim that getting back to basics can be difficult? Well, I would suggest that a rainbow is more basic than a prism-generated spectrum because a rainbow does not require anything that is human made. Although a rainbow is more basic, it's a good bet that humans will never be able to duplicate the majesty of a rainbow arcing across the sky.

It's the same with health. Even with the countless drugs, "natural" remedies, surgeries, therapies, machines, books, retreats and everything else humanity has invented, healing always -- always -- comes down to the healing wisdom that resides inside each of us.

Now take a look at the next photo.


Hot air baloon photo I took from my
front yard a few years ago.

A hot air balloon operates on a simple principle. Hot air rises, therefore a balloon filled with hot air will fly. Wind currents at different altitudes move in different directions, so it is possible to steer a hot air balloon by changing altitudes. No ailerons, vertical stabilizers or pitot tubes required. A hot air balloon may not be as fast or precise as a sleek new Boeing 777, but it's a lot safer because a balloon is in resonance with Nature. I doubt any hot air balloon gondolas are equipped with the same state of the art entertainment packages as the latest airliners, but the experience of floating in silence above the beauty and grandeur of the Earth will leave a more indelible memory than a first class airplane flight because flying in a balloon is flying closer to Nature.

High tech airplanes, balloons and all other aircraft have one thing in common. They all gotta land. It's unavoidable. The only way anyone can restore, improve or enjoy health is by facilitating the expression of one's inherent vitality.

Want healthy kids? Let 'em get dirty.

I offered this profound thought in my August 3, 2008 posting, and was inspired to repeat it by this British TV commercial for a laundry detergent. (Thanks, Cricket!)



This TV commercial is entertaining, but it doesn't explain why getting dirty will help make children healthier. Please visit my August 3 post to read the story of the Bulldogs and learn all about it.

Have a vibrant week!
Mark William Cochran
Chiropractor
Coeur d'Alene and Sandpoint, Idaho

We’re forgetting something. In the food we eat…in healthcare…in exercise…in the way we live. We're forgetting life!

Last Thursday I got high on…breakfast!

Earlier in the day I attended my weekly yoga class where we practiced an especially powerful type of yoga known as Yoga Nidra. After that, I went for a four-mile run on a scenic, challenging trail. The type of running I do is called ChiRunning, which focuses my life force, and brings in the beauty and chi of my surroundings to carry me along the trail. My post-run stretch consisted of more yoga…in the sunshine…next to the lake. Needless to say, by the time I hopped in my car to head home, I felt fantastic!

At home, I made myself a breakfast that included a locally grown organic apple; an omelet of organic eggs, fresh spinach, organic locally grown sweet onion and some locally produced organic goat cheese. I washed it all down with some delicious whole, raw, locally produced organic goat’s milk. There was such a high vibe in that meal that, by the time I finished, I literally felt high!

Yoga Nidra – more life than a cup of coffee.
ChiRunning with Mother Nature – more enlivening than pounding a treadmill while watching TV. More fun, too.
More yoga – more life than not having enough time to stretch.
Fresh, organic, local, unadulterated, delicious food for breakfast – way, way, WAY more life than an egg McMuffin.

Get high on...life!

Your body is your home. Have you had your circuit breakers checked recently?

The Furnace

This is an amusing story I first wrote when I was a Chiropractic student. It uses your home electrical system as a metaphor for your health. I decided it would be fun to serialize it all week in this blog

Chapter One
The Problem…

Several friends had gathered one morning, as they did every morning, and were discussing matters of great importance. One had a very annoying problem: “The furnace in my home is not working and it is causing my family great discomfort.”
“What are you going to do about it?” asked one friend.
“I’m sure it is nothing,” was the reply. “We will just ignore it and it will probably go away on its own.”
All of the friends nodded and agreed that this was wise.
All, that is, except one. “Have you thought of having your circuit breakers checked?” he said. “If one of your circuit breakers has tripped, it might be causing interference with the electrical supply to the furnace. It you put the circuit breaker back into place, it will restore the electrical supply, and your furnace will once again work properly. Your family will be warm again!”
Incredulously, the man with the furnace problem replied, “Circuit breakers? How foolish! The circuit breakers are in the garage and the furnace is in the basement. A problem in the garage could never cause a problem with something in the basement.”
And the other friends shook their heads and snickered.
“Circuit breakers? What a strange fellow.”
“Yes, very strange indeed.”

What will become of our friend's furnace? Find out tomorrow in Chapter Two; The Plan...

Are you feeling well...really? Or are you tolerating?

"I'm feelin' great, Doc."
I hear this all the time. And often it isn't the truth.

It's not that people are intentionally untruthful with me. More so, they are being untruthful with themselves. People come to me in pain, then after a few adjustments, some decide that they don't need to come in anymore because they're "feeling fine." Really, though, they're just back to the level of pain they are used to tolerating. They have been living with pain -- and limited potential -- for so long that they have forgotten what is like to really feel and be well.

Our society's approach to health and healthcare has become so pain, disease and symptom oriented that after symptoms are gone (or back to where they were), many people leave it at that. It's kind of like having a fuzzy signal on favorite your radio station and not bothering to tune it in better.

As I have said so many times before in this blog, the most important aspect of healthcare is to help you maximize your human potential. Healthy habits and a wellness lifestyle are valuable regardless of your state of health. Whether you are sick, in pain, or well, it's important to incorporate things into your life that will take you to the next level of vibrant health. In other words, tune in your life, then crank it up!

So...are you feeling well...really? If not, what are you going to do about it?
And, if you truly are feeling well, what are you going to do about that...?

Do you want healthy children? Then let them get dirty!

When my son was in elementary school, I helped coach his baseball team, the Bulldogs. Our players were younger, smaller and less experienced than the players on the other teams so everyone expected us to finish in last place. But what these kids lacked in size and experience they more than made up for in spirit, determination and heart. They were scrappy, they played hard and they had a blast. After the first few practices a team motto emerged: “Get Dirty!” Parents used to joke that soon we wouldn’t have a field to practice on because the players wore most of the field home with them. To everybody’s amazement, except ours, we ended up being one of the best teams in the league. At the end of the season the players presented me with two autographed baseballs. On one were penned the words, “Coach Mark, Get Dirty!” It was signed by Maury Wills who used to play for the Brooklyn and Los Angeles Dodgers, and is considered one of the greatest base runners in the history of the game. In fact, he was the first player to steal more than 100 bases in a single season, breaking Ty Cobb’s record that was almost 50 years old. Maury Wills was a guy who liked to get dirty. The second – and most important – of the two autographed baseballs said, “To Coach Mark, Get Dirty!” and was signed by all of the Bulldogs.

Getting dirty on the baseball diamond, rolling around in the grass, and wet, sloppy puppy kisses help children build natural immunity. As kids are exposed to microbes from a variety of sources, their immune systems respond by developing a broad range of antibodies. These continuing challenges strengthen developing immune systems just as pumping iron builds six pack abs and rippling biceps on body builders.

In fact, keeping our kids too squeaky clean can actually lead to diminished immune capacity and poorer health. In the late 1990’s a hypothesis known as the Hygiene Hypothesis emerged which supports this point. A German health researcher named Dr. Erika von Mutius set out to show that children who grew up in the poorer, dirtier cities of East Germany developed more allergies than their counterparts in West Germany. When she compared the disease rates between the two countries she found just the opposite. Dr. Von Mutius concluded that children in East Germany had fewer allergies precisely because they were exposed more to other kids, animals…and dirt. Studies since then have shown that kids who live on farms, have pets, come from larger families or start day care at a younger age have a much lower incidence of asthma than other kids. Another report tells us that the more often kids catch colds during their early years, the less likely they are to develop asthma later on. When kids are exposed to common bacteria, their immune systems are able to mature the way Nature designed them to. Their immune systems are on the front lines maintaining their edge while the immune systems of kids in overly clean environments are kicking back all day and letting themselves get soft and weak.

Of course good hygiene is important; just try not to take it too far. Teach your kids to wash their hands before meals but resist the temptation to hustle them to the sink and slather them with antibacterial soap every time they pet the neighbor’s cat. Our well-intentioned attempts to shield our kids from every cootie in the neighborhood deprives them of essential opportunities to develop a robust immune system.

So, believe it or not, germs can be good for you! The next time your kids come in from playing outside, check their hands. If they are too clean, tell them, “Young lady, young man; you march right back outside and when you come back in I had better see some dirt under those fingernails.”