Dr. Brian Stenzler is the vice president of operations and chief health officer for the regenerative, whole-health hub KnoWEwell and the Natural Awakenings Publishing Corporation. He also serves as president of the Congress of Chiropractic State Associations.

For more than 25 years, Stenzler was co-founder and CEO of DREAM Wellness, with practices in New York and California, where he served as a pediatric and family-wellness chiropractor, employing vitalistic, nervous system-based chiropractic and lifestyle-centered care. He earned his Doctor of Chiropractic and master’s degree in sports health science from Life University in 1998 and 1999, respectively. His passion for empowering parents to raise healthier, happier and more resilient children led to his bestselling book, D.R.E.A.M. Wellness: The 5 Keys to Raising Kids for a Lifetime of Physical and Mental Health.

 

What is childhood foundational health, and how can parents help children achieve it?

Strong foundational health in kids is evident when they sleep well, maintain steady energy levels, regulate their emotions and stay engaged. They make eye contact, communicate effectively and limit device use. It is the result of every decision and action, starting with the example that parents set through conscious living, because kids mirror their parents.

 

Is the objective to establish enduring healthy habits, or does having a healthy childhood inherently prepare children for lifelong wellness?

It’s both. Early exposure to healthy habits can help children develop long-term behaviors and decision-making patterns that persist into adulthood. Good nutrition, exercise, sleep and emotional health, along with a fully functioning nervous system during childhood, also support healthy physical and cognitive development.

Some early-life experiences can influence gene expression through processes such as epigenetics, where environmental factors affect how genes are regulated without changing the DNA sequence itself. Because of this, healthy lifestyles established early in life may have lasting biological and behavioral effects.

I’m 53 now, and I’ve been exercising since I was 16 without ever stopping. Even on vacation, I’m at the gym. Building a strong foundation early and maintaining it consistently sets you up for success. While there are no guarantees—genetic predispositions or illnesses can occur—I believe that living the D.R.E.A.M lifestyle I discuss in the book significantly decreases your chances of illness due to bad luck, bad germs or bad genes. In most cases, it’s bad choices that get people in trouble.

 

Each letter in D.R.E.A.M stands for one of the five keys of foundational health. What are your recommendations for “D" diet?

I define diet as everything that enters your body—from the outside world to the inside. This includes all food, drink, sights, sounds, touches and smells, as well as the music you listen to, the books you read, the TV you watch and the screens you use. I believe in the principle of “garbage in, garbage out.” Consuming harmful substances leads to harmful outcomes. We must make informed choices about everything we consume. One of the values we should aim to instill in our children is to be mindful about what they’re consuming. I call it conscious consumption.

 

What are the key questions they should ask themselves when making a conscious decision?

When deciding whether to consume something, ask if it is constructive, destructive or neutral. Initially, parents will make these decisions, but we want to instill these concepts in kids as they grow. Before considering a horror movie or cookies, they should take a moment to evaluate the decision and potential consequences.

I don’t believe in the phrase, “Everything in moderation,” as that sets us up for mediocrity. I believe in excessive goodness and maybe a little bit of “badness”. Sometimes, you can take measures to make a destructive option less “bad”. For example, s’mores are a favorite for many kids, including myself, when camping. Who doesn’t enjoy gooey marshmallows, melted chocolate and graham crackers? But they typically contain refined sugars, corn syrup and glyphosate.

On camping trips with my son, we transform something destructive into something more neutral by choosing an organic, gluten-free graham cracker; organic marshmallow made with honey or coconut sugar; and an organic chocolate bar made with pure cocoa. Common ingredients I recommend avoiding as much as humanly possible include high fructose corn syrup, hydrogenated oils, artificial food colors or dyes, and artificial sugars.

 

What are your recommendations for “R” relaxation?

Relaxation allows your body to reset, repair and rejuvenate, achieving a state of tranquility that helps you sharpen your axe. Introducing kids to meditation is essential, and everybody benefits from having time alone for self-reflection.

To ensure kids get quality sleep, dim the lights two hours before bedtime. Candlelight would be ideal a half hour before bed. Keep a “warm white”, amber-colored nightlight in the bathroom. Whenever a child turns on those bright bathroom lights, their melatonin decreases, making it hard for them to fall back asleep.

Avoid all screens—TV, phones and devices—in the last hour before bed. Skip horror or action films at night and choose something peaceful instead. Try to keep the same sleep and wake times, even on weekends, and aim for at least eight hours of sleep per night—more for children under age 6.

 

What are your recommendations for “E” exercise?

Exercise involves any activity that requires physical or mental effort. This may include weight training, cardiovascular activities or stretching. Moving the body is important for keeping joints loose, muscles active and the heart pumping. It benefits the brain, equilibrium and balance. Typical calisthenics are terrific for kids, and there are safe variations for almost all ages. Mental exercises, which are important to keep the mind sharp and focused, include activities like doing puzzles, reading books or playing cards.

 

What are your recommendations related to “M” mental wellness? 

Mental wellness involves actively maintaining mental health by aligning your inner purpose and passion with your external goals and tasks throughout life. It means starting your day with excitement and intention, being inner-directed, setting goals and living by them.

One of the greatest things parents can do for their children is to say affirmations together. My wife and I began this practice with our son early on. We would always tell our son he is smart, strong, intelligent and faithful, and remind him he is loved. While some people may dismiss affirmations as trivial, we find them incredibly powerful. I dedicated a section in my book to creating effective ones.

Words hold power, and the more positively you speak, whether consciously or not, those thoughts become ingrained. I suggest reading affirmations rather than reciting them from memory, as both seeing and speaking the words may have a greater impact. Parents can create their own affirmations for the family or choose some from many existing resources online.

 

Can you explain what “A” adjustment means in your D.R.E.A.M. Wellness book?

Being in adjustment means being in balance mentally, physically, spiritually and emotionally; and having optimal brain-body communication. Staying in adjustment (A) really requires a solid D.R.E.M., provided there is no trauma or unusual event.

I think of it like this: A car has five wheels—four tires and a steering wheel. The nervous system is your steering wheel. The four tires represent D.R.E.M.— diet, relaxation, exercise and mental wellness. If one tire lacks air—if your diet is unhealthy— your wheels will go out of alignment, causing the tires to wear unevenly, or worse. Your car will now need an alignment. To prevent this, keep your tires equally inflated by remaining conscious and consistent when it comes to D.R.E.M. Otherwise, you’re likely going to need a re-alignment to get back into adjustment.

A chiropractor ensures the spine is properly aligned and functioning, allowing the nervous system to communicate effectively, keeping it in “A” for the complete D.R.E.A.M. The brain directs every organ, muscle, gland, tissue and cell. Proper communication requires no stress on the nervous system.

Spinal bones can become misaligned when the body is unable to adapt to physical, chemical or emotional stressors. Most people understand how physical stressors such as falls, poor posture or repetitive movements can affect the spine. Emotional and chemical stressors aren’t as obvious. In simple terms, emotional stressors can create muscle tension that pulls unevenly on the spine, while chemical stressors, such as inflammatory foods or beverages like alcohol that can cause dehydration, ultimately affect the muscles and tissues that support proper spinal alignment. The D.R.E.A.M. lifestyle helps maintain being in adjustment by avoiding and adapting to these stressors.

 

Do kids need to see a chiropractor regularly? 

When the body doesn’t adapt to chemical, physical or emotional stressors, it often becomes misaligned and needs a chiropractor to check and adjust when appropriate. Chiropractors can examine children before symptoms appear, as fewer than 10 percent of nerves transmit pain signals, making pain an unreliable indicator.

Every child—and adult—should have a chiropractor on their healthcare team to check for and adjust subluxations. A subluxation is more than just a misalignment; it’s a dysfunction in the spine that impairs nervous system function. It typically involves a misalignment that may exert pressure on nerves, disrupting communication between the brain and body. An out-of-alignment spine stresses the nervous system, hindering optimal brain-body communication, which can be detrimental to health.

I strongly feel that all children should be checked for subluxations immediately after birth. Even with a “perfect” birth, the newborn encounters numerous chemical, physical and emotional stressors. My son was born at home, and as he entered this world, the umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck several times, and he was quite listless. After the midwife unraveled the cord, I checked him prior to handing him to my wife (with the cord still connected). His atlas, the top bone in his neck, was severely subluxated. I made a small but important adjustment, and he responded positively within seconds, his skin flushing red as it should and he “woke up.” I’ve gone to hospitals and home births dozens of times to check babies as soon as they’re born.

When people start chiropractic care for the first time, the frequency of visits should be determined by the chiropractor. It’s not uncommon for people to go several times per week in the very beginning, but that is based on several factors. As time goes on and corrections begin to hold, the frequency should decrease. Once the corrective phase has been completed, the frequency of chiropractic visits during the lifestyle care phase depends mostly on the person’s goals, values and lifestyle.

The lifestyle impacts how well the person avoids and adapts to the stressors of this toxic world. The more you consciously live the D.R.E.A.M. lifestyle, the less often you should need to get adjusted. Assuming corrective care has been completed or is not needed, most adults that live a very conscious lifestyle can get checked once every month or two, but there are also many who like to visit every week. For newborns without any concerns or significant toxic burden, every few months is often sufficient, but once they start lifting their head, crawling and falling, then eventually walking, biking and playing sports, they experience more stressors and should be checked more frequently.

 

Do you have a favorite mantra?

The quantity of your health will be determined by the quality of your D.R.E.A.M.

Sandra Yeyati is national editor of Natural Awakenings.

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