Reaching your health potential: Dr. Matt Uchtman explains the keys to 'Maximized Living'

Chiropractor Dr. Matt Uchtman is owner of Elevation Chiropractic/Maximized Living Health Center, a natural health care clinic in Cape Girardeau. He encourages following what are called the "5 Essentials" to identify health issue causes and allow patients to build health rather than mask or treat problems with medications and surgery. He holds certifications in nutrition, spinal correction and functional medicine. Here's a closer look at Uchtman's way of practice:

__Business Today: You center your practice around a concept called "Maximized Living." How do you define that?__

__Dr. Matt Uchtman:__ Maximized Living empowers the patient to change the way they view and manage their health. The outcome is being able to avoid unnecessary sickness and suffering through changing the practice of health care through the "5 Essentials."

__BT: There are five tenets of Maximized Living. Will you briefly explain each one?__

__Uchtman:__ The 5 Essentials work together to enable your body to function as efficiently as possible, allowing you to fix the causes of health problems and disarm disease before it begins to develop.

Cutline:Dr. Matt Uchtman poses for a photo outside Elevation Chiropractic Wednesday, Jan. 7, 2015. (Glenn Landberg)

Essential No. 1, Maximized Mind -- Maximized Mind encompasses areas of life, such as stress, attitude, focus and beliefs about your health and well-being. The right, renewed mindset about life and health is necessary to commit and follow any lifestyle plan.

Essential No. 2, Maximized Nerve Supply -- Nerve supply is the life supply to all cells, organs and systems in the body and so is responsible for all function and healing.

Essential No. 3, Maximized Quality Nutrients -- What you put into your body affects how you feel each and every day. Food is the fuel your body needs to continue to power and heal itself on a daily basis.

Essential No. 4, Maximized Oxygen and Lean Muscle -- Exercise allows your body to take in higher levels of oxygen and creates lean muscle that keeps both your body and mind healthy. This is your opportunity to decrease fat and increase lean muscle tissue.

Essential No. 5, Minimized Toxins -- Toxins and chemicals surround us in our everyday lives and are included in items such as medications, refined foods, household cleaners and the items we cook with. Each of these toxins affects our bodies in a negative way and inhibit us from functioning at optimal levels.

__BT: How does chiropractic care fit into the concept?__

__Uchtman:__ Chiropractic is Essential No. 2, Maximized Nerve Supply. Here's how it works: Improper spinal alignment is common and likely to happen due to the amount of physical, emotional and chemical stress you apply to your body every day. It must be addressed as the foundational part of living at your health potential.

__BT: What are the most common complaints for which patients come to you?__

__Uchtman:__ Headaches, fatigue, digestive problems, high blood pressure and cholesterol, depression, aches and pains, auto immune diseases and cancer.

__BT: You recently hosted a workshop on preventing and fighting cancer naturally. Tell us about that principle.__

__Uchtman:__ The key here is understanding that cancer, just like any other health concern, has a cause. While conventional methods focus on treatment, we help the patient create an action plan based on three steps: One, stop making more cancer; two, choose a method of treatment (conventional, natural or both); and three, rebuild and strengthen the immune system to keep it from coming back.

__BT: You host a regularly scheduled monthly dinner. Tell us about it.__

Uchtman: This is an awesome community event that allows us to meet and educate those interested in taking more control of their family's health. I sponsor the dinners and anyone is welcome to join us and learn more about what we do.

__BT: What is a Max Life Call?__

__Uchtman:__ Maximized Living is not only about having amazing health, but also an amazing life. Max Life Calls cover topics related to health but also to marriage, finance, parenting, goal setting, etc.

__BT: Tell us about the event you're holding at the Osage Centre in early February.__

__Uchtman:__ On Feb. 7 we will be having our "Lose to Win" Weight Loss Makeover. We will be covering the real reasons people struggle with managing their weight and teaching realistic action steps to not only lose weight but to transform their lives. Our goal is to create an opportunity for lifelong change, not just temporary gains.

__BT: How does Maximized Living fit into today's health care scene?__

__Uchtman:__ It is true health care -- shifting focus from being controlled by genetics, age, symptoms, treatments and diagnosis, to finding the cause, taking action and experiencing the true God-given health potential we all have.

__BT: What are your to health tips for 2015?__

__Uchtman:__ First tip is get to the makeover on Feb. 7; there is no charge, but there is limited seating. Once we are full, we are full. Attendees will walk out with action steps, meal plans, exercise guidance and mindset tips to tackle the challenge that will start as we leave the event. Remember four things: Be realistic. Figure out what you want. Create a plan. Stick to it.