Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this episode of The Better Life, Dr. Pinkston welcomes Dr. Sherry McAllister, President of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress and author of Adjusted Reality. Together, they dive deep into the often-misunderstood world of chiropractic care, stripping away decades of stigma to reveal a health model centered on the body’s natural ability to heal, adapt, and perform.
Dr. McAllister shares her personal journey from a life-altering accident to becoming a leading advocate for "whole-being care." The conversation explores the Caregiver Paradox—why women often suppress trauma and stress to care for others, leading to chronic pain and autoimmune issues—and how restoring alignment can flip the switch from surviving to thriving.
Key Topics Covered:
Debunking Chiropractic Myths: The history of the "contain and eliminate" era and why modern collaboration between MDs and Chiropractors is the future of medicine.
The Vagus Nerve: Understanding your body's "reset button" and how it governs rest, repair, and immune function.
The Second Brain: How gut health influences mental clarity and physical well-being.
Lifestyle Alignment: Six simple, actionable steps to start your health investment today, from Box Breathing to Cold Exposure.
The Power of Posture: Why "Tech Neck" is more than just an ache—it’s a disruption of your nervous system’s communication highway.
In this episode of The Better Life, Dr. Pinkston welcomes Dr. Sherry McAllister, President of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress and author of Adjusted Reality. Together, they dive deep into the often-misunderstood world of chiropractic care, stripping away decades of stigma to reveal a health model centered on the body’s natural ability to heal, adapt, and perform.
Dr. McAllister shares her personal journey from a life-altering accident to becoming a leading advocate for "whole-being care." The conversation explores the Caregiver Paradox—why women often suppress trauma and stress to care for others, leading to chronic pain and autoimmune issues—and how restoring alignment can flip the switch from surviving to thriving.
Key Topics Covered:
Debunking Chiropractic Myths: The history of the "contain and eliminate" era and why modern collaboration between MDs and Chiropractors is the future of medicine.
The Vagus Nerve: Understanding your body's "reset button" and how it governs rest, repair, and immune function.
The Second Brain: How gut health influences mental clarity and physical well-being.
Lifestyle Alignment: Six simple, actionable steps to start your health investment today, from Box Breathing to Cold Exposure.
The Power of Posture: Why "Tech Neck" is more than just an ache—it’s a disruption of your nervous system’s communication highway.



![Unlock Your HRV: Hydration, Age & Fitness Secrets Revealed!
This video discusses the importance of hydration and exercise for heart rate variability (HRV), providing general guidelines for HRV ranges based on age and gender.
[30:43-30:52]
Speaker notes that hydration plays a role in heart rate variability, and people need to hydrate properly by drinking water.
Ill tell you the other one that a lot of people dont understand, hydration actually plays a role in heart rate variability. Yes, yes. Good point. You know? Good point, yeah. And, you know, people need to hydrate. Yeah.
[30:52-31:10]
Speaker clarifies that hydration means drinking water, not caffeinated beverages, and asks about reference ranges for heart rate variability.
And hydration isnt drinking a bunch of caffeinated drinks. No. Hydration is drinking water. No, its not coffee, right, water. Yeah, yeah, exactly. Exactly. What Where What are the, um, reference ranges for heart rate variability? So, if its first thing in the morning, what numbers are you looking for?
[31:10-31:37]
Speaker explains that HRV ranges depend on age, with low HRV in the 20s being undesirable, especially for younger individuals.
Well, you know, it depends on your age, of course. Mm-hmm. But, you know, you, you know, you really dont wanna have heart rate variabilities in the 20s, right? I mean, even though thats acceptable for people as they get into their 50s and their 60s. If youre young, uh, and youre a male and youre training, you know, a heart rate variability in the 80s and 90s is really Yep. Uh, if youre down in the 40s and 50s and youre young, not so good.
[31:37-31:58]
Speaker describes ideal HRV ranges for young males (80s-90s) and notes that ranges in the 40s-50s are not good for them.
If youre a, uh, if youre a male or female in your 50s and your HRV is in the, you know, 40s, 50s, s- uh, you know, even 60s, I have some people I know for myself, uh, I really hit it hard on trying to get my HRV, and I was getting my HRV with a strap in the 80s at, you know, last year.
[31:58-32:15]
Speaker discusses atypical HRV values for someone in their mid-60s and emphasizes avoiding very low HRVs, particularly for those under 50.
And Ive done less this year, but still have a decent HRV. Yeah. But thats typ- thats on s- thats atypical for somebody in, in their mid-60s. Yeah. Um, so, you know, what you dont want are HRVs that are really low, like in the 20s and 30s- Right. especially if youre under the age of 50. Yep.
[32:15-32:34]
Speaker provides simplified general HRV guidelines, suggesting ranges above 50 for ages 18-50 and 35-50 for those over 50.
Lets kind of put it, make it easy, right? Gotta kind of be in that above the 50s solidly- Yep. between those ages of, you know, 18 and 50. And then when youre 50, if you can be in the, you know, from, you know, 35 to 50- Mm-hmm. youre in pretty good shape.
[32:34-32:42]
Speaker confirms that good HRV reduces risk and asks about the best time and method for measuring HRV.
Youre at reduced risk. Yes. So those are kinda some general guideline ranges for people that they can think about. Unlock Your HRV: Hydration, Age & Fitness Secrets Revealed!](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gTBF2UN3rvA/mqdefault.jpg)






