15, 147. No, that’s not my number in line to get a parking spot alongside Vanderbilt Beach in Naples on a winter weekend, but rather the number of days that my wife, Debbie, and I have been married (since 1976!!).
Being married is the most challenging, life-stretching, and in my case, rewarding experience I could have asked for in my 63 years on this planet. However, I know that any marriage takes work 24/7/365. What that action looks like is different in any relationship – with mine, it has been learning to navigate running multiple businesses with Debbie, raising a family, “empty nesting,” and starting fresh in Naples (while still actively running our Westlake practice with Dr. A & Dr. C).
As a chiropractor and natural health doctor, I love to share my experiences through nutritional books, and ten years ago, Debbie and I released “Dr. Bob’s Guide to Sex & Romance.” At the time, we knew we were taking a risk, and the truth of the matter is, even though we knew there was valuable information in the book, the chance of seeing someone having the courage to take it to the beach and read it was quite slim. Last year, my son encouraged me to rethink the title, and release a brand new relationship-based book on marriage, since many of his friends were starting their lives as married couples and needed sound wisdom. So, Debbie and I put the last ten years to paper once more, and voila, “Dr. Bob’s Guide to a Healthy Marriage.”
There are many relationship and marriage books available that are helping people, but the approach Debbie and I are presenting, and I have witnessed in the past forty years, is an in-depth look at how the foods you eat affect your body, which in turn affects your emotions, that can change your relationships, including marriage.
You now may be asking, “So, Dr. Bob, what is one thing I can do after reading this article to help my marriage?” The first thing I tell anyone is to begin your day asking your spouse how you can make their day more comfortable, in other words, take the initiative to serve. This may cause some mind-shift moments, but that’s what Debbie and I want you to do; make the pivot towards the healthy marriage you’ve always wanted. I promise, you’ll be glad you did!
