Thinking Healthy Thoughts

One of my favorite aspects of chiropractic philosophy and being at Parker was the approach to health beyond the physical nature.  My very first month into the program I attended a seminar in which I wrote down a quote, "I didn't go to school to become a doctor; I went to school to learn how to take care of people and being a doctor was the best avenue to achieve that goal" - along with that quote, I recall a speaker emphasizing along side the physical care, we must provide and encourage mental health, spiritual health, emotional health, and social health.  It is not enough to care for someone physically - but in accordance and in balance with all aspects of wellness.  This speaks volumes to me when it comes to the power of the mind.  Candace Pert once said, "The mind is not confined to the space above the neck, the mind is throughout the brain and body."  The mind extends throughout our whole entire body.  The mind influences every aspect of our well being.  The mind is a power of health.  In order to be healthy . . . we must think healthy.

When it comes to the power of the mind, I can't help but mention the name, Earl Nightingale.  I'll try not to dwell too much on his influence, but I do encourage anyone and everyone to look him up, find his message and utilize it in your life.  There is great power . . . to the strangest secret in the world.  In his efforts to find out what made some men successful in life and others fail in their goals . . . he came up with his answer in which he shared with his employees.  In his study he concluded that out of 100 people who began life with goals and dreams, by the end of their career - 95 will not succeed.  What is success?  He defines it as doing something with purpose and doing something you love.  It has nothing to do with money.  A school teacher can be successful if that is what that person enjoys.  A mother can be successful if that is her purpose.  And out of 100 people, only 5% are successful.  What makes the 95% fail?  He states that they lose sight of their goal.  Through fear, laziness, distractions, and excuses . . . several people lose sight of their purpose and Conform.  Why do these people work without a purpose . . . they do so because they have conformed and work just because other people work.  What makes the 5% successful?  It is because they are who they thought they were.  And that is the key, the message, the secret . . . you are what you think.  If you think you are successful, you will be successful.  Because what you think about is what you do and what you do is what will get you where you want to be.

How does this apply to health.  It is a very interesting topic, but if applied if we think about being healthy . . . we will be healthy.  We cannot lie to ourselves nor can we deceive ourselves.  We can't tell ourselves we want to be healthy while eating a whole carton of ice cream.  The real reason you are emptying that ice cream carton is because you truly don't think you can be healthy.  You have given up, you've lost your purpose, you have conformed.  It is time to change all that and truly change your thoughts.  If you want to be healthy . . . you must think healthy.  You must of the power of the mind to heal the body.

There is a branch of medicine recently formed known as Psychoneuroimmunology.  This branch looks how the mind effects and neurology and immunology of the body.  These include the study of Hans Selye and the effects of stress.  But it goes beyond that.  In 1950, a study was conducted with pregnant women given a drug they were told would reduce or get rid of nausea and vomiting, but were actually given Ipecac which induces vomiting.  The vomiting ceased in all women even when the drug was suppose to make them vomit.  Dr. Ader also studied the effects of taste aversion, providing a drug with a certain taste.  Over a period of time, the drug was removed but the taste was still given to the patient.  What he noticed was that the body was still reacting as if the drug was administered.  The mind, believing the drug is still present with the taste, creates the necessary reactions in the body.

With research, concepts, and experiences we see the power of the mind.  This is more than "tricking" the mind.  This is the true application of thought . . . creating health because we think it.  Health is beyond the physical frame.  We must . . .  absolutely must emphasize the balance of all aspects of wellness.  We must have a goal and a purpose and not let anything get in our way.  We must not conform with the rest of society, living the way they are living just because we know no other way.  We must take control of our own mind and destiny.  We must thing healthy thoughts . . . and be healthy

Put A Little Spice In Your Life

I just posted a blog on vitamins and minerals and the importance of supplements.  These vitamins and minerals are the building blocks of life, creating the foundation of our body.  90% of diseases can be traced to a mineral/vitamin deficiency.  If fruits and vegetables are Mother Nature's building blocks for a healthy body - then herbs and spices are Mother Nature's medicine.

Literally - herbs are the precursors to modern day medicine.  Instead if trying to extract, import and produce herbs, modern medicine has studied the chemical structures of these agents, created ways to reconstruct their own in a lab, modify it if necessary and mass produce them for a fraction of the price.  Unfortunately, this process does not have as great of effect with all the created side effects.  But mainly, herbs and plants can have the same powerful effect . . . but has been pushed to the wayside and deemed as "foke lore"

Here I wanted to share 10 of the most common herbs and spices used for cooking and their benefits.  They are the more common herbs and spices we can easily find in our kitchen.  Too often we simply add salt for flavor.  Salt used to be a necessary item for preservation, but is now being overused.  They even add salt to hide the rancid flavors of cans sitting on the shelf for weeks.  Before picking up the salt shaker, try some more healthier herbs and spices that bring a better taste to your food and greater health to your body -


Garlic - This is an underused ingredient which can be utilized and cooked with a variety of meals with amazing benefits.

• Mainly an anti-inflammatory agent but also lowers blood cholesterol, stimulates the immune system, and probably is the best chelating agent (buffering agent) against heavy metal toxicity

Ginger - A great spice used mainly in teas for sinus cold and congestion

• Used to treat colds and motion sickness

Cheyenne Pepper -

• An anti-inflammatory agent also used topically to help with arthritis
• Note - can cause gastrointestinal and skin irritation

Nutmeg - not my favorite spice, but has great benefits

• Used as a mood elevator and aphrodisiac (no wonder Christmas time is so merry)
• Can be used to help with asthma, dysmenorrhea, fever, flu or pneumonia
• Note - taken in excess can cause hallucinogenic effects

Cinnamon - I think this may be another underused spice with amazing benefits.  New research is just coming out on what cinnamon can help with like HIV, Alzheimer's, Arthritis and Cancer

• Great benefits in helping regulate blood sugar, lowers blood cholesterol and the aroma improves brain function and memory

Curry - Curry is actually a mix of spices.  The three main spices used are Turmeric, Cumin, and Coriander

• Turmeric  - An anti-inflammatory agent that helps reduce pain.  New research shows that it inhibits cancer cell development.  Also an antioxident
• Cumin - Helps with digestion and is also anti-carcinogenic and anti-fungal
• Coriander - This is the aged seed of the Cilantro plant and is a great chelating agent for heavy metals

Oregano - One of my favorite pizza herbs

• Antioxidant and antiseptic

Basil - Another pizza herb, but can be used in so many types of dishes.  Like many of these, so much better used fresh

• Antioxidant and antiviral

Parsley -

• Filled with many necessary vitamins and minerals and is antibacterial
• Note - may induce labor in pregnancy if consumed in excess

Thyme - A spice from the mint family that is great to use for seasoning

• An anti-inflammatory agent and anti-carcinogenic
• A powerful antiseptic - used in Melaleuca cleaning products

I just used herbs and spices used for cooking because that is the easiest way to use them and they are more commonly to be found in every home and kitchen.  There are hundreds more herbs with powerful effects that can help treat and protect the body.  I have listed the more common herbs in an earlier post -Remedies - which can help when there are specific conditions of concern.  I hope this helps. Sometimes we get caught up and are trained in just adding salt to put taste in our food.  Go ahead, but a little spice in your life

The Real Need For Vitamins

What is the deal with vitamins?  That's always been my thought.  I've never really been a pill taker, whether its drugs or supplements.  I've never felt the need . . but more importantly, I never really knew the need.  The history of vitamins is an interesting one.  I've sure many of us have heard of the story of sailors getting scurvy which in the mid 1700's was discovered that scurvy was helped out by eating lemons and limes.  Even though at the time they did not know what was in these citrus fruits, they just knew that certain foods helped with certain conditions.  This discovery led to a whole new world of micronutrients.

The first discovered micronutrient was Vitamin B1 also known as Thiamine.  Each new vitamin has been added to the list given letters corresponding with their time of discovery.  We now have Vitamins A - K, all an important part of our diet and health, along with minerals.  Vitamins and minerals are essential because we cannot produce them on our own (except for Vitamin D which acts more like a hormone, and also Vitamin K which can be produced by bacteria in our gut flora).  The true discovery is that if we are deficient in any of these, a whole array of health problems will occur.  Likewise, if we supply ourselves with enough certain vitamins or minerals we will surely see these health problems disappear.  Linus Pauling, a two-time Nobel Prize winner, stated, "You can trace every sickness, every disease and every ailment to a mineral deficiency."

All these essential vitamins and minerals are found in the natural foods we eat.  But that brings up my question. Humans have been eating food for thousands of years without needing supplements, so why do we now need to take extra vitamins in our diet today?  I would like to share with you three real needs for vitamins and minerals in our diet today.

1. We Choose Not to Eat Nutrient Rich Foods - This is the sad reality, but we are not Choosing to eat the right foods.  According to CDC, only 14% of adults and only 9% of teens are eating the recommended servings of fruits and vegetables.  Only 14%!  And that's only the recommended servings which is the minimum, which is just barely enough to prevent deficiencies.  We aren't even getting the minimum.  Our plate should be at least half vegetables and fruits - and reports show that on any given day 46% don't even eat one fruit, and 18% don't even eat one vegetable.  Hopefully taking vitamins and minerals can help with these deficiencies.  What is to blame? A little bit is the food pyramid, or the "My Plate" education.  This has focused generally more on grains than anything, with little emphasis on fruits and vegetables.  Part of the blame goes towards processed food and fast food filling our foods with sugar and fats that have little to no nutritional value.  But the real blame is ourselves.  We make these choices.  We are not properly educated, we are not adequately informed and we are bombarded by thousands of unhealthy choices . . . but it all comes down to our choice.  Some say that eating healthy is expensive.  Look around.  Look at the cars we drive, the gadgets we carry, the clothes we wear, the computers we use, and the events and entertainments we attend.  Our body is more important than any of these, and we can't even make the priority to treat it the right way.  We have chosen to fail our own health.  When we are in the hospital with disease, our clothes are going to be in our closets, our car in the driveway, and our TV sitting in our living room.  They will all be there while our health is failing because we have made that choice.  I think we, in general, need to make better priorities.
2. We Live In A Processed World - There is a list of changes in our diet over the last few decades.  The key words that pop out are Refined and Processed.  Refined simply means to take out all nutrients.  We have refined sugar, flour, rice and other items.  These are nutrition-less products that are simply empty calories which provide no nutritional benefits and can do our body great harm.  Processed means that things have been added or has been chemically changed.  Again, we have processed sugar, flour, and rice.  This is the difference between white and brown rice, or white and wheat flour.  These "white" products have been processed and refined.  It has been chemically changed, making it foreign to our body and thus can create harmful reactions.  Some products are processed for preservation.  This is done by either adding salt, saturated fats, or other additives that are harmful to our health.  But this is the world we live in.  We want food now.  Companies need to process their foods to be able to meet the demands.  They replace natural products with processed foods which lack nutrition. A beef burrito may not even be real beef, and yet has a hundred other additives to make it at least taste good. Companies choose alternative products because they are cheap and inexpensive.  They gamble your health for their profit.
3. A Depleting Soil - This is the topic I truly wanted to discuss.  Soil is soil, right?  Well, not exactly.  I found that out just recently as I tried to grow a small garden in our backyard, and nothing grew.  The soil was absolutely no good.  But this is a reality for the whole world.  In the last century the increasing populations have put a high demand on crops.  The increasing demand has depleted value in the soil.  This led to the introduction of synthetic soil.  It was an idea that solved the problem temporally.  Over time, the artificial soil has created a more acidic environment, reducing the value of the soil over all.  Pesticides and herbicides have also been introduced, harming the soil.  The plants and crops grown reflect the soil it is planted in.  If the soil is depleted in vitamins and minerals, the plant will then also be deficient.  The reality is since 1940, the value of nutrition in vegetables has decreased by about 30-40%, even as high as 76% and in fruits has decreased in nutritional value by about 20%.  The natural foods we eat today are not the same that our ancestors ate centuries ago.

It is becoming grossly apparent we are deficient in the essential nutrients that we need.  We are seeing our own "scurvy" scourge with the numerous diseases and ailments we see today.  But it can be prevented.  We need to make better choices and eat more natural, nutrient rich foods. But the need of supplementing vitamins and minerals is growing and unavoidable.  I've not saying to take every little pill.  We must first get our nutrients by the foods we eat.  Afterwards, we must be aware of the nutrients we are more deficient in, to supplement them, that we may avoid any costly and harmful effects.  I wish I had more time to discuss more in depth of which vitamins to take, but I encourage everyone to make the small and simple steps of eating healthier and taking a good multi-vitamin.  There is a real need for Vitamins for us today

Sweet As Sugar

I have made a few mentions in other posts concerning sugar and sweeteners however, in my effort to find alternatives I found a pretty good list of sugar alternatives to either stay away from or are natural and good to use in replace of regular table sugar.

So what is the big deal about sugar? When I say "sugar", I mean the white granulated table sugar we purchase and commonly use in our cooking.  Sugar is a processed and refined form of sucrose taken from a variety of natural sources.  Simply when something is refined - it pretty much means that all nutrients are taken out and when something is processed it means that it has been changed chemically. The natural sugar has been turned into an empty (nutrition-less) calorie that is frankly foreign to the body.  Sugar is a simple carbohydrate which has many effects

• Increases Triglycerides
• Promotes Dysglycemia
• Suppresses Immune Function
• Promotes Nutritional Deficiency
• Feeds Pathogens
• Promotes Cavities
• Increases Uric Acid
• Increases Blood Pressure
• Increases Cholesterol - Decreases HDL

All those are terrible effects, but what does this all mean?  Stats show that in 1750 the average person consumed 6-8 pounds of sugar per year, in 1950 the average person consumed about 120 pounds of sugar per year.  That's a dramatic increase.  Today, the average person consumes 170 pounds of sugar a year.  The reality of it all is this is the same pattern of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity and ADD/ADHD - all diseases or conditions that have inclined in the last couple decades.  It is no coincidence.

Sugar is an inflammatory agent that creates harmful reactions within our body.  Usually these are small effects, but with the increase of consumption - all the little reactions adds up to a gigantic problem.  Sugar increases triglycerides and increases LDL cholesterol levels which develops into atherosclerosis and heart disease. Sugar is a preferred substrate utilized by cancer cells, promoting cancer growth.  It also decreases immune function which prevents regulation of the cancer cells.  But most importantly may be a factor in causing cancer.  The refined sugar is an empty substance to which when is broken down in our body is basically waste.  Our body has several ways to rid of waste, however, when we have more waste than we can get rid of, our body has to store it somewhere.  This waste product is stored in fat cells - thus creating more fat cells which increases obesity risks.  But this is more than just a weight issue.  These new fat cells now contain toxic and harmful waste in which if accumulated can create defective and cancerous cells.  Diabetes is an obvious concern with simple sugar consumption.  Not only does sugar increase our blood sugar levels, but fat cells can create resistance to insulin.  ADD is also an up and coming issue in our society.  There are many issues when it comes to ADD or ADHD, however sugar is surely a component.  When we intake sugar, insulin is released to reduce blood sugar levels.  What people don't realize is that insulin stays in our system for hours clearing out the sugar in our blood that can deplete our body of all energy sources making one hypoglycemic which often effects our attention and thinking processes.  As a society we feed our kids cereal, juice, pancakes, muffins, or other sugary substances - overloading their system - and send them off to school where they are wired and energized, but are forced to sit in desks all day and than after several hours the kid gets a crash when the insulin has depleted all sugar levels and now can't concentrate or pay attention - and now we have an ADD kid.  Fantastic

Sugar is no harmless substance - and for decades we have tried to come up with alternatives to avoid these harmful effects.  There are some great natural sources, but there are also some synthesized forms in which need to be avoided.  Here is a helpful list of Sweeteners to know what is a good alternative to use.  To quickly forewarn - when I say "good" alternatives doesn't mean we don't need to limit ourselves.  Too much of anything is too much -

Sweeteners to Avoid -

1. High Fructose Corn Syrup - If sugar is harmful, then High Fructose Corn Syrup is 2x worse.  Also known as corn syrup or corn sugar - the claims of being a natural source is absolutely false.  It has the same effects of table sugar, but magnified.
2. Aspartame - This is an artificial sweetener found in NutraSweet, Equal, and Canderel.  This synthesized sweetener is an excitotoxin or neurotoxin.  This chemical excites the nerves in our body (mainly in the brain) and makes it rapidly fire until it burns out.
3. Neotame - This is the magnified version of Aspartame - another excitotoxin
4. Sucralose - This is a synthesized compound commonly known as Splenda.  This chemical when broken down releases Chlorine ions which kills the bacteria in our gut.  This chemical causes dysbiosis of the gut which if accumulated can create indirectly a whole mess of issues.  Never mess with the gut.
5. Acesulfame K - Also known as Acesulfame Potassium, Ace-K, or Sunett which is often found in Sweet One or Sweet & Safe (safe? ironic)  The issue is that this product has very little or improper testing.  It is known to contain the chemical Methylene Chloride which is a carcinogen (cancer causing) and has many effects on the body, but the FDA doesn't think that it is necessary to do more research - really?
6. Saccharin - This is considered a carcinogen compound, however, the FDA has for some reason decided to remove any warning of harmful effects.  There have been several reports of allergic reactions as well
7. Cyclamates - To be honest - the effects of cyclamates have been debated.  There has been research shown to cause stomach cancer and there has been research to refute it.  Cyclamates is used in 55 countries, but is banned in the United States.  I shrug my shoulder on this one - no clue

Natural Sweeteners To Use

1. Stevia - This comes from the Stevia plant and is a natural source.  It can come in powder form or in liquid.  My experience with Stevia is that it doesn't take much to make things sweetened, just a drop or two, but the taste is lacking.  It is becoming a popular choice however for an alternative due to the fact that it is safe for diabetics - look at the link for a list of other diabetic safe sweeteners
2. Evaporated Cane Juice - The name is a little confusing as ECJ is a granulated crystal and not liquid.  It is extracted from sugarcane and is a great alternative to sugar, especially brown sugar
3. Fruit Juice - Just good old fruit juice - yum
4. Rice Syrup - Derived from cooking rice with enzymes - Brown rice has a lower glycemic index
5. Honey - Raw Organic Honey is a great substitute for sugar, especially in baking and cooking.
6. Licorice Root - This is the only natural source that has a toxicity level, however, licorice root is also used for a variety of things such as alternative medical uses so using as a sweetener, the toxicity levels is not an issue
7. Amasake - This is a Japanese form of rice syrup, using koji to break down and ferment rice
8. Vegetable Glycerin - Glycerin is a natural component to oils and fats that gets broken down in our body into Amino Acids.  It is a colorless and odorless liquid with a sweet taste used in a variety of products
9. Maple Syrup (without added sugar) - Raw, organic, or molasses is the best form.

I hope this list helps.  I don't mean to begin with a fearful intro, however, it is necessary these days to be aware.  The first step is to check ingredients and see what is being used - even if you don't think sugar is in it, it most likely is or one of those other artificial sweeteners.  Even drug companies use sweeteners  Why do companies use artificial sweeteners when there are natural sources? Simply, it's cheaper to use artificial sweeteners.  Check labels.  Also, read the package or box.  If it says diet, sugar free, or other word play - that is the hint that artificial sweeteners are used.  Most importantly, it all starts in the home.  Just cooking at home dramatically decreases sugar intake, but we can do better and create recipes with these natural alternatives.  Grab the raw honey next time you are at the store and give it a try - your body will thank you

Vaccines: Does It Really Make Sense? (I'm just saying)

Gardasil is about the prevention and protection against cervical cancer . . . is the only vaccine that prevents cancer
- Krystie Brashear, A.R.N.P. - Woman to Woman clinic
(The CDC states that cervical cancer is an uncommon consequence to HPV (10%) and if detected has a 90% cure rate - most deaths from HPV are from those who didn't get checked and let the cells get infected.  That's like having a vaccine to prevent cuts because some people don't treat it properly and let it get infected. It is also stated that there are multiple factors that have to occur - not just having HPV - like risk factors, immune suppression, oral contraceptive use and having multiple sexual partners.  Plus, the vaccine only protects against 2 (out of 16) types - does vaccination make any sense?)

HPV vaccine is recommended for girls early as 9
- CDC
(Really, as early as 9 years of age? The fabricated idea is to vaccinate before they are sexually active.  The scary reality is that Gardasil has only been tested for 5 years and remains ignorant to any serious side effects that may occur later on in life or of any damage done to the reproductive organs.  The vaccine is promoted as a prevention tool but this is misleading much like other vaccines.  Pro-vaccine websites and anti-vaccine websites both have graphs depicting the history of a disease and it's prevalence.  These graphs from both sides are accurate however only show what they want to show.  Anti-vaccine graphs show death rates and how they have already dropped before vaccines were introduced.  Stats show that advanced sanitary precautions reduced death rates before vaccines existed.  Pro-vaccine graphs fail to show this but rather show the number of cases and how the number of cases didn't drop until vaccines were introduced.  As much as this is accurate a majority of those cases were no longer life threatening.  This is the same for Gardasil.  Cervical cancer was prevalent in the United States and a serious problem.  Death rates were high, until Pap Smears were introduced.  Death rates dramatically dropped thereafter.  So Gardasil doesn't reduce deaths, but rather the number of cases, which much like its predecessors - majority of these cases are no longer life threatening and is a misleading claim - does vaccination make any sense?)

Gardasil has been around for several years (*cough*5 years*cough*) and has been very safe . . . risk of death is extremely small
- CDC
(Of course the CDC and FDA deems it safe when it gets compared to AAHS - an aluminum placebo - Gardasil Vaccine Info.  AAHS is a highly toxic ingredient with a variety of adverse reactions - MSDS Report. Even compared to a toxic agent, Gardasil still has slightly greater adverse risks.  VAERS has claimed 18,000 REPORTED adverse reactions to Gardasil and so far 65 REPORTED deaths.  The key word is reported, because VAERS is a volunteer company that depends on reported cases and warns that numbers are highly effected due to Under reported incidences or dismissed cases by family doctors - does vaccination make any sense?)

CDC recommends HPV vaccine for boys
- Associated Press
(After a 1.1 Billion dollar revenue in the first nine months for Gardasil, Merck's stock has dropped 3 percent collecting only $219 Million (oh so sad) and they are scrambling to figure out what went wrong.  Seriously?  It's obvious isn't it?  A good business can't profit with a limited consumer base (girls from 9-26), right?  Everyone knows a business needs to expand its market - good job Merck for tapping into the boys 9-26 market - does vaccination make any sense?)

Texas Mandates Cervical Cancer Vaccine
- CBS news
(Wait - now they are forcing kids to get vaccinated?  The whole idea of mandating vaccines may pose more of a threat than the actual vaccine.  I looked at my shot records and it's only a third of how many kids are required to have now.  The numbers are increasing.  Research is now looking into how multiple shots can have serious effects.  This is also a business decision taking advantage of a faulty "herd immunity" theory.  The goal of these vaccines is to get 100% vaccinated.  There are 5,000 deaths a year from cervical cancer.  Merck has stated that if 100% are vaccinated they could save 1,000 people dying from cervical cancer.  Do the math - that is only 20% efficacy - does vaccination make any sense?)

Parents of 2,300 students who failed to get needed vaccinations could be fined or thrown in jail
- Washington Post
(Isn't there something wrong with this picture?  Putting people in jail for not vaccinating their kids.  Penalizing parents for saving their kids from chronic diseases, inflammation, decreased mental function, asthma, heart dysfunction paralysis, cancer, alzheimers, autism and many, many more conditions that can and possibly will occur because of vaccines - does vaccination make any sense?)

California 12 year olds to be vaccinated without parents knowing
- Project Avalon
(Okay - these guys are sick.  No one is buying into the vaccine so now they have to not only force it on people, but now justify that sixth graders are competent enough to agree to taking a vaccine without parental consent.  Without knowing your child could be vaccinated.  Seriously, I'm not anti-vaccine, I'm really not, but when Big Pharma goes out and forces people to take their product so they can take in Billions and not take any responsibility for any injuries or death (you can't sue vaccine companies) that doesn't sit well with me.  Something isn't right - does vaccination make any sense?)


Vaccines are expected to bring in more than 35 Billion dollars in 2012
- Vaccine Business Congress
(The truth is that Vaccines is now a business.  The Vaccine Business Congress is a group made up of Vaccine companies which had a website which somehow has now been removed.  However, there is a PDF file online that contains all the details of that very website - claiming that $35 Billion will be made in 2012 in just vaccines alone.  The truth is that the Gardasil vaccine is getting such a lime light because of the Presidential and other elections.  Rick Perry who first ordered a mandate for the HPV vaccine for Texas is closely tied to Merck and the Women In Government who are pushing for the vaccine.  There are more lobbyists in government now for vaccines than any other organization.  This system is tainted.  What once used to be a noble cause has been corrupted and the majority of citizens are the victims.  There is a case in which a girl was influenced to take the Gardasil shot from television ads.  On her third shot, she began to experience serious symptoms - paralysis, epilepsy, strokes, vasculitis, nausea, numbness, tingling, and other symptoms.  A 16 year old girl to prevent herself from a "terrible" virus is now taking 40 pills a day - $2,000 a month out of pocket - to treat these symptoms.  Not only did the companies get their $400 for the three required shots, but that's just chump change when compared to the $2,000 monthly income they out rightly know will be coming in and greedily expect.  It's terrible - does vaccination make any sense . . . for the pharmaceutical companies it sure does - lots of it - I'm just saying . . . )

Salads: Are All Greens Good Greens

For those who know me - especially those who knew me before attending chiropractic school, may be surprised to read a post on anything vegetable oriented (my mom would be so proud). Don't worry, I'm not brain washed.  However, when attempting a raw diet about a year ago I have gained a great appreciation for the raw and natural foods we are blessed with. When I began to realize that bell peppers are actually sweet and tasty rather than being "yucky", my health choices have changed.  I began to be more aware of what I ate and the choices I was making.  I encourage all to do the same.  Salads have become one of my favorite meals - but I have been on both ends.  I once had the idea that a salad = healthy.  I was in the mindset that all greens are good greens, I mean, all veggies are equal right?

I remember several months ago seeing man at a salad bar at a certain pizza place.  I saw his plate and to my surprise it was completely full of lettuce, piled quite high too. In a flash, that pile of lettuce was soon drenched in ranch dressing to where I couldn't see anymore green on his plate. I was shocked, but truthfully at that point I wasn't too far off when it came to my salad choices.

Salads are a great healthy choice, but a salad is truly what we make it.  Not all salads are the same, not all veggies are equal and certainly not all greens are good greens. I just wanted to take a few minutes and share some hints and advice to make a salad a healthier choice - and hopefully make all our choices a little healthier.  Much of what I will share comes from a magazine, Nutrition Action

1. Go Deep For The Greens - The greens are the basics of a salad, and is most vital we don't go stingy.  Most prepared salads or restaurant salads are filled with romaine or iceberg lettuce.  This is a marketing decision more than a health choice.  Romaine and iceberg lettuce along with its little or no nutritional value are also very cheap to supply.  The rule to go by with lettuce is the darker the better.  Dark greens are full of nutritional value.  These are items such as spinach, chard, collard greens, broccoli or kale.  Dark green leafy vegetables should be the staple and corner stone of a healthy diet.  They vary in nutritional value, but not by much.  In general, they are filled with Vitamin A, E, and K along with Calcium, Magnesium, Iron, Folate, and the necessary Fiber which are vital to our building blocks of life.  I enjoy and prefer spinach and kale, but it is better to have a variety instead of one type if possible.
2. Add Color To Your Plate - This is a rule for all meals.  The more (naturally) colorful your plate is, generally the better.  This is where we add in the extra veggies.  This is the best part of the salad, to create it the way you want.  This is where we add in bell peppers, carrots, cucumbers, tomatoes (I know its not a true veggie), chickpeas, and any other toppings you would like to try.  Be creative and add some color
3. Add Some Fruits - I never thought of adding fruit until I got married and my wife got creative and added apples or strawberries.  This was something to get used to, but adding fresh fruit is a great addition to a healthy meal.  Other choices are mandarin oranges, berries, grapes or mangoes.  Dried fruits like raisins and cranberries are a popular choice, but should be limited
4. Add In The Protein - Protein should only by about 5-10% of our calorie intake, but a salad is a great way to add in protein.  The most popular choices are nuts, egg whites, or grilled chicken.  Limit nuts if they are high in Sodium content.  Limit grilled chicken or other meats, animal protein should only be half  of our protein intake.  There are some other options we can choose from like sprouts and edamame and even beans.
5. Cut The Cheese - Literally - cut the cheese out.  Beyond my views of dairy products, cheese is low in nutritional content and high in calories, fat, and sodium - is it worth it?
6. Hold The Croutons - Croutons and crispy wontons are not only tasty, but are also refined flour which has no nutritional value and often high in fat content
7. Reconsider Ordering A Wrap Or Panini - Wraps and paninis make creative options, but white flour only adds empty calories
8. Consider Pre-Made Salads - Just a heads up, already made salads are more often filled with high calorie, low nutritional options.  They are also higher in sodium content.  Remember, most restaurants don't have health as a priority in their food choices. It is my belief with any meal that is made at home is the healthier option than eating out
9. Cut The Dressing In Half - Please, not the dressing, anything but the dressing. It is my personal view that Ranch was made by the gods and should be eaten with everything.  I have limited myself, but the thought of limiting ranch on my salad is hard to bare.  This is one I am going to have to consciously follow.  As a general rule cutting the dressing in half is a helpful advice.  A better advice is to make better dressing choices.  I have recently discovered Balsamic Vinaigrette.  If used by this rule, vinaigrette dressings are a healthy option with a great taste

I hope you enjoyed the list.  I thought there were some great advice and reminders.  Salads are such a great option, because they are your creation.  Have fun with it and try new things.  They can be a creative healthy choice, but can also just as easily be harmful.  Just go with the Greens and top it off with the good stuff - Enjoy!

The Germ Theory Is Just A Theory

For centuries, the idea of disease was widely accepted and understood as something that spontaneously happened.  In some parts of the world, disease was often associated with curses, sin and ungodly living.  This idea has come to be known as the spontaneous generation theory.  However, this theory was disproven by Louis Pasteur through his famous boiled broth experiment in the mid 1800's.  Even though he was not the first to propose the Germ Theory, he played a vital role to help it become widely accepted, in so much that he is now known as the father of microbiology.  He explained that broth sealed from exposure to air will not spoil while broth left open to the air would.  Through the birth of the Germ Theory - we now have the advancement of modern medicine that revolves around this very theory.  We have discovered countless of bacteria and viruses - understanding their individual roles and how they create disease.  Modern medicine has been created to fight these known agents, creating pill after pill after pill. Billions of dollars are spent every year on this theory.  Vaccines are produced to protect individuals against such dangers.  Everything we know now stems from this Germ Theory - I sure hope it's correct . . . I mean, it is just a theory after all -

We all have placed our lives in the hands of modern medicine.  We have blindly put our faith in a widely accepted theory.  Have you ever driven down a road you thought was the right one, and soon realized the possibility that it may be the wrong road?  There's a point in which we ponder in doubt whether we should stop now and turn around, or to just keep driving and hope to see something familiar.  Modern medicine is beginning to get to that point now where they may have realized they are down a wrong path, but are at the point of mixed doubt and pride.  They can't turn back now, so they keep going hoping they begin to see something familiar.

I hate to say it - but the germ theory seemed like the good road that we are having doubts about now.  New theories are being proposed in it's place and research is disproving the widely accepted theory.  I'm not saying there is an answer, and possibly that is why there hasn't been any change in direction so far - however, it is vital to really sit down and make the decision of turning around, or just keep going.  Should we continue with a failing health care or should we make the effort to turn back and rethink everything we have known to get back on the right road.  It's a paradigm shift - but that's what its going to have to take.

When we get sick and start running a fever - there are two sides to look at it.  There is the medical model in which states that an agent has invaded the body and is attacking the body.  In this model - it is accepted to take fever reducing medicine, antibiotics, or even pain killers until our body is relieved from this agent.  There is also the holistic model.  The fever is the body's own design to increase internal body temperature in defense to kill off that invading agent.  Most agents are heat sensitive and become inactive in high temperatures. - So then why in the world would we want to take fever reducing medicine which would ultimately help the agent and interfere with our own body's mechanism?  Why in the world would we take an antibiotic which suppresses our own immune system to actually fight the agent?  Why in the world would we take pain killers to rid of pain which is the body's response to telling us that something is wrong - so that we can be relieved of the pain while the cause is still within us?  Why in the world are we still following the medical model?

The germ theory states that for someone to get sick, there must be a causative agent present and in return implies that if there is a causative agent, then that person will get sick - but I question, is it the agent that makes us "sick"?  Let's take a look at one common bacteria - Staph Aureus.  This bacteria is a causative agent for many illnesses ranging from mild infections to very serious and fatal outcomes such as endocarditis, sepsis, or toxic shock - However, if I were to take a swab of your face and put it into a culture - there will be guaranteed Staph Aureus present in the culture.  This very bacteria is all over our body and face. We have billions of bacteria on and inside us - more than there are people in the world or sands on the beach.  We live with these bacteria all around us every second of every day - and yet we aren't "sick" every second of every day - so the question really is - What is making us sick?

The answer surprisingly comes from the medical profession itself which is overlooked - "If a microbe is in or around us all the time and yet causes no disease until we are exposed to stress, what is the cause of our illness, the microbe or the stress?" - Hans Selye - a pioneering endocrinologist who demonstrated the existence of biological stress (He is one with a brilliant and understanding mind which I would recommend looking up and researching).
When Selye poses stress as a major factor, I think we can simplify that as a biological imbalance.  We need to live in balance in several forms.  One major balance is stress - but it can be physiological balance, nervous system balance, nutritional balance, and even a balance between all of these.  Stress when it becomes overwhelming for our body to adapt can be crucial in our health.  Stress effects the nervous system which in turn effects every molecule within and around our body.  It lowers our immune system specifically and creates an imbalance within us - thus making us susceptible for disease.

There is another medical doctor among a few others who understands this model of disease which would be worthwhile to look up - drpalevsky.com - I recommend reading the section - "If Your Child Is Sick" - I may need to just make this it's own post, but this provides a detailed and effective explanation of what happens when we are sick.  Which brings up my next point - Are we really sick when we are "sick"

You often hear the phrases "I caught a cold," or "I got food poisoning."  We say these things with the idea in mind that we caught a "bug" which is making us "sick" - How do we know that we are sick? Our first clue is by the presence of symptoms such as a runny nose, a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, or a cough.  However we are misled by the phrase "Symptoms" when in reality these are biological mechanisms.  All these "symptoms" are not caused by an agent, but rather they are our own body's defense mechanism to destroy and rid of the agent.  We cough, sneeze, vomit, and run a fever as a natural part of our immune defense.  It is our own body creating these mechanisms - and yet we take pills and medicine to reduce these symptoms that our body needs and depends on. Are we now seeing how the modern model of medicine is failing?

Sure, there are some medical treatments that may rid of the agent that our body is fighting, however, it has failed to treat the cause which is the imbalance we have in our very own biology - and thus we continue to get sick over and over and over.  The Germ Theory is an accurate model when it comes to a population of boiled broth, however, when applied to human biology and physiology it fails. A medical treatment toxic enough to destroy an agent, is simply a toxin to our own body.  In order to destroy an agent, sadly we destroy our own body with it.  Instead of building up the body naturally and in harmony with our biology, we continue to destroy it one pill at a time.

Through advanced technology and research - the medical field has done some incredible things.  I don't doubt some of the amazing things that can be done medically.  But among the many medical marvels, we must also be aware of the many medical failures.  Over 106,000 people die each year in the US due to adverse drug effects (these are deaths due to accurate protocol and proper administrations, and do not reflect deaths by errors or overdose) - Iatrogenic death rate.  All medically induced deaths properly administered due to protocol totals itself just under 800,000 a year costing nearly $300 Billion every year. Iatrogenic deaths are among the top five causes of deaths in the US.  The other 4 causes of death are heart disease, cancer, stroke, and lower respiratory diseases - all preventable and lifestyle diseases in which the medical field is failing to treat - because they fail to treat the body.  With all their knowledge and technology and advanced medicine - they cannot stop the growing numbers of these diseases and conditions.  They have come to the point where they know they can't do anything about it, and yet thousands are dying and billions are spent on a Theory.  The Germ Theory, as much as it has provided us, has led us down the wrong road.  It is about time we stop and make the changes necessary to get on the right path.

Having symptoms is a good thing - it means our body has the ability to adapt and fight off infections.  We should acknowledge this understanding and do what we can to help our body in its proper and normal actions.  This means to build our immune system by filling ourselves with natural and healthy nutritional support, and bringing ourselves back into balance in every aspect.  We need to understand the body and it's capabilities in order to regain long lasting health and freedom.  We need to stop - and get back on track, back to health and happiness