This Is 200 Calories

Just a friendly reminder for holiday indulging! Dr. Maj Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485. www.communitychiropractic.net

Lower Blood Pressure With Flaxseed

Looking for a more natural, non-medication based solution to reduce and/or manage your blood pressure? New research suggests flaxseed has comparable results to current blood pressure medications. In a study of 110 participants, half were assigned to a group consuming 30 grams of flaxseed daily for 6 months and the other half to a group that did not consume flaxseed. On average, participants in the flaxseed group who had a systolic blood pressure (the 1st number in the blood pressure reading) of at least 140 mm Hg during initial testing experienced a 15 mm Hg systolic pressure drop. Those same individuals also experienced and a diastolic pressure drop (the 2nd number in the blood pressure reading) of 7 mm Hg. Participants in the non-flaxseed group experienced no blood pressure change whatsoever. Researchers state the study’s results are preliminary and more research is needed before they suggest people throw aware their blood pressure medication. However, as previous studies have also shown flaxseed to have beneficial effects on various cancers, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, inflammation and even hot flashes, incorporating flaxseed into the diet is becoming a no-brainer. Author: ChiroPlanet.com Source: Hypertension, online October 14, 2013. Copyright: ProfessionalPlanets.com LLC 2013

Chicago Blackhawks - The First Vitamin D Team in History

Vitamin D Council


According to my sources, the Chicago Blackhawk team physicians began diagnosing and treating vitamin D deficiency in all Blackhawk players about 18 months ago. Apparently, most players are on 5,000 IU per day.

After many losing seasons, last year the Blackhawks came out of nowhere to win the Stanley Cup!!

According to my sources, improved athletic performance is only one of the benefits for the Blackhawk players. The other is a reduction in the number and severity of colds and flu and a reduction in the number and severity of repetitive use injuries.

Six months ago, Runner’s World published a story on vitamin D and physical performance.

Asp K. Running on D: The "sun vitamin" may boost performance, but you probably aren't getting enough. Runners World, December 2009. http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-301--13364-0,00.html

A year ago, the flagship journal of the American College of Sports Medicine was the first journal to publish the theory that vitamin D would improve athletic performance.

Cannell JJ, Hollis BW, Sorenson MB, Taft TN, Anderson JJ.  Athletic performance and vitamin D. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2009 May;41(5):1102-10. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19346976

However, readers of the Vitamin Council's newsletter first learned about it in 2007:

Cannell, JJ. Peak Athletic Performance and Vitamin D. Vitamin D Council Newsletter, March 2007. http://www.vitamindcouncil.org/newsletter/2007-mar.shtml

I can only hope that since the Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup this year, other teams, from high school to professional, may start paying attention to the vitamin D status of their players. That would be a big boost to those athletes looking for that extra boost in performance.

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485.  www.communitychiropractic.net

Meet My Starfish!

In my last blog, I used the pictures and video of my time in Haiti and the Dominican Republic to express the richness and desperation of the experience. Today I would like to introduce you to a village I am going to be talking a lot about in the future and that is Phaeton, Haiti.  We were introduced to Phaeton by our guide and friend Elmond Jean.

In future posts, I will start to describe in detail; just suffice it to say that this is a town in need. Upon our arrival, we were greeted by the 50 children that need our help. These children have nothing or close to nothing. They have no resources to attend school (all schools are private in Haiti which means the government does not fund them) so no money, no school. The problem goes much deeper. We found out these children eat 2-3 meals per week, IF THEY ARE LUCKY. When I say lucky it means if Elmond is able to tell their story to people he guides and they donate money for food.

The kicker is that of these 50 kids, 15 of them are flat out orphans: no mom, no dad, living on the streets. There is nowhere for them to go and with all the resources going to the earthquake zone, this small town is in desperation.  To make a long story short, we (Dr. Janice Hughes, Dr. Martha Nessler and myself) have committed to build an orphanage/school/health center to serve this area.

We are making it up as we go along. That being said, the pictures below are of the initial structure. Not too shabby considering we have not even been home a month. We have just begun!

Someone said to me in my office, "There must be 100's of villages like this in Haiti and thousands around the world."  I know his thinking was that how can we make a dent and that feeling of powerlessness that comes with that.  Well, I met those children and they are not going to starve on my watch! I feel like this is a great time to post about the starfish.

Once upon a time, there was a wise man who used to go to the ocean to do his writing. He had a habit of walking on the beach before he began his work.

One day as he was walking along the shore, he looked down the beach and saw a human figure moving like a dancer. He smiled to himself at the thought of someone who would dance to the day, and so, he walked faster to catch up.

As he got closer, he noticed that the figure was that of a young man, and that what he was doing was not dancing at all. The young man was reaching down to the shore, picking up small objects, and throwing them into the ocean.  He came closer still and called out "Good morning! May I ask what it is that you are doing?"

The young man paused, looked up, and replied, "Throwing starfish into the ocean."  "I must ask, then, why are you throwing starfish into the ocean?" asked the somewhat startled wise man.  To this, the young man replied, "The sun is up and the tide is going out. If I don't throw them in, they'll die."

Upon hearing this, the wise man commented, "But, young man, do you not realize that there are miles and miles of beach and there are starfish all along every mile? You can't possibly make a difference!"  At this, the young man bent down, picked up yet another starfish, and threw it into the ocean. As it met the water, he said, "I made a difference to that one!"

This is the intro to a story about the power of the Chiropractor!   I love Chiropractic and that has allowed me to find a passion that I never knew existed. Let the excitement begin....

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485.  www.communitychiropractic.net

Feed Our Souls-Give the Children a Chance for Change in Haiti

I just returned from my third visit to the island of Hispaniola and my first visit to Haiti. My previous trips I focused my service work in the Dominican Republic, in the area surrounding Puerta Plata. This trip took us first into Haiti to visit what will be the home of our orphanage in the town of Phaeton.

I wanted to write an account of our time in Haiti and then changed my mind.  Review the video below. Look at the pictures. Both beauty and devastation all wrapped up together. These children in Phaeton are starving. Well, not on my watch. We (Drs. Janice Hughes, Martha Nessler and myself) have committed to feeding, educating and building an orphanage in this town. Don't worry, you can help. I'll keep you informed on how! Dr. Steph

Dr. Stephanie Maj has a thriving family practice in the heart of Chicago. Her clinic is located at 1442 W. Belmont Ave., 1E, Chicago, IL 60657. 773.528.8485.  www.communitychiropractic.net

Returning to ChiroMission by Dr. Janice Hughes

Dr. Janice Hughes caring for patients in a

hospital in Puerta Plata

Originally uploaded by Stephanie M.

Returning to ChiroMission

by Dr. Janice Hughes

Returning Mission Leader on May 2010 trip to Dominican Republic and Haiti

Have you ever felt like once you have experienced something you know what to expect from that same situation? Well, me too. Until my return to ChiroMission.

After my first trip with ChiroMission something definitely opened up inside of me in a very different way. The ability to adjust again, after having sold my practice 7 years ago, was magical. The people on the trip, the people we were meeting...the Haitian villages I stumbled upon. These multiple experiences all combined to open up my heart significantly.

I immediately knew I would be back. And while telling others about my experiences, I knew they would travel with me! Without realizing it I was setting up an entirely different experience for my second ChiroMission experience!

The week before leaving I began to visualize 2-3X per day what experience I hoped I could create at the airport. I had asked for donations, and ended up with a garage full of supplies. I packed up 7 large hockey bags, and just kept picturing my trip to the airport, what would happen inside the airport, and the luggage coming out on the other end. As anyone will tell you, the airlines limit 2 carry on bags per person into the DR. I just pictured the porter meeting me outside the airport, the JetBlue team supporting me with this mission, and the bags coming out on the DR side and being stowed into Pastor Joel's vehicle. I didn't even know what he drove, but pictured it as I envisioned this entire scenario playing out.

M. Maltz tells us that there is nothing different between something real and something perceived so explicitly in our minds....and I obviously needed another concrete reminder of this in my life!

Everything about this trip was unique and different for me. Bringing so many supplies and having this all play out exactly as I had envisioned. Being in such totally different locations that I had experienced the first time. Traveling to the middle of the country, to Bonao, and having people hand me CT scans and MRI's. Addiction centers and hospitals. Nothing I've ever experienced in life really prepared me for this....yet everything must have on some level. I just showed up. I focused. I put into practice all the things I teach in life....and result was magic.

I met incredible people...MD's that now want to train as DC's, young people that are inspired to be chiropractors, young people dieing from totally treatable issues in any other country....and a 10 year old boy in an addiction center. The list goes on and on.

I ended up traveling in a boat to meet someone that had been shot 3 times. And in the message that this man gave to me, it tied together a guiding principle in my life for 21 years.

Something happens to me when I just show up for ChiroMission. And how can this joy and giving not be good? I hope to share more of these experiences with you on the next ChiroMission trip in October.

Janice

www.drjanicehughes.com

For more information regarding ChiroMission see their website www.chiromission.com

5 Reasons to Visit a Chiropractor

5 Reasons to Visit a Chiropractor

Of course we think of visiting a Chiropractor when we have an injury or pain in our lower back or neck. We also tend to think of them following an automobile accident.

While these are all great reasons to schedule your visit with a Chiropractor, there are also many other reasons we should be considering chiropractic care. Every Chiropractor is different and specializes in different types of treatment options.

There are many reasons to visit a Chiropractor aside from spinal related items; however I want to share just a few of them with you.

1. Fertility- That’s right. Fertility. When trying to conceive a child there are many things you need to focus on to allow your body. If you prefer a more natural, holistic way to help your body become pregnant, than ask around and find out if your local Chiropractor specializes in Fertility. If he/she doesn’t they would be happy to refer to you to a Chiropractor who does.

2. Head, Shoulders, Knees and toes -We should remember that issues with shoulders, knees, hips and basically all moveable joints can be treated by your Chiropractor. If you are living with pain or numbness in any of your joints, please discuss them with your Chiropractor.

3. Weight loss- Many Chiropractors have received training on weight loss programs and can assist you with meeting your weight loss goals. By developing a custom training program and discussing nutrition, your Chiropractor can help you with safe weight loss and help you learn better habits.

4. Quit smoking- Ready to give up the ghost and stop smoking? You can visit your primary care doctor and receive a nicotine patch or prescription drugs, however have you thought about asking how your Chiropractor might be able to help and help you stay away from the prescriptions? When you are ready to stop smoking, please talk with your Chiropractor.

5. Sports Performance or general well being. If you are an athlete or just want to feel your best while running, biking or playing with your children or grand children, then a routine schedule of Chiropractic care should be part of your schedule. Keeping your spine in proper alignment not only reduces your chance of injury, but keeps your body operating at its full potential.

Remember, Chiropractors can help with many of your needs. They work hard to resolve these issues in a variety of natural methods.

New Research Shows: Chiropractic Care for Children is Safe and Effective

I find it important to share the current research being done in the Chiropractic field, especially as it relates to kids.  In a world that uses prescription drugs on kids without testing (Ritalin & antidepressants just to name a few), it is nice to see research supporting the safety and efficacy of a Chiropractic adjustment for children.  Enjoy!!

The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association's (ICPA) ground breaking study, The Safety and Effectiveness of Pediatric Chiropractic: A Survey of Chiropractors and Parents in a Practice-Based Research Network, was published this month in the prestigious, biomedical journal, Explore: The Journal of Science and Healing. The objective of this study was to describe the practice of pediatric chiropractic, including its safety and effectiveness.

The results of the study determined that the indicated primary reason for chiropractic care of children was “wellness care.” The most common reasons for parents seeking symptom relief care were muscles conditions, ear, nose, and throat, respiratory and digestive disorders. Out of 577 children, with 5438 visits, doctors reported only 3 adverse events. Out of 239 children, with 1735 visits, parents reported only two adverse events. These events were minor discomfort after the adjustment and were readily resolved with continued adjustments. All children remained under chiropractic care. Both parents and doctors indicated a high rate of improvement with respect to the children's presenting complaints. In addition to these improvements, respondents reported better sleeping patterns, improvements in behavior and, improved immune system function while under chiropractic care.

Dr. Joel Alcantara, ICPA Research Director and presenting author said, “this paper shows the preliminary results of the ICPA’s Children’s PBRN – Phase One. Phase Two is well under way and we have initiated similar research pertinent to pregnancy. We are pleased that a major CAM Journal respects the importance of chiropractic care for children and we foresee greater collaboration with the CAM community on the importance of chiropractic care for children.”

Dr. Jeanne Ohm, executive director of the ICPA says, "I am pleased to be affiliated with an organization dedicated to chiropractic family wellness research. It is wonderful to see research substantiating the safety of chiropractic care for children and the overwhelming satisfaction of parents with children under care."

The ICPA is the oldest and largest pediatric organization in the chiropractic profession. Their mission is Research, Training and Public Education on behalf of family wellness. To find out more about children and chiropractic and to locate a doctor who cares for children visit www.icpa4kids.org

Former NFL Wide Receiver Jerry Rice Reveals Secrets to Long, Healthy Career

Legendary NFL wide-receiver and three-time Super Bowl champ Jerry Rice scored a touchdown among attendees at Parker Seminars Las Vegas — the world’s largest chiropractic seminar — by sharing all the ways he is being a champion for chiropractic. He was joined onstage by fellow chiropractic supporter Linda Cohn, veteran sportscaster and one of the first women to report for ESPN. Both Rice and Cohn are spokespeople for the Foundation for Chiropractic, an organization dedicated to generating positive press for the chiropractic profession, and traveled to Parker seminars  to encourage chiropractors and their assistants to continue delivering natural, quality health care to patients around the globe.

Thinking back to his football career, Rice credits his success on the field largely in part to chiropractic care. "If I had everything in alignment, I knew I could play my best football," said Rice. His training routine included twice-weekly chiropractic adjustments which helped his body recover from all the hard hits and countless tackles. Because Rice firmly believed in the benefits of chiropractic , his teammates began to favor this natural care over the medications that trainers traditionally give. "I wanted to set the standard within football," said Rice. "I knew if chiropractic helped me put up outstanding numbers, it could help my teammates do the same."


Former NFL superstar Jerry Rice

And Rice’s accomplishments are indeed a testament to chiropractic: he was twice named the NFL Offensive Player of the Year, won three Super Bowls, and still holds nearly every record as a receiver. He retired as the league’s career receiving leader. Rice was recently announced as a 2010 NFL Hall of Fame candidate.

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (FCP) made its own version of a "Hall of Fame" induction by presenting Rice with a medal for his commitment to chiropractic. "The Foundation for Chiropractic is getting the word out there, and [being a spokesperson] is a way for me to give back," said Rice. "Chiropractic made football great for me. I was at my best and was always at 100 percent."

Resolving to "Be Well" in 2010!

Jan 12, 2010 – Chicago, IL – (prlog.com)  – New Year’s resolutions, love them or hate them, bring new energy to people’s yearning to improve their health.  In her book, You Can Be Well, Dr. Stephanie Maj focuses on helping people with these changes to aid them in recapturing the health and vitality that has slowly been eroding away people’s lives.

“I have always used New Years to help my patients set health goals.”  Dr. Maj said.  “It amazes me that people are so unhealthy that on all the Top 10 Resolution lists, health related items account for over half the resolutions.”

This general lack of health in our society is one of the reasons she wrote the book; to help people find the critical steps necessary for success.  There are thousands of books on wellness yet Dr. Maj has found all these books are missing the most vital step of all.

“It is the elimination of nerve interference that NO ONE is talking about and I feel can no longer be ignored. As a chiropractor, I focus on removing the interference in the nervous system, the master controller of all the organ systems of body.  Without removing this nerve interference, no other steps will get the patient to their desired health goal.”

“I find that people misunderstand what health and wellness really are to them.  Most people want to be healthier yet have no idea what health really is and exactly how to go about achieving it.”  In her book, Dr. Maj talks about the 5 critical steps to wellness, four of which are action steps that every self-help health book talks about:  Eating right, stress relief, exercise and eliminating toxins.

Dr. Maj has noticed that others are out there speaking and writing about wellness and what it means and yet fail to address the interference in the nerve system that Chiropractic corrects.  The reason this is so important is that the body is a self-healing organism and the nerve system is what controls that healing.  When there is interference in the nerves, there is interference in the body’s ability to heal properly or fight disease (like cancers and viruses).  Chiropractic removes interference in the nerves so the body’s own natural defense systems can be restored.

Research shows that when you have interference in the nerve’s function at the spinal level, this leads to a cascade of harmful results.  Some of those results include:  Increased blood pressure, increased cholesterol, increased triglycerides, insulin resistance (pre-diabetes), increased stress hormones, decreased immunity (cancer & infections), decreased sense of well being and a decrease in complex learning abilities.

“I understand that achieving health and wellness is not as simple as only getting a Chiropractic adjustment.  I address other steps in my book, “You Can Be Well.”  Eating right, exercising, combating stress and eliminating toxins are needed as well.”

Dr. Maj states, “The mission at Community Chiropractic is to check as many people as possible for hidden health problems and to save them from a life of drugs and surgery.  We do this in Chicago everyday yet if you aren’t in my practice; there is no way of knowing these vital steps.”

The biggest promise I have for people is that You Can Be Well, too!

Dr. Stephanie Maj is the clinic director for Community Chiropractic, a full service wellness center offering family health care, acupuncture, massage, orthotics and nutritional counseling. Dr. Maj has been practicing in the Lakeview area for 14 years.  Her book You Can Be Well,  can be purchased on Amazon.com or on her website, youcanbewell.net.

Local Chiropractor takes her Practice to the Children of the Dominican Republic

Chicago – The people of the Dominican Republic live with staggering poverty, having very little access to any form of health care and no access to chiropractic care. Dr. Stephanie Maj has just returned from a chiropractic mission to help supply much needed health care and funds to the poorest of the poor in the Dominican Republic.

“I have vacationed in the Dominican Republic and although I knew it was a poor country, I saw first-hand how poverty can affect people,” Dr. Stephanie Maj said. “One community was living on the side of a trash dump, with poor Dominican kids wandering the trash heaps with no shoes. Their toys were old tires and bottle caps.”

In some ways, Dr. Maj notes, the people in the U.S. are more stressed out. The Dominican people lead a simpler life, free of the repetitive stresses such as sitting over a computer all day. Poverty and nutrition are the two biggest factors affecting the health of the Dominican people. The nutrition in the U.S. can be blamed as the biggest factor affecting health as well.

Maj adjusted 900 people in a three-day period. “I would say 75% of the people I helped were children. We would go to a school and adjust every kid in the school, as well as the teachers and staff.” That was for the children lucky enough to be able to attend school. Thousands of Dominican children are abandoned each year by parents who can’t afford to provide for them.

“One barrio we visited, Ponch Mateo, our guide was a teacher named Dumy. He runs a school named ‘Mano a Mano por el futuro’ (hand by hand for the future). Dumy showed us his one room school-house attached to his home. When I say home, I mean a wooden and tin shack with a dirt floor. He has no money to pay teachers and yet supplies a place to help kids get education as well as caring for orphans.”

Dr. Maj practices in the Lakeview neighborhood. She traveled to the Dominican Republic with a group of 30 doctors and 30 students intent on giving free chiropractic care to people. The group was organized by ChiroMission and as a group adjusted 35,000 people in a three-day period.

ChiroMission is the “Doctors without Borders” of Chiropractic. The idea is to teach less fortunate people in Third World countries how to take care of themselves so they’ll have a better shot at avoiding medical problems. ChiroMission has just expanded to Australia to take care of the Aborigines.

“I will never forget the children. Even with these tough conditions, there was joy in their eyes. All they wanted was to hold my hand and to hug me. For every one child I helped, they came back with 5 more. If I helped just one, I consider this trip a success.”

This group had their Chiropractic miracles as well. One man showed up with neurologic problem, a hand tremor like in Parkinson’s disease and drop foot. After being adjusted a couple of times in the morning, he hunted the doctors down at their next location. He walked up exclaiming in Spanish that not only had his tremor disappeared, he no longer had drop foot.

This trip changed Dr. Maj’s perception of poverty and life here in Chicago. “We think this economy is bad yet when you witness first-hand a different reality you realize things aren’t that bad. We need to be grateful for the abundance we have at our fingertips.”

Dr. Maj states, “The mission at Community Chiropractic is to check as many people as possible for hidden health problems and to save them from a life of drugs and surgery. We do this in Chicago everyday yet I realized after this trip that the world needs our help as well. I have been hit by a lightning bold and will never be the same.”

Dr. Stephanie Maj is the clinic director for Community Chiropractic, a full service wellness center offering family health care, acupuncture, massage, orthotics and nutritional counseling. Dr. Maj has been practicing in the Lakeview area for almost 14 years.

Chiropractic Cuts Blood Pressure says WebMD!

The above headline comes from a March 16, 2007 article on WebMD (http://tinyurl.com/chirpbp). The article is based on a study done at the Hypertension Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center and published in the March 2, 2007 issue of the Journal of Human Hypertension.

In this study, 50 patients with hypertension were divided into two groups of 25 each. One group of 25 received a specific light force chiropractic adjustment (administered by a chiropractor) to the Atlas vertebrae (uppermost bone in the neck). The other group of 25 received a similar procedure but with no adjustment being given. Researchers called this procedure the "sham adjustment". Since the type of adjustment given was very light force, the patients involved in this study did not know if they were receiving the real or sham adjustments.

The results were surprising to even the medical researchers conducting the study. After 8 weeks of care the 25 people in the group receiving the real chiropractic adjustments all showed a significant reduction in blood pressure compared to the group that received the sham adjustment. Those patients who got the real adjustment showed an average of 14 mm Hg greater drop in systolic blood pressure (the top number in a blood pressure count), and an average of 8 mm Hg greater drop in diastolic blood pressure (the bottom blood pressure number) over those who got the fake or sham adjustment.

In his interview with WebMD, study leader George Bakris, MD commented, "This procedure has the effect of not one, but two blood-pressure medications given in combination. And it seems to be adverse-event free. We saw no side effects and no problems."

When they first analyzed the data, Dr. Bakris and his statistician had trouble believing the data. He noted, "When the statistician brought me the data, I actually didn't believe it. It was way too good to be true. The statistician said, 'I don't even believe it.' But we checked for everything, and there it was."

X-rays were used to confirm that the chiropractic adjustments actually changed the position of the Atlas vertebrae. Dr. Marshall Dickholtz was the chiropractor who performed the specific adjustments and commented in WebMD, "At the base of the brain are two centers that control all the muscles of the body. If you pinch the base of the brain -- if the Atlas gets locked in a position as little as a half a millimeter out of line -- it doesn't cause any pain but it upsets these centers."

Even with the overwhelming results, the authors of the study were cautious in their conclusions and posed several questions. They commented, "The mechanism as to why this improvement in blood pressure occurs is unknown and cannot be determined by this study”. They continued, “The data presented, however, raise a number of important questions including: a) How does misalignment of C1 affect hypertension?; and b) If there is a cause and effect relationship between C1 misalignment and hypertension, is malposition of C1 an additional risk factor for the development of hypertension?"

When Pigs Fly Flu

Enjoy my guest article by Dr. Harte.  He says it better than I could.

WHEN PIGS FLY FLU by Don Harte, D.C.

The nation... the world... is on alert. A super zoonotic infection may be on the march. (A zoonotic infection is one that crosses from animal to human.) In this case, the latest flu outbreak is apparently part human, part pig, part bird... hence, "When Pigs Fly Flu." I doubt the CDC will come up with a better name. They surely will not dub it the Mexican Flu, since that would be so un-PC. For the same reason, they will not close the border, though common sense public health standards demand such. If and when this gets out of hand, you will know whom to blame. Ah, when science and politics mix, stupidity almost always arises.

So, what's the deal here? Might we have a catastrophic epidemic, what is known as a pandemic? Yes. Why do I say that? Three reasons. (1) This is very much out of flu season. (2) Many of the dead were young adults, unlike the usual targets of the very young and the very old. (3) Time of the appearance of the disease and death were short. (The Mexican archeologist who gave President Obama a tour was dead from this flu, so it is sometimes reported, the day after.) All three characteristics appeared in the Flu Pandemic of 1918. Certainly gives me pause...

But then, nothing might happen. Let's go back to the Swine Flu of 1976. Government health authorities spread panic, rushed a vaccine to production, which lead to 517 cases of paralysis and other very serious problems, and 23 cases of death, from Guillane-Barre Syndrome. Yes, all this was from the flu vaccine, not the flu. What was the actual toll of the swine flu of 1976 itself? 13 actual cases of the flu, one death. So, mortality-wise, the flu vaccine was 23 times more deadly than the flu itself. (You still trust these people???)

What does this mean? I urge you to think before you line up for the flu vaccine now, which is NOT the same strain as the current flu. (It almost never is.) DO NOT consider it a wise precaution. Besides have little to no preventive value, the substances in the flu vaccine carry substantial health risk. Despite what the "talking heads" of the media and the government may have to say, there will be virtually no benefit, and substantial risk getting this vaccine.

What about when they have the new vaccine ready in a few months? Remember the 1976 disaster. What will you do if you wake up paralyzed? Should you question to alleged experts? You betcha! Keep in mind the vast amounts of money that the pharmaceutical industry is destined to make on this. We are talking BILLIONS. You can be sure that they are leaning on all of their government contacts to make sure that everything (your tax dollars) is in place to enrich their coffers, despite the dangers, despite the lack of effectiveness.

So, what to do, to be prepared? Instead of following the "experts," like sheep, may I suggest that you THINK. Infection? Your defense is your immune system, which is run by your nervous system. My suggestions?
1. Get adjusted! If you are already under chiropractic care, make sure that you maintain your intensive care or your wellness schedule. Even a little extra, just to make sure, wouldn't hurt. Why? Again, your defense is your immune system, run by your nervous system. If you have interference, Vertebral Subluxation (most of the time, there is no pain), your immune system will be at a disadvantage in fighting what seems to be a totally novel virus. Vertebral Subluxation is corrected by chiropractic adjustment. There is no substitute. IF YOU ARE NOT YET UNDER CHIROPRACTIC CARE, call me now.
2. Eat well. Avoid junk food. Avoid excess sugar. Take supplements of Vitamins C and D.
3. Get some sun. (Good for Vitamin D activation.)
4. Get plenty of rest.
5. Have fun. Maintain a good mental attitude. Relax. Maybe meditate.
6. Exercise regularly. Yoga is good, too, but different.
7. Avoid crowds.
8. Make sure that you understand, and act on, #1.

If and when the When Pigs Fly Flu becomes dangerous? Do more of steps 1-8. That will surely be the critical time to get your family and all of your friends in here to get checked for Vertebral Subluxation. If you are not yet a practice member, get here as soon as you can. If it really hits the fan, there might not be any room here. WHAT AM I TALKING ABOUT???

The Flu Pandemic of 1918. 25 to 40 million died. Here's the figures. In 1979, Walter Rhodes wrote that, during the Pandemic, medical doctors in Davenport, Iowa treated 93,590 patients, with 6,116 deaths, in other words, one out of 15 under medical care succumbed to the flu. At the Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, 1,635 flu cases were adjusted, with only one fatality. Outside of Davenport, Iowa chiropractors adjusted 4,735 flu cases, with only six deaths - one out of 866. In 1919, Palmer College of Chiropractic published "The Flu and You." The ratio of flu cases cared for vs. deaths were as follows: Medical care: 1 out of 17 died. Osteopathic care: 1 out of 36 died. Chiropractic care: 1 out of 886!

Do the math. Outside of the BJ Palmer clinic, chiropractic care was 59 times more effective in saving lives than Medicine. Inside the Palmer Clinic, Chiropractic was 110 times as effective. No matter what preconceptions or prejudices you or someone else may have, what works... works. And, it makes sense. If you can't follow this, the time to come to my "Chiropractic: The Big Idea" class is now! It will all make perfect sense.

So, you can follow the so-called experts like sheep, or you can do what intelligent people do, use common sense, and learn from the lessons of history.

What are the 5 Critical Steps to Wellness??

1.  Remove Nerve Interference

2.  Supply Nutritional Sufficiency

3.  Reduce Stress

4.  Exercise is a Nutrient

5.  Remove Toxicity

Removing nerve interference is the my unique position in the wellness landscape.  Not that they are not important, yet there are a million books talking about steps 2-5.

My position on this is simple:  You can not have WELLNESS without Chiropractic.

1.  The body is a self-healing, self-regulating organism.

2.  The nervous system is the master controller of all the functions of the body.

3.  Interference in the nervous system causes interference with the body's ability to heal itself (immune system) and function properly.

4.  Chiropractors remove the interference.

Simple yet powerful!!

Dr. Oz is missing the Big Idea!

How does the body function?  What makes it run?  What is the one system that when not working right has the most detrimental affect on our overall health and our quality of life?  What is the Master Controller of our whole body?  In this country, most would probably say the heart and the blood.  I agree that system is important and the most fussed over with regard to medical doctors.  Blood pressure, cholesterol, lipids, blood sugar and all the other indicators that tell an MD  you are functioning properly.  The main goal of medicine is symptom reduction and if these levels are normal (even under pharmaceutical control) then you are well.  I am here to tell you MD's are missing the big picture on this one with regard to achieving wellness.

The Master Controller of the whole body is the nervous system. Without addressing the health of the nervous system, there can be no wellness!  One day I realized that unless you were in my office, you were not getting my take on wellness.  I see others out there speaking and writing about wellness and what it means and I truly believe that you cannot have wellness without addressing the interference in the nerve system that Chiropractic corrects.  The reason this is so important is that your body is a self-healing organism and the nerve system is what controls that healing.  When there is interference in the nerves, there is interference in your body's ability to heal properly or fight disease (like cancers and viruses).  Chiropractic removes interference in the nerves so your body's own natural defense systems can be restored.

Research shows that when you have interference in the nerve's function at the spinal level, this leads to a cascade of harmful results.  Some of those results include:  Decreased immunity, increased blood pressure, increased cholesterol, increased triglycerides, insulin resistance (pre-diabetes), increased stress hormones, decreased sense of well being and decreased in complex learning abilities.  Yes, RESEARCH has shown this!  See the work of a Chiropractor/Physiologist by the name of James L. Chestnut B.Ed., M.Sc., DC., C.C.W.P.  He has done an amazing job of compiling this information from hard core medical journals.

The Big Idea is that if there is a removal of that nerve interference (The Chiropractic Adjustment), then you can restore normal function to your body.  When normal function is restored the body can literally heal itself.  Who is doing the healing, the band aid or YOU?!  All the problems drugs are supposed to control are the effect, the cause can be stress on the nervous system!

I am not so simple to think that you can have Chiropractic adjustments that remove your nerve interference and that is all you need to do to be well.  I address other steps in my lecture series entitled "The 5 Critical Steps to Wellness."  The other steps you have heard about from countless authors:  Nutritional Sufficiency, Removing Toxicity, Moving Well and Combating Stress.

When was the last time you had your nerves checked? The most common answer to that is most likely NEVER!  Make an appointment today with a Wellness Chiropractor near you. You Can Be well too!

Come hear my lecture: You Can Be Well!: The 5 Critical Steps to Wellness.   Tonight, March 30th @ 7 PM, Chicago Public Library, Melrose & Paulina.

Mark your calendar:  You Can Be Well!:  The 5 Critical Steps to Wellness.  Thursday, April 9th @ 7 PM, Flourish Studios,  3020 N. Lincoln Ave.

Let's Talk Pickles!

Of all the stories in my new book, You Can Be Well, the pickle story is the most mentioned to me by my readers.  I want to share it with you today.  First off I need to give my friend Carlene L. from Helena, MT credit for giving me this analogy.  It is powerful when used in any context and I am excited to explain it here.

How do you make a pickle?  Well, you get a cucumber and stick it into the brine and eventually it turns into a pickle.  At certain stages in the process, though, you can pull it out and it is still a cucumber, right?  There is that moment when the cucumber turns and it is a pickle and there is NOTHING you can do to turn it back.  It's a pickle now.

Our health is the same way. Early in our lives we are that cucumber and just take for granted that we will always have our health.  We spend little time, effort and money to make sure we stay well. Then it happens like it happens to so many people. We turn into that pickle. We get sick and our health starts slipping from us. It is at this time that all our time, effort and money goes to trying in vain to change this sick pickle body back to the cucumber. We all know of someone who has flown all over the globe to find an experimental cure to their life threatening disease. Most ‘cures’ unfortunately don’t work.

I want to get to you before you are a pickle, while we still have a chance to turn this whole thing around.  Are you a cucumber or a pickle?  What small thing can you do right now that will save you from the 'pickle life' and restore some of your cucumber qualities.  Share them with us in the comment section.