Some background before the background.  You’ll see.  So, Shannah was in my small group (group of people who hang out together once a week, talk about life, talk about difficulties, talk about CrossFit and politics if so inclined) with her husband Rob.  Rob had actually been through my Body By God Challenge a number of years ago.

Anyways, I am not much of a “pusher” when it comes to my lifestyle, or chiropractic, when you are out of my office.  I do life the way I do it.  Some people notice, and gravitate, others ignore it and stay away.  I believe that our search for truth has served us well, but I don’t want that search to be bullied onto anyone.  Just know that I love you, and I mean it… but if you give me a chance, tough love is what you’ll get!  🙂

So read about Shannah’s story before her story:

Back in October, I was awakened by a voice in my head saying “Matthew 7:7.” It was 5:30 in the morning and I was very asleep. I definitely didn’t want to get up, but then it was a command “READ IT!” So, I got out of bed, grabbed my phone and looked it up.

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

I felt very specifically that God had just commanded me to ask him for something. I then started praying for my sister, Rob, Dreyke, finances, etc. When I told Rob, he agreed that God was telling me to ask Him for something. Through the next few weeks and months, scripture and devotionals kept coming to me that talked about faith and the resounding theme of “Ask and it shall be given.” I kept searching for the “thing” God was telling me to ask for.

Finally, around January, I started praying specifically about my weight loss. I knew that it was affecting so many aspects of my life…. physically and emotionally. I heard about a “weight loss” contest that 104.7 the Fish was having with Optimum Health. Without any research, I entered the contest on a whim, and was selected by The Fish to go to be interviewed by Optimum Health for their final selection. I had my interview, and after hearing about the actual plan (HCG weight loss) I was really worried that I was going to be selected. It didn’t seem like a good idea to me, but I thought that this might be God answering my prayer. I was so relieved when I was NOT selected! But, at the same time, I really didn’t know how God was going to answer my prayer, and I felt very much that this is what He wanted me to ask for.

I finally decided to ask Eric about what HealthSprout offers in regards to weight loss. It was so hard for me to do. I just didn’t want either of you to feel like I was taking advantage of the small group setting, and it was embarrassing and hard for me to ask for help with my weight issues. I really shouldn’t have been so paranoid as I think it was all just created in my head. Right before time to leave small group back at the beginning of February, I finally asked…. I came so close to not asking. Eric immediately said that I needed to come to his Food Makeover class that started the very next day! It really was amazing timing, and the rest you can read about in the attachment.

I just felt that you both should know how God used the two of you to answer a need in my life that He told me to ask for. Eric, your class was absolutely priceless, and Laura, the encouragement and tips that you offered as a friend were more helpful than you can know.

SO with that, she jumped into the January class of the Total Food Makeover.  This is the basis of the 60-Day Turnaround, but the turnaround also incorporates Recipe Night, and the Body By God teaching of stress management, time management, peace building and exercise.  All good!  Here is the rest of her story:

When I first attended Healthsprout’s Total Food Makeover class, I was 50 pounds overweight, depressed about my body and health, constantly thought about food and had given up on ever reaching my desired weight loss. Having counted calories, exercised, and practiced moderation with limited success, I was desperate for something to work. In our very first class, Dr. Eric explained the science behind our body and its need for good fats, its reaction to sugars and how the North American diet is killing us. It was eye-opening and motivating. With my husband’s help, we immediately cleaned out our pantry and went to work on the food makeover. For the first week, I literally lost a pound a day which was a huge motivator to not give up during those first few days when I was going through sugar withdrawals. This new plan was liberating because now I knew what I could eat and what I couldn’t. There was no justification or trying to be disciplined and limit the quantity of what I chose to eat. It was either on the plan or it wasn’t.

 Dr. Eric took us on two shopping excursions at Kroger and Trader Joe’s. This was an invaluable resource as we were taught how to read labels, and shown what was permissible on the diet in a real grocery store setting. All five classes were priceless, and continued to motivate me to stay on track, and not to cheat. Dr. Eric also shared with us some of his favorite food products to keep us from feeling like we were being deprived — hello, whipped topping!

 By the end of the 5-week class I had lost 16 pounds just by changing my diet. In the past, it had taken me 4 months to lose 15 pounds by counting calories and exercise. I was so exceptionally excited. I still wanted to lose more weight, so Dr. Eric encouraged me to stay on the advanced plan, and at this point it really wasn’t difficult since all of my eating habits had been changed. I still went out to eat doing my best to choose wisely within the parameters of the diet, and I enjoyed trying out recipes from blogs that were grain and sugar free like a pizza with a cauliflower crust. My biggest challenge came with social situations, like birthdays or other special events where everyone was eating special treats or cake. I didn’t even really want what they were eating, but I wanted to feel included in the celebration. The way I felt and the continued weight loss kept me on track even during these moments.

 Now, six months later, I have lost over 40 pounds! I feel fantastic, and I’m confident that my overall health is so much better than it was before. This is a lifestyle that I believe that I can continue to stick with for years to come. My mouth waters at the sight of salad, and it’s so simple to prepare meals. If I ever have the desire to order a pizza, it’s only for the convenience, and now I’m able to recognize that and move on instead of caving to the craving.

 The knowledge that was shared with me through Healthsprout’s Total Food Makeover class has changed my life. It’s something that I want to share with everyone. Whether the goal is to lose weight or become more healthy, this class is key to understanding the human body and what it craves nutritionally. I am so grateful for this experience!

 — Shannah J. Smith

Her story is awesome.  And it is actually more common than you would imagine.  But only because people are inspired.  Be inspired.  Win for the right reason, and make it last a lifetime!  See you soon, Be Well and Be Blessed! – Dr. E

This article is from the Huffington Post – I thought it was a good read.  Of course I want you to click through to their site, so the article in its entirety can be found here : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rachel-macy-stafford/the-day-i-stopped-saying-hurry-up_b_3624798.html

When you’re living a distracted life, every minute must be accounted for. You feel like you must be checking something off the list, staring at a screen, or rushing off to the next destination. And no matter how many ways you divide your time and attention, no matter how many duties you try and multi-task, there’s never enough time in a day to ever catch up.

That was my life for two frantic years. My thoughts and actions were controlled by electronic notifications, ring tones, and jam-packed agendas. And although every fiber of my inner drill sergeant wanted to be on time to every activity on my overcommitted schedule, I wasn’t.

You see, six years ago I was blessed with a laid-back, carefree, stop-and-smell-the roses type of child.

When I needed to be out the door, she was taking her sweet time picking out a purse and a glittery crown.

When I needed to be somewhere five minutes ago, she insisted on buckling her stuffed animal into a car seat.

When I needed to grab a quick lunch at Subway, she’d stop to speak to the elderly woman who looked like her grandma.

When I had 30 minutes to get in a run, she wanted me to stop the stroller and pet every dog we passed.

When I had a full agenda that started at 6:00 a.m., she asked to crack the eggs and stir them ever so gently.

My carefree child was a gift to my Type A, task-driven nature –but I didn’t see it. Oh no, when you live life distracted, you have tunnel vision — only looking ahead to what’s next on the agenda. And anything that cannot be checked off the list is a waste of time.

Whenever my child caused me to deviate from my master schedule, I thought to myself, “We don’t have time for this.” Consequently, the two words I most commonly spoke to my little lover of life were: “Hurry up.”

I started my sentences with it.

Hurry up, we’re gonna be late.

I ended sentences with it.

We’re going to miss everything if you don’t hurry up.

I started my day with it.

Hurry up and eat your breakfast.

Hurry up and get dressed.

I ended my day with it.

Hurry up and brush your teeth.

Hurry up and get in bed.

And although the words “hurry up” did little if nothing to increase my child’s speed, I said them anyway. Maybe even more than the words, “I love you.”

The truth hurts, but the truth heals… and brings me closer to the parent I want to be.

Then one fateful day, things changed. We’d just picked my older daughter up from kindergarten and were getting out of the car. Not going fast enough for her liking, my older daughter said to her little sister, “You are so slow.” And when she crossed her arms and let out an exasperated sigh, I saw myself — and it was a gut-wrenching sight.

I was a bully who pushed and pressured and hurried a small child who simply wanted to enjoy life.

My eyes were opened; I saw with clarity the damage my hurried existence was doing to both of my children.

Although my voice trembled, I looked into my small child’s eyes and said, “I am so sorry I have been making you hurry. I love that you take your time, and I want to be more like you.”

Both my daughters looked equally surprised by my painful admission, but my younger daughter’s face held the unmistakable glow of validation and acceptance.

“I promise to be more patient from now on,” I said as I hugged my curly-haired child who was now beaming at her mother’s newfound promise.

It was pretty easy to banish “hurry up” from my vocabulary. What was not so easy was acquiring the patience to wait on my leisurely child. To help us both, I began giving her a little more time to prepare if we had to go somewhere. And sometimes, even then, we were still late. Those were the times I assured myself that I will be late only for a few years, if that, while she is young.

When my daughter and I took walks or went to the store, I allowed her to set the pace. And when she stopped to admire something, I would push thoughts of my agenda out of my head and simply observe her. I witnessed expressions on her face that I’d never seen before. I studied dimples on her hands and the way her eyes crinkled up when she smiled. I saw the way other people responded to her stopping to take time to talk to them. I saw the way she spotted the interesting bugs and pretty flowers. She was a Noticer, and I quickly learned that The Noticers of the world are rare and beautiful gifts. That’s when I finally realized she was a gift to my frenzied soul.

…. CLICK HERE TO READ ON

Dr Eric’s Note: This story reminds me that I am on a path with the gyms, and the Firebreather (i need volunteers please 🙂 ) and the Garage Games, and my wellness retreats and my book writing.  The path is one that I will see through to some sort of end, and I envision a plan for all of it.  But the reality is that I need to be so cautious every day that I don’t take my girls for granted.  I love to build/create/grow stuff.  But don’t be surprised if I sell it all, and simply adjust and spend time with my kids in another couple of years.  They are worth it, and it wouldn’t be worth it if I did sell it all in a few years, but sacrificed my relationship until then.  Be well and Be blessed.

This is what is in store for you!  Yep, it is your life, and your time, and your reasons are so varied.  But I am going to be telling you more about some of our past stories in the next coming weeks as we prepare for the 60 Day Turnaround.  And during this, some of you are going to come with me to the High Hampton Inn in Cashiers October 4th – 7th.  This will take your breath away, it will amaze you, and make you smile big smiles all at once.

The Peak of Rock Mountain at High Hampton Inn, Cashiers NC (click image to watch video)

So what is the 60 Day Turnaround?  It is a combination of efforts to turn your life around from any negative direction, for any level of individual.  You could be at 90% great food in your diet, your postural carry, your exercise and your peace… and this will still help you to pick out a massively important piece, and drive it forward in the right direction.

For those of you who are 40%, 30% or better yet, for so many of you who have no idea where you are with this… we will drive you to better understanding, and better commitment the truth and the life that will set you free.  I know that is a little poetic and dramatic, but it is the truth.  SO many of you have these addictions that you think nothing of.  And you don’t need to turn away forever in all instances, but you need to kill it once.

For example.  SUGAR.  You might profess that you have control of your sugar intake, but then if i ask you to go 24 hours with NONE.  No fruit, no grains, no root vegetables, better yet… simply fast on water for 24.  90% of you will fail, if not 99%.  Lets take the step to figure out how you could do that.

These guys, WHOLE9 Nutrition teach a lot of good, and do a lot of good teaching their Whole 30.  Sadly, they also base a lot of what they teach on rhetoric and popularity.  For example, there was a time, about ten years ago, when cortisol problems were everyone’s issue.  Well, there has been a whole lot of treatment of cortisol issues, with medication, diet, herbal remedies, etc.  And the problems that were supposed to go away, are still there.  So when a group gets stuck heavily on cortisol, I cringe.  Yeah, we’ll teach you about it, but you need to know it is a symptom, and a response to other things.  Not a cause.

I have had countless patients of the 10,000+ we have taken care of in the last decade, go through protocols from groups like Progressive Medical, only to end up in the exact same boat.  The 60 day turnaround will address the true problems, and it won’t be scared to stress your body in a positive way,  VS run in fear of some excessive cortisol production (so often I hear about people being advised not to “stress” the body). You just need to get your body working right, so you can HANDLE the cortisol production.

I like being right, its called being a man.  Stubborn, and always want to be right.  Well, if there is one place I have been fortunate enough to be right about very often in the last five years.  It is nutrition.  How do I know?  Results.  Weight loss when it was thought to be “hormonally” impossible.  Pregnancy when five different docs said never.  Thyroid function when 20 years of synthroid was said that it would turn into a lifetime of it.  The stories go on and on.  (PS – I was wrong about nutrition for a bunch of years prior – 🙂  )

So what will we do in the 60 Day Turnaround?

1. Suero Cleanse to get you rolling.  3 Days, all fluid, no solid.
2. The Healing Diet will be discussed and taught.  We will teach you paleo, as well, but give you the pitfalls.
3. Posture with a focus on your spine.  You need to get your spine right if you want the rest of you to work, period.
4. LEPTIN 101 – know your master hormone and the fat burning cycle.
5. Exercise – if you are, then great, if you aren’t, that will change.  With four associated CrossFit gyms, will give you some time at one.
6. Detoxification – the cleanse starts the process, but how do you keep it going?  This includes a ton of info on Gut Health, Leaky Gut Syndrome, and healing the GI tract.
7. Goal Setting and Peace Building – the last five years have been stressful on many people.  We are going to dig in to setting goals, and reaching them without stress.  Effort does not have to equate to stress!
8. Shopping tours at Trader Joes, and the organic section of Kroger.
9. Dunk Truck Body Fat assessment pre and post.
10. Pre and Post pictures, and weigh ins pre and post and weekly along the way.
11. Oh yeah – for certain dictated changes, you can compete to win some prizes.

So it is all coming fast, mid September we will kick off.  To do it well, you really need to be budgeting between $119 – $229 per person.  To do it at all, you might be able to fall in at $49 if you are a member at one of the gyms, or HealthSprout.

The best news.  If you ask me what night of the week, i’ll tell you it is all sorts of nights.  We will be holding a TON of the workshops, at different times, and different places, all over these associated locations.  CrossFit Silos, Towne Lake and Bridgemill.  The Garage, HealthSprout, and Better Health By Design (Cumming).  Approximately 8 workshops, taught 20 different times.

Hope you are excited!  I am!  It is your time, the 60 Day Turnaround is coming!

Be Well and Be Blessed!  – Dr. E

Here on this momentous night (the night before the start of school for most of you Cherokee County families), I am considering the impact of the unexpected.  And how you deal.  It’s interesting for all of us if we think back to our childhood, and imagine a first day of school that didn’t go as planned.  Or perhaps a specific event along the way in our normal school day.  I can remember the day a girl, who had professed her love for me, turned on me and told me “(I) wasn’t worth one cent”.  I was 9 years old.  🙂

More importantly in my memories of the unexpected, is the morning of August 3rd, 7 years ago yesterday (Saturday), when I started the day like most.  Though this morning my wife and daughter were with Nana and Papa, as they had spent the night for Papa’s birthday (my father-in-law).  I got up as usual, went off to hockey, and found myself in the ER not much later.

I think often about those patients who I have had over the years who first are given a scare about a test result.  Then so many, it returns as negative, no concern, false alarm.  But for some, the next appointment is the shock.  The moment of truth.  What will you do?  Who do you trust?  Do you have faith in medicine, the Great Healer, a natural approach?  Cancer.  The most common killer of children, the third most common killer of adults after medicine and heart disease.  Not a word you want spoken to you, but not always as bad as you think.

For me, 7 years seems like a lot of time, for what didn’t take too long.  I was hit with a hockey puck.  I had played since I was 3 years old, and after a couple of collegiate national championships with Life University, and a strong effort to take our regional championships while at the University of Buffalo one year… I felt accomplished enough to trust myself on the ice without a mask, like so many of the ex-pros and other ex-college players that took to the ice with me every Thursday morning.

For me the moment that hit me like a ton of bricks was the one when I was in the ambulance with the EMT, and I was on the phone with my wife.  I was just telling her that I was hit in the eye with the puck, but I thought I would be ok.  Then the EMT gave me the reality pill…

EMT: You are not OK, your eye is not OK, your pupil is blown, and the eye is in very bad shape.

Me: How can you tell my pupil is blown, isn’t my eye swollen shut?

EMT: No!  I have it propped completely open right now.

Me: Oh  🙁

 The moment that I realized that I was at least temporarily blind, was the moment that I began fighting for my sight.  I immediately began praying, and I immediately considered my situation as one of hope and confidence.  Now, 7 years later, I feel the same.  Every year on the anniversary, I try to remember really hard, what it was like to see with two eyes.  How the world looked with depth, and what my field of view was like.  All to spur myself on towards a confidence in one day being healed.  I trust God to do it.

So when you are hit with the moment of, its over.  What do you do?  I was told that my eye had to be removed, but I wanted to keep it, as I believe God would heal me more readily with my existing eye still present.  I was told that I would go blind in my good eye if I kept the bad one, but I chose not to believe, I chose to believe that my immune system is one of intelligence, and that it would not attack myself, as I was told.

I believe the same can be said for you.  That at any point in time, a doctor will lay into you with a moment of fear, and most of you will think I am a fool when that happens, and you will follow whatever the doc tells you.  And sadly, you might come through the initial illness ok, but you will leave yourself weakened because of it.  Not able to fight against the damage done to your body.  4-8 years later, as you begin to face the secondary effects, you will then think of my words, and decide that there was value.

See, what I am telling you, is that you need to have faith first.  Faith that there is a healing path to all problems, to all damage to the body.  That you will be able to find a way.  Just like I wrote a few weeks ago, that all health starts with philosophy.  It also starts at the moment you are faced with a health challenge.  It is timing, as well as follow through, as well as commitment to the truth.  So when the unexpected hits you, or your mom or dad, or your sibling or spouse.  Don’t crumble under the stress.  Start with trusting in the body that you have been given, then turn towards the methods that will strengthen the vessel.

Be well and Be blessed!  – Dr. E

Natural News, one of the most widely visited health information web sites in the world, has reported that a recent study has shown a high level of GMO food products inside of most popular vitamins.  GMO – Genetically Modified Organism.  If you have heard my GMO talk, you will be scared to death if you are taking a vitamin from a source other than trusted!

GMOs are truly “hidden” in vitamins because the GM-derived ingredients are so heavily processed that all DNA is destroyed in the process, thereby destroying any footprint of genetic modification. Genetic ID tests, in other words, require particles of the food to remain relatively intact so that PCR lab equipment can replicate genetic sequences. Heavily processed ingredients such as high-fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin and ascorbic acid have no genetic material remaining, thereby sweeping their origins under the rug.

This is one reason who so many vitamins sold today are formulated with GMOs. This includes virtually ALL the popular multivitamin brands sold at grocery stores and pharmacies, by the way.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041416_GMO_vitamins_maltodextrin.html#ixzz2ambVQ740

Over the years we have written a number of daily sprouts on the toxicity of many vitamins.  We have proven that you need to take one produced by a trusted source.  But the first thing to consider, is why are you taking all of these synthetic garbage vitamins anyways?  Usually, it is a result of being misled.  You read an article that tells you it is good for your thyroid if you take a pill, so you decide to take it.  Then another article that you can boost your energy with a b-complex, so you take it.  And finally, you need to increase your whatever, so you take whatever.

I learned long ago that the over intake of processed garbage, is a great way to damage your GI tract, your liver and kidneys.  All in the name of nutritional health!  Advocare is a great example.  The garbage put out by this company knows no end.  Chemical laced garbage, followed by more chemically laced garbage.  Usually this company is listed in the lowest categories for nutritional value (by third party studies), and it is one of the most expensive.

But this leads me one step further, why are you taking multivitamins, or individual vitamins at all?  Do you know?  An apple has about 300 identifiable compounds when you consider enzymes, co-enzymes, vitamins, minerals, phyto nutrients and glyco nutrients in their entirety.  So why do you take a supplement that gives you 8-10 of these compounds?  Why not get all 300?  So a whole food supplement is the way to go.

Juice Plus is my best recommendation for whole food.  There are others out there, but I have yet to find one that is low temperature processed, grown organically, and better yet, GMO free!  You may have noticed the new Omega 3 product in our office… Pure Pharma.  Why?  Because we know that it is SUPER clean.  We have had questions of whether or not there was any soy in the prior fish oil that we carried, and we couldn’t get definitive straight answers.  So when I found Pure Pharma, and found the strong guarantees of no soy, I jumped in!  Clean through molecular distillation, which means no mercury.

You should know that one of the key concerns of buying omega 3 from GNC, Publix, Costco, etc.  Is that none of these products are distilled.  Which means the reason why you don’t eat fish (mercury) is likely the number one reason why you shouldn’t eat these products.  They are loaded with all the toxins from the sea.

So back to the GMO article –

The Non-GMO Project Verified website lists these ingredients as commonly harboring GMOs:

Amino Acids
Aspartame
Ascorbic Acid
Sodium Ascorbate
Vitamin C
Citric Acid
Sodium Citrate
Flavorings (“natural” and “artificial”)
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein
Lactic Acid
Maltodextrins
Molasses
Monosodium Glutamate
Sucrose
Textured Vegetable Protein (TVP)
Xanthan Gum
Vitamins
Yeast Products (such as yeast extract)

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/041416_GMO_vitamins_maltodextrin.html#ixzz2amkDKnvs

So how many of those ingredients are in your products?  I have done plenty of research on products that have ingredients like these in them, as I like to know what the hidden ingredients really mean.  It is kind of like I was teaching this past Tuesday night at the wine and cheese social.  Because alcoholic beverages are protected by law and do not need to reveal their ingredients (look, you’ll be shocked, no ingredient list) you have to know what the company is doing on their end.  Reputable companies can be more readily trusted (reputable means not large, and focused on healthy choices as a corporate culture).

So start considering what you should really be doing with your supplement choices.  Realize that it must be researched, and that we are doing our best to do that for you!  Be well and Be blessed!  Dr. E

I was sitting in church this morning, and the message hit me… pulled me back to a classroom about 9 years ago, when I was hit with the reality that being focused on the perimeter in life is no good, and the center is where it all comes from.  So I am going to re-write this “sermon” into what I think might be a good way to push you into the center of life and out of the perimeter.

First off, you don’t need to be a Christian to get something out of this, so don’t shy away.  The ideas of living along the margin vs the middle will impact anyone I will just add my own spin of Christ in.  So, what is on the periphery?  All the specific stuff, and as we look at the male model of living, it is loaded with this stuff that I love:

1. Business venture, creating and building, growing and leading.
2. Sport.  Fitness.  Achievement on a physical level.  Or for someone not inclined to fitness… building something, usual with our hands.  Man likes to get dirty in some way, sweat a little, and to achieve.
3. Wealth Management, saving, investing, outlining and planning.
4. The opposite sex.  Period.

Women tend to live differently.  From my observations I would say that we can put them into these areas:

1. Relationship building.
2. Communication.  Gossip at times, or at least interest in what others are doing, achieving, etc.
3. Shopping acquiring, beautifying.
4. Creating order.  This includes kids, but is not always evident in other areas until deeper inspection.  But most women appreciate order.

So it should be no wonder, that men are more susceptible to recessing into the deep dark quiet corners of life, and to never emerge to see a living person other than themselves, again.  Where as women, their periphery always leads them to other people.  Well, mostly.  This is why men are so messed up.  We get so caught up in the getting done of life, that we sometimes forget that there is a life happening.  I am in this phase right now, and I am pushing to get out of it, but i have been building and developing beyond my limits for a few years.  And now, I am trying to get things to that comfy stage, where I can rely more on team members and associates, and less on me.

Getting there… even with the opening of my new gym, CrossFit Bridgemill… I am getting there.  But just because I am deep into these things that are periphery, it doesn’t mean that I am out of the middle.  The middle.  Christ for me resides in the middle, and abundance flows through him.  But like I said earlier, you don’t have to be a Christian to flow with abundance.  I have met those people, as have you, who are a fully open book of abundance because they have a genuine love for those around them.

And now, we have arrived.

Love.  The middle is where we stop, and we recognize that love is key.  That deep down, I love you.  That I love my wife, my kids, my parents.  That I love my enemies.  That I might have anger towards someone who wronged me, but I love them.  I recently reached out to someone who had caused me some pain not to long ago.  In my reaching out, I gave a clear picture of how I felt about the incident, and I followed with a clear concern for where they are in the current moment.  Concern.  Why?  Because I love them.

Jumping out of the periphery, where we are focused only on those areas that are really superficial… superficial when present without the middle… is what brings meaning to the periphery.  Let me say that again more clear.

Being fit is useless.  Being rich is useless.  Being influential is useless. Having a relationship built on sex is useless.  Once you are an abundant being who blesses those around you more often than not: being fit will find importance and value, being rich will find benefit, being influential will bring change for good, and your relationships will flourish with true intimacy.

Its all pretty cool.

Christ said:

10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. 12 The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it. 13 The man runs away because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep.

I have told my daughters (borrowed this from Kyle Reese years ago if you know him), “In a moment I had an understanding for Christ’s love, for God’s love.  The moment was the moment you were born.”  – why daddy?  “Because in that moment I understood how he could love someone enough to die for them, without having physically met them.  Before I knew you other than a crying screaming baby, I would have died for you.”

At the center of the periphery, is the thing that implies importance.  It is a purpose, it is a more than a goal or a mission, it is a purpose.  And it starts with love.

Subluxation kills.  I have seen it.  Poor nutrition kills.  I have seen it.  Lack of exercise kills and I have seen that too.  If you want to be well, follow the truth.  Hopefully I will be able to find that truth to provide it for you.  Be well and Be blessed, ad please please please, bless someone else this day! – Dr. E

Ansley’s 3-Day Story

Posted on October 3, 2011 by DrEric in Daily Sprout No Comments

Nearly two years later – I want to tell you more.  If you read this one back in 2011, read on and see my conclusion…

Well, it has been an interesting three days.  It was Thursday evening when I received a call at the office from my wife as I was finishing the shift, and preparing for a doctor’s report.  She (Laura) was very upset, and felt confident that Ansley had broken her leg.  She was driving her to the office so that I could look at her, but more importantly so she could have me with them for a trip to the ER.

When I first checked Ansley out, I felt confident that she did not break her leg, she was calm and seemed fine.  Then… well then she moved her leg, and the crying was severe.  So, sure enough, after 5 hours in the ER, we came away with a spiral fracture of the right tibia, a possible salter harris fracture in the growth plate of the tibia as well (at the ankle).  Pretty bad break, and no real knowledge of how it happened.  However I have a point I would like to get to.

So my goal is to use this as an education piece.  We teach a lifestyle and a philosophy that governs that lifestyle, so when problems arise, so do questions as to how you should respond.  Ansley had never had a drug in her life, and the pursuit of that lifestyle is important, however the value of a drug for pain relief when you have a broken leg, is a little more important than a philosophical focus.

So we gave her a hydrocodone/tylenol mix in the ER, strong stuff, but I wanted to be sure that we gave her enough to get her home comfortably and into bed.  The nurses thought we were barbaric for simply letting her go as long as we did without pain meds (we held off until they were ready to cast her, as we wanted to make that part as comfortable as possible).  From that time, we have given her three doses of ibuprofen (infant version with the oral syringe), very low doses, and have done it only when it has been absolutely necessary.  Why?  We want her body to heal as well as possible, and according to articles like this one, we realize that sometimes a simple drug like ibuprofen can inhibit healing.

The body works best with NO interference, not just reduced interference.  We are designed to heal on our own, and when we interrupt that healing, we have no idea what the outcome is.  So comfort, but only the amount that is necessary. I will say, it is difficult when your children are in pain, but being wise to find other solutions will always bring the better outcome.  She has now learned how to move without contracting her leg muscles (not walk, she is in a wheelchair), but roll over, sit up, and scoot along on her bottom.  By working to teach her how to control whether she contracts her leg muscles or not, she has been very successful in NOT creating additional pain.

From here on out, the focus will be minimize meds, adjust regularly, a high level of nutrition in all areas, and a ton of rest.  Simple basic rules to health, live them out and trust.  I’ll keep you up to date as we go along… oh, and she fell from a playset wave ladder, no rungs in the ladder, just footholes, one of which we believe she got caught in as she fell, thus twisting and bending her leg, causing the break.  Brooke will be 7 in January and still has had no meds ever.  Should she fall off a horse one of these days (pray no) and break something… she’ll be medicated too.  It’s not a badge, it is simply a pursuit. Be well, be blessed!

-Dr. E

We will be showing a new movie in the coming weeks, one about the “science” of medicine.  Fantastic watch, that everyone needs to tune into.  But more so, Over the coming three weeks, we will be driving you to take a serious look at your supplementation spending habits.  Your dietary spending habits, your exercise habits, your commitment to a lifestyle.

I believe, and will always believe, that having an aligned spine is the MOST important piece to health.  But then you need to FEED that nervous system appropriately.  Tomorrow night at 7:30pm there is an open party at CrossFit Towne Lake where you will be educated.  You will be taught to take some steps.  It will be a tasting party with wine and cheese and other things.  Wine?  Cheese?  I thought we were getting healthy?   Yep, you need to know when, where, how, how not to, and why.

If you aren’t taking Juice Plus or a very comparable whole food supplement, you are missing out.   Period.  GNC will never do you right.  If you aren’t pushing towards 20 mg a day of Omega-3, you are missing out, and 50 billion probiotics daily, you are… yep you guessed it, missing out.  Start to learn now, and build towards our September Nutrition Challenge.

Like I said above… Be Well and Be Blessed!  – Dr. E