60 Day Turnaround

Pyramid time!

No, I don’t mean get your friends together and see if you can pile up on top of each others back (eight is enough style… ok, who knows what I’m talking about?)  I mean our workout is going to be shaped like a pyramid.  For this workout, you are going to need to once again have a rough measurement of 400M (1/4 mile).  Or you can simply pick any distance you want and repeat that distance (down to the Magnolia tree in front of the yellow house and back).

So as a reminder for some of you who do not exercise… it is an absolute necessity of health.  So if you tell me you care about your health, and then you tell me “I am not currently exercising”, I will quite bluntly let you know that you do not care about your health enough.  It’s kind of like saying, “I care about my diet, but right now, just for a little while, I am eating nothing but the worst food I can find.  But it’s only for a short while, so don’t worry, I’ll get back to it soon”.

Ridiculous.  Doesn’t work, because damage done, is damage that now must be overcome.  Same with exercise, the decline in your bio-chemical pathways, your hormonal system, your oxygen delivery system… damage to tissues that are dependent on as much oxygen as possible which are not getting that oxygen… it is all now future effort to overcome.

I have recently enjoyed the book “Born To Run” (and I do not at all consider myself a runner by the way), and I will write a Daily Sprout on it soon, however for now I just want to say that we were all born to run, so todays WOW has some running in it.

The workout.

30 Squats (no weight, just you), start this motion by pushing your butt back, keep your chest up as high as you can and use your arms in front of you to counter-balance.  Squat as low as you can, I prefer your hip joint is below the top of your knee.

Run/walk – 400M (or whatever distance you have prescribed)

30 Push-ups

Run/walk – 800M (do your first distance twice)

30 Push-ups

Run/Walk – 400M

30 Squats

As always with the workout of the week, your focus is to do this as FAST as you possibly can.  Record your time, then log onto our website, and post your results to this workout.  That way you will have the ability to search it out later on and check your results when you choose to do it again.

One more thing.  All of you are competitive.  Even those of you who are saying, “nah, I don’t care about winning”.  WRONG.  You actually do, we all do, it is programmed in you, some more than others of course, but everyone likes to win.  Trust me, you have some competition that you like to win… card game, board game, solitaire on the computer, most sales in your office, best voice in the church choir… something you have a desire in you to do the best.   Because we know that we can leverage that desire to do more good with your fitness, I love the idea of you getting someone to do this with you.  Don’t talk up the “race” if it makes you uncomfortable, just let yourselves push each other.

Enjoy!

Dr. Eric

Toxic Body Testing (through hair analysis) is coming.

If you have been tested before, it is likely time for a re-test.

$85 to be tested, you can sign up on paypal.

http://www.healthsprout.com/services/toxic-body-detoxification/

We love it! Absolutely marvel at its taste!! However, there were days when it made me feel really ill, and kind of disgusted actually. Weird how a food can be a favorite, and then quickly be relegated to “sick of it”.

Almonds have some really awesome properties to them. The greatest of which is the high presence (about 62%) of omega-9 fatty acid (oleic acid). Omega-9 is not of any really substantial value when we consider its omega classification (the 9’s are neutral acids, where O-3 is highly valuable as a source for neuropeptides and hormones, and O-6 is good for general cellular usage, O-9 can be utilized in both, and does not have the negative impact on health that O-6 does when ingested in high volume).  In addition, Oleic acid seems to be very closely tied to reduced blood pressure (clinically significant in olive oil trials).

So, the riddle is two fold.  First, why is it that you can really enjoy the taste of this nut butter one day, and not like it at all the next?  Of course this is true of many foods, but more significantly with certain nut butters, especially those high in the omega – 9 foods.  Fat, is in a world all of its own, because it takes such unique digestive enzymes.  The breakdown of fats in the intestine is largely dependent on the production and secretion of lipase in the pancreas.

Your ability to stimulate enough lipase production is dependent on lifestyle, and the learning that your body goes through based on that lifestyle.  So for many who have tried nut butters, you have found yourself with a negative emotional response after eating too much, because too much made you feel a little ill.  This feeling passes with greater use over time.

Now some of you might be wondering why all the fuss over almond butter.  Well, because we preach high-fat diet here, and the easiest way to get healthy fats, is through nuts or nut butters.

The second part of the riddle, has to do with raw or roasted.  Of course, anyone who has ever read about nuts and health, will have heard that it better be raw.  And the reason, is that fats breakdown and become rancid at high heat, so it makes for an oil that was a healthy oil, to now… an unhealthy oil that you are consuming.  In addition, raw nut butters will go through less separation, and even less if they are crunchy vs creamy.  So you end up with a much easier food to enjoy.

My favorite is Trader Joe’s Raw Creamy Almond Butter.  The consistency is perfect, and it allows you to enjoy it without a significant amount of stirring before use!

So bottom line, Almonds are really good for you, and you have options here that will either make your taste buds more pleased, or in a hurry to forget what you just ingested.  Eating a high level of  fat will also improve your fat burning and utilization rate!  May 14th, there is a One Day Extreme Makeover coming to Kennesaw with the other Maximized Living Doctors, you should consider signing up now!

Thanks a bunch, hope to see your mouth stuck together sometime soon! – Dr. E

Funny word.  It is one that is used very frequently in our culture in business relationships, and in arranging plans for the future, “I have a commitment at 1PM, how does 3 work?”  But when I look at the word’s definition, I think we sometimes use it lightly in our typical day to day conversations.

The definition from the Miriam-Webster Dictionary says this:

Compiled by Dr. Levi

This is an excerpt from one of the top strength coaches in the world, Martin Rooney, on his reflection of physical training and life:

Everything about the world today revolves around instant gratification.  In a way some of the technology is actually making it more difficult to stay healthy and to stick with our goals.  If you don’t believe me, let me tell you about a few of the technological and human changes that have occurred over the last decade and you can make your own decision.  Today, if you want your food cooked in a second, you put it in a what?   A microwave.  The food doesn’t have to be prepared, and it doesn’t really have to be good for you either.  As long as you can have it quickly, most people will eat it.  Although this speeds up the eating process and makes food more accessible, the quality is poor and the quantity is high.  As a result, we’re physically getting soft and more diseased.

Today, if you want any piece of information in a split second anywhere in the world, you go on what?  The internet.  I remember having to look up my own sources, qualify what I was reading, and actually read the books!  Today’s youth are misinformed about many areas from the internet and lose their resourcefulness when it comes to education.  They also spend hours upon hours a day sitting in poor postures getting out of shape.

Today, if you want access to any person at any second, you call them on what?  A cell phone!  This great device may make us accessible, but it’s also helping us to lose our powers to memorize phone numbers, addresses, and appointments, and it increases car accidents at the same time.  All these technological accelerators have one thing in common- they’re taking away our ability to think and experience.   To me, that’s very scary.

I want to ask one more challenging question about technology.  If you want to be in great shape in a second, you do what?  What’s wrong? No answer here that technology can provide? No simple way to spend zero energy and eat poorly and still get fit?  That’s right.  There’s no quick fix here.  There’s nothing that will ever replace good old-fashioned hard work and practice.  Not only that, this is where your life happens one plateau at a time.

Think about your own experience.  You may have become frustrated with your physical or technical progress because you thought it was too slow or not enough.  You may have even quit at the point when progress was right around the corner.  Instead of focusing on the results, imagine focusing on the moment.  It was there that life was happening.

Dr. Levi:

By the way, in case you didn’t notice, the guy in the picture doesn’t have any legs, forearms, hands, or feet.  And I suspect he’s not waiting to grow any either. He’s doing today what many are waiting for tomorrow to do. He’s in the moment.

We have been watching sugar substitutes with a very cautious eye for years now.  And in most cases, even though sugar is so detrimental to your insulin receptors, and your leptin receptors (thus effecting all hormones in the body), I would say that evil sugar, is better than the other option.

Now to clarify, the other option I am talking about are the artificial sweeteners that you all know about.  Saccharin, Aspartame and Sucralose or Splenda.  I know many of you might have invested heavily in the Splenda option, simply because of good marketing.  “It’s made from sugar, how can it be bad?”  Well have you ever stopped to ask where anything else is made?  It isn’t like they are making any sugar substitute from crude oil!

Well, Dr. Mercola recently published a new article on Splenda, and it is worth reading if you are questioning whether or not the substitute is safe for consumption.  Here is a short excerpt from that article:

Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that artificial sweeteners can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In fact, diet sodas may actually double your risk of obesity!

How’s that for being misled?

Studies have repeatedly shown that consuming artificial sweeteners may be ruining your ability to control your food intake and body weight. For example, I have listed the results of six studies on aspartame that found it increases hunger and body weight on my Aspartame Studies page, andresearch on other artificial sweeteners have come to the same conclusion.

(If you are reading this in the office, be sure to check it out online for all of the highlighted links above)

The good news is that there are two sugar substitutes that we recommend for their cleanliness and ability to be processed normally in the body, as well as their lack of calorie.  The reason why we are “cool” with these two sweeteners is:

1. They have no harmful chemicals attached to the molecules that provide the sweetness (unlike the other three mentioned above).
2. They do not have any insulin responsiveness (do not raise blood sugar) unlike sugar, raw sugar, succanat, honey, agave nectar, maple syrup (even the “healthy” sugars are VERY unhealthy at any significant level).
3. They appear harmless according to studies and theoretical modeling.  One thing we always caution, is that you NEVER know for sure about the potential harm of a molecule, until years of consumption have gone by!

Xylo – Sweet is a form of Xylitol, which is a sugar alcohol, with very low carbohydrate, but a bunch of sweetness.  It has been shown to be very benign in its effect on blood sugar and insulin responsiveness, yet its sweetness and characteristics are that of sugar.  It is a very effective 1-1 replacement for sugar.  You can buy this at Harry’s/Whole Foods, as well as Good Nutrition on HWY92 in Woodstock.  This is my preferred sweetener for anything that might be fruit based, or if it is baked in the oven.

Stevia Leaf extract is a very sweet molecule, that comes from the leaf of a stevia plant (which will grow very nicely here in GA).  Stevia leaves (the whole leaves) are amazingly sweet tasting, and will provide a bit of the sugar feeling when you eat the leaf.  The refined powder is very different, harvesting the molecule that imparts taste.  This powder has absolutely NO carbohydrate, and thus no sugar increase at all.

I am a HUGE fan of stevia when it is used to sweeten chocolate or vanilla.  Pure Cacao with the right amount of stevia gives you a 100% dark chocolate explosion that is fantastic.  I am a master of the organic decaf coffee (more on why decaf in another sprout sometime), where I have mastered the taste options of nutmeg, cinnamon, cacao, and vanilla.  The one I love, is the cacao, with just the right amount of stevia… it tastes like hot chocolate!  Add a pinch too much, and it gets thrown in the sink.

Stevia is that sensitive, one second you are making something just right, a second later, you have added too much and you will have a hard time doing anything with your dish besides throwing it down the drain.  Stevia is available just about everywhere now, but I would check the prices carefully as some stores still charge an unnecessary premium for their product.

The reason why all of this is so important?  Well, cancer is one.  Make the wrong choices for too many years, and you have some very carcinogenic conditions that you have created.    I want you healthy 🙂  !

Be well – Dr. E

HealthSprout’s ten year annivesary is right around the corner, it was May 1, 2001 when I got this office opened. Some of you know the other history.

It was a mon later that I opened a Roswell office, not long after that came Alpharetta, then Dunwoody and downtown at the same time, followed by Acworth and Lawrencevile. Shortly after that (two years), my goal was to get rid of them, or re-model them. After closing down Alpharetta and opening Cumming it was clear that the best bet would be to close them down.

And now I sit in a place that is to me, my obvious calling. Before this I was not fulfilling what I was really called to do. I could have kept it going, but it wasn’t me. This however, allows me to focus on you, and individually leading people to greater health is what I was designed for.

So here we are, ten years in, and I wanted to recall some of the greatest chiropractic stories that have graced our office. I won’t give you the big details, but as I think it through, I want to share some stories.

It was only about six months in when I had my first patient who was told she could no longer get pregnant. Two boys, the youngest was about five, told her ovarian function was gone, and three months into care and she was pregnant. It was right around this time that Kaylee began her path to be seizure free (most have you had heard about her in the doctor report).

In the coming three years, amazing stories came like crazy, and I went from a cautious educator about chiropractic, to one who believed miracles could happen anywhere. I had an older gentleman regain hearing, a middle age woman regain sight (yeah, that one has given me great hope), and a very compelling story about a man who had no kidney function in five years, who suddenly began producing urine again!

I have seen several very miraculous cancer healing stories, one that was truly a creative miracle from God, to one of my more recent ones that unfolds new amazing pieces to it every week. Lymphoma battle that was won, which usually does not turn out that way. A recent prostate cancer patient who was cancer free in is last test two weeks ago.

I have had more than ten kids who were dx with asthma, and actively using nebulizers and inhalers, who spontaneously were healed following their chiropractic care. Though you never get the same excitement from a child who is healed, you get ten times as much out of the parent!

We have seen many migraine patients healed, and in those rare cases that did not respond to chiropractic as we hoped, they typically responded to detoxification and diet changes.

I guess the point of my sprout today, is that I want to celebrate the victories that we have seen in my office,and I want to recognize that they have come more and more as we have seen our office fall into line with my true calling.

I appreciate your faith in our efforts, join us next Monday as we celebrate our ten year anniversary!

My favorite “holiday”.

Though it doesn’t carry that emotional feeling of warmth for me, like Christmas does… and it doesn’t give me something to look forward to like I do for the cookout/ family party plans of fourth of July.  I actually get slightly depressed leading up to Easter, and I get really excited at the same time.

My depression (which is pretty mild), is the sadness I feel over the pain that Christ suffered on the cross on that day, the day that I consider a savior was born.  But even if you don’t believe in Christ as the Messiah, you cannot deny the painful situation of a Man who taught love to everyone, Who was then crucified for that teaching.  I feel sad for the event, but overjoyed for the outcome.

And I et excited because I love sharing this message with you guys, with my daughters, and anyone else who will listen.  The message is that beyond Christ’s love for the world, is a call for us to love the world as He did.  The world being each other.  And I can’t tell you enough how that love will change your health.  I believe a great secret is revealed in the commandment to love one another as Christ has loved you (John 13:34-35), it is a secret to health.

Once again last night, I stood in front of a group of people in my office and presented the Doctor’s Report, and in that we spoke of stress, and the debilitating mess that it creates in your body.  And of all of the fantastic things that I could do with your spine, and that I could teach to you about your body and how it works, the greatest is to tell you that living as love, will change your life more than anything else!

I don’t have much influence outside of this office on the way you’ll behave.  Now some of you would tell me otherwise, and it is true that some of you do almost anything I ask you to.  You are motivated, looking for life change, and you press on to achieve that.  But many of you will not change your diet, or your exercise… you’ll consider doing traction once in awhile, but the real changes outside of our team getting your power flowing every time you step in our office, aren’t happening.  It is OK, I am just making a clear statement.

So if you are in that boat, I will ask this one thing of you, and only for this weekend.  Love the person who sits next to you at all times, in all things, no matter what.  Show respect and honor to Christ for His sacrifice, by following His commandment to love.  It doesn’t have to be much, but I bet if you are really intentional about it, even excessive love will come easy for you!  I truly love you, my patient, my reader, my staff, my associate… however you are quantified in your relationship to me.  Though I might not reach out and show it enough… when God reveals the blessings that we all have, and the possibilities that still exist, and the blight that we could have been in… I am thankful enough to want nothing more than to show reverence through obedience.

Happy Easter, be blessed!  Dr. E

By Dr. Mercola –

(Partial Re-Print — visit www.mercola.com for the full article)

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) claims that backscatter scans are safe. But how do medical professionals personally feel about it?

Many doctors don’t opt out of the scans. Dr. Drew Pinsky calls the amount of radiation “inconsequential.” However, some researchers question whether the manufacturers’ measurements are valid — the exposure to radiation may actually be 10 times more than what the manufacturers claim.

And Dr. Otis Brawley, chief medical officer of the American Cancer Society, takes a pat-down instead of going through a scanner when he travels. Brawley’s deputy, Dr. Len Lichtenfeld, has the same opinion.

According to CNN:

“Lichtenfeld says it doesn’t necessarily give him great comfort that the TSA says the scans are safe. ‘I can still remember getting my feet radiated as a child when I went to the shoe store and they had a machine which could see how my foot fit in the new shoes,’ he says. ‘We were told then that they were safe, and they were not.'”

Dr. Mercola’s Comment:

The issues associated with the use of so-called “naked body scanners” at airport security checks across the US and other countries have not let up, although most mainstream media have dropped the topic.

For example, Governor Jesse Ventura filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) back in January, claiming the advanced pat-downs violated his privacy, his 4th Amendment right, and legally meet ‘the definition for an unlawful sexual assault’.”

Although these privacy violations are indeed troublesome, from my perspective as a physician, the issue of whether or not the “backscatter” scanners (which use ionizing radiation) are in fact safe takes precedence. And there are still gaping holes where solid scientific data should be.

Safety Studies Still Lacking… Why?

For starters, although this screening method was mandated back in February of 2009, no one has as of yet conducted any real safety studies—a fact recently pointed out by John Sedat, a biochemistry and biophysics professor, in an interview with WIRED magazine:

“[T]he airport scanners penetrate to about skin level. That means there is a high concentration of radiation on a single organ — the skin — which was not accounted for in the Johns Hopkins report,” Sedat said.

“The “correct way” to test any such technology is to use mice and appropriate tissue-culture cells and see if there is a biological response. That kind of stuff has never been done,” he said.”

The Johns Hopkins report he’s referring to was done by the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory and published in October 2009. It’s still the leading and most often-cited study concluding that the scanners are medically safe.

But there are still plenty of disagreements within the scientific and medical community about the veracity of these claims. And the fact that no biological tests have been performed is certainly disconcerting when you consider that these machines have now been deployed for two years.

Personally, as a very frequent air traveler, I ALWAYS opt out of the scanner. Because even if the radiation dose is minute (and that’s IF), I’m not willing to risk my health by exposing my entire body to minute doses on a regular basis.

Dr. Eric –

I recommend you read the rest of this article.  It helps you understand that you are at the whim of what is around you.  The notion that it is all safe, because how would THEY let them do it if it wasn’t.  Is as false as false can be.

If a new chemical is introduced to the market, the testing for safety of that chemical is largely in the hands of the producer, and for the most point it is relegated to time on the market will determine its safety.  We do so many things poorly when it comes to our health, this is just one more.  My wife got patted down heading to New Orleans… and she didn’t mind it much more than a bit  🙂

Be well – Dr. E

This is Healthy Spine Week!!  So why in the world does it matter so much?  Honestly, the answers are endless, and they start with supporting the mobile food pantry.  During Healthy Spine Week, every person who you refer to have their spine checked out, will have the chance to do it for $25 (this includes scan, x-rays, exam) and if they say they are referred by the Mobile Food Pantry, we will not only give that $25 to the pantry, we will match it!

In addition you can bring in all the canned and boxed food items that you really shouldn’t have anyways… and though it might sound odd that I say you shouldn’t eat it, so bring it in… well, if someone is malnourished, step one is edible, step two is healthy.  The mobile food pantry will provide for anyone in need including, of course the homeless in the Marietta area.  Christ’s love is shared through giving and providing for the needs of others as the mobile food pantry is brought into the streets in Marietta on the weekends. It will be stocked with food items and non food items such as sleeping bags, candles, detergent, wash clothes, tarps, etc; we would welcome your other gifts as well.

So, it is an important reason to support our efforts this week, but we still haven’t gotten the big one.  The big reason is… saving lives.  Sometimes it takes a well written reminder, so that you don’t so easily forget why YOU are here, and why the growth of our efforts will positively impact your life beyond your intentions for health.  Let me help you out with this.

We base our office on five foundations of health, and he have been teaching them for ten years.  Before all the buzz words of today were out there in the world (colon cleanse, P90X…), we were teaching sound principles.  Simple and black and white…

1. Solid foundation for low stress and high self esteem living.  We call this peace.
2. The highest level of nervous system function that you can achieve, we care for the spine to aid in this process.
3. Proper balance in nutritional intake, insuring that you are getting the good that you need.
4. Exercise.  The goal is to maximize lean muscle and oxygen delivery to your body.
5. Reduced toxin living.  Detoxification is part of this, but first comes reduced toxin living, if you hope to give detox the chance that it deserves.

You see, at the beginning of every health crisis that exists, you have one or more of these five principles that was out of balance, period.  There is nothing more than this, every single health problem can be traced back to one of these… if it is a genetic predisposition… guess what, that genetic breakdown occurred in one of your ancestors because of… you guessed it, one of the five.  By committing to constantly improving yourselves in these areas, you are committing to the lowest risk of health problems that you can get!

OK, so let’s talk about why it is good to refer, and I am NOT talking about back pain patients (they are fine, but are you talking about health to the people you know?), I am talking about anyone.  One of the greatest reasons to do so, is the health of those individuals, however, there is another self motivated reason.  For your increased health and that of your family.

If you surround yourself with people who are committed to health, like you are, then guess what?  It all gets easier.  I could never make as many wise choices as I do, if it weren’t for the fact that I am surrounded by YOU!  Our mission is about the community, it always has.  We take it seriously, and we take the importance of our mission as the greatest thing in front of us.  People are getting sicker and sicker because of the drug this, drug that mentality that rules this country.  If we are to change it, we need your help!

Thank you for caring, be blessed!

Dr. E