Bryan, a first time cleanser, began noticing the effects of his long work hours and daily lunch escapes on his 6’5 frame. He knew “something had to be done and soon.”  That is when he encountered his coworker, who did the Cleanse in January 2011, and was intrigued to learn more about her sense of confidence and “glow”.  That is when Bryan decided to participate in the Cleanse.  “Day 4: The beginning of the rest of my life. I felt so good that I couldn’t imagine going back to the old way of eating.”  Over the 21 Days, Bryan lost 25 pounds, noticed positive attitude changes, and others began to comment on his confidence and “healthy glow”.

The first Cleanse can be intimidating, but as you can see with Bryan’s experience, it’s very rewarding.  Teri first participated in our January 2011 Cleanse because she wanted to enjoy the potential benefit of greater clarity. Instead her body responded extremely well to the new eating habits and began to shed weight. “My body loves this cleanse and learning how to eat raw food. I now love vegetables that I previously wouldn’t try.” As of January 29^th, she has lost a total of 52 pounds and is down 3 clothing sizes, looks and feels great.  “After the first cleanse, my winter allergies went away altogether. My activity level has increased as my excess weight decreased and am now training for a 10K and loving it. This has changed my life.” Her transformation illustrates the drive, determination, and power of healthy eating to obtain your wellness goals.

We would like to congratulate everyone who has participated in the 21 Day Cleanse and hope it has made a positive impact and enlightened your relationship with food.  A special thanks to Bryan and Teri for sharing their success stories and continuing to inspire others. Please contact us if you would like to participate in our next 21 Day Cleanse beginning on June 4th.

 A 5 week old infant is brought to our center. He is unable to sleep and presumed to have colic.  Case history is revealing.  Mother is unable to breast feed and was given a supply of infant formula when leaving the hospital.  When colic symptoms arose, the pediatrician changed the formula three times settling on a product made Abbott Laboratories, Similac Alimentum.   When there was no change in the child’s sleepless symptoms the mother, afraid for her child’s health takes the infant to the emergency room.  The ER doctor at Children’s Hospital here in Seattle prescribed children’s Prilosec for this 5 week old infant.  Prilosec is a powerful antacid.  After 5 days of Prilosec and no change in his symptoms the mother comes to our center tired, emotional and afraid for her son. 

I downloaded the following from Abbott’s web site.

Ingredients

Unflavored Powder

 Similac Expert Care Alimentum Powder / 1-LB (454-g) SimplePac / Case of 6

Corn Maltodextrin (35%), Casein Hydrolysate [Derived from Milk] (18%), Sugar (15%), High Oleic Safflower Oil (10%), Medium-Chain Triglycerides (10%), Soy Oil (8%). Less than 2% of the Following: C. Cohnii Oil, M. Alpina Oil, Calcium Phosphate, DATEM, Potassium Citrate, Xanthan Gum, Magnesium Chloride, Monoglycerides, Salt, Ascorbic Acid, L-Cystine Dihydrochloride, Calcium Carbonate, L-Tyrosine, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Ferrous Sulfate, L-Tryptophan, Taurine, m-Inositol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, dl-Alpha-Tocopheryl Acetate, Zinc Sulfate, L-Carnitine, Niacinamide, Mixed Tocopherols, Calcium Pantothenate, Cupric Sulfate, Vitamin A Palmitate, Thiamine Chloride Hydrochloride, Riboflavin, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic Acid, Potassium Iodide, Potassium Hydroxide, Phylloquinone, Biotin, Sodium Selenate, Vitamin D3, and Cyanocobalamin.

While some of these ingredients are okay, others are alarming. 

Casein Hydrolysate is a good source of protein and High Oleic Safflower Oil is mostly Omega 9 fat.  Medium-Chain Triglycerides are found in coconut oil and are a good source of easily digestible fat.  Cohnii oil provides some DHA (essential omega 3 fat) however the amount is not listed. Alpina oil is an omega 6 fat and is also essential. 

The main ingredient in Similac however is Corn Maltodextrin (35%).  This stuff is classified as a complex carbohydrate however it acts in the body like a simple sugar flooding the blood stream with glucose.  It is a heavily process corn product with little nutritional value other than to raise blood glucose levels. 15% of this produce is listed simply as Sugar.  Simple math tells me that this product is essentially 50% sugar.  In contrast, human breast milk is about 7% sugar in the form of Lactose.  Not sure what percentage of infants and babies are using high sugar formula but might this explain (at least in part) the elevating rates of diabetes and sugar addiction in our country? 

In short, Similac is high in sugar, lacks proper nutrition, is heavily processed and should be avoided.  

Mothers who cannot breast feed have several options.  There are communities of local mothers who will donate their breast milk.  Alternatives include goat’s milk (4.8% lactose), which is what I recommended for this infant. 

So how is baby doing?  Now two weeks on a diet of goat’s milk and supplemental DHA and pro-biotics he is crying less, sleeping at night and taking naps like any other 7 week old infant.  I guess children’s Prilosec was not the answer after all. 

A reflex response by the doctor at Children’s Hospital to write a prescription is exactly why our current crisis management system of “healthcare” is failing.  It is expensive and inept.  Where did the medical doctor come up with this idea to give a 5 week old infant a drug like Prilosec?  Pharmaceutical companies and their representatives are well equipped and extremely effective at influencing medical decision making.  

Recently the World Health Organization ranked the United States 41^st in the world in infant mortality.  This means that children born in 40 other countries, some of them third world, have a higher survival rate in their first year of life than those born in the U.S.  This ranking is appalling and we as a country should be outraged.  The U.S is the most heavily medicated country in the world. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control:

• 48% of our population taking at least 1 prescription drug.   

• 1 in every 5 children and 9 out of every 10 older Americans reports using at least 1 prescription drug in the past month. 

• Spending for prescription drugs was 234.1 billion in 2008, which is more than double what was spent in 1999. 

The idea that we can pharmaceutical our way to better health is flawed and is proving to be untrue.  This trend is heading upward and the resultant health of our Country continues to head down.  We need to stop this madness!   

I welcome your comments.

Yours in Good Health,

Dr. Brian Graham

Chiropractor 

As we continue along with National Chiropractic Health Month we will continue to update with new ways to battle the mechanical effects caused by the advances of technology.  Today we are going to talk about a condition that is relatively new but becoming more prevalent.   I see it more and more with patients in our lobby and people on the street.  What I’m talking about is ‘text neck’.  Text neck is when people are in a head down position with their shoulders rolled forward looking down at the screen on their phone.  This condition is not exclusively reserved for texting but also for reading emails, watching tv on your phones or playing games, like angry birds.

Text neck is the result of poor posture over time when using a mobile device.  It causes loss of joint dysfunction that leads to stiffness, achiness and pain.  When these stresses are placed on the spine for longer periods of time it causes plastic changes in the neck, meaning changes that become more permanent and more difficult to correct.  Prolonged mobile device use will cause forward head posture similar to what we see with prolonged computer use.  Also this head posture continues it decreases our lungs capacity to take full breaths and increases the strength needed to hold our head upright.  Below are some good ways to prevent text neck and reduce the strain put on your neck and upper back from texting or playing games on your mobile devices.

How to avoid Text Neck:

• Sit up straight with your shoulders relaxed
• Bring your arms to eye level so you are looking forward at the screen not down at it
• Tuck your chin to your chest to look at the screen if you can’t bring the screen to your face

Check out the article attached and the video below for more tips and tricks on avoiding text neck.

Text Neck

Video on ways to reduce text neck from Dr. Amy Grabowski

Keep up the good work everyone!

Yours in Health

Dr. Kris Royal

Chiropractor

The primary source of these bad Omega 6 fats is from eating meat. Meat (beef, chicken and fish) provides an important source of protein and is not necessarily bad; however meat becomes very bad when the animals that we consume are fed a junk food diet. Farming practices in America concentrate on getting animals fat quickly as meat is sold by the pound.  Farmers have found that a very effective and inexpensive way to quickly fatten these animals is to feed them a steady diet of corn and soybeans. Recent research suggests that nearly 100% of chickens and 93% of our cows are exclusively fed corn. A major source of feed for our farmed fish is soybeans.  Animals that are fed an unnatural diet of corn and soy become rich sources of omega 6 fat when they are consumed by humans.     

One hundred years ago it is estimated that the average American consumed about 2 pounds of omega 6 fat per year. In those days the cows and chickens grazed on their natural food, green grass.  The fish that was consumed was wild.  Wild fish don’t eat soybeans; they survive on the green algae naturally found in our rivers, lakes and oceans.  Animals like fish, chicken and cows have the ability to take these green foods and convert them into omega 3 fatty acid.   As a result, these animals were a rich source of omega 3 fat when we consumed them. Today, due to our farming practices, the average American consumes 25 pounds of omega 6 fat each year.  In short, we are now consuming too much omega 6 fat and this has made us “super-inflamed”.

Essential fatty acids like omega 3 and omega 6 can be measured with a simple pin prick blood test currently offered at our center. Current research indicates that normal omega 3 and 6 ratio is 1:1 to 1:4. That is, one part omega 3 for every 1 to 4 parts omega 6. When our chemistry is in balance the risk of inflammation and chronic disease goes down. Studies tell us that the average American has a ratio of 1:25. This is totally out of balance and significantly elevates our risk for inflammatory disease and chronic pain.  

What to do:

1.        Increase dietary omega 3 fat

• Eat wild salmon, sardines and grass fed chicken and beef
• Supplement diet with high quality, clinical grade fish oil

2.        Reduce dietary omega 6 fat

• Limit consumption of non-grass fed animals
• Never consume farm raised fish
• Limit corn, soy, canola, and vegetable oils in your diet
• Never consume Hydrogenated oil
• Reduce consumption of all nuts (walnuts are exception)

3.       Eat more organic vegetables and fruit

Eating properly and avoiding excessive amounts of omega 6 fat is not easy. Our food industry has put omega 6 fats in the packaged foods that many of us regularly eat.  Restaurants often cook with corn and vegetable oils and then use these oils to make dressing for the salads that they serve.  Eating a salad drizzled with bad oil is not necessarily the healthy choice. I encourage all of you to review your dietary habits in an effort to reduce consumption of these bad fats; omega 6 fatty acids. 

I always welcome your comments!

Yours in Good Health,

Dr. Brian Graham

Chiropractic Loyalist

October is National Chiropractic Health Month. All this month we are going to be updating you on this years theme. Staying Techno-healthy. Now this doesn’t mean we are bringing back Depeche Mode; but we are going to be showing you ways to keep your spine and body healthy as we use our smartphones, laptops, and sit at our desks more and more. What I find in practice and observing people in public is that almost everyone is using their smartphone with their shoulders slumped, neck bent forward and low back rolled under them, so they look like Mr. Burns from the Simpsons.

Below are some tips from an article by the American Chiropractic Association:

• Keep the mouse in front of you instead of at the side and closer to the body, reducing the distance you have to hold your arm while using the mouse
• Ensure the mouse is the proper size for your hand. Too small and you’ll squeeze to hard.
•  Ensure you have a proper fitting chair and workstation
• Get up at least once per hour to reduce the strain put on your neck and wrist.

Attached is the article for further reading on some of the tips.

Mouse Ergonomics

This month on October 18th we will be doing an in office workshop on proper ergonomic work station set-ups
that I recommend anyone to come to. We will post more details about the event in the next week.

Yours in Health,

Dr. Kris Royal

Chiropractor

Coconut oil has been shown to reduce LDL’s and elevate HDL’s thereby creating a healthier ratio of bad and good cholesterol.   There is mounting evidence that chronic infection may be a contributing factor in coronary arteriosclerosis.   Coconut oil has antimicrobial effects (kills bacteria and virus) and may reduce heart disease rates by eliminating these pathogens.   The use of dietary coconut oil has been shown to reduce body fatand we all know that elevated body fat is bad for the heart.  Coconut oil has anti-inflammatory effects in the bodyand it is well established in the current studies in cardiology that inflammation plays a crucial role in coronary arteriolosclerosis.  

For access to studies please go to http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/Coconut%20Research-Coconut%20Research%20Center.pdf

Bottom line: consumption of coconut oil is very likely a healthy choice.  I began using coconut oil for cooking over 10 years ago.  I consume coconut oil on a regular basis and believe that enough evidence exists to recommend my patients do the same.  

I look forward to your comments.

Yours in Good Health,

Dr. Brian Graham

Chiropractor

 As a boy growing up in Eastern Washington I remember sneaking into the cherry orchards late at night with my neighborhood pals and eating cherries by the handful.  As it turns out, this incredible fruit is not only delicious, it is also extremely beneficial for good health.

Cherries are rich sources of Vitamin C, Potassium and Boron (a mineral that plays an essential role in bone health, especially for women).  Cherries have anti-inflammatory properties and help to naturally reduce arthritic pain and heart disease. 

According to research done at Michigan State University the anthocyanins that make cherries red could also help relieve pain more effectively than aspirin.  This research concludes that cherries are as good as ibuprofen and some of the nonsteriodal anti-inflammatory drugs for people’s pain. 

Another study from the University of California at Davis found that a single dose of cherries reduced blood level of uric acid in healthy women.  Excess uric acid causes gout, a very painful type of arthritis.  The use of cherries to prevent gout is well established in Western folk medicine. 

Remember:  always buy organic. Pesticides on conventionally grown cherries are difficult to remove making cherries #7 on the dirty dozen list of fruits and vegetables never to consume unless organic. 

Yours in good health,

Dr. Brian Graham

Chiropractor

Over the years we have successfully treated hundreds of disc problems with conservative chiropractic care.  Patients present with leg and arm pain, many with MRI verified disc herniations and chiropractic care combined with the fine work of Dr. Groven in our rehabilitation center gets most of these patients better.  Years ago we were still referring about 30 to 40 percent of these cases for surgical intervention because our efforts just didn’t help everyone; however these referrals have dramatically declined over the past 5 years.  Lumbar decompression using the DRX 9000 has made all the difference, reducing our referrals for surgery to less than 10 percent for lower back cases.  Think about that. Less than 10 percent of disc herniations require surgery when proper conservative measures are employed.   

I met a new patient yesterday.  A 38 year old man who’s fitness level is in the top 2% for his age.  The guy is an athlete. He was referred by his primary care physician for evaluation of his lower back.  As of three weeks ago, he is a failed lower back surgical case.  Sure, his lumbar microdiskectomy was a miracle for him just after the surgery back in 1992.  He lasted almost 10 years and did very well.  Now he is 38 years old.  The effects of the heroic surgery have worn off and he is left with significant challenges.  The surgery removed the pressure from his nerve and provided him immediate pain relief 10 years ago.  The surgery also caused damage to the surrounding tissues and altered his neurology.  The surgery didn’t treat the biomechanical cause of his disc herniation, it only removed the nerve pressure thereby effectively treating his symptoms.  His entire lumbar spine was left under abnormal biomechanical load and over time degenerative disease set in.  THIS GUY IS 38 YEARS OLD and his story is not unique.  The majority of lower back surgical interventions eventually do fail and those patients are left with more problems than they started with.  The 10 good years he reaped from this surgery really amounts to nothing for this 38 year old athletic man I met yesterday.  Fortunately there is hope.  The chiropractic adjustment he received yesterday made his pain more tolerable.  He, like most guys in his situation, felt better after treatment.  I am hopeful that with the resources we have at our center, we can help.  But I sure do wish I could have got my hands on him before the surgery. 

A recent study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics entitled Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study, compares chiropractic care with surgical intervention for MRI verified lower back disc herniations.  The study concluded that “Sixty percent of patients with sciatica who had failed other medical management benefited from spinal manipulation to the same degree as if they underwent surgical intervention. Of 40% left unsatisfied, subsequent surgical intervention confers excellent outcome. Patients with symptomatic LDH failing medical management should consider spinal manipulation followed by surgery if warranted.”  FANTASTIC RESULTS!!  But here is the deal.  That 40% that didn’t respond to good chiropractic care (these researchers used side posture adjustments just like we use), would likely respond to decompression therapy on the DRX 9000.  There are currently 6 patients in the clinic rehabilitating with decompression therapy.  All 6 failed to get better under chiropractic care alone and these patients would have been sent off to the surgeon had they participated in this study.  Instead they began a course of decompression.  All 6 are responded favorably and will avoid surgery.  The problem is being solved.  No surgery.  No scar tissue.  No long term disability.

Bottom line:  DON’T LET YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY GET SURGERY WITHOUT TRYING THIS FIRST.  There is virtually no need to have lower back surgery these days.  It’s archaic and will soon be discarded.  Years ago everyone with a sore throat needed their tonsils removed and hysterectomy was common place.  Disc surgery will fall by the way side because there are other treatments that are more effective, less invasive, less expensive and provide better long term outcomes. Chiropractic works.   

Please send me your comments. 

Yours in Good Health,

Dr. Brian Graham

Chiropractor

Monday May 23rd will be Movement Monday

- be prepared to move it or lose it.

Tuesday May 24th is Touch your Toes Tuesday and Wellness Talk

-          Come test your flexibility and join a talk at 6pm on improving and attaining a higher level of wellness. 

Wednesday May 25^th is Wellness Wednesday

-          This day is all about figuring out your wellness goals.  Patients are encouraged to ask the doctor questions about your health and wellness goals.

-          We are also giving away a complimentary stability ball to anyone who refers a friend or family member who calls to schedule during this week.

Thursday May 26^th is Thirsty for Water Thursday

-          Learn about proper hydration and spinal disc health.

Friday May 27^th is Fight Free Radical Friday

-         Come learn how to prevent free radical formation and improve your nutrition to keep your cells healthy.

-          We will have some samples and surprises in the office that day so feel free to stop on by.  It is supposed to be SUNNY on Friday so fight those free radicals!

Looking forward to seeing many of you this upcoming week.  Feel free to stop by anytime and see what is new for the day.

Best of Health,

Dr. Kristopher Royal

The chiropractic profession has also changed significantly over the past 19 years gaining more and more acceptance in the health care community.  I’m finding that chiropractic is not just gaining acceptance, its gaining respect.  As an avid student of health care, I find myself reading more and more studies demonstrating how effective and powerful chiropractic is.  While not news to me, this information is definitely having an impact on how we as chiropractors are viewed by the public and our medical piers. 

In a recent study published in Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, April 2011, the lead medically trained researcher made some comments that really drives this point home.  The results of the study were not much different then dozens of other studies published in the past several years have concluded: Chiropractic is more effective than any other form of treatment for back pain. 

• Chiropractic gets people out of pain faster
• Chiropractic keeps people pain free longer
• Chiropractic lowers health care cost
• Chiropractic reduces time loss from work
• Chiropractic reduces long term disability
• IN SHORT:  CHIROPRACTIC WORKS!!

What struck me in this article is that this medical researcher found that patients who treated without the interference of their medical doctor recovered better.  He found that when the medical doctor co-treated the patient with pain medication and anti-inflammatory drugs, patients took longer to get out of pain and back to work.  He found that co-treated patients (and medically treated patients) were more likely to be permanently disabled.  This author further implied that when some patient’s in the study began to see a chiropractic physician, they relied on their medical doctor less in general.  He even had a term for this.  He called these patients “chiropractic loyalist” and stated that patients who appeared to be “chiropractic loyalist” generally did better than others in the study.  Interesting.

During an initial consultation this week I met a new patient who had a variety of health issues.  She suffers from back and neck pain prompting her visit, but she also struggles with digestive disorders, poor energy and difficulty in losing weight since delivering her 2^nd child.   She was frustrated, emotional and sick and tired of being sick and tired.  After a 50 minute consultation and examination with her she said something very revealing about the state of health care in our country. She said that in her medical doctor’s office there is a sign on the wall in the exam room that informs patients that they must limit their complaints to one primary condition in an effort to save time.  She shared her experience with that visit where she got about 5 minutes to speak with her doctor, was never physically touched and then left her office with yet another prescription for medications she was tired of taking.    This patient was looking for someone who could help her, she didn’t care what letters they have after their name.  I believe that she has already become a “chiropractic loyalist”. 

Health defined: “Health is a state of optimal physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity”.  Crisis management with chemicals is not health care! 

As I reflect on this last year I have others to pay tribute to, my patients and the patients who frequent our center.  Many have become “chiropractic loyalist” and are now experiencing a vital, energetic and pain free life.  They practice health care not crisis management.  They limit medication use and seek alternatives to invasive procedures.  They are advocates for holistic health care and find our center a vital resource in assisting them in their health care goals. 

Our team is truly lucky to have the opportunity to serve our patients who are “chiropractic loyalist”.  More and more people are using the services in our office to remain healthy and avoid crisis.  They are taking responsibility for their own health in a proactive way and not using pain as their guide.  Health is a journey, not a destination. You are either working to remain healthy or you are gradually heading toward crisis.

Please share your thoughts.

Yours in Good Health,

Dr. Brian Graham  “chiropractic loyalist”