More Birthdays!

Today is my friend Tiffany's birthday! Everyone wish her a happy birthday! We shall celebrate tomorrow at a hip place in uptown called Sambuca that she has wanted to try and everyone around will go and it will be a great time. :)

With her birthday, I'm realizing that I am old. Not in number, but in soul. You may laugh, but I am serious. I was talking to another friend yesterday, and we realized that we had spent all of our lives in school and while other people our age have families with children to keep them young, we have our careers. Not that I don't love what I do, but I always imagined having children sooner rather than later because I want to enjoy them while I am young. I say them like there even is a them. Maybe one child someday. The friend I was talking to is 27 and her husband is 30. Those numbers just seem so much older than we are! Ahhh, it's a sad day when you finally face your mortality.

Fats For Thought

This just in...fat on your hips is better for your brain! I read a new research article today that suggests that women with an hourglass figure may on average be brighter and have more clever children. Go women with back! One possible reason is the greater percentage of omega 3 fats found on the hips. The study examined 16,000 women and girls, and found that women with a greater difference between the waist and hips scored significantly higher on cognitive tests, as did their children. Those with a waist-to-hip ratio between 0.6 and 0.7 achieved the highest scores. Fat around hips and thighs holds higher levels of omega 3 fats, which are essential for the growth of the brain during pregnancy. Fat around the waist may have higher levels of omega 6 fats acids, which are less well suited to brain growth. Good sources of your omega 3's which you must receive from nutrition because your body doesn't produce them are fish, flax seed, and walnuts.



While on the subject of fats, do you know the best oils to cook with? I would only have two in my kitchen. Probably the most well know would be extra virgin olive oil. Another one that is even better than that is coconut oil. I've been hearing about coconut oil for a little while but just now started using it. When looking for oils, you want to have saturated fats. Saturated fats don't have any double bonds in them and therefore are easy for your body to reuse. Unsaturated and trans fats are not easy to break down and your body ends up storing them instead of utilizing the free energy. Coconut oil is also high in omega 3's. Corn, sunflower, safflower and vegetable oils are high in omega 6's and not helpful. So start melting that coconut oil, girls and be proud of those birthing hips!

Vaccinations

I log into my yahoo page and look at the top stories: "Despite mandatory childhood vaccinations, chickenpox is on the rise in North Texas." Interesting. It states that as of 2001, Texas requires all children entering kindergarten to receive the chickenpox vaccination. I have to question the reasoning behind this. Is it merely for convenience purposes (I don't have time for my child to be sick) or is it monetary (whoever makes that vaccine is now rolling in dough and the FDA actually may be receiving kick backs for mandating it). I don't really see any other purpose to eradicate chickenpox. It can be serious in adult cases where the adult was never exposed to the virus and it can lead to shingles later on in life but a mandatory vaccination? Really? Well, it must really be working well considering the rise in chickenpox AFTER the vaccination has been out for a while. Ha. Way to go FDA! Thanks for making the chickenpox mutate and become a serious illness where before it was a mild childhood nuisance.

I often have parents question the debate on vaccinations. It is a highly controversial debate and ultimately up to the parents. In no way am I telling people not to vaccinate their children. That being said, I have done much research and know that I, personally will not be giving a majority of the vaccinations. The facts are astounding.

The Institute of Medicine held a meeting to review research that has been found, which links thimerosal, a mercury-based preservative in vaccines, and neurodevelopmental disorders such as autism. The panel used data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) Vaccine Datalink, which concluded that children who are given three thimerosal-containing vaccines are 27 times more likely to develop autism than children who receive thimerosol-free vaccines.


Thimerosal has been gradually removed from vaccines since 1999, however it is still present in many vaccinations, including virtually all flu shots.

During the review, medical experts discussed the results from a study that showed urinary mercury concentrations were six times higher in children with autism, as opposed to normal-age/vaccine matched controls. They also said that they found evidence that suggested the link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism had a higher risk than that between lung cancer and smoking cigarettes.

Let's face it, mercury is a potent neurotoxin. Injecting it into a child with a rapidly developing nervous system can have terrible consequences. Consequences that go way past having a fever, malaise, fatigue, irratability, nausea and pain at the injection sight of the vaccination.

It is true that in many childhood vaccines, the mercury has now been removed -- but only to be replaced with equally damaging toxins such as aluminum and formaldehyde.
Here is a partial list of some of the other fillers that vaccines can contain:
-aluminum hydroxide
-animal tissues: pig blood, horse blood, rabbit brain, dog kidney, monkey kidney, chick embryo, human diploid cells (originating from human aborted fetal tissue)
-monosodium glutamate (MSG)
-phenoxyethanol (antifreeze)
-sorbitol
-sucrose

Parents feel guilty if they don't give their kids vaccinations. There are billboards across town with toddlers in diapers and their building blocks spelling out "vaccinate." Ads are placed in the newspaper. The FDA has once again successfully misguided the public into thinking that without vaccinations, their child may catch a dread disease. Go to the CDC website and don't just glance at their charts, read up on where the data came from, the exact numbers, and just how prevalent the disease is in your area. Mike recently had to go to India. If you go to the CDC website, it pretty much spells out death without a handful of vaccinations. I could go through the list and point and laugh at each one individually, but I will spare you. Anyway, after researching it, we found the stats were mere "guesses" and anyone in the country who exhibited suspicious symptoms was diagnosed as having Hepatitis B, polio, malaria or some other dread disease. Needless to say, Mike ate, slept, bathed and lived in nasty India for 2.5 weeks without vaccinations and came back disease free (not that we didn't have a vigorous detox and adjusting party upon his arrival).

And even then, the immune system is an amazing thing! Naomi Judd is at the Parker Seminars in Vegas every year. She was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, a serious illness with a fatal prognosis. Through nutrition, supplementation, adjustments and detoxification there is no illness present to date.

You might be amazed to find out that your child is building his/her own immune system on their own without vaccinations and thus making it harder for those mean bugs to penetrate later on! Take care of your children the way that you are comfortable taking care of them. In my opinion, prevention is key but it's not through vaccinations; it's through building the immune system not breaking it down with harsh preservatives.

You Are My Sunshine

Why is it that when you look forward to having a day off, it always seems to turn out to be a gray, rainy, drizzly day? I had such high hopes of walking the doggies and getting some vitamin D, but the clouds had other plans. I do believe they get some demented pleasure out of watching everyone scrambling about in the rain trying to pretend it's not pouring down on them in order to savour their days off. I imagine them giving dark fluffy high fives to one another for every large drop that hits someone squarely on their heads. Mean clouds. You just wait until the sun gets sick of your silly antics and pushes you away!

I did, however make it to the Northpark Mall and do some unnecessary shopping. Mike gave me a Nordstrom gift card months ago for my birthday and I attempted to find some pretty something to brighten the dull day. No such luck, probably due to the fact that everything in that store costs $300 and that's if you're looking at the sale rack. Lol. Making my way around the bend, I ended up at the Bare Escentuals tiny entryway and bought new foundation and some sparkly eyeshadow. Happiness comes in such small packages. :D

Oooh. I also booked my flight to Vegas for in a few weeks. All the chiro girls are getting together for a reunion and celebration of all of the engagements and weddings that have/are occuring. It works out because Parker has a huge seminar with awesome classes to sit in on and big names in chiropractic will be there. Good times indeed!

Videogames and Puppy Dog Tales

Yesterday was Mike's birthday! He turned 28. Old, I know. ;) I had a theme for the whole weekend...videogames. I got him Halo 3 (I know, just fueling the fire), a bag to carry his XBox in with the controllers and stuff for when he takes it down to Houston, and a new shirt and tie for Saturday night; I bought tickets to the symphony. It's called Play! (yes, that exclamation point is part of the title) and it is music from videogames, so hopefully that'll be fun. I think we'll meet up with friends after that to go karaoke which I'm not very fond of because I've never been able to sing, but everyone else seems to be pretty excited about it. I also made ice cream cone cupcakes and put them together and painted a nintendo controller on them with frosting. It wasn't very pretty but it was cute and I tried! We ate them anyway and gave Samson and Tillie one too. Sammy ate his in two bites and Tillie licked on hers for a while getting frosting on her nose which was so cute!

Today, Tillie threw me for a loop. She's only 7 months old and she started her heat! I had actually just talked to the vet last week about getting her fixed. A little late for that, eh? Well, I called and talked to her today and she said to wait until this is over which could take about 2 weeks! I'm suppose to keep her crated except to go outside where it is freezing for two weeks?! Oh vey. That's not very fun. Poor little princess!

Creative Thinkers Needed!

Mike thought it would be nice to have a webpage for my patients with a ton of chiro info on it (grand idea indeed!) and I'm trying to think of a suave name for it. I was thinking of "Aligning Life" ???? What do you think? Have any ideas? "Snap Crackle Pop"? LOL. JK.

Also...since no one has suggested any topics that I can rant and rave on, I'll throw a few topics out there and you guys pick the most interesting!
-Kids and chiropractic...ADHD, ear infections, allergies, cranial and atlas subluxations, vaccinations
-Neurology behind a subluxation in layman's terms
-Aspartame, MSG and alternatives
-Supplements...the good, the bad, the essential
-The chiro first aid kit...what everyone should have in their medicine cabinet
-How and why to detox
-Emotional stress and how the body deals
-Common symptoms of the non-adjusted
Or anything else your heart desires. :)

I started back at the clinic and despite having absolutely no pride left in my whole being, I am enjoying getting to treat again. I get questions from the few people left there who actually know me and I sometimes feel like I'm being overly criticized by others there and it's probably the hardest thing I've ever had to do; but, I have amazing people that are really helping me out and every day someone makes a small comment of encouragement that boosts me back up to at least sub-par and I finish out the day with a smile.

This morning, I was listening to a Christian broadcast about how God doesn't speak to us through burning bushes anymore (Moses was lucky), but through people's mouths instead. That couldn't be more true. Thank you baby Jesus for sending out those words of encouragement to me these past few days! And, as nerdy as it sounds, (pretty much because it's totally nerdy) I get so elated over being able to diagnose fun ailments. Not that any ailment is fun, but herniated nucleus pulposus and osteophytic IVF encroachment have the same symptoms and putting the pieces of the puzzle together to get the final diagnosis is a trip. :)

The Middle Ground

Something that I struggle to communicate with my patients is the ability to find the middle ground in their lifestyle changes. For example, I was explaining to one patient the difference in herbs and OTC or prescription drugs. I was explaining that aspirin is actually willow bark, which is completely legitimate to take but only when needed. I was explaining the difference in OTC aspirin and the willow bark found in a natural market. Aspirin, is processed, synthesized and made as cheaply as possible. We are trying to give our bodies a more holistic form that would be found in nature, just as when it was discovered. Everyone reacts differently, but for the most part, your body will react more positively and more efficiently when you take something that is in its natural form. This is something that you should NEVER bargain with. Natural is natural is natural people. (On a side note: Then, I was explaining to this particular patient when it is necessary to take an aspirin. Listen to your body. Does your head hurt because of lack of sleep? Stress? Hormones? Dehydration? Lack of blood supply? Allergies? Why are you covering up your symptom with an aspirin? Don't you think you should work on resolving that issue? Your body can take care of itself people. You just have to figure out why it's hurting and help it!)

Later, I was talking with a patient about the benefit of eating organic. Most people are concerned about how costly organic foods can be, and trust me, as a starving student, I understand that. I think everyone has a different area where they draw the line on this one. Do you eat organic simply to get a higher percentage of nutrients from your foods or is it to reduce the number of pesticides/antibiotics you consume or maybe to eliminate any possible neurotoxins or high fructose corn syrup or bad preservatives? Have you also thought about your cleaning items? Does it not concern you when you clean your bathroom that your throat and eyes burn? Or when you mop your floor your children and pets shouldn't be near it or they will get sick? What about hand soaps? Do you realize that by using "antibacterial" that you are actually making it harder to kill the bacteria a few generations down the colonizing line? Did you know that it is actually the friction of the action of hand washing that kills more germs than it is the actual soap? Now, obviously these are all areas of concern when shopping. However, you have to really try to be money conscious if you are pinching your pennies. There is a give and take on this one guys! Plan ahead and do the best you can and after a while, you will figure out where to cut corners. When you really think about it, this is your life. Wouldn't you rather spend money preserving it than on the bills it will take fighting when something bad comes along?

Suggestions for pinching your pennies and still avoiding bad stuff:
-Read the labels on things! Obviously avoid the things in the paragraph above, but more importantly if it has di- mono- bi- and then some big words...probably not good and therefore not worth your money.
-A great all purpose cleaner that kills just as well as the strong smelling harsh stuff: vinegar and water. When all else fails, try to think about what your grandparents used for cooking and cleaning. They went through the Great Depression and couldn't afford the chemical stuff found in stores.
-Find your local organic farmers! Especially if you have an extra freezer. You can place an order for half of an organic cow and eat on that through the whole year. Same thing with chickens, eggs, milk and fruits and veggies (although I'd avoid milk altogether unless it's raw and even then, I'd try to find goat milk. Their protein is more like the human form and doesn't cause as many allergens.)
-Use coupons. Even natural markets have weekly ad specials; you just have to find them.
-Buy online. This one was new to me but Mike found most of the products we use for half of the cost when you buy directly from the wholesaler. A really great site is www.luckyvitamins.com.

Good luck and don't skimp on the good stuff!

Purpose and plan

I was recently talking to someone about my future goals and plans pertaining to my career and in many ways I feel blessed. Many people wander through life questioning their God given purpose. I have already found mine. It is crystal clear that chiropractic is my calling. More than that; it is impeccably clear. So, one would think it should be simple from here, right? Ah, you would think *shaking head*.



It's a good thing that I think everything happens for a reason. Otherwise, I would have fallen into a deep depression months ago! JK; But not really. I find myself on an unvisited path and I can't see through the trees. I find myself expressing to God that this is really not my style. If He would just mail me a map of where I'm suppose to be headed and idk, maybe put asterisks next to events explaining what lessons I should learn, that would be great. Thanks. But...I do understand that from change comes growth and am looking forward to see what God wants me to learn and grow into because it's blatantly obvious no map is awaiting in my mailbox now or ever. I guess that's the thing about God. He expects us to communicate with Him and stuff to keep us in check so He can't just give us a map ahead of time. In the meantime, I felt compelled to blog about not only what goes on in my life, but also blog about my passion in spreading health and the amazing things that I have learned about the human body. Maybe someday, I will have enough postings on such topics to be able to incorporate them into my website to my office. It could be slow growing though because I'll probably only post when I feel passionate about the topic but we shall see, eh? ;)

To my undetermined future and passion for health and wellness...the doctor is in! :)