Dr. Evan Gwilliam

There are a lot of stretches out there.  This is one I like.

Like video instruction?

take a look at this one: http://drgwilliam.com/2009/12/21/breathing/

or this one: http://drgwilliam.com/2009/12/04/sleep-better/

The subtitle for this book is “The Path to Permanent Weight Control and Optimal Health”.  The author is Dr. Wayne Scott Andersen, who is, among other things, the co-founder of Take Shape for Life.  Some of you may have heard of this highly successful program, largely known for helping people lose weight.  If you want specific help with these things you can talk to Susan here at Camas Chiropractic Center 360-834-3434 (she is a Certified Health Coach with this program www.shrinkandbemerry.com).  Basically she does all of the stuff I will review below and she has been trained to help you implement it.

Of course, I want you to read this too.  I did, after all, read a whole book just for you.  As you may already know from my first book review, this is not all inclusive.  What I like to do is weed out the stuff I have heard before and just highlight the action steps and suggestions that are interesting, innovative, or critical (in my opinion).  I try to be objective, in my own biased sort of way.  I may not agree with these ideas either.  I just report on ‘em.  That said, here we go…

One of the reasons I chose this book is because, not only is it really good, but it disagrees with some of the stuff I read about in If It’s Not Food, Don’t Eat It.  I like a little controversy.  For my summary of that book, look here.  The first third of this book is all about why you should be healthy, how to get motivated, setting goals, and so on.  I like to skip that stuff and get right to the meat and bones.  He does, however, have some “do-it-yourself” quizzes that you help you figure out just how messed up you are.  They take in way more than just nutrition, though that is the primary focus of this book.

We start with weight loss:

• the typical western diet keeps us from losing weight.  Highly processed, energy dense, high-glycemic foods cause blood sugar to spike, which makes insulin spike, which makes blood sugar tank, which makes you hungry.  Then you turn to the same low quality food and the process starts over.  I call it “the insulin roller coaster“.  When insulin spikes it tells your body to store up all that sugar from your blood in your gut, or thighs, in the form of fat.  This concept is really key to this book.
• “Three square meals a day” is a bad way to live your life.  A big key is to consume six small, low-glycemic meals (to stay off of the roller coaster).
• PCMR or Portion-Controlled Meal Replacements are medically formulated, pre-packaged, fortified, protein mixtures that can become an integral (and well-documented) part of a long term healthy eating system.  (this is where Medifast comes in–see Susan’s link to learn more)
• PCMRs, along with lean meat and lots of veggies can put the body into a safe, effective fat burning state, so you lose weight, and fast.
• A typical day might look like this: 7AM-PCMR oatmeal, 10AM-PCMR chocolate shake, 1PM-PCMR beef stew, 4PM PCMR chocolate crunch bar, 7PM-6 ounce grilled chicken, 2 cups of salad, 10PM-PCMR banana pudding.
• Best protein (the key is lean):  Fish-cod, halibut, tilapia.  Meat/poultry-buffalo, deer, turkey.  Meatless- egg whites, egg beaters, boca burger.
• Best fats and oils:  canola, flax seed, olive, low-carb salad dressing.
• Best Vegis (the key is low carb): collards, romaine, celery, cucumber, radish, sprouts.
• Best snacks: 3 celery stalks, 1 sugar free popsicle, 1/2 cup sugar free jello, 3 pieces sugar free gum or mints, two dill pickle spears.
• Commentary:  So here is one fundamental difference between this book and the last one I read.  Here the ultimate decision maker is what a food does to your blood sugar.  The other felt that whole, natural food is supreme.  Here we use artificial sweeteners freely–since they show negligible impact on blood sugar.  The other says artificial is a form of poison.  Which is right?  You decide.
• Other tips: During the weight loss phase of this program:  eat one PCMR every three hours, drink tons of water, eat slowly, call your coach (like Susan), limit caffeine (I never touch the stuff myself), avoid alcohol (I never touch this stuff either), keep a journal.

There is more to this, but basically the idea is that your body can get by on a lot less calories so that you can burn the excess calories you have stored up as fat.  I did this for about 8 weeks and I lost 20 pounds.  Theoretically you have all the nutrients you need from the PCMRs and lean and green meal.  Your body gets off the insulin roller coaster and learns to not store up fat.

• Meals should be divided up like this:  50% vegetables and fruit, 25% protein, and 25% starch.  Forget the food pyramid.
• Fit it all on a 9 inch plate to keep your portions small.
• Dark Green:  these tend to be the lowest glycemic foods, so they are best for weight loss and optimal health.
• Fresh is better than frozen, canned, or in a jar.  Natural is better than processed.
• Shop the outer edge of the supermarket–avoid the processed foods.
• Organic is better–if the PLU bar code sticker on produce has five digits, and begins with the number 9, it is organic.

This gets me about a hundred pages in.  I consider myself fortunate if you read this much, so I will stop here for now.  Part 2 (and maybe 3) will cover more food choices, supplements, exercise routines, and more.  I bet you can hardly wait.  I hope you find this stuff useful.  Please comment below.

I like to read.  About once each year I read a book that is about nutrition.  I like some good suspense/action novels, and I throw in a few business management books too.  I am almost done with If It’s Not Food, Don’t Eat It! by Kelly Hayford, CNC.  It was recommended to me to by Minda Coombs, a nutrition consultant in here in Camas–www.eatwellbewell.net

• Drink half your body weight in ounces per day (no surprise here), drink filtered, room temperature water.
• Eat fruits alone and on an empty stomach so that it does not get a chance to mess with your blood sugar and you can digest it better.
• Vegetables are the only food that are safe to eat in nearly unlimited amounts.
• Try to eat six different vegetables each day–preferably of different colors.
• Simple carbohydrates like white flour and sugar are fast releasing cause your energy to spike, then drop dramatically.  Complex carbs like whole grains, yams, and squash are slow releasing, provide sustained energy.
• Limit meat to 1-3 servings per week (I am not sure how I feel about this one).  Cook meat at low temperatures to preserve the nutritional value.
• The best oil is virgin coconut oil. Flaxseed oil is good, but you can’t cook with it.
• Allow 2-3 hours between meals or snacks, and don’t eat for 2-3 hours before bed.
• Don’t drink beverages with food, instead drink 15-30 minutes before a meal, and 30-60 minutes after.  This may aid in digestion because saliva and enzymes can be diluted, which can impede proper digestion.
• “Chew your juices and drink your food” meaning slosh juices around so that they mix with saliva, and chew solids until they are completely indistinguishable.  This will make the nutrients more available to your body.
• Eat protiens and starches at separate meals to aid in digestion.
• Eat light in the morning, biggest at noon, and nothing after 7PM.
• Eating certain fresh vegetables twice a day, instead of twice a week, can cut the risk of lung cancer by 75%, even in smokers.
• Some studies now show that eggs do not in fact raise LDL (aka ‘bad’) cholesterol.
• Soak nuts overnight (beans too) for easier digestion.
• Eating the same foods over and over can tax the system and deplete enzyme stores, which is how food intolerances can develop
• The most common food intolerances are wheat, dairy, soy, and (darn it) sugar.
• The gluten in wheat makes it sticky, which makes it hard for the body to digest.
• Dairy products are not that great a source of calcium.  It is just clever advertising by the “dark side”.
• Soy contains a protein enzyme inhibitor which prevents many nutrients from being properly digested.  (The last nutrition book I read talked about how soy is nature’s perfect food, with nearly all of the essential nutrients, in the right proportions.  If you look long enough I believe you can find an expert on any view you like.)
• Fermented soy (miso, tempeh, soy sauce) is less likely to cause an allergic response than soy isolates, soybean oil, and pretty much every form of soy that we like to eat.

One of my younger patients

At the ripe old age of two months McKenna (name changed to protect her from the paparazzi) was a colicky baby.  She cried from 6PM to 10PM every night.  And this was not just ordinary crying, it was screaming bloody murder.  Needless to say, this caused a lot of stress for her parents and three older siblings.  In fact, her mother was at a party and a guest came up to her amidst all the screams and asked a simple question:  “Have you considered chiropractic?”  This one question changed her life.

Per the pediatrician’s instruction, McKenna’s parents had given her mylicon drops and gripe water.  They tried to sit her up when she ate, they walked and comforted her, but nothing seemed to help.  McKenna’s parents had followed all the advice typically given for babies in her situation.  It was time for something different.  Why not?  Who says chiropractic is just for back and neck pain?  Maybe it was time to think outside the box.  Maybe health can be accomplished by working with the body, rather than fighting it’s natural processes with things like medication.

McKenna came in to see me (actually she was carried in), and after a few minutes of testing, it was clear that some joints in her neck and lower back were not moving properly.  In other words, her problems stemmed from the fact that her brain was not getting the messages it needed from her body.  The vertebra of her spine were misaligned and pinching the nerves.  With gentle adjustments and a few other simple procedures the subluxations were fixed.

McKenna’s mom was looking for a miracle.  Within a few visits she became the “perfect baby”.  She no longer cries and she is much more pleasant to be around.  Friends and family now comment on the cute little girl, rather than hiding in the next room to avoid the shrieks.

What else might respond to chiropractic care?

• Nursing problems
• constipation
• abnormal crawl or gait
• ear infections (more on this one in another post later)
• bed wetting
• ADHD
• growing pains
• headache
• chronic coughs
• neck pain
• scoliosis

If you have a question about something not listed above, just call me or click here.  The office number is 360-834-3434.

The bottom line is this:  How long should your child have to wait to get healthy?  No one wants their child to suffer.  By the way, kids usually respond much faster than adults because they have not picked up all the bad habits we have.  The adjustments are gentle and 95% painless.

One more important question:

Is it safe?

In 2008 the prestigious medical journal, Pediatrics, published an article that found only nine adverse events (a.k.a. injuries) related to spinal adjustments to children worldwide over the past 100 years.  No vaccine can match that safety record.

I’ll even check your child for FREE.

Here’s the deal:  I like to reward those who read my posts.  I put a lot of thought into these, and I appreciate those who take a few minutes to learn how to help their families get healthier.  Just call the office (360-834-3434) or drop me a message to schedule, tell us the code word: “BABINSKI” (which proves that you read this post), and I will waive the exam fee, which can range from $50-$85.  If I can help, we’ll put together a plan.  If I can’t, I’ll tell you AND help you find another solution.  There is also a kid’s discount for regular visits.  What do you have to lose?

We live. We wake up, we eat, we walk around. We breathe, we play, we laugh, we work. This is living. As your doctor, it is my purpose to help you to live with genuine health. Genuinely healthy living means several things. I have chosen these words carefully.

I went to school to become a doctor. I became a doctor because I want to help people enjoy walking, sleeping, and working. I have dedicated my life to finding answers to how to get the most out of these activities. As a patient (by the way, ‘patient’ literally means ‘one who suffers’, so maybe we ought to call you something else) in my office you need to know that I am genuinely interested in your health. That means that I won’t use gimmicks or sell you things or services that you don’t need. I will use every means available to me to find solutions for your specific case. If I can’t help you, I will help you find someone who can. I have worked hard to get to know providers from many health disciplines with many levels of expertise. I will treat you the way that I would want someone to treat my own spouse or child. After your first day in my office I hope you can recognize the great lengths I have taken in order to deliver on this promise. That is what the genuine in genuinely health living means.

The world of health care is a mess. In this time and place it has evolved to focus far more on what I call ’sick care’. ‘Sick care’ is all about managing problems and dysfunctions. While these are much needed services, being healthy means so much more. You don’t have to wait for the fire to flare up before you seek help. You can implement a few simple measures and habits that can prevent the fire from occurring in the first place. Health not just about lack of sickness. It is about allowing your body to do what it innately knows how to do already. You are capable of sleeping well, managing your weight, living without pain, and so on. You body was designed with that potential. Health is about working with the solutions you have built in, not manipulating your body with an influx of medications and cutting away parts that are not doing their jobs.

Living is something that goes far beyond the health care box many of us use as our paradigm for the role of our doctor. Many people first seek out the services of a chiropractor for back or neck pain. I have a great many tools and skills at my disposal that can help many people with these kinds of problems. And I get great results. As your doctor, I will give teach you methods to improve your posture and strengthen your back–not just because it will keep you out of pain, but because it is essential to ensuring that your nervous system can get your body truly well, and not just un-sick.

The foundation of your body is your feet. We interact with the earth first thing every day through our feet. I will help you make sure that you can walk and move and live in a way that allows your feet to work the way nature intended. Obesity is a major crisis in this country and cause for concern for 2/3 of my ‘patients’. Did you know that eating six small meals a day can make dramatic changes to your appetite and keep your blood sugars more constant? I can help you implement a nutrition program that will allow you to shed excess fat, and then provide your body with all the fuel and building blocks it needs to maintain (and even enjoy) a new lifestyle. I have searched long and hard for the right pillow–we all need to sleep. I think I have found the one that provides the right amount of comfort while simultaneously giving the right amount of support (for the right price). Lots of people peddle nutritional supplements. I can put together a plan for you basedon a functional blood chemistry analysis. This gives a clear, measurable way to improve your body’s function, from the inside. The list goes on and on.

My job as you doctor is to outline the best course of care for your problem. I define the best course of care as one that gets you out of pain/symptoms as quickly as possible, then keeps you that way for as long as possible. Your job as the ‘new patient’ is to work with me, like a team. I only ask that you work as hard as I do. As we work together and you begin to enjoy genuinely healthy living I hope you will share this with your family. These principles apply to your children and spouse as well as you. Bring them in, not just because they hurt or sick, but because you truly want them to be healthy. This road is better travelled with those you care about.

This web site is specifically designed to provide you with answers. (now for a disclaimer) However, please do not implement any of the suggestions or exercises without first consulting with your physician (which should be me). This site is not a place to just find out about me, it is an information center for you to begin to enjoy genuine healthy living.