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.

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?