Butter is Back

Do you remember back in 1977 when, in an attempt to reduce cholesterol and deter heart disease, the government released their “Dietary Goal for the United States?”  As a result, eggs were replaced with egg beaters, whole milk with skim milk, butter with margarine, and we entered the era of low fat yogurt, oatmeal, cheese, hot dogs, salad dressing, crackers, cookies, and just about anything you could think of.  Well, I remember and it made sense because fat was bad and the government spent $150 million on a study to prove it to us.  However, if you saw the recent article in Time magazine, you know that after nearly four decades, this experiment was a failure.  Americans are fatter and sicker than ever and still 1 in every 2 of us will die of heart disease.  The biggest difference since the no-fat agenda was introduced is that type 2 diabetes has risen 166%.

The thinking on fat started to turn in the 1990’s with people looking at the Mediterranean diet and recognizing that fats from vegetables like olives, and in fish like salmon, or even the fats from nuts and seeds could actually be protective against heart disease.  This began the era of good fats versus bad fats and the perception that the saturated fats were the enemy.  Unfortunately, a study of all the research on this published in 2010 concluded that “There was no significant evidence that saturated fat is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.”  Modern research shows that because the saturated fat found in red meat raises both the bad, LDL cholesterol and the good, HDL cholesterol in essentially equal amounts this makes the saturated variety of fat a “cardiovascular wash.”  The same research shows that there are two kinds of LDL particles.  There are large fluffy ones found in most forms of fat that seem to have little effect on cardiovascular disease.  But there are also smaller, dense LDL particles that seem to stick to the arteries and cause cardiovascular disease.  These small, sticky LDL particles are found largely in processed carbohydrates such as breads, pastas, chips, crackers, cereals, and white rice.  All the war on fat seemed to do was decrease our saturated fat intake from milk, beef, eggs, and butter moderately while increasing our calorie intake from corn products by 198% and increase our intake of high-fructose corn syrup by a whopping 8,853%!

My take on all of this is the same it’s always been.  When you replace real food with fake food you will always pay the price and disease will be the result.  While the recent article from Time is advocating a movement back to butter, red meat, and whole milk in place of all the fake oils and low fat processed carbs, the only question I have is where is that butter, red meat, and milk coming from?  You are what you eat is just as true from the rest of the animal kingdom.  If we’re eating the fat from animals that were fattened up on grains and hormones, this is not the same as animals that were permitted to graze in the fields and mature naturally.  It costs a little more, but try to find eggs and meat products that are organic and free range.  Likewise, try to find fish that is ocean-caught and not farm-raised.  You do this while at the same time reducing your intake of processed carbohydrates and increasing your fruit and vegetable intake and your cardiovascular risk factor will go down as they intended way back in 1977.

What I've Seen

Just recently, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that 110,000 Americans die as a result of obesity each year, and that one-third of all cancers are directly related to this excess weight.  In fact, obesity now leads to more doctor visits than smoking. Studies show that the number of overweight or obese people has nearly tripled since 1980. Virtually every health problem that afflicts our population is connected in some way to this obesity epidemic proving we truly are what we eat.  However, if you’ve ever dealt with excess weight, you know that weight loss is not always that easy.

In theory, weight loss should be as easy as, eat less, and exercise more.  However this isn’t always the case.  Many times, exercise is not enough, despite the numerous other benefits of physical fitness.  If you’ve ever tried calorie counting, you know that not all calories are created equally.  While most of the experts are agreeing that highly processed grains and sugars are the primary problem, there are numerous other factors that contribute to weight gain and inhibit our best efforts for weight loss.  If you’ve been following this column, you know that inadequate sleep, incomplete exercise routines, toxicity, stress, and hormonal imbalances can all contribute to weight loss difficulties.

The one thing I’ve learned from our many customers that have committed to our 8 Weeks to Wellness program over the last 3 years is that the ones who get the best results in regard to weight loss are the ones who perfect their diets.  We’ve had men and women lose up to 40 pounds in just eight weeks when they get the diet right!  I’ve heard experts say that adhering to the right diet is 70% of weight loss and exercise is just the other 30%.  But for some people, even this isn’t enough.  I’m a huge advocate of undergoing a detoxification before even attempting a weight loss program because the fact is that toxins are stored in fat cells and when you start dumping the toxins into the blood by burning fat, your body will naturally prevent further loss in order to protect itself from the toxic burden.  Many times this type of detoxification should be done for up to 30 days in order to get results.   For other people, cortisol levels from chronic stress are the barrier that must be overcome.  In these cases, physical exercise coupled with stress reduction techniques such as meditation or yoga are imperative to reverse the trend.

In the end, this obesity trend must be reversed.  My advice is get with a professional to help determine where the problem originates from and take a multi-dimensional approach to correction.  Whatever approach is determined appropriate, give yourself about 90 days to make significant changes.  Feel free to contact our office for advice or attend our Eat Well class for instruction on a low glycemic diet.

A Three-Legged Stool

When it comes to health challenges and even wellness goals, I find that people often put all their eggs in one basket.  What I mean is, we try just one thing and if that doesn’t work, then we try another one thing.  Unfortunately, most people neglect their health until they get sick and then their one treatment consists of drugs without regard to the side effects or what lifestyle factors ultimately caused them to get sick in the first place.  This is true even though the New England Journal of Medicine has determined that 80% of our health problems should have been prevented through proper lifestyle.   I even find the same phenomenon with people seeking chiropractic care – they simply want to get adjusted without concern of what caused their problems or what else they can do on their own to improve their outcomes.  But there is a much better way.

Chiropractors deal with misalignments of the spine called subluxations that place pressure and tension on the nervous system.  Just like other health problems, subluxation is caused by excessive amounts of physical, chemical, and emotional levels of stress beyond what the body can adapt.  In fact, for a bone to become misaligned, there must be an imbalance of the muscles that are designed to keep the bones aligned, and at least five ligaments of the spinal joints will have been compromised as well.  The number one complaint about chiropractic care is that people respond and do well while they’re under active care, but when care is reduced the problems begin to come back.  Realize, this is not a chiropractic problem; this is either a stability or lifestyle problem.  In terms of stability, most people have imbalanced or weak muscles from sitting too much or doing the same activities over and over causing some muscles to be over-developed and others to be under-developed.  This phenomenon creates inherent stress on a joint and makes it very difficult for people to “hold their adjustments.”  In physical therapy, they would rehab those muscles to stabilize that joint.  My concern with this is what if the joint was imbalanced to begin with and we’re strengthening an improper structure?  In the past, as a chiropractor, I used to believe that all I had to do is restore the alignment and movement of the joint and the body would take care of the rest.  I have learned this is not true when that joint is supported by weak or imbalanced muscles.  When you restore alignment and strengthen at the same time, it’s a win-win.  In terms of lifestyle, I hope it’s only common sense that if I go back to the same faulty lifestyles that caused my problems to begin with, of course my symptoms will return.  This is why the physical, chemical, and emotional components must all be addressed.  When people address their physical stressors and begin to exercise, when they clean up their inflammatory diets, and when they work at reducing stress in their life through exercise, meditation, or other techniques, this is when health is truly restored.

We need to look at health as a three-legged stool where physical, chemical, and emotional well-being makes up the foundation.  When any one leg is compromised, the whole thing suffers.  We live in a world of numerous demands and stressors that complicate healing.  Whether we’re talking about a chiropractic problem or any health problem, you need to look at healing as a multi-dimensional process where you will likely need to make changes on more than one level to achieve real results.

Nutrition Made Easy

Over the past several years, many of these articles have been dedicated to nutrition and diet as it is my belief that more often than not, health is lost, and disease is promoted from our failure to practice an appropriate diet with the micronutrients that are essential for our normal physiology.  If you’ve been following these columns at all, you know that we should get most of our nutrition from organic, raw fruits and vegetables.  However, due to the nature of our soil and mass-production of food, in addition to the general lack of these foods in our diet we have become the most overfed, yet undernourished culture in history.  For this reason, I’m always looking for new solutions to get appropriate nutrition and I’ve found a product that I believe is particularly effective and simple at the same time.

The current recommendation for fruits and vegetables is 5-13 servings per day.  Five is for organic, naturally grown, and 13 is for commercial, mass-produced.  Either way, this is a challenge for most people.  This is one of the many reasons why it’s a good idea to find healthy supplementation.  Our family has been using a liquid product that is a blend of 12 vitamins and numerous plant sourced minerals.  Remember that minerals are what turn vitamins on and are one of the biggest differences between a good and bad vitamin.  This product also contains a superfruit known as mangosteen that is thought to be one of the strongest antioxidants on the planet.  And it contains aloe vera juice which is known to aid digestion and help repair the lining of the intestine.  In clinical studies, this liquid concoction has been proven to boost the immune system, reduce free radical damage associated with cancer and numerous degenerative diseases, as well as lower levels of C-reactive protein (an inflammatory marker associated with heart disease).  Dr. Oz called it one of the “healthiest fatigue fighters” he knows.  If this weren’t enough, celebrity trainer, Chris Powell from the T.V. show Extreme Makeover; Weight Loss Edition, uses this same product as the foundation of his latest weight loss challenge.

The product is known as VEMMA which is an acronym for the ingredients listed above.  My favorite aspect of the product is its simplicity.  Just a couple ounces of this tasty liquid in the morning covers all the basics for which I was taking up to three different vitamins.  The same is true for our kids.  VEMMA makes a children’s solution at a lower dose that they actually like and take voluntarily.  If any of this interests you, we will be hosting a 1-hour meeting with a couple outside speakers to explain the different products and their health benefits.  We will also provide taste samplings of the different products.  This meeting is being held on Monday June 9^th at 6:30 in the lobby of Rivertown Chiropractic.  Please call us at 812-273-4325 if you’d like to attend.

Keeping the Curve

When we look at the spine, it should be straight from the back, but from the side view we should see three distinct curves.  These curves in the spine are there to provide shock absorption like a spring to limit stress and trauma to the bones and discs of the spine.  Despite the importance of these curves, after observing literally thousands of x-rays, I’ve seen that very few adults, probably only 10-20%, actually maintain these curves.

At birth, the spine is in a C-shape from being in the fetal position.  The normal curvatures of the spine develop as an infant begins to crawl.  Gravity seems to draw the low back or lumbar spine forward toward the floor and holding the head up while moving on all fours causes a forward curvature of the neck or cervical spine.  Just like a dam or a bridge, these curvatures create strength and stability in the spine and by placing the weight on the back sides of the vertebrae where the joints are designed to carry these forces.  This, in turn, keeps pressure off the discs and helps maintain normal alignment of the individual bones.  This is how things are supposed to work, but then life happens.  Over time, the muscles will change tension and the ligaments that hold the bones together will be compromised allowing the spine to take on the position of the postures that we maintain through our daily lives.  Let’s face it, we sit at computers, we drive with our neck and shoulders forward, we use pillows that push our head forward.  Perhaps the biggest concern for the future is all the time kids (and adults) spend looking down at Ipads and phones.  This all takes a toll over time and the curvature of the neck becomes straight or sometimes even reversed.  What are the implications of this?  As the weight of the spine shifts forward this causes excessive wear and tear on the discs and the fronts of the vertebrae resulting in degeneration and permanent arthritic changes of the spine.  As the curve is lost, the muscles on the back side of the spine are stretched resulting in tension up the back of the neck to the head causing chronic neck pain and tension headaches.  If this isn’t enough, straightening of the neck causes a loss of range of motion not only in your neck but also in your shoulders.  You can try this yourself by pushing your head forward and trying to move your neck and raise your arms over your head.  Numerous studies have shown that breathing capacity is decreased as the curvature of the neck is lost.  There are even a few studies that show a straight or reversed neck creates increased tension on the spinal cord that can cause people to live 2-3 years less than those fortunate enough to maintain their cervical curves.

The good news is that the curvature can be maintained and even restored.  Of course, watching your posture to begin with is paramount.  Learning to become a back sleeper and using a contoured cervical pillow also helps.  However, if the curve is already lost or reversed, you have to do more than this.  Neck and shoulder exercises to improve posture and strengthen the muscles on the back of the neck are necessary.  And, even though it’s a process that can take 6-12 months, using some form of cervical traction unit where you let your head lie back over a fulcrum for several minutes per day will slowly reverse the changes.  Nearly any chiropractor can assess for these postural changes and make recommendations to restore the integrity to the spine.

Billy Goat Cream

Arnica Montana is a product I’ve carried and promoted for about ten years with great success and appreciation from customers.  Arnica is sold as a homeopathic remedy in the form of oral pellets or a topical cream or gel.  The story I was told is that it was discovered by European goat herders who noticed that the goats ate the arnica mountain flower when they were injured and this flower caused them to heal remarkably fast.  The herders found a way to take it themselves for bruising or traumas and enjoyed similar results.  This week I’d like to share why this product that several of my clients refer to as “billy goat cream” is a good thing to keep around the house for relief of various traumas.

Use of Arnica has been documented back to as early as 1678 when it was used to treat Typhoid Fever in Germany.  It wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that it was used as a registered drug for treatment of bruises and sprains.  Today it is commonly accepted, in its homeopathic form, as a safe and simple method of relief for sore muscles, bruises, sports injuries, joint pain and swelling, and even arthritic pain.  I first used the topical gel on a young woman who had been in a serious motorcycle accident and was suffering from a very large black eye that had persisted for months after the accident.  Her doctors told her that the black eye would fade eventually, but after several months, she was learning to live with it and had given up hope.  We carefully applied the gel under her lower eyelid and two days later, the black eye had gone from jet black to that brownish-yellow color and in two more days after a second application, the eye was completely normal.  I became a believer that week!  With two active boys, living on a farm and participating in several sports, we keep Arnica on hand and the kids know where it is kept for any muscle soreness or injuries.  When it comes to bruising, every customer that’s ever used the product is amazed with the speed and efficiency of its results.

The most common use of arnica is the gel form that can be applied to any sore joint or muscle or bruise.  However, for more severe traumas such as a sports injury or a car accident that is accompanied by multiple areas of pain, I will recommend the homeopathic pellets that dissolve under the tongue.  The arnica flower itself is actually quite toxic, but in the homeopathic remedy it has been diluted literally hundreds of times to where there is no toxicity and what’s left in the pellet is mostly a sugar pill.  Nevertheless, even in this diluted form, the healing potential is still there and when used several times per day, these pellets will provide global relief throughout the body for virtually any trauma.  Because of the toxic nature of the raw flower, it is not advised for use during pregnancy nor is it recommended to place the gel on an open wound.  Outside of this, it’s one of the safest, most effective products I know and it should be considered a staple for every medicine cabinet.

Something New

Something New


After writing this column for five years, it’s sometimes difficult to uncover new material that hasn’t already been addressed. The basic rules of health and wellness and proper lifestyle don’t change that much. Having said this, I did read an article recently about proper digestion and nutrition that triggered a subject I have not yet breached. Today, I’d like to discuss the importance of digestive enzymes.


When I came to Madison 14 years ago I was alarmed that nearly every new client that came through the door suffered from some digestive disorder and most were taking medications for acid reflux, irritable bowel, or even more severe conditions. I literally believed there was something in the water! There are numerous root causes for digestive distress. Emotional stress, stimulants (caffeine and nicotine), and lack of sleep put us into a fight/flight mode that suppresses normal digestion. Likewise, a toxic diet rich in fake, processed, inflammatory foods with excessive sugar, grains, and trans-fats can wreak havoc. Even age is a factor because as we age we tend to have more trouble absorbing nutrients through the linings of the intestine and we experience a decline of our digestive enzymes. Almost none of the food we eat could be utilized without digestive enzymes. These enzymes are chemicals that take the food that has been chewed in the mouth, churned in the stomach, and squeezed into the intestine, and they break down the large particles into individual nutritional units that can absorb through the microscopic pores of the intestine to enter the bloodstream and be utilized in the body. These enzymes are broken into three flavors – amylase, protease, and lipase that serve to break down carbohydrates, proteins, and fats respectively. One key factor to remember about these chemicals is that raw food contains its own enzymes to help kick-start digestion. This is yet another reason why raw fruits and vegetables are so critical. Because the modern diet consists largely of highly cooked and processed foods, our enzymes stores become taxed and depleted leading to numerous digestive disturbances and health problems. If you’re having any kind of digestive distress, supplementing with digestive enzymes can be helpful and provide a safe, natural solution to numerous digestive problems. These enzymes are vitamins that contain the amylase, protease, and lipase that we should be producing naturally and should also be getting from raw foods.


How do you know if you’re deficient in your digestive enzymes? The classic symptoms are indigestion, nausea, bloating, gas, heartburn, and appetite loss. The obvious solution for this is to clean up the diet and start eating more raw foods. However, some people’s systems are so taxed that they need more help especially in the beginning. This is where the enzyme supplements come into play. Remember, there are no daily recommended allowances for Tums or Prilosec. Why not try something natural that is supposed to be in your body already and comes with zero side-effects? What we do in our office, and my only stipulation when choosing an enzyme supplement is to find one that is made from whole food.