Statistics have indicated that back pain will affect around 80% of all people at some time in their life.  Back pain can range from the lower back area to the upper back and shoulder blade area.  Back pains are especially bad when they impact every day functions such as walking, bending, sleeping, or sitting.  Americans spend billions of dollars every year fighting their back pains.  Is there any way to prevent it?  Here are five simple ways to help prevent back pain.

1. Eat Right.  Excess weight puts more stress on your lower spine and contributes to injuries.  Animal-based foods (all meats, poultry, fish, and dairy) contribute to a pro-inflammatory diet and also lead to the production of chemicals that fuel the pain process.  Eating a healthy, whole food, and plant-based diet will reduce pain and inflammation, and can help reduce your back pain.
2. Minimize Stress.  Life is stressful!  Everyone experiences stress of some degree or another.  Excess stress causes muscles to tighten and interferes with the normal healing process.  Prolonged stress leads to homone imbalances of the stress glands of the body – the adrenal glands.  These glands secrete hormones that regulate many body functions including: sleep, digestion, weight gain, estrogen, progesterone, testosterone, immune system, arthritis, allergies, heart function, fatigue… to name a few.  These glands can be checked easily in our office and can usually be balanced/repaired through diet and supplements.
3. Maintain Good Posture and Ergonomics.  Maintaining good posture means keeping the body in a balanced and neutral position as much as possible.  Avoid stressful and damaging prolonged postures where ever you are.  Moat people use computer work stations both at home or at work.  These can be a problem if the ergonomics aren’t set up correctly.  Screens should be centralized and keyboards should be positioned where the height allows your arms to be bent at 90 degrees.  Some lower back pillow is recommended if you are sitting for long periods.  Frequent breaks to move and stretch can also help maintain body posture and balance.
4. Perform Healthy Exercises Regularly.  Regular cardiovascular exercise is important to help maintain good cardiovascular health, manage weight, and reduce stress.  But nothing replaces targeted spine-specific exercises to focus on your core.  Some of the bast exercises for your core also involve balance and muscle endurance.  Some examples are:
• Quadruped – on hands and knees.  While holding abdominals in tight (hollowing), alternate straightening opposing arm and leg and holding for 5 seconds.  Repeat 20 times.
• Bridge – on back.  Lift pelvis, torso, and shoulder blades off floor and hold for 30 seconds.  Repeat.
• Plank – pushup position supported on the forearms rather than hands.  While keeping abdominals in tight (hollowing), hold your body straight for 30 seconds.  Repeat.
• One Leg Balance – standing.  Keep abdominals in and balance on one foot (stork stand) for 30 seconds.  Switch legs and repeat.
5. Get Adjusted By Your Chiropractor.  Everyday activities, stress, and toxins take their toll on our bodies.  Our joints and muscles tighten, become restricted, and become imbalanced.  Adjustments help to retore normal joint motion and can rebalance your spine and body.

Balancing Calories
	●	Enjoy your food, but eat less.
	●	Avoid oversized portions.
	Foods to Increase
	●	Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
	●	Make at least half your grains whole grains.
	●	Switch to fat-free or low-fat (1%) milk.
	Foods to Reduce
	●	Compare sodium in foods like soup, bread, and frozen meals ― and choose the foods with lower numbers.
	●	Drink water instead of sugary drinks.

Some of the USDA’s recommendations are sound, and the web site has some good information if you poke around.  One good piece of advice is to make half of your plate fruits and vegetables.  However, there are some glaring weaknesses in their recommendations and also quite a bit of confusion.  It seems that they came up with a very diplomatic program that wouldn’t offend anyone – especially the big food industries.  The only industry they may have offended is the “sugary drink” people.

Here are some of the glaring problems I discovered:

• Dairy is included as a requirement at every meal.  Dairy is a dietary non-factor.  Although containing some nutrients, dairy products are very  low in overall nutrition compared to many other food choices and are not just not essential.  Many cultures (such as China) have gotten along fine without much dairy at all, and have very strong bones and teeth!
• They recommend only half of your grains be whole grains.  I would like it to be 100%.  Why did the USDA stop at 50%?
• They recommend a mystery food group called “Protein”.  Most people quickly think of meats, poultry, and fish.  It’s as if the USDA is saying that vegetables aren’t a good source of protein, when in fact they are the best source.  Dark green leafy and solid vegetables contain more protein per calorie than lean beef!  Look to the elephant or the horse – powerful bones and muscles, and completely vegetarian.  They also don’t mention how much protein we need each day… perpetuating the “protein-myth”.
• They don’t clarify what lower sodium foods are.  They just say to “compare… and choose the foods with lower numbers”.
• They completely ignore legumes, nuts, and seeds on the plate, but can be found if you dig into the site under “Protein Food Group”.
• They ignore plant-based sources of calcium – which are actually the best choices, and instead only cover dairy-based foods.

If you really want to enjoy amazing health, you have to make some big changes.  Changes that make a big difference, and changes that are sustainable.  Although perhaps a bit of an improvement over the last Food Pyramid, the recommendations of our government don’t go far enough to make much of a difference.  There’s too much room for mediocrity.  The government has let us down again.  Surprised?

Here are two better solutions that you can use as a food guide instead of the “ChooseMyPlate” deal:

From the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine - www.PCRM.org

The “PowerPlate” is a simple guide that gets right to the point.  Here’s another guide for the person looking for some more detail…

From Dr. Joel Fuhrman - www.drfuhrman.com

If you would like to talk to someone in our office for advice on weight loss or healthy eating, feel free to give us a call at 215-938-8500, and ask for Dr. Ken Goldman or Stephanie Brabazon, our holistic nutritionist.

• 2 stalks of Fennel (with bright green prawns)
• Heirloom tomatoes (washed, your choice of colors)
• Ground Fenugreek seeds
• 2 pinches of gray salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 3 Meyer lemons
• Extra virgin olive oil

Start by prepping the fennel and heirloom tomatoes by quartering the tomatoes and slicing the fennel very thin (try slicing on a mandolin if possible). Cut 2 of the meyer lemons into thin half moon shapes. In a small bowl emulsify the olive oil, the juice of the 3rd lemon with the salt, pepper and fenugreek seeds. Assemble the tomatoes and fennel on a white plate so the colors magnify for great presentation. Pour the dressing on top of the salad (lightly mix), then chop the fennel prawns and sprinkle all over salad and plate for an up-scale approach!

This salad is fantastic for those hot summer nights when you want something light and easy. Making this salad for your friends and family will not only satisfy the taste buds because of the intense flavor the meyer lemons have to offer but it will make your body very happy because of the high nutrient contents. The fenugreek seeds are known for treating any sinus issue also clear up lung congestion. The seeds are a great source of selenium and a natural source of iron. Who knew this simple salad with minimal ingredients can pack in so much satisfaction (nutrient wise) and be so tasty and figure friendly! Outdoor summer fun here I come!

If you, too, believe that a well-managed farm should have nothing to hide, and that consumers have a right to see how their food is produced, please join me in signing their petition:

http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5986/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=6675.

If we can raise a big enough stink, we can stop this outrageous effort from spreading to other states and send a clear message that consumers have a right to know where our food comes from.

Thanks!

“Forks Over Knives”, a new health awareness movie, has just come out.  It looks like a good, in-your-face, challenging documentary… and it’s actually filmed in 3D!

Here’s the official trailer:

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

There’s a local Premiere Screening in Plymouth Meeting on Thursday, May 19th.  For only $15, you get dinner and the movie. This is from the movie web site http://www.forksoverknives.com/:

Philadelphia Premiere (May 19)

And another bonus, Rip Esselstyn – the author of the Engine 2 Diet, will be there!  Rip is the son of Caldwell Esselstyn, Jr., M.D., the author of the groundbreaking book - Prevent and Reverse Heart Disease.

Click here to view the video on YouTube.

Here is a synopsis of the movie from their web site:

What has happened to us? Despite the most advanced medical technology in the world, we are sicker than ever by nearly every measure.

Two out of every three of us are overweight. Cases of diabetes are exploding, especially amongst our younger population. About half of us are taking at least one prescription drug. Major medical operations have become routine, helping to drive health care costs to astronomical levels. Heart disease, cancer and stroke are the country’s three leading causes of death, even though billions are spent each year to “battle” these very conditions. Millions suffer from a host of other degenerative diseases.

Could it be there’s a single solution to all of these problems? A solution so comprehensive but so utterly straightforward, that it’s mind-boggling that more of us haven’t taken it seriously?

FORKS OVER KNIVES examines the profound claim that most, if not all, of the so-called “diseases of affluence” that afflict us can be controlled, or even reversed, by rejecting our present menu of animal-based and processed foods. The major storyline in the film traces the personal journeys of a pair of pioneering yet under-appreciated researchers, Dr. T. Colin Campbell and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.

Dr. Campbell, a nutritional scientist at Cornell University, was concerned in the late 1960’s with producing “high quality” animal protein to bring to the poor and malnourished areas of the third world. While in the Philippines, he made a life-changing discovery: the country’s wealthier children, who were consuming relatively high amounts of animal-based foods, were much more likely to get liver cancer. Dr. Esselstyn, a top surgeon and head of the Breast Cancer Task Force at the world-renowned Cleveland Clinic, found that many of the diseases he routinely treated were virtually unknown in parts of the world where animal-based foods were rarely consumed.

These discoveries inspired Campbell and Esselstyn, who didn’t know each other yet, to conduct several groundbreaking studies. One of them took place in China and is still among the most comprehensive health-related investigations ever undertaken.  Their research led  them to a startling conclusion: degenerative diseases like heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and even several forms of cancer, could almost always be prevented—and in many cases reversed—by adopting a whole foods, plant-based diet. Despite the profound implications of their findings, their work has remained relatively unknown to the public.

The filmmakers travel with Drs. Campbell and Esselstyn on their separate but similar paths, from their childhood farms where they both produced “nature’s perfect food”; to China and Cleveland, where they explored ideas that challenged the established thinking and shook their own core beliefs.

The idea of food as medicine is put to the test. Throughout the film, cameras follow “reality patients” who have chronic conditions from heart disease to diabetes. Doctors teach these patients how to adopt a whole foods plant-based diet as the primary approach to treat their ailments—while the challenges and triumphs of their journeys are revealed.

FORKS OVER KNIVES utilizes state of the art 3-D graphics and rare archival footage. The film features leading experts on health, examines the question “why we don’t know”, and tackles the issue of diet and disease in a way that will have people talking for years.

FORKS OVER KNIVES was filmed all over the United States, and in Canada and China.

• 1 package of ready made Polenta
• 1 package of pine nuts
• 2 large bell peppers (washed)
• 1 jar of organic marinara sauce, 24 oz.
• ground flax seeds
• 2 egg whites
• 5 garlic cloves (chopped)
• oregano
• 1 bay leaf
• fresh Basil
• fresh flat leaf parsley
• parmesan cheese (both grated and block), or vegan substitute

Start by heating up the marinara sauce, bay leaf and oregano at a low-medium temperature. Dice the peppers, then chop the garlic. Saute the garlic and peppers in a non-stick skillet  until tender then add in the ground flax seeds. Slice the polenta cakes into 1/2 inch circles, then dredge into the egg whites then into the cheese. Cook the polenta cakes for 3-5 min per side on medium heat. In a separate dry skillet toast the pine nuts at a very low temperature (keeping an eye on these as they would burn very quickly!).

Add basil to marinara sauce at the very end of cooking to retain freshness. When the polenta cakes are finished layer them on top of each other on a plate, then pour sauce on top of cakes then the pepper and garlic mixture. For presentation chop the fresh parsley sprinkling that and the pine nuts on top of meal and all around the plate.  Finally to end this eye catcher, shave some cheese (vegan) as a topping and simply enjoy!

This meal is great for one or many. These polenta cakes are both comforting and healthy. When you have had a long day its great to know this recipe can be assembled and on the dinner table in less than a half an hour!  Now that’s my kind of fast food!

While talking with various patients this week, I realized that many, good, health awareness movies have come out in just the last few years. Although I haven’t seen them all, it seems that each one has a unique perspective and a lot of good things to say… and to think about.

Here is a list of the movies I recommend:

• Eating
• Food Inc.
• Food Matters
• Super Size Me
• King Corn
• A Diet For All Reasons
• A Diet For A New America
• Simply Raw
• Fresh
• Forks Over Knives

I recommend viewing these movies with your friends and family, especially if you’re interested in learning more about how to keep yourself and your loved ones healthy in this “toxic” world.  These movies reveal some of the modern forces that literally war against your health goals and threaten your very health and wellness.  Some of the varied topics include:

• the obesity epidemic in the USA
• organic vs. conventional food
• genetic modification of food
• the use of chemicals in modern farming (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, etc.)
• natural vs. factory farming
• the causes of modern diseases (heart disease, cancer, diabetes, etc.)
• the truth behind ranches, pig farms, chicken farms, and slaughter houses

If you have any thoughts, please leave a comment.  And if you can, please list any other similar movies that you would recommend.  Also, please let me know if you would be willing to watch a community screening (in our office) of the movie, Fresh.

Onion Bread, Dried

Slice onions with slicing disc in processor.  Hand mix with rest of ingredients, and put onto 2 trays.  Set your oven for keep warm (usually 110-140 degrees).  Keep the oven door cracked open with a wooden spoon (this allows air circulation).  Dehydrate at low temperature for 8 hours.  Flip, and do another 8 hours. Cut into 9 equal pieces (2 cuts horizontally, 2 cuts vertically).  Usually makes 18 pieces total for the 2 trays.

Thanks to www.goneraw.com for inspiring this recipe.

Dried Kale Chips

• 16 oz. kale (approximately one large head)
• 2 T of olive oil
• salt
• spices

This is a great alternative to snacking on potato chips or the like.  Kale is one of the healthiest vegetables known, being loaded with vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, as well as being low in calories.

Preheat oven to KEEP WARM, around 140 degrees or less.  Prepare the kale by washing it, removing the stems, and chopping it into bite sized pieces.  Place in a large bowl and add oil.  Toss with the oil to make sure it is spread evenly.  Spread the kale thinly on baking sheets (usually 2 or 3 will do).  Lightly salt and spice the kale as desired.  We tried a Cajun mix which was delicious.  Place the baking sheets with the kale into the oven and keep the door of the oven cracked open with a wooden spoon.  Dry the kale at the low temperature for 3-4 hours.

The kale can come out fairly crispy, with some of the thicker leaves being a bit chewy.  Have fun trying a variety of spices.

Sugar is so common in the American diet,  And it’s become very obvious that people consume way too much of the stuff.  The stats say that the average American consumes over 150 pounds of sugar per year.  That’s nearly a half of a pound per day!  And some come in the dangerous form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS – contains mercury).

If you’re like most people, you probably enjoy a treat from time to time.  But maybe you go too far.  Maybe you over indulge too frequently.  Maybe you have a hard time controlling your cravings for sugar.  There’s a good reason for that.

Did you know that sugar is considered very addictive?  And it may just be the number-one addiction in the USA.

Here is an abstract from the NIH:

The experimental question is whether or not sugar can be a substance of abuse and lead to a natural form of addiction. “Food addiction” seems plausible because brain pathways that evolved to respond to natural rewards are also activated by addictive drugs. Sugar is noteworthy as a substance that releases opioids and dopamine and thus might be expected to have addictive potential. This review summarizes evidence of sugar dependence in an animal model. Four components of addiction are analyzed. “Bingeing”, “withdrawal”, “craving” and cross-sensitization are each given operational definitions and demonstrated behaviorally with sugar bingeing as the reinforcer. These behaviors are then related to neurochemical changes in the brain that also occur with addictive drugs. Neural adaptations include changes in dopamine and opioid receptor binding, enkephalin mRNA expression and dopamine and acetylcholine release in the nucleus accumbens. The evidence supports the hypothesis that under certain circumstances rats can become sugar dependent. This may translate to some human conditions as suggested by the literature on eating disorders and obesity.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/

Why is Sugar so Addictive?

White sugar is what most people are consuming.  It is highly processed and not found in that form in nature.  When eaten, it quickly enters the bloodstream and affects the brain in a way similar to cocaine.  It gives you a strong sense of pleasure, which is not normally found in nature.  Very sweet and very fatty things are more rare in nature, and for a good reason.  Although these things are very enjoyable, the bulk consumption of sweets or fatty foods has been proven to be very detrimental to health.  They are designed to be rare treats.  After your level of pleasure spikes, it then comes down fast.  This leaves you feeling low.  You then begin to crave sugar again to bring your level of pleasure up to the previous high.

How Sugar Can Affect Your Health

• Insulin Response – sugar causes a strong insulin response.  The quick rise in blood sugar causes the body to rapidly release insulin.  The short term result is a quick rise and fall of your blood sugar, resulting in a “sugar crash”.  The long term results can be insulin resistance and diabetes.
• Leads to obesity.
• Increases Fat Storage – sugar causes a spike and excess of energy, which your body will try to store as fat.  As your body’s ability to store this overload of energy becomes hindered, fat is deposited around your internal organs.  This “organ fat” is linked with cardiovascular disease (the number one killer in the USA).
• Suppresses the immune system.
• Adversely affects dental health.
• Promotes inflammation in the body, which is linked with chronic pain, arthritis, heart disease, asthma, premature aging.
• Linked to mental health issues – depression, anxiety, and attention disorders.

Smart Action Steps to Limit Your Sugar Intake

• Identify and eliminate major sources of sugar in your diet.  Beware that labels list sugar in a variety of ways – glucose, fructose, dextrose, corn syrup, sucrose, and cane sugar.
• Focus on the worst culprits: sodas, juices, sauces, and dressings.
• Replace sugary foods with healthy and wholesome options.  Instead of soda or juices, drink water with lemon.  Instead of cookies or cake, consider fresh fruit for desert.
• In recipes, replace sugar with date sugar or agave nectar.