About half of the books I read have to do with advancing my knowledge on my career- Complimentary and Alternative Medicine The other half are on personal development, business, success, family and parenting. I also like to read some leisure books about the old west or Native American lore or fly-fishing. Some of my books aren’t actually books but websites.

I’ll let you in on some of my favorites. (Amazon.com can still get these to you by Christmas eve!)

Here are some books that I’ve read lately that may be able to help you in these areas in your life- they’ve certainly made a big difference in my life.

Complimentary and Alternative Medicine

Nutrition:

The Paleo Diet Cookbook- My way of eating.

Why We Get Fat- This one hasn’t come out yet. It is by the most prolific researcher on nutrition in our era, Gary Taubes. It is the definitive truth about the science of how to lose weight and how how we get fat.

The Primal Blueprint- My lifestyle.

Nourishing Traditions-  Classic.

The 6-Week Cure for the Middle Aged Middle- By one of my favorite MD’s, Dr. Michael Eades.

Exercise

The Metabolic Effect- A scientifically accurate way to exercise for health, fitness, weight loss and longevity.

Core Performance and Athletes Performance- Two of my favorite athletic performance training sites by one of my sports medicine mentors Mark Verstegen.

Personal Development and Success

Inspired Destiny- By my mentor, Dr. John F. Demartini.

Success Magazine- This magazine is published by one of my business mentors, Darren Hardy. This would make a great last minute Christmas gift, a year-long subscription to Success Magazine.

The Relaxation Response- A simple, effective mind-body technique to take control over stress and performance. I first learned this technique from a sports psychologist while playing football in college. I think everyone should learn it. It’s easy to learn and gives you back the control you think you have lost over your circumstances and health.

Business

Good To Great- Just what it says. Great book.

How To Make One Hell Of A Profit and Still Get To Heaven- John F. Demartini

Parenting

Romancing Your Child’s Heart- I don’t know how this didn’t become a best-seller. I read it two weeks after my first boy was born and cried probably twelve times in thirteen chapters. One of my patients wrote this book, Monte Swan. He is a steadfast Christian father and wonderful human being. Let’s see if we can make it a best-seller. This is a must read for any parent, especially Christian parents.

The Talent Code – I was raised, in part, by my coaches in sports. Being an old athlete and a new Dad makes this book very special. One of my all-time favorites. Great for any parent or teacher or coach.

Leisure Reading

The Art of Manliness- One of my favorite blogs to read. A timeless guide that captures the essence of being a ‘real man.’ (Also great for women to learn about men or for mom’s who have boys).

The Rustic Home- My favorite coffee table book.

Garden Railroading- Something I want to get into with my boys.

Dreaming

Fly-fishing Kamchatka, Russia

Omega-3 fatty acids from certain fish are one of the healthiest fats you can eat- for brain health and heart health as well as for the anti-inflammatory effects they provide. Three fish that have the most potent amounts of anti-aging omega-3′s are; wild caught salmon, sardines, and mackerel. And you don’t have to live in Alaska to get them. You can get them all shipped right to your doorway…fresh!

I like Vital Choice because I can order three of the most healthy fish you can eat:

1. Wild Caught Salmon

2. Wild Caught Portuguese Mackerel

3. Wild Caught Sardines

Wild Caught Portuguese Mackerel

• Product of Portugal
• Sustainably harvested
• Naturally low in mercury*
• Organic extra virgin olive oil
• Certified Kosher (EarthKosher)

Vital Choice premium Portuguese Mackerel comes from a local family that been picking and packing the finest fish for more than 100 years. They select the fattiest, tastiest mackerel and process and cook with the care needed to to ensure fine flavor and texture.

*NOTE: Unlike King Mackerel, which pregnant and nursing women are advised to avoid, Vital Choice’s Atlantic “chub” Mackerel (Scomber colias) presents no safety concerns, as it is an entirely different species with very low levels of mercury.

Wild Caught Portuguese Sardines

These are  world’s finest omega-3 rich sardines.
They custom-harvest them when levels of omega-3s and flavor reach their peak.

There you have it, three of the world’s healthiest fish you can eat.

I love things that are earthen and holistic. Organic herbs and spices are truly blessings from God. One of the best (and little known), natural remedies for coughs and upper respiratory problems is an herb known as Tussilago farfara, or Coltsfoot.

Coltsfoot is one of the most widely used herbs for the treatment of coughs and other lung complaints, and is the basis for many of the herbal cough preparations sold in Europe. The chemical constituents have expectorant, anti-tussive, anti-spasmodic, demulcent, anti-catarrhal and diuretic properties, making Coltsfoot extremely helpful in the case of racking coughs such as those that accompany chest colds, asthma and emphysema.

Coltsfoot is hard to find. I get it from Mountain Rose Herbs. I buy a two pounds at the beginning of winter. I steep it as tea, as needed. I give it to the kids with lemon and honey. You can find it by clicking on the banner below.

I like simple. So here is my two-part advice for for staying and getting healthy: Out with the bad. In with the good.

One way to achieve those two simply healthy goals is to do a detox bath occasionally (out with the bad). I like LL’s Magnetic Clay Detox Baths. After doing the detox bath, I slather on some Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil (in with the good).

The Magnesium oil isn’t actually an oil after all, but instead was coined as such due to the high saturation of magnesium chloride in water, which presents itself in an oil-like texture. Ancient Minerals ultra-pure magnesium oil is extracted from the Ancient Zechstein Seabed in Europe, from deep in the interior of the Earth. It’s the most pure magnesium oil in the world and a mark of purity on every bottle of Ancient Minerals. Most everyone I test is deficient in this vitally important mineral.

Benefits of Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil:

• Restores cellular magnesium levels
• Acts as a cellular protectant
• Supports detoxification
• Relieves aches and pains
• Improves mood and relieves stress
• Encourages healthy skin tissue

Benefits of Clay Detox Baths:

1. The baths are an untreated, unaltered product, used for thousands of years utilizing the Earth’s natural healing properties.
2. The baths safe and effective as an aid to detoxification when used according to the bath instructions. One bath releases years of toxic environmental pollutants that have been accumulating–out of your body and into the bathtub.
3. The baths are inexpensive and do not require costly equipment. They can save you hundreds of dollars and lots of time compared to chelation therapy and other forms of environmental detoxification programs.
4. The baths can be taken in the privacy of your own home, with minimal inconvenience.
5. Healing properties can be maximized if used in combination with other cleansing and maintenance programs.
6. Formulas of all natural spices and herbs have been synergistically tested as well as specific testing for amounts to maximize the effectiveness of each formula.
7. The baths now have available–CDA’s. CDA’s are clay dissolving agents which enable easier clean-up after each bath. Use 1 set for baths using 2 ½ cups of clay or more.
8. Has been tested to show that metals and chemicals are removed through the use of these special formulas.
9. The baths can be used by children and the elderly.
10. The clay and formula ingredients are all natural.
11. Test results have shown that the clay detox bath detoxifies metals from the body much faster than other types of chelation.
12. Clay formulas have no emulsifiers or chemical additives to them for easier mixing.
13. No other clay that has as much natural “pulling power” as LL’s Magnetic Clay.
14. Clay Detox Baths specialize in detoxing metals and chemicals.
15. Has very small amounts of aluminum compared to most bentonites with 67% to 75%.

The one-two punch of doing detox baths and magnesium oil is a healthy home spa-ahhh treatment.

Owning a far infrared sauna is a great tool to have for a preventative, healthy, anti-aging health regimen.

Benefits of using a Far Infrared Sauna:

Weight Loss
A far Infrared sauna can help you burn up to 600 or more calories in just one 30-minute session. By using LUXSauna’s sauna kits, you can sweat enough to lose 4 pounds – in only 30 minutes.

Beauty
Far Infrared Sauna is excellent for increasing blood circulation to the skin, which is essential for beautiful, youthful, glowing skin.

Scars on Skin
Scars fully formed, may be gradually softened. Burns and other wounds or incisions may heal with significantly reduced scarring.

Cellulite
European beauty specialists confirm that a far infrared sauna will greatly speed any anti-cellulite program.

Pain Relief
Effective for arthritis, back pain, muscle spasms, and headaches.

Injuries and Recovery
Radiant heat helps with sprains, strains, arthritis, muscle spasm and pain.

Relaxation and Meditation
Stress reduction, relaxation and general wellness.

Cardiovascular Benefits
Far Infrared Sauna provides cardio training without exertion.

You can see Lakewood-based LUXSauna’s far infrared sauna selection here.

Dr. Gabriel Cousens, MD had this to say on the subject, “At The Tree Of Life Rejuvenation Center a lot of people come from around the world with mental, emotional and physical toxicities. The LUXSauna we like for two particular reasons: they are the highest grade, at the best prices. No small deal- this is important. We encourage people to buy LUXSauna saunas when they leave the center and go home so they can continue an ongoing detox program because we’re always accumulating toxins in the world. The food we eat. The water we drink and the air we breathe is filled with toxins continuously, and this (far infrared sauna) is a continual way to undo this.”

Benefits of using a far infrared sauna

]]> http://denverchiropractor.com/blog/benefits-of-using-a-far-infrared-sauna/feed/ 0 http://denverchiropractor.com/blog/healthy-gift-basket/ http://denverchiropractor.com/blog/healthy-gift-basket/#comments Wed, 15 Dec 2010 12:43:16 +0000 Dr. Ron Spallone http://denverchiropractor.com/blog/?p=1242 I grew up in the foothills of the Sierra’s on a dirt road in Nevada. It was about a 1/4 mile walk to the bus stop. On many of the snowy mornings there would be a herd of wild horses that would come down from the mountains, they would follow us.

Ahh, the West.

I love the West and everything that it stands for. Now I live in the foothills of the Rockies. There surely isn’t a more meaningful and symbolic representative of the West finer than the American Bison.

So for the 3rd Day of Healthy Christmas, I am going to recommend a gift basket full of free-range, Native American raised, buffalo snacks.

Tanka Healthy Family Gift Basket

GLUTEN-FREE * NITRATES-FREE * MSG-FREE * HORMONE-FREE

The Tanka Healthy Family Gift Basket promises to be just the right choice for the people in your lives with discriminating taste. Made from tart-sweet cranberries and American Bison, our Tanka products are gluten-free, hormone-free, low-fat and are deliciously healthy.

Delivered in a lovely wicker-patterned basket, the Tanka Healthy Family Gift Basket includes:

* A braid of traditional sweet grass (Lakotas use sweet grass in smudging to attract positive energy, and to promote healing and peace)
* 6 Tanka Bars 3 Traditional and 3 Spicy)
* 8 Tanka Wild Sticks (4 Traditional and 4 Spicy)
* 2 Tanka Bites (1 Traditional and 1 Spicy)

Order at TANKABAR.com

Here are some of the things I can buy:

Fresh organic chicken, farm-fresh organic eggs, naturally-raised bacon, grass-fed beef, lamb, buffalo and even pasture-raised Yak (Tibetan beef)! I get home-made jams, jellies, cheese and butter. Chicken liver and giblets for my dog. And in the summer and fall, the freshest fruits and veggies you can find. I also get hand-crafted goat milk soaps, gluten-free breads, Heritage breed poultry, turkey, chicken, ducks, and geese. (Can you tell I’m not a vegetarian?)

One inconvenience is that I have to drive to the Tech Center to pick up my order. I think if we got just a dozen or so people from Littleton/Lakewood, they would organize a drop-off spot close to this area. In fact, I know they would, Bill Stevenson is a wonderful man and representative of the co-op and Rocky Mountain Farmers Union Office (RMFU), and we have already discussed it.

Nutrition is the foundation of health- what a wonderful way to ensure you and your family are getting good quality nutrients. If this sounds good to you, go ahead and sign up here.

Why buy locally? Here are some reasons I believe in:

Buy Fresher, More Nutritious Foods

Locally grown fruits and vegetables are usually harvested within 24 hours of being purchased by the food co-op member. Produce picked at the height of freshness tastes better. Because locally grown produce is freshest, it is more nutritionally complete. Nutritional value declines, often dramatically, as time passes after harvest.

Reduce Energy Consumption

Locally produced foods do not require significant transportation or storage, both of which are very energy-intensive, expensive and pollute our air and water.

Regional Economic Health

Buying locally grown foods keeps money within the community. This contributes to the health of all sectors of the local economy, increasing the local quality of life.

Encourage a Self-Sufficient Community

A community that produces its own food enables people to influence how their food is grown. In addition, it reduces reliance on far-off food producers, thus stabilizing its own food supply.

Help Preserve Biodiversity

Farmers selling locally are not limited to the few varieties that are bred for long distance shipping, high yields, and shelf life. Often they raise and sell wonderful heirloom varieties that may be hard to find in supermarkets.

Preserve the Rural Character of the Land

Supporting local farmers means maintaining local farmland. Local consumers can serve as the lifeline for local farmers because they create direct marketing opportunities where sellers can receive fair prices for their crops.

Avoid Post-harvest Contamination

Foods sold in local markets without the need for extensive storage and transportation will likely contain minimal or no waxes and/or fungicides applied to protect the product after harvest.

I hope you consider joining this food co-op, it’s great in a lot of ways.

http://highplainsfood.org/

Have you ever wondered why medicine is not considered ‘alternative’ and natural health care isn’t the standard?

In all seriousness, I believe that  you should attempt to stay out of the ‘health care system.’ It’s a ‘sickness care system.’

Nothing about it gives you better health. Drugs given to a healthy person will make them sick. Have you ever seen what they feed people in the hospital?

I mean… are you kidding me?

You have people in there who are sick, diseased, dying, giving birth, infected, injured and you further insult their bodies with a bunch of dead food?

WARNING: Watching the video below may irritate you.

Try this idea… big government…big pharma, I dare you:

Take all the money that gets dumped into research to discover the next  ‘wonder drug’ and use it to feed people in hospitals who are sick and diseased a diet of fresh, real food.

Wait… that’s not all.

Do that for a year and while your at it, fund a double-blind randomized placebo controlled study. What you would find (because it will never happen, I’ll tell you what you would find) would most likely be the most amazing statistics ever produced in the history of ‘medicine’- people would get better faster.

I know nurturing health instead of treating sickness with more poisons is an under-appreciated concept but when is ‘conventional wisdom’ going to wake up?

Don’t believe me though. After all, I’m just a measly chiropractor in Denver trying to help people naturally to move better, think better, eat better and function better.

But believe this…

Most people are in disbelief when they hear that our ‘health care system’ is the third leading case of death in this country. Some say that it’s THE leading cause of death.

The total number of iatrogenic [induced inadvertently by a physician or surgeon or by medical treatment or diagnostic procedures] deaths is 783,936. It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and injury in the United States. In contrast the 2001 heart disease annual death rate was 699,697; the annual cancer death rate, 553,251. ¹

No one is going to make you healthy.

The habits you choose, the actions you take and the lifestyle you adhere to will determine how you feel, function and age.

Educate yourself. Be voracious in your pursuit of natural health.

I believe in choosing to be healthy.  Our country makes choosing to be healthy hard in a lot of ways.

But I can ‘do’ hard. And so can you. And for the record, it’s not that hard.

Hospice is hard. Kidney dialysis is hard. Colon cancer is hard. Holding the dying hand of your family member who may be one of the 783,936 deaths is hard.

Managing your nutrition, getting restful sleep, staying appropriately active and responsibly reacting to stress are not that hard.

That’s what you should be spending your time, money and effort on regarding “health care.”

I believe in stewardship of one’s own body.  Having a set of standards by which you make decisions regarding your health.

Quite simply a sense of ‘pride of ownership’ when it comes to the wonderful gift of mind and body that your spirit lives in.

I think each and everyone of us should have our own individual ‘health care policy.’

Seems the government wants to project their morals on us now.

“The preservation of health is a duty. Few seem conscious that there

is such a thing as physical morality.”

Choose wellness.

1. National Vital Statistics Reports. Vol. 51, No. 5, March 14, 2003.

When obtained, a remedy for restful sleep can be a magical form of holistic medicine.

Sleeping well is key to living with less pain and having a better life.

In my clinic we use neurotransmitter therapy to help with chronic insomnia. It can be remarkably effective. It’s natural (it must be for me to use it ) and it addresses one of the true causes of insomnia- depletion of normal neurotransmitter levels. The key is to help the body obtain healthy levels of two very important master hormones- serotonin and dopamine.

Here’s a case study of a patient on this alternative medicine protocol. I thought it may be helpful you to ‘look over my shoulder’ during the management of one of these insomnia treatment cases.

A Case of Chronic Insomnia

A patient with severe insomnia was started on specific amino acids (precursors to the formation of hormones), after adjusting the amino acids to level 3 dosing there was no change in symptoms of sleeplessness (we incrementally step up dosing until the patient either experiences relief of symptoms or if no relief occurs we obtain a urine sample to determine levels and then adjust accordingly).

A Natural Treatment for Insomnia

Since there were no relief of symptoms at this point a urine sample was obtained and submitted to the lab in order to determine levels. After four tests with subsequent amino acid adjustments the patient was sleeping all night for the first time in years. On the final test the serotonin and dopamine were not in the therapeutic range, since the patient was sleeping all night he declined further testing and adjusting of dosage of amino acids.

A year and a half later the patient’s sleep was still good but he was complaining of feeling fatigued during the first two hours in the morning. A urine sample was obtained and per the results the amino acid dosing was adjusted by one pill. Follow up testing after the new dosing revealed that the serotonin and dopamine were now both in the therapeutic ranges. Result: The patient reported sleeping well with no further fatigue in the morning.

A Natural Treatment for Insomnia Case Study

So, in this case, adjusting the amino acid dosing by just one pill led to significant results. This case of insomnia is a great example of how complimentary and alternative medicine (CAM) can be beneficial.

Natural treatment for insomnia- another way to help people experience less pain and a better life.

From a Postgraduate Medicine, Oct. ’87, review article by Moshe Frenkel, M.D., Acute Otitis Media; Does Therapy Alter its Course?:

Eichenwald (1985): no bacterial cause can be identified in 1/3 of cases; spontaneous resolution in 60% within ten days of onset

Fry (1958): 85% of those not receiving antibiotics had complete resolution; no differences in recurrence or hearing loss.

Townsend (1980): study showed that a placebo-treated group had no greater incidence of recurrence, or of middle-ear effusion than an antibiotic-treated group.

Van Buchem (1981):  children with symptomatic treatment alone did as well as those treated with antibiotics and/or myringotomy (ear tubes); no differences were noted in effectiveness of pain reduction, hearing levels, or incidence of complications.

Van Buchem (1985):  in a large-scale study of 4,860 children, 90% recovered with “minimal” treatment (nose drops and analgesics)

OTHER SOURCES:

Dr. E. Cantekin did a study of amoxicillin treatment of otitis media and fund that it was not effective for secretory otitis media (fluid behind the eardrum.)  He also found that the antibiotics Pediazole and ceflaclor were not effective.  (JAMA, Dec.  1991)

A number of recent studies have shown that for earaches, 2, 4, 5, and 7-day courses of treatment with antibiotics were just as effective as the usual 10-day course, when effective at all. (Schmidt, Beyond Antibiotics, 1993, p. 29)

A 1974 study showed that children with acute otitis media receiving antibiotics within the first few days of the illness had up to 2.9 times more recurrence that those in whom antibiotic use was delayed or avoided.  (Diamant, Arch Otolayrngol, 1974)

A 1991 article in the AMA Journal stated that children with chronic earaches who received antibiotics experienced two to six times more recurrent middle ear fluid that those receiving placebo.  (Cantekin et al, JAMA, 1991, 266(23)

A two-year study of myringotomy (surgical incision of the tympanum) and tymapanostomy (ear tubes) found that they did not alter the long-term course of otitis media; eardrum scars and tympanum thickening were 3X more frequent in the group receiving tubes. (J Laryngol. Otol. 86:881-888, 1972)

Many chiropractors and natural health doctors experts feel that recurrent upper respiratory infections, including otitis media, may be the result of allergies, including food allergies and intolerance.  Cow’s milk is the most frequently-mentioned allergen.  An ENT specialist in Florida who exclusively does tympanostomies (ear tubes) first puts all patients referred to him on a diet free of dairy products.  As a result, he claims three-fourths of them never need the tubes.  (cited in Schmidt, Beyond Antibiotics,  1993, p. 76)

Below are some great books to help you understand more about your options in helping childhood ear infections.