Juicing For Life!!

Ummm no, I am not doing only juice for every day for every meal.  I am not ready to make that kind of life change and don’t see the need for it currently in my life.  However, I am a fan of juicing and will be a fan, for life.  And, I think it’s vital to eat live food like fruits and veggies as they GIVE life to our body (a double entendre for “juicing for life).  I’ve had plenty of conversations with people about juicing, read a lot of articles about the pros and cons, and I am asked a lot of questions about it by my patients, friends, and people that follow my wellness information on Facebook, Twitter or the blog.  So because of that I am dedicating this article to the topic of juicing, and maybe next post too, depending on how much info I come up with to share!

Why juice?   Have you gotten your 8-10 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables in your diet today?  No?  When is the last time you did?  Never?  If you’re like most people, probably never is the correct answer.  While juicing isn’t a replacement for eating your fruits and veggies daily, it helps to get you closer to the optimum levels.  Let me reiterate that NOTHING takes the place of eating the real deal, however with some forms of juicing (or types of juicers) you still are getting the real deal.  Let me explain.

One type of juicer extracts juice.  The result is you are left with the pulp or fiber NOT in the juice.  The other type of juicer pulverizes the veggie or fruit so that you get the entire food in the mixture.  I’d prefer people do it that way, but certainly the extractors (which are cheaper) aren’t totally bad for you.  The challenge with the extractors is that by removing the pulp or fiber, you remove a “control rod” if you will, that slows down the rise in blood sugar that occurs naturally by eating even complex carbhohydrates like a fruit or vegetable.  So there is a MAJOR caution here for those with blood sugar issues or full blown diabetes.  Consult your dietician or doctor if you have those conditions and use caution when juicing.

So how do you get started with juicing?  First one needs to figure out what they’d like to juice.  Then there’s the little matter of having a juicer!  Let’s tend to the latter first.  You can get entry level juicers for about 100.00.  Some of these have good reputations for reliability like the Jack Lalanne juicer.  It is an extractor type and you can pick it up in many different stores or online.  The price range goes up from there to the 500.00 range approximately for the strongest of the “pulverizing” juicers.  It depends on what you want to do, and what you are willing to pay for it.

Getting started picking your items to juice can be interesting.  I’d recommend a simple start if you’re not sure about it by trying a combination of apples and carrots, and if you’re a little adventurous, some ginger (a very small piece, it’s strong in flavor).  If you like that, don’t stop there, as that is not the healthiest of juices around as it is very high in sugar content, but a good way to break yourself in.  As soon as possible start adding in greens such as celery, kale, mustard greens, spinach etc.  Now you’re getting to the good stuff that makes it much healthier:  GREENS!  Experiment with a little at first then more as you go along.  There are unlimited recipes and Facebook pages to find new recipes and new ideas on how to juice.  Check out the documentary “Fat Sick And Nearly Dead” online, you can view it for free on www.hulu.com.  Also, find my clinic name “Chiropractic Massage & Wellness Center” on facebook or follow me on twitter with @docbruce65.  You’ll get plenty of good wellness information from me on those sites I promise, you won’t regret it!

That’s about all I have space for now, tune in next time for more info on juicing and several recipes for your juicing adventures!

Until next time…Be Well!!

Dr. Bruce 

10 EASY Tips for Health and Wellness!

Brief Succinct Tips


1. Have a big glass of water before each meal.

2. Eat slowly.

3. Have fun in what you do.

4. Leave the table feeling you can eat more.

5. Park your car in the furthest spot at the shopping centre and use the stairs.

6. Tend to your relationships.

7. Do slow deep breathing each day.

8. Eliminate soft drinks and fruit juices from your diet and replace them with water.

9. Get adequate sleep.

10. Minimize foods, which come from a manufacturing “plant” and maximize food, which come from plants that grow in the ground.

There Ain't No Shortcut

Yes, I said Ain't.  My elementary school English teacher, Mrs. Sims would have a fit if she saw that in my title.  But it just seemed to be the right choice.  I promise I ain't going to use that word in this post though, so I hope you ain't deterred from reading further. Onward we go.

It happens monthly, maybe even weekly.  I see/hear of another shortcut for weight loss.  Sometimes it's a supplement.  Sometimes it's a weird diet.  Sometimes it's a weird activity of some sort. And yes, sometimes it's even surgical intervention (which while I don't like at all, may be necessary in extreme morbid obesity cases I think).

Well guess what?  I heard of a new one recently.  What it is doesn't matter, it just goes to show that our Western culture's infatuation with the shortcut to health still exists.  The magic pill, the long sought for panacea, the fountain of youth, the.......the.....well you get the point. 

And guess what?  It probably works to reduce fat and make one look better.  Yep that's right, they look better.  The key word here is LOOK.  Notice I did NOT say be healthier. 

In 1984, I owned a 1973 VW Beetle.  It was a sight to behold.  It was mostly blue.  It had a yellow door.  It had 2 gray fenders.  It had rust.  I spent about 400 dollars to have it reworked and painted, (yes all one color).  It looked much much better, just like new.  However, if I didn't change the oil from time to time, clean the carburetor (remember those?), change the spark plugs out when needed etc. then the car would die.  It would still LOOK good on the outside, but would be ill on the inside. And no one would notice as I drove it that the engine was about to blow.

Yep, our bodies are the same. In our culture we want to look good on the outside (botox anyone?).  We want the appearance of health so badly, that we focus on the outside instead of on what makes us truly healthy (or for that matter, what makes us truly sick).  So billion dollar industries are created on this farce of health and wellness.  Yes it's a farce.  And it's a suicidal farce at that.

The reality of it is, while we slowly commit suicide by lifestyle in our culture by running to the next magic cure, the answer is really oh so simple.  Simple?  Yes, simple.  And if you read any of my stuff you should know the answer by now.  Eat well, Move well, Think well and Rest well.  That's it.  There is no other answer.  Oh sure, surgery for some of our self inflicted illnesses is necessary at times when things are too out of control.  But that only puts out a fire, it doesn't rebuild the structure.  My formula listed above does rebuild the structure.  It's the only way.

Ok, one more time, repeat after me:  There ain't no shortcut (my apologies to Mrs. Sims).

Until next time... Be Well!
Dr. Bruce

Staying Hydrated, Staying Well

It’s mid-May as I am writing this and for the first time in a long time, I looked at the 10 day forecast and saw 90’s as the predicted high temperature.  That can only mean one thing: Summer is right around the corner and the long timeframe of 90+ degree days week after week after week looms ahead.  Summer is a time where we spend a lot of time outdoors, and great memories will be made this summer for many, but it’s important that we also keep a very important thought in mind:  Hydration.

Intake of fluids is vital for our daily health, even in the winter, though it certainly increases in the summer months as we work outside in our yards and schedule outdoor events/play time.  On the hottest of days, when it’s impossible to avoid being outdoors (while working for instance) it even becomes vital to our safety and our lives.  60% of our body weight is made from water, and when it gets out of balance, significant alterations in important physiological reactions in the body occur than can be life threatening. 

So we obviously know staying hydrated is important, but how do we do it?  The best way of course is water, plain pure water. I recommend filtered water. Bottled water is acceptable as well.  Drink it often, drink it regularly and make it a habit.  Don’t like water?  Try adding some lemon or lime squeezed into it for flavor.  Yes you can get water from other drinks, but most come with added ingredients that are deleterious to your health.  You can try juicing for instance.  I am a fan of tea (unsweetened, with lemon or lime again) but it shouldn’t be something you drink all day long.  There really is no true replacement for plain good old fashioned water.

How much should we drink?  Different authors vary, some sticking with the eight 8-ounce glasses/day, but I don’t believe that one size fits all.  If you’re 6’5” and weigh 250 pounds, you probably have a different water intake requirement than a 5’0 110 pound person.  One formula says to divide your weight in half, and drink that number of ounces/day.  Let me say that is a lot of water and you’ll surely stay hydrated at that rate (and you’ll surely stay in the bathroom a lot).  It’s a great goal to shoot for though, and I have managed to hit that level with some frequency.  

However the best thing is to constantly be sipping on water throughout your day.  Keep a large bottle with you in your office, keep one at home too and drink and refill throughout the day.  I keep a 32 ounce bottle at my office and I try to go through 2 of them/day.  If you wait until you feel thirsty, you are most likely under-hydrated already so don’t wait that long.  A great way to tell if you are hydrated or not is (seriously) the color of your urine.  It should be a pale straw color at most (remember this saying “Pee Pale”).  If it is dark colored or bright colored, you are certainly under hydrated (unless you are taking vitamins, or have had beets or beet juice recently).  It’s a simple way to assess where you are.  And, in the summer, if you’re sweating a lot, or exercising a lot, of course you’ll need more water.

Caution signs for dehydration include dry mouth and swollen tongue, weakness, dizziness, confusion, sluggishness or fainting, inability to sweat and decreased urine output.  More significant dehydration that requires calling for emergency services include fever higher than 103, headaches, seizures, no urine output for 12 hours, fainting or difficulty breathing.

Water is vital to our health. Remember “The solution to pollution is dilution”, so keep yourself well hydrated for optimum health too!

The End Of The Weekend...Bummed or Pumped?

Sunday evenings are a time in most households where people start wrapping up the weekend and thinking about the upcoming week. Some people dread the end of the weekend, and are already looking forward to the following weekend.  I find it sad, that people live lives that are based on living for the next day off and hate Mondays so much.  I think people should enjoy their weekends, rest and rejuvenate, so that they are ready to attack and not just survive Mondays.  I would hope that everyone would be grateful for having some down time on weekends, and look forward to Mondays as they strive to make a difference in their career, in overcoming challenges with/for people, and leaving a legacy via their calling.

I like to use Sunday nights, especially after my family goes to bed, for planning out the week.  This includes my "to do's" for work, as well as the times I am needed to perform family duties (cooking, driving, cleaning, errands) and of course times for my wellness.  I include times for exercise, plans for eating well, noting potential challenges to living in the realm of wellness (where I might struggle with eating, moving, thinking and resting in a wellness way).  When I note that a particularly difficult time is coming in regards to living well, I make sure that before and after I live appropriately to offset those challenging times.

For instance, tomorrow morning I have a breakfast meeting.  I can't control what they serve, but I can make sure that before I leave for the meeting, I put some good things in my body so that I am not starving and forced to "pig out" on whatever is available tomorrow.  So I will make sure I have my superfood shake in the morning as well as a boiled egg.  Then at the meeting I will eat minimally and definitely avoid the worst of the offerings. 

So, instead of being bummed that Sunday night is here, and that Monday morning is right around the corner, use Sunday nights to design your week, and thus your life!  You'll look at Sunday evenings and the end of the weekend in a whole new light!

Until next time...Be Well!!

Dr. Bruce

Maintenence, Prevention, or Wellness, Which Do You Want?

Wellness is the biggest buzz word on the health care front these days.  You read about it in the newspaper and online, you hear about it on commercials, you see websites developed all around the word.  Many times it is intermingled with the other two concepts listed in the title:  Prevention and maintenance.  It can be a bit confusing for people I am sure, and I think there are some significant differences between the three and I hope to delineate those here now.

The term maintenance is used a lot of times for health care purposes, even or especially in my line of work.  Some people like to come in for regular adjustments and what they call maintenance.  This is not a bad thing to try to maintain one’s self in general, unless of course you have a chronic or acute illness.  If you have high blood pressure, do you want to maintain it?   If your cholesterol or blood sugar level is out of the good range, do you want to maintain that?  No of course not.  But the idea of maintenance is used sometimes in conjunction with wellness and I just pointed out a glaring problem with that.  Maintenance is not wellness, it is keeping you right where you are, and most of us, me included, don’t need to stay right where we are.  We NEED to improve some, or all of our health.

Now, what about prevention?  The idea of preventative care is almost synonymous with wellness care in many circles.  I would strongly object to the linking of these two words.  If you have reached a certain age, and the stats say you need to have “x” test done regularly (mammograms, prostate exams, a certain blood test or the dreaded colonoscopy etc.) and the test comes back positive, then that means you have a disease process starting, it means you are not well.  Naturally that can NOT be wellness or wellness care since the purpose of the test is to find out if you’re ill or not.  Again, that does NOT mean these tests are a bad thing, in fact they are much needed oftentimes.  So don’t hear me knocking running the tests, and please don’t stop getting tested appropriately.  

Now, on to the topic at hand:  wellness.  The word is used in so many ways, some places call themselves wellness centers and they are doing botox injections.  How is that wellness?  Does it make a person any healthier?  Of course not.  Wellness is a word that implies action and responsibility.  Wellness to me should be defined as experiencing optimum health in all aspects of one’s life, physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually, relationally etc.  It is something that I believe few, if any, attain for any great length of time, but it is a worthy goal to be striving for but it’s also something that takes constant attention and tweaking.  It should be an ongoing process where we are continually striving for optimum health. 

Can the pursuit of wellness include some maintenance care?  Yes.  Can it include getting blood pressure tested?  Yes.  But it doesn’t stop there.  Those two things are passive, in that the test or care is performed on us.  Wellness should require active involvement that we as individuals are responsible for doing like exercising, relaxing, learning to eat better and proper rest.  That is what we try to inspire at our office, people taking responsibility for where they are on the wellness spectrum, then learning and acting upon information that can move them forward and closer to true wellness.

So in summary, maintenance care and preventative care are passive things that happen TO us.  Wellness is something we PURSUE via our lifestyle choices, and it’s the way to optimum health and well-being. So with that in mind, take charge of where you are, decide where you want to be, and then take appropriate action steps to get there.  Where you are is only temporary if you decide to make it temporary.  Give us a call, we’d be glad to help you move forward in your pursuit of wellness!

Until next time… Be Well!

Dr. Bruce

5 Simple Stress Busters Anyone Can Do

Stress kills.  It's that simple.  It kills.  Dead.  Terminally dead.  It can kill you suddenly (or what appears to be suddenly) via a heart attack or stroke, or it can take a long time as your body deteriorates slowly but earlier and faster than it would have otherwise and you become ill with life threatening diseases.  It is said that the lion's share of visits to doctor's offices are in some way related to stress. But here's the kicker:  Stress will happen in our life, but the real issue is not the stress, but how we deal and combat the stress.  Here's a few simple ways to fight it off.

1.  Exercise.  Yep.  I just read yet another article today that most people with anxiety issues that began a good solid exercise plan benefited from exercise as much as they would have from prescription drugs, and the only side effects were better health from the exercise!  Get a good exercise plan in place pronto!

2.  Don't procrastinate.  Putting things off definitely creates more stress in your life. The next time you feel like procrastinating, remember the effect it has when you have to rush to accomplish whatever task it is you put off.

3.  Work on being grateful.  Anytime I have a patient feeling overwhelmed with stress, one of the things I encourage them to do is start a gratefulness journal.  They are to write down 5 things daily that they are grateful for from that day, and why they are grateful for each thing.  It takes your mind off of what's not right in your life, and puts it on what IS right in your life and how blessed you are.

4.  Serve others.  You want to feel better about your own life?  Invest some time in the lives of others.  There is no shortage of needs for volunteers at places like food pantries, women's shelters, tutoring underprivileged  kids etc.  Find a way to give back to the world that benefits others, with no strings attached.

5.  Deep breathing exercises.  Learn to get your body to relax by using techniques that slow your breathing, and allow your body to fully oxygenate with each breath.  It's a proven fact that when under stress we start taking short shallow breaths, and that does nothing but create more stress on our body.  Breathe in deeply through your nose, as deep as you can, and then slowly exhale til every bit of air is back out of your lungs.  Do just 10 breaths like that when under stress, or if your stress is chronic, spend 10 minutes a day doing this.

I promise if you practice these 5 things, the effects of stress will be minimized significantly, to the point where you might even be able to stop certain medications if you've been prescribed some for your stress.  Give it a go, you've got nothing to lose and a lifetime of health and wellness to gain!

Until next time...Be Well!!!

Dr. Bruce