Des Moines Chiropractic Newsletter - October

Compass Chiropractic October, 2015 E-Newsletter


 

Professionals know Chiropractic supports Optimal Performance!

 

 

October Special:  $5 off Biofreeze products!  

This month we have the premier professional-grade pain-relieving gels and sprays available at a door-buster discount of $5 off normal prices!

Many of our patients keep an extra tube of Biofreeze available in the car glovebox, at work, and in the RV for those inconvenient times when a flare-up of neck or back pain starts up and you aren't near home.

Schedule your chiropractic check-up/tune-up this month and get your Biofreeze while you are in!


Sandy Recommends Torex Cold Therapy (Cold Packs)

When I hurt….I like ice.  Several months ago, I had foot surgery requiring fracturing two bones and the installation of titanium plate, screws and wire.  I was warned that it would swell and that it we be quite a while before my foot returned to normal size.   Because of the nature of the surgery, I found that my foot swelled on the top, side and bottom.  What I really needed was a product that would fully surround my foot with the comfort of cold  and without lumpy ice or packs that slipped and fell off.  So I did my research and found a company called Torex .  They sell exactly what I needed – cold packs designed specifically for various body parts that come in a variety of sizes.  They do not freeze solid and slide on and off easily – while delivering a good dose of cold that greatly helped with the pain and swelling.

While I have used (many, many times) the cold pack designed for my foot (see below), Torex also sells ice packs for back, neck, feet, legs, ankles, hands, arms and shoulders.  For more information, check out their web site:  www.torexhealth.com.  The cold packs are also sold on Amazon.

Amy Recommends Two Favorite Recipes

As the weather is starting to change to Fall and football season is upon us I wanted to share two of my favorite recipes for this time of year.  I love getting the crock pot out and cooking a dish that fills the house with a delicious savory aroma and my twist on the Mississippi Roast does just that.  The second dish, One Pot Mexican Quinoa, is a quick and easy healthy dish that makes for a tasty side or a main dish if you're feeling like having a lighter meal. I have modified the recipes a bit so I put the original ingredients in parenthesis. Enjoy!!!

Mississippi Roast
Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 8 hours
Serves 8-10
Ingredients:              
1-3lb chuck roast
1-packet dry ranch seasoning mix
1-packet dry french onion soup mix (original recipe: 1-packet dry au jus gravy mix)
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/4 cup water
(original recipe: 5-6 pepperoncini peppers)
Instructions:
1. Add 1/4 cup of water into the slow cooker and place chuck roast on top
2. Sprinkle dry ranch and french onion soup mix on top of chuck roast, then place 6 tbsp. of butter on top of the roast. (place pepperoncini around roast)
3. Cook on low for 8 hrs
4. Shred and enjoy alone or with veggies/rice, or as sandwich meat

One Pot Mexican Quinoa
Prep time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Serves 4
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (original: olive oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced                                                           
1 cup quinoa
1 cup vegetable broth
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can corn
1 can rotel-mild with green chilies (original: 1 can fire roasted diced tomatoes, 1 jalapeno, diced)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon cumin
salt and pepper to taste
juice of 1 lime
1 avocado, halved, seeded, peeled, and diced
(2 tablespoons of chopped fresh cilantro)
Instructions:
Heat olive oil in large skillet over medium heat. Add garlic, and rotel (fire roasted diced tomatoes, jalapeno) and cook stirring frequently until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in quinoa, vegetable broth, beans, corn, chili powder, and cumin; season with salt and pepper to taste. Bring to a boil; cover, reduce heat and simmer until quinoa is cooked through, about 20 minutes. Stir in avocado, lime juice, (and cilantro). Serve immediately.

Anne Recommends Eliminating Synthetic Scents

Most of us don’t realize that the cleaning products, body lotion, colognes/perfumes, air fresheners, dryer sheets, deodorants, and candles we use could be causing us some not-so-appealing health issues.  One of the biggest culprits?  Synthetic scents.

As consumer consciousness is increasing, and individuals like us are curious about the ingredients of products we consume, breathe in, and absorb through our skin, more studies are proving that, many chemicals, even though they’re FDA-approved, can be causing us much more harm than good.  The FDA does not currently require individual chemicals that make up a fragrance or “parfum” to be listed.  In fact, the International Fragrance Association gives a pass for the fragrance industry to regulate itself.

A recent Huffington Post piece details that “…95% of the chemicals in synthetic fragrances are derived from petrochemicals…capable of causing cancer, birth defects, nervous system disorders, and allergies…” ¹  Phthalates are just one of the chemical types often hidden in the mix that make up these man-made scents, and it is well known that they interrupt our hormonal activity, which prompts a myriad of health problems.  Dr. Mercola warns that, “according to the Campaign for Safe Cosmetics’ report, 66 percent of the secret chemicals, and 19 percent of the listed chemicals, found in product tests have not been assessed for safety,” ² and an Environmental Health Perspectives article mentions a U.S. study confirming that 44% of the fragrant products measured “generated at least 1 of 24 carcinogenic hazardous air pollutants, such as acetaldehyde, 1,4-dioxane, formaldehyde, or methylene chloride.” ³

Life doesn’t have to be unscented.  In fact, many goods labeled as “fragrance-free” may contain a masking agent that prevents our brains from perceiving the unlisted fragrant chemicals.⁴  I personally choose products that list essential oils (extracts from flowers, leaves, resins, seeds, etc.) as their only source for alluring aromas.  Watch out for items that try to trick us into believing it is “all-natural” and eco-friendly.  There may be some other advantages, but many of these fad trademarks still use (synthetic) fragrance.  The newer Method line is a good example of this.  It is easy to make your own household cleansers with vinegar, baking soda, and even essential oils (many of which possess anti-microbial properties,) and there are thousands of recipes for nontoxic body care on-line.  For convenience, Dr. Bronner’s, Better Life, Fresh Wave and Desert Essence are a few affordable cleanser, deodorizing, and body care brands I trust, and if you’d like recommendations for anything else, feel free to ask me.

¹  http://www.huffingtonpost.com/maria-rodale/five-mustknows-on-the-dan_b_4737654.html
²  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2013/11/27/toxic-perfume-chemicals.aspx
³  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3018511/
⁴  http://davidsuzuki.org/issues/health/science/toxics/fragrance-and-parfum/

Dr. Krohse recommends free Bridges/Overdrive Audiobooks & E-Books

In this world of one-click purchases through Amazon it's easy to forget that there is an even better, FREE way to get a book... the library!

While my fiance, Val, loves to actually head down to the library, peruse the shelves, and inhale the sweet scent of books I gravitate toward the techie side of the library, the Bridges audiobook & e-book system.  The steps to get started with free audiobooks and e-books are few.  Get a card to the local metro library where you live.  Download the Overdrive app onto your phone.  Then start browsing Bridges for a book that grabs your interest.  Once you have selected one to read and checked it out you download the files to your device and can begin listening or reading.  If one you are interested in is not available, you can get in line and receive a notice by email when it is your turn to listen to the more popular book you have selected.

Personally, I listen to more books than read them.  Any time Val and I head on a roadtrip we try to pick out a decent book to listen to.  Some of our favorites have been by Stephen King.  His stories like The Shawshank Redemption, Dolores Claiborne, and The Monkey kept us sitting in the car listening to the gripping stories for 15 to 20 minutes after we'd reached our destinations.  Another good listen on a long trip was Sarah's Key.  I have also enjoyed listening to books while doing my cycling.  A favorite book listened to while cycling was My Cross to Bear, Gregg Allman's rock and roll memoir.

Get started with free audiobooks and e-books today through the Bridges/Overdrive system.  Remember:

"You will be the same person in five years as you are today except for the people you meet and the books you read"  - Charlie "Tremendous" Jones

Dr. Krohse had his first overall win at the Mullet Fall Classic Mountain Bike Race