Des Moines Chiropractic Newsletter - January

Compass Chiropractic January, 2014 E-Newsletter

 

Saturday Hours Now Available!

Painful flareup?  Inflexible work schedule?

We’ll give you a hand this winter!  Saturday appointments are available from 10 AM to 1 PM on the following dates:
 

January 11, 18
February 1, 15, 22

 

 

  Sandy Recommends the 2014 Winter Olympics 

 

 

I love watching the Olympics -- winter and summer.  And it is with much anticipation that I look forward to the 2014 Games, hosted in Sochi, Russia.  There's something very exciting about watching the best athletes from all over the world who have worked and trained very hard, who admire each other and who can set aside political differences in the spirit of competition.  This year's games begin February 7 and will run through the closing ceremonies on  February 23, followed by the Winter Paralympics March 7-16. 

 

As much as I love the skiing, skating, and bobsled events, I also look forward to learning about the new events that are being introduced to the Games this year.  Recently, I was surprised to learn that there will be 12 new events debuting in Sochi this year.  Curious, I went in search of finding out what they are.

 

Women’s ski jumping  - This will mark the first time that women will compete in ski jumping at the Winter Games.  This sport consists of athletes skiing down a take-off ramp, jumping and attempting to land as far as possible down the hill below. 

 

Men's and Women's Snowboard parallel slalom – Riders will race two at a time down the same slope on two parallel courses, outlined with gates and triangular flags.

 

Men's and Women's Snowboard slopestyle – Athletes will be scored after descending a 655m course consisting of rails and a variety of jumps, as they combine big airs and technical tricks into one run.

 

Men's and Women's Ski slopestyle – Skiers combine airs and tricks on a 565m course featuring rails and a variety of jumps before being scored on execution, style, difficulty, variety and progression.

 

Men's and Women's Ski halfpipe – Each athlete will perform an array of big airs and other tricks in the halfpipe before being judged on technical execution, amplitude, variety, difficulty and use of pipe.

 

Mixed Luge team relay -- Each nation will field a men’s singles sled, a doubles sled and a women’s singles sled. All three will slide down the track, one after another, with the clock stopping only after the third sled has crossed the finish line.

 

Mixed Figure skating team event – Featuring teams made up of six skaters – one male, one female, one pair and one ice dance couple. Points will be awarded for each routine and the team with the highest number of aggregate points will win gold.

 

Mixed Biathlon mixed relay – Teams will comprise of two men and two women. Women will open the relay, completing the first two 6km legs. The men then complete the next two 7.5km legs.

 

Time to kick back, and tune in to watch the world's best winter athletes.  I'm hoping and praying that the Games will be exciting and free from tragedy and terrorist activity.  Let the Games begin!

Sheri Recommends Cleansing Waters

 

Are you having a hard time getting required glasses of water in a day during this crazy, freezing cold temperature?  I certainly have a harder time at this time of year drinking water daily than I do when it is warmer out.  Here are solutions I find that work for me.  These recipes of cleansing waters not only taste great, but can add some variety to your water drinking in the warmer months too!  I have not tried them all, but intend to make all of them at one point or another.  So far, I have tried the classical, granite, and antioxidant waters.  If you try any of the recipes or have other options I would love to hear about them next time you come in to see us or email them to us!

 

Classical:  Add 1 thinly sliced cucumber and lemon plus 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil leave and 1/3 cup finely chopped mint leaves to 10 cups of water.  Leave in fridge over night.

Granite:  Put either 6 strawberries or raspberries with 1 thinly sliced lime and 12 finely chopped mint leaves into 10 cups of water.  Leave in fridge over night.

Digestive:  Infuse 1 to 3 grams of dried and crushed fennel into 150 ml of boiling water for 5-10 minutes.  Let cool.  Add infusion, juices of 1 lemon and 1 orange with 12 chopped mint leaves to 10 cups of water.  Leave in fridge over night.

The Antiox:  Add 1 cup of blackberries slightly crushed with 3-4 sage leaves into 10 cups of water.  Leave in fridge over night.

Watermelon:  Add 1 cup of cubed watermelon with 2 rosemary stems into 10 cups of water.  Leave in fridge over night.

Exotic:  Add 1 cup of cubed pineapple with 12 finely chopped mint leaves to 10 cups of water.  Leave in fridge over night.

Traditional:  Add 1 cup of cubed apple of your choice, 2 cinnamon sticks and 2 tsp. of ground cinnamon to 10 cups of water.  Leave in fridge over night.

Zingibar:  Heat 1 tsp. of ginger into 2 cups of green or black tea.  Let cool.  Add ginger tea infusion with 4-5 pieces of cubed ginger root to 8 cups of water.  Leave in fridge over night.

Dr. Krohse recommends YMCA Youth Programs & the Partner with Youth Campaign

YMCA activities defined my youth.  I was a YMCA competitive swimmer every winter from age 6 through 14.  Some of my best friends were made through all those hours spent at the pool at the Cedar Rapids YMCA.  Certainly that pool time also developed lasting character traits like diligence and perseverance.

The summer after my freshman year of college I decided I wanted to be a camp counselor for the YMCA.  Luckily, the amazing people at YMCA Camp Wapsie north of Cedar Rapids allowed me to join their team.  I can honestly say that Camp Wapsie had the best culture of any organization I've ever been a part of.  All the staff were so dedicated to giving the campers the best memories of their life.  It was so ironic because Camp Wapsie is located on some muddy river backwaters, but because of the passion of the staff you could see that in all the kids eyes it was the best place on earth.  While at Camp Wapsie I was a trip counselor, taking groups of teens on adventure trips throughout the country.

 

 

When you share, we share.  I've pledged to donate at least $10 to a community organization for each new patient who comes to see us at Compass Chiropractic.  Our first local community organization I'll be donating to is the YMCA's Partner with Youth Campaign.  Money donated will fund Y memberships and youth activities for children in need.  I'm very excited to pay forward one of the most rewarding organizations I've experienced for kids today.

Des Moines Chiropractic Newsletter - December 2013

Compass Chiropractic December 2013 E-Newsletter

Join us for a free Holiday Lunch Tuesday, December 17!

 

Stop by with friends, coworkers, and family from 11:30 to 1.  We'll have a nice spread of Jimmy John's sandwiches as well as hors d'oeuvres and sweet treats and seasonal beverages. 

 

Saturday Hours Now Available!

Painful flareup?  Inflexible work schedule?

We’ll give you a hand this winter!  Saturday appointments are available from 10 AM to 1 PM on the following dates:
 

December 14, 21
January 4, 11, 18

What Books Are You Most Thankful For?

Our patients and friends and family recommended the books they are most thankful for in the waiting room at Compass Chiropractic during November.  Use the books below to stock your must-read list or find a gift for a family member for the holidays!

Book - Author - Recommender
Undaunted Courage – Stephen Ambrose – Todd Sanftner
The Mitford Series – Jan Karon – Beth Riede
This Present Darkness – Frank Peretti – Jenny Leonhard
The Purpose Driven Life – Rick Warren – Peggy Robinson
Eat, Pray, Love – Elizabeth Gilbert – Kendra Knobloch
The Last Time I Was Me – Cathy Lamb – Elaine Imlau
Rush Revere – Rush Limbaugh – Dorothy Flores
The Road – MaCarthy – Kari Bourne
Power of Now – Ekhart Tolle – Saritha Saranga
The Night Circus – Erin Morgenstern – Russell Campbell-Porter
Ape House – Sara Gruen – Russell Campbell-Porter
Lord of the Rings Trilogy – Sarah Seltz
Country Living Magazine – Terry Scully
Born on a Blue Day – Karen Schmidt
The Bible – Dean Wenthe
Men’s Fraternity/Series 33 – Robert Lewis – Dean Wenthe
Because of Mr. Tropet – Jackie
Lemonade War – Jackie
Cook Books – Tiffany
Where the Sidewalk Ends – Shel Silverstine – Adam Bedwell
The Bible – Archie Robbins
The Bible – Patrice Rand
Wishes, Kisses, and Pigs – Betsy Hearne – Jackie Martinez
The Untethered Soul – Michael Singer – Dana Kennedy
 

Dr. Krohse recommends Thoughtful Gifts Your Family and Friends will Appreciate

This month, I asked our team to write up the gifts that they like to give or receive that our patients might appreciate.

Personally, I have received two different wearable gifts that help me be more active.  The first was a Misfit Shine.  This fancy high tech pedometer keeps track of my steps and helps motivate me to be more active. 

A number of these activity trackers are available.  The top sellers include the Jawbone Up, Fitbit Force and Flex, and Nike Fuelband.  After a lot of research I settled on the Misfit Shine for a few reasons.  First, it is totally waterproof.  I didn't want to have to worry about taking it off while showering or swimming or possibly sending it through the laundry and ruining it.  Second, the Shine transmits the movement data it collects to your smartphone wirelessly.  You never have to mess with a cord or plug in like most of those others.  Third, the Shine doesn't have to be charged.  You simply insert a new $2 CR2032 battery every 3-4 months and you are good to go.  Fourth, the Shine tracks sleep.  It breaks your sleep down into total sleep and deep sleep.  It has been fascinating to see trends in sleep.  Fifth, the Shine was sold in the Apple Store.  This fact gave me the confidence that the design was solid enough to stand up to the life of an active person.  Sixth, the Misfit doubles as a watch when needed.  Finally, I simply feel the Shine is the coolest looking activity tracker out there.  I have been using the Shine since mid September and have been very pleased that I asked for it as a gift.  The Shine retails for around $120 though you can use this link and get $50 off if you are the first person to order using it (discount code is C-8e8t5737 )

As a bicyclist and runner, I am aware that there is always some risk of a collision.  Because of that, the second gift I gave myself recently was a Road ID Wrist ID Slim.  This small band has an engraved metal ID that has the numbers of all the important contacts who might need to be reached in the event of a cycling calamity.  Though I hope I never have to use it, there is some peace of mind knowing that if something does happen, my family will be notified.  My girlfriend loves pancakes, but hopefully she never gets a call learning I've been turned into one :)

Sandy Recommends Personalized Photo or Artwork Gifts

My favorite holiday gifts to give and to receive are photo memories.  There's nothing quite as sweet and personal as receiving a coffee mug with a photo of your child or grandchild; or a personalized calendar with 12 different special photos and memories from the previous year; or a personalized photo mouse pad or keychain or framed photo with the artwork on the frame done by someone special in your life; or a personalized DVD of family photos, vacations and special times.  Or how about a talking photo frame with voice recordings of your children.   It's a gift that keeps on giving long after the holidays.  Shutterfly.com has many options as do local photo developers such as Walgreens, Wal-Mart, Hy-Vee, etc.

Sheri Recommends Gift Cards
So have you seen that commercial for TJ Maxx, Marshalls, and Home Goods?  The woman in the commercial is called “the gifter” because she is so good at finding great gifts and deals?  Yeah, well let me tell you, that is certainly not me!  I am the worst at trying to find a gift for someone unless they have given me the exact name and specific instructions on what they want.  Now I do love to shop, but I just am not good when it comes to trying to figure out what to buy as a gift for someone on my own.  So because of this, I have relied on good old gift cards.  Giving gift cards is a win/win situation for me.  All I have to do is get them one from a place I know they enjoy shopping at.  When my nieces and nephews were younger, it was easy to get them a gift card from Best Buy, Abercrombie, etc...I also like to give them to restaurants that people like to eat at.  Of course if it is someone you do not know very well, a general Target or one to a specific mall is good to do.  Sadly, giving gift cards is not very creative, and I blame my years of retail for pushing me into this direction.  I vaguely remember a time when I might have been more creative with gift buying.  Oh well!  Happy Shopping!

Standard Process Purification Program December Deal!

$50 off the normal price of $223 through the end of the year!  That's just $173!

Get ready to improve your health and fitness immediately after the New Year.  Read a bit about Dr. Krohse's experience...

On Thanksgiving Day of 2009 I was a frustrated guy.  I was about 35 pounds heavier than I am today.  I ran and biked and tried to stay active but just couldn't seem to get enough time in to get any forward progress on losing weight.  I told my patients to eat a balanced diet with an emphasis on the real-food Mediterranean and Asian diets but the truth was I couldn't seem to practice what I preached.  I ate a few veggies but far too much fast food, processed foods, and sweets.  I just couldn't seem to turn things around.

Additionally, I was putting up with year round allergies.  I was on a year-round daily regimen of Zyrtec and nasal steroids (Flonase or fluticasone) to keep them at bay.  If I didn't take my medicines I would quickly unravel into a sneezing, puffy-eyed, itchy-roof-of-my-mouth, nasal-congested mess.  I figured my problems must be dust and mold since my symptoms were year round and planned on eventually going through a round of allergy testing and allergy shots.  The future didn't look very bright through my puffy eyes.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas I ran into a friend who had lost around 60 pounds through the Standard Process Purification Program.  He had gone from pudgy in the summer to ripped by the holidays and gave all the credit to this program produced by a company whose supplements I already offered in my office.  It was the change I was looking for.  I started the program at the beginning of January, 2010.

During the three weeks of the program I dropped 15 pounds... and my allergies disappeared entirely.  I could breathe through my nose without medical assistance for the first time in about two years.  Over the next five weeks I continued to apply the eating philosophies of the program and dropped another 10 pounds.  By the end of February, 2010 I was down 25 pounds and I've never gone back above that weight.  With the knowledge gained through the program, I have never had to depend on medicines for environmental allergies either.  It has truly been amazing.

The Standard Process Purification Program really has been one of the best things I've ever learned about.  Over the last few years, I've been able to share my experience with many patients and friends.  Guess what... the results I got are actually typical.  Most people drop about eight to nine percent of their body weight in 21 days.  For most that means 12-20 pounds!  Most people have also made it a lasting improvement. 

If any of this has piqued your interest, jump to my blog where I detailed my journey through this program.

Call or stop by today to pick up or order one of these programs during December.  Sheri has plans to do the program starting January 2 and has offered to be an accountability partner to those interested in doing the purification program.

Thank you for helping raise over $4,000 for See-Us-Run Des Moines!

Dr. Krohse made a commitment to donate at least $10 for each new patient who came in from February through October.  When you sent in a friend or family member it directly supported the great mission of See-Us-Run! 

Your referrals currently benefit Central Iowa Trails Association!  Through the end of the year, Dr. Krohse will donate at least $10 for each new patient to our practice to CITA.

 

Des Moines Chiropractic Newsletter - November 2013

Compass Chiropractic November 2013 E-Newsletter

 

Saturday Hours Now Available!

Painful flareup?  Inflexible work schedule?

We’ll give you a hand this winter!  Saturday appointments are available from 10 AM to 1 PM on the following dates:
 

November 16, 23
December 7, 14, 21
January 4, 11, 18

Congrats to the winners of the TV and iPad giveaways!

We enjoyed making Ingrid C. and Todd K’s days with these great giveaways.  Ingrid won the TV and Todd won the iPad Mini.  Keep reading our newsletter each month to learn about other upcoming opportunities to win with Compass Chiropractic.

What Books Are You Most Thankful For?

November brings our annual Thankfulness Waiting Room Wellness activity!  This year we are again asking our patients to share the books that they are most thankful for.  We’ll send out the list in our December newsletter.  If you can’t make it in this month, feel free to email in your picks or share them on our facebook page!  Our team will share about their picks below.

Sandy’s Books

Tuesdays with Morrie  by Mitch Albom is the final lesson between a college professor, Morrie, and one of his long lost students.  After seeing his professor in an interview on TV the author is reminded of a promise he made sixteen years ago to keep in touch with him. Now stricken with ALS, Morrie does not have much time left, and Mitch recognizes this fact. He travels from Michigan to Massachusetts to meet with him. This meeting goes well and affects Mitch and Morrie so much that they meet for the next fourteen consecutive Tuesdays, up until Morrie passes away. During each of these meetings, they discuss a different topic about life. These topics make up the content of the book and include death, love, culture, marriage, regret and the world we live in, among many others. I love this book and the many emotions conveyed and, no surprise here, it was a tearjerker for me.  As someone who has taken care of and watched two close relatives die in the past few years, it certainly made me think about and ponder my own life as well as aging, forgiveness, family, compassion, and mentors in life, just as Mitch Albom does during the course of the book.
 
Parenting with Love and Logic by Foster Cline and Jim Fay.  This is as close to an owner’s manual for parenting that you will find.  I found this book several years ago when my daughters were younger.  This parenting book shows you how to raise self-confident, motivated children who are ready for the real world.  It taught me how to not hover and be a helicopter parent and how to let go and let my kids make mistakes and learn from them.  It’s full of great advice on how to parent effectively while teaching your children responsibility and growing their character.  It truly helped me realize that allowing my kids to endure and survive the natural consequences of some of their decisions – while they are young – will help them develop the skills and abilities to make better choices and survive difficult times as they grow older.

Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder.  If I had to point to one book that was instrumental in developing my love of reading it would be Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder, a series of books I fell in love with back in grade school.   Laura Ingalls Wilder was born in 1867 in the log cabin described in Little House in the Big Woods. As her classic Little House books tell us, she and her family traveled by covered wagon across the Midwest. Her books share many of the things, happy and tragic, that she experienced with her family.  As an adult, she and her husband, Almanzo Wilder, made their own covered-wagon trip with their daughter, Rose, to Mansfield, Missouri. There Laura wrote her story in the Little House books, and lived until she was ninety years old. For millions of readers, however, she lives forever as the little pioneer girl in the beloved Little House books.  I still own a full set of her books, I shared them with my daughters and I never grow tired of reading these books and fantasizing of what life must have been like on the prairie back in the 1800’s.


Sheri’s Books

When deciding what books I was thankful for a number of them went through my mind.  However, I am an avid science fiction fantasy fan, so I decided on the two that started this love affair.
 
 Years ago a friend loaned me The Mists Of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley.  This book is the story about the legends of King Arthur but told from the perspective of the female characters in that day.  The book casts Morgan Le Fay as a woman with unique gifts and responsibilities during a time of political and spiritual chaos instead of an evil sorceress.  She is a High Priestess with much power that influences the great story of King Arthur’s legend.  They made a movie of it in 2001 that starred Anjelica Huston, Julianna Marguilies and Joan Allen.  Might just have to do a search for it on Netflix so I can watch it again.

The second book that I am thankful for is actually a five novel trilogy.  They were written by Marion Zimmer Bradley, Julian May, and Andre Norton.  The story is of three princesses that are given the power of the rare and mystical Black Trillium-a badge of the royal house, a symbol of ancient magic.  As dark magic takes over the land, the sisters are forced to separately go searching for three magical talismans.  These talismans when brought together will be the only chance they have of freeing their people and land from evil!  Scary, right?!  The five books in order are called Black Trillium, Blood Trillium, Golden Trillium, Lady of the Trillium, and Sky Trillium.  The first novel was a collaboration of the three authors.  Then they were each charged with writing a separate story as one of the sisters and their journey to finding their talisman. The last novel was written by Julian May, in which she brought all three sisters together years after finding their talismans and defeating evil.

I love to read these fantasy books and am thankful for them because they take me into a world of imagination and wonder.  Leaving reality behind for just a few chapters!

Dr. Krohse’s Books

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo.  Millions have been wowed by the movie and musical.  However, as with the vast majority of great stories, those who skipped reading the book actually missed the most powerful way to experience the story of Jean Valjean. This story has to be read!  A word of advice though: don’t read the unabridged version which totals about 1500 pages.  That would put you through  about 1150 pages of confusing historical information on France and the war going on at the time and about 350 pages of one of the best stories of all time.  Instead look for an abridged version between 300 and 500 pages.

The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman.  When I first saw a friend reading this book I made fun of him.  He told me a girlfriend had told him that he HAD to read it.  Later I asked him to borrow it and am so glad I did.  It has enhanced and helped me understand the most important relationships in my life.  I believe the lessons are so valuable that I require all new staff to read it.  I figure it can only enhance their life overall as well as their ability to make our patients feel appreciated.

 

Chi Running by Danny Dreyer.  Until age 18 I had always been defined by an activity.  I was “Swimmer Dave”.  Losing that identity when I quit swimming in college was a bit of a crisis, but I got involved in other activities and was generally happy.  At 30 years old, I never thought I’d define myself by a single activity again.  Then I read Chi Running!  In just a few short chapters this book taught me how to rid myself of painful shin splints that kept me from running more than 10 miles per week.  As my mileage and efficiency increased, my pace quickened and I found joy on the trails and roads of Des Moines.  Within a few months I was “Runner David” and I’ve never looked back! :)
 

 

Dr. Krohse (green) runs his debut marathon in Des Moines with a Boston-qualifying time of 3:04

Dr. Krohse surprised the Compass team with Wicked on Halloween!
 

Thank you for helping raise over $4,000 for See-Us-Run Des Moines!

Dr. Krohse made a commitment to donate at least $10 for each new patient who came in from February through October.  When you sent in a friend or family member it directly supported the great mission of See-Us-Run! 

Your referrals will now benefit Central Iowa Trails Association!  Through the end of the year, Dr. Krohse will donate at least $10 for each new patient to our practice to CITA.