Is the Flu Vaccine Right for You?

Posted by: Dr. Ken

Just the other day I had a patient, Laura, email me asking for my opinion on flu shots. So I thought I’d share my response because it’s an important topic and something that all of us at The BC are passionate about.  So many places have flu shots available these days that it seems like Starbucks might start offering free flu shots with every Grande Mocha Latte…

Here’s my email:

“Thanks for asking. I do indeed have an opinion.  I think flu shots are pretty useless. The bug slightly mutates every year and the shot is nothing more than a mix of previous years’ bugs.  It seems to me that people commonly get the flu after the shot…

In general, I’m not a fan of vaccines.  Bugs, diseases, etc. rarely get into the body directly through the blood.  Our immune system has skin, mucous, hair, digestive enzymes, white blood cells, etc. set up in defense.  Shots bypass all of our natural defenses and go straight into our blood.  This leaves the immune system at a loss and trying to play catch up.  On top of that, they are mixed with many toxic chemicals and fillers that do more even more harm to the body.

My biggest issue is that nowhere in nature is anyone ever exposed to measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, hepatitis and more all at one time and then again a few months later…it’s not natural and not safe.  A much slower and smaller schedule is much safer.

I know this is much more than you asked for but it is a topic I’m passionate about. There’s so many chemicals we intake daily without much choice as is.  Why bother adding another that is from last year’s bug…”

There’s a lot of evidence supporting Vitamin D as a great way to strengthen your immune system and fight the flu.  I actually blogged about the importance of Vitamin D last year, check it out here: The "D" Defense Against the Dark 

Regardless of what you choose to do, we take it as our responsibility let you know that there are plenty of safe and effective alternatives to keeping yourself healthy; Alternatives that don’t involve needles, pill bottles and side effects."

Studies say sitting might be killing you, but we say it doesn’t have to

Posted by: Whitney Compton

As you know, we talk a lot about how important posture is.  Sitting, standing, walking, running, yoga-ing.  As many of you remember, Dr. Ken had a great article in Yoga Chicago (“The 90 Degree Solution”) a few years ago talking about ergonomics in your workplace.  We talk about posture a lot because many people underestimate how much your posture affects so many aspects of your life! Your energy, your digestion, your weight, your pain and discomfort, your attitude... all are affected by posture.

We do suggest you create time in your day for movement (getting a quick walk around the block or a mini FMP session would do wonders for you).  While studies are beginning to show that sitting has very negative health effects,  we know when it comes down to it, many of us have to sit longer than we really want. That is why at The Balancing Center we want to educate people on how to sit properly.  By learning this, you will negate these bad health effects and perpetuate better ones, like more energy!

Watch this fun, quick, easy video Dr. Taka found about how to simply adjust your sitting station, at the office or around the house- for ALL AGES!  Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=jbV5dGvJWyo

Temporary Fix or Real Repair: What do you want?

Posted by: Dr. Ken Bennett

Just like repairing a road, true healing takes place over time.  Anyone who lives in Chicago knows how annoying construction season can be.  Sure they could just fill in the potholes over and over again until they wind up swallowing a bus.  Or they can do it right and tear things up, take a few month to resurface and repave, and leave the smooth sailing to us.  You have to admit that once it’s done, it is great to drive on a well paved road.

Your health is very similar to road repair.  Of course you can take Advil to cover up the pain and hope it goes away.  But, these strategies don’t work because the underlying problems remain.  At The Balancing Center, people get optimal results when they embrace a process that allows the body to heal over time. We help people go beyond pain relief to an awareness of better health and happiness. The key is to really understand the concept that the pain/problem didn’t appear out of the blue.  

Just like the pothole, conditions like joint pain, heart disease or headaches, were already eroding and breaking down under the radar. Because the body is designed to compensate, problems can be silent until BOOM you hit a crisis. The doctors at The Balancing Center are great at helping you manage the crisis and get out of pain.  Success!  You feel better, but, you’ve only just begun to heal.

As the crisis was building, your tissues (muscles, nerves, bones, ligaments) were straining and inflaming due to uneven wear and tear.  Once balance is restored and the pain is gone, the tissues can finally heal.  If you want more than just a temporary fix, you need to stick with your treatment plan.  The care you receive when you’re already feeling good helps take your body to a whole new level of functionality and health.  The home exercises the doctors can teach you (Foundational Movement Practices) will help  support your adjustments, retrain your muscle memory and reset posture, allowing  your body to repave the road to an experience of strength and well being.

Keep your eyes peeled for our next blog, where we’ll talk about the ‘cycles of repair’ and how old aches and pains coming back can actually be signs that you are on the right track.

Choices and Actions

Posted by: Dr. Dan

This email came across my desk recently and inspired a real “Aha!” moment. The message about choices and actions is so clear and so powerful that I felt compelled to share it with The Balancing Center crowd. Are you directing your focus and energy toward the areas of your life that you can control?

I'm wondering if you've ever stopped to consider what in life you have control over? Let's explore this ... on a piece of blank paper draw a line down the center. The left column you will list Things I CANNOT Control or Change. On the right column you will list Things I CAN Control or Change. Now sort the following in the column that fits for you:

My Feelings

Other People's Feelings

The Past

The Future

Other people's behavior, accomplishments, thoughts, actions.

My Choices

My Actions

What did you write down? Which items did you put on the left? on the right? The only items on the right are the last two, your choices and your actions. That's it. Everything out is out of our control. We may be able to have influence, but no control.

Our power comes in our ability to make choices and take action...No matter how careful you are to plan your day, something inevitably happens that takes you in a different direction...

So when Life shows up other than you had expected, instead of arguing with what is and trying to control the uncontrollable, ask yourself, "What choices do I have? What actions can I take?" I wonder if you will discover how powerful you truly are.

[Article ©2012 Leslie Karen Sann, all rights reserved. Reprinted with permission. This article and hundreds of others, along with other free resources are available at: http://www.lesliesann.com]

Leslie is right!  Our choices and actions are incredibly powerful, especially when it comes to health and wellness. The choice to get checked and adjusted regularly increases inner resources and energy. This is enhanced by the action of Foundational Movement Practices. Choosing care and taking action in positive ways keeps the cycle of choosing and acting going, opening the door for even more positive results.

So many of us are operating in defense or survival mode on a daily basis. The strain on our systems limits the choices we have available and literally restricts our ability to take action. The stress of being in survival mode also changes our brain chemistry creating anxiety and depression. In contrast, a balanced and integrated body naturally generates energy and supports feelings of happiness and well being. By choosing wellness care and taking action with Foundational Movement Practices, we can achieve balance, and tap into our creative power.

Toxicity also decreases our ability to respond. How about the choices we make with our diet, or choosing whether or not to detoxify? Each day we may make millions of choices that can influence our well-being, for better or for worse. Sometimes it may seem like we have no control over the dozens of external forces that can negatively impact our health, and sometimes this may be true, but when there is a choice between action or inaction, I hope you’ll recognize it and embrace your power to choose.

How to Self Test your pH

Posted by: Dr. Ken Bennett
 

Let’s talk about a really simple way to check in with your health and see how your body is handling your diet and lifestyle.  It’s a pH Self Test.  Your body is alkaline by design and acid by function. This information will help you support your body’s design and therefore proactively support your health.  

There’s only three things you need or need to do in order to do this self assessment.  The following in a brief synopsis of Dr. Morter’s booklet that you get with your pH Self Test Kit.

1.  Buy a pH Self Test Kit from The Balancing Center which contains 15 pH test papers, 3 vitamin C tabs and “pH - Your Potential for Health” booklet by Dr. M.T. Morter.  It’s only $12.  The wealth of information in the booklet will change your perspective on health and diet and can literally save your life.  That alone is worth more than twelve bucks.  

2.  Eat anything but healthy, alkalizing fruits and vegetables for two days in a row.  Yes, I said anything...if you really want to eat fast food, go for it...  The reason why you should eat like this is because we are testing your reserves of alkalizing minerals.  The only way to test your reserves is to overload your body with acidic foods (meats, cheeses, grains, sugars, processed foods, etc.)  So indulge over a weekend and enjoy a little gluttony, doctors orders!

3.  Wake up in the morning and go to the bathroom (we both know you’re going to do this anyways) and as you’re going take a piece of the pH paper and pass it through your stream of urine.  You only have to get the paper wet which takes about 1 second.  You only should test your urine first thing in the morning.  When the pH paper changes color match it up with the little grid in your test kit and write down the number.  

The number you write down will fall into one of three categories:  pH between 5.5 - 5.8, between 6.0 - 6.6, and between 6.8 - 8.0.  But what do the numbers mean, it can be a little tricky...so real quick, pH is a number between 1 (strong acid) and 14 (strong base or alkaline).  The tissues in our body would burn in the presence of a really strong acid or base.  So our body uses our alkalizing minerals (sodium and potassium ideally, calcium and magnesium as a back up) to neutralize excessive acid from diet and lifestyle.  Again that is why you just loaded up on acidic foods for two days.

pH between 5.5 - 5.8

You pass, congratulations!  A pH in this range means your body had enough alkalizing minerals (sodium and potassium) in reserve to neutralize the strong acids from your diet and make your urine into a weak acid.  You still have alkalizing minerals in reserve.  Go back to eating your normal diet.  In 2 or 3 days test your first morning void again, you should score a pH 6.2 or higher if your diet has enough alkalizing fruits and vegetables.  If your pH is below 6.2 start to eat more fruits and vegetables.

pH between 6.0 - 6.6

You’re in the middle ground.  Your alkaline reserve isn’t totally depleted but it is inadequate.  Your body is starting to use calcium (from your bones and teeth) to neutralize the acidity of your diet and lifestyle.  You might be stiff in the mornings and tire easily.  Take a month and start to eat more cooked and raw frutis and vegetables.  Try decrease the amount of protein (meat and dairy) and sugar (grains and processed foods) in your diet.  The most important thing is to do this gradually.  Add the fruits and vegetables first and go for variety.  Find the ones you like and they’ll slowly start to replace the acidic foods on their own.  Also, start supplementing with Alka-Green (a natural alkalizer).  After a month or so do the whole test over again and ideally you’ll be in the 5.5 - 5.8 range.  Even if you’re not there, don’t be disappointed and keep on alkalizing, your body is still in need of a lot of alkalizing minerals to build up its reserves.

pH between 6.8 - 8.0

You need help, your alkaline reserves are depleted.  Your body doesn’t have the alkalizing minerals available to neutralize a strong acid into a weak acid.  It is turning to your emergency backup system and using ammonia to handle the excess acid.  Your urine probably smells like ammonia and it might burn a bit too.  More likely than not you aren’t feeling that great either.  You may be dealing with headaches, joint pain, fatigue, or a chronic illness.  Immediately reduce the amount of acidic foods in your diet and add cooked vegetables.  Drink cranberry juice to help with any burning on urination.  Start supplementing with Alka-Green and Alka-Cleanse to help clean things up and bring more alkalizing minerals in.  As you change your diet and your body becomes more alkaline you’ll probably notice that you start to feel better, less aches and pains and more energy.  Keep going!  It’s going to take a couple of months for your body to get things back on track.  Patience is key.  

Once you’ve scored between 5.5 - 5.8 you can test your first morning void on any given day.  If you score 6.2 or above your diet has a good balance of alkalizing fruits and vegetables and everything else.  Keep it up!  If you’re below 6.2 your diet contains too much acid food (meat, dairy, grains, sugar).  Eat more fruits and vegetables.

Your body is alkaline by design but acid by function.  This is a great way to be proactive and make sure you are doing things that contribute to good health over a lifetime instead of waiting for emergencies to arrive.  Be proactive not reactive!

There’s also a way to test how your body is handling emotional stress by checking your saliva pH. But you’ll have to get the Self Test Kit to find out more...

Alkalize for a Balanced Life

Posted by: Dr. Ken Bennett

Balance your pH and regain all the effortless energy and wellness you thought was lost with your childhood.

Life is all about Balance. We’ve all heard the Universal Law - for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction. Well, the universe that is the inside of our body is no different. Our bodies are constantly working to maintain a pH (Acid/Alkaline) balance in the cells and tissues.

Here’s a quick refresher for those of you that don’t remember high school chemistry that well. The pH scale runs from 1 to 14. A pH of 1 is a strong acid, while a pH of 14 is a strong base (alkaline). Water is a neutral 7.0.

Our body wants to be just slightly alkaline (about 7.4) specifically in the blood which is most important. Different tissues and organs in the body require different pH levels but the blood will always be the priority. For example, your body would sooner take calcium from your bones to bring your blood pH back to 7.4 after your steak and potato dinner. Or it will let all the lactic acid produced from a workout stay in your muscles (making you constantly achy or sore) to keep the blood alkaline. All of this happens because cells and tissues start to malfunction, germs can survive and thrive in an acidic body.

A foundational principle of health is the body is designed to be healthy but programmed to survive.

Sidenote - At The Balancing Center we know this principle holds true for more than just the Acid/Alkaline balance. Structurally speaking our bones are made to be in proper alignment and support our weight. However, accidents and injuries (even repetitive strains like poor posture) can tear loose connective tissue and let your spine and bones shift out of proper alignment. This is important because a misaligned spine creates disturbance in the function of your nervous system which is the master control system, aka: runs all systems of your body. It also means your muscles have to strain to compensate and hold against the misalignments which leads to additional acid formation and wear n’ tear in the body, aka. pain. At The Balancing Center we specialize in detecting and correcting this imbalance. Thus allowing your brain to run the body without disturbance.

We have the choice to make our body's Acid/Alkaline balancing act easy or hard. Thus allowing the body to function more by design than survival programming.

If we choose to eat a lot of acidifying foods such as proteins (meat, grains and dairy) processed foods, and sweets, our bodies have to strain to fight off all the accompanying acid. We can counterbalance the acid, but then we loose all our vitamins and minerals - calcium, potassium, magnesium, etc. In this way we are robbed of the nutritional value in our foods (even bad foods have some value, usually) and we create an environment ripe for the formation of disease. In an acidic environment, as our alkalizing minerals are no longer available for their primary purpose, the body begins to malfunction and disease becomes a reality. Disease can look like any of the following conditions: poor sleep, allergies, loss of energy, digestive issues, cloudy thinking, confusion, pain, weight gain, skin conditions and many more serious problems.

We have the choice to make this balancing act easy. We can choose to eat A LOT of fruits and vegetables -- especially greens. Depending on your metabolic type, this could mean up to 80% of your diet...now I make plenty of healthy choices when it comes to eating, but personally I’m not looking to become the next Bugs Bunny. Therefore, I choose to drink alkalizing, nutrient packed green drinks on a daily basis. When we eat and drink more Alkalizing Foods the minerals and energy packed within create a powerful alkalizing environment for our cells. Germs and tumors starve and die in this environment. Our cells are energized leading to a healthy expression of life -- you can say hello to renewed vitality, a trim lean body that feels great, mental clarity, restful sleep,easy digestion and so much more.

Although it always makes me laugh a bit, the book title “Alkalize or Die” is basically true...although I like to think more along the line of creating balance in life. A body balanced structurally and chemically opens the door to more balance in all aspects of your life. So get your pH in balance and bring abundance and happiness to all those around you.

The Power of a Daily Practice

Posted by: Madelyn George





“Foundational Movement Practices” - the name is pretty self-explanatory. Dr. Dan Fedeli has spent decades creating the FMP program. Building on countless stories of success and transformation, doctors Ken Bennett and Taka Nakaseko have achieved great success using and improving the program with their own patients. These are exercises that pave the way for healthy functioning. But what does it really mean to call something a practice? What does it mean to make a commitment to practice?

In the English language, “practice” can be used as both a noun and a verb. One can practice playing an instrument, or playing a sport, and achieve serious improvement. One can also establish a daily practice in order to find some mental clarity, or to reach nirvana. In either case, we’re talking about practical steps that can be repeated in order to achieve an extraordinary goal.

How awesome is it that we can excel in life simply by incorporating simple actions into our daily routines?!

What habits or activities are already incorporated into your daily routine? Dr. Ken often says that taking care of your spine should be like taking care of your teeth. While many people don’t go to the dentist twice a year, the practice of brushing one’s teeth is widespread. (At least we hope so!) This is a habit that has been incorporated into the lives of billions of people. Can you imagine not brushing your teeth everyday? Can you imagine the decay? Can you imagine the smell every time people opened their mouths?

We encourage patients to stick with a care plan in order to get beyond pain and achieve their wildest health goals. That means we schedule regular appointments, with frequency depending on the unique situation of each patient. But coming in to meet with a doctor is only one part of the healing process. Integrating new, healthy practices into the lives of our patients is HUGE! One of the primary ways we can integrate balance into our lives is by making a commitment to Foundational Movement Practices. Check out this video to hear how FMP helped a member of our team achieve a breakthrough over a year after she initially learned the exercises!

Do you already have a daily practice? We’d love to hear about it over on our facebook page . Whether the idea is totally new to you, or your practice is already helping you reach new heights, consider adding Foundational Movement Practices to your daily routine. Find out what five extra minutes can do for you.

How Chiropractic Can Prevent Yoga From Wrecking Your Body

Posted by: Madelyn George

On January 5th The New York Times ran a fascinating and controversial article called “How Yoga Can Wreck Your Body”. The article elicited a lot of angry responses from yogis, and probably did convince a lot of prospective yoga students to do something “less dangerous”. As I read through the article I admit it was pretty terrifying to read the stories of slipped discs and partial paralysis resulting from some of the more intense yoga poses, but I couldn’t help but wonder if some of the injuries might have been avoided if people had received care at The Balancing Center first.

Personally, I’m not going to stop doing yoga. The moral of the article was something much bigger than avoiding the practice as a whole. With yoga, like with any physical practice, injury is possible, but the biggest risk comes from tuning out the messages your body is sending to you. I plan to stay very present with my body, especially when practicing twists. When it feels like my body is saying “no”, I’ll listen. I hope you will too, and not just with yoga, but with any physical practice.

The care we provide at The Balancing Center is focused on getting people out of pain, improving performance, and improving lifestyle. As you can see from my chiropractic story, I was not in any pain when I started, but I was definitely out of balance. After my first few adjustments I noticed that I was able to perform all physical activity with greater ease and much less strain. Less strain means you’re less likely to get injured! We always tell people that you should keep coming in, even if you feel fine, because staying in balance can help you avoid injuries and pain in the future. It’s so true.

Regular adjustments aren’t the only thing that can improve your health and quality of life. The Balancing Center’s Foundational Movement Practices are a huge part of what makes our patients successful. In Dr. Fedeli’s words, “This is one of the main things we teach. It’s so important to learn how to use your body correctly, and we can teach you how to know when you’re pushing it too far. Our system is an incredible tool to help you sit and stand better, and the movement practices will definitely help you exercise more safely and effectively.”

Link to the original New York Times article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/08/magazine/how-yoga-can-wreck-your-body.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all

A couple of interesting response articles:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/suhag-a-shukla-esq/yoga-wont-wreck-your-body_b_1195754.html
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2012/jan/14/yoga-can-damage-body-row?INTCMP=SRCH
http://www.firstpost.com/living/om-my-god-who-wrecked-our-yoga-the-dirty-picture-of-a-5-bn-dollar-industry-183391.html

Top 3 Cleanses for 2012

Posted by: Dr. Ken Bennett

The holidays are finally over and a new year has begun! Many of us have lofty goals and aspirations for 2012. If transforming your health and life in 2012 is one of your goals, might I suggest you start with a cleanse? There’s a laundry list of benefits to doing a cleanse (or detox). Any of the three cleanses I’m about to describe may help you:

- slow down the aging process
- strengthen your immune system
- improve mental clarity
- increase your energy
- enjoy better sleep
- decrease your pain
- lose weight
- enjoy a sense of well-being
- improve symptoms of arthritis
- improve symptoms of fibromyalgia
- balance hormone levels
- reduce inflammation
- improve skin health
- improve digestion

Have you started cleansing yet? That list of benefits is almost enough to make me want to drink some Palmolive... If one or two of these results sound good to you (and I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t) keep reading.

There is an overwhelming number of cleansing/detoxing options available (google it, you’ll see what I mean). I’m sure most of the options out there are helpful on some level. But it can get seriously confusing trying to pick the right one. That’s why we’ve guinea pigged ourselves for you...at The Balancing Center we primarily support 3 different types cleanses. Why only three you ask? Because they work. It’s as simple as that. They are based on solid research, have proven track records, and we all have personal experience with them.

Each of these techniques cleanses your system in a different way. I’ve done all three and I would recommend you do the same. We have different systems and organs in our bodies that need support and detox. And we live in an increasingly toxic world! Watch this video if you need any convincing of that... EWG's Eye-Opening Presentation.

With no further ado and in no specific order here’s our top 3 cleanses for 2012:


1. Alka-Cleanse gently cleanses the colon. It contains psyllium and herbs to stimulate and remove old toxic residues that have been sitting around since the Bears won the ‘85 SuperBowl. It also contains probiotics to help normalize the bacterial environment in the colon.

Personally, I do this twice a year (right after the holidays and in the spring). There’s really no reason not to do this. It’s as easy as taking 6 to 10 pills first thing in the morning for about a month. I look at it like spring cleaning.

In case your weren’t already convinced, Alka Cleanse is our featured product for the month of January. Purchase your bottle this month and get $3 off! (Normally $18)


2. Orenda Immune is probably the best cleanser/detoxer I’ve come across. It actually works at the cellular level. This is huge because we are really nothing more than a bunch of cells (about 100 trillion). Our cells have a lot of receptor sites for different vitamins, hormones, neurotransmitters, etc. Kinda like a lock and key. All of the toxins in our air, water, food, and personal products (if you haven’t watched the video link above, please do) stick to and block our receptor sites. Now we can’t fit the key in the lock, which means our cells can’t let the good stuff in and the bad stuff out, and communication with the other cells is cut off. Given time, our cells become unhealthy, and if our cells are not healthy, we are not healthy. Orenda Immune clears the toxins from our receptor sites which lets the good in, the bad out, and re-establishes communication between cells. Orenda Immune also helps to escort the toxins out of our body via the liver and kidneys. There’s really no other product like this.

I take it everyday and plan to continue doing so until something better comes along. Unfortunately our world is exceedingly polluted. This is one product that you can’t afford not to afford (double negative, I know)...

Orenda Immune is part of an awesome line of products that all produce brilliant results. Visit http://www.thisisorenda.com/index.asp for more information.

3. The McCombs Plan is a candida (yeast) cleanse. You can learn more about this at the McCombs website but in a nutshell this is how it works.

Everyone (man, woman and child) has been on antibiotics at least once. Probably multiple times and many of those were unnecessary (antibiotics don’t kill viruses). Overuse of antibiotics, especially in the food industry, is a new hot button topic because it creates drug resistant bacteria, but that’s another discussion. Antibiotics kill bad bacteria and good bacteria (the healthy ones in our gut needed for immunity and digestion). When the bacterial balance is offset, the yeast (candida) can multiply and overtake our colon, and then go systemic. Systemic Candidasis can create a myriad of problems.

The McCombs Plan consists of changing your diet to foods the don’t promote candida growth (no dairy, sugar, or grains) and taking supplements to help kill the candida, detox, and reestablish your healthy bacteria. You also drink a lot of water and regularly sweat (in a sauna or hot bath) to help detox. (Simplifying your diet to include fruit, veggies, meat, and brown rice is always a good idea whether or not you do this cleanse.)

This plan is AMAZING! Most people feel better within the first couple of days. I know I can attest to that. My sleep and energy improved in two days! The biggest benefit is learning how your body responds to different foods. It is truly eye opening for most everyone.

For more information on getting started on this plan visit the following link: http://www.mccombsplan.com/new/the_plan/index.php

Let me know if you have any comments or questions. Until next time...stay balanced.