Looking for a delicious homemade bread recipe that won’t spike blood sugar and is healthy for the gut? As someone who personally can’t eat wheat this recipe is one of my favorites. It totally satisfies the bread cravings that occasionally happen with a combination of healthy fats and fiber! I have modified it just a bit from the original recipe I had and think it has more orange flavor to balance the tart cranberries.

Its’ very easy to make and the ingredients nourish the gut and the good bacteria in it! Try it plain or spread some grass fed butter over it for a delicious breakfast or a healthy snack anytime.

To Make the Bread You Will Need:

1/4 cup monk fruit sweetner

1 cup whole cranberries

1/4 cup orange juice

4 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla or almond extract

1/3 cup coconut milk

1/4 cup avocado oil

2 1/4 cups almond flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

To Make the Bread:

Preheat oven to 350

In a food processor or blender pulse the cranberries, monk fruit, and orange juice until small bits of cranberry are distributed equally in mixture.

In a bowl whish together eggs, extract, coconut milk and avocado oil.

In separate bowl combine almond flour, baking soda, salt and cranberry mixture.

Combine the two mixtures and knead until well mixed. Line a bread pan with a sheet of parchment paper and fill pan with dough mixture.

Bake for 40-45 minutes. Let cool completely before serving.

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I’ve been doing several case studies lately and this week I want to share what I have experienced with cases of headaches. Headaches have always been one of the primary conditions people seek chiropractic care for, but why?

To being with lets review what chiropractic does. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to identify areas of the neck and spine where spinal vertebrae have become misaligned and correct this via the chiropractic adjustment. This safe and gentle procedure corrects misaligned joints, which we call subluxations, and allows the muscle and tendons to heal on their own which causes symptoms such as headaches to go away.

In my time in practice I have found there are 2 primary types of headaches I treat patients for. Those are tension headaches and migraine headaches. While technically different I have found that both types usually respond well to chiropractic care and it is not uncommon to see full resolution of headaches within 1-4 weeks of regular treatment.

Most of the time patients present with either a sudden onset of migraine symptoms or with a history of chronic tension headaches. The pain can range from mild to pretty severe, as in the person can’t do much but lie in bed and take OTC pain meds for several days.

In cases of headaches the physical examination of the neck almost always reveals two primary pathological components. They are excessive muscle tension and misaligned vertebrae which are tender to the touch. It’s important to note that one of the bodies reactions to misaligned vertebrae is to tighten the muscles. This is because the body views the subluxation as an injury and is trying to stabilize the area similar to how a sprained ankle swells up.

Other common physical findings are reduced range of motion, and the patient may reports sensitivity to lights and sounds. Chiropractic treatment of headaches typically consists of a series of adjustments done over several weeks. Often 2-3 visits per week is needed at the onset of care but this is reduced as the muscle tissue heals and the person begins to feel better.

During treatment I typically ask the person to pay attention to their day to day activities and see if there is some repetitive motion they do that strains the muscles in the neck and upper back. Identifying any of these along with adjusting the neck and upper back can have tremendous benefit for the patient.

Upon successful completion of the treatment I typically suggest 1-2 follow up visits per month to address any developing problems in the neck and back. This is because you just took the time and effort to correct the problem. Why not maintain it so that you don’t wind up back in several weeks or months later with the same problem?

If you struggle with headaches call us or stop in anytime. We are here to help and have years of experience treating headaches. We would love to help you as well.

If you know anything about chiropractic you probably know that it is a great treatment option for headaches, low back pain, sciatica and much more. But the true benefits of chiropractic go far beyond pain relief.

Chiropractors check the spine for misaligned bones in the spine that pinch nerves that exit the spinal cord. These nerves go to all the muscles and organs and anything at the end of pinched nerve is not getting 100% of the information being relayed to and from the brain. This is what results in dysfunction and ultimately the symptoms that lead people to see the chiropractor in the first place.

Chiropractic is extremely safe and is often more effective than drugs or other treatments for problems with a musculoskeletal origin. And again, while it is great for getting rid of headaches, back aches and more it goes soooo much deeper than that!

Benefit 1: Improved Organ Function- the same nerves that to the muscles also go to the organs. If an organ is operating on reduced nerve flow then that organ is not operating at 100%. This is important if your body is trying to digest food, filter your blood and urine or coordinate the distribution of vital nutrients throughout the body. Getting regular adjustments makes sure the body stays in tune and operates at its best which keeps you feeling better!

Benefit 2: Improved Immunity- your immune system also relies on the nervous system to coordinate it’s response to invading virus’s and bacteria. Would you rather have your army of immune cells operating in a highly organized manner to combat an infection or running around chaotically swinging at anything that even looks like a bad guy? Regular adjusting of the spine keeps this critical system operating efficiently and keeping you from getting sick.

Benefit 3: Better Sleep– even if your not in pain per se lingering aches and muscle tightness can make it difficult to fall asleep or to stay asleep. How many times have you gone to bed only to wake up at 3 or 4am with a sore neck or unexplained headache? These are early warning signs that trouble may be just around the corner for you. Regular adjusting keeps the body fine tuned so that recurring problems with the back simply don’t happen as often if at all.

If you are looking to benefit from chiropractic care and improve your health call us or message us on Facebook to set up an appointment. We are here to help you experience better health! If you liked this article and found it valuable give me a click on Facebook or share this article with someone you think would benefit from it.

In many cases of sciatica that I see the cause is misaligned spinal vertebra pinching nerves that are exiting the spine. This causes the typical symptoms of sciatica which are shooting pain down the legs, numbness, tingling and weakness.

Today we’re going to go over a recent case I had of patient with sciatica. He initially presented to the office with symptoms of pain in the left leg as well as foot drop, or the inability to fully control the left foot.

Note: Symptoms Came on Gradually

This gentleman had been experiencing ongoing low back pain for several months and over the last 3 weeks prior to coming to see me progressed to pain down his leg and eventually the foot issues, which was coincidently what lead him to come to my office.

Initial evaluation revealed tenderness of the left lumbar musculature and posterior rotation of the left SI and L5 segments. He also had marked weakness in the left foot. He had had previous X-rays done which showed no pathologic processes or fractures so we knew we were dealing with a musculoskeletal issue.

Note: Many Cases of Sciatica Do Not Have Any X-ray Findings

Due to the severity of his symptoms I suggested an initial course of treatment at 3 times per week for 4 weeks. We then re-evaluated his condition. Initially he did not see much change, however within a month his pain levels had decreased by about 75% and he had only a minor deficit in his left foot.

We decided to treat 2 times a week for an additional 4 weeks and upon completion he had only minor pain in the left lower back and his foot was back to normal.

Note: Sciatica Can Take Up To 2 Months or More to Resolve

His follow up visits now typically consist of 1-2 times per month. He has no restrictions and has to date, not seen any returning of his symptoms.

Chiropractic was able to help with this problem because, like many similar cases, the problem was misaligned spinal vertebra. This problem most often comes about over time due to repetitive stress. That is why there is often no pain or symptoms until they are suddenly very painful and noticeable.

If you or someone you know has sciatica or similar problems, I encourage you to seek chiropractic care. It is much safer and often much more effective than the usual medical route which includes pain pills and physical therapy.

This time of year is rough. Colds, flu and other illnesses are seemingly lurking around every corner and the cold days and long nights don’t help either.

Try as we might it seems an occasional cold or other illness in almost inevitable. So what should you do if you do find yourself home sick and really, really wanting to feel better?

Here are 3 things I recommend to my patients all the time to feel better and get over their illnesses quick that are easy to do and really work.

1) Honey Lemon Tea: Making this tea is easy. All you do heat up 12 ounces of water (a coffee mug will do). Add a table spoon of raw honey and the juice from half a lemon. You can put the lemon half in the water too after you’ve squeezed the juice out. Stir it up and boom, you’ve got a cold fighting super drink. Enjoy 3-4 cups a day. Oh yeah, this tea is great for sore throats as well.

2) Drink Bone Broth: Bone broth is like ordinary broth except that it is made from simmering chicken or beef bones for 24-48 hours. It is high in protein, minerals and if you add a little sea salt it tastes great. You can warm up a cup anytime on the stove top and just sip it. Its a great way to load up on nutrients your body needs to fight off a flu bug while not eating anything solid that might upset you stomach. You can also use it as the broth in soups as well.

3) Epsom Salt Baths: What feels better when your achy and have the chills than a hot bath? Pretty much nothing. Add 2 cups of Epsom salts to your bath next time. The magnesium in the salts is easily absorbed by your skin and helps relax you and take the edge of the aches in your muscles and joints. These days you can also find essential oil infused salts too. I recommend either lavender or orange infused salts.

Being sick is not fun. But at least the next time you catch a little something you now know some natural remedies to feel better. Hope you liked this article and be sure to share it with friends and family on Facebook and other social media platforms.

New year, new you! This is a great time of year to make some changes in your life that will truly benefit your health and wellbeing. One of the great things about doing that is your energy levels can increase dramatically!

These are SIMPLE things you can start small with and work your way up. All you need to do is make sure to do them to at least some degree.

1) Commit to Exercise, Any Exercise at Least 3 Times per Week

Your body operates under the “Use it or lose it” principle. If you are not sending your body a signal that you will be active and therefore need more energy it will not just make energy for no reason. Simply commit to doing some form of exercise for at least 30 minutes, 3 times per week. It can be a walk, lifting weights, playing a sport or literally ANYTHING else that gets your blood pumping and works up a little sweat!

2) Drink at Least 64 Ounces of Water per Day

Most people are dehydrated. It’s a fact and drinking enough water is one of the easiest things you can do to not only boost your overall heath but to increase your energy. Put simply, if you are even mildly dehydrated the body begins to function less efficiently. This leads to brain fog, fatigue and other problems. Drink at least 64 ounces of water per day (yes, more than this is ok too!).

3) Cut Back on Caffeine

I know, I know. You hate me for even suggesting this but hear me out. Ingesting caffeine causes the release of cortisol and adrenaline, both of which are stress hormones. They cause the body to go into fight or flight mode which shuts down all the regenerative processes going on in the body in preparation for an emergency that never comes. It’s not actually energy you get from a cup of coffee or a Monster. It’s metabolic stress which ultimately leads to adrenal fatigue and utter exhaustion. In a perfect world quit it all together. If not that at least cut back. You will not regret it.

4) Sleep More (like 8 hours a night)

Much like that fact that most people don’t drink enough water, many people simply don’t sleep enough. If you are not giving your body ample time to rest and recover you will feel groggy, grumpy and achy more often than not. Your body needs at least 8 hours to do a full tune-up so do not short your sleep time, especially if you’re already having energy problems.

5) Get Regular Chiropractic Adjustments and Massages

Guess what?? Most people do not take good care of their spine. This leads to a slow wearing out of joints and intervertebral discs. Eventually this leads to pinching on the nerves exiting the spine which leads to less effective muscle and organ function not to mention pain, lots of pain. The sad thing is that most of this can be avoided simply by routine chiropractic adjustments (which address misaligned spinal vertebra) and massages which relax muscles and help identify trouble areas. 1-2 adjustments and a massage every 1-3 months will make a huge difference in how you feel now and how you feel as you age.

There you have it. 5 easy resolutions to super charge your health and energy this year. Start where you are and don’t worry if some of this stuff is new or uncomfortable at first. I can tell you from personal experience and from the experiences of my patients these changes work and will help you feel better!

If you are looking for a healthy, hearty, veggie loaded soup to make on cold winter days then look no further! Not only does it taste great but veggies make it an absolute super star for keeping everyone healthy during cold and flu season.

Its not hard to make either. Just chop up a few ingredients and away you go! I do recommend briefly pressure cooking the beans and tomatoes in an Instant Pot (cook for about 12 minutes) before use but this step can be skipped if your in a hurry or don’t have a pressure cooker.

What you will need:

1 small yellow onion, chopped

4-5 cloves garlic, chopped

3 sticks celery, chopped

1 cup mushrooms, thinly sliced

1 bulb fennel, chopped

1 can of pinto beans

1 can of diced tomatoes

1 head kale, chopped

4 cups vegetable broth

2 cups water

1 tablespoon red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons butter or ghee

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

OPTIONAL: 1 lb ground beef, browned

Add all the veggies, broth and seasonings into a slow cooker. If adding beef add this as well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on low heat for 8 hours or high heat for 4 hours.

Sciatica is a very common condition experienced by millions of people every year. The symptoms can range from sharp, localized low back pain to pain that shoots all the way down the legs into the feet and toes.

While this condition is common, typical medical treatments only address the symptoms and frequently fail to address the actual cause of the problem. Sciatica is most often caused by pinched spinal nerve roots in the lumbar spine (low back). Depending on the severity of the pinching symptoms can be somewhat mild or much more intense.

The nerves are pinched from spinal vertebrae being misaligned and putting pressure on the nerves as they exit the spine. While physical therapy and massage can help alleviate the symptoms somewhat, chiropractic care is the simplest and most direct method of treatment for sciatica pain.

Chiropractic applies a gentle, manual adjustment to the areas that are misaligned, thereby alleviating the pressure on the nerve and reducing the symptoms. It typically takes several weeks of treatment to fully resolve symptoms but some relief is typical after just a few adjustments.

If you have been struggling with sciatica try chiropractic. It is safe, relatively inexpensive and very effective in most cases of sciatica.

Ahh the holidays. Friends, family, food and more. But as great a time of year as this is it is also the time of year many peoples health habit take a turn for the worst. But fear not, this Ultimate Holiday Survival Guide will remind you of the easiest things you can do to make sure you don’t get too far off track this holiday season!

#1) Drink Water- Now I don’t mean only drink water but remember to drink at least several glasses of water a day. If your dehydrated you are more likely to have headaches, low energy and generally feel crumby. Ohh, and staying hydrated helps maintain a healthy weight so it can help ward off those holiday pounds. Bottom line, have a few glasses of water every day.

#2) Sleep 8 Hours a Night- This time of year is busy, busy, busy. If it’s not a work party its Christmas shopping. Or a family gathering (or 4). Or just a busy week trying to organize all said events so you don’t go crazy remember where to be when with who! You will get worn down this time of year. You absolutely need to sleep enough or by New Years you will be fried. 8 hours is good. More if needed. Seriously. Sleep.

#3) Keep Alcohol and Caffeine to a Minimum- I’m not saying don’t have a coffee in the morning or some drinks with friends and family. Just keep an eye on it. With parties and get togethers happening almost nightly for a week or two its easy to have several late nights followed with a caffeine fueled push through the next day. It doesn’t take long for this to completely fry your system. This is especially true if you sleep deprived and dehydrated (see points #1 and #2 above! ). Just be smart and don’t over do it and all will be well.

#4) Do Some Form of Exercise- It doesn’t need to be anything fancy just make sure to keep somewhat active. Go for a walk, lift some weights or do some yoga. It doesn’t matter what you do, just do something! Falling off the exercise wagon is what makes getting back in the swing of things after the new year so difficult.

#5) Have a Few Healthy Meals Planned- As mentioned above, this time of year can get crazy! This often means healthy eating gets forgotten. Simply planning a few healthy meals a week can go a long ways towards keeping the ship mostly upright during the holidays when cookies, meat and cheese trays and straight up comfort food become extremely common.

#6) Get Your Spine Adjusted- Most back aches, headaches and such result from misaligned bones in the spine. Once a bone is out of place it also affects the function of the whole body ( see organs ) which means the whole system is under even more stress. Getting adjusted a few times over the holiday season can help reduce stress, lower any pain you might have and just generally lets the body work better! You can’t beat a good adjustment.

Well there you have it! Things are going to get hairy the next few weeks but follow the tips in this guide and you will come through in the New Year in decent shape ready to hit your resolutions hard and not feeling like a total zombie. Happy Holidays and enjoy!

Like many people once I hit my mid 20’s I started noticing some nagging back pain. In my case it was right between my shoulder blades and occasionally in my neck. Almost everything I did (and still do) stressed those areas and it wasn’t like the pain was terrible so I didn’t do much about it.

After graduating school and starting to work full time as a chiropractor I noticed that my back problems got worse. Sure, I got adjusted once they were really bothering me (sound familiar?) and the pain would subside but over time I noticed it never really went away altogether.

Finally in my early 30’s I had an episode where my mid back was OUT. I could barely breath and finishing my day at work that day was a monumental task. It was about this time I got serious about getting my back pain under control.

The 3 things I did to get my back pain under control were pretty simple and I recommend people do these 3 things every day I’m in the office now. They are, in order of importance…

1) Get Adjusted by the Chiropractor

I mean duh right? Almost all back and neck pain, headaches, sciatica and more are caused by misaligned spinal bones pinching nerves leaving the spine and stressing the muscles of the back and neck more than they should be. This is exactly what chiropractors fix so I started by going 2 times a week for wait for it… 4 months. Chances are great it won’t take that long for you but it took that long to fix me up. That was my own fault for years of neglect. Now I still go 1-3 times a month to maintain it because as they say “a house ain’t going to keep itself clean”.

2) I Got Serious About Resting My Body

When you are young you are invincible. Sleep 3 hours, fall off a roof and eat a tin can for breakfast and its all good. At some point however, the body has accumulated years of wear and tear and you actually do need sufficient rest in order to feel good. I know, it sucks but I don’t write the rules. If I did you could still get by on the bare minimum of rest. If I was tired, I rested. If I was sore, I rested. You have to do it because your body isn’t lying to you. It wants whats best for you and in some cases what is right for you is rest.

3) I Cleaned Up my Diet

Turns out the body doesn’t like cheap, processed food all that much. Who knew, right? I started eating real food and lately I’ve taken it a step further and have been following pretty closely a diet recommended by Dr. Steven Gundry. Bottom line is do what works for you but you do need to eat real food most of the time.

Now this didn’t all happen overnight. I put the pieces together slowly but over time I came up with a routine that works for me. You can do the same, but if you want to speed the process up immensely come see me at the 4 Corners or in my Glenwood City office. I’ll be there adjusting peoples backs and dishing out battle tested and doctor approved advice for not only getting your back pain under control but also improving your overall health.

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