WHEAT!!!... That's nutrition!

My Nutritional Rant!

by William Green

Part of my desires to become a chiropractor is my belief that many diseases are preventable, and good health is maintainable. I’m a “root cause” sort of individual. For example, the root cause of my headache is not the pain. Pain is a symptom. The root cause may be muscular tension in my neck, it may be caffeine withdrawal (or too much), or it may be a sudden constriction of the blood vessels within the brain (migraine). While ridding ourselves of the pain is important (particularly in the case of the migraine), if we don’t take care of the root cause the headache will simply return. Sometimes worse. I believe that the root cause of many diseases stems from poor nutrition. Our bodies require specific amounts of certain nutrients in order for the cells to live and operate normally. When I attempted a computer programming class some years ago I was told that computers cannot think for themselves, they will only do what we tell them to do. When something goes wrong, it is either us who miscommunicated with the machine, or else our message was misinterpreted internally due to faulty hardware. It is the same with our bodies. It can only work with what we give it. If we don't provide the body with what it needs at that time (like if we're running a marathon, typing a long note to family, or fighting an infection) how can we expect it to react normally? We are predisposing ourselves to faulty hardware, and there is no Ctl-Alt-Del option! Providing our bodies with the necessary fuel to take care of itself will help keep us relatively disease free. Our bodies are incredible machines. We have a built in system to ward off and destroy illness causing bacteria and viruses. We have systems in place that detect damage to the skin, muscles, bone, organs, and surrounding tissues that send messages to other parts of the body in order to repair it. All of this goes on without our even being conscious of it. Our bodies are so incredible, they can actually help reverse disease! Heart Disease, some forms of Diabetes, Osteoporosis, etc., etc. can all be reversed if we provide it with the right tools. These systems, as well as all the other systems in the body (digestion, hormone, neuronal, etc., etc.) only work properly when provided the proper fuel. I'm so grateful for the incredible appreciation I've gained for the beauty and complexity of our bodies.

So... Let me preface what I’m about to say by explaining to everyone that I am a skeptic by nature. I don’t believe in conspiracy theories (except the “second shooter” – who was on that grassy knoll?), I don’t tend to get overly worked up by political debates, and I don’t really take people's opinions as doctrine if I haven't had a chance to look into the issue myself. My nutrition classes here at school, though tear-jerkingly boring to sit through, have really opened my eyes to what we are putting in our bodies. It is so difficult to eat well these days, even when we are trying our very best. It is nearly impossible to get away from processed foods. Chemically, genetically, or hormonally engineered foods are in virtually everything we eat. Even those things we think of as being natural (i.e.: fresh fruits, vegetables, fresh meats, etc.) are altered by corporations in order to turn a bigger buck. It’s a shame, really… but it is the world we live in.

So, who cares? What's the big deal? What are you going to do about it? Well, I'm glad you asked!

I've been looking into supplements, multi-vitamins, and other "nutriceuticals" in an attempt to find a product I would be comfortable with, and willing, to sell in my practice. Throughout this process somewhere in the dark, dusty hallways in the back of my mind was a subtle nagging for quality of product. Let me 'splain: I used to work for a pharmaceutical company as a Quality Assurance Auditor. I worked countless hours trying to ensure the quality of millions of hormone therapy patches. I audited thousands of records hoping that the production process went smoothly so that the FDA will not bother us and the elderly can have the opportunity to go to the bathroom when they want, and how they want. I devoted myself to investigating (and reviewing others' investigations) production flaws so that post-surgical patients can live relatively pain free and as high as a kite. We put in so much effort in attempt to guarantee purity, safety, and efficacy of the product. Unfortunately, there are no such regulations for the "nutriceutical" industry. Hence the nagging feeling. They do not fall under the FDA's jurisdiction. As such, there is minimal to no testing performed on the products to determine the purity of the raw ingredients (which can be scary depending on where the raw ingredients come from) or the finished product, nor is there testing to ensure that the actual dosage matches what is on the label (Oh, if I could share some of the articles I dug up on this... let's just say that lead kills!). Kind of scary as a consumer. Research is generally not conducted to determine the optimal amounts of vitamins/minerals that are required on a CELLULAR level. Nor is research conducted to determine the best method of vitamin intake. Some are best absorbed in your small intestine. Some in your stomach. Some are best dissolved instantly in your mouth. I was deeply disheveled when I learned about the lack of research and quality put into vitamins and supplements. During my research, I came across this article here (note page three and four). I was incredibly appalled when I saw that my Costco (Kirkland) multivitamin only scored a 5.2% in having and delivering optimal nutritional amounts! Essentially, I had just spent $30 on a sugar pill. What a waste of time and money. What a blow to think I'm not getting what I expected or was promised.

In that article mentioned above, the number one rated multivitamin was USANA Essentials. I did some digging into USANA and discovered that it is a Utah based facility. It was founded by Myron Wentz who had previously built up an incredible research facility that grew billions of cells for diagnosing viral diseases. He set many standards that are used by doctors and hospitals when it comes to identifying certain viral infections. While his company thrived (and I mean thrived!) he was disgruntled because he wanted to help people maintain health. So he founded USANA. They are one of the only nutriceutical companies that employ pharmaceutical grade Good Manufacturing Practices (GMPs -- a set of quality standards, enforced by the FDA, that must be met if the product is going to leave the warehouse) and they test their own products. The amount of time and money they put into research is astounding. I was very impressed -- particularly after all the negative I had come up with regarding other products/companies.

I was so impressed that I became a USANA associate. That means I can distribute their products to whom I want (and to whom would like them). I wanted to let all of you know about USANA and their products. You can click here to see and learn about them. If you are interested in them, let me know.

These are not magic pills. They are not cure-alls. You'll find no snake oil in here (unless they prove it to be health promoting). If, however, you are deficient in something, these will fill in the gaps with quality ingredients and at the right dosage! I have personally witnessed incredible results from the use of them. Not from me yet (I just started on them not long ago), but from several people in the ward who I found out use them.

These are the products I will be selling to patients. These are what I will use in my practice for reasons stated in the first few paragraphs. Personally, I will recommend to nearly every patient to take the USANA Essentials multivitamin. Multivitamins help nutritionally "fill in the gaps" that are not able to be filled through diet. Without getting into too much drawn out detail, there are other products designed to support: healthy heart/circulatory system (good for the patients at risk for any cardiovascular diseases), liver (helps maintain normal detoxification), cellular metabolism (boost the immune system), cholesterol, bone (prevent osteoporosis), Joints/Cartilage, Eyes, Brain, weight loss, etc., etc. The prices are higher than many regular multivitamin/supplement due to the cost of research and quality testing. But I can get them at wholesale prices. I do make some commission off of these sales (just trying to be upfront about this!) but as stated earlier, that was not my primary intent when choosing this product (just an added bonus).

Well, there it is. Thanks for listening (reading) my rant. I call it a rant because Challene read it and said it sounded like I was ranting and raving. I went back and softened it up a little bit (if you can believe it). I was also trying to post Bill Cosby's "Chocolate Cake for Breakfast" bit as an intro, but that didn't work at all. So... this is what you got.