DAY 189 - No Better Gift from My Kids

Kenn and Jenny

I’ll tell you the backstory on another day, but wanted to say that my kids, Jovi and Kenn, give me the greatest birthday gifts.

What I really wanted was a guarantee of their health; but that wasn’t possible. So I asked for the next closest thing; I select a book on health, they read it, and then provide me with a book report on what was valuable to them.

Each year they learn more about health, and each year they know that their wellbeing is one of the most important things in my life.

This last October, for my 59th birthday, Kenn, and his sweetheart, Jenny began reading The Better Brain Book by David Perlmutter, MD. Let me say here, that Kenn and Jenny have had a very busy life recently. On March 27, 2011, they finished and delivered their book report.

My kids have been giving me these gifts since 1997, but, for the first time, Kenn and Jenny created their report as a video that is now available for all on Vimeo at:    http://www.vimeo.com/21576405

I am so grateful for this gift and for my kids’ interest in health! I am comforted by their closeness and increasing connection to health. Feels good now, great design for the future! Doesn’t get much better!

DAY 154 - Free: Not Just Gluten-free

This isn’t really too deep; I just want to say that while I have been gluten-free for 2+ years, there is a freedom that comes with being gluten-free that is more than a simple food choice.

While never having experienced symptoms that I could connect to my consumption of gluten (a class of proteins found primarily in wheat, rye and barley), I have had a lifetime of mild to moderate digestive tract problems. Only through the good fortune of having chosen a professional life as a doctor, have I been fortunate enough to learn that gluten sensitivity is both a common problem, and one that is often not recognized. 2+ years ago I finally ordered testing on myself and learned that I am gluten sensitive.

For those who are gluten sensitive, or have the more serious form, celiac disease, the advice of experts is that we eat no gluten whatsoever; none.

Over the last two years, and with some frequency, conversations with patients and others, have lead me to be told that is isn’t really possible to avoid gluten, living in our culture. I am also often told how bleak a gluten-free life would be. In most cases, the individual filling me in on his views, states them as though they were universal truths. Nowadays, after listening carefully, I state that I have been 100% gluten-free for more than 2 years, and explain that it has not been a major challenge in my life, that I continue to eat large amounts of delicious food, and that I am happy to be able to make this change which is predictably improving and protecting the quality of my life.

I like the fact that no single food owns me! I also like being free; free to be healthy!

DAY 113 - A Day in The Life

Let me just talk straight with you. It’s 2:30 PM and I feel tired. My shoulder muscles, between my neck and the tips of my shoulders, what are for short called traps, are tight and tense. I’ve been off coffee for 27 days, and it’s times like this when I feel that I could use a cup. I’ve got a lot of work to do. Nothing new there. Maybe that’s part of my problem. Always things, not little things, that need done. But, they don’t just need done; they need thinking, and with my brain, they often need lots of thinking. But they also need love and compassion. Is an answer an answer if it isn’t compassionate? Well, yesterday after work, I went straight to the Ventura City Council meeting which started at 6:00 PM. Big issue about whether to spend $75,000 to study whether or not to annex Canada Larga into the City. Bit stressful because even considering annexing Canada Larga, is to create and invite more urban sprawl, moving Ventura, and all of Ventura County toward becoming a clone of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County. Lots of folks living here, that just fled from there. Are we having trouble thinking ahead? I sat from 6:15’till 9 ish – not great for my back, legs, or health. Spoke briefly before the council to be a voice of reminder that we don’t want nor like urban sprawl, so let’s not do it. After the meeting a nice lady told me that the Council was “two-faced”. I told her that I personally knew a few of the Council members and that my opinion is that they were not liars, but were caring people working with very complicated issues. Drove home. Got a bite. (Dragged a comb across my head.) And sat down to write my daily post for my book/blog. By 11:30 PM I was done and in bed. Not so good for a guy who functions best on 10 hours of sleep per night. So, I’m snuggled in, my wife breathing quietly beside me. Now I get to deal with being wound up from the day’s feelings, activities, interactions and inactivities. My heart is racing a little; my mind definitely is. My gut is a bit tight and uncomfortable. I start with deep breaths and awareness of my traps. I begin counting my blessings; my wife, my kids, my health, the enormity of the options and opportunities in my life. Things, like my heart, begin to slow, and thanks to exhaustion, I am asleep in no time. But now it’s today and I’m in the cycle. Still lots of blessings. Still lots of stresses, tensions, and things needing done. I was thinking, that since I am doing non-patient work in the office in Ventura today, and since I won’t get home to Ojai before 6:00 PM, that it would feel good to be with a friend this evening while watching the State of the Union. While my dear friend, Bill, says that he still likes Obama, he also says that has lost some appreciation for him. Gosh, I still love the man! Why is it that so many of us can’t seem to separate the man, Obama, from what they hoped would be accomplished, but has not been? Obama has told us himself that he is not satisfied with what has been accomplished. But, how many of us are living our own lives as we think we should; and could? How many of us have a family that is without disharmony and dysfunction? How many of our cities are running smoothly, without a glitch? Holy cow! He is trying to help us run a COUNTRY! Don’t just cut him some slack, remember that you too have a responsibility for the actions and direction of our Country. Has he really become a traitor, like the Ventura City Council? Come on! Hey, what if we gave him a hand, rather than a fist? Maybe, as he has requested repeatedly, we could work together; the only way that things can be accomplished for the greater good. What got me going on that? :) So, I’m with you, with him, and trying to be with me.

DAY 111 Forgive Me ... But You Have Food Allergies

Yes, you.

Truth be told, I am just trying to be helpful. I did not wake this morning with the intention of trying to ruin your day by telling you about your food allergies.

 I understand that this can be an emotional issue, so let me be clear; I will not be telling you what to do, and I won’t be taking any foods away from you.

And please remember, I am just the messenger.

It is reasonable to believe that every person has a least one food allergy.

Food allergy is one of the most common causes of a laundry list of chronic health conditions. Signs and symptoms of chronic unwellness such as pain, fatigue, arthritis, headache, high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain, depression, congestion, constipation, and reflux are often indicators of food allergy.

I could have just let you suffer. Or, I could have just sold you treatments for your ailments, without ever discussing their causes. No one would have blamed me because most people aren’t even aware of the endemic problem of food allergy. But, I can’t do that to you.

What’s wonderful and amazing is that each and every one of the signs and symptoms that I listed above, usually responds amazingly, or completely resolves when food allergens are removed from ones diet.

So, just give it some thought; would you trade a few foods to get rid of some of your illnesses? Or, maybe you can’t live without your Gouda cheese.

See; I didn’t take anything away from you, and in fact I may have just given you your life back.

The ball is in your court.

DAY 91 - Your Body is Not Entirely Your Own

Joanne and Kenny

“When pregnant or nursing, your body is not entirely your own.”
 ~ a mother December 2010 ~

Nice, straight-forward quote. We know what it means. Every aspect of how a mother, pregnant or nursing, cares for herself, or doesn’t, directly affects her baby.

How powerful and wonderful that deep, real interconnection of two beings!

Generally, in our culture, once nursing is over, mothers are no longer constrained by the interconnectedness of their health with the health of their children.

But, does ones health, woman or man, ever not affect the child, or for that matter, the world?

How interesting that we appear able to respond appropriately to the very obvious connections between mother and developing fetus, and mother and nursing infant, but seem much less able to understand and respond to the eternal interconnectedness of the health of parents and children, and of each of us with our world.

Lest it appear that I am criticizing women, let me say that it is not my intent to be critical at all. We all know that men are the weaker sex when it comes to our capacity to sense interconnection with our families and with humanity.

Our world will be kinder and healthier as we come to know the placental vessels that connect each of us with all others, and with all aspects of our natural world.

DAY 79 - Salad Support

I LOVE a great salad! It’s not my knowledge of the profound health benefits of a colorful, iceberg-free salad, I just LOVE them! The crunch, the textures, the greens, reds, and oranges. Nonetheless, there have been so many times when I have been both tired and hungry, looked in the refrigerator, and just couldn’t face trying to put one together.

Fortunately, I have a salad support partner, my wife, Joanne!

When we married in 1971, one of our treasured wedding gifts was a wooden salad bowl set. Many were the evenings we would come home from work, put on James Taylor or Carole King, and together make a hearty salad. There were times when one of us didn’t have the energy to make a salad, but rarely both of us. The energy of one would lift the other.

Whether it is walking, stretching, or preparing healthy food, a buddy or support team can be invaluable. To have found love, marriage and health support all in one, I am blessed.

To this day, we make beautiful salads together.

DAY 78 - Death Panels or Life Panels?

“Death panels”, as they are often called, are groups of people that are asked to make determinations about the best use of a community’s limited financial resources as it relates to an individual’s need for healthcare. How interesting that some would choose to call these “death panels”, when the process of determining how to best allocate resources, is being done to maximize life in the community. I would be more apt to call these “life panels”.

Today, the US is almost 14 trillion in debt. We simply don’t have enough money to provide every American with all the drugs, MRIs, surgeries and therapies they want.

It is also clear that some people feel that no expense is too great if it will extend the life of their loved-one; regardless of the impact on others.

I realize that talk is cheap, but it is my hope that when, and if, I find myself in need of a large healthcare expenditure to continue my life, that I would consider all of you.

I support “life panels” because I value the health of my family, of our communities, and of our Country, as much as I value my own.

In the meantime, if we are truly serious about life, and whether one calls them “life panels” or “death panels”, we could all get busy protecting our lives by improving our health through daily exercise, less sugar, a few more green leafy vegetables, and a couple of hugs.

DAY 71 - Putting the “Public” into Public Health

I just created a Facebook Page called “Community of Health ~ Ventura, CA”. It is a framework for monthly gatherings for health. I think we can live more healthfully, and have a good time doing it! And part of the magic will be in doing it together!

Here is what I posted today:

What is Community of Health ~ Ventura?
COHV is friendly people coming together once a month, enjoying learning about, practicing, and staying engaged in health! COHV will provide a calming, joyful, and thoughtful environment in which to consider the factors that lead to health and that lead to imbalance, and in which to find personalized direction for health and happiness.

Who: people interested in health; for many reasons
Where: in the City of Ventura – to be figured out – offers of a comfy place?
What: 90 minute gathering with varying formats and content
When: the second Thursday of each month, from 7-8:30 PM

Who created and who will lead Community of Health ~ Ventura?
Dr. Kristofer Young, Ventura chiropractor.
“Most of us need help staying on track; staying inspired to care for our health. I have created Community of Health ~ Ventura, to help us do just that.”

Is COHV a business promotion, or a front for marketing products or services?
No, and no.

DAY 60 - Simple Understandings #2 - Who Should Track Your Health?

A lot of us Americans leave our medical laboratory test results at our doctor’s office. Some of us take them home and throw them away. Some take them home and file them.

(Note: I am using the word “doctor”, above, to mean any kind of doctor that can order medical testing; MD, chiropractor, naturopath, dentist, doctor of oriental medicine, etc...)

Results once filed, may never be seen again. The trend of the subsequent results is usually unknown or forgotten. Are things getting better or worse?

I’m not complaining. This is just what I see in practice each day, and I know that by changing this, we can live happier and healthier lives.

We would all be wise to look over our test results, and then write down on a tracking form, the names of the tests that were positive (that’s medical talk for “bad”), and the results. Each time new testing, of any kind, is completed, one would post the new positive-bad results (it would be wise to also include those that are approaching abnormal too), and also post the results for tests that were previously positive-bad.

You probably don’t have a form, so I made one up for us. Click on this link, print the form, and get started. Print one for each of your family members, if they won’t find that too pushy.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sNAkuU1yH2Cyglcbga1zKm5yQ_BxSAfmKqvJWYMBrVo/edit?hl=en&pli=1#

Obviously you are going to file your new “Tracking My Health” form at home, but if you want to bring yourself and our healthcare system into the 21st century, bring your completed form to every doctor’s visit. I guarantee your doctor is going to jump up and hug you when she sees your form and realizes that you are serious about your health, and your desire to work with her.

DAY 59 - Simple Understandings Can Set You Free

Periodically, through this book, during the next 10 months, I will share some simple understandings that have changed the way I see the world, and see myself. These understandings have improved my life and my health. I hope, and humbly believe, they can be of great value to you.

It would be foolish to think that any one of the ideas that I share, will turn your life around. But, it is reasonable that the combination of a number of these insights, along with your being on a path of growth and change, will result in a beneficial synergistic effect on your life and health.

Simple Understandings #1 – Change is not difficult

Talk about dangerous beliefs! Everywhere I go I hear well-meaning, intelligent people saying “change is difficult”, and “no one likes change.”

Comparatively speaking, change is not difficult. What is difficult is enduring suffering, with no way out.

The fact of the matter is that lots of us actually love change. Change can be exciting, and is often relieving and fulfilling.

Change can, and often does involve some difficulty or discomfort, but it certainly beats the repetitive pain of maintaining the causative status quo.

If you believe change is difficult, can you change that?

DAY 58 - Age is a State of Mind ... Oh Really?

It is said that “Age is a state of mind.” And I suppose this adage could be true, ... if one doesn’t have a body. But, given that most have both, this saying holds no water, and even carries harmful meaning.

The phrase implies that attitude comes directly from the brain, and suggests that ones attitude controls and determines whether one feels young or old. This is simply wrong. Attitude comes from the body, the brain, and the environment. It is probably primarily induced and influenced most by ones state of health, and how one feels physically. Let us also not forget, that the mind is a part of the body.

A potential danger of a culture believing that feeling old is nothing more than a state of mind, is that those who feel old, are easily blamed for having a bad attitude.

Another danger is that “state of mind” is a red herring distracting our already distracted cultural attention from the dominant factor that regulates whether we feel young or old; that factor is health. When stiff, or sick, or tired, those of us over 30 are apt to say we feel old. Conversely, when pain-free, flexible, and energetic, we tell everyone that we feel like 18 again.

The adage that really tells the story is, “You are only as old as you feel.” That is, when your knees ache, you feel old. Keep in mind that attitude is not the most common cause of knee pain; poor health is.

To summarize; while attitude is important, your body is the main player that determines whether you feel young or old. So; exercise regularly; eat real, healthy food; cultivate close, loving relationships; and you’ll have a better chance of staying forever young.

DAY 57 - A Real Gift This Holiday

This piece was first published in the Ventura County Star on December 25, 2001 with the title
"Make a pledge this holiday season to take care of yourself".

Give the gift that everyone wants to receive, but that we’ve never seen advertised. Give the gift that we all can afford to give, and that we can’t afford not to give. What is it? The gift of your own health and well being.

There are cultural voids and misconceptions that either interfere with giving this gift, and more often, simply make its giving inconceivable. One factor is that our culture doesn’t focus on health. We are fixated on disease, its treatment, and the covering of its symptoms with medications. Also, we have little or no life-experience showing us that daily health practices result in a better life. Additionally, most of us would not intuitively think that improving our own life, would be a gift to others.  Finally, try as we might, we still believe that a gift is a physical object; love is great, but where are the presents?

Ask your mother, your father, your spouse, your brother, your sister, your child; “Would it feel like a gift to you if I had less pain, felt more rested, was happier, stopped smoking, began exercising, lost weight, recovered from chronic illness?” If these people are feeling loving toward you, the answer will be YES. Turn it around. Is there anyone, family or not, that would be giving you a wonderful gift by becoming healthier?

When a child cries from the pain of an ear infection, struggles to breathe with the wheezing of asthma, or cries in fear of a painful medical treatment, we too feel pain. When that child, in a healthy state, smiles and giggles we feel her comfort and joy.

How painful to watch an adult, limping in pain, hunched with pain, breathing or swallowing with difficulty, depressed by chronic pain, hooked to tubes and monitors. How uplifting to watch a spry, happy elderly person hiking, dancing, or playing with a small child.

The gift of your health is a blessing to all; each and every day. It is a blessing for the future because it reduces the probability of you becoming disabled, suffering with chronic disease, or dying early. Your commitment to health also reduces the risk that your loved ones will have to suffer with you during a prolonged illness or premature death.  In a still larger sense, the more days of your life that you are healthy, the greater your ability to contribute to others. The more days ill, or in a bad mood generated by poor health, the more that others will have to contribute energy to accommodate for you and lift you up.

We each have a choice, not a guarantee, but an opportunity to give the gift of our health to our family, our friends, and to the world in which we live. There are few gifts that we will ever give that will be more important or more appreciated.

Each time you wish out loud or to yourself that others would begin to make changes to regain their health, remember that someone may be wishing the same of you.

It is critical to understand that the absence of obvious and active disease is not the same as optimal health. Our bodies gradually, often imperceptibly, lose function and reserves until they periodically, and then ultimately breakdown. Conditions and practices of daily living are the keys to health. How many of these are regular parts of your life: loving relationships, organically grown food, low sugar and starch consumption, aerobic and stretching exercise, plenty of rest and sleep, hope?

Give a gift that really matters.

DAY 28 - How Sacred is an Election?

Election Day, tomorrow, Tuesday, November 2nd, 2010 is a sacred day.

I am using the word "sacred" here to mean "entitled to reverence and respect"; as found in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary.

We are a fortunate people, to live in a Country of such freedoms! A Country in which each of us has a voice and a vote.

There are those who feel that their votes are meaningless; that they rarely get what they voted for. My response is; if your child called for help, how many times would you stand up to try to help him? Would you stop trying to help? Will you stop trying to help our Country, or will you stand up and vote?

Will you encourage others to vote?

Please note that I have not, and will not be suggesting how you should vote, just the importance of voting.

Finally, what does voting have to do with health? The health of our Nation is dependent on our citizens expressing their views through their votes. And the health of each citizen is powerfully influenced by, if not dependent on the health of our Nation.

DAY 18 – I Can Help Your Kids Lose Weight (part 1)

It’s true; I can help your kids lose weight.

It is also true that YOU can help your kids lose weight when you know what to do, and when you are ready to make change to protect and improve their lives.

First, let’s be clear that your kids don’t need to lose weight. They need to lose fat. We are really talking about improving body composition; the balance or ratio of non-fat tissues (muscle, bone and organs) to stored fat. Some weight loss programs actually result in just that; a loss of weight, including both fat and muscle. We want to selectively lose fat, not muscle.

You, and everybody else in the country know that excessive fat is a strong predictor of serious, if not lethal, disease ahead for your children. I do not want to scare you.  I do want to catch your attention because both you and your children will suffer if we don’t do something about their body composition. Conversely, when we do improve your children’s body composition, we improve their health and stack the deck for happy and productive lives.

Let’s face it, most Americans have no idea what to do to lose fat themselves, and therefore are in no position to help their children. Additionally most Americans have lost touch with, or never had a grip on what a healthy body composition looks like. We have become so accustomed to seeing our fellow countrypeople with quite a bit of stored fat in and on their bodies, that we often sense that a slender person is unwell or near starvation. As a culture, we need to re-remember what healthy body composition looks like. And we need to consider the risks of explaining away our child’s excess fat by saying, “he is a big boy”. Big boys have more heart attacks.

In America we have taught ourselves that people with excessive fat can’t win. Scientific studies have shown that while most people who are over-weight (more accurately over-fat) may temporarily lose some fat, most all will ultimately regain that fat, and add more. The studies may well reflect what occurs in the life of an average person who is over-fat, but that is only part of the story. Keep in mind that when the lock won’t open, you may be using the wrong key, or the lock may require more than one key. We have not been using the appropriate keys for fat loss.  And lest you think that because we were able to put a man on the moon that we are using space-age technology to help people lose fat and achieve optimal body composition, think again!

Tomorrow I will give you some specifics so that you can get to work protecting your children and creating some calm in your own life knowing that they are safer.

DAY 7 – Stretch Marks – Lesson 1

Got your attention, didn’t I?

You know what I’m talking about, right? Those permanent, raggedy marks that can occur in the skin in the arm pit or groin; or on the abdomen, thigh, breast, or buttock.


(Photo of pregnant belly with "tear" marks courtesy of BarelyFitz from Flickr Creative Commons)

Did it ever dawn on you that they are not “stretch” marks? They are “tear” marks! Keep in mind that when a fabric, or your skin is expanded in length or size, and then due to its elastic nature, returns to its previous size and shape, we call that stretching. When that same fabric or skin loses its structural integrity, does not return to its original form, and instead is left with a permanent mark along a line in which continuity was lost, we call that tearing.

What you and I have are “tear” marks.

It is reasonable to assume that those of us with “tear” marks have connective tissue in our skin that is poorly constructed. It is also reasonable to assume that the poor construction of our connective tissue may be related to a lack of necessary building materials (nutrients). Further, it is not unreasonable to assume that if ones skin is poorly constructed, that other tissues and structures in the body may also be poorly constructed and at greater risk to failure.

At age 13 my first tear marks showed up as striations on my buttocks. I kept it to myself.

After surfing one day at age 15 I realized that I had a large tear in my left armpit. Before long I realized that I had similar large tears in my right armpit and in my groin both left and right.

Most people believe that these marks are caused by pregnancy or by being overweight. But here is the problem with that belief; it is not true. While granted that increased stretching of skin due to pregnancy or weight gain are often associated with “tear” marks, it is important to understand that there are many individuals who have never been heavy nor ever been pregnant and they still have “tear” marks. Additionally, it is common knowledge among women that some women can gain very little size with their pregnancy and still develop multiple tears, while other women can become very large with their pregnancy and never have a mark on them.

The health history form that all new patients fill out in my chiropractic office, asks if they have stretch marks (they don’t yet know them by their more accurate name). In 28 years of practice, no patient has ever indicated that they have been asked this question in any other healthcare office. Apparently, most physicians have either not thought much about “tear” marks, or think that incompetent skin structure is of little or no importance.

Let me assure you, the integrity of your skin and connective tissue is extremely important.

We’ll talk more. Be thinking about the people that you know that have “tear” marks, and give thought to their health status.

DAY 2 – Do You Have a Health Plan?

And he answered, “Sure!”

“So, what’s your health plan?” I asked.

“Well, it just changed, but it’s either Blue Cross or Kaiser.”

“No”, I chuckled, “I mean what is your plan for being healthy.”

Every man, woman and child WOULD BE FORTUNATE to have medical insurance to protect them from the often hefty, if not bank-breaking, costs of  treatment of a major disease or injury. But every man, woman and child NEEDS a real health plan; a personalized plan for how to be healthy.

Some things in life can be done on the fly; by the seat of your pants. Health doesn’t work like that. If we desire a great outcome, like excellent health, we best have a plan. If we’re going to stack the deck against developing life-threatening or life-altering conditions like cancer, heart disease, diabetes or dementia, we need a plan.

Now, a real health plan should, of course, be a written plan. It’s a little too sketchy to just have a plan in mind. I’m going to bet that you don’t have one. I’ll bet your children don’t either. Consider the risk that you and your family live with when you have no plan.

Keep in mind; we Americans are not the picture of health. In 2004 33% of Americans were overweight and 34% of Americans were obese. That’s two thirds of all Americans. That excess fat is a risk factor for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, dementia, and more. We need only scratch the surface to see that most Americans either aren’t connected to the importance of being healthy, or they don’t know how to get there.

Everyone would agree that exercising daily, having a healthy body composition (balance of fat to non-fat tissue), eating 5 servings of veggies a day, and consuming minimal empty carbs (sugars and refined starches), would be obvious parts of a real health plan. I don’t need to tell you that these are not happening.

What can you do right now about the danger of not having a health plan? Start by getting a 3-ring notebook. In it list the important factors that you think create health. Make notation of the factors that you want to be a part of your health routine. Create sections in your notebook with the following headings; health history, test results, vitamins, medications, pains-problems-diseases, exercise, healthcare practitioners, stresses, etc... Now you’re on the road.

Imagine the delighted shock on the face of your acupuncturist, medical doctor, chiropractor, or therapist when you arrive at your next appointment with your real health plan in hand! Now the two of you can get down to the business of working together to support the health that you want.

And here’s the greatest news! While medical insurance is outrageously expensive, a real health plan is something that everyone can afford.

To repeat myself, you can’t afford to not have a plan for your health!