Being raised in the chiropractic lifestyle almost my entire life I sometimes take for granted the knowledge that has been passed down to me. It's really the only way I know, since my dad has been a chiropractor since I was 5 years old. I use to think my parents were crazy, we would drive an hour and a half every Sunday after church to the closest Whole Foods in San Ramon to stock up on Organic groceries for the week. We had raw milk delivered to our door step. As kids we lined up every night to take our fish oil, multi, food enzymes, or whatever other vitamins we were getting. But as I grew up and looked around at all my friends who were constantly sick I began to appreciate this. I never had the ear infections, the asthma, the allergies, that every kid I seemed to know had. 
   I use to take this knowledge for granted, I don't anymore when patients are getting so healthy by just me passing this knowledge on. Or when I am getting invited to speak at so many venues as a wellness speaker. I am just teaching what I have always known. That is why I pass this knowledge on every week in a workshop in my office. We call this workshop "Regaining Your Youth and Vitality", the keys to staying young for a lifetime. This workshop is free and open to the public every Monday night at 6:30pm. I invite you to call our office Adjust Dallas to reserve a spot in our next one. I guarantee you will come out of it having more knowledge in regards to health. 

   It's that time of year again, summer is ending, Halloween is around the corner, then shortly following Thanksgiving, and then we are in the full blown holidays. This time of year is also special for something else, the media made mass hysteria of Flu Season! Oh no it's coming again! Like I say every year, they say the same thing every single year. And they have already started saying it again this year. "It's going to be the worse flu season we have ever seen!"
   If you don't already know by now, your news and media is heavily influenced by corporations, sponsorship's, and advertising dollars. And one large agenda that is pushed every year is to make sure as many American's get the Flu shot. If you pay attention to what they say you will notice their pattern, "worse flu ever", "there is going to be a shortage of flu shots this year". This is actually excellent marketing and basic supply and demand. They create a hysteria with scare tactics, so it makes the consumer demand the product (the flu shot), then they create a false scare of there being a shortage of the product, creating even more hysteria. You are going to tell me there is a shortage of flu shots when I can't go to any grocery store or pass any corner with out a sign to get one? And if you know it was going to be the worse flu season ever don't you think you make enough to go around? Please.
   Just read this propaganda piece that was ran in Parade today. It's titled "Experts Urge Vaccination Ahead of 'Unpredictable' Flu Season". You can read it here,  http://www.parade.com/168729/viannguyen/experts-urge-vaccination-ahead-of-unpredictable-flu-season/#.UkWQF-idNGA.facebook. Look at the language they use, "predicted" as “high morbidity and mortality” and “high hospitalization rates”, "severe illness", and “deadly and unpredictable”. It's the FLU, you would think we were in the movie "Outbreak".
   So what's wrong with getting the Flu Shot? Where do I begin? It's filled with toxic crap. For two radio shows I did on the topic you can listen to them here, /media.html. Not to mention it flat out doesn't work, every year it's a guessing game where they try to guess the strands that are going to hit. And every year, they're wrong, and almost everyone that I talk to that got a flu shot ended up getting the flu. I honestly can go on forever about the harmful effects of the toxic ingredients used in the flu shot, but this then wouldn't be a blog, it would be a novel. But just know this, by this year more than 2.5 Billion (with a B) has been awarded for vaccine injuries through the Vaccine Injury Compensation Program. So you might want to think twice before getting a vaccine for the Flu.

   I have always had my opinions about Crossfit, some good and some bad. Owning gyms myself, I obviously have strong opinions on exercise. Being a Chiropractic physician and treating sports injuries, I obviously have opinions on those too. But today on Good Morning America they ran a story that is sweeping the nation and causing a scare. It was titled CrossFit Linked to Potentially Fatal Condition Rhabdomyolysis and you can watch the video here http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/crossfit-linked-potentially-fatal-condition-rhabdomyolysis-20380676. Rhabdomyolysis is an extremely rare condition in which damaged skeletal muscle tissue breaks down rapidly. Breakdown products of damaged muscle cells are released into the bloodstream; some of these, such as the protein myoglobin, are harmful to the kidneys and may lead to kidney failure. The severity of the symptoms, which may include muscle pains, vomiting and confusion, depends on the extent of muscle damage and whether kidney failure develops. The muscle damage may be caused by physical factors (e.g. crush injury, strenuous exercise), medications, drug abuse, and infections. Some people have a hereditary muscle condition that increases the risk of rhabdomyolysis. The diagnosis is usually made with blood tests and urinalysis. The mainstay of treatment is generous quantities of intravenous fluids, but may include dialysis or hemofiltration in more severe cases.
   Good Morning America brought on Eric Robertson, spokesperson for the American Physical Therapy Association and professor at Regis University, as an "expert" to comment. He bashes crossfit not only on GMA but also online and in other papers he has written. I personally think Eric Robertson just has a problem with exercise in general not just crossfit by his appearance today. Now Im not saying this to be mean, but if you bring on an "expert" to talk about exercise, maybe that person should exercise. I will also go to say that it is arguable that he is an expert when it comes to this topic. The reason why? He's a physical therapist, does he know about muscles and how to massage and stretch them out, of course he does, but to go to say that his education of what happens in your bloodstream and to your kidneys once this protein is released in your body is a stretch. 
   So what would I say to Eric Robertson? I would ask him if he has heard of a much more common disease known as heart disease? It kills 1 out of 3 Americans. Being overweight, puts you at higher risk. Rhabdomyolysis is so rare that GMA's and ABC New's chief medical correspondent Dr. Richard Besser (notice there is a Dr. in front of his name) said he has never even heard of it! After doing more research myself on Rhabdo there are so many other factors that go in to someone experiencing this besides exercise. And to discourage people from exercising too hard for fear of this is flat out ridiculous. We have an obesity epidemic in this country where 2/3 of Americans are overweight! Like I said before I have some things about Crossfit that I don't agree with but I will tell you that if every American did Crossfit, our country would be a healthier place. Eric Robertson should try it, maybe he can lower his risk of heart disease too.
   So what do I not like about Crossfit? Being an ex college football player myself and having quite a bit of experience in Olympic style lifting, I will say to start they weren't designed for repetition. Power cleans, snatches, jerks, that are staple exercises at Crossfit were never designed to do in high counts. They were designed to do very low number of reps. Doing these in high repetition and then adding in competition just spells out injury. And trust me I have treated quite a few of them. One of the reasons why Crossfit is so popular is because pretty much everything they do is a competition. Most of those are for best times, meaning that who can get the most amount of reps in the shortest amount of time. So if you are trying to do an exercise as quickly as possible, obviously form can get compromised which leads to injury. But this is really irrelevant to the GMA story. And bottom line is people get fit and lose weight at crossfit.
   Now if sounded angry in this blog, that's because I am! HAHA jk. But I get angry when so called experts make claims that can lead to further risk for people. So imagine everyone watching GMA today who could use to lose a few pounds, they may never try Crossfit because of this. Trust me Crossfit will do a whole lot more for you then that treadmill at 24 hour.  
   

   If you have followed my blog for any length of time or listened to my radio show you already know that I have had a few issues with Whole Foods. I'm not going to go in detail on all of them in this blog (You can find them in my archived blogs), but I do want to point out something that you need to look out for and stay away from. Whole Foods has had a love affairs with Canola Oil. Im actually not even going to call it that any more in this blog, because there is no such thing as Canola plant or oil. It is a made up term. Canola Oil is actually rape seed oil, and some marketing firm somewhere decided that Rape seed is not that marketable of a name. So it was made in Canada so they decided on Canola. 
    You can't go anywhere in Whole Foods without finding it. It's in almost every one of their prepared food items. It's in the marinade they use in the butcher area of the store. It's even in the mayo they use in the deli. They love this stuff! And why? I'm not sure but it is just one of many reasons why I fell Whole Foods doesn't care as much about your health as they do profits.
   So whats so bad with Canola? One reason is that over 90 percent of it is Genetically Modified. If you haven't heard what GMO's are by now you can listen to one of my past radio shows by clicking here /media.html. In short GMO's is where they have changed the genetic code of crops to better withstand insects, drought, inclement weather, etc. How can they hurt you? They cause cancer. Whole Foods has promised to start labeling GMO's by next year. Key word is label, not remove. On the other hand Trader Joe's guarantees none of their brand label contains any GMO ingredients. 
   So besides being GMO, which is enough to avoid it all together, is there anything else about Canola? Yes there is, it does not react well in your body. Canola oil was developed from rape seed ... which is considered unsuited to human consumption because it contains a long-chain fatty acid called erucic acid, which under some circumstances is associated with fibrotic heart lesions. Canola oil was bred to contain little if any erucic acid and has drawn the attention of nutritionists because of its high oleicacid content. but there are some indications that canola oil presents dangers of its own. it has a high sulphur content and goes rancid easily ... during the deodorizing process, the omega 3 fatty acids of processed canola oil are transformed into trans fatty acids. 
   So before you go grab a big scoop of hot lunch from Whole Foods that's packaged in a "green" recycled box that is marketed to you to appear "healthy". Check the ingredients, they have them posted at every item, and look for Canola Oil, it's in EVERYTHING.

   One mistake people often make is buying items labeled with the term "Natural" and thinking they are choosing a much healthier option. I hate to break it to you but the term Natural or All Natural has no regulation on it. Meaning anyone can use this term without any consequences. They can flat out lie to you. All natural has became a hot marketing term used to sell products to a population trying to choose healthier options but might be trying to save by not buying organic.
   So why is organic better? Choosing organic is always your best option. Unlike the term natural, organic does have strict regulations they have to go through for it to be certified as Organic. I was born and raised in the Central Valley of California, and the big chicken company there is Foster Farms, kind of like Tyson is here. Well Foster Farm's slogan was "Naturally", it was on the side of their trucks, billboards, commercials, everywhere. What's wrong with that? What's wrong is that there is nothing natural about Foster Farms, they inject all their chickens with hormones and antibiotics. They keep them cooped up in inhumane quarters, it's gross. But what does that term mean? Naturally what? Vague isn't it? But what does it instinctively make you think? That it is natural or better for me. That's called good advertising.
   Don't be fooled by advertising. Sometimes the front of products will say with natural flavors, made with real fruit juice, or natural and artificial flavors.(notice natural comes first in the sentence) But when you start to read the ingredients in the back, it's full of toxic ingredients. Always chose organic when possible, and remember you typically get what you pay for.

   Sometimes when I am invited to dinner by someone who has met me through me being "Dr. Austin" and not just Austin there can be an awkward silence when the waiter asks if anyone would like a drink. Like I will be judging their decision, trust me i will judge you more if you don't swap that baked potato for a veggie much quicker than if you order a drink. But I myself like to enjoy a drink or two on occasion or the weekend to unwind and relax. My wife and I generally stick to wine since we both grew up in wine country, California. Im not going to tell you that drinking is healthy. Even though you can find studies saying there are health benefits from drinking wine due to the antioxidants. Or studies showing that consuming regular alcohol cuts your risk of stroke and heart disease. And most recently a study showing that drinkers have an overall lower risk of morbidity than non drinkers. Or my professional observation that people who enjoy an occasional drink are overall just more fun than non drinkers...JK. But Im not going to tell you that it's "healthy", you can find just as many studies showing the ill effects of drinking alcohol. But i do think drinking in moderation isn't going to kill you, and i base that predominately on the fact that it is "time tested", been around for thousands of years. Some of the same reasons I have formed my opinion on coffee. But there are some major do's and don'ts when it comes to drinking and some overall tips to making your drinking as healthy as possible.
- Avoid sugary mixers. Alcohol naturally metabolizes in your body as sugar, so when you mix it with a mixer that is full of sugar you are just pouring gas on the fire. Sugar should be your worst enemy, sugar causes inflammation, sugar spikes insulin, sugar is the fuel for cancer, I could go on and on. One misconception on mixers is well it's a "juice" so it's healthy. If you are talking about cranberry juice in particular, it's most likely not even real juice. But even if you are getting real juice, juice is loaded with sugar. natural or not, it's still sugar. Go for mixers like sparkling, tonic, or soda water, and add a small dash of lime or cranberry instead.
- Avoiding sugar doesn't mean jump to diet mixers. Mixing alcohol with artificial sweeteners has been proven to allow alcohol to enter your blood stream faster. Which could cause you to get "drunker" faster than you expected. But specifically artificial sweeteners like sucralose and aspartame have been shown to cause cancer and cause long term weightloss intolerance. If you your drink with diet soda try an alternative like Zevia which is a sugar free soda option that is sweetened with a natural sugar alternative called Stevia.
- Even though there are some conflicting studies, red wine does contain polyphenols and antioxidants that can have some added health benefits. I still say when reaching for an alcoholic drink red wine is your best option. Especially now that it is very easy to find organic and sulfite free wines. And there has to be some reason why all those Mediterranean countries are living longer than us right? It's gotta be the wine and siestas!
- When choosing a liquour try to stay with clear liquours like Vodka and Tequilla. Clear liquours have much less impurities than dark liquours like whiskey. The way they are processed is a "cleaner" process. Dark liquours are also higher in sugar.
- When drinking moderation is always key...Duh. You've heard that before. But anytime you binge drink which results in a hangover, it takes you body's attention away from other important tings it may be doing. You body has to deal with the immediate toxicity at hand, but what if your body was focused on healing an old injury at the time, or even worse killing cancer cells...
- There is a cultural stigma around drinking. What I mean is it is culturally acceptable to take prescription drugs for anxiety or depression but looked down upon for having a daily glass of wine or two. In Italy, if you go to a doctor in the second half of the day (after siesta) it is culturally acceptable to smell wine on his breath, I'm serious. But I have some European patients that have told me if you are on "depression meds" it's like you have mental illness and its very rare. It's all on how you look at it, there are potential side effects with both. But personally I would take my chance with a glass of wine when stressed out rather than popping a pill.
   This blog was again not to promote drinking or the consumption of alcohol, but merely to point out the fact that a lot of Adults do participate in drinking, so we want you to make the best out of it!

   I get the question a lot," Have you heard of Advocare"? My answer is yes I have... And then I follow with a blank stare. HAHA the reason why is I don 't like to immediately give my opinion on a product unless someone wants it and asks for it. And second I also do not like bursting people's bubbles. Meaning, most people who distribute, sell, or take advocare are generally excited about it. So I don't want to burst their bubble with my forced opinion. Buuuutttttt..... If they ask for it, then here comes the bursting....So if you like advocare and are one of few people that would rather live in denial or ignorance then stop reading now, if you would generally like to know what I think about the products keep reading...
   I do not like MLM's in general, multi level marketing, one main reason is they were usually started by "business" people and not doctors or scientists. So when it comes to health products it makes me immediately question claims they make or the quality of the product. MLM's are always about the business of it, becoming a distributor, so if its all about profits than sometimes quality is compromised. I have also heard the line many times that making these products MLM were the only way the founder could get the products out to the world. That is just not true, that was the only way your founder was able to make a whole lot of money by being at the top of the pyramid.
   Another thing about advocare or any other health related MLM is you have distributors who are giving health or nutritional advice who have no education in it besides what they have learned at the seminars, online, or in a pamphlet. Your neighbor who might sell advocare part time, but is in construction full time might not be the best person to consult you regarding your health. Just like i am definitely not the best person to consult you on construction.
   Now for something I don't like specifically with Advocare products, they LOVE sucralose. If you don't know by now, Sucralose which is also know as Splenda is an artifical sweetener. You can find it in many of Advocare's products, including their top seller Spark, and also their protein and meal replacement bars. One little problem with sucralose, it causes cancer. And it has been shown to cause long term weightloss intolerance.
   I also have have general questions regarding the overall quality of their products. For example in my office we carry extremely high quality products. Whey protein that is derived from grassfed cows only, everything we carry is GMO free, and whole food supplements that are derived from organic sources. Can Advocare say the same for their quality? No they can't, in fact their vitamins are synthetically made in a lab. If they cut corners by using a cheap sugar alternative like Sucralose, you can bet they are cutting corners other places too.
   I also laugh every time I hear their slogan "IF it's good enough from Drew, it's good enough for you!" Referring to Drew Brees the NFL quarterback who is also their national spokesman. So let me make sure I understand, because an NFL player or celebrity takes it then I should blindly take it too? Their is a lot of NFL players putting stuff in to their bodies that I wouldn't touch. But another thing, you know he is paid to be their spokesman right? It's not like he just said one day I love their products so much that I'm going to let them use me all over media. They presented him millions of dollars and he gladly accepted. No celebrity ever endorses a product that he doesn't actually use...(sarcasm)
   And last just because you lose weight on a product or program doesn't mean its healthy. The first time I had a patient bring in one her Nurtisystem meals with her, and I found out that her lasagna didn't require refrigeration I explained this to her. Yea you might lose weight on it, but you can also lose weight by eating cardboard, still doesn't make it healthy. Skinny people get diagnosed with cancer everyday, so do not base how "healthy" you are by the number on the scale. I have met many people who ate strictly organic, maybe too much, and where twenty pounds overweight, but I would categorize them as healthier than someone who takes diet pills to have a six pack. 
   Just make sure anytime you take health advice from someone they know what they are talking about. And check the ingredients! If you would like more information on losing weight effectively and safely contact my office Adjust Dallas for a free consultation.

   As I drove to work today I noticed the flags at Lover's Lane and Central Expressway at half mass. You know, the University Park flag, USA flag, and the Texas flag. And for a second, I thought why are they at half mass? And then I immediately remembered the tragic mass shooting at the Navy yard committed by Aaron Alexis. That is bad when mass and school shootings are becoming the norm. Well I am tired of seeing flags at half mass. And after every shooting gun control gets a bunch of attention. What doesn't get a whole lot of attention is the fact that almost every mass or school shooter has been on anti depressants, anti psychotics, or a combination of both. It is not secret that these mind altering drugs can lead to suicidal and homicidal tendencies. With Aaron Alexis it was the same story,  he had been treated since August by the Veterans Administration for his mental problems, and was on multiple prescription medications. 
   Anytime you have someone who is having mental issues and place them on a mind altering drug that numbs them who knows what can happen. I recently had a patient who after going through a divorce was suffering from depression. But after being placed on an anti depressant he started contemplating suicide, and was also experiencing other extreme thoughts of violence and overall lack of emotion. After he got off of it, back to normal. So why the sudden rise in school shootings? Has there been all of a sudden a huge influx of guns that are easy to get a hold of? I don't think so, but even if there was that doesn't make someone commit horrific crimes. The one obvious thing that no one can deny is the huge influx of people, especially children on psychiatric prescription medications. 
   So besides Aaron Alexis, who else has been on these drugs...
- Adam Lanza, shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut. 
- Kip Kinkel was withdrawing from Prozac and had been prescribed Ritalin when he murdered his mother and stepfather then shot 22 classmates, killing two, in 1998.
- Christopher Pittman was withdrawing from Luvox and from Paxil when he killed his paternal grandparents in 2001.
- Elizabeth Bush, who fired at fellow students in Williamsport, Pa., in 2001, wounding one, was on Prozac.
- Jason Hoffman, was on Effexor and Celexa when he opened fire at his El Cajon, Calif., high school, wounding five.
- Shawn Cooper of Notus, Idaho, was on antidepressants when he fired a shotgun on students and staff.
- T.J. Solomon, on antidepressants, wounded six at his Conyers, Ga., high school.
- Eric Harris was taking Luvox when he and fellow student Dylan Klebold killed 12 students and a teacher and wounded 24 others before turning their guns on themselves at Columbine High School in Colorado.
-At Virginia Tech in 2007, where 32 were murdered, authorities found “prescription medications related to the treatment of psychological problems had been found among Mr. Cho’s effects,” according to the New York Times.
   This can no longer be ignored, before putting yourself or a child on these type of medications serious weight the consequences. For more information on this topic I have a whole radio show on it that you can listen to here... /media.html
   If you would like information on approaching mental health issues contact our office in Dallas for a free consultation.

   Once in a while I will run in to a new patient who has given up hope. They have been put through the ringer by the medical system, surgeries, drug after drug. They are tired, and the exact words from this new patient, "I just don't care anymore." This breaks my heart, not only because of what they have already been through, but on the fact that they have thrown up the white flag. If you feel like you are at this point, I urge you to not throw in the towel. We all have struggles and obstacles to overcome. Health obstacles can be the most challenging. But there is someone out there who is counting on you to be healthy. You might not think that you are important, but we all have a purpose. Maybe sometime in the future you lend a helping hand to a stranger and cheered them up and made their day. You have no idea how that can affect someone. What if tat person was thinking about committing suicide? What if one day a kid was about to cross a busy street to chase after a ball and you yelled at them and prevented a fatal accident. Someone depends on your health. Do NOT give up. Your body has the ability to overcome anything. In my office we expect miracles."We never know how far reaching something we may think, say or do today will effect the lives of millions tomorrow."  B.J. Palmer

   Anytime I have a new patient who has never been to a chiropractor before the first question I ask them is "who told you we were quacks?" Most of them usually look at me kind of funny. I'll usually tell them something like... "it's ok, you can tell me..." I like to confront it right out of the gate. Because you see I am perfectly comfortable with what I do and what my profession stands for. Chiropractic is a drugless, completely non invasive field that delivers unparalleled results. I see it everyday, people who avoided surgery, people who were told they would be on drugs the rest of their lives, even people told they didn't have much longer to live, make full recoveries. 
    I also sometimes get people ask about my education, or how long it takes to become a chiropractor. I think some of them think it might be a trade school or vocational program. When they hear I went to college for 8 years they are sometimes shocked and ask Why didn't you just become a doctor?... You know, a real doctor, haha. My answer... Why would I want to do that? Why would I want to prescribe drugs? Why would I buy a ticket for a sinking ship? The current medical model is failing miserably. The US is 5 percent of the world's population, yet we consume 73 percent of the world's drugs. We spend more money on healthcare than the second and third countries in the world combined. What does that yield, a country that ranks 34th in life expectancy, 26th in infant mortality, cancer rates are going up every year, heart disease rates are going up every year, obesity rates are becoming astronomical, for the first time in history the present generation is predicted to not outlive their parents. We are getting WORSE. We don't have a healthcare system, we have a sickcare system that pushes pills. The system is ran by giant corporations who's only interest is profits, not your health. Why in the hell would I want to go to medical school? My sole objective in life is to get people off of drugs.
   So back to my original question, Who told you we were quacks? Because if what I practice is quackery, then I am perfectly okay with that. If i am a quack because I believe that a child shouldn't be jabbed with 86 shots from birth to adolescence, then I guess that makes me a quack. If it makes me a quack to have more faith in the body's natural healing potential than in a spoonful of man made medicine, then Im okay with that. If it makes me a quack to think it is not okay to hand a patient a script for a cholesterol lowering medication and not confront them about their lifestyle, than I must have webbed feet. In my office we practice quackery, we promote healthy eating habits, exercise, reducing stress levels, proper alignment and maximum nerve supply. But our quackery gets results, so QUACK.