ChiroVoice: Protect your Chiropractic Rights!

To help promote chiropractic's position in the debate on national healthcare reform, the NCCA is launching a contest to see which doctors can get the most patients to join ChiroVoice.org.

ChiroVoice.org is the brand-new grassroots advocacy network of the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). ChiroVoice helps arm and direct patients' communication to elected officials. Since chiropractic patients form the largest advocacy network for the profession, their participation in ChiroVoice is crucial to helping advance legislative priorities.

ChiroVoice collects patients' contact information and adds it to a secure database. That database may then be utilized when the time arises for a major grassroots effort to help advance and promote chiropractic legislative agendas.

Signing up is free and easy. Visit www.ChiroVoice.org to fill out the short information form. Make sure to designate your CCW Chiropractor as your doctor of choice. (Dr. Darcy Ward, Dr. Jennifer Greenfield, Dr. Thomas Young)

Once enrolled as a member, you will receive special email alerts about advocacy issues and important legislation. Members also receive a monthly eNewsletter.

ChiroVoice: Protect your Chiropractic Rights!

Raleigh's CCW recommends the American Menu Mailer: Cooking Traditional Foods Made EASY!

The CTF Experience

Menu Mailers are a great idea when it comes to a time pressed lifestyle. They combine menu planning, grocery shopping lists, and preparation schedules all in to one mail based system allowing you to focus on life, eat well, and not stress about it. However, most menu mailers only contain main dish recipes, but no side dishes. They also often incorporate processed foods, refined sugars and grains that aren't neccesarily the best for your health. But there is a better solution...

The CTF menu mailer is based on traditional foods so you know it's healthy. It contains recipes for side dishes for variety and has the option for every meal to be gluten and/or casein free, so those with food allergies or who are new to having to cook for someone with allergies do not have to convert the recipe. In addition it contains suggestions for gluten and casein free brands on each shopping list to assist those new to allergy cooking. The menu author is an experienced cook and baker in both gluten-containing and gluten-free foods.

Grains and meats are rotated on the Menu Mailer on a three or four day schedule. They try to avoid having the same vegetable more than twice a week, and use a wide variety of in-season produce.

Upon subscription, you will gain access via the forum to a complete listing of pantry staples and information on helpful kitchen equipment to assist you in getting started.

The doctors at CCW subscribe to this mailer, and love its convenience, taste, and healthy quality. We recommend that anyone new to the whole foods lifestyle check it out!

What are Traditional Foods?

Traditional Foods are foods consumed in the way our ancestors ate them. The basis of Traditional Foods is that the food you consume be as nutrient dense and nourishing as possible. Traditional Food goes beyond just avoiding packaged and processed foods. It is about choosing the best food options available for your budget & location and consuming it in a way that allows your body to extract the maximum nutrition from that item.

The Traditional Foods Philosophy of "Cooking Traditional Foods" (CTF)

We espouse a particular viewpoint of traditional foods based from the book Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Dr. Weston A Price combined with a modern understanding of gut health and physiology... The tenets of traditional foods as viewed by CTF are:

Health:

• Avoid your food allergens if you have them. If you have gut problems that do not improve after going on a TF diet, you likely still have an allergen in your diet standing in the way of healing.
• Dental decay is a symptom of a diet deficient in trace minerals and fat-soluble vitamins.
• Take the steps necessary to heal your gut if you have gut damage from food allergens, antibiotics, vaccination, poor lifestyle, medications and the like.
• Consuming the wrong fats and refined carbs along with too many calories have resulted in many modern diseases that did not plague our ancestors. Returning to their diet can relieve or completely eliminate symptoms of those diseases.
• Remove and replace as many chemicals and contaminants from your environment as possible as your budget allows. Examples would be switching to more natural or homemade cleaners and body care, using organic pest solutions instead of industrial ones in your garden or removing the mercury fillings from your mouth if you are having health symptoms from them.

Foods:

• Food is your best medicine and the biggest tool in your arsenal to heal health problems. However, no one food or combination of foods will solve all of your health problems or un-do all of the damage you’ve done to your health.
• No food is healthy, no matter how nutrient dense it is, if you are allergic to it. The damage from the reaction to the allergy greatly dwarfs any benefit you get from consuming that food.
• There is no one food-stuff that all people must consume and there are no magic bullets to obtain perfect health for everyone. Each person has different body chemistry.
• Consider consuming superfoods like Cod Liver Oil and Butter Oil to help you obtain the needed nutrient levels of fat-soluble Vitamins A (retinol), D3 and K2 since they are deficient in even the best modern diets.
• Wild-caught or grass-fed is superior to feed-lot animals. If they are not in your budget or unavailable, organic is good. If it is not in your budget, consume the best quality you can find and afford.
• You are better off consuming conventional meats and produce in a traditional foods form from the local mega-mart than you are to continue eating a processed diet. Do baby steps and don’t go into debt to change your diet.
• Consume meats with the skin and fat where possible.
• Consume organ meats where possible. ‘Hide’ them in the meals if necessary to help yourself become accustomed to their presence.
• Cook from scratch. As your cooking skills advance, learn to make your own ‘ingredients’ like ketchup and mayonnaise.
• Consume organic and raw dairy products from 100% grass-fed animals if you can locate them and they are within your budget. If not, find the best quality you can afford.
• Consume free-range eggs.
• Use only traditionally available fats such as butter and coconut oil and avoid new vegetable fats like soy and canola oil.
• Consume as wide of a variety of vegetables and fruits in season that you can, and use lacto-fermented vegetables as a condiment to help improve digestion and contribute probiotics to your system. Hide the vegetables in meals if necessary.
• Soak or ferment all grains, nuts and seeds to remove phytic acid and make the minerals in the food more bioavailable.
• Consume the ratio of proteins, fats and carbohydrates that make you feel best. Some people of certain heritages or with certain health conditions feel better on more or less amounts of carbs, fat or protein than others. There is no magic ratio for all people at all stages of health. Flex with it as when your health changes, those ratios might change as well.
• Introduce solids to your children in a way to minimize the potential for food allergens, especially if the child has any gut damage; a family history of gut problems, digestive or skin diseases; has received any antibiotics or vaccinations; or were born by C-section.
• Breastmilk is the ultimate traditional food and children were designed to nurse for at least two to three years. Homemade raw milk cow’s formula is superior to commercially available formula if you must supplement and donor breast milk is not available.
• Sustainability of your lifestyle is important. Consider getting a couple of chickens for your backyard, rabbits in a hutch or a garden going in your yard. Don’t be afraid to grow your own vegetables, fruit, milk, meat or eggs, even if you need to do it in an innovative or unconventional way.

Below are some of the resources that CTF provides to make the menu mailer system even easier to follow and learn

Kitchen basics Many people new to NT are also new to cooking. So in an effort to answer some of the questions she gets often about cooking basics, Kerry Ann decided to add a page of basic cooking directions. She adds more to this page as more people ask basic cooking questions. If there's something you'd like to see written up here, please e-mail her at suggestions@cookingTF.com.

Gluten Free Help

How to Convert your own recipes into traditional food diet guidelines.

Feeding Children with Traditional Foods....snacks and more

This is a summer menu mailer to give you an idea of what the menu mailer is like.
To sign up for the full mailer, go here

Raleigh's CCW recommends the American Menu Mailer: Cooking Traditional Foods Made EASY!

Seeds of Change Foods: A Great Organic Company ...tasty too!

Seeds of Change Foods recently sent me some samples to try out and review at leisure. There were no strings attached and I'm always one to accept free food so I went ahead and accepted the offer. After trying their products, I now know why they were so quick to offer them for sampling...they are just GOOD...how could they get a bad review?

Below are some of the products I tried and loved, along with a list of their ingredients which are certified organic...and lo and behold, you can actually pronounce the ingredient list! Many of these products are gluten free, some are dairy free and kosher, and most are whole grain.

Simple to prepare, Seeds of Change Simmer Sauces can be used in meat or fish dishes, but they're just as delicious simmered with vegetables for an authentic vegetarian meal in minutes. Sauté one pound of your favorite protein or vegetables until done, add sauce, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. I went the easy route and simmered the sauces over chicken breasts and then added some cooked broccoli and topped it over some organic jasmine rice....TO DIE FOR. It smelled so good that the aroma seemed to lift my boyfriend off of the couch and carry him in to the kitchen in anticipation...not an easy fete ;) The Korma Simmer Sauce is a traditional mild coconut based curry and its creamy texture and 'not to sweet' flavor really were a welcome at home option. I felt like I was at the local Indian restaurant. The Jalfrezi is a mild to medium tomato based curry. I prefer the Korma but for those of you who like tomato based sauces then I'm sure you'll love this one. It's rich in flavor but not overwhelmed with varying spices.

Korma Simmer Sauce Ingredients
Water, heavy cream* (milk*), coconut*, onions*, evaporated cane sugar*, tapioca starch*, sunflower oil*, sea salt, lemon juice*, garlic*, cilantro*, ginger*, turmeric*, coriander*, cumin*, cayenne pepper*, paprika*, cardamon*, cinnamon*.

Jalfrezi Simmer Sauce Ingredients
Water, tomatoes in juice*, onions*, tomato puree* (water, tomato paste*), red bell pepper*, sunflower oil*, coconut*, green bell peppers*, evaporated cane sugar*, tapioca starch*, sea salt, cilantro*, lemon juice*, garlic*, cumin*, coriander*, ginger*, mustard seeds*, turmeric*, chili pepper*, fenugreek*, cayenne pepper*, black pepper*, cardamom*.


As for the Rice and Grain mixtures Seeds of Change does an especially fantastic job with their boxed products. As it states on their website they "marry both uncommon and familiar grains to distinct and delectable blends of spices and herbs so you can savor tastes from around the globe." That statement suites my dining experience perfectly. My favorite of the bottom three was Siena Tuscan blend...however the Havana Cuban rice and beans tasted surprisingly authentic and the pilaf was nice and fluffy.

Havana Cuban Style Whole Grain Rice and Beans Ingredients
Whole Grain Parboiled Brown Rice*; Black Beans*; Spices*; Dried Onion*; Tomato Powder*; Roasted Turkey Flavor* (Turkey*, Sea Salt); Dried Green Bell Pepper*; Sea Salt; Garlic Powder*; Dried Red Bell Pepper*; Less Than 2% Of Cilantro Extract*; Miso* (Fermented Soybeans*); Vinegar*; Cane Juice Molasses*; Red Bell Pepper Extract*; Corn Syrup*; Caramel Color*.

Siena Tuscan Style whole grain rice and beans ingredients
Whole Grain Parboiled Brown Rice*; White Beans*; Orzo* (Durum Wheat*, Semolina*); Peas*; Sea Salt; Tamari Powder* (Soybean*, Rice Flour*; Rice Maltodextrin*; Salt, Soy Lecithin*); Evaporated Cane Juice*; Dried Garlic*; Roasted Turkey Flavor* (Turkey*, Sea Salt); Spices*; Dried Onion*; Tomato Powder*; Sunflower Oil*; Dried Lemon Juice*.

Persia Seven Whole Grain Pilaf Blend Ingredients
Whole Grain Parboiled Brown Rice*; Whole Grain Spelt (Wheat)*; Whole Grain Oats*; Whole Grain Barley*; Wild Rice*; Whole Grain Bulgur Wheat*; Rye Berries*; Dried Onion*; Evaporated Cane Juice*; Sea Salt; Tamari Powder* (Soybean*, Rice Flour*, Rice Maltodextrin*, Salt, Soy Lecithin*); Garlic Powder*; Tomato Powder*; Spices*; Red Bell Pepper Flakes*; Sunflower Oil*; Wine Extract*.

* = Certified Organic


Check out coupons at the seeds of change site.

Disclaimer: The only product I was not happy with was the microwaveable rice that I was sent. I can't comment on the flavor or the texture simply because I didn't eat them. Why? Simple, I don't microwave anything in plastic, because of chemical leaching in to my food, and these products came in a plastic type bag.

Seeds of Change Foods: A Great Organic Company ...tasty too!

CCW Partners with Healthtrax Fitness Center in Raleigh NC to Say Thank You to Our Patients in A Big Way!

Summer is here, and CCW is feeling gratitude for the sun, warm weather and, of course, for our wonderful patients and your loyalty! To say thank you again we have partnered with Healthtrax Fitness & Wellness to offer you a complimentary one month fitness membership to the fitness center in AIHF Raleigh! We know that regular exercise reduces the risk of many major diseases, helps weight loss and maintenance efforts and improves mental health.

If you've never tried fitness, now is the time! If you've tried and stopped now is the time to start again with Healthtrax' wonderful trainers, classes, and equipment. Enjoy morning water aerobics, afternoon yoga and pilates, cardio dance classes, or an energetic cycling session...or sign up for the weight circuit with a complimentary on staff physical trainer every day! Healthtrax makes working out convenient, easy, and FUN!

To qualify, participants must meet the following criteria:

* Be a Patient of CCW
* Be atleast 18 years old
* Complete a health status profile at the time of enrollment
* Participate in a supervised exercise regiment three times per week for four consecutive weeks

Please Call Lisa LaGanke at Healthtrax 919.847.2393 to receive your complimentary membership. Don't worry, it's convenient as Healthtrax is located just a few doors down from our office! Thank you for your patronage, and for your dedication to your health!

Hurry! You must redeem this gift by June 30, 2009!

CCW Partners with Healthtrax Fitness Center in Raleigh NC to Say Thank You to Our Patients in A Big Way!

Summer Promotions to Snatch Up!

To thank all of our patients for their loyalty to our practice, and to welcome new patients in, CCW is providing an exciting Summer Promotion!

For Current Patients: Recommend a friend or family member and receive a complimentary Ion Detoxification Footbath (that is a $50 value!)

For Prospective Patients: Come in today and sign up for your first appointment/consult with one of our health care practitioners and receive a complimentary "Wellness Through Detoxification" Session with our Wellness Coordinator, Jennifer Campbell. Learn how detoxification can help you recharge and slim down this summer!

This is just CCW's way of saying THANK YOU and WELCOME all at once!

Summer Promotions to Snatch Up!