towers, Author at Towers Family Chiropractor

Cranberry Drink

November 18, 2011 by towers

This festive CRANBERRY DRINK has many merits! It is unusual in that the cranberries and oranges are not cooked or heated in any way; the nutrient levels are maintained better when a food is not heated. It has peppermint tea which aids digestion. It is not high in sugar since stevia is used to sweeten and the natural fruit sugar in the orange juice is diluted by the tea and cranberry juice. Many people do not realize that cranberries are very sour alone so that products made with them (besides being heated) are very high in added sugar. This drink is a refreshingly low-sugar way to enjoy the health benefits of cranberries. One other benefit—being a fluid it contributes to your 8 or so cups of recommended fluids a day.

RAW CRANBERRY ORANGE DRINK

1 12 oz. Bag fresh cranberries, organic is best

8 organic juicing oranges

3 peppermint tea bags

2-3 cups water

stevia extract to taste

This beverage can be made with a blender or a vegetable juicer. It is also helpful to have a citrus juicer.

Boil the water and pour into a glass quart jar or a teapot and add 3 peppermint tea bags or 3 Tbsp. of the dried herb. Let steep until cooled to room temperature.

Wash cranberries and drain. If you are using a vegetable juicer, put them through a vegetable juicer and set aside the juice. If using a blender place the cranberries into a blender. Add the tea to the blender and blend very well. Strain mixture through a strainer into a glass bowl and press pulp with a spoon until most of juice is removed. Discard pulp or put it into homemade cranberry sauce.

Juice oranges. Mix orange juice, cranberry juice, and tea if you used a vegetable juicer to extract the cranberry juice, in a pitcher. Add stevia to sweeten to taste. Enjoy!

Sciatica

November 7, 2011 by towers

Please explain why you came to our office.

“Initially, I came for recurring sciatica, lower back, right hip pain, and right leg. Then I was in an auto accident with neck and shoulder pain.”

Please describe your response to treatment.

“Excellent treatment! Dr. Burgoon has been knowledgable, caring and sensitive to my needs. Treatment from Dr. Burgoon has been one of the best medical decisions I have made in my life.”~69 year-old female

Webster Technique

November 2, 2011 by towers

The Webster Technique is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment used to correct subluxations in the pregnant mother’s sacrum and pelvis. These adjustments relax the mother’s muscles and ligaments, providing the physiological environment necessary for normal baby positioning. (Remember, chiropractors work to correct subluxations or misalignments of spinal bones and other joints. When subluxated, spinal bones put pressure on the spinal cord and the spinal nerves causing malfunction of any part of the body.)

Dr. Larry Webster, Founder of the Internationsl Chiropractic Pediatric Association, developed this technique as a safe means to restore proper pelvic structure and function for pregnant mothers. Some expectant mothers presenting breech will respond to the non-invasive, safe technique.

Most commonly known for its success in allowing breech babies to turn, the Webster technique also assists other non-vertex positioning which may indicate the presence of subluxation. Chiropractors trained in this technique strongly recommend its use throughout pregnancy to detect subluxations. For more information visit icpa4kids.com.

Breech Baby Turns & Is A VBAC

November 2, 2011 by towers

Please explain why you came to our office.

“I came because my baby was found to be breech at 30-32 weeks. We were hoping for a VBAC and knew we would have to have the baby turn before birth. I am also being seen postpartum for issues related to the birth. Hoping my body will be back to normal soon!” (VBAC means vaginal birth after a previous C-section.)

Please describe your response to chiropractic treatment.

Our baby took her time turning but finally turned on her own at 38 weeks and 1 day. We were able to have a VBAC at 40 weeks with a healthy baby. The recovery has been much easier than with our C-section baby and we are so happy everything worked out.”~J.B., 31 year-old female

Celeriac Soup

October 19, 2011 by towers

Celeriac Soup Recipe

Celeriac root is an unusual vegetable related to celery that has a fantastic flavor. If you can’t find it, 4 stalks of celery can be substituted. The vegetable stock can be made concurrently with the onion, the leek trimmings, the potato and celeriac peelings, plus a bay leaf. Remember to slit the leek with a knife lengthwise from about 3 inches from the root end all the way through the remainder of the leek so you can wash all the dirt out. Also, this can be made dairy-free and still be quite good. Just add 2 Tbsp. of mellow white miso right before serving and blend well.

1 celeriac root (5 inches in diameter)

4 cups vegetable stock

1 bay leaf

1 onion

1 leek

4 small white potatoes

2 Tbsp. butter

1/3 cup cream or plain yogurt

4-5 sprigs of fresh basil and parley each

Wash and trim the leek well–usually only about 6-8 inches of the white part of the root end of the leek is used and the rest trimmed off. Place the trimmings in a sauce pan with 5 cups of water, the bay leaf, and the onion (cut in half ) and bring to a boil. Turn heat to medium low and cover. Wash and skin the celeriac root and potatoes. Place the peels in the water also and continue to simmer with the lid on. Simmer for 45 minutes. Continue preparing the remaining ingredients while the stock cooks.

Chop the leek and potatoes. Grate the celeriac root. Saute the leek in the melted butter in another sauce pan for 5 minutes stirring occasionally. Add the potatoes and grated celeriac root. Saute 5 minutes more. Add the stock and bring to a boil and immediately reduce heat to a simmer and cover for 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft. Blend with a hand-held blender until smooth. (You can also transfer to a blender and blend.) Add cream or yogurt, salt and pepper to taste, and the chopped herbs. Serves 4-6.

Coconut oil and Alzheimer’s

September 21, 2011 by towers

If you are concerned about Alzheimer’s, please read this article on coconut oil’s use in the diet to support brain function with ketones. Preliminary research and case studies reviewed in this article indicate that the ketones made by the liver in response to dietary medium chain triglycerides (contained in 2-5 Tbsp coconut oil daily) can reverse some lost function and stop further development of Alzheimer’s disease. The proper anti-inflammatory diet is mentioned also as important for best results. The book “Stop Alzheimer’s Now” is available for purchase by following a link on the website.

HFCS ads ignore evidence

September 19, 2011 by towers

The ads claiming high fructose corn syrup is as natural as sugar are misleading. The US corn industry is on the defensive because the word is out–high fructose corn syrup is not handled the same way by the body as glucose, it does cause greater weight gain and it is associated with metabolic syndrome. While it is true that Americans eat too many calories from concentrated sugars and starches, metabolically fructose is more problematic than sucrose. It can hardly be called “natural” either because to change corn starch to high fructose corn syrup requires chemical processing. See greenmedinfo.com and search “high fructose corn syrup” for the latest research and for more information.

Safe Way to Test Bone Health at Home

April 28, 2011 by towers

A relatively new clinical lab test, the bone resorption assay, is one of the tools we use to assess osteoporosis risk in peri-menopausal and menopausal women. The good news is that all it involves is a single urine collection at home and it is relatively inexpensive. The tests measures compounds in the urine that accurately indicate whether bone break-down is occurring faster than bone re-building. Also, it is an easy way to follow one’s response to nutrition therapy aimed at preventing further bone loss, because unlike bone density tests it can be repeated every few months. If you would like to learn more, call out office.

Blueberry Squares

March 31, 2011 by towers

When you want something sweet, make it yourself but be sure to use the best quality ingredients. The cost and the time involved may deter you from having desserts more than once or twice a week, which is a good thing!

The Roanoke Natural Foods Coop is where we buy good eggs and other organic foods–especially bulk grains, beans, and herbs. As for blueberries, we keep them in the freezer all year–we pick enough locally in early August to have them last all year long and they are easy to freeze. This recipe has blueberries, rolled oats, arrowroot, and walnuts–all excellent ingredients.

1 cup organic rolled oats

3 Tbsp. organic butter (organic coconut oil may be substituted)

1 egg, organic and from pasture-raised chickens

1/4 cup honey

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. aluminum-free baking powder

1/4 cup arrowroot powder

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup blueberries, fresh or frozen

Place the oats in a food processor and process into a coarse flour. Cut butter into 1/2 inch pieces and blend into oats until mixture is homogeneous. Add egg, honey, vanilla, and baking powder and blend well. Add arrowroot flour and blend again. Hand stir the walnuts into this mixture and spread into a pyrex baking dish (10-inch diameter or 8-inch square). Spread the blueberries evenly on top and press them down into the batter–it’s ok if they are frozen but it may take a little longer to bake. Bake for about 15 minutes in a pre-heated 325 degree F. oven until just golden and a knife poked in the center comes out clean. Do not overbake or the squares will be dry. Let cool and cut into squares. Serves 4.

Honeyed Parsnips

March 21, 2011 by towers

As a gardening side note, we let the parsnips we planted last year in the garden overwinter so that they would be ready to dig once the ground thawed in the Spring. It’s nice to have something to harvest this early in the year and it is said that the winter freezing sweetens them. Leeks overwinter well also. I mention this because many gardeners don’t take advantage of Fall gardening and they are missing out on so much!

This recipe is a delicious way to enjoy an unusual root vegetable.

Honeyed Parsnips

2 parsnips (1 medium sized parsnip per serving)

2 Tbsp. organic butter

2 tsp. honey

cinnamon or cardamon (optional)

Wash the parsnips well and peel if skins are tough or they are difficult to clean. Slice them into thin rounds no more than 1/8 inch thick. Melt butter in a skillet on medium-low heat. Do not burn—add the parsnips as soon as the butter melts and stir well to coat with butter. Cover the pan and let the parsnips brown for a few minutes. Use a spatula to loosen and flip them every 3-4 minutes, keeping them covered in between flipping. Again, do not let them burn. They should be tender in the middle, lightly browned and slightly crispy in about 15 minutes. Serve immediately. Place on serving dishes and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with spice of your choice if desired.

« Previous Page

Cranberry Drink

Sciatica

Webster Technique

Breech Baby Turns & Is A VBAC

Celeriac Soup

Coconut oil and Alzheimer’s

HFCS ads ignore evidence

Safe Way to Test Bone Health at Home

Blueberry Squares

Honeyed Parsnips

Good Nutrition

Warming Broth for a Cold

Children’s Adjustments

Children with back pain

Towers Family Chiropractic