Dr Davis' Back & Wrist Pain Blog

Is Obama Health Reform Treating The Symptom and Not The Cause?

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I have been following the Obama Health Reform push closely, and it sure seems like we are putting our attention on the wrong thing...costs. To me, the skyrocketing costs of health-care are a symptom...not the actual problem. 

We have a 30%+ obesity rate, and 75% of Americans are overweight. Most chronic, degenerative diseases such as heart disease, cancer, strokes, and diabetes are directly connected to obesity...which is mostly the result of poor food choices and sedentary lifestyles.

How does making sure everyone has health-care insurance address these problems? If anything...it seems like it will overload the system with even more costs, as more people will seek symptomatic care for health problems brought on by poor lifestyle choices.

Unless the root cause is addressed...the problem and the costs associated with it will keep spiraling out of control...no matter who pays for the treatment of the symptoms.

I see this issue being brought up here and there...but it's not front and center like it should be.

Sure...there are abuses in our system that Obama is addressing and there really are some good things the president wants to do to reduce costs (eliminate unnecessary diagnostics tests & treatments)...but it just doesn't seem like it's going to do much if we keep on doing what we're doing as far as diet, nutrition, and lifestyle are concerned.

Honestly..I don't know how they would go about attacking what's on the typical American's dinner plate...but until we do, I'm afraid it's going to be more of the same.

I know I can do my part by educating anyone who reads this blog and the patients at our clinic on the benefits of plant based nutrition, exercise, and healthy living...but the entire nation...maybe Obama needs to watch the movie Food Inc.,or read the book The China Study. Or spend a couple of hours on the great Dr. John McDougall's website www.drmcdougall.com.

Chances are...if anyone were to do any one of the above it would make them think twice about what they are eating and feeding their children.

Hey...I know this heath care reform legislation is going to costs me more money as a small business owner...and I don't mind...I just wish the money was better spent.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco.

When You Are In Shape You Feel Good About Yourself

San Francisco Chiropractor and Fitness Buff Comments:

When you look good...you feel good...and vise versa. And when you feel better about yourself you have more confidence in everything you do. Your earning potential is greater. Your health and resistance to illness is greater. And your life span is longer. These are pretty compelling reasons to exercise and watch what you eat.

I like working out and eating right because I have complete control over both. I decide what I put in my mouth...and I decide if and when I exercise...and so do you.

And the thing is...once you reach your ideal body-weight the right way (not starvation dieting), with the proper combination of exercise and nutrition, your body becomes very efficient at burning calories and fat. You will even find you can cheat every now and then...even 1-2x per week and still stay lean and mean.

And you don't need high-tech gym equipment either...low-tech is fine. Of course going to a gym gives you more options...and if you can afford a personal trainer, that's even better. But the most important thing is to just get it done.

When it comes to nutrition...I recommend The McDougall Program...it's a plant based diet, but it's not "All Or None". The more you do the more you gain. I recommend doing more to get to your ideal body-weight...then tweaking the program to maintain what you want.  

I have been doing what I just described for 25 years and I weigh less than I did in high school and my body-weight only fluctuates about 5 lbs per year. If I cheat I will gain 1 or 2 lbs...then quickly go back to normal in few days.

There are lots of excuses not to exercise or eat right, here are the most common...not enough time, too expensive, my back hurts, too lazy, no matter what I do I can't lose weight, hormonal imbalance, hereditary weight gain, a plant based diet makes me sick, i need lots of meat for energy...and on and on.

I don't know...I think it's all about what's between the ears...making the decision to get it done and then following through with the plan. 

If you want to follow a fitness expert that is very motivational, check out Joe Gigantino on Twitter or follow his blog (Joe Gigantino's Blog). Most of his routines are advanced...but the motivational stuff is universal.  

Twitter is actually a great place to follow fitness and nutrition experts. You can follow me on Twitter also.

Anyway...I'm off to workout and do Joe's July 2nd, 2009 'Core Workout' for the second time (my abs are burning from the first workout)...great stuff.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in the San Francisco Financial District. 

Happy 4th, But Remember...You Are What You Eat

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor Comments:

Well, today is the 4th of July...who knows how many hot dogs and hamburgers will be consumed...along with potato chips, sodas, beer, and Pepto Bismol. I hope folks have some pants with expandable waist bands because many will need them when this weekend is over.

Hey...I'm all for celebrating Independence Day...but I don't want to put on 5 lbs. of blubber in the process...that would take a whole month to work off.  It's almost as if we are celebrating our right to indulge.

Personally...I love the fireworks, and the music, and all the action...we went to the Marin County Fair last night...but looking at the crowd...which was a pretty good sampling of the typical American...you could just see why we are so sick and unhealthy as a nation. A good 60-70% of the crowd was overweight or obese...most walking around with corn dogs, ribs, or cotton candy....and huge sodas.

Do you know it takes a mile of blood vessels to service a pound of fat. So if someone is 20 lbs. overweight...that's 20 extra miles of blood vessels the heart has to pump blood through. This is very taxing on the heart and can lead to heart attacks and strokes. 

Hey...it's one thing to celebrate and eat junk foods every once in a while...but that's not what the typical American is doing...they do it day in and day out...and they wear it around their waists and in their blood vessels and it hangs from their faces...that's the problem. Every meal is a feast...and for that we are paying the price...skyrocketing obesity rates (including children), sickness and disease and exploding health care costs...is it really worth it?  

So...I hate to spoil the party...but just remember when you are slamming down those Pork Ribs...You Are What You Eat. 

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco.

Childhood Obesity Statistics and Solutions

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor Comments:

According to the National Center for Chronic Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) the childhood obesity rate (ages 6-11) has more than doubled in the past 20 years...and the trend is UP.

The other day in the New York Times there was an interesting article entitled Curbing childhood obesity one office visit at a time. The article was about the Childhood Obesity Conference that was underway in Los Angeles and discusses some of the potential solutions...and potential roadblocks in treating this epidemic.

Some of the ideas they were tossing around were routine BMI (body mass index) testing at every office visit. In addition, adding more frequent wellness visits (good luck) along with nutritional counseling...blah blah blah.

The problem as I see it is this...most of the doctors we are taking our kids to don't really know much about nutrition themselves. It's my understanding physicians in general are not much healthier as a whole than the typical American.

How much does your doctor know about nutrition?

Then...try to get kids to cooperate with wellness weight counseling exams and cutting-off their food supply...are you kidding?

I think having the family sit down and watch Food, Inc. together would probably go a lot farther than anything anyone came up with at this Childhood Obesity Conference....at least from what I read. But hey...they are trying and that's a start.  Child obesity is no easy fix.

The obesity problem is deep (and it's roots are part of our culture) and needs to be attacked on a National scale...kind of like the new drunk driving campaigns where the guy in the cell talks about the 2 kids he killed...played over and over. 

And it needs to be addressed in schools. Geez...the nutrition classes are taught with books donated by the meat and dairy industries...yes...the brainwashing starts young.

If we could start teaching kids about the benefits of plant based nutrition when they were very young and educating parents at the same time with mass media (and school workshops and field trips), we could turn the tide.

At the same time we could hire plant based nutrition experts like Jill Nussinow to plan the menus for schools. Sure it would costs a little more...but the food would taste great and our kids would be much healthier. 

There are some schools offering vegan lunch choices already. But is needs to be more than just a few different food choices at lunch. It needs to be presented as a way of life. 

Please parents...see the movie Food, Inc. It is playing at the Landmark Embarcadero Cinema in San Francisco...right above my clinic. I saw it yesterday...it is every bit as good as An Inconvenient Truth...and hopefully will help change our collective world view on food choices the way An Inconvenient Truth did about Global Warming.

Dr. Eben Davis is the clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco.  To schedule an appointment call 415-392-2225.

 

  

Dr. Eben Davis Recommends "Veg TV"

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor Comments:

I came across a very cool resource for information on vegan nutrition and lifestyle called Veg TV.

Here is an excerpt from the "About Us" page of their website:

Here at VEG TV we offer television shows and video clips with programming that is compelling, entertaining and informative… tasty recipes, interviews with prominent medical and nutrition professionals, great new restaurants, and celebrities who share why they chose to live a healthy lifestyle. We introduce viewers to healthful cooking methods, and nutritious, delicious, and wholesome alternatives. VEG TV is your video handbook for a healthier lifestyle that can help you reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease, diabetes and a host of obesity-related illnesses.

Check it out and tell me what you think...I am impressed.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in the San Francisco Financial District...he has been vegan for over 20 years. To schedule an appointment call 415-392-2225 or request an appointment online.

"Food. Inc." opens at the Landmark Embarcadero Center in San Francisco on June 12th

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I noticed in today's San Francisco Chronicle, Datebook section front page, that the movie I have been waiting to see..."Food, Inc."...opens soon at the Embarcadero Center where my chiropractic clinic is located. In fact, the Embarcadero Center Landmark Theater is right above me. Here is an excerpt from the article:

With the film, which is based largely on the best selling books " An Omnivore's Dilemma" by Michael Pollan and "Fast Food Nation"by Eric Schlosser, the makers of "Food, Inc." hope to transform Americans views on food production and consumption, much the way "An Inconvenient Truth" helped turn global warming into a top national worry.

When you consider that during the George W. Bush administration, the head of the FDA was the former executive vice president of the National Food Processors Association, and the chief of staff of the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture was the former chief lobbyist for the beef industry, it really makes you wonder how this kind of stuff can be allowed to happen.

This movie is sure to rock the boat...and I'm glad the opening of "Food, Inc." is a few steps away.

Check out the official website of Food, Inc. for more information on dates and locations near you.    

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic at the downtown SF Embarcadero Center. 

   

Chronic Back Pain and Food Choices

 San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

I have been practicing chiropractic in the San Francisco Financial District for around 18 years now, and I have discovered something very interesting about many chronic back pain patients...They don't connect what they are eating to their back pain.

Sure, most chronic back pain sufferers that are overweight or obese recognize that the extra weight is putting stress on their spine...but some even ignore this obvious food-bodyweight-back pain connection.

A lesser known primary cause of back pain is inflammation which can occur in people with a normal body-weight. And a primary cause of inflammation is the typical American Diet, which is loaded with animal proteins and refined carbohydrates. This is inflammation fuel.

Inflammation is also a primary cause is just about every other chronic disease process...including heart disease, strokes, diabetes and cancer. In fact...this is widely accepted in the medical community.

What's not widely accepted is what to do about it.

Well...in my opinion the best medicine is a plant-based diet, which is anti-inflammatory and promotes spontaneous healing.

In fact...there is so much research out there that supports nutritional therapy for chronic diseases, that the state of California is hopefully going to pass AB1478which will require physicians to provide their patients with (non-emergency) heart disease and type 2 diabetes the option of pursuing intense dietary/lifestyle therapy vs. mostly ineffective drugs and surgeries.

So does food matter when it comes to back pain? YES...and it matters for everything else too.

If you are a health care provider and you do not understand nutrition...especially plant-based nutrition...you should become familiar with Dr. John McDougall and Dr. Dean Ornish...they are the world leaders in plant based nutrition. In fact...Dr. McDougall is the co-author of AB1478. 

If you suffer from chronic back pain and nothing seems to be helping, do yourself a favor and subscribe to Dr. McDougall's free monthly newsletter at www.drmcdougall.com. Try getting your inflammation down with plant-based nutrition and get ready for less back pain...really.

Then come back here and tell me about it.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco. 

 

A Starch Based Diet Promotes Spontaneous Healing

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor Comments:

Every time I read Dr. John McDougall's newsletter or books I gain a deeper understanding of the physiology behind chronic illness, inflammation, and disease.

I have personally witnessed friends, relatives, and patients recover from life threatening diseases such as heart disease and cancer by adopting a plant based diet. 

For those of you who do not know...starches are complex carbohydrates found chiefly in seeds, fruits, tubers, roots, and stems of plants...notably in corn, potatoes, wheat and rice...which are the main staples of many cultures. Starches are loaded with fiber, and have the perfect balance of protein, fat, and carbohydrate. Starches are also very filling and satisfying.

Some people thing vegans sit around like rabbits and chew lettuce all day long half starved.  I have an enormous appetite and I eat quite a bit...it's just the right stuff. With a starch based diet you never go hungry because you do not have to worry about eating too much...you can eat whenever you want as long as it's the right food. To learn the right foods visit www.drmcdougall.com.

Anyway...this months newsletter has a great story entitled: 

A Starch-based Diet Supports Spontaneous Healing:
Atherosclerosis, Arthritis, and Sometimes Cancer

The article profiles a few of Dr. McDougall's patients and how they were able to recover from chronic illness with plant based nutrition therapy.

Check it out and tell me what you think by commenting below.

Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director at Executive Express Chiropractic in downtown San Francisco.

 

 

 

 

 

The Amazon Rainforest Deforestation-Global Warming-Obesity-Healthcare Crises-Budget Deficits- Link

San Francisco Chiropractor Comments:

In my opinion...one of the best newspapers in the world is the Financial Times (FT), published in the UK. Since we are a global economy (and eco-system)...I find it much more beneficial to look at the world news as a whole.

Anyway...there was yet another story in yesterdays FT about the deforestation of the Amazon (6/1/2009) entitled:

Consumer link to destruction of Amazon Forest

There continues to be ongoing destruction of the Amazon Rain-forest for cattle ranches that are directly linked to the increase in world appetite for beef products. I guess the world wants to be like us?

When you consider that raising livestock produces more greenhouse gases than transportation, it's no wonder there is so much of it.

Now, I'm not sure if I fully understand the chain of events that occurs from plundering the Amazon...but I think it's something like this:

1. The world appetite is increasing for beef and livestock especially here in the US.  

2. Brazilian ranchers seize opportunity to make money and burn down rain-forest to raise cattle causing incredible amounts of greenhouse gasses...the #1 cause.

3. Consumers eat too many beef products which is main driver of our obesity epidemic as well as ever increasing rates of Type 2 Diabetes and Heart Disease (diseases of excess).

4. Health-care costs spiral out of control because of ineffective drug therapies designed to treat the symptoms of diseases like Diabetes, Heart Disease, and Obesity rather than the cause...which is primarily the consumption of too many animal products.

5. City, State, and Federal Budgets are unable to fund these sky-rocketing health-care costs which cause budget deficits and lead to higher taxes, less police and fire protection, the firing of school teachers, etc.

6. Our Eco-system suffers all the consequences of global warming we all know about.

7. People die early in masses from diseases of abundance and the cycle continues.

*Numbers don't lie.

We will see what happens with AB1478 here in California. That would be a good start.

San Francisco Chiropractor Dr. Eben Davis is clinic director of Executive Express Chiropractic at the Embarcadero Center in the SF Financial District.

Can AB1478 Save Lives and the California Economy at the same time?

San Francisco Vegan Chiropractor Comments:

There is currently a bill in commitee at the California assembly that has the potential to save lives and stop the state of California from going into bankruptcy at the same time.

AB1478 simply requires that physicians treating heart disease and diabetes (non-emergency) provide their patients with the option of pursuing intensive dietary and lifestyle modifications/therapies as opposed to mostly dangerous, costly, and ineffective drug therapies which only suppress symptoms and lead to other health problems. These two dreaded diseases are epidemic.

Here is an excerpt on The Diabetes Epidemic from the McDougall Newsletter. Dr. John McDougall, who I consider the nations leader on nutrition based therapy has helped author AB1478:

The Diabetes Epidemic

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2007 a total of 23.5 million, or 10.7 percent, of all people aged 20 years or older in the US have diabetes at a cost of $174 billion.^1a  The vast majority of this diabetes is type-2 diabetes, caused by over-nutrition from the rich Western diet, and the associated weight gain. Eighty-four percent of diabetics are on medications (insulin and/or oral).^1a Born in the year 2000, a male child’s lifetime risk of developing type-2 diabetes is nearly 33%, and a female’s risk will be 39% when following the Western diet.² The escalating incidence of type-2 diabetes clearly indicates that current efforts at prevention and treatment are failing. The reason for this failure is the almost exclusive emphasis on drug therapies, and the lack of efforts to address the dietary and lifestyle causes and treatments of type-2 diabetes.

When you consider that California spends $20 Billion on Diabetes treatment alone, and another $28.5 Billion on Obesity treatments, a side effect of Diabetes...that's a total of $48.5 Billion Dollars per year...that is for the most part wasted when these diseases can be reversed with diet and nutrition...and that's a scientific fact. The cost savings of wastefully trying to treat these diseases with drugs would go a long way towards balancing our budget.

Please read this open letter to Governor Schwarzenegger on AB1478 from James Henderson, Esq. who co-authored AB1478 with Dr. John McDougall, MD.

I think we are reaching an inflection point here...I mean after-all 70% of America is overweight or obese. We are literally getting ready to blow...yet we don't address the cause.

Diet is the medicine of the future...and the future is NOW!

Dr. Eben Davis is a San Francisco Chiropractorand has been a follower of Dr. John McDougall for 20 years.He lectures extensively on the benefits of plant based nutrition and lifestyle therapy. He can be reached at ebendavis@yahoo.com.