Cranberry Mandarin Orange Bread

Here's the Live Video Featuring Dr. Schnowske and Camryn

Ingredients:
2 cup flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp melted butter
1 egg
1 1/4 cup milk
1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2/3 cup Mandarin oranges

Mix it all up and pour in a greased loaf pan.

Bake at 375 for 35-40 minutes until toothpick comes out clean.

Here's the finished loaf and some taste testing!

Pineapple Pork Ribs in my Pressure Cooker: Easy and Quick Dinner Recipe for a Busy Mom

Ingredients:

4 Pork Chops or 1-2 lbs Country Style Boneless Pork Ribs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup pineapple juice with pineapple chunks
2 tbsp soy sauce

Bella Pressure Cooker
Manual setting with pressure
25 minutes and then quick release

Comment below what you thought of this recipe!

Make Your Own Asian Orange Ginger Vinaigrette

Photo: William Dickey; Styling Rose Nguyen

Most store bought salad dressings are dripping in chemicals and stabilizers that KILL the flavor of the dressing and let it survive months or even years in  your fridge. When it comes to salad dressings, I find that simple is always better and because no one likes the same old dressing over and over again switching up the flavors is also essential. I personally prefer to switch flavors with the season and the fruit or veggies that are in season as well.

Fruits that are in season in the late winter months include primarily citrus fruits and dates. I've combined that most basic ingredients that you can keep in your pantry and have on hand when the need arises for some flavor in your salad. Follow the recipe below for a citrus packed dressing with a hint of  honey for a great boost of ginger for your immune system.


Asian Orange Ginger Vinaigrette


Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp rice vinegar (unseasoned or seasoned is best)
• 1 tsp honey
• 1 tsp orange zest
• juice from 1/2 large orange (or other citrus fruit)
• 1 tsp grated ginger (you don't need to peel unless brown skin is thick or dry)
• 1/4 cup oil (olive oil is strong in flavor but try grapeseed or rice oil for a lighter flavor)
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1) Whisk the ingredients together.
2) Layer over fresh veggies or a salad.

Salad idea pictured above: Layer mixed salad greens with sesame crisps, grilled chicken, and fresh mandarin oranges and then top with your homemade salad dressing!

YUM!!

Are Your Summer Sandals Wreaking Havoc??

Flip flops are ALL the rage this year and now even have fun saying and bottle openers on the bottom for an added layer of fun. Flats and slip on sandals seem like a necessity when the humidity and temperature soars like it is today with the 105 heat index... yes that's right 105!!!

But did you know the these types of footwear choices wreck havoc on your feet, your knees, and your low back? Repetitive usage of these shoes can even lead to health problems such as foot cramping, shin splits, knee injuries, plantar fasciitis, bunions, and even bone spurs!!

These types of shoes cause overuse of the muscles and ligaments of the feet from no support in addition to using muscle out of normal gait pattern sequences. Even if you're not experiencing foot pain, you may still be negatively contributing to your foot and joint health by training muscles to work improperly.

Tips for Better Summer Footwear:

1. Get strappy. When you're looking for a summer shoe you want to make sure it stays on your foot without having to use your toes to grip. I'd recommend strappy sandals especially ones who have a strap around your ankle to keep them tethered on!
2. Avoid wedges or rockers on your footwear. Sandals and shoes with rocker bottoms are worse than flip flops because they transfer the weight of your body to the forefoot which are NOT supposed to bear weight. This can lead to premature arthritis in the foot and cause unsightly bunions and hammer toes.
3. Get supportive. Some brands are adding more arch support or padding to help reduce pressure on the joints of the feet. While this may be comfortable, don't be fooled into thinking its doing a perfect job. Due to our sedentary lifestyle, the muscles of our feet tire quickly and cause flat feet and arch collapse. The extra padding may only lessen a small portion of that collapse rather than preventing it altogether. So if you're still having pain in the feet, legs, or lower back after getting more supportive shoes you may need MORE help from a custom orthotic. We offer free foot screenings and can even provide a report showing you how much your arch drops, how much extra pressure this puts on your joints, and even how much energy your body is wasting muscles for that extra arch drop. 

Watch the video below for more information.

Don't be afraid to call my office to setup a free consultation at 309-689-6200 or go online to chiropractorpeoria.org to schedule an appointment.

Exercise Can Improve Your Mood and Trim Your Waist

Did you know that your muscles can effect your hormones? When your muscle move they can cause a change in your hormones that help with weight loss and new research is also showing they can change your mood too.

Regular exercise can increase fat loss and increase your metabolism for more efficient weight loss. However the type of exercise you perform can have a big effect on your hormones to assist in the weight loss process.

According to a 2005 study in the Journal of Sports Medicine, hormones that assist in the growth of muscle mass are elevated for 15-30 minutes after adequate resistance exercise. This adequate resistance exercise entails using a large amount of muscle mass with moderate to high intensity and short rest periods tend to stimulate the highest hormone levels.

A recent study published in the Journal of Endocrine Regulations found that regular exercise can also improve insulin sensitivity (lowering your risk of diabetes and lowering rates of fat building), balance cholesterol levels, improve your mood, improve memory and brain function, and assist with sleep hormones. They also found improved nutrition quality and less sedentary behavior can also assist with these hormones even WITHOUT weight loss.

This means if you are regularly exercising, blending moderate resistance exercise with cardio, and focusing on higher nutrition quality you can change your hormones, improve fat loss, and increase your metabolism. Don't get discouraged if you're not seeing weight changes right away because you are setting up your hormones and metabolism for more efficient weight loss long term. Always be concerned for long term benefits when it comes to weight loss, because if you focus on short term only you're weight will yo-yo up and down and you'll get discouraged!

So keep your chin up and stay consistent!


Resources:

1) Kraemer et al. "Hormone responses and adaptations to resistance exercise and training". Journal of Sports Medicine. 2005;35(4):339-61

2) Bajer et al. "Exercise associated hormonal signals as powerful determinants of effective fat mass loss". Journal of Endocrine Regulations. 2015; 49(3):151-63

Chiropractic Care Lowers Doctor Visits

According to the American Board of the Journal of Medicine, chiropractic care is estimated to reduce the number of primary care physician (PCP) visits by 370,000 which is a savings of approximately $83.5 million!

In a cross sectional study published in July 2015 looking at 17.7 million Medicare patients from 2010-2011,

when chiropractic care was utilized the number of PCP visits for back and neck pain lowered by 8%. This means that chiropractic care utilization could help to lower the cost of your healthcare, lower the number of visits to your doctor for neck and back pain, and lower the workload on PCPs who are getting overwhelmed more and more everyday with the magnitude of patients they are treating.

Chiropractic care is safe, effective and non invasive and it is touted as one of the safest forms of health care in the world. In fact, every year 140,000 US patients are injured from drug related reactions (2) and another estimated 210,000-440,000 die from hospital medical errors (3). Medical errors deaths are an all time high and account as the 3rd largest cause of death in the US behind heart disease and cancer.

Isn't it time to look at PREVENTING sickness and disease? Don't take your body to the doctor like its a repair shop! Get educated on your health problems including how to prevent them from getting worse and what you can do at home to slow the progression or change the direction of your condition. Want personalized help? Call my office at 309-689-6200 to setup a free consultation.

Resources:
1.    Davis et al. "Regional Supply of Chiropractic Care and Visits to Primary Care Physicians for Back and Neck Pain". J Am Board Fam Med. 2015 Jul-Aug;28(4):481-90. doi: 10.3122/jabfm.2015.04.150005. Click Here to Read More

2.  "To Err Is Human: Building a Safer Health System". National Institute of Medicine November 1999 Click here to read more

3. James PhD, John "A New Evidence Based Estimate of Patient Harms Associated with Hospital Care" Journal of Patient Safety September 2013 - Volume 9 - Issue 3 - p 122–128

Teenage Scoliosis Associated with Low Bone Quality

A new research study published in the Journal of Manipulative Medicine in July 2015, reveals that bone

quality is lower in teenagers suffering from adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) (1). This study measured ultrasound sound waves traveling through the bones to compare bone quality to conduct sound in two groups, patient with AIS and control patients with no scoliosis.

In general the patients in the AIS group had lower measured sound values compared to the control group indicating they had a lower bone quality compared to individuals without scoliosis. In addition, 25% of the AIS group were found to have low bone quality however the curve type and magnitude of the curve were not shown to be a factor in bone quality. There was also a correlation found in bone quality between those in the AIS group that had begun menstruation and those that had not begun menstruation.

The researchers concluded that AIS patients may have lower bone quality due to slower bone maturation. However, I think more research needs to be conducted on the "WHY" they have a slower bone maturation, but I do have a hypothesis to present. In many of the children and adult with scoliosis that I've seen in my office, there are some serious nutritional deficiencies and gut flora imbalances that can lead to reduced growth and healing rates as well as impact muscle function that can contribute to spinal curvatures.

For instance, there have been studies that have linked low levels of Vitamin D with AIS (2). There has also been research on melatonin deficiency linked to AIS, however some controversy exists as circulating levels of melatonin are no different for those with or without AIS but the osteoblasts (bone building cells in bones) melatonin signaling in those with AIS shows impairment and distinct mutations that can effect melatonin signalling. (3) This last study looking at melatonin and mutations may yield more information about a genetic factor for scoliosis as in some cases you may see this conditions run in families.

In moving forward with a more active care approach to scoliosis, I think practitioners need to focus on an integrative treatment approach blending chiropractic care to restore joint mobility, diet and nutritional assessments to check for nutritional deficiencies and make dietary recommendations, and functional exercise aimed at balancing spinal musculature bilaterally to restore normal posture and positioning would be the best answer to a multi-facted problem. Our current medical approach of watch and wait until it gets bad enough to require surgery (which is a completely different issue in itself) is NOT good enough. Every patient deserves to know their options when it comes to their health including alternative care options and they should DEMAND to make an informed choice on what treatment(s) they will consent to.

Resources:
1. Du et al. "Qualitative Measurements of Bone Quality in Female Adolescents with Idiopathic Scoliosis Compared to Normal Controls". J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2015 Jul 18. pii: S0161-4754(15)00074-3.

2. Batista et al. "Association between Vitamin D levels and Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis". Scoliosis. 2014; 9(Suppl 1): O45. Click Here to Read More

3. Moreau et al. "Melatonin Signaling Dysfunction in Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis". Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 2004 Aug 15;29(16):1772-81. Click Here to Read More