Archive by Author

30-Minute Quinoa Enchilada Skillet…..very yummy

recipes for quinoaThis entire quinoa skillet dish is cooked from start to finish in 30 minutes, all in ONE pot! It’s a healthy, nutritious & flavorful family-friendly dish!

Related: Quinoa: Health Benefits, Nutritional Profile

 Ingredients

  • 1 large sweet potato, peeled and cubed
  • 5 cloves of garlic, minced
  • 1 cup uncooked quinoa, rinsed and drained
  • 2 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 teaspoon ground cumin
  • ½ teaspoon paprika
  • 1 teaspoon chili powder
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup enchilada sauce
  • 1 15-oz. can black beans, drained
  • ½ cup corn kernels
  • 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes, drained
  • 1 ¼ cup shredded cheese
  • Optional toppings: avocados, sour cream/greek yogurt on top, parsley for garnish

Directions

  1. In a 12-inch nonstick skillet with a lid, heat 1 tablespoon of oil (I used coconut oil, you can use the oil of your choice) over medium heat and add the sweet potato and garlic, stirring together with the oil to coat. Cook for about 2 minutes, stirring and watching the garlic so it doesn’t burn.
  2. Add the quinoa, vegetable broth, salt, pepper, ground cumin, paprika and chili powder and stir to combine.
  3. Bring the mixture to a boil over high heat, then reduce the temperature to a simmer, cover, and continue to simmer to 15 minutes until most of the liquid has been absorbed by the quinoa and the quinoa has popped and begins to look fluffy.
  4. Add the enchilada sauce, black beans, corn kernels, and diced tomatoes. Stir in and cook for another 5 minutes until heated through.
  5. Sprinkle the cheese over the top of the dish and cover the skillet so that the cheese melts.
  6. Serve with optional garnishes such as parsley, avocados and sour cream/greek yogurt on top. Enjoy!

Notes

  1. This dish freezes well, but I would not add the cheese if I was freezing. After thawing, add the cheese when reheating the dish.
    2. This dish tastes even better as leftovers!
    3. Feel free to add in your own ingredients. You can add diced bell peppers, onions, anything in your fridge you need to finish!

Make it and tell us how you liked it! Post pictures too!

The Funnies (Go ahead and laugh)

laughing budda statueYour monthly dose of laughter! Let’s hear your giggle.

 

Is it true that cannibals don’t eat clowns because they taste funny?

If it’s tourist season, why can’t we shoot them?

Isn’t Disney World a people trap operated by a mouse?

Whose cruel idea was it for the word “lisp” to have an “s” in it?

Since light travels faster than sound, isn’t that why some people appear bright until you hear them speak?

How come abbreviated is such a long word?

If it’s zero degrees outside today and it’s supposed to be twice as cold tomorrow, how cold is it going to be?

Why do you press harder on a remote-control when you know the battery is dead?

Since Americans throw rice at weddings, do Asians throw hamburgers?

Why are they called buildings, when they’re already finished? Shouldn’t they be called builts?

Why are they called apartments, when they’re all stuck together?

If the universe is everything, and scientists say that the universe is expanding, what is it expanding into?

Go ahead and share, we dare ya!

Interesting Facts for March 2016

Sound smart, or at least interesting, at the next office party or meeting.

Where the Wild Things Are book cover

 

Where the Wild Things Are was originally titled Where the Wild Horses Are until Maurice Sendak realized he was really bad at drawing horses.

 

 

Jadav Payeng started planting trees on a barren Indian sandbar when he was 16 years old in 1979. Today he lives in the forest he planted which covers over 1,300 acres and is home to rhinos, tigers, deer, apes and elephants.

Words of Wisdom for March 2016

words of wisdomWords to make your day make a little more sense

A man in love is incomplete until he is married. Then he is finished. – Zsa Zsa Gabor

Show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy. – F. Scott Fitzgerald

Fashions are induced epidemics. – George Bernard Shaw

The quieter you become the more you can hear. – Richard Alpert

Please share your favorite words of wisdom in the comments below. We are always looking for new ways to become wiser.

Researching Chiropractic: Case Studies

drawing of spinal column and nervesChiropractic clinical case histories have been a regular feature of our patient newsletter since its inception. There seems to be no limit to the health problems that respond to chiropractic care. How many people suffering, on drugs, facing a life of limitation could be helped by chiropractic care?

Probably most of them.

Morton’s neuroma.

Morton’s neuroma is a nerve tumor in the foot. It is a painful condition that people describe as “walking on a marble.” It usually affects the ball of the foot, often between the 3rdand 4th toes and may cause a sharp, burning pain or numbness. The medical or podiatry approach is to give corticosteroid (cortisone) injections or surgically to cut out the tumor.

This is the case of a 63-year-old woman who suffered with Morton’s neuroma in her right foot for ten years. She sought chiropractic care for a variety of health complaints.

For one month her vertebral subluxations were addressed and reduced using specific chiropractic care. During this period her Morton’s neuroma symptoms completely disappeared and in addition she reported improvement in her digestion, sleep and ability to move without pain.

Source: Lanoue B, Treahy-Geofreda T, Russell D.Resolution of Morton’s Neuroma in an elderly patient receiving Activator Methods Chiropractic Technique to correct subluxation: a case study. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. January 4, 2016:1-5.

Failure To Thrive

Oral thrush and inconsolable crying in a 4-month-old. This is the case of a baby medically diagnosed with “failure to thrive” (FTT). FTT is determined when a baby’s weight or size is significantly below that of other children of similar age and same gender. The infant was reported to have had birth trauma from a nuchal cord – the umbilical cord was completely wrapped around the fetal neck (360 degrees).

The child was 4-months-old when she was brought to the chiropractor. She was suffering from inconsolable crying, oral thrush (an overgrowth of the fungus candida albicans in the mouth and throat), chronic diarrhea and was dangerously underweight.

Chiropractic examination detected vertebral subluxations at C1-C4 (upper neck) and T3-T4 (upper back).

She received chiropractic adjustments from the first visit and afterwards was checked for vertebral subluxations that were corrected when indicated for seven weeks. Her FTT symptoms began to resolve after the first visit and completely resolved by the seventh week of care. 

Source: Neally R, Alcantara J. Resolution of failure to thrive in a 4-month-old infant following adjustment of subluxation: case study & selective review of the literature. Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic. 2015;4:149-153. 

Hypothyroidism reduction under chiropractic care.

A 44-year-old woman presented herself to the chiropractor with complaints of upper shoulder and pain between the shoulder blades that occurred after a motor vehicle accident 23 years earlier!

In addition, she had been prescribed ArmourThyroid® in order to treat symptoms of low thyroid function (hypothyroidism).

Cervical or neck x-rays revealed that she had an 80.7% loss of normal neck curve (hypo-lordosis) in addition to vertebral subluxations.

The patient received spinal adjustments to reduce her vertebral subluxation complexes (VSC), and to improve her spinal and postural alignment over a seven-month period.

Thirty days into care the patient began exhibiting signs/symptoms of an overactive thyroid (hyperthyroidism). Her chiropractor suggested that she have her thyroid function checked by her endocrinologist to see if her prescribed thyroid medication should be re-evaluated. After serum lab evaluation, the patient’s endocrinologist instructed the patient to significantly reduce her thyroid medication.

Source: Bak AD, Engelhardt PR. Improvement in cervical curve and hypothyroidism following reduction of subluxation utilizing chiropractic Biophysics: a case study & selective review of the literature. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. December 10, 2015:226-237

We’d like to hear about your experiences with chiropractic care.

Are Energy Drinks Safe?

cans of enefgy drinksDon’t use Energy Drinks to improve your performance

The energy drinks you see on store shelves – especially the tiny “shots” at the convenience store that promise to get rid of your “2:30 feeling” – are pumped full of synthetic caffeine. 

This “fake” caffeine does not come from any of Mother Nature’s sources. It comes from a chemistry lab. The fake stuff is potent and much cheaper than the real thing. But the synthetic chemicals are often a highly toxic brew you don’t want in your body including:

  • Trichloroethylene (TCE) – a chlorinated hydrocarbon commonly used as an industrial solvent. It’s so powerful, the Air Force uses it to clean jet engines. Banned in Europe as a known cancer-causing chemical, it is perfectly legal to use in the United States.
  • Sodium cyanide – a highly toxic, colorless salt used in gold mining to strip gold from rock.
  • Sulfuric acid – a strong mineral acid used in car batteries, ore processing, fertilizer manufacturing and oil refining.
  • Benzene – a known cancer-causing chemical used as an industrial solvent and in the production of drugs, plastics, synthetic rubber and dyes.

Please read labels. Be careful. Stick with natural substances as much as possible and come in for a chiropractic “tune up” for a real energy boost.

CHIROPRACTIC AND VALENTINE’S DAY –WHAT IS THE CONNECTION?

two hands holdingIn this month of love and romance the key word that connects Chiropractic and Valentines Day is CONNECTION.

People and relationships are what nourishes and keeps everyone alive. Connections, which may be keeping a plant growing, a goldfish, a child or a spouse. That’s why women live longer than men and married men with cancer live longer than single men with the same cancers. If you have connections, you keep going. (Bernie Siegel MD)

There are so many ways we can be disconnected from physical, mental and spiritual wholeness:

  • Unnatural childbirth
  • trauma
  • lack of bonding
  • poor nutrition
  • lack of love
  • comfort and security

Lack of stimulation will interfere with our optimal physical/emotional/spiritual development and growth. Our genes will partially sleep, our life will be clouded, our heart will be contracted, our vision will be limited. To the degree that our connection is interfered with –we are less alive. We have dis-ease, we are out of sync to our inner potential and cannot adapt as well to life’s stresses. 

When a chiropractor locates and corrects your subluxations that cause blockages, interference and imbalances… you are more connected and more alive.

Call us to make an appointment and get reconnected with yourself.

Get to Know Your Spinal Column

drawing of spinal column and nervesThe illustration might look like a strange collection of wires and body parts but it shows how your body communicates and connects so that all your parts work together to make you healthy and whole.

Your internal organs send messages to your brain and your brain sends messages back to your internal organs. This back and forth goes through a vast communications cable made up of hundreds of millions of nerves: your spinal cord. This is how your parts are connected.

The Information Highway: Your Spinal Column

This incredible “cable” of nerves or spinal cord goes down your back. You can’t see your spinal cord because it’s encased in a protective bony canal called the spinal column made up of 23 bones called vertebrae.

Your spinal column includes

  • 7 neck or cervical vertebrae
  • 12 mid-back or thoracic vertebrae
  • 5 low back or lumbar vertebrae

Under the lumbars is a fused triangular bone called the sacrum and below that is your tiny tail bone or coccyx.

Also let’s not forget that between your vertebrae are discs – little shock absorbers to prevent your bones from crashing into one another every time you walk.

Get Adjusted after any Accident

Watch out! Injuries, accidents and stress of all kinds can misalign your vertebrae so they won’t move properly. If that happens you might have nerve irritation that can interfere with the function of many nerves, glands, muscles and organs. The result is a subluxation causing lowered immunity and detoxification, pain, and less balance, strength and energy. With subluxations your body parts are less connected to each other.

Your chiropractor’s job is to make sure your vertebrae are in the right place and are moving properly so that there is no nerve stress.

Using various tools (and years of specialized training) doctors of chiropractic can locate spinal nerve stress or subluxations and, using their hands or various instruments, realign the vertebrae and reduce spinal nerve pressure. This is called an adjustment. The adjustment reconnects you to … you.

Reconnect with yourself

Millions of people are disconnected from themselves. They are carrying spinal nerve stress in their bodies and don’t even know it. Do you or your loved ones have this condition? Your chiropractor can find out with a simple analysis. It could make the difference between a life of health and vitality and one of dis-ease and weakness.

Stop by for a chiropractic connection adjustment. Make 2016 a more connected year.

Do you know how Vitamin D helps you?

sun through clouds

Sun

Traditional eating – soak up the sun

It may not be eaten with a knife and fork but it’s one of the most nutritious things your body needs – sunlight – and that’s especially true during these winter days of darkness.

The most powerful cancer fighter ever discovered is naturally occurring vitamin D.

Vitamin D lowers the risk of all cancers by 77%!

Vitamin D also fights inflammation and that can mean:

  • Enhanced mood
  • Stronger immune system
  • Prevention of bone and muscle weakness
  • Lower risk of heart disease and diabetes
  • Improved arthritis, pain and inflammation
  • Prevention of Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis

 

Mexican Tortilla Soup Created by White Lotus Chef Beatrix Rohlsen

 Serves 4-6

Served with avocado, crispy tortilla strips and a dollop sour cream, this recipe can serve several, or you can sit down and feast with a friend and save left-overs (even better) for a serious second round of indulgence.( I had this on retreat @ White Lotus & loved it.. Dr C)
Ingredients:
1-3 dried Ancho or Pasilla chilies
1 onion (chopped medium)
1-2 tablespoons olive oil
2-3 celery stalks (thinly chopped)
1 bunch scallions (thinly chopped)
1 can (15oz) crushed tomatoes
1/2 can (15 oz) corn kernels
2-5 cloves garlic (minced)
4-5 cups soup stock
Water from the soaked chilies
1/2 bunch cilantro (chopped medium fine)
Salt (to taste)
Red pepper flakes (optional)
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 small to medium avocado (sliced into strips or small chunks)
6-8 teaspoons sour cream
2-4 corn tortillas
1/2 lime (optional)

Rinse chilies under cold water. Place them in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Soak ½ hr. When soft, drain and reserve the water for the soup. Take out the membrane and the seeds using gloves so that you do not get chili oil, which has a strong heat, on your hands. These chilies have a fairly high rad rating (chili heat index) so you don’t want to over do it by using too many in the soup. Cut the chilies into small pieces and set aside.
Heat olive oil in a medium sized soup pot. Sauté chopped onions, celery, scallions and garlic for 5-10 minutes. Add 3 cups soup stock and the can of crushed tomatoes. Let simmer; do not boil. Add 1 -2 cups water from the soaked chilies, less if you do not want your soup have a lot of heat.. Use additional soup stock if needed. Add chilies and corn. Season with salt. For a more spicy heat, add some red pepper flakes. Turn soup off and cover. If you like, squeeze some lime juice into the soup.
Cut corn tortillas in half and then cut thin strips starting along the shorter side. Bake on a cookie sheet at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes. Let the tortilla strips cool while on the baking sheet so that they get crunchy, and then transfer to a bowl and set aside. Cut avocado into small chunks or strips and set aside.
When ready to serve, if necessary, re-warm soup for a moment but do not boil. Just before serving add finely chopped cilantro.
Serve each portion with tortilla strips, avocado and sour cream on top. Ole!