The 5th Annual All-Star Event Makes An Impact – Jenn Roberts, DC Student

On Saturday, February 26, Innate Enterprise, in conjunction with the SICA, hosted the 5^th Annual All-Star Event at Life University. This annual event was held in the Socrates Cafe and was attended by students from both Life University and Sherman College of Chiropractic. Doctors of ChiropracTIC spoke to the group of students as mentors to each of us. The panel included Dr. Susan Brown, creator and developer of Bio-Geometric Integration (BGI), Dr. Jim Dubel, founder of New Beginnings, Life Universities own Dr. Drew Rubin, Dr. Cirone, Dr. Clarino, Dr. Liam Schubel and Dr. Austin Cohen, graduates of Life University.

As a first quarter DC student who had never before attended the All-Star Event, I didn’t quite know what to expect. What I got was more than I bargained for. I was utterly amazed by what I experienced, listened to and learned. Not only were there recurring themes of philosophy, faith, an innate intelligence, and following your calling, but truly deep and touching recollections were shared by each of the DC’s who spoke and they spoke with incredibly passionate conviction. Each of them shared with us what ‘success’ means to them on such an emotional level, it was like they spoke to us all on a one-to-one basis in private discussion. They also not only recalled how they have impacted their patients’ lives, but how their patients have impacted them.

As Dr. Dubel asked, “What happens when you cut your finger? It heals… from the inside out.” That is innate intelligence. Bringing the body around to its homeostatic state. A power we all possess but a power we don’t all unleash in ourselves to its greatest potential.

Drs. Cirone and Clarino struggled with getting their own practice off the ground until they changed their thought processes, abandoning the educated mind for their own philosophy. Instead of bringing their practice into their faith, they brought faith into their practice. By sharing the wondrous capabilities of the human body with their patients, and how they were helping to facilitate their return to their own innate function, their patients experienced more. More than the pain relief that may have led them to their door. More than treatment of a symptom or a syndrome. While they may have made their initial appointment for those very reasons, they returned to their office for others.

Drs. Liam Schubel and Austin Cohen talked about the expansion of the ChiropracTIC philosophy. From offices in Atlanta and the Northeast, to practices around the world, ChiropracTIC is impacting the lives of people who have not only never had access to allopathic healthcare, many had never heard of ChiropracTIC until they were face down on an adjusting table in an office, a homeless shelter, a patch of grass near a rainforest in South America.

While the world needs exposure to what we do, our calling, we, as students need exposure to the world. We are only in the Life University bubble for a short time, like an egg in a nest. But when we graduate, we are kicked out of that nest by the Momma bird and we have no choice but to fly or fall hard. While our classes teach us the academics, we must embrace the challenge to experience and be taught the practical lessons ourselves, by volunteering at a local ChiropracTIC office, becoming involved in outreach/mission trips abroad, by doing PEAK somewhere other than our own back yard.

The world is a very big place and while some of us have seen a lot of it, it changes all the time. Views and opinions are changing and many people are now eager for other options related to health care. At assembly last week, even Dr. Manns talked about how the corporations and even the very government of Ghana have embraced his mission of ChiropracTIC as a natural, critical way to improve one’s body function proactively.

Each of the presenters at the All-Star Event shared miracles with us. Dr. Rubin shared the story of Peggy and her family with us and watching Dr. Rubins eyes tear up absolutely wrenched my heart. It was a beautiful story of how ChiropracTIC not only helped Peggy rebound amazingly from the cancer she had been in treatment for with radiation and rounds of chemotherapy, but it gave her time, three additional years of time with her most valuable asset, her family. When she knew her time was short, she called Dr. Rubin to her home and asked him to adjust her so she could be more clear of mind and heart, and could spend her last three days of life with her family at home. Dr. Rubin gave her that gentle, final adjustment and on the night of the third day Peggy spent with her children, their spouses, their children and their children’s children, Peggy died in her sleep.

ChiropracTIC is not about the money. It is not about treating pain. It is not about the number of patients you ‘have to see’ in order to have a ‘good’ practice. If you practice for the right reasons, with faith and passion to help others, the rest will follow. ChiropracTIC is about the difference you make in others lives by empowering them and liberating the innate intelligence within to allow the body to function at its own maximum potential, do its own healing, to perform better.

And ChiropracTIC care is indeed for everyone. From adjusting a pregnant mother-to-be to giving her newborn baby his/her first adjustment after birth. From adjusting the young child through his/her adulthood, and then caring for that patient until they pass from this earth.

We are a small but growing group. We are meant to do this. We have been picked by the very innate intelligence we restore the connection to in the patients we care for. We are ChiropracTIC

Chiropractic On The Brink Of Extinction – Alexandra Gerdel, DC Student

The sad truth about the state of our profession off of the LIFE island

The Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE), the sole accreditation body for all chiropractic colleges in the United States, has a history of pushing a political agenda and making decisions based on conflicts of interest. They became the sole accreditation body for the chiropractic profession in the 1970’s when the CCE, an American Chiropractic Association (ACA) based agency, pushed through their application with the Department of Education to be the accreditation body for chiropractic. This action violated an agreement the ACA had with the International Chiropractic Association (ICA) and their accreditation body, to wait until common ground could be found in the profession with regard to it’s education. The ACA has historically been known for representing the “mixer” faction of the profession, while the ICA stands for the “straight” side of the profession. The drive to form one accreditation agency was an effort to improve chiropractic’s status as a profession and to qualify for federal financial funding for students. The CCE and ACA took on that role with brute force and not with peaceful acceptance from the entire profession. (1)

In 2001, a review of the CCE by the United States Department of Education (USDE) found the CCE in noncompliance with several of their own standards. These included not allowing faculty of schools a means for feedback on changes made to the CCE Standards; failing to respond to complaints in a timely manner; and several instances of conflict of interest between those on the board of the CCE and their political agendas.

In 2006, the CCE came up for another five-year USDE review. In the transcripts of those proceedings, the CCE, the National Board of Chiropractic Examiners (NBCE), and the Federal of Chiropractic Licensing Boards (FCLB) were characterized many times by reviewers as forming both a monopoly and cartel. These three organizations have complete control over what is taught in schools, what is tested on national and state boards, and what is accepted at the state level for chiropractic licensing requirements. Since these three organizations have taken over control of the chiropractic profession, and allopathic model of disease treatment has begun to dominate chiropractic education, and the amount of medically oriented diagnosis and physical therapy has increased and become the norm for a chiropractic educational curriculum, the National Board exams and state licensure. As a result, all three organizations, and specifically the CCE, have been accused of numerous acts of supporting a political agenda leading chiropractic in the allopathic direction championed by one faction of the profession.

Some of the biggest issues brought forth at the 2006 hearing to renew the CCE’s accreditation came from the subluxation-based side of chiropractic. The problems brought forth were the questionable attempt to revoke Life University’s accreditation (which was immediately overturned by a federal judge due to conflict of interest issues), continuously refusing to recognize any national organizations beyond the ACA and ICA, and maintaining a far from democratic governing structure, wherein those in control represent a small faction of the profession and schools. Despite hearing testimony from many concerned with the CCE’s actions over the years, and having concerns of their own, the USDE determined the CCE had fulfilled the requirements for continued accreditation and could find no legal reason to refuse renewal of the CCE’s accreditation for another five years.

Last fall, the Life University campus erupted with concern over the newly proposed CCE Standards of Accreditation. A rumored 4,000 comments were submitted to the CCE, including a nine-page document from our own President, Dr. Riekeman, in the hopes of pointing out the huge ramifications the new Standards potentially held for both the chiropractic profession and the accreditation of the CCE with the USDE. However, in January, the worst fears of many were realized when, on the brink of their next five-year review, the CCE announced their plans to officially adopt the new Standards without any of the revisions suggested by the chiropractic community.

As a recap, there were three major changes made in the language of the CCE accreditation Standards that pose a huge threat to what chiropractic has always been known for and stood for:

     One: The wording of the programs the CCE accredits has been changed from just “Doctor of Chiropractic Programs” to include “or their equivalent.” (1,2,3) This change opens the doors for the Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine degree, a degree long sought after by National University of Health Sciences (NUHS) and Western States Chiropractic College (WSCC) whose missions are to broaden the scope of practice for chiropractic to include prescription rights and have chiropractors take on more of the general practice (GP) medical physicians’ role. (1,2,3)  Contrary to the popular rumor circulating around this campus, this change does not require all chiropractic colleges to confer the DCM degree. It does, however, open the door for those schools wishing to do so to implement that degree and maintain their accreditation with the CCE. It also allows state licensing boards to choose to accept both a DC and DCM degree, or only one of the two.

     Two: The word ‘subluxation’ has been removed from all language in the CCE Standards document. (1,2,3) This change is of great concern to subluxation-based chiropractors and marks the culmination of a long battle between the search for scientific evidence for subluxation and the philosophical basis of chiropractic. If we don’t ajust subluxation as chiropractors, what exactly do we do? If it’s not part of the language that accredits our schools, what is the basis of our education and profession? There are many who argue that all chiropractic is good for is the treatment of low back pain and headaches. Can we prove that we find, adjust and remove subluxations? The CCE appears to have taken a side on this issue and answered “no” to many of the above questions. However, just what chiropractic is remains somewhat undefined by the CCE’s new Standards.

     Three: All reference to chiropractic as a profession providing health care “without the use of drugs or surgery” has been removed. (1,2,3) For the last 115 years, chiropractic’s identity has been a profession that doesn’t use drugs or surgery. That has been one of the main distinctions separating chiropractic and chiropractors from the medical profession. Our predecessors have fought long and hard battles in politics, in jail and in court to prove our profession is separate and distinct from the medical profession, that we are not practicing medicine without a license, because we are not practicing medicine at all. Within the last year, things have begun to drastically take us away from this distinction with the passing of prescriptive rights for chiropractors with continuing education in pharmacology in New Mexico, the conferring of a Master of Science in Advanced Clinical Diagnosis by the National University of Health Sciences (NUHS, formerly NCC), and now the CCE Standards revisions. (4,5) Our profession is no longer distinguished as separate and distinct from allopathy, osteopathy and physical therapy.

How long will it take the rest of the chiropractic educational “cartel” to further force medicine into our profession with new parts to National Boards that include more training in pharmacology and other “primary care medical physician” procedures? How long until more state boards pass laws to expand our scope of practice and begin to require new pharmacology training and pharmacology board exams for licensure?

Our profession has developed a passion for non-involvement. (6) As chiropractors, we go out into the world, forget about the parts of our education we hated and become wrapped up in our own lives, practice and community. The membership of both the ICA and ACA, even when combined with that of the other political organizations existing on both sides of philosophical divide, still represent a very small fraction of the profession.

The “no-chiropractic association” phenomenon is arguably a huge part of the reason we have come so far from what our profession was originally founded for – an entity separate and distinct from medicine which restores the power of the body to do what it was born to do. Those in control are pushing to be absorbed into the allopathic model, and with these new Standards they have fairly well succeeded.

It is up to the next generation of chiropractors to either take a stand for who we are, or let chiropractic fall by the wayside and turn into a second or even third rate medical profession. Do you love what you do? Do you want to see chiropractic survive, united at last? Do you want to help your patients regain control of their health and wellbeing, or treat people for low back pain and headaches for the rest of your life, giving them a few prescriptions here and there to cover up their symptoms?

It’s time to get involved. Not once you graduate, not in ten years, not never. It’s not time to take the easy way out, to agree to something because the road less traveled is too hard. If we want to see our profession, as we know it, survive we must be as unreasonable as our predecessors. They insured our survival against all odds by standing for what they believed in, going to jail as many times as they had to, and knowing beyond a shadow of a doubt that what they were doing was not for the benefit of themselves, but for the benefit of their patients and the overall health of the world. For most of us at this school, chiropractic is a way of life, an answer to the poor health plaguing this country. It’s time to wake up and realize that in the real world, that’s not the direction the profession is heading. Now I ask you future chiropractors, what are YOU going to do about it?

For more information on the history and current events mentioned in this article, check out the following references or email Vital Source at submissions.vs@gmail.com.

1. Dr. Riekeman’s Response to the CCE, found on the Life Facebook page

2. CCE proposed standards, taken from their website.

3. Edwards, J. What is the CCE trying to pull? Dynamic Chiropractic, Oct 21 2010. 28(22).

4. Nutz, J. Chiropractic Needs an Adjustment, Not drugs. Dynamic Chiropractic. Mar 26. 2010. 28(07).

5.  Kent, C. Drugs, Chiropractic and Boiled Frogs. Dynamic Chiropractic. Feb 12, 2010. 28(04).

6. Perle, S. The No Chiropractic Association: Professional Duty Not Required. Jan 29, 2011. 29(03).

Declare Your Nerd Day – Sarah Moreau, UG Student

“Nerd.”  When you hear or read that word, what images come to mind? Do you, like most Americans, picture a skinny boy with suspenders, acne, and a pocket protector bursting with pens and a graphing calculator? Do you use the word “nerd” synonymously with the words “geek,” “dork” and “dweeb?” While the Merriam-Webster dictionary defines a nerd as someone who is “socially inept,” I would argue that we each have at least one subject we totally geek out on. While some people might have nerd-offs about stereotypically dorky things like Star Wars, Star Trek, computers, chess, band, and episodes of Glee, many other people have nerd-gasms about books they love, history, school clubs or even sports. That’s right! I said (well, typed) sports.  Some men can recite the winning team names of all of the World Series since 1903. While many scoff at unofficial official holidays like Pi Day (3/14), Mole Day (10/23), and Intergalactic Star Wars Day (May the Fourth [Be With You.]), I would love to see each member of the Life community find at least one day a week to nurture their inner dweeb.

Why only one day? Well, unless we happen to be able to live our lives immersed in our passion, (what we’re nerdy about,) we probably can’t spend all our time focused on something that isn’t helping with school or work, lest we flunk out and freak out. Why a whole day? Well, if you can’t do a whole day at once, try an hour or two a day. Or, try treating yourself to a whole weekend of geekiness once in a while by indulging in a conference. By living in Atlanta, we have a unique opportunity to have a ton of historical sites, professional sports, touring plays and concerts, an amusement park, museums of science, art, and history, beautiful parks, and annual conferences such as the Atlanta Comic Con and Dragon*Con right in our back yard! There are local events such as “Sip and Stroke,” a wine and painting class, groups that participate in table-top role playing games, groups that participate in weekly trivia games, opportunities to audition to be an extra in various films, and even Frisbee golf leagues, fantasy football leagues, and fantasy baseball leagues. Perhaps we could each volunteer to coach our favorite sport with an underprivileged team, teach our favorite art or craft at the local craft store or recreation department, or even just have a party to discuss our particular passion. By using common interests and even differing interests, we can bond with our fellow LIFEers to create a stronger bond within our community. Embracing and encouraging this part of yourself can help each of us understand each other, relieve stress, and become well-rounded students.

This Pi Day, I challenge each of you to step out of your normal routines and relish the side of yourself you typically hide from the world for fear of being mocked. Fly your nerd flag proudly, and you just might help someone insecure about their own geekdom feel a little more secure to reveal themselves.

While our campus is very accepting and is overall a very loving campus, we can nurture those around us more by accepting different interests and different points of view. By doing this, we improve our bonds with our classmates, our ability to relate to others who are not quite like us, and perhaps even learn more on a subject about which we knew nothing before. Who knows, we might even find a passion we’d never discovered before.

Excuse Me… PLEASE SHUT UP – Melanie Carr, DC Student

I’m trying to learn here!!

So, I’m sitting in National Boards Assembly, and three girls behind me are having a conversation. They aren’t even whispering. No! That would be too difficult to hear, so instead they talk and laugh loudly over the professor. And no, I was not sitting in the back of the classroom, where the vast majority of students are doing their own thing. I am in the front, close to the wall so I can plug in, and I cannot hear the professor over their rudeness.

I tried to tune them out, but it wasn’t working. I can tune children out quite well when I want, but that is when I’m trying not to hear anything…not an important lecture about a test that dictates my future success in chiropractic. Eventually, I turned around and asked a girl who was formerly in the conversation if she would mind asking the girls behind her to please be quiet, because I am having a hard time hearing. She said, “What?” and I assume this is because she couldn’t hear my whispering plea. I repeated myself, and she shook her head up and down, indicating she’d help me out.

Instead, she laughed. Yes, she LAUGHED! Then her friend behind her asked if I was talking about them. I guess I was the butt of their joke, because they just kept on talking and laughing like I hadn’t said anything at all. So I turned around, and whispered a little louder, I said, “Please! I really AM having a hard time hearing.” More rudeness continued.

We had 25 minutes left of class, and I SERIOUSLY came THIS close to standing up and YELLING at the girls to either please take their conversation OUT of the room or to SHUT UP because many of us are trying to LEARN! But I didn’t. Instead, I felt my blood pressure rise, and tried to better lip read and make out what was being said in conjunction with the slides. Annoying. I go to school with children. Worse. MY children behave better than these people.

So here is my rant, and please listen closely, because next time I will NOT sit by and let you disrupt my learning, which I pay a boatload of money for: Didn’t your mother raise you to respect your elders? Didn’t you learn to give your teachers respect in the classroom, and at least leave if you are going to talk? Or pass notes, the old fashioned way? Didn’t anyone tell you to respect others? Didn’t anyone to teach you the freaking Golden Rule?  Treat others how you would like to be treated?

Next time you try to have some ridiculous conversation IN CLASS while the rest of us are trying to learn, I am going to take it upon myself to stand up and LOUDLY…in your face…ask you to either SHUT UP…or LEAVE!  If you are lucky enough to have me use my usual manners, and ask quietly first, be like Nike…and just do it.

Freshness Delivers – James Beuerlein, DC Student

New Student Run CSA brings premium produce to campus

For those who care for high-quality nutrition and sustainability, this is big, big news! Two Life students were recently recognized with an article in Atlanta Magazine for their work beginning a new Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) initiative at Life University. A CSA is essentially a co-op between farmers and consumers, bypassing the middleman grocery chains in order to deliver the cheapest, freshest produce to the consumer and to promote and sustain small business practices for the farmer.

It works like this: The consumer pays a set, recurrent membership fee to the farmer in return for a consistent quantity of fresh, local, and seasonal produce each week. The farmer delivers identical baskets of produce to all consumers each week, based on what the farm is producing that season, so the exact produce received is constantly changing with the seasons.

What are the benefits to this system?

1. Freshness.     The produce delivered to each consumer is usually picked the day it is delivered or the day before.

2. Absolutely local.    All of the produce comes from one farm (or a co-op of farms) in the immediate vicinity of the CSA. This benefits small farms, creates a more sustainable relationship between producer and consumer, and reduces the environmental impact because the produce doesn’t have to be shipped across the country or globe! CSA’s usually imply a face-to-face relationship with the farmer. Often, members are invited out to see the farm and to be familiar with the farmer’s practices and methods. There are also health benefits from eating locally-grown produce, including greater nutrient concentration and reduced seasonal allergies.

3. Seasonal dietary variety.     The changing of the seasons places different demands on the body’s chemistry. Humans (as have all animals) have evolved to be nourished by different foods during different seasons. When people eat seasonally, they give their bodies the nutrients needed to maintain health in response to a changing environment (seasonal temperature, sun exposure, etc.). When consumers buy the same 15 items at the grocery store year-round, they compromise their bodies’ ability to adapt to the environment (i.e. feeding it summer-food in the winter).

4. Variety.     As part of a CSA, members will be receiving some produce that they may not normally eat – or perhaps have never tried. CSA communities are great about sharing recipes and increasing one’s appreciation for food, as well as expanding the palate. In addition, fresher food tastes better! The longer produce is “preserved” on the shelf, the more taste it loses.

5. Fewer shopping trips.     This system allows for far fewer trips to the grocery store, since each week’s shipment brings a new supply of produce for the week. Less standing in line and searching for needed items equates to less stress in one’s life.

Now let’s talk about the new CSA at Life. Life’s CSA is the brainchild of Peggy Kalis and her fellow enthusiast Noah Beaudry. Oddly enough, both were raised on farms in Canada, and so were raised with an appreciation for food and for the farmer. The CSA came about as a result of Peggy’s own search for a CSA. She met a local farmer, Neil Taylor of Split Cedar Farms, this past summer. In the fall, he called her and asked her if she would help start a new CSA that would go year-round. Peggy and Noah went out to visit his farm later that same day and got to see his dedication to his farm and the passion he has for organic produce and good food!

They struck up a deal and landed on the arrangement of $300 for 10 weekly deliveries during the quarter (corresponding with the 10 weeks of class). This buys members a delivery of 5-7 lbs of fresh-picked produce each week. Most CSA’s work on a “meet-up” system, where the members come to the farm at a certain time on a certain day and get the food directly from the farmer. Life’s system is a little different.

With the class and life schedule of each member varying greatly, creating a meeting time was impractical. This is where Noah’s genius came into play. He built a locker system in the Sports Health Science building. Mr. Taylor brings his produce on Friday, opens up the back of the lockers (similar to a community mailbox) and deposits identical baskets in each locker for the members. Then each member comes at their convenience and unlocks their personal compartment to get their produce.

Peggy and Noah have a vision of an expanded and completely autonomous CSA. As more and more members are added, Peggy would like to see cooking classes put on in the kitchen of the nutrition department on campus, giving members ideas on how to use their produce. The goal is for each member to deal directly with the farmer – rather than having to go through Peggy and Noah – so that the CSA can survive long after they graduate. Currently, members make checks out to Neil Taylor and give them to Peggy or Noah, who deliver them to Neil.

Currently, there are 26 members from the Life University community, with plenty of room for more. If you’re interested in joining, or simply want more information, email Noah Beaudry at nbeaudry@student.life.edu. Additionally, check out Neil Taylor’s farm online (as well as recipes for the produce that he grows) at both of the following websites: taylorganic.blogspot.com and http://www.localharvest.org/taylorganic-farm-dba-split-cedar-farm-7359.

Life Source Octagon – Kelly Milano, DC Student

A new model for subluxation

As most of us are aware, the Council on Chiropractic Education (CCE) recently held meetings and votes and revamped much of the underlying philosophy and definitions within chiropractic. With this, they removed the terms ‘subluxation’ and ‘drug and surgery free’ from the description of what chiropractic is. This allows the CCE to accredit any program it deems to be “equivalent” to the current DC program [1]. This move by the CCE accelerates the decline of the chiropractic profession, moving it away from the drugless paradigm we currently follow, and allows for the validation of a “Doctor of Chiropractic Medicine” degree.
Dr. Riekeman, Life University and many of the chiropractic colleges have challenged the CCE in this decision but as of now, the CCE has not backed down. For Dr. Riekeman, this is a chance to further discussions and bring together some of the great minds within Chiropractic to discuss this important matter.  On April 14-16, 2011, Life University will be hosting a forum entitled “Contemporary Scientific Paradigms: A New Model for Subluxation.” According to the Life Source Octagon webpage, this is an “attempt to explore these concepts, issues, and work to outline a new theoretical model that is more capable of explaining these and other phenomena related to growth, development, health and healing.“ Joining in this forum will be Joe Dispenza, DC, PhD, Bruce Lipton PhD, Rob Scott DC, PhD, David Koch DC, Fredrick Carrick DC, PhD and more.  Dr Gerald Clum, former president of Life Chiropractic College West, will be the host for this discussion.
Currently, our health care system is based on a mechanistic model. This model doesn’t fully explain many of the phenomena we observe in a chiropractic definition of health and healing. The mechanistic model may work in the medical community, but it does not give adequate place or understanding to the concept of subluxation and the approach to health and well-being seen in chiropractic.  The LifeSource Octagon weekend is unlike any other held at Life University and many students are expected to take this opportunity to be in attendance. There may never be another time when all these minds will be together in one room, discussing the very core of the existence of the chiropractic profession and the foundation of human health.  The event will include topics such as evidence that our bodies function through adaptation to their environment instead of following a static genetic predetermination. This series can lead you to a deeper understanding of your role as a chiropractor and teach how to help your patients understand these complex subjects.
Registration for this three day event is only $30 and it is open to all students, faculty and the general public. Visit www.life.edu/octagon for more information and registration.  Students will be able to attend a conference packed full of speakers they find interesting and receive excused absences. Students are required to talk to their professors the week before the seminar and they must attend all sessions for which they want to be excused from classes. Attendance will be taken at all sessions and reported to faculty for the proper documentation of excused absences.

EDITED: New names are continually being added to the list of speakers. Since the writing of this article, Dr. Stephen Bolles has also been added. Dr. Bolles will be the coordinator/director for the conference.

Life Student Email Gets Bombarded – Carley Edwards, DC Student

How to get rid of unwanted emails

Life University student email has become a high traffic area. With emails from the Georgia Council of Chiropractic, Band of Brothers, Dynamic Essentials, and other  names and organizations you may have never heard of before, it’s difficult to keep up with important, school-related emails.

How did these organizations get a hold of the email addresses? A post was made on the Life University Facebook page asking this very question.  The response from LIFE was that student, faculty, and staff emails are publicly available through the Life University directory.

How can students stop unwanted emails? Students can report unwanted emails as spam by clicking on the email and then clicking on the ‘Report spam’ icon. Students can also sort through each email individually and unsubscribe to emails they don’t wish to receive anymore. Gmail also has a filter feature that allows users to keep certain messages, but not have them appear in the inbox and not get sent to spam. Messages can be sorted by sender, keywords, recipients and more. This only applies to new messages. For directions on how to do this, visit http://bit.ly/etCxNH.

MMR – Carley Edwards, DC Student

The facts behind a highly controversial vaccine

MMR stands for Measles, Mumps, and Rubella, a vaccine that combines live viruses of the three diseases. The vaccine was manufactured in the 1980’s, a couple of decades after the individual vaccines were created. In the USA, the three vaccines are manufactured separately so they can be administered individually. However, most doctors do not recommend this option. In England, the British Medical Association banned the production of the individual vaccines and any medical doctor who tries to challenge this risks losing his/her medical license.

The reason for combining the vaccines has nothing to do with safety or efficiency. It is done simply for convenience. Aborted human fetal tissue is used in the culture for the rubella portion of the MMR vaccine. According Merck & Co., Inc, the MMR vaccine can cause diabetes mellitus, encephalitis, Guillain-Barré Syndrome, arthritis, otitis media, conjunctivitis, anaphylaxis, pneumonia, seizures, Steven-Johnsons Syndrome, pancreatitis, and death. The two full pages of reactions can be found online at www.merck.com.

How dangerous is measles? Measles is a highly contagious respiratory infection with symptoms that include a runny nose, fever, red eyes, coughing and a pink rash that develops on the skin. Treatment involves letting it run its course, although vitamin A supplementation has been shown to greatly decrease the chance of death from measles. A major concern with the measles is that it can result in encephalitis. The CDC claims that one out of every 1000 children who contract the measles gets encephalitis. Dr. Robert Mendelson (MD), pediatrician and vaccine researcher, says those numbers many be accurate in malnourished children, but for everyone else, those numbers are closer to one out of every 100,000. Ironically, one of the several dangerous side effects of the MMR vaccine is encephalitis!

Hasn’t the vaccine decreased the number of measles outbreaks? The measles vaccine wasn’t introduced until the mid 1960’s. However the death rate had dropped by almost 98% by 1955. The measles vaccine does not grant permanent immunity and a person can contract it again at any time. Other concerns include an increase in outbreaks among populations of unvaccinated children.  However, senior epidemiologist for the Center for Disease Control Dr. William Atkinson admitted, “Over 95% of  [measles] cases have a history of vaccination.” Even the World Health Organization (WHO) admitted that those who have been vaccinated are 15 times more likely to contract the disease than those left alone. In 1995, 56% of all measles cases in the U.S. occurred in people previously vaccinated.

Mumps is a viral disease whose symptoms include fever, headache, muscle aches and fatigue. Symptoms dissipate within a week and medical intervention is rarely required. Last year, news broke of a mumps outbreak in New York and New Jersey. 1,000 people contracted the mumps, and a spokeswoman told CNN that 77 percent of those who contracted the mumps had already been vaccinated against it.

Rubella is a contagious viral infection with symptoms including fever, rash, runny nose and swollen lymph nodes. The disease is allowed to run its course and is gone within a few days.

When a person contracts measles or mumps naturally, they are permanently immune. Very rarely will a person who has contracted rubella contract the virus again. When given the MMR vaccine, no person is fully immune and can contract the disease again at any time.

When 49 doses of 14 vaccinations are recommended before age six, parents are urged to investigate all the possible side effects and dangers. The list of ingredients in vaccines is extensive and the side effects even more so. The state of Georgia allows for medical and religious exemptions from vaccination. Parents are urged to do the research before making a risky decision. For more information, parents should read “Vaccine Safety Manual” and “Vaccines: Are They Really Safe and Effective,” both by Neil Miller.

Pierce Results Level One’s – Anthony DeMaria, DC Student

The opportunity of a lifetime is coming to Life University

There is an opportunity of a lifetime coming to Life University on April 15. The leaders of the Pierce Results System and the Life University Pierce Results Club will be hosting a Level One Pierce Seminar in Marietta. It will be headed by Dr. James Galgano, the lead instructor for the Pierce Results System in North America. With the addition of other strong leaders in of the Pierce System, including Dr. Anthony Pugliese, a former lead instructor of the system who studied directly under it’s creator, Dr. Vern Pierce, and Dr. John Madeira, the founder of Chiropractic Pure and Simple, who recently converted his practice to the Pierce system, this seminar promises to be different from any other Level One Seminar to date. Both will be joining Dr. Galgano in teaching the Pierce System for this one weekend.

The seminar will kick off with a free introduction on Friday, April 15, from 5:00-6:30p.m. in room CCE-149. The rest of the seminar will span Friday night through Saturday afternoon and cover a variety of topics, including specific analysis, drop table adjusting, instrumentation and business. Come for a chiropractic “pick me up” with some  keen philosophy and learn a new technology that addresses subluxation philosophically, scientifically and artistically.

This seminar is an opportunity to learn from some great doctors for a price that will never be available again once you’ve graduated. Come learn how to be an excellent chiropractor, one who knows without a doubt that you can both remove, and prove you’ve removed, the subluxation.

For more information, contact Anthony DeMaria or visit the Pierce Club on Tuesdays from 11:00-12:00p.m. or Wednesdays from 5-7 pm in CUS-109.

The Art Of Communication – Alexandra Gerdel, Chief Content Editor

Communication is one of those fundamental keys necessary for success in any aspect of life. Whether it’s a relationship with a significant other, a family member, a business partner, a patient or your best friend, communication is the glue that either makes or breaks the success of that relationship. Recently, I’ve been looking a lot at how I communicate, and I decided to share some of my thoughts in this issue of Vital Source.

My inquiry into how I communicate began after the release of the last issue of Vital Source. After the release of my War on Funnel Cakes article, I realized that despite my intention to not attack anyone for liking funnel cakes, the title of my article alone could have created a hostile emotion in anyone who loves funnel cakes. And although I did clarify I didn’t have any issue with someone liking funnel cakes—my issue was with the integrity of a school committed to health and wellness selling funnel cakes—I failed to make that point early enough in my article to encourage those who disagreed with me to keep reading. As a result, I was booed one day walking into class, and several of my friends commented they didn’t want to eat around me at lunch because they were worried I was judging them for what they were eating.

One of my friends raised a valid point – you can’t suddenly take away something like funnel cakes from an annual event without upsetting a lot of people. I certainly  agree that changing someone’s perspective on their health and inspiring them to take control of their overall wellness is a difficult and delicate task. While I stick to my argument that this institution should not be serving funnel cakes or allowing fast food and unhealthy vending machines on this campus as a matter of integrity, I do agree that the change needs to be made in a way that inspires those in our community to take control of their health.

These events made me really think about what my intentions are when I’m speaking with someone, writing, or sharing a point of view. For those of us in the chiropractic program, we tend to have a different way of thinking than the general public has, when it comes to getting adjusted, what to eat, how to exercise and the definition of health and wellness. In communicating our ideas, I’ve realized that it can be easy to come across in a negative way to someone, especially when my passion and excitement lead the charge and effectively prevent me from really listening to the person with whom I am communicating. Whether I mean to or not, I’ve realized that I can easily appear to others as judgmental and as making them wrong for not knowing what I know and/or not being on my level when it comes to the meaning of health and wellness.

I don’t think any of us wish to educate and motivate our friends, family and patients to take control of their health by means of brute force, making them feel guilty or scaring them into submission to change their ways. This approach, along with our passion and our drive to change the world, can certainly come across as overwhelming if we don’t communicate effectively. I’ve realized my intention is always to inspire those around me, but I haven’t always communicated in a way that produces that effect in others. I have become very aware of how to choose my language and what I say in order for inspiration to be the end result. My focus is no longer just to get a point across, it’s to truly relate to the person or audience with whom I’m speaking. The difference has been huge, and inspiring.

I invite you to look at your own life. How do you communicate with people? What are your goals when you talk with someone? What kind of impression do you want to leave? When you’ve decided what your goals are for the person with whom you’re speaking, join me in starting to communicate with them in mind instead of yourself and your own agenda. Send feedback to Vital Source at submissions.vs@gmail.com and let us know how things change for you!

The Little Violin – Katherine McCarty, DC Student

and its melody at life university

Let me start by saying that, in the hands of a virtuoso, the violin is a beautiful instrument. So beautiful, in fact, that since December I have begun taking violin lessons. But, alas, the sound coming out of my violin isn’t as pretty as the sound coming out of an experienced violinist’s. In fact, sometimes it sounds as though a small animal is dying…quite painfully, I might add. My bow seems to have a mind of its own – it will slide, hit strings I don’t intend it to, and cannot quite seem to follow the beat of the metronome. Again I will say that the violin truly is a beautiful instrument! Nonetheless, while I am learning to play it, I practice in the confines of my own apartment, respecting those whose ears aren’t tolerant to my struggles. And with respect to my neighbors, I always stop before bedtime.

We do, however, seem to have many another budding “violinist” attending Life University–a very many.  While I am glad to hear so many people are interested in the instrument of their own evolution as a person, let us now talk about the beautiful, yet annoyingly loud “violins” playing on campus. Every student complains. It seems to be in our nature. But there needs to be a line drawn, because we are not just students. We are going to be Doctors. The common themes I hear on campus are about how unfair a test was, how the teacher didn’t cover this or that, or how the teacher is at fault for someone’s poor performance because they don’t know how to teach. I hope, as future doctors, we don’t just see the diploma and the career, and disregard the education. Upon entering this school, I would hope we all realized how difficult the material would be, and not rely on teachers and fellow students to hold our hands as we go through school. It’s going to be hard. You’re going to struggle. But so will us all. I would just like to add that your little violin has its own, unique, beautiful sound, but it is screeching like a dying cat in my right ear, and it is deafening! Why would anyone blame their grade on their teacher? It’s nonsensical!

As each quarter begins, you only hear about the technique of the teacher for certain classes. It’s now about the teacher, not the course material. Granted, that sort of information can be helpful and reassuring, but it won’t help you pass the class. What will then? I don’t know, maybe acting like future doctors and taking the load responsibly and adamantly? Each and every student is special, but not when it comes to the education we are all in. There you are not alone, so don’t think the teacher attacked you personally—we are all being hit with the same right hook, so please don’t parade your bruised eye. I have one, too.

Tonight, I will go home and in the privacy of my own home, I will play my violin. I suggest that we all follow suit, and save our campus from your ignorant and inconstant attempts at producing a melody.

Vaccine-Autism Study Retracted – Carley Edwards, DC Student

Wakefield’s defense against accusations of fraud

In January of this year, news resurfaced of Dr. Andrew Wakefield retraction of his study examining a possible link between vaccines and autism. The study was retracted in early 2010.  Wakefield had about three-dozen charges brought against him.  He lost his job at London’s Royal Free Hospital, and his license to practice medicine in the UK was revoked. Wakefield’s study was published in 1998 in the Lancet, (a specialty medical journal for oncology, neurology and infectious diseases,) and described the findings of 12 children who experienced autistic regression and GI symptoms following inoculation with the MMR vaccine.

Brian Deer, author for the London Sunday Times and the British Medical Journal (BMJ) called Wakefield’s study linking autism to vaccines an “elaborate fraud.” According to Deer, clinical histories of the 12 children were falsified, and information in the study was fabricated. It is believed the results of Wakefield’s study led to a drop in vaccination rates from 92% to 80% in the UK. According to Vaccination News, “There were strikingly far fewer reported measles cases in the UK in the ten years that followed Wakefield’s paper than in the ten years that preceded its publication.”

Another argument against the study was that it has not been replicated.  However, according to Wakefield, the study has been replicated in five different countries. A year before Wakefield’s paper in the Lancet, Professor Walker Smith and Dr. Amar Dhillon had previously documented the exact same issues with children from their study, in fact, proving the Wakefield study had been replicated. In a statement made by Wakefield, he has documents proving, “beyond a shadow of a doubt that I did not falsify the data, that the findings are real, and that these findings were accurately reported in the Lancet.”

There was also no claim in Wakefield’s article that vaccines cause autism and states the link may have occurred by chance. The study says, “We did not prove an association between measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine and the syndrome described,” once again proving false the allegations brought against him.

Wakefield’s opinion on whether vaccines actually do cause autism remains the same and is backed by claims made from parents about their children’s regression after the MMR vaccine. For example, two children involved in the study were brothers and the eldest experienced fever, rash, aggressive behavior, and convulsions within two weeks of receiving the MMR vaccine and later experienced developmental regression. The boy had been previously potty trained but became incontinent. The mother informed doctors that she did not want to give her youngest son the MMR shot until he was closer to two years old. After being told she was an irresponsible mother for putting her son at risk by not vaccinating, she was persuaded by guilt to give him the shot. A month later, he experienced some of the same symptoms as his brother.

There is concern about 11 of the 13 authors of the study and how they issued a retraction. Wakefield commented on this in his book Callous Disregard, saying, “11 of 13 authors issued a retraction of the interpretation that MMR is a possible trigger for the syndrome described. This remains a possibility and a possibility cannot be retracted.” In his book, he continues to defend himself against other rumors, saying there was no conflict of interest on his part and the children involved were not litigants, as some have alleged.

The question of fraud really lies with Brian Deer, who lied about his own identity to gain entry into the home of the parents of one of the autistic children from the study, and with the vaccine makers who have been quietly settling autism and other neurological disorder cases related to vaccination since 1991. Let’s not forget that Merck, the makers of the MMR vaccine, also created Vioxx, a drug that has been linked to heart attacks and stroke in as many as 50,000 people[JH1] . In 2009, an email from Merck was leaked during a lawsuit involving Vioxx. Referring to doctors who were questioning the drug’s safety, Merck said, “We may need to seek them out and destroy them where they live.”

Wakefield may have been targeted for several reasons, including fear from pharmaceutical industries. A recent poll from Ohio found that 61% of parents believe that vaccines cause autism. Vaccination rates in higher income families dropped by four percentage points between 2008 and 2009. New statistics show that 1 in 110 children has autism, and the rate in boys is even higher at 1 in 70. Parents are looking for answers and standing by Wakefield’s claims.

Wakefield is defending his study and his need to protect children from the corrupt medical community. “In a less compromised world, these presentations, (and those in many more thousand children worldwide,) and the pattern that emerged from the commonalities in their symptoms and clinical findings should have initiated a cascade of urgent clinical research that would have led through an iterative process to discovery-discovery of cause, treatment, and prevention, Sadly, this has not been the case.”

Visit www.vaccinesafetyfirst.com for pages of studies that support Dr. Wakefield and a copy of his response to the BMJ demanding a retraction of their false allegations. Read Wakefield’s book, Callous Disregard that details the events of his study and his battle against the medical system.

Making Scents Of It – Kelly Milano, DC Student

Becoming a scent-free campus?

Recently a discussion came up on Life’s Facebook page, asking students, faculty and other ‘friends’ of LIFE if the University should adopt a ‘scent-free’ policy. What this would mean is that all scented oils, lotions, perfumes and colognes would be banned from campus.  From time to time this topic raises its head and demands attention, creating a fine balancing act between individual student rights and the rights of the community as a whole.  Many students feel it is their right to wear whatever fragrances they want, while others feel it is their right to not have to breathe the scented air. This same argument could go the other way, as well, with others that would rather a student smell of overwhelming perfume and flowers than smell like BO because of going the more ‘natural’ route.  People have their own ideas of what smells are good. For me, it’s chocolate, lilies and the ocean, but I don’t think anyone really wants to go around smelling like Hershey Kisses or sea salt all day long! And we each have our idea of what we don’t like. For me, I dislike patchouli, but I’ll never say you can’t wear it. It might be your chocolate!

While only a handful of people actually responded to the poll, the overall take was that people don’t want a scent free campus. 68% of those who responded answered with a “No,” while several said it was going too far. One response stated, “This is an absolute must. The minute you open your office and start treating headaches, you will see that scents are entirely incongruent with patient care. Many of these odors linger in the air, get on the adjusting table OR ON THE DOCTOR. This is a quality of care issue, people, to say nothing of the individual’s right not to have to smell you!” Another responded with, “Maybe the conversation should revolve around why the patient is so sensitive to smells and work on fixing that issue – that’s not normal.”

Other responses included, “I do believe it would be considerate to keep it to a minimum. On the other hand, it infringes on others’ right to their hygienic practices,” and, “I think all the environmental changes at school are great, but this would be going too far. I will keep wearing my perfume every day.”

While LIFE is not currently looking into creating a “scent-free policy” on this campus, there are several things each of us can do to be more considerate to others:

First, remember what we learned during anatomy and CNS classes; the olfactory nerves are highly adaptable and quickly become immune to smells.  When we use a specific perfume or cologne every day, our own senses become immune to it, requiring us to put on more just to have the same effect on our own senses that we are accostomed to.  Remember, not everyone thinks your perfume or body wash is as amazing as you think it is! Try to be courteous when applying your favorite fragrance.

Second, maintaining the overall quality of inside air and having good quality air purification systems are also beneficial. The overall air quality in buildings like ours is a constant issue that needs to be addressed.

Lastly, if someone is wearing a scent that is giving you a headache, making you sick or just irritating you, you can always move to another area in the room. It’s their right to wear their perfume and it’s your right to move to a different seat.

Life University states, “At this time LIFE is NOT adopting a scent-free campus, but we are always exploring ways to optimize the campus for the LIFE community!”  Continue this discussion on Facebook at Life University and also on our Facebook page at Vital Source. We’d love to hear from you!

Sharing Our Thoughts And Opinions – Sarah Moreau, UG Student

How far is too far?

Here at Life University, we pride ourselves on being the premier health and wellness university.  However, different students, faculty, and staff have different visions of what that means. To some, it means we are pursuing careers in health and wellness industries. To others, it means we need to all be on a certain diet and workout schedule, and only wear organic cotton clothing made from recycled or repurposed fibers. With so many vastly differing opinions, how do we manage?

With such strong feelings about all these issues floating around campus, discussions are almost guaranteed to happen, and from my viewpoint, the discussion seldom goes as well as it could. While we tolerate differences in any other form, a differing concept of what a Life University education  is or should be about is something about which many students I have observed seem to be very intolerant  Perhaps a student comes to LIFE to study in the undergraduate or master’s program.  Immediately, everyone tells this student they should go D.C. When met with hesitation or resistance, most back off, but some actually push harder. By doing so, these individuals think they’re helping someone find their career, but they might actually be pushing that person away. Ultimately, we are not all going to become chiropractors. If everyone on Earth were a chiropractor, no one would have enough patients to sustain a practice. The world needs other professions, as well. Instead of trying to coerce every student here into “The Program,” we should treat each other well, so that the idea of chiropractic doesn’t leave a bad taste in anyone’s mouth.

When discussing techniques, many students claim their preferred technique is the only good technique, and everyone else is crazy. Everyone ELSE is crazy? If there was only one technique to use, that is the only technique LIFE would teach. LIFE teaches a plethora of techniques because different D.C.’s prefer different techniques, different techniques work better for different patients, and none of them are wrong. So why do people get so arrogant that they believe only their favorite technique works? Maybe we should all step back and acknowledge there is at least some merit in all techniques taught at LIFE.

Some things on campus should be off-limits. Approaching someone and giving them a 30-minute lecture on why they are wrong about everything is NEVER a way to change someone’s mind. Approaching someone with an auto-immune disorder to tell them that one specific adjustment WILL cure them is rather insensitive. Considering the fact that this is happening on the campus of the largest chiropractic college in the world, makes this scenario just plain silly. Whether or not these students are D.C. students, they are surrounded by chiropractic every day. Chances are, you are not the first person to bring this theory to them, and it gets less welcome every time. As a person walking down the hallway, it’s really not your place to give them unsolicited advice about their health, especially when you consider the fact that they most likely already have an intern or D.C. of their own.

I am not saying all D.C. students are like this. Just like with any similar situation, the minority of people have the loudest voices, so that’s all people hear. With all of us shouting our opinions, none of us hear anything. Unfortunately, that sours many people on the Life University experience, and leaves us downtrodden, rather than uplifted. Our Lasting Purpose is To Give, To Do, To Love, and To Serve out of a sense of abundance. Perhaps we can keep this in mind when discussing our differences.  Maybe then, these discussions will be fruitful and lively, rather than the toxic lectures they so often become.

L’Thai – Carley Edwards, DC Student

The Only Organic Thai Food in Atlanta

Eating healthy in the Atlanta area isn’t hard to do, but when you’re a full-time student and parent, working two jobs, it’s hard to find the time to get out of Marietta. That’s why I was so excited to hear about an organic Thai restaurant close to school. After all, the daily lunch trip to Harry’s can get monotonous.

L’Thai prides itself on being the first organic Thai restaurant outside of Thailand.L’Thai’s mission is to be “Committed to health, vitality, and wellness of body, mind, and spirit for all people and of the planet.” This claim alone should be enough to entice any health nut wanting to experience something new. And beyond that, the Ministry of Commerce of the Royal Thai Government awarded L’Thai with the Thai Select Award for being one of the best Thai restaurants in the world.

When visiting places with a menu longer than a Harry Potter novel, you can expect the food to be about as healthy and delicious as a Whopper, but not at L’Thai. The menu is extensive, but includes dishes made with grass-fed beef and organic brown rice. In fact, 95% of the produce used is certified USDA Organic. L’Thai takes pride in the fact that no MSG is used in their dishes and the chicken is antibiotic free. There is even organic pork on the menu.

I consume a diet of mostly organic food, but I do enjoy an adult beverage on occasion, and if I can find affordable organic wine, even better. There are several organic beers and organic, sulfite-free wine on the menu and even organic vodka. Of course, the usual domestic beers, like Budweiser and Coors, are offered, but if that’s what you’re looking for, I suggest you take a trip up the road to Applebees.

The dessert menu has unique options, like fried organic bananas in rice paper with homemade ice cream, and tropical jackfruit served with organic sweet black rice and coconut cream. I opted for the mango and coconut ice cream. The coconut was to die for.

You’d think after a plate of beef, rice, and ice cream, you’d spend the rest of the evening on the couch unable to move, but this was not the case. The food was satisfying, without the side effects of typical Asian cuisine loaded with chemicals.

L’Thai is also open for lunch, and with spring arriving soon, their outdoor seating makes this the ideal meeting spot. There is an east location in Tucker, Georgia, and a west location in the West Village in Smyrna. The scene at L’Thai is upscale and modern, but the dress is business casual, so it’s the perfect place for a night out with friends or an intimate date. And if you’re looking to spend the night in, but want something appetizing, L’Thai even offers take-out.

For more information visit www.lethai.org.

Healthy Fried Chicken – James Beuerlein, DC Student

The Recipe Book

Healthy fried chicken? Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Well, it doesn’t have to be. The things that make most fried chicken absolutely atrocious for your health include: the chicken itself, when it is factory farmed, full of antibiotics, hormones, and disease; the oil it’s fried in, which is usually hydrogenated canola oil, soybean oil, or something else heated way beyond its threshold; and the breading, made from  highly processed white flour that turns to sugar instantly inside your body. The good news is, you can do something about all three!

Here’s a recipe for HEALTHY FRIED CHICKEN, where the focus is on QUALITY:

• 2 ct. organic, free-range boneless chicken breasts cut into nuggets, strips, or whole
• ½ cup coconut flour
• 2-4 tbsp coconut oil
• Spices:
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp basil
• ½ tsp paprika
• Or make your own mix!
• Salt, ground pepper, cinnamon, lime juice (to taste)

Preparation: Melt the coconut oil in pan on medium heat (4-5 out of 10). Mix the dry coconut flour and spices (not the lime juice) in a bowl until uniformly mixed. Thaw, rinse, and cut the chicken breasts into desired form. Roll the chicken in spices until generously covered. Fry the chicken in a frying pan, flipping every few minutes, until cooked through and through. Note: You may need to add a bit more oil at some point while cooking, especially if not all of the chicken fits in the first batch. Just before removing from the pan, sprinkle lime juice over the chicken and stir. Serve with lots of veggies like steamed broccoli or asparagus.

If you want to spice it up, slice a fresh jalapeno pepper and throw it in the pan with the chicken pieces, letting it cook with them. Also, try experimenting with your own mix of spices. Just throw in whatever you like – it’s hard to go wrong here.

Here’s our “nutrition facts” for the meal. Free-range, organic chicken will be free of antibiotics, hormones, and other harmful additives. It’s a great source of healthy protein. The coconut oil is a healthy saturated fat that won’t go rancid when cooked at medium temperatures. The coconut flour is a great, gluten-free breading. The spices contain all sorts of antioxidants, anti-inflammatories, and trace minerals, depending on what you use.

This is a great, simple meal to keep stocked at home, especially when you’re prone to craving Chik-fil-A!

Greens Powder – James Beuerlein, DC Student

The Supplement Scoop

Anyone who has eaten lunch with me, or even anywhere near me, on campus has probably noticed that part of my daily routine is to drink a mysterious, dark green liquid affectionately referred to by some as “swamp water.” In reality, what I’m drinking is a “greens powder.” It’s a green food supplement designed to augment my diet with boost of nutrients that may otherwise be lacking. Now, I eat pretty healthily, as you may gather, but let’s put this in perspective:

To quote from one manufacturer’s website, “Nearly every major health organization recommends eating five to nine servings of fruits and vegetables per day to maintain health. Yet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, less than nine percent of American adults consume the recommended number of servings.” To our further disadvantage, much of the produce we do consume has drastically reduced nutrient content, due to the depleted soils we farm and the chemicals we add to give produce a longer shelf-life. By the time we eat it, we get much less benefit than we would have 50 or 100 years ago.

A greens powder gives you those missing nutrients in the form of whole foods -vegetables, fruits, and proteins, which have been dehydrated, cold-pressed, or freeze-dried. They are made into a powder and also contain added enzymes, probiotics, vitamins, and minerals. This powder is to be mixed with water and taken once a day. It’s also great to add to a smoothie for a meal or as a post-workout recovery drink, especially if you’re not fond of the taste.

In fact, here’s my recovery drink recipe: Two whole raw eggs, a serving of greens powder, 5-6 oz of coconut milk, 8 oz water, cinnamon to taste, and just a tiny sprinkle of cayenne pepper (sounds like an anti-hangover drink, right?) If I’m feeling feisty, I might throw in some almond butter, as well. Bam! You’re now turbo-charged with protein, healthy fats, antioxidants, and TONS of nutrients. Everything your body needs to refuel and rebuild.

There are several great brands of greens powders out there, including Garden of Life, New Chapter, and Barlean’s. Some key things to look for: You want it to be based on WHOLE FOODS, raw or minimally processed. Also, you want it to be free of any chemical additives, fillers, and/or sweeteners. Lastly, since there are typically so many different foods in the ingredients, if you have allergies, please read the label carefully to make sure that it contains nothing that will cause a reaction. Taste will vary from brand to brand, and many companies make a “Berry Greens” version of the powder with added fruit for taste and additional antioxidants. A few “lite green” drinks you may have seen before include “Green Machine” by Naked, and “Green Superfood” by Odwalla. These two are very tasty, although they do contain a higher sugar content than the powders mentioned above. Usually, added supplements will vary from brand to brand, and each  person can select brands based on his/her own known deficiencies. However, I recommend a greens powder for EVERYONE. The state of food in America simply doesn’t supply us with everything we need. Try one out today!

Lunch Time! – Kim Snider, DC Student

A New twist on salad

Living Lettuce Salad topped with sliced tomato, orange peppers, carrots, parmesan and portabella mushroom sautéed with garlic, pepper and Tamari soy sauce.
I was never a vegetable fan until I did a 21 day cleanse through Standard Process which opened my eyes to numerous possibilities and combinations of veggies, including the awesomeness of portabella mushrooms! Not only are they a rich source of potassium but they can be baked as the main dish, star on sandwiches or claim their fame as a yummy addition to a salad such as this one!

The lettuce used for this salad is called Living Lettuce. You can find it at Harry’s, Earth Fare or even Costco in “bulk” (2 instead of 1). If you haven’t tried Living Lettuce, get your grocery list and add it in red ink ASAP! This lettuce is remarkably fresh and the closest to the farm as you will get in your supermarket. Living Lettuce is hydroponically grown and packaged with roots still intact allowing the strength of the earth to provide continued support and nutrients for up to 18 days!

1 Portabella Mushroom

1 Tomato

½ Orange Pepper

1 Carrot

Living Lettuce

Chopped Garlic, cracked Pepper, ½ cup Vegetable broth and Tamari Soy Sauce (Seasoned to taste)

Freshly grated parmesan cheese

Let’s start with the Portabella mushroom. Cut mushroom into medium size slices. Place mushroom in shallow pan with thin layer of rolling chicken broth (medium heat). Add your other seasonings directly onto the mushroom. Cover and let simmer for 5-10 minutes.

While mushroom is brewing into deliciousness wash and slice veggies your favorite way for a salad then prepare the bed of salad for your mushroom to lie in. Once portabella is in place, sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan cheese and enjoy!

Check out my Food Foto Diary on Facebook to share your creations!

Squatter’s Rites – James Beuerlein, Senior Staff Writer

Or what i learned about myself in the bathroom

What I’m about to share may seem shocking or down-right abominable to readers in the United States, but is perfectly normal for 2/3 of the global population and EVERY human that has lived before 1850. Simply stated, we’ve been going to the bathroom the wrong way. I’m afraid I won’t be able to avoid certain indulgences in this article: The way your parents potty-trained you is a bunch of crap (pardon the pun). Humans are anatomically designed to defecate in the deep, squatting position – NOT in the chair position. In fact, there are some pretty serious consequences for ignoring this more natural position.

I have been thinking this over for a couple of years now, but I only recently decided to take action. I built my very own squatting platform to go over my toilet. The decision to build my own came after the rather frustrating discovery that no company in America sells a squat toilet or ‘squatty-potty.’ I did, however, manage to find one company (www.naturesplatform.com) that sells squatting platforms for existing toilets, and to that company I owe a great deal of my information on this subject.

Now for some anatomy.  Why is squatting better? Glad you asked. As it turns out, there are several reasons:

First, the puborectalis muscle, which enables us to maintain continence, is relaxed when we are in the squatting position, allowing the rectum to straighten, but it chokes the rectum when in a seated position, which is, after all, its job.  This causes us to strain and exert excessive pressure when defecating, which can cause many problems. Besides preventing undo strain, defecating with a relaxed puborectalis makes bowel movements faster, more efficient and more complete. This helps to prevent fecal stagnation, which is a prime factor in colon cancer, appendicitis and inflammatory bowel disease.

Secondly, the squatting position allows for the complete closing of the ileocecal valve, between the colon and small intestine. When seated, this valve does not seal and can leak fecal matter, contaminating the small intestines.

The final major benefit of squatting is that it tends to provide relief from straining when defecating. Apart from the unpleasantness, straining during bowel movements is one of the primary causes of hemorrhoids, hernias, diverticulosis, pelvic organ prolapse, and bathroom heart attacks. (Yes, there is such a thing.) The strain accompanying sitting on the toilet can be deadly for those with already weakened cardio-vascular systems, causing them to be even more susceptible to acute coronary events. This is why patients admitted to hospitals for heart disease are given stool-softeners.

In addition to the disorders mentioned above, proponents of squatting (squatters?)  claim the posture can be effective in the prevention and/or treatment of many other disorders, and have studies to back them up. Check www.naturesplatform.com and http://www.toilet-related-ailments.com/index.html.

After building a squatting platform and using it for a month, I’ve found it thus far to be quite enjoyable, and (whether by placebo-effect or not) I feel it does make a difference. It was stated earlier, that two thirds of humanity is already using “squatting” as their main mode of defecation. To quote Jonathan Isbit, founder of Nature’s Platform, “In those cultures, appendicitis, diverticulosis, hemorrhoids, colitis, prostate disorders, and colon cancer are virtually unknown.”

My challenge to you: First, research it for yourself, then get off your butt and squat!

The LIFE Survival Guide – Sarah Moreau, UG Student

What every new student should know

A few weeks after I started my education at Life University, people began turning to me with questions. As someone who had only been here for a few weeks, I didn’t have a lot of the answers, but I was always happy to look them up. Since my first day at LIFE in January of 2010, I have picked up all manner of little tips, tricks, and fun things to do. Here are some of my favorites.

Need a little extra spending money? Make sure your FAFSA says that you are interested in work study, and get a job! Work study jobs on-campus are varied in job description and you are bound to find one that you love. Can’t find one? By getting to know different staff members on campus, you are more likely to find out about job openings when they are available. The benefits of work study jobs include more than just the pay. Unlike off-campus jobs, work study jobs have little to no federal tax withheld. By qualifying for and having a work study job, you automatically qualify for food stamps if you choose to apply. Also, Verizon Wireless offers a 22% discount for full-time and part-time LIFE employees. Other mobile service providers may offer discounts, so if you are curious, just ask!

Want to pay less tuition? If you are an undergraduate student or a Pre-DC student with more than two quarters of coursework, check out the Life Univer- sity Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to two students per quarter, is offered every quarter, and sources in the Financial Aid office say that very few students submit a completed application by the deadline. This scholarship requires that students submit a 300-word essay, 3 letters of rec- ommendation, at least 2 from teachers, have a GPA of 3.3, and complete and submit the Life University Scholarship Application. This is really not a lot of work required for 50%-off tuition for 4 quarters! Go to www. life.edu/financial_aid for more nifty scholarships!

Looking for ways to get to know people around campus? Try volunteering! Every quarter, Jen Valtos and Dr. Schneider host orientation for all of our new students. What better way to get to know people and get free food! There are also opportunities to volunteer for LIFE Leadership Weekend, headed up by Melissa Fredericks on the second weekend of the quarter, and countless opportunities to bond with your fellow classmates in clubs and organizations all over campus.

Know someone who is interested in chiropractic? Have them sign up for LIFE Leadership Weekend! The weekend levels the playing field so that people can learn what chiropractic is, if chiropractic is right for them, and if LIFE is the right chiropractic college for them. Because some people come from a long line of DC’s, and some people have never been adjusted and are just curious, this weekend lets our participants truly explore themselves to discover if the chiropractic path is right for them! For more information, contact Melissa Fredericks.

Looking for new running shoes? Try finding them online! I recently found a nice pair of Ryka running shoes on sale online for $29.99, and the same pair was selling at the Cumberland Mall for $68.95. So, I tried them on in the mall, decided what size was appropriate, and ordered them online! Because the shipping was free, I saved a nice chunk of change! Looking for orthotics? Go to the C-HOP or the CC-HOP to get fitted for your FREE Foot Levelers. The process is quick and painless, and the magic word is Free!

Need a place to live? Check out our on-campus housing and check out ProMove. Pro-Move is a company that helps you find a place to live within the parameters you set. You can email or call with the rent range you are comfortable paying, move-in date, number of bedrooms desired, and any special requests, such as avoiding Franklin Road, and Pro-Move will send you a list of apartments that fit those specifications. The only thing Pro-Move asks in return is that you write “referred by Pro-Move” on the rental application.

If you have questions that need answered, feel free to ask! The unique and great thing about this campus is that almost everyone I know is willing to help if they know that you need it!

You Won’t Hear Us Shout “Fore!” – Jason Feltz, DC Student

the life golf club is warming up their swings early

Usually the LIFE Golf Club is shut down for the winter quarter, but with the early arrival of spring, members are getting out early to play some rounds. The club currently has 18 active members and is looking to expand every quarter. Why golf? Golf is the most commonly played sport in the United States and it is a great outlet for marketing and promoting chiropractic.

The golf club is open to membership for students of all talent levels from beginner to professional. There are opportunities to compete and the club will be working with LIFE Athletics and the marketing department for opportunities to represent Life University in quarterly golf tournaments. As a member, there is not a requirement to compete, however, players of different talents will be offered opportunities to do so. The club puts on free golf instruction and clinics during the weekly meetings held at Marietta Golf Center. With recording equipment and decades of experience provided, members have a chance to pick up a game that will stick with them for life. The club has several relationships with area golf courses that give them discounted play. Members of the club have access to care at LUSSI (Life University Sports Science Institute) unlike regular students. As a member, one can qualify to be part of the team that represents Life University at the Chiro-Games!

Be sure to check out the golf club and pick up the sport that will give opportunities to network and market. The club is committed to promoting both the sport and chiropractic in developing character through the values they entail. In representing Life University, the club helps bring awareness to the campus, its clinic offerings and the paradigm shift it represents.