If you have children in sports, you are likely aware of the risk of concussion.  This injury seems to be increasing every year.  With our training as chiropractic neurologists, we have had the privilege of working with many local families to help their children recover from a head injury.
With specialized diagnostic testing we work with the patient to determine the part of the brain that sustained the injury.  Then, we use patient-specific treatment patterns to leverage the brain's inherent ability to repair itself by providing targeted inputs (neurological exercises) to the specific sense that will stimulate new neural connections in the identified areas of the brain.
Along with this approach comes modification to lifestyle as needed so the brain can repair.  One of the most important modifications is appropriate accommodations in school.  Click Here to read an article from the Star Tribune addressing the return to school issue.  It's a great article, however, neglects to mention chiropractic neurology as a viable option for safe recovery from a concussive injury.

Food for thought from Dr. Ala as the Holidays approach

Metabolism and weight loss: How you burn calories-MayoClinic.com

"You've probably heard people blame their weight on a slow metabolism, but what does that mean? Is metabolism really the culprit? And if so, is it possible to rev up your metabolism to burn more calories?

While it's true that metabolism is linked to weight, it may not be in the way you expect. In fact, contrary to common belief, a slow metabolism is rarely the cause of excess weight gain. Although your metabolism influences your body's basic energy needs, it's your food and beverage intake and your physical activity that ultimately determine how much you weigh."

Pay attention to every calorie you look at and more importantly consume. They add up, fast. You must measure every bite calorically.  Think about it this way; if you go to the mall to buy yourself something special, do you just blindly walk up to the check out, close your eyes and hand the cashier a pile of money, without measuring???  I think not. The same rule applies for food. 

The holidays are fast approaching and each year without thinking most Americans blindly stuff themselves with empty calories and empty their pockets of cash, with senseless buying.  Let's enjoy the Holidays of 2013 in the black!

Less food, more thought!

DR. Ala

At Smith Family Chiropractic, it is our mission to serve human kind. Today Allison and I took some time away from the office and worked with the great people in the FF Salvation Army soup kitchen. What an honor to serve with them! Did you know they feed 50-60 people each day? Did you know they need extra volunteers right now? Call the Salvation Army to help!

Stressed out? Consider what happens to the body during prolonged periods of stress.

Our sympathetic nervous system is the system responsible for shunting blood to our limbs to allow us to quickly, swiftly move to safety and away from danger. It is our flight and fight system- "the true Stress response".  When we live a stress filled life and are already made to be Type A and perpetually stressed, that physiologic (actually happening in each cell of our body) response remains active, whether there is danger or no danger.  The problem is, is that our brains cannot differentiate what is a TRUE danger vs. a perceived danger.  It responds to both, the SAME way causing the cells in the body to prepare for "fight and or flight".  This is an energy dependent mechanism which requires a tremendous amount of fuel to perseverate the response. If your "fuel tank" is low or on empty, the body will leach fuel (glucose) from your muscles and continue perseverating the flight and fight mechanism.  Breaking down muscle to give the body fuel is not a mechanism one wants to perseverate.  If this process goes on long-term, the body will increase its production of cortisol (hormone) that further breaks down muscle to keep the Stress Response ON. 

Most of us have perfected this stress response, including me!  But, we have to also perfect how to turn it OFF.  Muscle loss is detrimental in so many ways, not to mention the destruction prolonged elevated blood pressure causes and high levels of cortisol.

As you prepare for a new season, prepare with stress reduction or management in mind.  Plan a bit more to keep yourself on track.  BREATHE, take time each hour to focus on slow steady breaths...in through the nose, our through the mouth.  Finally, keep it in perspective...don't sweat the small stuff and remember what is most important in life - and enjoy it!

This past weekend we completed session four of our Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) training.  What an intense weekend!  We endured 30 hours of live streaming lectures from Friday through Sunday.  The detailed lectures on difficult material wiped Dr. Kelly and I out.  We felt like we suffered a concussion by the time we were done on Sunday.
What did I learn?  One of the most important things in life..."there is NO URGENCY in attempting to MASTER anything.  For that which has purpose and is driven by one's heart to deeply love and master, will take A LIFETIME."  This is encouraging as we work extremely hard to understand all the profound abilities of the brain and train under the master himself, Dr. Carrick.
What an honor I will have next week to be in Atlanta and int he presence of a master mind that will attempt to help a few wonderful people from our community, who are suffering from injuries and illnesses that have drastically affected their lives.  I pray for their health to be restore and their lives brightened.

I just finished washing and storing and using that of which I was making for supper tonight from my BlueBird Gardens CSA share.  What a wonderful bounty in such a tough growing season.


Unfortunately, Americans have lost sight of what "real fresh, real wonderful, real satisfying food is." Why?  
My thoughts are: complete laziness. It does not take a rocket scientist to wash and store that which the TRUE rocket scientists GROW FOR US! After all, that is super hard work.  To pick a bag of peas, is WORK. To grow it, WORK!

Americans are unhealthy by choice, not because of circumstances beyond their control.
My challenge to you and yours is to prioritize and refocus on the bounty at your finger tips.  Then simply take 15 minutes each day to wash and eat some veggies.
As I write this, I am listening to BUBBLE GUPPIES, but above that noise, I hear a little girl chomping on fresh lettuce and saying mmmmm mmm mmm Mama!

Wake up America!  Eat small amounts and choose foods that fuel you to help you serve others.  Satisfaction comes from service, not from Self Service!

Dr. Ala

Every day we work with several patients who are working toward a healthy lifestyle through our FirstLine Therapy Program (FLT).  This program allows us to help each specific patient overcome health obstacles and enjoy optimum health.  But, getting there and staying there is not always easy.  It is our goal to coach and encourage patients as they work on gaining healthy lifestyle habits.  
If you have worked with us on making healthy lifestyle changes or are considering making some changes, consider the changes this way.
First, it is not a race. Treat it like trying to learn to play a new instrument. At times fun, at times frustrating. Mastering an instrument, like mastering your health takes practice. In fact, lifelong practice and then some become good at it, in fact, real good and others improve and stay average. 

It takes consistent behavioral changes daily.  Think before proceeding with any food choice. Think less of eating and more on other important daily health goals. After all, it's just food!

Here is a recipe, directly from the kitchen of Dr. Ala:

Here is an awesome, easy dish that you must try. 

Using chicken breasts, thighs or even a whole chicken. 

Use a dutch oven or casserole dish. I use a clay pot with a covered lid.

Season chicken well with sea salt and pepper. 

Olive oil the chicken down well. I use basil olive oil and sometimes garlic olive oil. Plain is good too. 

Then add 1 whole head of garlic peeled and put in the pot OR stuffed into the whole chicken. 

Add 1 -2 oranges cut in half; remove seeds and squeeze the juice into the pot of chicken. Leave the whole orange in the pot to cook. 

Finally, put in a bay leaf if desired. 

Cook in the covered casserole at 350 until chicken is done. Varies depending on the amount of chicken used and if cooking a whole chicken. 

Easy great recipe. Enjoy.

Summer is finally here!  Before you indulge in the BBQing, ice creaming, beer quenching habits that are vogue in summer, step on the scale and decide to be less "vogue" and more "vague" in your indulgence. 

Rather, go for a walk, a run, a jump, a swim, a bike ride…..and burn some of those stored winter calories that are hanging around your hips or gut. Set a new max limit for your weight and work hard at staying below that ceiling limit!  

Happy summer and Happy Memorial Day, especially to those that have sacrificed for our freedom. Thank you to all of our soldiers and their families.

Wow, our heads are still spinning from all we learned, or attempted to learn, at our conference last weekend.   The series of conferences we have been attending are on mild TBI (traumatic brain injury) or concussions.
Dr. Carrick lectured for 12 hours straight on the neurological pathways of one area of the brain stem.  Then after lecture, which he assumed we understood all he said, we observed as he treated a patient.  The patient was a 9-year-old boy who had a concussion.  After the injury he was unable to walk and was forced to wear extremely dark glasses and double ear muffs as the input of sight and sound in his environment was too much for his brain to handle.  This input caused his brain to send signals to his muscles to contract, leaving him unable to walk or stand.
Dr. Carrick assessed him on Friday and by the time we watched him treat the patient he was already 50% better.  Dr. Carrick plans to have him even much more improved this week as he works with him.  Needless to say his parents were amazed and overwhelmed with joy as they watched their child improve.
We were able to observe as he treated this patient, and he would often ask, if we understood what he was doing.  Dr. Carrick didn't understand why we didn't get it all, he said, "I just lectured on these pathways for 12 hours...don't you see?"
Wow! We are doing our best to understand and learn all of this information.
It was a very informative weekend, and an inspiring one besides.  Dr. Carrick has given his life to see patients get better.  That is his one and only motivation, and it is very evident.  The example of this 9 year old boy is only one case where he has used his gifts of understanding the neurological system to give him a better quality of life!
It is our goal to understand the neurological system as well so we too can help people experience a better quality of life!
Stay tuned as we continue to learn!

We are heading to Atlanta for mild TBI (concussion ect) training this coming weekend!

This weekend will be swamped with patient cases and understanding how to functionally affect brain injuries.  Not to mention lots of studying on our part to prepare.

Maya, our daughter, is not only calculating the "sleeps" before we leave but the minutes. She landed herself quite a weekend. Time with Auntie Kim & Uncle Scott and then with Ms. Kate's boys.  "Mom, should I bring my super hero cape"!?

Well we returned from MILD Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) Course 1.  
Whew!  I suffered my own TBI from sitting in on the course!  The learning was unbelievable learning.  300+ doctors of all faculties got together to learn about the most contemporary approach to treating TBI's without surgery or pharmacy. 

The brain needs to heal after insult, no different than any body part.  But, you cannot just rest it and the injury will go away. People with TBI's have to work exceptionally hard to recover and that process may take time!  The great news is the brain has a remarkable ability to heal.  If you have suffered a TBI and you are feeling any adverse affects from it, you have NOT RECOVERED. 

I will keep you posted on some fantastic learning to come. 

We are working hard studying this material and God willing, we will learn it!

We are off to Atlanta, GA to start our journey to become proficient in the mechanisms associated with mild Traumatic Brain Injuries.   We are studying under Ted Carrick, DC, PhD, who is a Distinguished PostGraduate Professor of Clinical Neurology at Logan College of Chiropractic, near St. Louis, MO.  It should be an intensive 3 days of learning.  Stay posted and I will update you on the latest and greatest ways to treat people who may have suffered a recent or past head injury.
For more info on Dr. Carrick, follow this link:  http://www.carrickinstitute.org/ciabout.asp

Here are some ways that I have learned and finally succeeded with proper eating. 

1. It is okay to be hungry. 

2. Fasting/skipping a meal is great. BUT do not give yourself permissions to eat more at your next meal. Eat a small portion and feel how your stomach begins to shrink. 

3. Get away from this thinking "clean up the plate"!  It is fine to clean up the plate if portion sizes are appropriate.  If portion sizes are the size of a trough, no cando!

4. Make Sunday (or a day that works for you) prep day and organize your fridge shelf by shelf.  Always have staples of fruit and veggies in the fridge. Washed and clean if possible. 

I always cut up veggies and place damp cloth or paper towel over the veggies/or under in glass containers that are see through. So you see the beauty of the color and start thinking, that looks like good fuel. 

5. Use spice and spicy condiments for flavor. Ranch is not the only flavor available in America. 

6. Prep some meals in advance. Make a pot of soup and cut your protein choices up into very very small pieces, thus less will mean more.  Use a lot of veggies, onions and garlic in soup making.  They are God's idea of flavor enhancement. 

7. When fresh herbs become available, use them in your prep, cooking and serving of meals. 

8. Drink only water with meals and I encourage you to drink the majority of your water at the end of your meal.  This will make you chew, produce saliva to break down starches and then eat slower.  Complete each meal with 8 oz of water. If you "think you are still hungry", decide ahead of time you are NOT.  Walk away and do something purposeful outside of the kitchen. Laundry, homework with kids ect.   The need for that "sweet" post dinner treat will fade away. 

9. Preplan every day with respect to food allotment.  Tomorrow this is how it will be no "ands, ifs or butts". After all, "I am working on improving my family's health and mine along with it".  Use the Bible and search verses re: the need for food and how God intended us to use it. 

10. Give yourself no permissions to eat out for the next month. BUT plan for a fun evening out in a month to eat out, not to over indulge. Split a meal with your family.  DON'T overeat. Why stretch the gut and waste money on un-needed food.

These are rules that I live by and I have been able to transform my body much more efficiently by following these.  Feel free to make more rules and regulations for yourself, after all discipline really means an organized, non-self induced-chaotic existence. 

Welcome to our blog.  We look forward to using this as a resource to inform you about our newest findings, studies, and goals.  Kate tells me I have to update it frequently.  So, as she reminds me I will fill you in.  Please also, let us know what other information you'd like to see here.

I am so excited to travel with Dr. Kelly to Atlanta in about 2 weeks to attend our first of 14 modules of Mild Traumatic Brain Injury Courses that will equip us with the most up to date, real time, therapeutic interventions available for helping patients recover from mild Traumatic Brain injuries.  

As you all have heard, lots of people are suffering (traumatic brain injuries) TBI's and don't know what to do to recover. Many go months or years without the proper intervention and succumb to post head injury sequelae of symptoms including chronic pain, headaches, vertigo, dizziness, loss of balance, forgetfullness, insomnia ........

I have experienced first hand the unbelievable results of Brain Based functional neurology while studying under Dr. Fredrick Carrick of the Carrick Institute.  His Brain based approach to TBI's is brilliant to say the least. We are hoping to learn from his over 30 years of understanding of the functional and anatomical aspects of the brain and nervous system. 

Our courses will run monthly for the next 14 months, so lots of travel time ahead of us, and although airport travel is something to be desired, what a great opportunity to spend time learning and sharing patient cases and brainstorming with Dr. Kelly. 

Stay tuned and I will update you on our first module and the types of cases and rounds we partake in..... Until then, happy March and stay warm and don't let the snow and ice get you down!! Literally don't fall.  Quick tip:  When walking out of a warm building into the cold Minnesota outdoors, STOP and let the bottoms of your shoes/boots cool down and reach the temperature of the outdoors.  This will reduce the slippery layer formed by the melt under your shoe. Viola, less head trauma. 

Take care. Yours in health, 

Dr. Ala