Knee & Foot Pain

I’m back with more mobility and flexibility exercises for knee and food pain.  I treat so much knee pain and foot pain like Achilles tendonitis, plantar fasciitis, and to a certain extent shin splints. Of course acupuncture helps tremendously for these issues.  However, there is a reason these issues developed.  Usually it is due to overly tight muscles or some sort of structural imbalance.  I may release the pain and inflammation with acupuncture, but if you don’t address that overly tight muscle or structural imbalance, odds are the pain will eventually come back to you again.

The answer is including mobility work to your treatment plan.  These exercises will speed healing along with acupuncture, and will help to address why you got pain in the first place, so it’s less likely to return to you again.

Check out the video of the exercises that I have demonstrated for knee pain and foot pain specifically. You’ll need a foam roller and a lacrosse ball to do these exercises.  (See below for links to buy).

So, click through here to watch the video.

Let me know if you have any questions, or if you have requests for other videos.

Until next time, stay well.

For the Foam Roller Click Here

For the Lacrosse Ball Click Here (or swing by the office and pick one up)

Spring Cleanses & Detoxes

Well, it’s March which is officially spring (even if there are still blizzards up North)!  Spring is always the time of year for cleansing.  We spring clean the yard, the garage, the closets, and the house. What we should be spring cleaning too… is our bodies.

In November & December we tend to over indulge.  In January, we commit to eating healthy and clean and we commit to some sort of movement/exercise schedule. By March, research shows that all that new year commitment begins to wane, although I hope that isn’t you.  So, if we concentrate on Spring Cleaning our bodies in March, it reinvigorates that commitment to health.  Plus, I tend to have a lot of patients ask me about cleanses this time of year.

First let me say that I’m not a huge fan of those cleanses that just purge your intestines.  If you eat real whole food, supplement with enzymes with meals and snacks, and take a probiotic you should have fine bowel movements if you are hydrating properly.

Now, the cleanses and detoxes that I do recommend.  There is not a one size fits all cleanse or detox for everyone.  I have a few that I like and recommend based on what your current health struggles are, what your main symptoms are, or what you are most concerned about considering your lifestyle.

The first detox that I recommend is Chelex, an oral chelator.  This means it goes into your body hunts out the toxins and heavy metals, binds them and eliminates them.  This is important if you have a high exposure to chemicals.  For example, those that eat a lot of fish including sushi every week, have a higher level of mercury and other toxins that accumulate in the fish.  Also, those in the automotive or airline industries.  Working in, around, or on planes have a high toxin exposure especially mechanics, flight attendants and pilots. Also, car mechanics or similar fields around exhaust, paint and solvents daily.  Lawn care & pest workers are exposed to greater amounts of toxic chemicals.  If this is you, then the Chelex would be a good choice to bind and remove these toxins from your body.

The second detox is XenoProtX.  This cleanse focuses on removing old and excess estrogens in your body.  These can make PMS symptoms almost unbearable.  You can get heavier or irregular cycles, greater mood swings, and tender breasts and bloating. This formula will help to bind and remove these from circulating which contributes to a better estrogen progesterone balance. High or imbalanced estrogen can lead to many undesireable diseases, so taking care of this sooner than later is always good.

The third detox is LiverCare.  This is an Ayurvedic formula that helps to nourish and support liver function.  I use this if you have elevated liver enzymes on your blood panel. This is one formula that normalizes liver enzymes naturally and FAST.  Even if you don’t have elevated liver enzymes, this detox is still a stellar choice.  The liver is responsible for so many functions in the body.  It clears hormones, chemicals you’ve been exposed to, and unbeknownst to most, actually processes the fructose part of sugars. Diets high in processed foods, sweets, high fructose corn syrup, & agave can take a toll on liver function. It’s like an 8 lane highway merging into 1 lane!  It’s like whoa Nelly!  Everything backs up and the liver will start to enlarge to accommodate the traffic.  This is like giving the liver an assistant or two to catch up on the workload.

Lastly, I have a homeopathic detox called Drainage.  It helps to improve the function of the liver and kidneys to increase the body’s own ability to detoxify.

Now you never want to do everything all at once.  Pick the one that most addresses your concerns and lifestyle.

Click on over to the video to see more details and to see my everyday recommendations to make your body a detoxing machine.

Leave me comments and questions.

Until next time stay well.

Knee & Hip Pain Relief

Guys, let’s talk pain shall we.   I have so many patients that come in with knee replacements, hip replacements, in need of replacements, or just living in pain.  I feel that between acupuncture and adjustments in body mechanics, all of this could be avoided.  Let me explain.

Joints sit a certain way.  The knee for instance must track a certain way when it’s moving. But, when certain muscles are weak, or too tight, or fascia is stuck to the muscle, it prevents the knee from tracking properly when it moves. The knee then starts wearing away at all of that nice juicy padding built into the knee.  Then, the knee starts to rub bone on bone.  The bone starts to get all jaggedy.  All through this process inflammation starts, discomfort comes and goes, then stays for good, discomfort turns into pain, and inflammation continues to get worse.  Then what you have left is a painful, worn down joint in need of replacement.

My solution is to stay on top of this.  Prevent this from happening.  Once the bone looks like a gnarly mess, you’re sort of done.  Fix the muscles and tissues around the joint, get acupuncture to increase qi and blood flow and reduce inflammation.  This allows the joint to heal.  So, don’t just pop anti-inflammatories and pain killers and continue destroying your joints.  Fix the root of the issue.

In the video, I show you two exercises that I do to release the tissue around the joint that prevents the knee and hip from functioning properly.  You can do these on the living room floor, while you watch your favorite show.  It only takes 5-10 minutes a day to regain and maintain mobility.  Click here to watch the video.

In coming weeks I’ll go over more of these exercises that you can do to release muscles and connective tissue, so that you can regain flexibility, mobility and proper joint function.

Be sure to subscribe to the newsletter &/or the YouTube channel so you don’t miss upcoming videos.

If you are interested in getting a foam roller check these out…  This is the foam roller in the video This is the foam roller I use at home.

Let me know what your think or if you have any questions.

Until next time, stay well.

Are You Rubbing Carcinogens into Your Skin Everyday?

You know me, I’m all about the whole food lifestyle.  Get moving, get outside and transition into a whole food active and healthy lifestyle.  I love that all of you are somewhere along this transition path.  Some of you are just beginning, some of you 90% there (yeah you!).  However, as we are making these great health decisions, it’s come to my attention that most of you are balancing this with smearing toxic skincare on yourself every day.  I’ve been getting calls about this very thing A LOT over the last couple of months.  I think people are becoming more aware of what they are putting on their skin, which is a good thing.  I’m going to start a video series over on my YouTube channel to address all of these concerns.  Over the next weeks and months, I’m taking you into my bathroom to share what I use. I’ll be talking moisturizer, makeup, deodorant, bath soap, shampoo, tanners, toothpaste, the whole 9 yards. Below, I explain why you should care about taking a second look at your bathroom.

First things first, I want to dispel 3 myths concerning your skin!

  1. The FDA.  People seem to think that if products are on the shelf in CVS or Target or Bloomingdales that the FDA has said that it’s safe for you.  Don’t be fooled.  There are toxins in most skincare on the market, from budget to high end, that are carcinogenic, and endocrine disruptors.  Many ingredients are neurotoxins and cause birth defects.  It’s up to you to investigate what you put on your body and if your comfortable with the risk.  But, you need to know the risk.
  2. The Skin is not a Raincoat.  People seem to think that it doesn’t matter what they put on their skin because nothing penetrates.  This is WRONG!  When you put things on your skin, they begin to be absorbed into the blood system in as little as 26 seconds.  So, you might want to think twice before using known carcinogens on your skin.
  3. Advertising Green Washing.  Let’s give it up to the advertising industry.  I mean they can be straight up geniuses and we buy right into it.  But, let’s be clear here, just because a product ADDS botanicals to a formula doesn’t make it all natural and non-toxic.  Remember, they ADDED botanicals, they didn’t REMOVE toxins.  I hear I use natural (insert item here), it’s full of botanicals that calm the skin.  Well, that’s great, except it’s also full of toxic chemicals!  Don’t buy into green washing.  You must read the ingredient labels on products.

So, stay tuned for more videos to come.  I will be revealing the brands and specific products that I use and explain why.  Be sure you’re subscribed to the YouTube channel so you get notifications when the videos go up.  You can CLICK HERE to see the video.

If you want me to cover specific concerns or products, just leave a comment here.

Cocomels

Patients are always asking what is a Dr. Shelly approved treat, especially if they have kids!  I realize we live in the real world with candy everywhere.  So, I’m always on the lookout for clean treats that you can indulge in on occasion that isn’t a cancer causing chemical stew!

The issue with the standard candy and vending machine and quick mart options are that they first of all are loaded with high fructose corn syrup.  This ingredient is bad for your health, is highly processed and is most times GMO.  Best to stay clear of this.  In addition, conventional candy contains artificial flavors (read chemical flavors), artificial colors (read chemical dyes), chemical preservatives, and various ingredients to alter the texture of the candy.  Notice that there are no real food ingredients in candy.  Go ahead and pick a few and read the label.

Now, I found these Cocomels recently and I love these… IN MODERATION! They are a very clean treat, but they do have sugar, so let’s not get carried away.  You can feel ok about eating these or giving them to your kids, just don’t sit with the entire bag on your lap while you watch TV and eat the entire bag.

Cocomels are made with Organic Coconut Milk, Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Dried Cane Syrup as the base.  They add flavors based on the variety that you buy.  The added flavors are organic vanilla extract, organic brewed espresso coffee or sea salt.  Did you have trouble pronouncing any of those ingredients?  Can you see or visualize what all of those ingredients are?  Of course, they are actual food items and not chemicals.

Also, so many kids and adults alike are Gluten &/or Dairy Free these days, and these treats work for those people.  The Cocomels are GMO free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free and Soy Free.

Here’s the Caveat… The labels reads 6 pieces are a serving.  I beg of you to not eat 6 pieces.  6 pieces equals 16g of sugar!  I’m  telling you these treats are so incredibly rich.  I eat one and need to chase it down with an entire glass of tea.  You know how when something is incredibly rich you have to chase it with something?  I can’t imagine eating 6 pieces. You only need one or two MAX!

The bad news is that currently, they are hard to find in stores.  So, I have a link here for you to try them out (see below).  I highly recommend the Variety pack to start, so you can find your favorite flavor. Mine? Espresso of course.  They also come in large canisters of each single flavor is you’d prefer.

The Cocomels Variety Pack (plain, vanilla, espresso, & sea salt)… Click Here.

The Cocomels Canister… Click Here.

Again, if you want to see the video where I chat about the pros & cons and show you the whole candy goodness… Click Here.

Leave me a comment and let me know what you chose and what was your favorite.

Until next time… Stay Well.

Beauty & Power Dust Herbals

I have found a great new company with a great concept, so great I wish I had thought of it!  The company is Moon Juice and it is out of Venice, CA.  If you are local, they have cafes with juices, teas, herbs & snacks.  I highly recommend you pay them a visit.  However, if you don’t live local, like the rest of us, you can buy the herbal powders called Moon Dust online.  Kinda quirky, yes. BUT, very good.  Check me out chatting about Moon Juice Here.

So, why am I all over these powders?  Well, they have managed to create mostly Chinese Herbal Formulas that look pleasing, taste pleasing, and work!

Let me introduce you to the first Moon Dust formula that I tried… Beauty Dust.  Beauty Dust consists of mostly organic Chinese herbs goji berry, rehmannia, schisandra, and pearl powder. In Chinese medicine we often use pearl powder for skin conditions and anti-aging. When you think of pearls, you think of a luster and a glow from within.  This is what pearl does for you.  The objective with Beauty Dust is to expand your beauty, and increase your skins luster and glow.  It also helps to add shine to your hair and a twinkle to your eye!  Basically, beauty from the inside out. They also add a small amount of stevia to the formula which tempers any Chinese-ey taste that you may pick up.

The second formula that I tried was…Power Dust.  Power Dust helps to promote stamina and longevity.  In Chinese terms, we say it tonifies the body.  This is an adaptogenic formula to help regulate your body’s response to stress. Everyone has stress in their lives today.  This formula acts like a super shield to block stress from attacking your body.  Continued chronic stress can damage your body not only mentally, but also physically.  Common issues associated with chronic stress include gastrointestinal issues, insomnia, cardiovascular issues, and can even contribute to cancer.  If you are under tremendous stress constantly or during certain times of the year, it would be wise to get yourself and invisible shield to block stresses ability to damage you mentally & physically.

So, how do you take these fancy Moon Dusts?  However you want really.  I like to add them to hot tea or coffee.  In particular, the Power Dust in coffee with coconut cream is a good choice.  There are recipes available to use the Dusts in lattes, hot chocolate, pancakes and even to make a dark chocolate bark.

The powders come in glass jars or more portable individual serving sachets.

There are a variety of formulas… Beauty Dust, Brain Dust, Sex Dust, Power Dust, Dream Dust, Spirit Dust. My two favorites are the Beauty & Power (it’s a good place to start), but all of the formulas are great!

If you are interested in the Beauty Dust… Click Here.

If you are interested in the Power Dust… Click Here.

Again, if you’d like to see the video… Click Here.

Please leave me questions & comments.  I’d love to know which ones you try and how they work for you.

Until Next Time… Stay WELL!

 

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Non Toxic Cookware

In my quest to detox your life, I’m going into your kitchen today.  So many people use Teflon pans.  I mean, who wants to scrub a burnt on char from a conventional pan?  I don’t know how chefs do it, but I just always seem to burn food in regular pans.  The only answer is Teflon pans, right? WRONG!

In recent years, manufacturers are creating new non-stick pans.  Why do you care?  Well, regular Teflon pans out gas toxic chemicals.  The PFOA & PTFE that out gas when the pan heats up is deadly.  In fact, people with birds are warned not to cook with Teflon pans because the out gas chemicals will kill their birds! It’s like the canary in the coal mine situation.  PFOA has been linked to a number of health effects, including thyroid disease, high cholesterol, early signs of liver damage, testicular and kidney cancer, and pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia.  Who needs that? Not You!

So, when you are opting for whole real food, organic when possible, why are you cooking it in deadly chemicals?  Isn’t the point of improving your diet and the quality of your food to improve your health?  Now it’s time to go the extra step and begin replacing those toxic pans with non-toxic alternatives.

In the video I introduce you to one of my new pans by Ozeri.  I’ve tried several different brands over the years.  I have to say, I love this new pan.  Green Earth by Ozeri is the one featured in the video, but I’ve also used Orgeenic and GreenPan.  The Ozeri pan utilizes GREBLON ceramic – an ultra-safe ceramic coating from Germany which is 100% PTFE, PFOA and APEO free (no heavy metals or chemicals).  Any option is a better option than traditional Teflon.  It’s a simple trade that will improve the health of you and your family.

Click here to see the New Video.

Click here to purchase the new Green Earth pan by Ozeri.

If you have any questions, please leave me a comment.

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New Years Resolution & Goal Setting

It’s that time of year again… New Years Resolutions!  We’ve all set them, we’ve all failed them.  Typically, IF you set one or two, you ditch them in 3 days to 3 weeks.  This year lets make it different.  Let’s not flippantly say we want to lose 20 pounds or 50.  Let’s figure out our true goals and crush them.

Statistics show there are certain things required in order to crush goals.  Here’s your checklist to crush in 2017.  (Or if you prefer, here’s the video of instructions)

Studies show people who write down their goals, pen to paper, are 80% more likely to accomplish their goals than people who don’t write them down.  In fact, Harvard did a study on students and goals.  In polling one class, 84% never had goals, 13% had goals in their heads, and only 3% actually wrote down their goals.  What happened 10 years later?  The people with goals in their head earned 2x more than the people without goals.  And the 3% who actually wrote down their goals? Yep, they earned 10x more than the other 97% of students in that class.  There is something that happens when we take pen to paper.  It’s so powerful and non-negotiable when goal setting.

It doesn’t matter what your 2017 goals are, although I’d love to see some Transitions to Health goals.  So whether it’s financial goals, career goals, weight loss goals, fitness goals, investment goals, it doesn’t really matter, but they must be important to you and you MUST write them down.

Steps to Achieve Goals:

  1. Really think about your goal, specifically, and write it down, specifically.  Did I mention be specific?
  2. Find your Why.  Why do you want to achieve this goal.  Not something frivolous, but something real and deep.  Without a why you’ll last a couple of weeks.
  3. Break the goal down into daily actionable steps.  Small steps that you can plan and do daily to reach your goal.
  4. Find a few mantras, affirmations or power statements.  These statements should motivate you to stay the course.  Stay committed.
  5. Achieve Greatness

I try to do all of the above with the help of an excellent planner.  It’s no At-A-Glance or DayMinder type calendar.  This planner allows you to incorporate all of the above steps to achieve your goals in a nice tidy package.  It reinforces all of the above, to remind you to complete every step every day.  With this, I don’t know how you can fail.

I have put up a video going into detail on goal setting and achieving.  I also show you what I use to stay the course.  I highly recommend the planner that I use to keep me on course to my goals. In the video, I show you my planner, how to work it, and how to make it work for you.  If you are serious about your goals, and you should be let’s face it, then this planner is a must.  A buddy never hurts either to keep you accountable. Click here to get MY PLANNER. 

Click Here to View the Video…PS The video always has extra content!

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Get Ready For Cold Season

It’s that time of year again!  The weather changes, in fact in the Northern parts you are freezing to death right now!  Plus, the Holidays are not just joyous, but they are some of the most stressful times of the year.  Stress compromises immunity as we know.  So, when you add weather changes to stress, you often times get “Cold & Flu Season.”  My suggestion is to be prepared!  Don’t wait until you can’t breath or you’re so sick you can’t get out of bed and enjoy your life.

First, watch that you don’t get too crazy with the sugar.  I know it’s the holidays and it’s everywhere, but you don’t have to eat ALL of it!  Have one piece of pie, not 2 or 5.  You don’t need to eat a candy cane every time you walk by one.  I promise you will survive.  Eat one buckeye at a time, not a handful.  Then, try your best to balance the bad foods with an increase in the good ones.  Increase your leafy greens and cruciferous vegetables. Start your day with some sort of protein.  When your office mates are eating red & green M & M’s, try sticking with nuts at your desk.  Don’t worry, you can indulge in a Christmas cookie and a piece of fudge at the holiday party.  Balance.  It’s all balance this time of year.

Now, here’s the most prepared part…Your Medicine Cabinet.  If you stock your medicine cabinet, you will be so prepared, you will rarely ever get sick.  Sounds good, right?  The idea with herbs is that as soon as you feel you might be getting sick, start taking herbs & go to bed early.  Maybe even take a hot bath before bed then cover up for the night.

The items I always have in my medicine cabinet are…

Chuan Xin Lian (Antiphlogistic Formula)  I start taking this at the first sign of anything.  If you catch it early enough, it will nip it in the bud and you won’t get sick.

Bi Yan Pian  I use this formula if I start getting sneezing and congestion.  It’s a super trooper for clearing out the sinuses.

Yin Qiao  I use this formula if I’m feeling mostly a scratchy throat coming on.  It soothes that throat and prevents a full blown attack on your body.

Neem Chest Rub  I love this as an adjunct thereapy.  I smear it all over my neck and chest.  It helps to open everything up.  I notice that it seems to ease coughing at bed as well.  It is full of anti-bacterial and anti-viral herbs, plus those oils that help to clear congestion.  It’s a favorite.

If you stock these items in your medicine cabinet, your prepared.  It’s best to start taking these at the first sign of anything.  This is when they work best and fast.  If you wait until your dying, will they help?  Yes, but it takes a few days.  But, why wait? I mean who wants to suffer?  Not me!

Call or stop by to stock your medicine chest before the cold hits!

Check out my YouTube Video as I discuss prevention. CLICK HERE.

Leave questions or comments for me.

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Your Money, Your Health

This post is a little outside of my usual wheel house of information.  But as we all know stress takes a toll on our health. In fact, I think that today stress is the root of most evil (it’s a tie between bad food & stress) in chronic health issues like cardiovascular disease, cancer and autoimmune disease.  We all admit that life can be stressful at  times.  We complain about being too busy with schedules, an ailing parent or family member, or a bad boss.  However, most people carry a huge financial stress burden that they keep hidden in the closets and under the rug.  Nobody wants to talk about their concern over their financial situation.  You talk until the cows come home with your friends about a boss, but never your finances. This private stress can weigh you down mentally and physically and take a toll on your overall health.

I saw some recent research that noted that most people fear they don’t have enough money money to retire.  In fact, most people worry about money more than if they are going to get Alzheimer’s! Questions, like how can I retire, how much do I need to retire and how in the world will I get there, or a biggy is will I outlive my retirement, what then?  These secret financial stressors are a huge burden.  And, to top it off, most people choose to stick their heads in the mud about the subject.  The stress and overwhelm is so high that they post-pone dealing with the issue “down the road.”  I suggest that you begin to deal with it in the NOW!  Once you have a plan of attack no matter if small or aggressive, you will feel much more in control of your destiny, which will reduce or eliminate the black cloud hanging over you and the stress concerning your financial future will be minimized or eliminated.

I recently read Tony Robbins book Money Master the Game.  I can’t convey enough how much I recommend this book.  Not only does it shine a light on areas that may be losing you incredible amounts of money, but also shows you how to make a plan for a secure financial future. He helps you to realize how much money you actually need. So many people think it will take millions, 10’s of millions to be able to retire.  That’s not always the case.  It’s an extreme eye opener and a great education.  Once you understand and have a plan, you eliminate overwhelm and that feeling of having no control over your destiny.  The feeling of no control takes a huge bite out of your mental and physical health.  Now, you have a way to resolve this issue.

I know this isn’t my usual thing, but I felt it was so important to share.  I hope that you grab a copy, learn, and make a plan.

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"Striving to Prevent Disease and Achieve Optimal Physical & Mental Health"