"You don't have a soul.  You are a soul.  You have a body." - C.S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis is one of the great Christian literary figures of the last century.  He is probably most famous for The Chronicles of Narnia, however, he wrote several excellent books on his views of Christianity.  An early mentor of his was J. R. R. Tolkien, the writer of The Lord of the Rings, and they had many great debates on Christianity. I love this quote for many, many different reasons!  

Lets start with the definition of soul. Webster's defines soul as "the spiritual or immaterial part of a human being or animal, regarded as immortal."  I like this, but I think you can add in the animating divine spark that is in us all. 

It's this divine spark that is what we are down at our core.  We are luminous beings, not crude matter (Yoda).  Another reason I enjoy this quote is that it makes a reader consider what's inside.  While regarding what's on the inside, I hope a reader will understand that while you ...

While I was enjoying my coffee and surfing the net this morning I came across a blog that really impressed me.  With news agencies reporting the US Centers for Disease Control's prediction that this year's measles outbreak will be one of the worst in more than a decade, measles is certainly getting it's 15 minutes of fame.  And, in a way, so am I, along with numerous other informed parents, choosing not to vaccinate their children.

The Gianelloni Family blog hits home and really touches on the reasons I advise my patients against vaccinations.  It's my pleasure to share this incredibly insightful blog with you! Gianelloni Family 

Dr. J.J. Gregor, DC

Two of the strongest words a person can say aloud or think about themselves:  I Am.  

Those two words define not just our lives, but who we really are.  This "self-talk" can create or destroy so much in our lives.  I am - fat, I am - stupid, or I am - not worthy are all ways that we define our lives in negative ways.  I am - beautiful, I am - brilliant, or I am - worthy,  build up a positive mental story of the amazing life we all deserve.

I see patients and students convincing themselves they are not good enough, smart enough, or talented enough to be a success in what they desire to accomplish.  A change in thought pattern, their "self-talk", could create the mental power to make success happen!  I would bet most people that talk negatively to themselves would never let anyone else say those things to them.  We are such self-critics when we need to discover our self-praising.  Take a moment today and concentrate on two words:  I.  Am.  And be conscious of what follows, because what...

As a parent, business owner, doctor, and lecturer I understand what it's like to be truly sleep deprived. When my kids were still feeding through the night, I remember that tiredness that is just in your bones. The red, burning eyes that feel like they need a fire hose to put out the fire, and the need for bottomless cups of coffee. The worst part of those few weeks was the brain fog!

Even when I would lie down, my mind would start racing and be wide awake but too tired to do any productive work. I know that I am not alone in the lack of sleep department, so it's not surprising that a recent research paper said 60 million Americans take prescription sleep aids. One of the more popular sleep aids on the market is Ambien, which increases the action of an inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA.

This inhibition is what causes you to "fall asleep" because it turns off your brain. I don't know about you, but that sounds terrifying to me! My brain has been by far my biggest investment in life, an...

Question: I have debilitating migraine headaches and hate taking medication, is there anything that Chiropractic can do to help?

Yes, Chiropractic has been shown to help tremendously. In the past two weeks, I had two patients come in with active migraines that would have sent them home to lay in a dark room for the rest of the day, and they left the office without any a headache at all.

Let's talk just a bit about what a migraine is, it is a throbbing pain that is usually one-sided, usually over the eye or near the temples or forehead. It frequently alters the activities of daily living and can last several hours to several days. Migraines tend to have sensory and emotional changes before a migraine. These can include changes in mood, becoming irritable or depressed. Some may have “aura” an hour or two before a migraine, which can include flashing lights, blurry vision or blind spots. Some can even have distinct smells or tastes as an indication that they are about to have a migraine...

"No illness which can be treated by the diet should by treated by any other means."
-Moses Maimonides

Moses Maimonides was a 12th-century rabbi, physician, and philosopher. This quote is one of the more brilliant things I've read. Modern physicians could learn a lot from what Moses Maimonides was teaching when he said these words. A recurring theme amongst drug companies is "when diet and exercise fail to try this drug or that surgery." The simple fact is - diet and exercise don't fail when properly taught and properly followed. Eating a diet that we were designed to eat, and moderate exercise with intermittent high intensity is the key to health!

"Just because you're not sick doesn't mean you're healthy."
~Author Unknown

To paraphrase Thomas Jefferson, this should be one of the truths of life that are held self-evident.  Health is not the mere absence of disease but is the optimal functioning of the person in all aspects of their life:  physical, mental, chemical, and spiritual. 

We can look at sickness as something that is "diagnosable", which means, there are enough symptoms that it can be classified as a disease.  The problem with diagnosing sickness is that it only manages what is visible above the surface and doesn't take into account what is going on out-of-sight. I prefer to find the processes that are keeping my patient from healing the dysfunction, remove the blockage, and let the body return to health.  

The best way to determine what is going on with the patient, in my opinion, is to use Applied Kinesiology.  The best way to fix the underlying cause is through Chiropractic, diet and nutrition, and homeopathy....

It's that wonderful time of year again!  Across the country parents are letting out a giant sigh of relief as they send their children back to school and structure once again fills their home.  It's also the time of year that I get asked how to best keep kid's healthy and focused the entire academic year.  There are three surefire ways to keep health and focus on your side.

Diet Drop breakfast cereals and oatmeal, even the whole grain cereals are as bad as the sugary, chocolate puffs.  All cereals, even fruit, put your star students on a blood sugar roller coaster.  This will impede the brains ability to learn and focus because of the spikes and crashes in their blood sugar.  It also leads to moodiness, obesity, and overall crabbiness.  As I know with my own children, most kids don't need help with crabbiness! So start and end their day with heavier protein and fat based meals.  This will help balance their blood sugar, give them sustained energy throughout the day, and let them sleep...

 If you listen to the media reports I am one of the irresponsible parents that's causing the current outbreak of measles; a disease that the medical profession has “eradicated” in the Americas.  But, I ask, who is more irresponsible?  Me for not injecting my healthy children with a substance that may only provide short-term immunity to a disease that more than likely won't threaten their lives?  Or, the person that injects substances that don’t provide true immunity, and, in fact, are more likely to cause damage to their fragile nervous systems? Today I am going to focus on measles, which is normally a very contagious disease that does require quarantine and extreme hygiene for the caregivers of the infected.  While measles can be deadly, with proper care and support very rarely does it cause any serious or lasting symptoms. The most common symptoms are a head cold, red eyes, rash that can cover part or all of the body, and fever.  Although rare, one of the more serious symptoms caused...

A Few Reasons I had to Stop Billing Insurance

I get asked all the time by patients why don’t I take their insurance.  So I thought I would write the doctors perspective on insurance.

First, let’s start by recognizing that insurance companies did not get rich because they paid claims made to them.

The mantra of insurance companies is to Delay, Diminish, and Deny.

The first line insurance companies use is to Delay reimbursement as long as possible to providers.  The insurance companies take payments you make to them and invest that money so that it grows, (makes sense that’s what I would do!).  The problem comes when you go to the doctor and make a legitimate claim for coverage that you have.  By law the insurance companies have to respond to a claim within 45 days, yep 6 weeks.  Although most companies do process claims quickly, around 25-30 days, the problem comes when they question one of the legitimate charges; they hold payment on the entire charge not just the one in question. ...