By far the most important aspect of nutrition is the quality and quantity of foods consumed. Take a day and ask your patients about their diet. You will find that most will answer that they eat a healthy diet, but could improve a little bit. Then ask them what they had for breakfast, lunch, and dinner the past two days. Most will quickly preface their answer by stating that what they consumed the last two days isn't normal, and that they usually don't eat bacon and eggs for breakfast, a cheeseburger and fries for lunch, and pot pies for dinner.
We clearly are a long way from fully understanding diet and all the ways it affects our physiology, psychology, and biochemistry. We do know that a low fat, moderate protein, high complex carbohydrate diet with minimal processing of the foods consumed seems to be the most healthy for the general population. We also know that the optimal diet for an individual will vary depending on many factors. In fact, we probably know more about what isn't the optimal diet than what is.
Chiropractic was the first Western health profession to stress a natural diet. In R.W. Stevenson's 1927 Chiropractic Textbook he quoted Palmer: "Foods, air and water, when they have been 'doctored' are poison."1 Stevenson, himself, stated: "Sterilized air and water and artificially prepared foods are poisons, for they are not natural; innate evolutionary structures are unequated with them as foods."1
When we counsel our patients on changing or improving their diets, we must remember that eating healthy is a lifestyle change. Like starting an exercise program, changing a person's food intake gradually increases the odds of lifetime compliance. One way to help the gradual change is to provide your patients some information in the form of handouts to post on their refrigerator to remind them of some healthier alternatives to the foods they normally consume. As doctors, we must remember that sometimes the first step in changing one's diet is just that, a first step. For example, low-fat milk is a healthier alternative to whole milk for the majority of the population. But for most people, it still contains too much milk fat, and thus is the first step in your long-term goal of non-fat milk consumption, or total abstinence from milk, depending on your patient's individual biochemical needs.
Below are some examples of food substitutions. These can be designed individually for each patient, or you can make a generic list. Either way, it keeps your name on their refrigerator and keeps them focused on the goal of improving their diet.
Food Substitution List | |
Food Consumed | Healthy Alternative |
| Whole dairy | Low-fat dairy (milk, yogurt, cottage cheese) |
| Processed sugared cereals | Processed unsugared cereals |
| Ice cream | Frozen yogurt |
| Sweetened applesauce | Unsweetened applesauce |
| Soft drinks | Sparkling water lightly sweetened with fruit juice concentrate |
| White bread, rolls, buns | Brown bread, rolls, buns |
| Iceberg lettuce | Red leaf lettuce |
| Bologna slices | Ham slices |
Once your patients state that they are now eating off the "good list," you can then issue a new list that goes a step further:
Food Consumed | Health Alternative |
| Low-fat dairy | Non-fat dairy |
| Processed, unsugared cereals | Whole grain cereals |
| Frozen yogurt | Non-fat frozen yogurt |
| Unsweetened applesauce | Whole apples |
| Sparkling water with fruit | Sparkling water with fruit essence juice concentrate |
| Brown bread, rolls, buns | 100% wheat or whole grain breads |
Another type of list for those patients who are into the numbers game:
| Food Consumed | Healthy Alternative | Benefit |
| 1 croissant | 1 bagel | 30-60 fewer calories |
| 1 oz. oil-roasted | 1 oz. dry roasted | 90-100 fewer calories |
| peanuts | peanuts | 11-13 fewer grams of fat |
| 2 oz. cooked white | 2 oz. cooked oat | 18 extra grams of fiber |
| pasta | bran pasta | |
| 1 oz. pork bacon | 1 oz. canadian bacon | 100 fewer calories |
| 10-12 fewer grams of fat | ||
| 6-8 extra grams of protein | ||
| 7-1/2 oz. serving | 7-1/2 oz. serving | 70-100 fewer calories |
| beef chili & beans | turkey chili & beans | 8-10 fewer grams of fat |
| 1 regular order | 1 baked potato | 100-150 fewer calories |
| of french fries | 10-12 fewer grams of fat | |
| 1 oz. cheddar cheese | 1 oz. skim | 30-40 fewer calories |
| mozzarella cheese | 3-6 fewer grams of fat | |
| Canned vegetables | sugar free canned | 10-30 fewer calories |
| vegetables | per serving | |
| 3-5 oz. duck | 3-5 oz. chicken | 40-60 fewer calories |
| (skinless) | (skinless) | 5-8 fewer grams of fat |
| 1 tbsp. avocado or | 1 tbsp. salsa dip | 15-25 fewer calories |
| sour cream dip | 3-5 fewer grams of fat |
References
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
