Slave to Your Genes or Master of Your Destiny?

When Watson and Crick discovered the DNA molecule in 1953 they proclaimed, “We’ve found the secret of life!” It sparked over six decades dedicated to the pursuit of uncovering the genetic cause of disease.

We were told The Human Genome Project would map our DNA and tell us of the grave future that lay ahead. Thankfully, Big Pharma had plenty of chemical solutions to keep us alive and ticking.

The results? Well, let’s just say they’ve fallen quite short of the hundreds of billions invested. In 2009, 27 prominent geneticists published a paper in the journal Nature acknowledging they had discovered no more than a fractional genetic basis for disease.

It's not that genes don't matter; it's that they don't predetermine your life. Only a small percentage of disease is "purely" genetic. Bruce Lipton, a former Stanford cell biologist and author of The Biology of Belief, suggests less than 5% of our known diseases are genetic.

Genes play a role in all body function, as they are the blueprint for creating proteins, the basic building blocks for hormones and other important molecules. It is estimated one gene makes up to 30,000 different proteins. This means, for the vast majority, having a certain gene does not necessarily default them to having a particular disease condition.

How those genes are expressed are a result of our lifestyle choices and stressors. It is our environment that is the primary determinate in the way our genes are expressed. How we live, eat, move, think, the quality of our neurological function and the toxicity of the world around us form the basis of our quality and quantity of life.

It's why twins with identical genetics can have different health levels, so much so that one can develop disease once thought purely genetic and the other live well and vital. As Dr. James Chestnut says: "You are the genetic expression of your lifestyle choices."

New research in the field of Epigenetics shows that even our grandparents’ food choices may affect not just the health of their children but that of their grandchildren! Amazing.

What can be controlled is your choices.

The limiting factors for healing and attaining optimal health are time and how much damage has been done with genes turned on in an unhealthy way.  And only time will tell what the body is truly capable of.

This is the foundation of Life By Design. Identify what the body needs and then create a lifestyle around fulfilling all those requirements for a period of time, preferably a lifetime.

Essential Supplements

The first step to living Life By Design is to re-establish and maintain a clear brain-body connection through specific chiropractic adjustments. Once the body starts learning to better adapt to physical, chemical, and emotional stresses and starts to increase its resistance and resilience, then it is time to start thinking about making lifestyle changes that will provide your body with the best possible building blocks. Having a clear brain-body connection is absolutely paramount to living a healthy life. However, if you are not providing solid building blocks through which that connection can work then you will only get so far.

As the next step to Life By Design, we are going to recommend that you begin to supplement your diet with a few things. Even though Eating By Design provides an abundance of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients, there are some things that our modern-day lifestyle and current food sources don’t provide.

1. Vitamin D: Vitamin D is crucial for bone growth, development and strength. It is also responsible for the regulation of over 20,000 genes and is highly proclaimed for its amazing cancer-fighting abilities. The most natural way for us to obtain adequate amounts of Vitamin D is through exposure to direct sunlight. However, since we live so far from the equator and since most of us have jobs that keep us indoors from 12 pm – 2 pm, and since we have cold winters and the idea of sitting outside with our shirts off at noon on a January day is ludricrous, then we need to supplement with Vitamin D.

The best way to know how much Vitamin D you need is to first determine what your blood levels of Vitamin D are currently. You can do this through a simple blood test at LabQuest. For optimal health your Vitamin D levels should be between 50-80 ng/mL for adults and children. Unfortunately, most of us fall seriously short. Therefore we follow the Vitamin D Council’s recommendations and guidelines for supplementation.
· Healthy children under the age of 1 yr – 1,000 IU/day
· Healthy children over the age of 1 yr. – 1,000 IU per 25 lb of body weight/day
· Healthy adults and adolescents – at least 5,000 IU/day
· Pregnant and lactating mothers – at least 6,000 IU/day

Additionally, children and adults with chronic health conditions such as autism, MS, cancer, heart disease, or obesity may need as much as double these amounts.

2. Fish Oil (Omega 3’s): EPA and DHA are specific types of polyunsatured omega-3 fatty acids. Your body cannot produce these fatty acids – you must get them from the food you eat or via supplementation. EPA and DHA are natural anti-inflammatory agents, and as such, play a role in brain health, heart health, protection against cancer, Alzheimer’s and depression, improvement of skin conditions like psoriasis and acne, fetal brain development, inflammatory bowel disorders, and arthritis, to name a few. Our typical (non-By Design) diets are rich in another type of pro-inflammatory polyunsaturated fatty acid called omega-6. When our dietary intake of omega-6′s far exceeds our intake of omega-3′s, our bodies experience a wide range of negative
consequences, all with the underlying cause of increased systemic inflammation. Minimizing dietary intake of omega-6 fatty acids, and supplementing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids, helps to reduce inflammation, and the wide range of downstream effects.
If you are new to Eating by Design then we recommend no longer than a 3 week period of super-saturation with Omega-3’s to help your body quickly restore the Omega-3 : Omega-6 balance. To determine how much fish oil you will be taking during those three weeks, visit the Robb Wolf Fish Oil Calculator at and enter in the factors such as your current weight, the EPA and DHA values of your fish oil, the dosage and your health factor. If you are new to Eating by Design and you previously have been eating the typical Western Diet of nutrient-deficient foods, you are overweight, inactive and/or ‘sick’ then you will choose a factor somewhere between 0.75 – 1.0. Follow this dosage for a MAXIMUM of 3 weeks before returning yourself to a maintenance level. Fish oil in liquid form typically has higher EPA and DHA values and therefore doesn’t require that you take as much. We really like Carlson Labs brand.
Please remember, no amount of fish oil makes up for poor food choices, under or over exercising, and poor lifestyle choices. So, use the 3 weeks that you are taking a large dose of fish oil to clean up your lifestyle. Start Eating by Design, Moving by Design and maintaining a clear brain-body connection.

3. Probiotics: The health of your intestinal tract plays a huge role in your overall health and immune function. It is absolutely essential that you maintain a digestive tract that is abundantly populated with “good” bacteria (gut flora). Not only does healthy gut flora contribute to digestive health, but it also contributes to immune function and overall levels of health and vitality. If you have ever taken an antibiotic in your life, chances are you have depleted your gut flora. Probiotics are a great way of rebuilding and maintaining healthy gut flora. We recommend you begin taking a broad spectrum probiotic with a high “live” count. You can’t overdo it on probiotics. Your body will simply pass along what it doesn’t need.

New Health Care Model is Making Waves: Local Doctors on Board

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Dr. Jodi Parsons
2 Pages 946 Lake Rd., Suite 102
Avondale, PA 19311
610-925-2572

New Health Care Model is Making Waves: Local Doctors on Board

(July 26th, Avondale, PA.) Drs. Greg and Jodi Parsons, health & wellness experts from Thrive Chiropractic Studio, have recently become certified Life By Design Doctors. Life By Design is a new health care model that is making waves and helping people transform their health far beyond expectation.
With statistics showing we are less healthy than 50 years ago, more medical doctors, nurses and money do not seem to be the answer. Dr. Greg Parsons notes, “The current sick care model is great for emergency and palliative care, but it has nothing to offer for health. How can drugs and surgery be the solution to a problem that is lifestyle-related?”
“Life By Design is a four-step program to reclaim your health and start living the life you deserve. Nerve System Health, Eat, Move and Think By Design,” said Dr. Jodi Parsons. “I’ve been nothing short of amazed at the benefits people are experiencing.”
There are now certified offices being opened worldwide. Even non-clients can learn the “how to’s” by tuning in to the weekly radio show broadcast or catching the podcast on itunes.
Certified offices practice a unique brand of chiropractic care aimed at restoring function to the spine and nerve system. “This is where our approach is different from others. We begin with the Brain – Body Connection as it forms the basis for all other body functions. People get more out of the other steps when the body’s communication highway is clear,” explains Dr. Jodi.
In addition to this foundation, Life By Design Doctors teach three programs called Eat, Move and Think By Design. The fundamental principle is based on learning to live a lifestyle that mirrors what the body is designed for.
“Our body is clearly designed to be well, yet very few people reach a level they are happy with or even begin to approach their full potential. If we can live congruently with our natural state, the normal result will be health. We are excited to be practicing a model that has the potential to make a massive impact on our country’s health crisis.”
Drs. Greg and Jodi Parsons are accepting new clients ready to begin the Life By Design program and are busy teaching the Eat, Move and Think By Design Modules at various locations within the community.

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Editor’s note:
Anyone wishing more information may contact Dr. Jodi Parsons, whose office is located at 946 Lake Rd., Suite 102, Avondale, PA 19311 (610-925-2572).

Average vs. Normal

Yes, there is a difference. Just because something is average, doesn't mean it's normal. And, just because something is normal, doesn't necessarily mean that it's average. What am I talking about? Here are a few examples.


Blood Pressure: The average blood pressure for adults is 120/70. How did they come up with that number? Well, they took the blood pressure of ALOT of people and determined what the average was. But, is 120/70 normal? Not always. When someone is experiencing alot of pain, their blood pressure will rise. Is that bad? No. It's a perfectly reasonable adaptation by the body in response to an intense stimuli (pain, in this case). What about the blood pressure in someone who was recently exposed to environmental stimulants or toxins (i.e. tobacco smoke)? Would it make sense that that person's body will raise the blood pressure in an attempt to clear the toxins from the system faster? So, while an elevate blood pressure in this case is not "average", it is by all means "normal" for that person at that time.


Weight Gain: When is it normal for a woman to gain 1-2 pounds per week for a period of 20-30 weeks? How about during pregnancy? It's perfectly normal and healthy for a woman to gain weight at this rate during their pregnancy. Is it "average"? No, not at all. But it is "normal."


Fever, swollen gums, mucus production, and drooling: When is this average? Never. It is never average for anyone to experience these symptoms. However, when is it normal? These are the normal responses that a toddler undergoes as they are cutting teeth, aren't they? The fever is present to help prevent bacterial infection as the tooth pokes through the gums and exposes the body's internal environment to the external environment. The swollen gums and mucus production are a softening of the gums and a breaking down of healthy tissue to allow the tooth to poke through. The drooling is the result of the increased production of saliva to flush the mouth clean, thus cutting down on infections. See? So, even those these natural responses of the body are not "average" they are "normal."

Why do I bring this up? Well, because so much of Conventional Wisdom is focused on keeping us "normal," when really they are trying to keep us all "average." But what happens when the average changes? Currently, the average weight for an adult male is 189.9 lbs. The current average weight for an adult woman is 162.9 lbs (according to the National Center for Health Statistics based on a survey from 1999-2002). However, in 1960 we were all, on average, 25 lbs. lighter. But, should 163 lbs and 190 lbs be our goal? NO! Just because the average weights are what they are, does that mean that you are healthier at that weight than at other weights? NO. In fact, if you just take a brief look at our current health status, we are far unhealthier as a nation now then we were in 1960. And, most of the diseases that are plaguing us today are largely due to poor lifestyle choices and obesity. When it come to weight, you most certainly DO NOT want to be average. You want to be NORMAL -- whatever your normal is.

When you live your Life By Design, your body has no option but to be NORMAL. As you remove the foods that are toxic and poison to your body, as you add in foods that are incredibly nutrient-dense, satisfying, and are meeting the genetic requirements of your body, as you begin to Move By Design, and as you establish and maintain and clear brain-body connection, your body will naturally settle out at what is NORMAL for you. And I can say this for sure...It won't be AVERAGE!

So, go! Be extraordinary!

Living on Principle

Living on principle

“As a human being you have no choice about the fact that you need a philosophy. Your only choice is whether you define your philosophy by a conscious, rational, disciplined process of thought and scrupulously logical deliberation – or let your subconscious accumulate a junk heap of unwarranted conclusions, false generalizations, undefined contradictions, undigested slogans, unidentified wishes, doubts and fears, thrown together by chance, but integrated by your subconscious into a kind of mongrel philosophy and fused into a single, solid weight: self-doubt, like a ball and chain in the place where your mind’s wings should have grown.” ~ Ayn Rand

I would wager that most people would find that quote very powerful and true. I would also wager that in the same breath they would think to themselves: "What (if anything) does philosophy have to do with health and life?"

Make no mistake: the world health crisis is a philosophical one, particularly derived from the main branch of philosophy -- Metaphysics.

Most people link the idea of philosophy to a Sunday afternoon activity usually involving coffee or tea with a friend. We get together and “philosophize” and then return to “the real world” on Monday with no significant impact on our lives. Even this idea itself is based on a philosophy (the philosophy of Immanuel Kant).

Here are some others:
"What a terrible thing for that person to do, but he couldn't help it. He is only human." (Augustine)
"It might be true in theory, but not in practice." (Hegel)
"Don't be so sure; you can't be sure of anything." (Kant)

The point is: philosophy is vital in the world and you have accepted bits and pieces of various philosophies.

Health and wellness are no different! When most people think of losing weight they think that they have to do more “cardio”. People think that eating whole grains is different and better than eating refined grains, that health can be found in a pill bottle, and that getting older is synonymous with aches, pains, and arthritis. All these ideas are based on incorrect philosophies on health.

Life By Design is a also a philosophy. It is based on the exact opposite principles and ideas than the current “sick” care model. It is in this gap where success lies. By following correct principles, results (more health, vitality, energy, less medication, less illness and less disease) are a natural extension. If the “sick” care philosophies were correct, wouldn’t we see similar results? Instead we are sicker and more diseased than ever before.

The problem is not a shortage of doctors, not enough hospitals, or too many bacteria. The problem is simply philosophical. The next series of newsletters will discuss where the errors in current medical philosophy are, and how they are contributing to symptoms, sickness, and disease. I will also share with you how the Life By Design philosophy perceives the same circumstance and how it has led to success after success worldwide.

IT'S NOT ABOUT YOUR PAIN!

I wish I could say that this was the last time I was going to say this, but I know I'll be saying it for the rest of my chiropractic career. IT'S NOT ABOUT YOUR PAIN! Our purpose as chiropractors is NOT to help you feel/experience less pain. If that is all you want, then may I suggest an aspirin?

The purpose of chiropractic is to help you to experience your FULL health potential. To help you experience more LIFE. To allow you and your family the opportunity to tap into the limitless energy, wisdom, and intelligence that you already possess. Did you know that the intelligence that created and formed you from two cells and directed your development from nothing more than a blob of 64 cells to who you are today still resides in you? That power didn't leave you the minute you were born. It's still there, waiting to be unleashed again to perform feats and miracles in your life. Did you ever sit back and watch a newborn baby learn to roll over? How did it know what to do? Did somebody teach it to roll over? Did somebody give it a supplement, pill or therapy to get it to roll over? NO! That baby's inner (innate, inborn) intelligence already knew how to do it. When the time was right and all the proper muscles were developed, the baby rolled over. Not before, and not after that baby was ready. The principle applies to learning to walk, or talk, or any of the other developmental milestones.

So, why babies and children acquire new skills and learn to do things almost automatically and we, as grown ups, are stuck with pain, headaches, backaches, poor digestion, you name it? Well, the simple answer is that that baby or child is living more By Design than most grown ups. Their little life is less cluttered, they have less toxic build up in their bodies, they have been exposed to fewer mental, emotional, chemical and physical stresses. In short, they are connected to their innate intelligence at a more basic level and they have fewer interferences getting in the way of that connection. It is easier for a child/baby to express their full health potential.

However, as we age and live our lives, we encounter multiple chemical, physical, and mental stresses every single day that cause us to partially lose our connection with our innate intelligence. We have more and more opportunities to create interferences in our lives that prevent us from reaching our full potential. Thus, we experience aches, pain, distracted thought, asthma, indigestion,...and on and on....

The purpose of the chiropractic adjustment is to remove some of the interferences that we have created in our bodies that are blocking the full expression of life. The purpose of Life By Design is to remove some of the interferences that we have created in our behavior that are blocking the full expression of life. So, whether you continue to feel pain or not is not our concern. We are more concerned with helping you to change your behaviors (Eat By Design, Move By Design and Think By Design) while we remove the interferences in your nerve system (Brain-Body Connection) so that you can experience the fullest amount of LIFE.

Paleo Pumpkin Pancakes

Okay. You've heard me mention pumpkin pancakes and now here is the recipe. I originally found this recipe and have modified it a bit. These are a HUGE favorite in our house.

5 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1-2 Tbsp almond butter
1+ tsp. pure vanilla extract
Cinnamon or pumpkin pie spice or allspice for flavor

With a mixer, mix everything together and cook in a frying pan over medium heat. These taste great on their own, or you can top them with butter or fruit spread. I've even used left over pumpkin pancakes to make a "peanut butter and jelly" sandwich for the kids' lunch. However I used almond butter and fruit spread. So GOOD!!!