Archive for April, 2008

New report that anti-depressant drugs are useless quackery!

Monday, April 28th, 2008

I have some breaking news that I wanted to get to you right away.

A study was just released from the independent medical journal PLoS Medicine.
This study is sending shockwaves through the medical community. It finally
reveals the big hoax behind antidepressant drugs. Through fraudulent science
and clever marketing, drug companies have managed to take a drug that works
no better than a placebo and turn it into a multi-billion dollar scam.

According to this research, taking drugs like Prozac is no more effective than
taking a sugar pill! Hundreds of millions of consumers have been fooled by the
quack science supporting modern pharmaceutical medicine.

The researchers obtained data on all of the clinical trials submitted to the FDA
for the licensing of several antidepressant drugs.  They then analyzed the data to
determine whether or not the drugs were improving the severity of clinical depression.

They found that the overall effect of the new generation of antidepressants was
below the recommended criteria for clinical significance.  In other words, they
didn’t work.

In fact, they showed there was virtually no difference in the improvement scores
for drug and placebo in patients with moderate depression and a clinically
insignificant difference among patients with severe depression.

So what do these findings mean?

The findings suggest that compared with a placebo (sugar pill), the new-generation
antidepressants do not produce clinically significant improvements in depression in
patients who have moderate or even very severe depression.

Given these results, the researchers conclude that there’s little reason to prescribe
new-generation antidepressant medications to anyone but the absolute worst cases
of severely depressed patients.

So if you know anyone taking these types of medications, you might want to pass
on this brand new information to them.

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN

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The 20 worst restaurant meals in America

Monday, April 21st, 2008

I saw this information the other day and I had to send it to you immediately
because after reading it, all I could think was, WOW.

It’s the list of the 20 worst restaurant meals in America, and it’s shocking.  I
can’t believe how many calories and how much fat is in some of these meals.

I must confess, I’ve eaten a couple of these meals before (not all the time) and
even though they taste good, it’s still very shocking to see the nutritional value
and number of calories in them.

So check these out and see if you’ve eaten any of these lately.

20: Worst Fast-Food Chicken Meal - Chicken Selects Premium Breast Strips
from McDonald’s (5 pieces) with cream ranch sauce.
830 Calories, 55 grams fat (4.5 trans fat), 48 carbs. Add a large fries and
regular soda and this seemingly innocuous chicken meal tops out at 1,710
calories.

19: Worst drink - Jamba Juice Chocolate Moo’d Power Smoothie (30 fl oz).
900 calories, 10 g fat, 183 carbs, 166 g sugar.
Jamba Juice calls it a smoothie; MSNBC calls it a milk shake. The beverage
contains as much sugar as 8 pints of Ben & Jerry’s butter pecan ice cream.

18: Worst supermarket meal - Pepperidge Farm Roasted Chicken Pot Pie
(whole pie).
1,020 calories, 64 g fat, 86 g carbs.
Label may say this pie serves two, but, who ever divided a small pot pie in
half? Once you crack the crust, there will be no stopping.

17: Worst ‘healthy’ burger - Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger.
1,145 calories, 71 g fat, 56 g carbs.

16: Worst Mexican entree - Chipotle Mexican Grill Chicken Burrito.
1,179 calories, 47 g fat, 125 g carbs, 2,656 mg sodium.

15: Worst kids’ meal - Macaroni Grill Double Macaroni ‘n’ Cheese.
1,210 calories, 62 g fat, 3,450 mg sodium.
It’s like feeding your kid 1 1/2 boxes of Kraft mac ‘n’ cheese.

14: Worst sandwich - Quiznos Classic Italian (large).
1,528 calories, 92 g fat, 4,604 mg sodium, 110 g carbs.
A large homemade sandwich would more likely provide about 500 calories.

13:  Worst salad - On the Border Grande Taco Salad with Taco Beef.
1,450 calories, 102 g fat, 78 g carbs, 2,410 mg sodium.
This isn’t an anomaly: Five different On the Border salads on the menu
contain more than 1, 100 calories each.

12: Worst burger - Carl’s Jr. (Hardee’s on East Coast) Double Six Dollar
Burger.
1,520 calories! 111g fat.
Carl’s Jr. brags its home to this enormous sandwich, but the restaurant chain
also provides convenient nutrition info on its Web site — so ignorance is no
excuse for eating it.

11: Worst steak - Lonestar 20 oz T-bone.
1,540 calories, 124g fat. Add a baked potato and Lonestar’s Signature Lettuce
Wedge, and this is a 2,700 calorie blowout.

10: Worst breakfast - Bob Evans Caramel Banana Pecan Cream Stacked and
Stuffed hotcakes.
1,540 calories, 77 g fat (9 g trans fat), 198 g carbs, 109 g sugar.
Five Egg McMuffins yield the same caloric cost as this stack of sugar-stuffed
flapjacks, which is truly a heavy breakfast, weighing in at a hefty pound and a
half.

9: Worst dessert - Chili’s Chocolate Chip Paradise Pie with Vanilla Ice Cream.
1,600 calories, 78 g fat, 215 g carbs.
Would you eat a Big Mac for dessert? How about three? That’s the calorie
equivalent of this decadent dish.  Clearly, Chili’s customers get their money’s
worth.

8: Worst Chinese entree - P.F. Chang’s Pork Lo Mein.
1,820 calories, 127 g fat, 95 g carbs.
The fat content in this dish alone provides more than 1,100 calories. And you’d
have to eat almost five servings of pasta to match the number of carbs it
contains. Now, do you really need five servings of pasta?

7: Worst chicken entree - Chili’s Honey Chipotle Crispers with Chipotle Sauce.
2,040 calories, 99 g fat, 240 g carbs.
‘Crispers’ refers to an extra thick layer of bread crumbs that soak up oil and adds
unnecessary calories and carbs to these glorified chicken strips.

6: Worst fish entree - On the Border Dos XX Fish Tacos with Rice and Beans.
2,100 calories, 130 g fat, 169 g carbs, 4,700 mg sodium.
Perhaps the most misleadingly named dish in America: A dozen crunchy tacos
from Taco Bell will saddle you with fewer calories.

5: Worst pizza - Uno Chicago Grill Chicago Classic Deep Dish Pizza.
2,310 calories, 162 g fat, 123 g carbs, 4,470 mg sodium.
Downing this ‘personal’ pizza is equivalent to eating 18 slices of Domino’s
Crunchy Thin Crust cheese pizza.

4: Worst pasta - Macaroni Grill Spaghetti and Meatballs with Meat Sauce.
2,430 calories, 128 g fat, 207 g carbs, 5,290 mg sodium.
This meal satisfied your calorie requirements for an entire day.

3: Worst nachos - On the Border Stacked Border Nachos.
2,740 calories, 166 g fat, 191 g carbs, 5,280 mg sodium.

2:  Worst starter - Chili’s Awesome Blossom.
2,710 calories, 203 g fat, 194 g carbs, 6,360 mg sodium.

1: The worst food in America - Outback Steakhouse Aussie Cheese Fries with
Ranch Dressing.
2,900 calories, 182 g fat, 240 g carbs.
Even if you split these ’starters’ with three friends, you’ll have downed a
dinner’s worth of calories before you entree arrives.

Have you had any of these meals?  Pretty scary isn’t it?

So if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain your weight, it’s probably a
good idea to eat these meals in moderation or as a treat to yourself.

Have a great day!

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN

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Applied Kinesiology and the Athlete

Friday, April 18th, 2008

Did you know that I know write a column for the bi-monthly magazine Midwest events? Athletes have long embraced chiropractic in general, and those in the know specifically seek out applied kinesiology.

Here’s the article as it appeared in the March/April issue. I hope you enjoy.

Applied Kinesiology: How you can gain that competitive edge while reducing risk of injury
Each athlete has his/her own reasons for competing. For some it’s general health and fitness. For others it’s an innate competitive drive to win. Others love the social aspect. No matter the reason you compete, if you’re like most people, you want to minimize your risk of injury, feel great, both on the road, and at home in-between training sessions, and perform to the best of your abilities. One way to effectively achieve all of this is through applied kinesiology (AK). Nutrition, cross-training, weights…there are many ways that you can optimize your training. AK, and the method of muscle testing that is a key aspect of this approach, allows us to see the “big picture” and help us to better understand what the body needs to function at its peak. AK provides a road map of the body so you can coordinate all systems efficiently and in the most effective way possible. What’s the best sports drink for your individual body? Is there a specific food that you could cut out of your diet to eliminate that runner’s diarrhea? Are all your muscles firing like the well-tuned machine you strive to be? Imagine a NASCAR racer attempting to win a race firing on only five cylinders instead of all eight. That is what most athletes are doing every time they toe the line. If you’re going to go out there, you may as well give it your all!

Gaining Your Edge

If AK is an avenue you would like to pursue, the first step is to make an appointment with a health care practitioner who is certified in AK. When you go in for your appointment you will go over any injuries, concerns, and health history. One of the unique aspects of AK is the fact that whether you are aware of any health issues or not is inconsequential because the practitioner can determine them through a simple but methodical series of muscle tests.

A big goal is to reduce any negative symptoms that you are experiencing. But kinesiology has the strength to go even beyond that. I like to use the term Total Body Wellness. When an athlete enters my office, the main goal is to achieve Total Body Wellness. Anything I can do to help the body heal from injuries, reduce the risk of future injuries, increase performance, and overall vitality; that’s what we’re after.

As an athlete you can respect the importance of having all your muscles contracting and relaxing in appropriate harmony with the rest of your body. It’s going to be pretty hard to have a killer bike split if your quads are only firing at 35% efficiency! That’s a major aspect of AK. Through nutrition, chiropractic adjustments, meridian therapy (like acupuncture), and many other modalities, a major outcome is that your muscle, joints and entire structures are going to be more balanced, more powerful, and finely tuned. That’s not all though. The most important part of the muscle testing is actually the aid it lends in assessing the health of the nervous system and the internal organs. AK is really about total body health; powerful performance, fewer injuries, and increased vigor are just side benefits are of optimal health. (What a concept - health care that has side
benefits instead of harmful side effects).

It’s simple: the body very rarely stops working for no reason. If you have a headache, shin splints, or constipation, there’s a reason. The trick is finding the real cause and correcting that cause. With AK, I’ve seen problems that have lingered for decades resolve in weeks.

The body breaks down from the inside out

The reason that a certified kinesiologist can gain understanding of the interior of the body simply by testing muscle function is due to a phenomenon known as the viscero-somatic reflex. Viscera means organ and soma refers to the body or muscles. In essence, when we abuse our body (consciously or otherwise) it will suffer. Let me use the example of the chest muscle, the pectoralis major. If your liver is stressed out in any way, it will send a reflex to the pectoralis muscle and consequently, your performance is going to suffer. Can you imagine being in the pool and trying to do fifty laps without your pectoralis muscles fully firing? Might you suppose this puts extra burden on the surrounding muscles - muscles that are trying to pick up the slack? You can see then, how a body out of balance like this could lead to decreased performance as well as more frequent injuries.

Tried and True

Applied Kinesiology is a well-hidden secret. It’s how Dr. Jeff Spencer helped Lance Armstrong and the Discovery team win 7 Tour de Frances. It’s what Dr. Craig Buhler uses to keep the Utah Jazz in peak condition. And it’s what I used with Rasmus Henning before he placed fifth at the 2007 Lifetime Fitness Triathlon. Countless other professional athletes trust and utilize AK to optimize their training. Why not you?

Dr. Chris Frykman is a Doctor of Chiropractic specializing in Kinesiology which is the BEST news for athletes. As a Certified Kinesiologist and an USAT Certified Tri Coach, Dr Chris provides the most customized and targeted care for athletes to keep them in win victory status. Dr Chris uses the most innovative treatment through Total Body Wellness which helps individuals, like you, achieve their athletic and life goals. His practice, Vibrant Potential, is in Shakopee, MN. Contact Dr. Chris at 952-224-2909 or email DrChris@VibrantPotential.com to discover how to best leverage your training, racing, and to remain injury-free. Learn more at his website, www.vibrantpotential.com.

Posted in Chiropractic, Exercise | No Comments »

Chiropractic on Montel Williams

Wednesday, April 16th, 2008

A few months ago, Montel Williams had his chiropractor on his talk show. The reason why is because he received tremendous results from chiropractic care.

If you didn’t know, Montel suffers from Multiple Sclerosis (MS). That combined with previous athletic injuries resulted in Montel living in pain everyday.

Once he received his first chiropractic adjustment, he experienced almost immediate relief.

If you’d like to watch the segment of his show where he talks about his experience with chiropractic and the benefits he’s received, there’s a YouTube video clip available. Here’s the link to go watch it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qiOtb6yM_ow

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN

Posted in Chiropractic | No Comments »

What happens to your body when you drink a coke

Monday, April 14th, 2008

I came across some interesting information the other day that I thought would
be fun to share with you.

I’m sure you know that drinking Coca Cola isn’t very good for you.  In fact it
provides absolutely no nutritional.

So check this out.  When someone drinks a Coke, watch what happens…

In the first 10 minutes: 10 teaspoons of sugar hit your system. (100% of your
recommended daily intake.) You don’t immediately vomit from the
overwhelming sweetness because an ingredient called phosphoric acid cuts
the flavor allowing you to keep it down.

At 20 minutes: Your blood sugar spikes, causing an insulin burst. Your liver
responds to this by turning any sugar it can get its hands on into fat. (There’s
plenty of that at this particular moment)

40 minutes: Caffeine absorption is complete. Your pupils dilate, your blood
pressure rises, as a response your livers dumps more sugar into your
bloodstream. The adenosine receptors in your brain are now blocked
preventing drowsiness.

45 minutes: Your body ups your dopamine production stimulating the pleasure
centers of your brain. This is physically the same way heroin works, by the
way.

>60 minutes: The phosphoric acid binds calcium, magnesium and zinc in your
lower intestine, providing a further boost in metabolism. This is compounded
by high doses of sugar and artificial sweeteners also increasing the urinary
excretion of calcium.

>60 Minutes: The caffeine’s diuretic properties come into play. (It makes you
have to pee.) It is now assured that you’ll evacuate the bonded calcium,
magnesium and zinc that was headed to your bones as well as sodium,
electrolyte and water.

>60 minutes: As the rave inside of you dies down you’ll start to have a sugar
crash. You may become irritable and/or sluggish. You’ve also now, literally,
pissed away all the water that was in the Coke. But not before infusing it with
valuable nutrients your body could have used for things like even having the
ability to hydrate your system or build strong bones and teeth.

So there you have it, an avalanche of destruction in a single can. Imagine
drinking this day after day, week after week. Or how about the people who
drink 2 or 3 cans a day?

My suggestion: limit your soda intake and stick to water, real juice from fresh
squeezed fruit, and iced tea without sweetener.

Have a great day!

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN

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Drugs that steal your energy

Saturday, April 5th, 2008

Do you know what the #1 selling drug in the world right now is? It’s Lipitor,
the cholesterol drug made by the giant drug company, Pfizer.  The drug
companies love these big profit drugs. But there’s a big problem…

What most people don’t know - including most doctors - is that statin drugs
like Lipitor rob you of your most important heart nutrient, CoQ10.

CoQ10 is an extremely important nutrient.  It’s the primary engine behind the
“slow burn” of metabolism, the fundamental process that turns raw calories into
power for healthy living. In fact, did you know that CoQ10 accounts for 95% of
the energy your body makes?  It’s the source of the vital energy and inner
strength that’s been with you since the day you were born.

CoQ10 is especially crucial to heart health. Your heart needs enormous amounts
of energy to function properly - and CoQ10 is its main power supply. Consider
this: if your heart’s CoQ10 levels were to decline by 75 percent, it would stop
beating.(1)

Drug companies continue to overlook this basic fact, even though there have
been hundreds of studies proving how important CoQ10 is to keeping your
heart pumping strong.

The research on this goes back nearly twenty years:

In a study published in 1990, scientists found that lovastatin, one of the most
popular heart drugs at the time, actually worsened heart health in patients
hospitalized for cardiovascular disease.(2) Lovastatin drove people’s CoQ10
levels down to dangerously low levels. And when they were given CoQ10
supplements to restore the levels to normal, their heart health immediately
improved.  Research from a 1999 study confirmed this finding.(3)

Then in 2002, another key review of 30 years of research reinforced the
hazardous impact heart drugs have on CoQ10 levels.(4)

What’s even more unbelievable is that the drug companies have known about
this problem for years. Merck & Co., one of the biggest statin drug companies,
went so far as to patent a treatment in 1989 that would combine statins with
CoQ10 to offset the threat they pose to heart health…and then buried it.(5)

The language of the patent acknowledges the problem, noting that drugs
including lovastatin, simvastatin, and pravastatin keep your body from making
CoQ10. Yet they later decided it was better if you didn’t know that!

    “Dr. Chris Improves my health beyond the adjustments” - Deb King
The bottom line is this: even if you have heart disease, you should consider
staying away from statin drugs. The possible consequences of low CoQ10
levels go way beyond heart health.  Your brain, liver, pancreas, and other
major organs need it to do their jobs.

Instead, talk to your doctor about CoQ10 treatment. Just 100 mg per day has
shown benefits like lower blood pressure, reversed heart damage, and
improved heart function.

You can find CoQ10 supplements online or in natural grocery stores. Since it’s
a fat-soluble compound, take it with fish oil (EPA/DHA) or cod liver oil as this
will help your body absorb it.

Helping you live YOUR Vibrant Potential,

Dr. Chris Frykman

Shakopee, MN

PS: For a supplement that delivers pure, pharmaceutical grade CoQ10 to your
body, I recommend CoQ10 supplements from Nutrition Dynamics.  It’s
available for purchase in my office, so call 952-224-2909 or stop by if you’d
like to try it!

Resources
1 Folkers et al. “Nutrition and cardiac health. A deficiency of coenzyme Q10
is a dominant molecular cause of heart failure.” Journal of Optimal Nutrition.
1993. (4):264-274.
2 Folkers et al. “Lovastatin decreases coenzyme Q levels in humans.”
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 1990. 87(22):8931-4.
3 Langsjoen PH et al. “Overview of the use of CoQ10 in Heart Disease.” 1999.
Cardiovascular Disease Biofactors. 9(2-4):273-85.
4 Barbara Sarter. “Coenzyme Q10 and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review.
Alternative Medicines for Cardiovascular Diseases.” Journal of Cardiovascular
Nursing. 2002. 16(4):9-20.
5 US Patent Number 4933165. Filing date: January 18, 1989. Issue date: June
12 1990. Inventor: Michael S. Brown. Assignee: Merck & Co.

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