Newfound respect for Will Ferrel, George Bush, and Oprah

Just finished the Grand Rapids Marathon. Unofficial time: 5 hrs 27 min. As much as I am happy with my time, it was far behing Will Ferrel, George Bush, P Diddy, and Oprah. I started my run with the Al Gore pace team (he did it in just under 5 hrs). I think I saw that Will Ferrel did it under 4!
New at the marathon was the addition of pickle juice as a refreshment. I understand there is some value to all the electrolytes in pickle juice, but I could not bring myself to drink some out of fear of an upset stomach.

I hope this inspires people to aim high with their health and fitness goals. I am not genetically made for running, but I did it. Start small and build upon it. You might surprise yourself. Just do it!

Marathon

Well, my first marathon is now only a few days away. The big question is: am I ready?
My answer: I don't know. I've never done a marathon before.
My gut says that I am ready, although my gut also told me that 19 miles was enough about a month ago. ( a marathon is 26.2 miles).
Wether or not I do well, I am sure that I will finish.

I would like to thank my wife Sheri Beth for her support during my training. She has offered me both encouragement and accountability throughout the past 8 months. She also happens to watch over our daughter while I take up to 5 hours to run on the weekend. Thanks honey.

One final pitch for the Anticancer Fund. You still have time to call the office and pledge money for this worthy cause. Like I've been saying all along, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but it's easier to profit from the pound of cure. We need more studies done on how diet and lifestyle changes can make a difference in cancer prevention. That's what the Anticancer Fund does. Our office number is (616) 301-3000.

I have never been much of a runner myself, and I hope that maybe I have inspired others to start running. If you are thinking about it, you can check out this video on stretches for runners. I shot it last week at John Collins Park in East Grand Rapids, on a beautiful but unseasonably warm October day. Hope this weather holds out for my big run!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMV6-KzV_WY

Running

I must admit I really don't like running long distances. Running around Reeds Lake here in East Grand Rapids is pleasant enough. Now that the weather is cooling off, it has truly been ideal (when it's not raining).

Being a Chiropractor, I can't help but analyze gait patterns in my fellow runners (occupational hazard). It comes as no surprise to me that more 50% of all runners are injured at any given time. Low arches, high arches, and internal or external rotation of the foot, ankle and hip can transfer their poor biomechanics up the lower body chain to the pelvis and spine and create low back pain, sacroliac pain, sciatica, and even upper back and neck pain. This is not new information for the seasoned runner. Many physical therapists and shoe stores offer gait analysis, often for free. What often is lacking however, is a postural analysis.

Yes, posture is even more important when you are running. Who knows about good posture? I can tell you from experience that the average person is so far off, that they could not attain good posture if you asked them to. Standing up straight is not enough. How do you know if you are straight enough? How far does your head protrude out from over your shoulder? Are your shoulders aligned in front of or in back of your pelvis? How much is your pelvis tilted? Do you have too much curve, or maybe not enough curve in your low back? Most Chiropractors can give you this information with a simple postural analysis.

If you have had physical therapy and still have low back pain, or the back pain has been on and off for years, or you even have had spinal surgery and the pain has come back, a Chiropractor usually can help.

That's my two cents for today. Now it's off to see patients. Have a great day!

Anticancer tip #4 Tumeric

Anticancer Tip #4: Tumeric is the most powerful natural anti-inflammatory food known to man today. It helps stimulate apoptosis (self destruction) in cancer cells and inhibits angiogenesis (tumor growth). Recent studies suggest that it can also enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy. Assimilation into the human body is best when combines with black pepper. Mix ¼ teaspoon of turmeric powder with a generous pinch of black pepper into a little olive oil for an anticancer dressing for salad or basmati rice.
Research such as this is far too uncommon today. You can’t patent turmeric, so there is little financial incentive to perform scientific studies on it. Please consider pledging money for my first marathon run to raise funds and awareness for Anticancer.

AntiCancer Tip #3

Eat more omega 3 fatty acids. A lack of this essential nutrient has been associated with increased inflammatory reactions in the body. Recent studies suggest that cancer thrives and tumor growth is promoted under these conditions. Good sources of omega 3 fatty acids are salmon, flaxseed oil, and free range chicken eggs.

Studies such as these are few and far between. You can't patent flaxseed oil or salmon, so there is little financial incentive to research them. To help ensure studies such as these continue, please consider donating to the Anticancer Fund. Dr. Schafer is running his first marathon taking pledges to keep the research going.

Anticancer Tip #2

Avoid high glycemic index foods. Mostly this means no sugar, white bread, white rice, and white potatoes. These can be replaced with agave nectar, white grain bread, basmati or brown rice, and sweet potatoes/yams respectively. Recent studies suggest that cancerous tumors feed on high blood sugar levels, such as those seen in people with diabetes. More on this topic can be found in, Anticancer: A New Way Of Life by Dr. David Servan-Schreider MD, PHD.

Studies such as these are few and far between. Research for cancer is predominantly driven by sales of pharmaceuticals and medical technology. Youcan’t patent sweet potatoes, so there is little financial incentive to

research them.

Please consider donating by pledging money to Dr. Schafer’s first marathon run, held on October 16th. All money will be forwarded to the Anticancer Fund, to ensure more studies like this will be done.

For more information on the Anticancer Fund, see
http://www.anticancerbook.com/fund.html

Anticancer Tip #1

“Strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, and cranberries contain ellagic acid and a large number of polyphenols. They stimulate the mechanisms of elimination of carcinogenic substances and inhibit angiogenesis. Anthocyanidins and proanthocyanidins also promote apoptosis in cancer cells.”
-Dr. David Servan-Schrieber, MD, PhD, from the book “Anticancer, a New Way of Life”.
Studies such as these are few and far between because research for Cancer is predominantly driven by sales of pharmaceuticals and medical technology. Blueberries have little chance of getting notice because you can’t patent fruits and vegetables. Therefore there is little incentive for anyone to study them.
This is why the Anticancer Fund is so important. Please consider donating by pledging money to Dr. Schafer’s first marathon run. All money will be forwarded to the Anticancer Fund, to ensure more studies likes this will be done.
An once of prevention is worth a pound of cure.