Wellness Resources

Below are some website and books that we recommend.

Web Sites:

Unique device for home traction of low back.
http://www.backpainrelief.com/

The Center for Science in the Public Interest is a great no-nonsense clearing house for up-to-date research on health, especially diet related issues.
http://www.cspinet.org/index.html

USDA web site for food nutrition content. Very interesting.
http://www.ars.usda.gov/ba/bhnrc/ndl

Alliance for Holistic Healthcare Community is a local (Central Ohio) organization. The AHH Community stands for the Alliance for the Holistic Healthcare Community. We are a group dedicated to helping all holistic health practitioners become more successful in their work, through networking with other professionals and through changing the laws to protect their right to practice.
http://www.ahhcommunity.org/

Two organizations working to enact legislation creating a single payer health care plan. Span Ohio works on the state level and PNHP works on the national level. Interesting reading.
http://www.pnhp.org
http://www.spanohio.org

Good individual health depends on healthy food, healthy community, healthy environment and a healthy society.  Simply Living is a local organization that provides educational opportunities for people who want to improve their lives, their community and the environment as well as partnering with the Clintonville Community Market to bring wholesome organic foods to the community.  This web site has information about the activities and learning opportunities available through Simply Living as well as links to the sites of over 200 organizations working toward the same goals.
http://www.simplyliving.org/sl/index.htm

Recommended Books:

These books cover a wide range of topics and interests. What unites them is that each provided at least one gem of an idea that shifted my thinking and changed my life in some way. Several of these books are twenty or thirty years old or older. If so, it means that the ideas have stood the test of time and I am still living and learning from the concepts presented. The newer books represent recent shifts in world paradigms that show what is possible socially, politically, economically and spiritually.

I had second thoughts about presenting books on subjects outside of health care. Politics, theology, psychology and social science really are not my fields and I was - I am - afraid that some people will think that I am trying to force my beliefs on them from the pulpit of the “doctor.” That is not my intent. There is obviously a world of ideas that I have just begun to explore. I believe that we are all on a journey of exploration together. By presenting these books to you I am like a fellow passenger on the train who has spotted an interesting tree or animal in the distance and said, “Oh, look at that.”

It is up to you to look or not to look and, if interested, decide for yourself whether it is worth any more of your attention. These books are listed in no particular order except how they fell off my shelf as I was looking for them or how they came to mind as Diana and I were discussing them.

I do hope you find something to enjoy.

Kristopher Keller, D.C.
06/22/2006

 

Crossing the Quality Chasm: A New Health System for the 21st Century
The Committee on Quality Health Care in America
Copyright 2001
National Academy Press
2101 Constitution Avenue, N.W.
Box 285
Washington, D.C., 20055

The American health care system is broken. A panel of experts commissioned by Congress looks at what needs to be done to fix it. Enlightening, authoritative and revolutionary. Although some of the recommendations have produced some action within the health care system, the most fundamental changes that will bring about a truly functional system have been ignored by Congress and the health care industry so far. When the system collapses all together, this book can provide a template for starting over and creating a system that works for everyone.-KK

Ayurveda: The Science of Self Healing
Vasant Lad, M.D.
Copyright 1984
Lotus Press
P.O. Box 6265
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-6265

This simply written and easy to read book was my introduction to the Indian healing system known as Ayurveda, literally meaning, “The Knowledge of Life.” This was the traditional healing system for thousands of years in India until it was suppressed and replaced by Western medicine when India was under the rule of the British Empire. Ayurveda is making a strong comeback in India and has a growing following in the U.S. because it offers an explanation of the causes of disease and methods of maintaining health with natural and simple methods. When I read this book I had the realization for the first time that what is good for one person may not be good for another because of differences in our basic physiological make-up. This same concept has been borrowed since then by authors of many books such as the The Zone Diet and The Body Type Diet.-KK

 

The Ayurvedic Cookbook: A Personalized Guide to Good Nutrition and Health
Amadea Morningstar and Urmila Desai
Copyright 1990
Lotus Press
P.O. Box 2AC
Wilmot, WI 53192

This is a useful companion book or even prelude to Dr. Lad’s Ayurveda. Although Dr. Lad did not have anything to do with writing The Ayurvedic Cookbook, he does endorse it. This may be a better introduction to Ayurveda than Dr. Lad’s book for many people with an interest in learning a little about Ayurveda and trying some of the principles in their own life. The introduction and description of Ayurveda and the principles of taste as related to healing properties of foods are very simple and easily accessible. Although it leaves out many of the aspects of Ayurvedic diagnosis and treatment presented in Dr. Lad’s book, it gives the neophyte a useful starting point that is a little less intimidating than learning pulse diagnosis or how to do a therapeutic enema.-KK

 

The Yoga of Herbs: An Ayurvedic Guide to Herbal Medicine
Vassant Lad, M.D. and David Frawley
Copyright 1986
Lotus Press
Lotus Press
P.O. Box 6265
Santa Fe, New Mexico 87502-6265

This is another great companion book to Dr. Lad’s Ayurveda. The most commonly available herbs from Ayurvedic, Western and Oriental traditions are discussed and their relevance in the Ayurvedic system is explained. The book also contains a nice introduction to Ayurvedic diagnosis that is a bit more involved than that found in Morningstar’s The Ayurvedic Cookbook but less complex than Lad’s Ayurveda.

 

Fit for Life
Harvey and Marilyn Diamond.
Copyright 1985
Warner Books Inc.
1272 Avenues of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

Fit for Life also provides a unique viewpoint on health. It was my introduction to the idea that it is not only what you eat that is important, it is what your body does with it that is the difference between health and illness. This book discusses in detail the practice of “food combining” which is based on the theory that some foods digest more easily in combination than other foods. Combining foods that do not digest well together at the same meal will cause digestive stress and damage to the digestive tract that may eventually lead to other diseases. The concepts in this book have worked well for many of my patients who suffered from various conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome, chronic constipation and colitis.-KK

 

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You
Copyright 1996
Elaine N. Aron, PhD
Broadway Books/Random House
1540 Broadway
New York, NY 10036

How many of us growing up were the shy one, the sensitive one? Does your family fail to understand why you need time to be alone sometimes? Do loud noises and overly busy public places overwhelm you? In a culture that values bravado over common sense and machismo over compassion the sensitive person seems to be at a disadvantage. But that is not necessarily true. Dr. Aron helps you understand that being a highly sensitive person can be a blessing and not a curse. This is a wonderful resource for those of us who don’t appreciate rude people, buzzing fluorescent lights or the World Wrestling Federation.-KK

 

The Five Love Language
Gary Chapman
Copyright 1992
Northfield Publishing
215 West Locust Street
Chicago, IL 61610

Chapman’s theory is that each of us has our own way of expressing the love we have for those around us. If we are expressing our love in a language that our mate or other loved one does not understand they will not feel loved despite our best efforts. What should be a successful relationship can fail just because of this miscommunication. Chapman categorizes five different “languages of love” that we speak. Then he teaches you how to express the love you feel for someone in precisely the way that they will best understand it. Though written from a Christian perspective there are lessons for anyone of any faith. This book will save marriages and lives. I can not recommend it highly enough. Available mostly in Christian bookstores but I have seen it at Borders and on Amazon.-KK

 

Your Money or Your Life
Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
Copyright 1992
Penguin Group Inc.
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014

This is the book that put voluntary simplicity on the map. The authors were professional financial planners who researched native cultures and found that pre-industrial societies were able to meet their need for food, clothing and shelter working only three hours per day. The difference between them and us is that we have learned to trade our time (our lives) for a multitude of modern conveniences that cost money. If we feel like we have no time for family and friends, maybe we have too much unnecessary junk to pay for. This was a radical concept ten + years ago when the book first came out. The accelerating proliferation of gadgetry in our lives and the creeping increase in the length of the average workweek in America make it obvious today. What are we working so hard for? Your Money or Your Life is the original guide to restoring sense to our finances and regaining control over our lives.-KK

 

Journey of Souls
Michael Newton, PhD
Copyright 1994
Llewellyn Publications
P.O. Box 64383
St. Paul, MN 55164-0383

Dr. Newton claims to have taken hundreds of hypnosis subjects to the time between reincarnations where they review past lives and make plans for returning to Earth for continuing their spiritual path. Whatever you feel about reincarnation, the book is compelling reading, offering a glimpse of a budding new American theology that blends Eastern Mysticism, Western Spirituality and a dash of Elizabeth Kubler-Ross. It is available at many esoteric bookstores. I’ve seen it at Phoenix Books and Pearls of Wisdom.-KK

Islandia
Austin Tappan Wright
Copyright 1942
Rinehart & Company
New York, NY

This book is unique among the books recommended here in that it admittedly is fictional. Based on reviews on Amazom.com, readers either love it or hate it. They either see it as a life changing story or a waste of time. Consider the age it was written and the pace of movies from that era compared to the post-Spielberg era. If you are looking for an exciting adventure story this is not the book for you. If you are looking for a love story intertwined around an exploration of utopian ideals set in a fictional land in the early part of the 20th century this might be it. Written 60 years ago, Wright covers such issues as American foreign policy, economic colonization of the third world, women’s rights, ecology and the conflict between a simple agrarian lifestyle and a consumer society. It is as relevant today as it was when it was written. Maybe even more so. Any further description I give will just not do justice to this piece of literary art. Suffice to say that it takes you to a world you never want to leave.-KK

 

The E-Myth Revisited
Michael Gerber
Copyright 1995
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022

Michael Gerber is a business consultant. He has spent the past 30 years working with small businesses making them more efficient and profitable. But unlike other business consultants he does not focus just on the bottom line. He begins with the owner’s mind and soul and passion. The “E” in E Myth stands for entrepreneur. The “Myth” is that small businesses are started by entrepreneurs. The reality according to Gerber is that most small businesses are started by technicians who want to work for themselves. What they end up with is the same thing they had when they were working for someone else, except now they also have the headaches and overhead and complications of running the business in addition to whatever their job was before. Gerber’s book begins the process of exploring what it is the owner really was looking for when they started their business. It probably was not more work, or to take on the job they were not prepared to do of running a company. Gerber gives plenty of food for thought to anyone thinking about starting a small business or wondering why they ever started a small business or trying to decide what comes after running a small business. If this book resonates with you then you will want to follow it up with the more detailed workbook E-Myth Mastery. -KK

 

The 8th Habit
Stephen R. Covey
Copyright 2004
Free Press
Division of Simon & Schuster, Inc.
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020

This is the follow up to Covey’s classic The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Covey has been a darling of the business and corporate world for 15 years with his messages of increased effectiveness through disciplined adherence to good business habits. This book landed with a thud because after years of consulting with business and industrial leaders all over the world Covey has discovered what most of them seem ill-prepared to hear. The main message of the book is that the opinion of the guy who sweeps the floor on the production floor may be just as important to the success of a company as the opinion of the guy who inhabits the office on the top floor. Covey’s research found that the most effective organizations are the ones that are the best at giving every member of the organization a voice. Covey teaches that the best organizations are not governed by one-way communication from the top-down but by free communication up the ladder and sideways from department to department as well. It seems to be a view that is long overdue in American industry and government.-KK

Raising Your Spirited Child: A Guide for Parents Whose Child Is More Intense, Sensitive, Perceptive, Persistent, Energetic
Mary Sheedy Kurcinka
Copyright 1991
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
10 West 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022

I guess the title says it all for this one. Does your child refuse to wear clothing until the tags are cut off? Does she insist that the seams in her socks be “just so” before she will put on her shoes? Is bed time a two hour battle? Some children have so much energy and passion about EVERYTHING that it could drive a parent crazy. With the help of this book you can survive and end up with a child who knows she is loved and appreciated. And you will feel a little less alone with the knowledge that other people have children just like yours.-KK

 

Your Erroneous Zones
Wayne Dyer, PhD.
Copyright 1995
HarperCollins Publishers, Inc.
10 West 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022

The copyright information on the Amazon web site says 1995. That must be the latest version because I read it back in the late 70s or early 80s. A lot of self help books have come and gone since Your Erroneous Zones was published. This is still is the classic for helping recognize the thought patterns that keep holding us back from our true potential in life. If it was not for this book I would probably never have had the courage to go back to school to get my chiropractic degree. If you are struggling with where you are in life, or know someone who is, pick up this book.-KK

Our Inner Ape
Frans de Waal
Copyright 2005
Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014

Frans de Waal is one of the worlds leading experts in the field of primatology. He has spent decades studying our closest biological cousins; chimpanzees and bonobos. We share 99% of our DNA with these two species. In his book, de Waal shares remarkable insights about the similarities and differences between our three species. Chimpanzee culture in the wild is based on a dominant male who rules by force in a strictly hierarchical society. Bonobo culture in the wild is based on a dominant female who rules a more peaceful clan within a non-hierarchical but organized structure. De Waal discusses the consequences of these traits and the fact that we humans share genetic traits of both chimpanzees and bonobos and therefore have the capacity to decide how we want to structure our society. A very easy and pleasurable read although some may be bothered by his European viewpoint of the Bush administration’s international policy and the comparisons with ape behavior-KK.