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No More Free Rides…For Our Groceries?

admin — Sat, 22 May 2010 00:57:36 +0000

Did you know that San Francisco was the first city in the country to ban the pervasive plastic shopping bag? That right! Three years ago, right here in the city. Of course it didn’t take long before Palo Alto and Oakland followed suit, and we’re always happy to lead the environmental way, and to keep baggies out of the bay where they end up inside marine mammals and out of the landfills where they will still be usable a thousand years from now. As an environmentally-aware healthcare provider, this particular achievement has always made me feel good…about us. But, now, other cities are complaining about our San Francisco experiment, and even threatening lawsuits amongst themselves because they say that banning plastic bags “forces” customers to carry out their purchases in paper bags! And, of course, there is a point here because there is definitely an environment cost to producing more and more paper bags from trees.

So, what’s the environmentally healthy answer? San Jose, Berkeley and Santa Clara County want to persuade people to use “reusable bags.” Their first step, which they are working on now, is to establish ordinances that would restrict the distribution of paper and plastic bags at checkout. How will they inspire consumers? By banning both all together or charging fees for the store-provided totes.

Before the city ordinances went into effect, San Francisco residents used 3.8 billion plastic bags annually. It’s been estimated my local officials that the ban has but that total by 100 million, so obvious it wasn’t a “perfect” solution. But, since 90 billion plastic bags are distributed in this country every year, with no healthy destination once the groceries are put away, something needs to be done on a national basis. I say, if we can no longer get “free meals” in coach class when we fly but are “forced” to come prepared, maybe it’s time to charge for bags at the store so that we can plan ahead and bring our own. What are your thoughts on this?

Technorati Tags: paper bag ban, plastic bag fees, San Francisco

A Sad Day for Happy Meals?

admin — Wed, 28 Apr 2010 00:10:21 +0000

As a chiropractor and a parent I have mixed emotions about the vote today by Silicon Valley county officials to ban (in parts of Santa Clara) restaurants from giving away toys (and other freebies) that frequently come with high-calorie meals for children, i.e., meals that contain more than 485 calories, more than 600 milligrams of sodium and excessive amounts of fat and sugars. The effort, of course, is not to vilify toys, but to try to curb childhood obesity. In fact, county Supervisor Ken Yeager, who pushed for the ban, said “It is unfair to parents and children to use toys to capture the tastes of children when they are young to get them hooked on eating high-sugar, high-fat foods early in life.”

So, here’s my dilemma: As a chiropractor who witnesses everyday, firsthand, the detrimental effects that excess weight has on the musculoskeletal system of my patients as they age (and the degeneration is happening at a far earlier age these days), I am always in agreement with any regulation that favors health. So, if it were true that “toys” seduced children into eating in an unhealthy way, then “hurray,” let’s ban them from restaurants everywhere! But, on the other hand, who’s in charge of a child’s diet? Restaurants? Young children don’t take themselves to McDonald’s for a happy meal! I know that it isn’t easy for busy parents to say “no” to the convenience of fast foods when their children would prefer it anyway. But, I disagree with Supervisor Yeager. A child’s taste isn’t “captured.” Children learn what to eat, and they are taught by their parents and guardians.

Yes, it’s true that one in three American children is either overweight or obese, and I am all for reducing high calorie food from a child’s diet. But, I also believe that education, not regulation, is the answer.

Daniel Conway, a spokesman for the restaurant association, said fast-food chains already offer healthy options for children, including milk, carrot sticks, apple slices and whole grains, and suggested that the ordinance was a “simplistic attention-grabbing move rather than a comprehensive, thoughtful effort to curb a serious problem.” I hardly ever agree with big business, but in this instance, I feel compelled.

Technorati Tags: fast food, healthy diet, junk food, toy ban

Bare-Footin’ in San Francisco

admin — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 19:14:26 +0000

Sometimes the younger generation, be they “X” or otherwise, think that we Baby Boomers are “older than dirt,” or at least older than the design and/or invention of anything useful, like running shoes, for instance. So, it is interesting that when Harvard biologist and runner, Daniel Lieberman, had a simple question: “How did people run without shoes?” he didn’t just ask one of us! Instead, he did some research.

And according to a study by Lieberman in February’s issue of the journal Nature, the answer is “people seem to be born to run — barefoot.” The study found that running barefoot seems better for the feet because it produces far less impact stress compared to feet hampered by expensive running shoes.

People who grew up running barefoot (such as boys in Kenya’s Rift Valley province, which is known for endurance running champs) tend to land mostly on the front or middle of the foot when they touch ground. And when these runners do use shoes, they continue to run in that way, while people who have always worn cushioned running shoes usually hit the ground heel first.

The difference in the way the foot strikes the ground is important. People with running shoes strike the ground with the mass of the entire leg, nearly 7 percent of the body, which is more than three times the weight of impact for barefoot running.

For runners in cushioned shoes, “it is literally like someone hitting you on the heel with a hammer,” Lieberman said. But, he said that “the way in which barefoot runners run is more or less collision free.”

So, the next time you teens, or you twenty-/thirty-something, San Francisco runners take off for Golden Gate Park or maybe even the Golden Gate Bridge, leave your shoes at home and do as we, Baby Boomers, used to do before there were fancy running shoes, just go barefoot!

Technorati Tags: barefoot, Daniel Lieberman research, Golden Gate Bridge, Golden Gate Park, jogging, running, running shoes, San Francisco

Climate Change: The Cost of Doing Nothing

admin — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:37:05 +0000

There are things in life that we regret (in hindsight). Like the song goes, “If I didn’t know now what I didn’t know then…” If we could see into the future and know “now” what will will surely know “then,” no person on earth would fail to do whatever it takes to stop global warming. As a Santa Barbara chiropractor, I make every effort to go that extra mile for my patients, not because I am a saint, but because I have experienced far too often in the past the awareness of futility and the horrible knowledge of an irretrievable loss embodied in feelings of “regret.” And, though we can regret things we’ve done, I believe the worst regret is our failure in doing something we could and should have done.

Some things we didn’t do, we didn’t do because we were ignorant. Some things we didn’t do, we didn’t do because we were lazy. And, some things we didn’t do, we didn’t do because we thought they were too expensive. But sometimes our “regrets” include all three, as the regret of inaction on global warming will certainly include.

There are those who are ignorant (most often by choice) about the future catastrophic effects of global warming. And, there are those who know that something needs to be done and that that something includes every human being’s participation. But, let’s face it, doing what needs to be done not only takes time and energy away from things we’d rather be doing, but interferes with many of them as well. And, finally, there is the question of cost. If we measure cost in terms of money, whether it is ceasing to burn and pillage the land in Third World countries or funding a new climate agreement among world powers, then the staggering $100 billion or more a year that it will cost by 2020 would put doing what needs to be done in the category of just “too expensive.” But if we measure “cost” in terms of what kind of planet will be left if we don’t take action, then not doing what needs to be done is far too costly!

As world leaders look to work out a new global climate accord in Copenhagen in December, their only task won’t be getting big polluters like the US and China to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, but the cost of change in many countries and among many people of the world. They’ll need to figure out financial incentives for fast-developing countries like India and Brazil so that they will convert to costly, but cleaner, technologies as they industrialize. And, they’ll discuss the money that will be needed to assist the poorest countries in coping with the consequences of current climate change, like droughts and rising seas. Many developing countries have made it clear that they won’t sign a treaty unless it includes money to help them adapt to a warmer planet.

It is my hope that when the future arrives we, people of the planet, will have no regrets. Rather, we will know “then” what we may not be certain of now. That the cost and sacrifice that we all made was worth every dollar, franc, pound, rupee, etc.

Technorati Tags: climate change, global warming

Devil's Slide

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 19:50:16 +0000

Several years ago, my wife and I closed our chiropractic clinic in the city for the day and took her mother on a road trip. My mother-in-law, from the flat world of Nebraska, was a few years away, at that time, from retiring as a chiropractor, herself. She’s a very nice person and somewhat adventurous for someone who seldom ventured out of the Midwest. In fact, she had an aversion to only two things as far as I knew — heights and bridges, both seemingly easily avoidable in the entire state of Nebraska. So it seemed incongruous to me that she wanted to take a drive along Highway 1, which we all know can be treacherous in parts. In fact, our destination that day was Devil’s Slide.

As it turned out, she’d recently rented the movie, “Portrait in Black,” and she wanted to see the spot where Anthony Quinn and Lana Turner sent a car containing her husband’s dead body over a cliff. My wife and I shrugged, and we were on our way. My Volvo weaved through a dense eucalyptus grove, ascended a steep incline, passed through a jagged gap between two steep rock walls, and emerged onto that familiar ribbon of clifftop roadway known as Devil’s Slide.

If you’ve driven along this stretch of Highway 1, you know that it is spectacularly treacherous or treacherously spectacular. But, anyway you say it, it is definitely heart-stoppingly beautiful. The windy bluff juts into the ocean at that point and seems as if it is suspended in mid-air. As we began our descent, gray-blue expanses of ocean, 500 feet below us, swept past the car windows. We were often forced to veer near-fatally close to the cliff’s edge. But, to my amazement, though I found myself white-knuckling the steering wheel, the only sound from my mother-in-law was a slightly audible, sustained expression of “awe.”

The drive only lasted five minutes, but my mother-in-law talked about it for the remainder of her visit with us. And, I have to admit, I was pretty awe-struck myself. Devil’s Slide is only ten miles south of the city, but for just a brief moment, a person feels in a whole different time and place.

If you haven’t been there yet, you’ll need to take a drive there soon because in 2011, the two tunnels that are currently being drilled into the bordering mountain, will open to traffic, and Devil’s Slide will be closed to vehicles. It is expected to be kept open as a path for pedestrians and cyclists, but the thrill of having your car’s tires skim the outside edge of the cliff will be a thing of past.

Technorati Tags: Devil's Slide, Portrait in Black"

Sacramento Chiropractor is Keeping The Ironman Strong

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 03:08:22 +0000

Every year tens of thousands, of triathletes around the world try to get a coveted spot in the Ford Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, held this year October 4-10. If you are a triathlete, you already know that there is no bigger day in this sport, which it had its first world championship in 1978 in Waikiki, Hawaii. It is the race that defined the triathlon from the beginning and continues to be the defining race for any avid triathlete.

Also known as the Ironman Triathlon World Championships or Ironman Hawaii, it’s a grueling long-distance race held under harsh conditions. It starts with a 2.4-mile swim, followed by a 112-mile bike race and ends with a marathon (26 miles, 385 yards) with no breaks between events.

Most seasoned triathletes start training for a triathlon at least six months before the race. But, if an individual who wants to compete and is in average to slightly poor physical condition, it is important to stretch out training time to as long as one year, slowly building up endurance and gradually introducing the body to the punishment of a triathlon.

A triathlete can qualify in two ways for the Ford Ironman World Championship (triathlon) by entering and finishing with a qualifying time in one of many Ironman qualifying races or winning the Ironman lottery, which is a random drawing for athletes who didn’t win an entry at a qualifying event, and awards a slot to compete at the World Championship.

So, while these athletes prepare to achieve a personal best, who stands behind them keeping them limber, flexible, and potentially injury-free? There are a number of health care professionals at the ready including a group of chiropractors who are part of the ART(Active Release Techniques) Performance Care Team. Among them is Sacramento chiropractor, Dr. Yong Kim, who treated the athletes at the 2004 Ironman Triathlon World Championship and 2007 Ironman Triathlon World Championship in Kona. ART is an advanced, cutting-edge soft tissue mobilization technique that helps keep triathletes in the race. “Just like my family of patients striving to make the best of their health, who all inspire me,” Dr. Kim explained, “I take that energy and give the Ironman triathletes all that I have with Active Release Technique and help them all with that one common goal of crossing that finish line as fast as possible, as smooth as possible and as injury-free as much as possible…remember that saying…’impossible is nothing’.”

This year will be the 31st annual Kona Hawaii Ironman event, and it is by far the largest event that the Big Island plays host to. The Ford Ironman World Championship takes the triathlon experience to a whole new level, and most of the participants agree that once you’ve finished Kona, your life is changed. These triathletes know that with tough preparation, nothing is impossible. Or, as Dr. Kim likes to say, “impossible is nothing”!

About Performance Chiropractic and Sports Care: Dr Yong Kim has over thirteen years experience helping thousands of individuals in the Sacramento area. He and his staff are dedicated to helping his patients achieve their optimal health. He uses the latest state-of-the-art technology and chiropractic equipment. In addition, Dr. Kim has special post doctoral training in the area of athletic and sports injuries and is up-to-date with the current developments in the field of physical rehabilitation exercise. He is also a provider of Active Release Techniques (ART), which has been proven to be a fast, effective, non-invasive way to heal a wide variety of soft tissue injuries.

Contact Information

Dr. Yong Kim
Performance Chiropractic and Sports Care
1707 Professional Way
Sacramento, CA 95825
Phone: (916) 483-6722
Email: dr.yongkim@gmail.com
Visit Website

Walt Disney Family Museum is Open…At Last!

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:08:27 +0000

All right, I have to admit it. I am a dyed-in-the-wool Disney fan. Yes, Harry Potter is great, but I still have fond memories of my first trip to Disneyland (the first year it opened in Buena Park and I was five-years-old). I suppose that’s why I asked my very creative CA, Kim, to paint pictures of Goofy and Pluto, and Pooh and Tigger on the walls of the room in my chiropractic clinic (rather than the newer characters) that I use primarily for children. There is a certain calming effect to those “old time” Disney faces. So, I’m thrilled that the new Walt Disney Family Museum is opening its doors to the public today.

If you don’t already know, the museum is located in the Presidio. It’s housed in two of the old army barracks (built in the 1890s). Along with the old barrack buildings is a newly constructed 20,000 square foot glass and steel building which is occupied by a 100 seat theatre, a pavilion and classrooms for teaching digital animation and traditional art techniques.

The Museum was built to tell the creative life story of Walt Disney. It will feature early drawings, animation and the Disney family history. Walt Disney’s voice own voice will be used to narrate certain exhibits.

So, I’ve closed my clinic for the day. I’m taking off my “chiropractor hat” and putting on my “grandparent hat” and heading for the museum. I purchased my tickets over a month ago because they won’t be available for purchase at the door today, but they will be in the future.

Technorati Tags: Walt Disney Family Museum

Lighting Up the City With Wind Power

admin — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 21:42:19 +0000

On Tuesday Mayor Newsom announced plans for installing turbines on rooftops around the city, stating, “We want to challenge the perception that wind is a rural or suburban phenomenon and not an urban resource.” He said that a goal of commercializing small-scale wind power and bringing down the cost of renewable electricity, and that small-scale wind power could contribute significantly to the city’s goal of generating 50 megawatts of electricity from renewables by 2030. As a chiropractor who both lives in the city and has a chiropractic clinic here, I am happy about this newest “green” approach that is another step for cleaning up the environment and the city’s budget as well. The plans foresee turbines on public and private buildings, as well as at Ocean Beach and Treasure Island. Newsom said demonstration turbines could be placed on the W Hotel, outside City Hall and on a new Public Utilities Commission building. Turbine Manufacturer, Blue Green Pacific, already has a 150-pound rooftop turbine that generates a maximum of half a kilowatt at three sites here, including the San Francisco Zoo.

According to the report, consumers will need more third-party evaluations to compare models, and it recommends that manufacturers create information labels similar to the federal Energy Star program for appliances and adhere to the pending industry standards to ease certification.

I’m looking forward to serving my patients, and dinner, using wind energy as the only source of my electricity!

Technorati Tags: wind power, wind turbines

Free and Easy San Francisco Style

admin — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 21:43:02 +0000

If you’re like me, you are visited frequently by family and friends (and friends of friends) who love San Francisco (at least for the weekend). And, I’m not complaining, really, about providing food and entertainment for most of my visitors. I’m a chiropractor who is doing okay even in this economy. In fact, most people know that chiropractic care can keep them healthy and prevent the kind of disease and disability that can keep them from working (or looking for work). But, after the nephew of my cousin’s good friend stayed at my condo a little longer than expected, I ran out of financial enthusiasm in the entertainment department. So, today when I came across a blog at sfgate.com with the heading, “Fun and free things to do in San Francisco,” it definitely caught my interest.

The suggestions for fun and free adventures will surprise you. They’re not usual crooked walk down Lombard Street or straight walk on the Golden Gate Bridge. No, these were suggestions like going for a free ride on the glass elevators at the St. Francis or going to the Sunday service at the Glide Memorial United Methodist Church. There were reasons for these suggestions and several more on the website.

So, if you’re like me and you’re running out of ideas and money when it comes to entertaining people you hardly know, check out sfgate.com for some freely-offered great ideas!

Technorati Tags: entertainment, Glide memorial United Methodist Church, San Francisco, St. Francis Hotel

UC Berkeley Study Results In Good News For Older Women and Exercise

admin — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 20:23:17 +0000

In two papers published in recent months and based on a 2006 study of endurance training on 10 women who averaged 55 years of age and were healthy but sedentary, UC Berkeley researchers report that postmenopausal women can achieve the same health benefits from regular, vigorous exercise as younger women do. As a chiropractor who has many female patients in this age group that I encourage to exercise on a regularly basis, I am thrilled that this information is getting out there to women everywhere.

“There is some good news here for older women in the population, in that they respond much like younger women do to training,” said study leader and exercise physiologist George Brooks, UC Berkeley professor of integrative biology. “The results are very encouraging for exercise without weight loss as an effective means for increasing vigor and controlling risk factors for chronic diseases in older women.”

Although the endurance training involved cycling on an exercise bike for an hour, five days a week, at 65 percent of maximum lung capacity, the researchers noted that even less strenuous aerobic exercise would likely produce some benefit.

This is definitely good news for women in this age group who generally experience decreased estrogen, lean body mass, and aerobic capacity. “Despite changes in hormones and changes in body composition, postmenopausal women can make significant changes in their cardiovascular fitness without going on extreme diets,” said Zinta Zarins, a newly minted UC Berkeley Ph.D. who conducted the experiments and is now a post-doctoral fellow at UC San Francisco.

By the end of the study, the participants’ blood pressure during exercise had dropped by 8 millimeters of mercury, while their heart rates were 19 beats per minute less when performing at the same intensity as early in the study. In addition, the women decreased their carbohydrate burning during exercise and increased their fat burning by about 10 percent. The women maintained their body weight as a way to balance energy input and expenditures.

These are very exciting results for postmenopausal women. Much more on this fascinating study can be found at sciencedaily.com.

Technorati Tags: blood pressure, exercise, health benefits, older women, postmenopausal women