Dear friends,

With a new year just around the corner, we have made some big choices at Health Within and want you to be a part of them.  Please take a moment to read about the upcoming changes to our practice.

Five years ago, when we opened the doors of Health Within in “Sidney by the Sea”, we were so honoured to be embraced by a community of people who place a high value on spinal health and overall body wellness. Because of this commitment to your health and our practice, Health Within has expanded into every corner of this office.  Our program of care now includes Pettibon spinal equipment, wobble chairs, cervical wall traction, spinal decompression therapy, kinesiology training sessions, orthotics, wellness seminars, spinal fitness educational classes and home exercise programs.  This centre has become a part of the lives of over 1500 people like you – families and athletes who value a healthy functioning spine, not just for now but into the future. 

In the last five years much has changed, but one thing has remained the same: our promise to give our very best in service and care.  To continue to uphold this promise, there are additional services and exciting rehabilitation equipment that we want to make available to you as a part of your spinal fitness program. 

In order to fulfill our vision of enhancing your current care, we will be moving into a new, more spacious facility.  Health Within will be amalgamating with BackFit Spinal Health and Fitness in Royal Oak.  We realize that this may be a greater distance for some of you to travel for your appointments; however we are confident that you will see the value in this new facility.   

In addition to the same personalized care and spinal treatments that you are currently receiving, these are among the many added benefits that you can look forward to at our new location:

·         5,600 square feet of total back rehabilitation

·         CORE – a spinal fitness gym

·         Whole body vibration platforms

·         New spinal decompression tables

·         Convenient key-fob check-in

·         Paperless, computerized charts (a “greener” philosophy)

·         Immediate access to digital x-ray images

·         A larger team which includes 4 doctors

·         Acupuncture

·         Spinal fitness and rehabilitation classes

Throughout the last five years, we have been honoured to play a role in your health and we would like our partnership with you to continue.  Many of you have made us a part of your fitness and training regime.  Others have made us part of your family wellness checkups.  Now, as we celebrate the past and embrace the exciting times ahead, we would like to sincerely thank you for your support and patronage to Health Within and look forward to sharing our new facility with you at 1091 McKenzie Ave.  We are confident you will be thrilled!  

We are excited about this new journey, and look forward to answering any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Drs. Craig and Marissa Bentham

What will happen to my current appointments?

Your current appointments can remain the same.  Ultimately, everything can stay the same for you unless you would like to make changes.  In fact, we will be opening up more hours and our Core gym and spinal decompression therapy appointments. 

What will happen with our staff?

Our friendly and caring staff will be part of this move and will be waiting to greet you at our new facility.

Will my fees be the same?

All of your existing fees will remain the same.    

What are some other benefits to this new location?

When you are under regular care at our new office, you will receive a complimentary membership to our “CORE” gym!  In addition, you will now have access to 2 different types of decompression therapy tables.  Our new facility also offers exciting equipment (such as vibration therapy) to follow your treatments, at no additional charge.

Why not expand on the current property?

Recently, there has been a great deal of uncertainty around the future of our current location due to its development potential.

Where is the new location?

BackFit Spinal Health and Fitnessis only 10-15 minutes from the Saanich Peninsula, conveniently located near Quadra and McKenzie (across from Monkey Tree Pub).  The facility is easily accessible from the Pat Bay Highway and is a central location for the Greater Victoria area.  There is a large parking area just outside the front doors.   

What about my acupuncture and Chinese Medicine integration?

For patients of Dr. Jeff Jones and Mikiala Christie, we will still be in direct communication with them regarding your integrated care. 

What can I expect?

The same great care and service, with access to even more exciting things in the world of spinal health!

Greetings,

As many of you may know, I was injured while playing hockey last week.  I have torn the posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) in my left knee.  There is a good chance I will require surgery, as well as concentrated rehabilitation.

I have to admit that this injury has become challenging for our family and practice… as all you know, an injury free body is paramount for our work.  As challenging as this is, I strongly believe that these times help us to build strength and resilience and can often bring unexpected blessings.   Thank you all for you kind words and healing thoughts so far.

While I am on my healing journey, you will be seeing more of my wife, Dr. Marissa, in the practice.  We appreciate your understanding during this time.  Please stay consistent with your care in the office, and at home, as I will be doing the same!  For anyone who has specific questions or concerns, please email me directly at drbentham@gmail.com or call me on my cell 250.896.1020. 

I am still available for exams and consultations.

Sincerely,

Dr. Bentham

Ok, for all you meat eaters who love your red meat, listen up.

We have known for a while that cancer, heart disease, and diabetes all have been linked to red meat (mostly beef and pork), processed meats (bacon, ham, hot dogs, sausage, and deli meats).  But recent studies show that over consumption of red meat is literally killing us.

“Red meat increases risk of death from cancer.”  ran the headline in The Globe and Mail March 2009

“Daily red meat raises chances of dying early.” noted in the National Post

“The more red and processed meats one consumes, the greater the risk of dying, mostly of heart disease and cancer.”  U.S. National Cancer Institute (Recently released as the largest study ever on meat consumption and health)

People who consume 2,000 calories a day ate 125 grams of red meat a day (1 1/2 quarter pounders a day) HAVE A 30% HIGHER RISK OF DYING than those who eat 20 grams of red meat (1 1/2 quarter pounders a week).

“You don’t have to be a vegetarian to be healthy,” says Walter Willett, chair of the department of nutrition at the Harvard School of Public Health in Boston Massachusetts.  “If you go from eating meat twice a day to once a week, you can eliminate most of the risk.”

Here are my thoughts on red meat consumption.

• GO ORGANIC- if you are going to eat red meat, eat organic grass fed meat .  Most red meat is full of medications, hormones, and pesticides from the grains the animals are fed.
• THINK MODERATION- If you are a meat eater, try cutting your red meat intake to once a week or less.
• SWITCH TO WHITE-Try Turkey burgers, fish tacos, and chicken fajitas as substitutes for beef.  “White meat posed no risk” says Harvards Walter Willett. That is due to less saturated fats and higher omega 3′s found in white meat compared to red.
• SAY NO TO NITRATE- Look for NO NITRATE deli meats (red or white)

Question:  I’m a very busy person, and I find it especially difficult in the summer to prepare healthy snacks for my family and myself.  Do you have any recommendations?

Feeling busy and overwhelmed is a common theme in today’s society, particularly during the summer season.  But this is when it becomes even more important to avoid slipping into the mode of convenience snacking (ie – toxic, fast foods and sugary snacks.)  Here are some healthy alternatives:

1        Get nuts about nuts!  Raw, unsalted nuts, such as almonds, walnuts, pecans, or brazil nuts are packed with power, protein and omega 3′s.

2        Get serious with seeds!  Try a handful of sunflower, sesame or pumpkin.

3        Go yo-yo, over yogurt.  Organic, unsweetened yogurt… make this a nutrient-rich snack by mixing in “Berry Greens”.  Our kids love this!

4        Have fun with fruit.  Berries are the best…and always go organic!

5        Go green.  Cut up your favorite veggies and bring along your dressing of choice.

6        Blast your energy with a bar.  Choose a bar that is high in fiber and protein, but low in sugar…try “VEGA” bars.

7        Try an apple or pear with a stick of cheese.

8        Get healthy protein from hard boiled eggs.

9        Kick start the afternoon with a smoothie.  A protein-berry smoothie is a great way to give your energy a boost. 

10    Always, always, always go with water!  The average person drinks only 2 glasses of water a day.  See how your energy increases and your cravings subside if you drink 8 glasses.

Happy snacking!

Are you interested in something that will simplify your life, provide your family with more nourishing meals, support local farms and sustain the environment?  If you think it sounds too good to be true…it’s not! 

It’s called SPUD-and there is a way I can save you money- so read on!

Spud is an environmentally conscious online grocer that delivers organic, fresh, local produce and groceries right to your door.  Many of you living in the Vancouver and Victoria area may already be familiar with Spud!, since they started in Vancouver some years ago. I was surprised to learn, however, that they also service customers in Calgary, Seattle, Portland, San Francisco and Los Angeles.

We (well usually Dr Marissa) used to buy all of our groceries at Thrifty’s and with two kids into the experience.  Now with the Spud service, we pick out the products we need online at the Spud website and get them delivered to our home!  We wanted to share this service with you because it is practical, affordable and you can schedule as often as you like and determine the order value you want. It feels great to support local farmers, eat organic and save time and energy!  If you opt for Spud!’s “Fresh Harvest Box” (an assortment of fruits and vegetables), you can customize your preferences right down to the varieties of each available item.  You can also buy organic meats, nuts & seeds, gluten free breads, organic drinks, cleaning products, baby products, pet products and much much more! 

What we like is that you can create a favorites list and standing orders.  We also like that Spud stands behind all their products with the 100% satisfaction guarantee!

Because I am sending this to all of you…SPUD is offering a promotion to my blog readers!  Anyone that would like to start using SPUD delivery can sign up at www.spud.ca using the promotional info given here and will receive $25 off over your first 4 deliveries! ($5 off each of your first 3 deliveries, and $10 off your 4th) use coupon code: CR5-100011731 @ www.spud.ca

Try it… I guarantee you will love it just as much as we do!

Did you have a great Earth Day on Wednesday?  I sure did!

We were asked to be part of an Earth day event for 700 middle school kids at the Mary Winspear Centre and wow it was fun!  Check out these pictures…

This event was put on by “Creatures of Habitat” (creaturesofhabitat.ca) and the goal was to educate our youth on both environmental wellness and personal wellness.  We educated students that in the same way you can create a toxic environment, you can create a toxic body.  What really blew me away was how engaged these kids were and how much they already understood about this topic.  Our environment needs everyone’s help, and we must realize that the waste and toxicity we dump into our oceans, streams and land returns right back to us on our dinner plates.  Creating a healthier body and a healthier planet go hand in hand!

Thanks to all the other volunteers who made this day possible.  And to all the new kids who are joining our blog… keep your footprint small, keep moving, and make healthy choices for yourself and your environment… you are our hope for the future!

FACT- Every person in North America produces approximately 4.5 pounds of garbage every day.  Times that by the population of North America- that means 2.3 billion pounds of garbage a day!  If we don’t stop this, our planet will literally become TRASH.  Commit to cutting your waste by half! 

So you want to know the fastest way to get alkaline

…GREENS!

All things considered…if there was one thing I could recommend you take
every morning it would either be “Berry Greens” by New Chapter or Sam Graci’s”Greens Plus”.

I have been doing this for over 12 years and it literally changed my life!

Over 15 years of studying health and wellness, there is one purpose in doing this website. I wish to maintain contact with all of you to inspire, support and educate you to a better healthier life from within. Often a person will come into the office and learn to become healthy from the inside and when they leave…they feel lost…and slowly they drop back into their old habits which got them sick in the first place. My desire is to stay in touch with you all and if you let me…become your health coach for life.

If you have been with me for long enough you know that I am a huge Alkaline fan for the last 15 years for my life. Why…ALKALINE?

” At a pH slightly above 7.4 cancer cells will become dormant and at a ph 8.5 cancer cells will die while healthy cells will live”The Calcium Factor: The Scientific Secret of Health and Youth
by Robert R. Barefoot, Carl J., M.D. Reich

That’s Why! Next question you should be asking…HOW DO I BECOME ALKALINE?