Carolina Chiropractic
Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
www.GetWellQuick.com
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Road
Raleigh, NC 27615
(919) 870-9500
The personal letter
When Dr. Gottlieb
“Brain Dumps”
Here are some of my unfiltered, unapologetic and most powerful beliefs and strategies for
uncommon health success.
Read on with caution... if you can stand being a little uncomfortable and hearing the painful
truth.
When you come and see me in the office, by social convention, a doctor-patient relationship
takes precedence over our friendship, because I have a duty to tell you what is best and necessary
for your health; even though, or especially when it is not what you wanted to hear, but frankly,
need to hear.
There is no doubt: Success when it comes to health starts as an “inside job.”
Without exception, successful people think differently than unsuccessful people. The same is
true of being healthy. Happiness is easy when you are healthy, and nearly impossible when you
are not healthy. Character, and ultimately what you think of yourself, (self-esteem) and your
ability to achieve success or health comes from the life experiences you have been willing, or
forced to endure.
Have you ever been in the present company of someone you are just in awe of, because you
know they have handled some unspeakable hardship and they came out the other side, changed
for the “better” according to their account? And you are wondering if given the same
circumstances, would you have even survived, much less thrived?
What if you could tap in to your potential, and fortitude to be a “survivor” before life
circumstances forced you to be in that position?
Two people can have the EXACT SAME mental and physical capacity and one will be
successful while the other fails miserably, all because of the way they think. Or one can be well
and the other “sick.”
Successful people do not approach ANY situation the same way unsuccessful people do. In fact,
successful and unsuccessful people have distinctly different world views and that is especially
true of health.
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In this letter, I am going to “brain dump.” I am going to take off the filter and tell you exactly
how I think. How I view the world. How I deal with “problems;” that may be more accurately
describe as issues with perception and beliefs. How to overcome, “I can’t...”
I am thoroughly convinced everything I do is duplicable on one level or another, but only if you
know how to think, and apply some endurance and tolerance to your most important lifedecisions.
In just a moment, I’m going to pull back the curtain and let you inside my brain. Other than my
formal college training; my most valuable tool to share with you at this moment is the collection
of my life experiences and most importantly, what I have observed in human behavior over 20
years of practicing health care, and treating thousands of different people.
It will be a crazy ride. It will challenge you, and at some point, it will probably be a little
difficult to take.
But know this: The more uncomfortable new information makes you... The more likely it is to
be of profound help.
I can’t stress this enough. Successful health is an inside job. You must have the right strategies
and tools, but without thinking accurately, nothing will work.
Success is not for everyone. Success is only for the rare individuals who are willing to confront
their false beliefs and change them. Unsuccessful people always take the easy and comfortable
way out, and their end result makes sense for the effort applied. They continue thinking the same
way that created their misery in the first place. The vast majority of people are unhappy. They
create their own prison.
Each and every inaccurate thought places another iron bar around
them until they are completely encapsulated. With repetition and
time, their hope turns into despair. They begin to believe that this is
just the way things are and will always be, not realizing they have
turned their back on the answer.
And they believe it is not their fault, none of it. They always have a 10-page laundry list of
reasons why people and things are to blame for their suffering, lack of success, being overweight, or unhealthy and down- right sick.
Their Own Decisions and Actions are Not at the top of that List, but their misery prison is
nothing but an illusion, and they can walk out a free (and happy) person any time they want.
If you are unhappy right now, if your health and life is not where you want it to be, or if you are
doing well, but want to do even better, then in the rest of this letter, I am going to show you why
and how to change it. Perhaps you need these tools not to help yourself, but to help someone
you care about.
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
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Here is the deal though. We are going to continue the rest of this discussion on a special link on
my website for a few important reasons. One the volume of information I need to share, two it is
already time to test your fortitude. If you are not willing to go to your computer right now and
pursue this, you would not be willing to put any effort in to what I am telling you, and therefore I
was right not to waste the extra paper and postage. Most importantly, I need to share some links
and make the best use of multimedia, internet video, etc to help you be inspired enough to really
get some benefit. In other words, we are going to make effective use of our resources. Are you
willing to endure, “not knowing?”
Continuing the conversation…
So if you are joining us here from my written newsletter, congratulations on your fortitude
to follow through. As a point of reference; I want to share a little motivating story.
“The Star Fish Story”
A man walking along the shore at sunrise looked down the beach, and saw a small human figure
bending and jumping like a dancer. He smiled to himself to think someone could be so energetic
as to start the day with a dance by the ocean.
The man began to walk faster to catch up to this curious scene. As he got closer, he saw a young
boy and realized the boy wasn't dancing, but instead was reaching down to the sand, picking up
something and very gently throwing it into the ocean.
As he got closer he called out, "Good morning! What are you doing?"
The young boy paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish in the ocean."
"I guess I should have asked, why are you throwing starfish in the ocean?"
"The sun is coming up and the tide is going out. And if I don't get them in the water they'll die."
"But, young man, don't you realize that there are miles and miles of beach, and hundreds of
stranded starfish all along it. You can't possibly make a difference!" The young boy listened
politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish and threw it into the sea, past the breaking
waves and said- "For That One, I Made All The Difference In The World!"
If you are already at a terrific spot in your life, then you will be able to use the following
information to help others tremendously, and you will benefit personally. If you are not so
fortunate as to be in that position already then it is your turn to be the starfish. Hang on and be
grateful for the help you are about to receive. You are about to be rescued, but you still have to
participate once we get you un-stranded.
We need to go on a little trip and accomplish a process if you want a desirable result. Let me ask
you something kind of embarrassing and personal; when you get out of the shower and see
yourself in the mirror, do you like who and what you see? Are you the type who wipes all the
condensation off the mirror so you can get a good look at the glorious achievement called “me,”
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
4
or are you the type to clear just enough of the mirror to brush your teeth, do your business, cover
up, and get the heck out of there so you don’t have to think about the “project that has been left
undone?” Statistically, since over 60% of the US is overweight or obese; I believe I know the
answer to that question. Here is the other thing though. That voice that gets set off by the sight
of yourself, that says “you’re fat, you’re out of shape, you don’t look healthy, you have bad
posture, you look older than you should for your age,” on and on; that voice needs to be changed.
You wouldn’t let any friend tell you derogatory language like that every day without ending the
relationship, I hope. So it is time to change that dialogue with yourself. Hey, maybe some days
the biggest achievement of the day for you, was to get out of bed, and face the day you knew you
had coming. What would happen if you posted a “sticky note” on your mirror to be read every
morning, “I accept myself 100% as I am at this moment, and everyday I’m improving;”… what
affect would that have on shutting that other voice down? Would you lose any self-esteem for
trying that for 30 days in a row? I can tell you it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy because you
will do what you focus on. If you focus on improving, you will. If you focus on beating yourself
up, you will get that undesired result too.
How adventuresome are you? If money, time and commitments were not an obstacle; would you
like to go exploring? Or is anything out of your normal realm intimidating to you? When you
feel bad, unhealthy, or are unsuccessful; you are willing to settle for the usual, even if it is bad,
because we become comfortable with what is familiar. It is terrible but true human nature, that
we are willing to accept the known, bad; over testing the unknown, for something possibly
better. That is one reason why people stay in bad relationships longer than they should.
Here is the deal: I can’t make life changes for you, but I can help you find some effective tools
to push your own buttons to make amazingly positive changes. After being a doctor for over 20
years; I have come to realize some really important lessons when it comes to helping others. I
can’t want it more for you than you want it for yourself, and I can’t do it all for you.
In fact ironically, the people I help the most; get momentum in the “discovery” process, and the
motivation to continue an effective process, is results driven, by participation.
Let me share a couple of points. I count among my greatest clinical achievements the fact that I
have been a catalyst in many of my patients’ lives to cause them to quit smoking. Given the
severity of the condition of addiction; and the terrible consequences of smoking, that is a big deal
for those who quit. I didn’t do it for them, but I was a “spark” to change the smoking behavior.
Again, I couldn’t do it for them. They had to endure the cravings and consequences of addiction
for awhile to break their own cycle of destruction. Imagine the empowering, self-fulfilling,
confidence they got as a side-effect of taking control, and winning for themselves.
Take some lessons from real life scenarios for comparison. Yes, fighting an addiction comes
with the feelings of facing impossible odds. What are you willing to endure for a payoff of
getting exactly what you want? Most people have not even considered what they want or how
they could live better, with more energy and optimism.
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
5
My intent is to give you some ideas, and see behind the curtain of what could be yours if you
wanted it. The one area that can positively affect everyone is a better understanding of their
relationship with food. As soon as I broach that subject; most instantly think, diet, “here we go,
I’m getting ready to have something taken from me…” Not at all, in fact I’m going to suggest,
and show you how to eat and drink more, but in a way you will benefit! Most people can’t
stomach feeling deprived or hungry. To start a positive change; it is easier to add more good
stuff to slowly displace the bad stuff. It turns out you don’t have to feel hungry or deprived to
improve your health.
Let me give you a few categories to consider potential areas that a little self-help can pay big
dividends. Some or all of it may be beneficial to you, or someone you know. The act of reading
seems laborious to some, easy to others, but most of all it is a commitment to collect information
that will benefit you in some way. Sometimes my casual advice to patients I treat has proven to
be equally valuable to the treatment I provided in the office.
In no particular order of importance, but certainly in the categories that I have received the most
appreciation back from patients for good advice given to read these books: most in the $10
range. I’m going to suggest you cut and paste this list as a resource for later, once you have
perused it for something that may be of interest to you.
Relationships,
The Five Love Languages, by Gary Chapman
http://www.amazon.com/The-Love-Languages-Secret-Lasts/dp/0802473156.
Raising Children,
Strong Fathers, Strong Daughters: 10 Secrets Every Father Should Know, by Meg Meeker
http://www.amazon.com/Strong-Fathers-Daughters-Secrets-Father/dp/0345499395
Sleep, you cannot underestimate the value improving your sleep, has on your health
The Promise of Sleep, by William Dement
http://www.amazon.com/The-Promise-Sleep-Connection-Happiness/dp/0440509017
Wheat Belly, by William Davis
http://www.amazon.com/Wheat-Belly-Lose-Weight-Health/dp/1609611543
Nutrition at a higher level, for fighting disease and return to health
The Antioxidant Miracle, by Lester Packer
http://www.amazon.com/Antioxidant-Miracle-Lipoic-PycnogenolVitamins/dp/0471353116/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1389624975&sr=11&keywords=The+Antioxidant+Miracle%2C+by+Lester+Packer
Financial Security,
The Millionaire Next door by Thomas Stanley, The first rule is, you can always live well, and
below your means…great for those victims our high-consumption society.
http://www.amazon.com/Millionaire-Next-Door-Thomas-Stanley/dp/0671015206
Personal protection, if you frequently feel suckered, taken advantage of, post-buyer blues, or
need to be a better persuader yourself.
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
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Influence: Science and Practice, Robert Cialdini
http://www.amazon.com/Influence-Science-Practice-5th-Edition/dp/0205609996
Back to the task at hand. To help you the most; I would need to give you the gift of
understanding the food you eat better. You can eat better, and it can and should be enjoyable.
Do you eat food, or food-like products? If you are average, you eat more of the latter, and not
enough whole foods. If you have trouble with food, part of it is your fault, and most of it is not
your fault. Yes you have choices, but first you need a better understanding. Food can be “fuel”
for your body and even have medicinal traits, but most of what we Americans get in food-like
products is POISON. The Standard American Diet is not only (SAD), it Is Sickening Too,
(SADIST). Sadist, defined as seeking pleasure from inflicting pain on others. Seeking pleasure
with food, inflicts pain on us.
What if it is NOT ALL YOUR FAULT? You have been tricked in to eating too many foodlike products, and have been exposed to hundreds of addictive food chemicals that fool your
brain and stomach in to coming back for more to eat, while never being satisfied. Processed
foods are DESIGNED THAT WAY, so you keep consuming them!
If you want to be better informed, feel empowered to help yourself, and get some easy to
implement ideas of how to make some significant improvements in your life; I’m going to
suggest we take advantage of multimedia. I’d like you to watch two movies. You can get a
sense of the content on the “trailers,” but don’t short change yourself by not watching the whole
story. You can see these on Netflix, Amazon Instant Video, internet sources, etc.
Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/
Hungry for Change http://www.hungryforchange.tv/
As we started this conversation we talked about a “process” and self-discovery is part of it, you
investing some time in better understanding what you put in your mouth every day. Right now,
most of your bad decisions are not entirely your fault, you have been fooled, and now you have a
choice to break that cycle.
Some of you are impatient and have skipped down here to the bottom of my letter looking for the
punch line, and didn’t even take the time to read through the process of starting the journey. Just
the same you want to jump to a conclusion; “oh, I get it, he wants me to change the way I eat and
I’m just not in to this, or that.” Nope, at this moment, I don’t want you to agree to do
anything but watch two informative, documentary movies. Then see what happens.
It is possible you will learn you have been addicted to processed foods against your will. It is
possible you will learn how to eat more healthy foods, break some food addiction bad habits,
have more energy, lose weight as a byproduct of eating MORE, as strange and impossible as that
sounds. As you feel better, you can’t help but want to do more things with ease, such as be more
active and that promotes you doing even more to help yourself.
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
7
Feeling better, and helping yourself can become an easy, fun, adventure too. It doesn’t have to be
painful. Living with guilt, shame, and the unfulfilled potential of laziness is a bigger burden to
bare.
What would you be willing to endure short term, for a lifetime of feeling better than you do
today?
The movies I’m asking you to watch will change you in some way for the better. Some are
going to take away information that inspires them to start a journey and make profound changes.
Some will learn a tidbit or two. It is up to you how much you want to take advantage of what you
have available to you. What if you learned just one thing:
MSG Causes Weight Gain
For those who are unaware of the perils of MSG
consumption, many scientists have been warning about it
for years. Many studies have found that MSG is directly
linked to obesity. In fact, when scientists want to study
obesity; they feed MSG to laboratory animals to have a
“normal” and “fat” rat to test their hypotheses on.
Learning this one fact, you could choose to avoid MSG so
you could have an advantage of not over-eating, these
addictively, enticing food like products. You now own this
fact, understanding for the rest of your life. But you need
to know MSG is hidden in processed foods under more
than 30 different names; including “natural flavors.”
Sad, but true…
Similarly, gaining an understanding of how processed foods can concentrate calories, chemicals,
and “sugars” in a way our body is not designed to handle; then you can get a grasp of what you
are up against. It would be easier if foods were labeled like a pack of cigarettes. Then you could
make better informed decisions, but you are going to have to learn how to protect yourself.
(Assuming you want to save your own quality of life.) It is scary what you can learn about milk.
It’s not good, either…
One of the movies has a terrific illustration, a picture of a stomach comparing how “full” you
feel with your stomach full of lots of health vegetables and fruits,(low calories, high nutrition
value), versus a little bit of the usual processed fats/oils in other food, (high calorie, low
nutrition, and you still feel hungry, wanting to add more pointless calories). Here lies the secret
to being able to eat plenty of healthy food, feel full and satisfied, and lose weight. It is a food
quality issue, not just a quantity issue.
How would you like to see proof of why people who drink “diet” sodas weigh more a year
later than people who do not drink diet sodas!?
What if you could learn a way to “concentrate” your good quality foods, vegetables and fruits in
a way that you WOULD CONSUME THEM. Yes, especially those of you who swear you
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
8
CAN’T, or WON’T eat your vegetables. It is possible. Yes, even your ‘spouse’ or teenagers can
be converted.
In the documentary movie, Fat Sick and Nearly Dead, the key subjects, at face value do not look
like the type of people who would be able to turn their own health around. Amazingly they do,
despite previously not responding to “modern medicine,” and there is a lot to learn from their
examples. The shame is, it is not that complicated, nor cost-prohibitive, nor technically difficult
to implement this information. The real shame is; they nearly had to die before doing something
to change for the better. In other words, it really isn’t that heroic, but if they didn’t change they
would have died prematurely and had unpleasant end of life experiences. It would be heroic if
you would choose to do better on your own behalf, before reaching that point of no return.
It is amazing what people and the human body, and the human spirit can endure when they “have
to.” Just watch a little reality TV, and see people overcome serious odds in “survival” situations
whether planned for a test of survival, such as “Naked Castaway,” (The only guy to ever hike the
length of the Amazon River, for an encore; thought it would be interesting to be abandoned for 2
months on a tropical island with no food, clothes, shelter or stored drinking water). As stupid as
that sounds to try, or even to spend a few hours watching it unfold on TV; one can learn a sense
of appreciation from having to watch someone take care of the very basics; food, water, shelter
and the amount of energy consumed to do so, (that we take for granted in our everyday
conveniences). It is not so surprising to learn, when you have to burn more energy calories to get
your next meal, than you consume in your next meal, you lose weight.
Or maybe you get more inspiration from watching unplanned survival; such as people
overcoming being trapped by weather events, or disasters. One of the reasons that makes for
such gripping entertainment is; you wonder what would happen if you were put in the same
situation. How would you fair? What if you could find a way to tap in to that strength in your
daily life, instead of waiting to be in a life-threatening scenario to test your fortitude?
In daily life, I have seen people endure a lot. What is your breaking point? What would be a
challenge worth trying, that would be difficult if not feel impossible, but have a good enough pay
day for you to try? Go a day, a week, a month without a soda? Or a cigarette, or potato chips;
whatever your “vice” is. How empowering would that be? Maybe you would just like to be
healthier and better able to fend off the flu or the bug of the month. Maybe you just don’t have
the energy and starting point to get up and be more active.
Let’s deal with the series of thoughts that begin with: “I can’t,” right now. If you don’t have the
energy to exercise, you will have to add in more good quality food, fuel and start displacing
some of the “food-like” products that are sapping your body of energy, and fooling your brain.
If you have the where-with-all to eliminate some junk on your own, go for it. If you are not
ready to give something up, then let’s just add extra good stuff right now. The stuff you think
you can’t live without is probably exactly what is keeping you from living your best, energy
filled life. I can tell you, when you eat well, you will have plenty of energy, and you may choose
to still consume coffee or tea, caffeine on a limited basis, but you won’t feel like you “require
it.” It is possible to eventually feel better and have more energy without caffeine, believe it or
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
9
not. And by the way, don’t just quit cold-turkey if you consume a lot of caffeine, because if you
are addicted, you will have withdrawal headaches. That can be avoided if you wean off slowly.
If you have not figured it out yet, the movie content that I believe will make the biggest impact
on your health relates to you consuming more vegetables and fruit. Shocking, I know; and now
for the second barrage of excuses why you can’t or don’t…Let’s just take it one step at a time
and in the context of you starring in your own “survival.”
Mother Nature has an unbelievable bounty and variety of exciting things for you to try. It is
even time to go back and revisit some stuff you tried in the past and swear you don’t like, but
perhaps need it repositioned. Don’t worry, I’m not going to suggest you “meatatarians” become
a vegetarian. For those who are vegan, you will benefit from some more variety, so pay attention
too. I’m asking you to use more vegetables and fruit daily. For some of you it may make sense
to temporarily swing the balance heavily to the vegetable and fruit side to get your body back to
a healthier state.
The fastest, easiest and believe it or not, the most palatable way for you to do that is “juicing.”
Using a juicer to separate the liquid nutrients from the bulky fiber part of the vegetable plants
and fruit will be more practical and convenient for consumption.
A great way to get started juicing, is over a weekend. You can see how you like introducing new
tastes and textures in the comfort of your own kitchen. Have fun experimenting. Trying a
variety of juices should not be as dramatic as participating in an episode of “Fear Factor.” If I
had to suggest just one initial vegetable and fruit blend to try for the first time; I’d say apple,
carrot, and ginger would be a winner for most. Even those who don’t particularly like carrots or
apples like this. A little ginger goes a long way, and if you like a little zing, then add a little
extra ginger root.
I have even tested this recipe on some of the most finicky eaters I know; adults and kids. After a
look of suspicion, and a willingness to try it on a dare; their facial expression changes, and a
spontaneous, “mmmm, that’s good,” is followed without fail by, “can I have some more?”
I’m all about giving you easy to use resources; so here is where some recipes are listed:
http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/joe-cross-3-day-weekend-juice-cleanse
I have to caution you though. If you try this; there will probably be some changes to occur that
you were not expecting…One you will actually like some vegetables and fruit that previously
you thought you didn’t care for. Two, something in your attitude is going to change too. “What
else have I been missing out on?” A healthy curiosity is going to lead to want to try some
experimenting with flavors. A result of trying a little of this is going to make you feel better than
you do right now; causing you to wonder, “what if I like it and start doing it more?” For those
who already eat a well-balanced diet and are in good shape; they will just enjoy it as a
supplemental boost and something to add variety to their lives. You can’t help but feel you are
doing something good for yourself when you cut up some vegetables and fruit, and consume it.
For those who have not had a good balanced diet, are not feeling particularly healthy,
overweight, and lacking energy; then you will have some profound changes. The results of
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
10
Juicing a little, may inspire you to try relying on it for nutrition for a period of time sufficient to
“clean yourself up.” That could be a good thing, to detoxify your body and lose some weight.
We’ve got some serious sh*t to talk about then. If you want to weird somebody out, just ask
them about their poop! For whatever reasons in our society, we consider this a personal matter
not to be discussed openly. Let me take the mystery out of this for you. One, a bowel movement
should be a relatively easy event, and two, happen with regularity, at least daily. If everything is
working right; I’m talking the ease and consistency of pushing tooth paste out of a tube.
If that doesn’t sound like you, you need to understand why. Your digestive tract is basically a
big tube that starts with your mouth opening and ends with the exit where you sit. Of course to
start the process, there is usually some chewing involved with what you eat. Let’s think about
what the typical American eats, but rather than chewing, I want you to think what it would be
like to “ball” your food up in your hands, like making a snow ball, and compressing it as hard as
you can. Picture what a glorious, well stuck-together “food ball” you could form with your
hands from say a lunch-time sandwich, or hamburger and fries. Have you got it? Now try to
push that through an athletic sock with the toe-end of the sock cut open. Does that seem like an
easy task, or a hard one?
Now picture standing at a salad bar. You can pick up handfuls of lettuce, salad leaves, cut
vegetables and squeeze them as hard as you like without making a “ball.” No matter how hard
you try, you just can’t make a ball that will stick together. Oh well, try step two. Grab handfuls
of vegetables, and salad and start stuffing it through an athletic sock with the toe-end of the sock
cut open. You can only add so much stuff in one end, before contents start falling out of the
other end. Do you get it? That is how your digestive tract is supposed to work. When you add
something in the top end, something should be about ready to come out the bottom end.
In the scope of this conversation I cannot fully address every digestive tract problem or disease
with the range from constipation, to diarrhea, to irritable bowel disease, etc., but you need to at
least understand how the basic parts are supposed to work.
People with a “bad diet” sometime mistakenly assume they can’t eat raw vegetables because it
“upsets” their stomach. No, they are just so “stopped up” that putting healthy food in the
digestive tract that is easy to pass, can’t get around the hard food ball that is inching its way
through the intestine.
When trying juicing, you will have eliminated much of the bulky fiber part of the vegetables and
fruit in lieu of harnessing the liquid nutrients. Yes the fiber part of plants is important, but we
are trading loading your body up with healthy juice nutrients, that you could or would not spend
enough time chewing whole items to get on your own. With that said, now we are putting in
more liquid perhaps than you are used to, which is going to make digestion easier. Plainly
stated, you are in for a few very gratifying bowel movements, if you have been stopped up. That
is a good thing.
If you have ever suffered with a urinary tract infection and have experienced the feelings of
urgency and frequency of needing to pee, without the relief of feeling a complete void then you
can probably understand the same thing can happen with your digestive tract.
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
11
A slow moving, hard food “ball” takes more effort for the smooth muscles of the intestines to
push through the tract. The longer the ball takes to pass, the more it can irritate the lining of the
intestines, and the slower it moves, the more moisture gets reabsorbed making the ball even
harder. There are smooth muscle rings, sphincters, separating the different parts of the digestive
tract so in theory; the food can’t go backwards. Like food in the stomach should not back up in to
your “throat” esophagus, swallowing tube. We call that “heartburn,” (gastroesophageal reflux
disease, GERD). The basic process of eating: chew in mouth, swallow food in esophagus tube
through sphincter to stomach, (process with stomach acid), pass through another sphincter to
small intestines (process with liver, gall bladder and pancreas enzymes), through another
sphincter to large intestine, colon, (absorbing water) through another sphincter to
rectum,(signaling stretch receptors, telling you this train needs to leave the station) and finally
out the last external sphincter, where you wipe your hiney.
I give you this level of detail, so you can understand that anywhere along that path a food “ball”
can get hung up and give you symptoms. “Bloated belly, “rock” or “pit in my stomach,” are
pretty common for the upper part of the digestive tract, and the one people don’t like to discuss;
the feeling of an “incomplete void.” When that hard food ball is difficult to expel it causes
strained bowel movements, extra pressure on the blood vessels and ultimately can cause swelling
and bleeding, locally known as hemorrhoids.
You should really be able to do your business in 3-5 minutes, and not have to sit there waiting
until your legs go numb on the toilet. There are after all, more pleasant places to “read” than a
bathroom. There is actually a lot to be learned about how well your body is working from the
size, shape, consistency, color and smell of your poop. If this fascinates you, one only need to
“Google,” Dr. Oz, poop; and learn all you want in great detail. Suffice it to say to wrap up our
discussion, if it stinks a lot, your gut is moving so slowly that you are having enough time to rot
your food, instead of digest it and pass it in a normal time. Similarly, if you bloat a lot, you might
be “fermenting” your food in a slow digestive process causing a lot of gas. If your poop floats,
you probably have too much fat and oil in your diet, or a digestive problem, because “oil floats
on water.”
Back to what I stated above, with juicing you are going to have some gratifying bowel
movements. You will feel you are able to more completely and effectively void your bowel
contents. Dare I say, you will be able to poop easier. There, I said it. We successfully talked
about what most people normally don’t like discussing.
Let’s put a frame of reference on some of this information. You can feel better and have more
energy than you do right now. It sounds too simple and impossible that consuming more
vegetables and fruit could solve all of your problems, and you are right. This is just a catalyst to
spark a movement in the right direction. You really need better food choices, you need to
drink water regularly, you need to exercise regularly, and get a good amount of sleep. That is
the secret to living well, but suddenly that seems daunting because you have too many areas that
need improvement.
That is why I suggest you cheat, to get started on feeling better faster.
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
12
In this instance, by cheating; I mean try juicing. You can cut up some raw vegetables and fruit
faster than you can cook a meal. For example, you can drink 8-10 ounces of a sweet flavorful
drink faster than you can chew 2 apples, 3 carrots, and one inch of ginger root. (and you
wouldn’t eat all those at one time, even if you were willing to chew that long) You get the
benefit of the nutrients, feel satisfied like you ate something substantial, and even your blood
sugar levels balance in such a way that you don’t crave sweets or alcohol.
You get a silly little, giddy sense of accomplishment when you consume a glass of juice. It was
too easy! A sense of pride comes over you, like you just did something good for yourself; it
wasn’t painful, you didn’t feel like you deprived yourself of anything, and somehow feel a little
refreshed with energy. It is crazy, but you may feel like you want to go for a walk, or do
something active. Hmm, that is puzzling…
I like the baffled look on the faces of the cashier and grocery bagger at the store when checking
out with a cart load of vegetables and fruit. How much pride would you have to bump carts with
your neighbor at the grocery store having it filled with lots of colorful vegetables and fruits?
When you buy a juicer, you are going to be the interesting one; the one with the mystique of
being in the “know,” but somehow living on the “wild side.” It is as if you are the winner of
“Fear Factor” or something. You dared to go where they wouldn’t, and now you can show them
the way…
Cha-ching, you feel something in your life coming in to balance! Your diet! You added
something, you don’t feel deprived, and you actually feel good about it. The shift starts. The
better you feel, the more you want to do things that make you feel better. The healthier you eat,
the more you realize right away how some foods you eat make you feel bad, tired and the
decision not to have that so often gets easier. It no longer feels like you are missing out, it just
feels like the right thing to do and it is not a big deal. A health shift begins…
As your blood sugar levels normalize, instead of suffering the consequences of spikes, up and
down; you notice you didn’t even go for that afternoon caffeine fix, yet your energy remained
high. Because you didn’t have that late caffeine fix, you didn’t need extra alcohol to wind down
in the evening. You start to sleep better. Weird, you start to look forward to consuming more
juice, but want to do some chewing too. You start to “sneak” some of those fresh cut up
vegetables and fruit to eat before you can throw all the pieces in the juicer. Now that is a real,
guilty pleasure…
Doing a little something right in one area makes it easier to start doing some things right in other
areas. The momentum kind of builds on itself. And that is a welcomed feel compared to some
strict “diet” that once you mess up once, you feel, “why bother” and throw in the towel and
abandon the whole idea.
You don’t even have to commit to an end result right now. Just start taking some small steps in
the right direction and let yourself catch some momentum. It doesn’t matter whether you want to
do a two month juice fast and lose a ton of weight, or just have vegetable servings two times a
week more than you do right now. Good on you for trying something new, and doing something
extra for yourself. If you try a combination of juice you don’t like; treat it like a chug challenge
and down it fast, and make something different in the next batch.
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
13
If you didn’t watch the movies yet, this all seems like a giant leap of faith, or frankly a load of
crap. When we started this conversation; I just wanted you to be open to the idea that we might
be able to find just the right spark to get you going in an even better direction. We need to
implement some tools and strategies to do so, and the movies I have recommended will be useful
for you to be entertained, more-so than my written words, and I promise you will be glad you
watched them.
Watch these movies all the way to the end:
Fat Sick and Nearly Dead. http://www.fatsickandnearlydead.com/
Hungry for Change http://www.hungryforchange.tv/
After watching the movies:
Come back to this part of the website and use this letter as a resource for some of the things I
listed above as a reminder; and I’ll have some other resource links for you below.
If you can’t find time for eating right, exercising and sleeping well;
how will you have time for illness?
What are you willing to endure against your will, if you don’t have the tolerance to try something
this easy? I have the perspective of seeing seemingly courageous people have no choice, but to
endure, being sick with chronic disease, face cancer, be wheel-chair bound, be dependent on
oxygen bottles to breathe, be in pain all day, carry a ton of extra weight around every day, on and
on…
Ironically it doesn’t take nearly as much energy and effort to “thrive” as a healthy person doing a
little bit right every day, as opposed to what it takes in endurance and tolerance to “survive”
being sick. It is a human nature problem of “will power.” So rather than waiting to be tested
against your will with, what can you survive; see how much of a contest of will power you can
have with yourself to make some changes that will have a positive result, instead of having to
overcome a negative consequence of ignoring your health. The choice is yours.
You don’t have to be on a TV episode of “Naked and Afraid,” stripped of all of life’s bare
essentials to feel a sense of accomplishment. You can do something great for yourself, in the
comfort of your own home.
Anything worth having is worth some effort. Some of what I’m telling you will be is easy to
implement and for some, parts of it more challenging for one reason or another. Most of the
challenge will be in your head. That is where your perceptions must meet reality. You don’t
have to be perfect, but just go in a direction of improving and have a willingness to be excited
about learning and exploring.
After watching the movies:
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
14
Are you the type that just refuses to follow me step by step, and so you find yourself still here
reading on, but have not watched the movies yet? Let’s assume for those of you who watched
the movies and have come back here for more; that you are so inspired you are going to buy a
“juicer.”
Let me give you a qualifying statement; I am a “tool guy” and have never regretted buying good
quality. Others find satisfaction in seeking the cheapest thing that will get the job done. You
have access to the same internet, reviews and resources that I do.
I’m not going to do a comprehensive review here, but merely give you some pointers. First,
blenders and food processors are not the same as “juicers.” Juicers actually separate the juice,
liquid nutrients from the pulpy, fiber parts of the food. When it comes to drinking the end
product, that is going to matter. And when you think about the potential volume you could run
through one of these machines, you want the best yield for dollars of food you are putting
through it.
You can even watch YouTube video reviews and comparisons of juicers side by side. I chose
the same type of juicer used in the movie, a Breville.
http://www.bedbathandbeyond.com/store/product/breville-ikon-multi-speed-juicefountain/1014770267?device=c&network=g&matchtype=&mcid=PS_googlepla_nonbrand_kitch
enelectrics_&gclid=CLiS2dGx_rsCFcQDOgod9zcAzQ
Read the full description for yourself:

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Its five speeds range from 6,500 RPMs for soft fruits and leafy green vegetables, to 12,500 RPMs for more
dense foods like apples and carrots.
The 3" circular feed tube allows for the easy and efficient processing of whole fruits and vegetables, without
pre-cutting, slicing or peeling.
It is uniquely positioned directly over the center of the cutting disc for better balance and consistent results.
The built-in electronic smart chip increases power to the cutting disc under heavy loads, resulting in more
juice extracted for an 8-ounce glass in just 5 seconds.
Depending on the model and type one can spend $99 on a basic to $299 for an elite. I’m happy
with the multispeed $199 model, and frankly as easy as it is to find Bed Bath and Beyond 20%
off coupons, we saved $40, and purchased locally. Yes it is still a lot of money, but a worthwhile
investment. If you can rationalize a flat screen TV, you can certainly have one of these in your
kitchen.
Did I mention this is fun? Especially if you have kids in the house, they love watching a
machine extract vengeance on some vegetables that they don’t particularly care for. Suddenly
you are a “magician,” pulverizing whole vegetables and fruits in a blink of an eye, and making
tasty, colorful concoctions.
You are going to find that any great idea can be taken to a level of cult-following. I’m not
asking you to over-do-it; just start by adding it to what you already do. Enjoy this as a healthy
between meal snack initially, or as a single meal replacement if the mood suits you.
I’m not opposed to the idea of doing a prolonged “juice fast,” and for some it can be just the
“reboot” they needed. If that is what you need, then go for it with some supervision. You
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
15
certainly won’t risk as much as you do consuming the standard American diet. We already know
the results of that.
This is just one important facet of your life.
Let me tell you about a recent busy work day when I had to cheat, for time. I ran late taking
care of some unexpected patients in the office, had a prearranged meeting appointment that I had
to drive to, over lunch. I needed to eat in a hurry, so I whipped into to the shopping center right
up the street from the office. You know, the one with the McDonalds. McDonalds is not a
temptation for me, but I noticed the drive through line at lunch time, this particular day, was
wrapped around the building. My vantage point was from the far end of the Harris Teeter
parking lot, where I chose to park. Not having time to exercise over lunch, I got my heart rate up
a little walking really fast in to the grocery store. You didn’t really think I was going to eat at
McDonalds, did you?
No, my favorite “fast food” is the grocery store salad bar. I piled mixed greens, a couple pieces
of roasted chicken, cut fresh vegetables, carrots, broccoli, etc., a couple of sliced beets, in a
container; sprinkled some sunflower seeds on top with a little balsamic vinaigrette and I was off
to the cashier. “Is that your lunch,” I was asked while checking out. “Yes,” I responded happily,
and to which I received a “hmph;” as if the idea to try the salad bar for lunch had never occurred
to her before. Maybe I inspired her. I didn’t look like I was suffering. I walked back to my
vehicle with equal speed and intensity getting another little piece of my cardiovascular exercise
in. I noted to myself pulling out of the parking lot; I beat the McDonalds drive through line.
Yes, I stopped, got a little exercise, prepared a nice salad, and got back on my way faster than the
drive through. I just busted your myth about, “I don’t have time…” I was still in a hurry, and
when I parked at my destination, I opened up my lunch and had a gratifyingly filling meal. Not
bad for “fast-food.” But how did I do on price? Hey, I was hungry. It was a “big-boy” salad. It
weighed .57 lbs, yes over half a pound. Price, $3.67, yes seriously that is all it cost. I keep
water with me at all times, in my vehicle, and that is what I drank. (More on water in a minute)
I enjoyed my lunch sitting in the parking lot of the hospital building where I had planned to visit
a medical colleague with whom I share patients in common. I had already entertained myself by
reading my grocery store receipt. What else could I do but people watch? That guy there, I can
tell he has a right hip problem by the way he is limping. The guilty looking guy coming out of
the building, probably just sneaked over from the construction site to use the bathroom because
he did not want to use the port-a-John, just realized the muddy boot trail he left, did not amount
to “sneaking.” I saw the “drug reps” loading a cart from their car, with crappy, processed food,
no doubt to take in “lunch” for the poor, stranded physicians who were getting ready to receive a
sales pitch about the latest and greatest drugs available for them to prescribe. I did warn you,
there would be a scary peak behind my curtain, in to my brain… I am a born, observer.
Anyway I finished my lunch and walked fast to the building, noticed a lady waiting for the
elevator as I took the stairs to the third floor. (a little more cardio) Even though I was in a hurry,
had to consume, “fast food” lunch while sitting in my vehicle; I still made it to my appointment
on time, in fact a couple of minutes early. I sat there about three minutes, and the lady I passed
in the lobby can walking in too. “Must have been a slow elevator,” I thought to myself, and glad
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
16
I took the stairs. This probably meant that my colleague was going to be delayed a little while
longer. In the meantime, I got my blood pressure measured by one of those “automatic” cuffs. It
displayed: 117/67, not bad after rushing through lunch and up three flights of stairs. I wonder
what it would have been if I had chosen to stop at the McDonalds drive through, and consumed
all the fat, sugar and salt contained in a combo of burger, fries and a Coke? I probably would not
have felt like bolting up the stairs, and I’ll bet my blood pressure would have been elevated. One
good decision leads to another, instead of the other way around.
I don’t always make time for exercise, nor as often as I would like, but this is an example of how
I “cheat” and get a little in when I can even if dressed in shirt and tie. Every little bit counts.
Not every meal I eat is perfectly balanced and nutritious, but again this is a good way to “cheat”
for time, it was inexpensive, and I still felt good afterward, instead of having a miserable fastfood hangover. By the way my favorite form of exercise is walking; more on that later.
Now let’s talk about preferences, and not being perfect. I happen to like a lot of different foods.
I even like warm, cooked comfort foods. I can even “tolerate” some foods that are not good for
me on occasion; the trick is not too often.
I’m not a vegetarian. I happen to like meat both for taste and protein. My preference is to
consume “clean” foods, with as little extra chemicals (hormones, pesticides, herbicides,
antibiotics, etc.) as possible. So that means paying a little extra for organic and free-range food
sources when possible.
Organic or Not?
You may not feel well enough informed for that to matter to you yet. This is a process, and that
is an area I would suggest you explore if you have not already. Even if you are not concerned
about the chemicals, you can appreciate a difference in taste and color for yourself.
It is a big enough leap for many to just stop eating so much processed, prepackaged foods that
I’m not going to fret about them eating some vegetables that are not organically grown. Just
wash them as well as you can, in the very least. If you didn’t pick up on the subtlety in the Fat,
Sick and Nearly Dead movie; the trucker who started buying his vegetables at Walmart, in the
end was buying them organically grown, locally from a hometown store.
I like the idea of supporting local businesses, especially our farmers. If not just for yourself, but
especially if you have kids; take them to the farmers market. Take a short drive for a “field trip”
and buy some free range, organic meat, chickens or eggs. When you really look at your food
sources, you start to care about what you put in your body. I know that is precisely why some of
you don’t want to do that. You know if you ever watched a movie on how our food is
commercially processed, you would have no choice, but to be a vegan and never eat another
hotdog. Ignorance is not bliss, however. Choose to be informed. There are plenty of foodrelated, documentary movies to passively learn from: Food Inc., Forks over Knives, Supersize
Me, Vegucated, to name a few.
I love to fish, and there is something special about bringing a meal from the sea to your own
plate. Our small backyard garden is not always the most bountiful, but it is fun to try and to be
connected to your own food sources. Again, it is great for kids to see too. If nothing else,
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500
17
commit to having one tomato plant or some herb at home that you can watch grow and harvest
something from. My mom helped start the first organic gardening club in Raleigh in the 1960’s;
so I grew up with a garden in my back yard. Can you imagine being 5 years old and eating snow
peas, and snap beans, fresh off the vine while you are supposed to be picking for the family?
Snapping raw asparagus off at ground level and eating it raw is delicious, not punishment.
I feel sorry for so many people who have never experienced something like that and have only
tasted some pitiful, puny, tasteless commercial vegetables by comparison. No wonder so many
people say they don’t like vegetables. They have not had the “good stuff.”
Ok, let’s agree that we have started a path and a journey in the right direction. You don’t have to
be perfect every day, but do enough right so you can look in the mirror and be happy with who
you see. Even if that just means making an agreement to do even better tomorrow.
If much of this is new to you, take your time and learn as you go. Don’t be the one refusing to
get started or make changes because you feel you have been too many bad things to make any
difference with only changing a little. Go with the “compounding theory,” that a little bit done
right over a long period of time can produce big results. We base our “retirement savings” on
that, we might as well “live it.”
As you get the hang of this and get more intrigued about your own health; you will want to
explore some more categories:
drinking more clean water, avoiding artificial sweeteners, flavor enhancers, knowing more about
the chemicals that are in your food and water supply, settling in to some sort of regular exercise
that just becomes part of your life, not grueling punishment, feeling good enough to just have fun
exploring your world, and being curious. Learn more about the value of good sleep and I
promise you that will be equally life-changing. You have choices about the images and
information that you put in to your own head. Build yourself up with some discovery, and cut
back on the unnecessary drama you don’t need in your life.
If this helps you, please let me know. And if so, please share it with others. I spent years in
college to get a Bachelor Degree in Human Biology to understand how the body works, and then
spent several more years learning to get my doctor of chiropractic degree to be able to help
people just like you. After 20 years of practice, I’m still looking for ways to get people turned on
about being healthier. Sincerely, Dr. Marc Gottlieb, Carolina Chiropractic Raleigh, NC 27615
Carolina Chiropractic, Dr. Marc S. Gottlieb
9380-101 Falls of Neuse Rd, Raleigh, NC 27615
919-870-9500