Broken Places: March 2014

"I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me." John 14:6

When we come to know God's purpose for our lives, we encounter Christ's truth that has the power to transform and renew us. This transformation has taken place for the Routh family who has had a personal encounter with God's purpose for their faith and wellness journey. Chris and Sherri Routh were both raised in Midwest farming communities. More than 15 years ago, their lives were transformed by their shared faith in Christ and their union in marriage. Later on, the Rouths were blessed with two beautiful daughters. They felt strongly that they wanted the best for their children and therefore dramatically changed their lifestyles to be as healthy as possible. This goal eventually led to the decision to move their family from Missouri to Southlake, Texas, where the climate was ideal for wellness and where their family would experience new opportunities. In Southlake, they became actively involved in the evangelistic Gateway Church. Since then, Chris and Sherri have deepened their faith through Bible reading, worship, and the teachings of Pastor Robert Morris and his TV program, the Blessed Life. In pursuit of ultimate truth, they have searched God's word for wisdom and have submitted all parts of their lives to Christ. This endeavor has translated into their decision to live holistically through alternative healthcare and whole nutrition.

RENEWED AND HEALED

"Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint but rather be healed." Hebrews 12:12-13

Both Chris and Sherri have been renewed by their faith walk and the healing results of holistic health during challenging times. Chris's interest in alternative medicine/holistic health derived from his experience growing up on a dairy farm in rural Missouri. At one time, the Routh family farm had 350 dairy herd and 3000 pigs. Their animals were unhealthy and were not thriving with the nutritional mineral blocks that were standard protocol to use for livestock. Chris's dad was concerned that they would have to go out of business if they didn't make a change. At a farm show, Mr. Routh met with a display representative that shared the health benefits of using natural nutritional products with raw nutrients and iodine instead of the added sugars and synthetic chemicals of popular brands. Chris's dad decided to stop following the crowd and gave raw/whole nutrition a try. Fortunately, it worked! The livestock were much healthier and thrived on quality nutrition. Although the Routh livestock thrived on whole foods, Chris did not fully understand that he might experience the same benefits until he was in his 20's. At the age of 23, Chris was working nights while attending college and was under a tremendous amount of stress. Around that time, he sustained a work-related back/hip injury. Chris was initially unable to stand up and was forced to use a cane for mobility. He tried pain killers and steroids with minimal results. A coworker then suggested that Chris go to his chiropractor. After five visits over a two-week period, he felt better and stronger than he had in over six months. This experience was the beginning of a complete transformation and lifestyle change for Chris.

Sherri realized her dire need for a holistic lifestyle when she struggled with gallbladder issues in her 20's. Her physical health was compromised for more than seven years with this problem. Sherri eliminated hundreds of gallstones through several cleanses; however, she was unable to eliminate three larger ones that loosened and caused scar tissue when they moved, immobilizing her gallbladder. Chris and Sherri used the internet to research naturopathic practitioners that could assist Sherri with her health concern. They contacted a nutritionist/naturopathic doctor from Dallas who referred Sherri to the best surgeon in the area. The surgeon evaluated Sherri's condition, confirmed what the naturopathic practitioner suspected, and surgically removed the gallbladder. Diet and proper nutrition helped Sherri to improve her digestive system and over-all health. She believes the outcome would have been very different if she knew early on about the health risks of using birth control products as well as the benefits of whole nutrition and holistic health.

PURE HEALTH

Chris and Sherri have made "pure health" their family philosophy for wellness. Chris explains that the concept of "pure health" derives from the teachings of Dr. Jordin Rubin. "Dr. Rubin shared in one of his lectures that pure chiropractic care, pure air, pure water, pure food, pure supplements, and pure health and beauty aids, lead to pure health. We should pursue chiropractic first, nutrition second, natural medicine third, drugs fourth, and surgery last. In our society, we typically do the opposite of this. Instead of using natural health to prevent disease, we take prescriptions to react to the disease. The medications have so many side effects that they lead to more drugs. It is better to achieve optimal health and wellness by naturally preventing disease." /http://www.jordanrubin.com/

PURE CHIROPRACTIC: Chris and Sherri both have been going to a chiropractor for more than ten years, and they believe that it is the most important choice for their healthy lifestyle. "Neither alternative nor conventional medicine will work if the body is not in good alignment, allowing free flowing information to flow to and from the brain, organs, and body. This is necessary in order for the body to repair itself. Scientific evidence demonstrates that your body will not achieve optimal health when the spine is compacted and out of alignment as the spinal cord and surrounding spinal fluid will be pressured/pinched and the information the body is trying to communicate to itself will not flow freely."

PURE AIR AND WATER: The Rouths achieve pure air and pure water by investing in a good quality air purifier and water filter. They find it vital to drink a lot of filtered water and breathe air that is free of contaminants.

PURE FOOD AND SUPPLEMENTS: Chris and Sherri believe that whole nutrition is also a critical aspect of their healthy lifestyle. They would ideally like to eat all organic foods with raw ingredients; however, they needed to come up with the most cost effective plan for their family budget. The Rouths do most of their shopping at Aldi and Walmart, and they shop smart. "We went through every single food product in our home and looked for bad or questionable ingredients. Then, we went to Walmart and looked for alternative products. You can change quite a bit of what you purchase for just a few more bucks without going to Whole Foods. Even there, you have to know your ingredients."

Some of the ingredients that the Rouths avoid include gluten, soy, MSG, partially hydrogenated, autolyzed, enriched, bleached, brominated, corn syrup, and other unnatural sweeteners. They have eliminated most grains from their diet and eat a variety of fresh vegetables and fruits. They consume only healthy unprocessed meats and utilize coconut and palm kernel oil as their primary sources of fat.

Chris and Sherri discovered that whole organic supplementation is essential for quality balanced nutrition. They have researched and used several supplements over the years; however, they have found the best results with multivitamins and other supplements through the Synergy Company. They believe that Synergy is the most raw supplement company available. They also recommend Megafoods, New Chapter, and Garden of Life. When looking at any new product, they investigate the positive and negative reviews of each product in order to make an informed decision.

Juicing is another powerful way to achieve quality nutrition and heal the body. Chris shares that he has read studies that demonstrate several illnesses can improve or be cured through juicing two to three times a day with organic vegetables and fruits. "Certain vegetables, fruits, berries, and nuts have great medicinal properties, and when juicing them you are almost overeating them or using them like steroids. One must be very careful and know what they are doing when juicing this strongly as the medicinal properties can be stronger than medicine. Juicing should be practical and used in moderation."

The Routh family changed all of their food storage containers to glass and threw out any plastic kitchenware that could potentially leach BPA and other chemicals into their food. They also thoroughly researched the safest cookware and purchased ceramic Ceramcor products and a carbon steel skillet, stating these products are considered to be very safe. Chris and Sherri decided to get rid of their microwave because microwaves tend to leak harmful radiation and produce strong electromagnetic frequencies. "Put a glass of water in the microwave and warm it up. Then, let it cool down to room temperature. Pour it on a plant and watch to see what happens to the plant a few days later. We have replaced our microwave with a Secura halogen light oven and a Hamilton Beach dual level toaster oven."

PURE HEALTH AND BEAUTY AIDS: Chris and Sherri are discerning about what health and beauty products they use. They have researched thoroughly what harmful chemicals are in conventional and organic beauty products and have purchased what they believe to be the safest for their family.

ADRENAL AND THYROID HEALTH

Another crucial element of living healthy is achieving an optimal adrenal and thyroid function. This has been a challenge for both Chris and Sherri, who have experienced adrenal/thyroid problems. Almost five years ago, Chris discovered that he had some nodules in his thyroid, and he was in the beginning stages of hypothyroidism. Chris did a myriad of research on the topic, engaging in discussions with practitioners/health forums. Both Chris and Sherri decided to supplement and detoxify their thyroids with iodine and other products. This was a very tricky process as they found that supplementing with iodine can stress the thyroid. It took years of supplementation to get their adrenal systems and thyroid functions where they wanted it.

Chris explains, "Most adrenal and thyroid issues take years to recover to optimal energy levels on a consistent basis. Iodine will displace toxic heavy metals and other toxins. Only iodine and selenium (glutathione) will reduce the thyroid nodules and induce apoptosis in cancer cells, along with whole food vitamin C. Detoxing the thyroid isn't easy and doesn't go smoothly for a while. We had to start supplementing with natural dessicated thyroid because our thyroids had been detoxing that much. We recently began decreasing the thyroid dosages which means our thyroids are getting the nutrition they need, and are healthier/stronger. My thyroid nodules are now completely gone."

HEALTHY PH BALANCE

The Rouths also researched the health benefits of achieving a balanced PH system in your body. Their goal is to avoid acidic PH levels by being more alkaline. Their PH levels typically run alkaline--between 6.5 and 7 when fasting and between 7 and 8 when not fasting. "There have been many studies done where some people have healed various ailments simply by elevating their PH levels. This is achieved by inexpensive means such as Alkazone drops, eating lots of fruits and vegetables, juicing, and/or using green drinks. The fastest way is by using a Kangen Enagic SD501 alkalizing water machine, which has the most research and testing for the most consistent results."

HEALTHY CHILDREN

Chris and Sherri chose to maximize the health and vitality of their two daughters by providing them with a holistic lifestyle. When the Rouths discovered they were expecting their first child, they decided to give their baby a great start with Sherri's healthy eating and using natural supplements. Sherri enjoyed the advantages of a healthy lifestyle during pregnancy by having minimal morning sickness and no excessive weight gain. She also enjoyed nursing her sweet girls for as long as possible. The Routh children were exposed to chiropractic care at infancy. In fact, two chiropractor visits completely cured their first child from colic symptoms. The girls were fed organic baby food and high quality whole food supplements designed for infants and children. Because of their early exposure to whole foods, the girls have been accepting of a whole diet and will pretty much eat anything. They have never had any vaccines and have utilized very little antibiotics. Instead, their parents usually treat their colds and other infections with olive leaf and oregano products from North American Herb and Spice. Over all, the Rouths' daughters have been very healthy and are rarely sick.

TESTING WHAT IS TRUE

"I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable by God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." Romans 12:1-2

As Chris and Sherri grew in their knowledge about the ways of God, they came to a greater understanding of the importance of researching and testing out information about holistic health. Over the years, Chris has spent numerous hours reading and researching information on the internet, contacting alternative practitioners for advice, and joining holistic health forums. Aside from routine chiropractic care, the Rouths made the decision to do their own research instead of paying the additional costs of seeing alternative practitioners. Chris remembers, "I was a walking sinus infection after several rounds of antibiotics until I went natural. I was then just a guinea pig until I found what worked for me. Curezone forums and Earth Clinic forums are very good for finding what works and doesn't work because there is just as much corruption in the natural alternative medicine than there is in the traditional area."

The process of achieving wellness through research and experimentation has enlightened both Chris and Sherri about the advantages of pursuing ultimate truth. Chris shares his truth philosophy,"The Bible basically says, 'Challenge everything. Put it to a test to find out what is holy and true.' (1 Thessalonians 5:21). After you think you've found out what you are looking for, challenge it some more. You either believe all of the Bible or you don't believe it at all, and the Bible says anything is possible. If you don't get the exact answer you need, the next thing that will confirm you have the exact truth is just one simple thing, results! Even if you don't get the right product, supplement, eating plan, naturopathic physician, technique, device, or whatever it is that you use, don't ever give up. Traditional medicine is excellent, but only for certain reasons. Natural medicine is excellent for certain reasons as well; however, both are rarely best at the same time. Critical life or death situations are usually where I tell people to throw everything but the kitchen sink at, and make sure you have a great naturopathic physician that can guide your traditional doctor to make sure the isn't any contraindications. God gave us all of it, and we have to find out how to use everything He gave us. God created everything and created your body to heal and live optimally. If you aren't challenging everything, you will get suckered into many things. It's like the saying, 'stand for something or fall for anything.' "

THE PROOF IS IN THE RESULTS

For both Chris and Sherri the proof of what is true and what has worked for them has been demonstrated in the results they have achieved with their holistic lifestyle. When they made the decision to switch over to whole foods and organic supplements ten years ago, they had a true physical transformation. Chris and Sherri experienced an increase in energy as their bodies became stronger and healthier. They both testify that they are now thriving and feel great. Chris shares, "At age 43, I feel at times better than when I was in my 20's!"

THE TRUTH WILL SET YOU FREE

"Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

Truth has been the ultimate standard for Chris and Sherri's daily walk as they strive to be their best for God. When making important daily decisions they look to Jesus's example and ask themselves what His standard would be. Before researching any new idea or concept they will take a moment to pray for God's wisdom and discernment. Chris and Sherri want to use the knowledge that they have gained through years of research and experience to help others to achieve their best as well. They openly share both their faith and the facts/resources they have learned by living holistically. "Nothing is personal. We are in the business of living our lives to the best of our ability for God and helping everyone else that we are around to learn and do the same thing. That's all life really is. The truth has no agenda, and it will set you free."

RESOURCES

Chris and Sherri would like to share some of their favorite websites and sources of information that have helped them in their wellness journey.

LIVING WELL FOR GOD

For more information about Gateway Church and the teachings of Robert Morris:
http://gatewaypeople.com/

/http://www.theblessedlife.com/

Chris and Sherri recommend these websites that have impacted their pursuit for ultimate truth:
http://www.arlingtoncardinal.com/2012/03/paul-harvey-if-i-were-the-devil-radio-audio-and-transcript/
http://www.brotherjohnf.com/

Information about alternative healthcare from a Christian perspective:

http://www.biblicalhealthinstitute.com/

PURE CHIROPRACTIC CARE

For more good information about finding a chiropractor, Chris and Sherri recommend looking at these websites and doing your own research. They also recommend you find a practitioner that provides manual chiropractic care:
http://www.elevationhealth.com/
http://maximizedliving.com/

PURE AIR AND WATER

http://www.air-purifier-power.com/

PURE FOOD AND SUPPLEMENTS

Chris and Sherri recommend looking up articles on this website to learn more information about the importance of a whole diet and other aspects of holistic living:

http://www.mercola.com/

This is where Chris and Sherri get most of their supplements: https://www.thesynergycompany.com/products

Resources on juicing:

http://www.juicingbook.com/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/11/13/benefits-of-juicing.aspx

PURE HEALTH AND BEAUTY AIDS

Here are a couple of resources where Chris and Sherri get their health and beauty products that they believe to be the best and safest:

http://aubreyorganics.com/

http://www.productsknowledge.info/MiracleSoaps.aspx

SAFE HOUSEHOLD PRODUCTS

Information on the cookware that Chris and Sherri use:

http://www.ceramcor.com/