Kehres Health & Chiropractic Featured in the Saginaw News

Going solo, healers form their own practices so they can do it their way
The Saginaw News
Kathyn Lynch-Morin
Nov. 28, 2010


Dr. Daniel Kehres

SAGINAW TWP. – A growing number of area medical professionals are opting out of group practices for a chance to run their own businesses and provide care their way.

Dr. Daniel Kehres just opened Kehres Health & Chiropractic in Saginaw Township. His goal: to prevent sickness and pain before they begin.

Kehres transformed the space at 4882 Gratiot, Suite 13 in Saginaw Township into an educational and wellness center through the use of earthy shades of blue, tan and green, high ceilings and a modern therapy room complete with wobble chairs and other gadgets.

The office, Kehres said, is designed so he can focus on all aspects of a patient’s well being by targeting mental, chemical nutritional and physical stress.

“There were no offices that fit what I wanted to do, so the easiest way to do that was to open my own practice, said Kehres, a Lansing-area native. “I’m glad I did it, but there was nothing easy about it.”

After graduating from Palmer College of Chiropractic in Port Orange, Fla., he worked for an office outside of Orlando, where he practiced all of the latest and greatest techniques, a philosophy he said he wanted to bring to Saginaw and the Great Lakes Bay Region.

“There’s a great need in the area and I don’t think there’s a better time to open an office like this,” Kehres said. “My goal is to make this one of the healthiest places in Michigan.”

Kehres is part of a growing trend.

Dr. Claudia Zacharek, a doctor who specializes in kidney disease and prevention, opened her private practice at 4200 Fashion Square in Saginaw Township last month after working with a group for about two years.

Zacharek keeps her office open through lunch, and Kehres sees patients through 6 p.m. four days a week.

Both Kehres and Zacharek have no training in business, but agree focusing on the patient will ultimately lead to a successful business model. Both had appointments booked before their doors even opened.

“If you focus on patient care, the business side of things will fall into place,” Zacharek said.

Read the complete article in The Saginaw News.

Kehres Health & Chiropractic is now open!

We celebrated the opening of Kehres Health & Chiropractic with a ribbon cutting open house. Thank you to the Saginaw Chamber of Commerce and Great Lakes Bay community for your support and for for welcoming us. Call 989-607-4322 or e-mail kehreshealth@gmail.com to make an appointment.

Click here to see more pictures.

Free Range

While hunting, would you shoot a deer that you found in a pen too small for it, eating antibiotic pills, had needle marks from being injected with hormones, was very dirty, was so overweight and sick it couldn't walk?

No, you would pick the deer that looked strong and healthy, eating the natural foods deer eat and was happily running through the woods. Venison is one of the best kinds of meat as it is free-range, antibiotic free, hormone free, consists of all-natural diet and the deer lived happily and naturally, as animals deserve to. As we hold deer to this high of a standard, don't other animals deserve this too? What type of animal protein would be better for your health?

Positively Add Years to Your Life

Do you see the glass as half empty or half full? Those who see the glass as half full may be adding years to their life.

Do Positive People Live Longer was a question posed recently in the Huffington Post. Reporter David Hamilton Ph.D. says “a host of exciting research has shown that attitude affects our health – so much so, in fact, that a positive attitude can add years to our lives.”

There are a variety of studies that confirm that positive people do live longer.

• Healthy volunteers contracted a cold or flu virus and were assessed by their emotional style. The results clearly showed that the most positive people produced less mucous and had fewer overall symptoms. Study by Carnegie Mellon University.
• A 30-year study found that optimists had around a 50 percent lower risk of early death than pessimists. Study by Mayo Clinic.
• When a group of 660 elderly people were interviewed to see whether they had a positive attitude about aging, those that were positive, lived an average of 7.5 years longer than those with the most negative attitudes. Study by Yale University.
• In the Netherlands, a study found a “protective relationship” between optimism and mortality, meaning that optimists lived longer. There was found to be a 77 percent lower risk of heart disease than pessimists. Arnhem Elderly Study

There are four types of stress; physical, chemical, nutritional and mental, that can cause and promote inflammation – leading to disease. Reducing mental stress can prevent disease and improve your health.

“How do we turn our minds to more positive things?” Hamilton says. “Counting blessings is a simple way. Or challenge yourself to go three weeks without complaining, moaning, or criticizing.”

One way I’ve been doing this is to make myself accountable for counting my blessings by posting daily on my blog Gratefully Aligned. I encourage you to write down one thing you are thankful for every day.

Hamilton asks if you have a tendency to "make mountains out of molehills"? If so, try out the opposite just for a week. Try making molehills out of mountains.

Many people have heard of Dale Carnegie’s popular networking book How to Win Friends and Influence People, but he also has a very helpful book How to Stop Worrying and Start Living that outlines practical techniques to reduce worry and stress in your life.

“These simple techniques don't sound like much, but if they become a habit, they'll be some of the best habits you've ever adopted, because they might just add years to your life,” Hamilton concludes.

Read the complete article from the Huffington Post here.

Running (almost) barefoot in Vibram FiveFingers

This article was originally posted on 360mainstreet.com. 

Walking and running barefoot has gained a lot of popularity in recent years. You've probably seen people walking around in those goofy looking toe shoes (including me!). Vibram FiveFinger shoes are designed to be as close to walking barefoot as possible. With a rubber sole and a slot for each toe, these shoes feel like you aren’t wearing shoes at all.

Created in 2006, with two chiropractors serving on the biomechanics advisory board, Vibram FiveFingers have become extremely popular over the past few years. These innovative shoes were created to help people move as naturally as possible. 

More than 80 percent of runners suffer a form-related injury each year. When running, it is important to have your foot land flat or on your mid-foot as opposed to running with your heels hitting first. Landing with your foot in this position allows the impact of your foot hitting the ground to be dispersed throughout the body, instead of your feet taking all of the impact. This dispersion also strengthens your feet and lower legs, reducing the risk of injury. 

Average walking and running shoes typically add an inch of padding to the heel of the foot for comfort. This extra padding may seem like a good thing, but it causes many people to become heel dominant when they run, which puts extra stress on the rest of the body. 

If you go out for a run in Vibrams or barefoot, you will quickly change your running form if you run heel first as you will bruise your heel. When walking barefoot, the impact on the ground helps to strengthen your feet and helps to correct your form. Unfortunately, running has turned into a skill with the invention of shoes as it causes our running form to become unnatural. For more information about form, check out the article How’s Your Running Form. 

Another benefit of walking or running barefoot is that it increases the proprioception in your body. Proprioception is the brain/body connection, also known as coordination. The nerves in your feet increase their communication with your brain, leading to better balance, posture, biomechanics and improved running form. Wearing shoes for 8-16 hours a day, as most people do, minimizes proprioception and can eventually lead to loss of balance and greater risk of injury.

Walking and running barefoot or in Vibrams should be done gradually. It is best to start off running on a softer surface, such as grass or a dirt trail. If you have been advised not to run barefoot for any reason, be sure to have your running and/or walking form analyzed by a trained professional.


The closer to barefoot the better, but when Vibram FiveFingers aren't an option, choose shoes without thick soles, air pockets or that cause unnatural gait. For more information, visit myfivefingers.com, VibramFiveFingers.com, BirthdayShoes.com or contact Dr. Kehres at drkehres@kehreshealth.com

Vibram FiveFingers are available at Runners, 2831 Bay Road in Saginaw. Contact 989-790-4000 or http://www.runnersperformancestore.com for more information.

What is Corn Sugar?

There has been a lot of buzz lately about corn sugar -- the new name proposed for high fructose corn syrup. You may wonder what the difference is, but there isn't one, just a marketing ploy to improve the bad reputation high fructose corn syrup has earned over the past few years.

In my article High Fructose Corn Syrup -- better than sugar? I wrote about the negative health effects associated with high fructose corn syrup. A common ingredient in processed foods, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) estimates that HFCS accounts for roughly 41 percent of all caloric sweeteners consumed in the U.S.

As the New York Times reports, food products such as Hunt’s Ketchup, Ocean Spray Cranberry Juice and Wheat Thin crackers have stopped using high fructose corn syrup. The F.D.A. has six months to respond to the name-change petition. If the agency accepts it, the decision on whether to allow the name “corn sugar” on food labels may take another 12 to 18 months.

No matter if it is called high fructose corn syrup or corn sugar, it is still best to avoid. In excess, sugar is poison to our body and creates unwanted stress on our hormones and nervous system. Eat real foods, without the added corn sugar -- no matter how enticing its new marketing package is.

Dr. Dan's Veggie Shake

For the past few years I have been making vegetable shakes almost daily, and I have received a ton of questions about them and also a few crazy looks for drinking them (especially when I used to make them with broccoli!). These green shakes are an excellent way to get more nutrients into your diet throughout the day.

Sometimes I'll add protein to my shakes, but I typically drink it as a snack throughout the day. The great thing about a blender, is that you can mix anything together! I encourage you to try a veggie shake, and notice the increase in your energy levels.  I'd love to hear your favorite shake recipes.

Watch my video on vegetable shakes here!

Eat More, Weigh Less?

OK lets admit it, we have all read the number of calories on a package at the grocery store thinking we were doing ourselves a favor by limiting calories. Unfortunately, low calorie diets don’t live up to all the hype! Recent studies have shown that this type of eating will actually lead to weight gain after the initial weight loss. 

When you reduce the amount of calories in your diet, your body thinks you are going into starvation, and as a result any food that you put into your system will actually be stored as fat. 

The stress of calorie restriction on the body causes the release of excess sugar, that was previously stored in the liver. High amounts of excess sugar can lead to Type 2 Diabetes – which ironically can also be caused by eating too many calories. 

Instead of counting calories, focus on eating real, whole foods. When you eat real foods your body gets the nutrients it needs and your cravings will be eliminated. Alternatively, as the nutrient value of processed foods is so minimal, you will continue to crave foods until your body fulfills the nutritional requirements it needs. 

Just because a food is marked low calorie, does not mean it is a health food. Value real food and nutrient content instead of counting calories. 

To learn more about health myths, click here.