Dear Steve,

DID YOU KNOW that it's no secret that most prenatal multivitamins are awful, not only because the dosages are woeful, but many contain harmful fillers. Most importantly, the sources of vitamins and minerals are cheap so they do not address potential genetic predisposition for malabsorption.

Prenatals are critical for the mother AND fetus. Here are two recent examples.

The health of pregnant women with higher levels of essential nutrients circulating in their blood, particularly copper and manganese, along with vitamin B12, had a lower risk of developing high blood pressure in middle age, about 20 years later, according to research presented at the American Heart Association's Epidemiology and Prevention | Lifestyle and Cardiometabolic Health Scientific Sessions 2025.

Taking activated folate early in pregnancy was associated with better neuropsychological outcomes in the offspring at age 6 years, including improved verbal skills and behavior, according to research presented at the American Academy of Neurology 2025 Annual Meeting.

• WC Feature* Sleep Update
• What Is Optimal Sleep?
• June & July 20% OFF Sale
• Case Report

• Chiro Corner NEW!
• Pure Genomics
• Blog Briefs - Chronohygiene
• Well Connect Member Benefits

Steve: Your optimal amount of sleep may depend on where you live and is definitely not one-size-fits-all, according to new research published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

An analysis of sleep data and health outcomes for nearly 5,000 people in 20 countries revealed that the hours of sleep required for good health varies significantly across different cultures, challenging the common belief that everyone needs the same amount. The study was the first to investigate whether people from countries with shorter sleep durations suffer from worse health, and it found no evidence that this is so.

However, people who slept closer to their own culture's norms for sleep duration tended to have better overall health, suggesting that the ideal amount of sleep is the amount that matches what is considered appropriate sleep in one's cultural context. In the United States, the cultural norm for optimal sleep is approximately 7 hours.

The researchers also discovered that in all 20 countries, people appeared to be sleeping at least one hour less than what was considered optimal for their culture.

As I consistently tell my clients, 6-8 hours is your sleep window, with 7 hours being optimal. However, demographic is important for context. For example, young people need more sleep than older people.

Alcohol

Do you realize that alcohol has a significant effect on sleep quality? According to a study from Nutrients, even moderate alcohol intake elevates nocturnal resting heart rate, likely impairing physiological recovery. Participants also reported reduced sleep quality.

Exercise

A study from Family Medicine and Community Health found strength training improved sleep in older adults with insomnia, reducing sleep quality scores by 5.75 points - nearly twice the improvement seen with combination exercises and significantly better than aerobic activities.

A 20 year-old female collegiate athlete came to see Steve. She had extreme gastrointestinal distress and could not eat anything without becoming nauseous. This would cause her to not eat for long periods of time, which caused acidic vomiting. She could not function without consistently taking anti-nausea medication. She was not having a menstrual cycle, but was still anemic. The way she felt was greatly impeding her ability to participate in her collegiate sport.

Steve spoke frankly with her about the difficulty of trying to get her to heal while playing a grueling collegiate water sport, but they would see how much progress could be made. Steve was also very honest with her that getting back to normalcy would not be quick, but a long slog. But if she put the work in, she would see results.

After vastly modifying her eating schedule, foods that she was consuming, adding supplemental nutrients, using special at-home vagus nerve stimulation exercises, and stress management techniques, she saw modest improvement. However, after four months, she could not practice in full, had to be so careful dietarily that she could not travel with the team, and still had to rely on anti-nausea medication.

She and Steve met again, and he gave her three scenarios:

1) Continue as is with the diet and go on stronger GI medication the gastroenterologist prescribed to see if that would help.

2) Take the season off because Steve believed the training and bacteria from the water would not allow her to heal fully.

3) Retire from her sport entirely.

She opted for scenario #2.

Since she took the season off to heal, in her own words: "I've been doing so good making crazy progress the last few weeks with my eating. I just felt so normal I wanted to cry. I've been eating at the cafeteria lately without any issues. I still have progress to make I know, but I was just thinking a lot yesterday about it. The past month I've just seen so much improvement and so fast and I wanted to share."

She does not have to rely on anti-nausea meds, is back to moderate physical activity, and does not have to be draconian with her eating.  

Did you have a great experience working with us? Please let others know by leaving a review here.

Disclaimer: Case reports are not intended for self-healing. Case reports are for references purposes only and should be discussed with your health professional.

Do you slouch in your car? Maybe your head is forward while on your phone or laptop. How about your kid’s posture with their homework or while playing video games? Poor posture can lead to an array of health issues as cited in the June 3rd 2025 issue of Chiropractic Economics.

Misalignments, slouching, forward head posture and an exaggerated back curve, called kyphosis, are associated with neck pain and back pain. Poor posture also limits the expansion of the chest wall which can impair the lungs and strain the heart. That can contribute to fatigue, poor oxygenation, elevated blood pressure and an overactive fight or flight response. Other evidence suggests that poor posture affects one’s emotional state with increased stress perception and a lower ability to perform mental tasks.

How can you address your posture to keep you healthy and in less pain? Add posture exercises, posture shirts, back supports in the car, office chair and homework chairs. Get fitted for a pillow so that your head is not pushed forward while sleeping on your side or back. Put pillows on your lap so that when using your device the eyes and spine are upright. In conjunction, visit your Chiropractor regularly to help break the patterns of stubborn poor posture.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor and has been in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She uses a variety of techniques, including low level laser, to help patients reach their full potential. Contact Dr. Schuster at (847) 509-9067 or drliloschuster@sbcglobal.net.

PureInsight (formerly )Genomics harnesses the science of nutrigenomics so you can understand the relationship between your genes, nutrition, and wellness at the deepest level. Covering 72 genes in 11 trait categories, we've used Pure Insight since 2015 to help clients live longer with better quality of life.

How to Get Started

1. Order a genetic kit directly from Ancestry.com (AncestryDNA for $99) and send back your saliva specimen. When your results are ready, request that we set up a PureInsight account for you. We just need your full name, email address, and date of birth. You will receive an email invitation from PureInsight with a link to set up your account and instructions for how to upload your Ancestry data. You will receive a confirmation from PureInsight when your report is ready and we can then set up an appointment to go over your results.

Twice Weekly eNewsletters with Tons of Extra Content 

Long-form issues on Mondays and Wednesdays address all aspects of wellness including nutrition, mental and emotional health, physical activity, cooking, brand awareness, dietary supplements, medical breakthroughs, and much more.

Pure Genomics Wellness Screening

Results are free. Analysis with Steve or Bonnie is a separate fee.

Website Page Dedicated to Members Only

Only paid members have exclusive, password protected access to our 48 title Action Plan Library, Natural Foods Shopping List (updated quarterly), and the most recent 100 issues of our email newsletter.

*If you prefer to call in or email your orders, continue to do so. Whatever is convenient and comfortable is what we want for you.

Password Required For Website Orders

To make purchases, enter the password discount2018 when prompted at the "Guest Area" firewall, which is necessary for us to show our discounted pricing.

Easy Search

Whether on your computer or mobile device, find anything you want quickly using our website search feature.

Reorder Easily By Registering At Our Website

Registering as a member of our website will allow you to reorder items quickly. At our homepage, simply click on "Log In" and sign up. There, you can create a profile and see all of your previous orders, as well as make a wishlist of items you frequently order. Click the heart icon next to the add to cart button to add any item to your wishlist.

There are two passwords returning customers need to have.

1. Password to log into your account. This is the password you entered when you first registered at our site. Only you know this password.
2. Password to get past the "Guest Area" firewall: discount2018. The password will always be discount2018 unless we notify you.

3 Options for Fulfilling Your Order at The Wellness Shop

1. Place your order to be shipped.
2. Place your order for pickup at our office.
3. Place your order online but pay offline by calling in your credit card info.

Pay for Appointments

Pay for your appointment directly from our wellness shop under Service Fees.

Self-Help Action Plans

Inexpensive self-help protocols covering myriad conditions. These do not replace individualized consultations. View all 48 titles under Action Plans.

Bonnie, Steve, Lilo, Cindy, Diana, Marisa, and Sally