ADJUSTED REALITY

McAllister looks at health through a chiropractic lens.

In her nonfiction debut, the author, president of the Foundation for Chiropractic Progress, outlines the “chiropractic narrative” that underlies her vision of a more holistic model of understanding health care. McAllister largely bases the narrative on what she refers to as the Foundational Seven pillars of health: Investment, Replenishment, Nourishment, Movement, Adjustment, Contentment, and Revitalizement. McAllister positions this whole-being outlook in opposition to what she views as the fragmented, compartmentalized nature of modern life. “Today’s world is full of ‘experts’ in every field, but they aren’t asking about the sum of the parts,” she writes. “This leads consumers to feel overwhelmed, catatonic even, with misconceptions, fads, and lies about the human frame.” In each chapter, the author concentrates on a different pillar, expanding on key elements like dietary practices (warning readers not to be “seduced by the Big Agriculture and Big Food siren song”) and consistent exercise (“To create a supercharged life,” she bluntly asserts, “building muscle must be a primary focus”). She likewise stresses the mental aspects of health, urging her readers, “Don’t smudge life’s lens with worry and anxiety.” The reader may worry about potentially dubious claims; McAllister states that, “With appropriate supports found in the neuromusculoskeletal structure, the body has the opportunity to heal injuries without medications or surgeries.” The author walks that back a bit with her assertion that chiropractic treatments don’t exist to replace necessary medical treatments, but rather to “complement them in meaningful ways.” On balance, McAllister’s argument for the benefits of her whole-being chiropractic approach, with its emphasis on sound diet, consistent physical training, and the importance of inner contentment, is both uplifting and sensible.

A thought-provoking proposal to look at health care in a new, more whole-body way.