WELL BEING

The team of professionals at Café of Life provides holistic care for families in all stages of life, including gentle spinal adjustments for babies

CHIROPRACTIC LOVE

Caring for moms, babies, and family

We can all benefit from some chiropractic love from time to time. Chiropractic therapy focuses on the relationship between the nervous system, spine, and the body’s structure and function. It addresses the spine and its relationship with nerves, muscles, joints, bones, and/or connective tissues.

“As a chiropractor, I access the nervous system through the spine,” says Dr. Carliana Carpenter (Dr. CC), who works at Café of Life in Pacific Beach. She explains that since the spine houses the spinal cord, which is an extension of the brain and sends messages to every organ and muscle in the body, it is important to make sure that those messages are not interfered with by misalignments of the spine. “With every patient, I work to identify and adjust any misalignment that could impact the way the body functions and the body moves,” Dr. CC says.

Dr. CC specializes in working with families and specifically women in all stages of motherhood, as well as with babies. She is part of a team of chiropractors and other specialists at Café of Life in Pacific Beach, a care center offering private breastfeeding rooms, a playroom, breastfeeding support meetings, and more. Café of Life provides an atmosphere that invites patients to connect with each other. Here, women can unite with others going through similar challenges, struggles, and celebrations.

Many of Dr. CC’s patients are pregnant. “I use the Webster’s Technique, which is a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces nervous system stress, balances pelvic bones, muscles, and ligaments, and optimizes the mother’s pelvic function in pregnancy and birth,” she says. “When the pelvis is in proper alignment, expectant mothers have a better chance at a more comfortable pregnancy, labor, birth, and recovery. There are many ways to deliver the same adjustment and I love figuring out what works best for each person.” Often, new mothers seek chiropractic care. “There is a major physical and emotional shift for both mom and baby, when the baby moves from the womb into the world,” she explains. “I modify my care based on each mother’s birth story and what she is comfortable with. Post-birth mothers often present with new misalignments or areas of discomfort because of birth, lack of sleep, baby holding, and breastfeeding. Getting adjusted can help mothers release tension and feel more at ease.”

Even babies benefit from Dr. CC’s expert hands. Since the baby cannot differentiate its own nervous system from its mother’s in the early months of life, it can be valuable for both mother and baby to be gently adjusted together. Dr. CC has seen positive results from chiropractic care for infants with colic, sleep problems, digestive difficulties, feeding issues, head asymmetries, and more. She applies her gentlest touch as she examines an infant for misalignment. She also checks the baby’s cranial bones and inside the mouth for any palate issues or jaw tension which can affect latching and breastfeeding. Any necessary chiropractic adjustments are done gently—with mother involved—every step of the way.

“What I do is very unique and also very effective,” Dr. CC says with a big smile—showing us that what she does is also very rewarding. ✲ For more information, visit cafeoflifesandiego.com.

A gentle low back adjustment

NINE-TEN Restaurant & Bar’s Hazelnut Chocolate Mousse

LET’S TALK CHOCOLATE

Light, dense, liquid, and bark

PHOTOS BY NOUSHIN NOURIZADEH

There’s nothing quite like the rich aroma and flavor of chocolate. With more than 600 flavor compounds, it engulfs the palate and adds a new dimension to any recipe.

Chocolate starts out as a bean. Raw cacao (or cocoa) beans are fermented, dried, roasted, and ground to an oily paste, which can be separated into cocoa powder and cocoa butter. In its most natural form, chocolate tastes bitter until we add sugar. From there, the possibilities are endless. Chocolate is as versatile as it is delicious, inspiring chefs to whip up remarkable concoctions all about town.

CHOCOLATE MOUSSE

Traced back to the late nineteenth century, chocolate mousse has many stories about its origin. The dessert was originally called mayonnaise de chocolat. French postImpressionist painter Henri Toulouse-Lautrec, who also dabbled in the art of cooking, is credited with creating one of the first recipes. Throughout the twentieth century, recipes for the fluffy dessert evolved and today, chocolate mousse is a classic. From light and frothy to creamy and dense, chocolate mousse is a favorite which can be served in many ways.

CHOCOLATE BREAD PUDDING

Food historians trace the history of bread pudding to the High Middle Ages, as frugal cooks created ways to use stale, leftover bread. Back then, bread pudding was known as “poor man’s pudding.” Bread that was hard to chew was soaked in sweet liquid until it softened, then baked in the oven until golden and served warm. While initially a dish associated with England’s lower class, bread pudding eventually moved up the ladder of culinary esteem. Somewhere along the line, this dish was introduced to chocolate, and voilà! Chocolate bread pudding is a perfectly moist, custard dessert with a not-too-sweet taste.

CHOCOLATE ESPRESSO MARTINI

The story behind the espresso martini is that British mixologist Dick Bradsell invented it in the early 1980s for a top British model. Legend has it that she wanted a cocktail that would wake her up and the espresso martini did just that. The chocolate espresso martini is one ingredient better, adding a chocolate liqueur or crème de cacao to enhance the bold espresso flavor. Cocoa beans are set atop the frothy foam to represent powerful affirmations such as health, wealth, and happiness.

CHOCOLATE BARK

Simple in theory, chocolate bark can be made lickety-split. Start with a chocolate base, add a layer or two of almost anything, and you have something that qualifies as chocolate bark. But the deliciousness lies in the details, like tempered chocolate. Tempered chocolate has a shiny, flawless appearance and makes a firm, crisp snap when broken. It also overwhelms the tastebuds with chocolate flavor. With the base in place, chefs let their imaginations run wild to make exciting layers of textures and mind-blowing flavors. ✲ Osteria Romantica’s Chocolate Bread Pudding

Ranch 45’s Beef Bacon Bark with Marshmallow Cream Pomodoro’s Chocolate Espresso Martini