My Blog

Eat an Anti-inflammatory Diet for Better Health and Lose Weight as a Bonus

05/02/2013 10:18:00

Counting calories, avoiding fats, miniscule portions, living with hunger—dieting is a drag and the majority of people eventually gain back the pounds they fought so hard to lose. Newer research shows sloth and gluttony aren’t necessarily to blame for excess weight, but instead inflammation, leaky gut, stress, and other health imbalances

Dieting slows the metabolism, influences hormones that control appetite so you may become hungrier, and can create a cycle of unhealthy yo-yo dieting.

You’ll have better success if you eat with a focus on lowering inflammation, detoxifying the system, and meeting your nutritional needs. Many people take on anti-inflammatory diets to manage constant pain, digestive complaints, skin rashes such as eczema or psoriasis, an autoimmune disease such as Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, high blood pressure, depression, anxiety, and other chronic health problems.

People are surprised to find that not only do their symptoms fade but they also lose unwanted pounds. This is because excess weight can be a symptom of health imbalances, such as chronic inflammation, stress or leaky gut, a condition in which the lining of the gut becomes inflamed and porous.

Weight loss through better health

An anti-inflammatory diet focuses on whole foods and is free of inflammatory foods. Although it may cut out many of your favorite foods, it does not require you to be hungry. In fact, hunger can work against you by causing low blood sugar. Certain herbs and supplements that cleanse and detoxify the body can boost the anti-inflammatory and weight-loss benefits of the diet.

Anti-inflammatory diet basics that can lead to weight loss

Although anti-inflammatory diets vary, here are some basics:

Eliminate all processed foods, fast foods, desserts, coffee drinks, sodas, etc. These foods are designed to be addictive. Your anti-inflammatory diet should consist mainly of whole foods found in the produce and meat sections of the grocery store, with an emphasis on plenty of vegetables. Also eliminate processed vegetable oils and hydrogenated oils. Stick with natural oils such as coconut oil and olive oil. 
Eliminate common inflammatory foods. The most common culprit is gluten, the protein found in wheat, rye, barley, and other wheat-like grains. Many people enjoy weight loss simply by going on a gluten-free diet. However, you may have developed an intolerance to other foods, including dairy, eggs, soy, and nuts. Eliminate these foods for about a month to see whether you react upon reintroducing them one at a time. 
Eliminate sweets. Sugars and sweeteners are inflammatory and a major culprit in excess weight. On the anti-inflammatory diet you will avoid all sweeteners, including natural ones such as honey and maple syrup. This helps curb cravings, stabilize blood sugar, lower inflammation, and eliminate excess fat. Enjoy fruit instead, such as berries. 
Some people may need to follow stricter versions of this diet, such as eliminating grains, foods with lectins, or nightshades. An anti-inflammatory diet can be tailored to individual needs, but the focus is on clearing out the junk and getting back to foods in their most natural state, with an emphasis on plenty of leafy green vegetables. 
Eat to satisfaction, but do not overeat. Overeating even healthy foods stresses the system and causes blood sugar problems. If you have an eating disorder or food addiction, you may need additional support for that. 
Get enough sleep. Lack of sleep promotes hunger, stress, and inflammation and is linked with obesity in studies. Sufficient sleep is a major inflammation-buster. And, of course, get regular physical activity, not to burn calories but because it is vital to good health. Overtraining, however, can cause inflammation and actually counteract your weight loss efforts.

Boost success with gut repair and detoxification

I have found adding in nutritional compounds to help repair a damaged gut, lower inflammation, support the liver, and gently detoxify the system is a wonderful way to boost the health gains on an anti-inflammatory diet. Ask my office for more information about a detoxification and gut-repair program.

Protecting your body from disease with glutathione

03/28/2013 11:44:00

Modern life inflicts constant assaults on our bodies via industrialized foods, environmental toxins, chronic stress, lack of sleep, and our ever-growing exposure to electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) from cell phones, cell towers, cordless phones and computers. One of the best ways to continually protect our health against these insults is to support your glutathione levels, your body’s master antioxidant.

Although your body naturally makes and recycles glutathione, modern life can overwhelm this system, depleting us of this vital compound. There is also growing evidence, which I have seen firsthand, in my own practice, that some people have minor genetic defects, or SNPs, that amongst other things, may hinder natural production of glutathione. Regardless of the cause, when glutathione is low your body becomes more vulnerable to disease and damage, and your risk for disease rises.

Direct oral supplementation with glutathione is not ideal, as it is poorly absorbed by the digestive tract. Fortunately, many nutritional compounds can act as building blocks to glutathione, and when consumed, have been shown to increase levels of it naturally.

In my practice, when I feel the need is warranted, or when lab tests reveal a glutathione-related SNP, I will inject glutathione intravenously. This seems to have the most profound effect on people of all.

Below are some of many nutritional compounds that have been shown to boost glutathione levels.

N-acetyl-cysteine is a very bioavailable building block to glutathione. 
Alpha lipoic acid helps recycle glutathione already in the cells. 
Milk thistle boosts glutathione production naturally. 
Methylation nutrients--methyl folate (5-MTHF), methyl B6 (P5P) and methyl B12 (methylcobalmin)--are methyl forms of B vitamins can help boost glutathione production and recycling. 
Selenium helps the body produce and recycle glutathione. 
Vitamin C help increase glutathione levels and is the best recycler of glutathione.
As with all nutritional supplements, it is best to seek the advice of a qualified professional before utilizing supplements.

Diet and lifestyle factors can also affect your glutathione levels. Sulfur-rich foods such as garlic, onions, broccoli, kale, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, and watercress can help boost glutathione production.

Exercise also boosts glutathione; get aerobic exercise daily (such as walking) and strength train two to three times a week to optimize effects.

Preserve glutathione to prevent disease

One of the most important ways to maintain your glutathione levels is to reduce stress on your body. Glutathione’s job is to protect the cells, whether it’s from an autoimmune disease-related attack, sleep deprivation, or toxin exposure. Healthy glutathione levels reduce your risk of developing chronic and autoimmune disease as well as food and chemical sensitivities. It is also an excellent anti-aging compound.

The following are some strategies to prevent depletion of glutathione.

Find out what your food intolerances are and remove those foods from your diet. Many people are not aware that they are intolerant to common foods, such as bread or cheese. An elimination diet or a lab test like the Elisa/ACT test I use in my practice, can help you determine which foods are stressing your immune system and taxing glutathione reserves. 
Eat an all-natural, whole foods diet. Processed foods and fast foods contain chemical additives, genetically altered foods, antibiotics, hormones, excess sugar, and other ingredients that are stressors and deplete glutathione. 
Get enough sleep. Sleep deprivation is very stressful. If you have issues sleeping, it is often secondary to something else.
Manage your autoimmune disease. An autoimmune or chronic disease, such as Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, rheumatoid arthritis, or diabetes keeps the immune system on overdrive and damages tissue, depleting glutathione.
Reduce your exposure to toxins and pollutants. Many common environmental chemicals are toxic to the body. They are found in shampoos, body products, household cleaners, lawn care products, and so on. We have enough to deal with in terms of pollutants in air and water, minimize your exposure to them in the home. 
EMFs are a source of “electrical pollution.” Cell phones, computers, WiFi, and other electronics are stressful to the body and exposure should be minimized.

Why do you still have hypothyroid symptoms?

03/25/2013 15:30:00

Do you take thyroid hormone medication but still suffer fatigue, weight gain, hair loss, constipation, depression, cold hands and feet, or other thyroid symptoms?

Have you been told there is nothing more that can be done for your thyroid symptoms because your lab tests are normal?

Hypothyroidism, or low thyroid function, affects millions of Americans. Many people continue to suffer from hypothyroid symptoms and a worsening of their thyroid condition despite taking thyroid hormones. This is because 90 percent of hypothyroid cases in the United States are due to Hashimoto’s, an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys the thyroid gland. Although thyroid medications may be necessary to maintain thyroid function, they do not address the immune system’s relentless attack against the thyroid gland.

To identify Hashimoto’s, it’s important to screen for TPO and TGB antibodies on a blood test. If either of these is positive it indicates the immune system is attacking and destroying the thyroid gland, causing symptoms. In this case, the main strategy is not necessarily to treat the thyroid gland (although thyroid hormone medication may be necessary), but to balance the immune system in order to tame autoimmune attacks against the thyroid.

As outlined in the book Why Do I Still Have Thyroid Symptoms? by Datis Kharrazian, this is a multi-faceted approach that includes:

Supporting your body's innate metabolism and repair mechanisms via consumption of an alkalinizing diet (80% alkalinizing, 20% acidifying foods by volume), with plenty of richly colored veggies, as well as optimal dosing of vitamin C and buffering minerals.
Going on a strict gluten-free diet. Numerous studies from several different countries show a strong link between Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, spelt, and other wheat-like grains. Interestingly, studies show those with a gluten intolerance are genetically more prone to Hashimoto’s disease. Gluten also promotes inflammation and leaky gut, which exacerbate autoimmune disease. 
Adopting an autoimmune diet. For some people, going gluten-free is not enough to manage Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism and they need to follow an autoimmune diet that eliminates common inflammatory foods, such as dairy, eggs, corn, soy or sometimes even other grains. A whole-foods diet that emphasizes plenty of produce and eliminates processed foods is important to manage an autoimmune condition such as Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism.
Repairing a leaky gut. Leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, often plays a role in autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. Leaky gut is a condition in which the lining of the small intestine becomes inflamed, damaged, and porous, allowing undigested foods, bacteria, fungus, and other foreign invaders into the sterile environment of the bloodstream. Once in the bloodstream these foreign invaders trigger inflammation and autoimmunity. 
Stabilizing blood sugar. Stabilizing blood sugar is vital to managing Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism. A diet high in sugars and refined carbohydrates (such as breads, pastas, pastries, and desserts) creates inflammation and hormonal imbalances that make it difficult to tame an autoimmune condition. Energy crashes, fatigue after meals, excess belly fat, hormonal imbalances, mood swings, and sleep issues are all signs you may have a blood sugar handling disorder, such as hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) or insulin resistance (high blood sugar).
Optimize your omega 3 to omega 6 fatty acid ratio in your diet. This can be complicated, but for most people this means eliminating added cooking oils from your diet and adding more cold water fish, flax seeds, chia seeds and green leafy veggies. I prefer to test my patients' actual ratios via advanced fatty acid analysis testing.

These are just a few of the basics of the methods I use in autoimmune disease management in my practice, and can be used as a good starting point in the treatment of any condition, like Hashimoto's Hypothyroidism, that falls into this category. In terms of hypothyroidism specifically, it’s vitally important to go beyond just taking thyroid hormone replacement, and to manage your autoimmune condition as well. This will help to lower your risk of developing other autoimmune diseases, such as pernicious anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, vitiligo, or Type I diabetes.

Anemia: The Silent Deterrent to Optimal Health

02/22/2013 20:42:00

If you have iron-deficiency anemia, it will be difficult if not impossible to heal from chronic health issues. Because it robs the cells of oxygen necessary for basic functions, anemia is a deal breaker when it comes to improving your health. Knowing how to identify and address your anemia are crucial first steps to any healing program.

What is iron-deficiency anemia

Although there are many forms of anemia, iron-deficiency is the leading cause of anemia in the United States and the most common nutritional deficiency. The body uses iron to make hemoglobin, a part of blood cells that carries oxygen. When iron is low, the body makes smaller red blood cells and fewer of them. As a result, the tissues of the body do not get enough oxygen.

Why oxygen is so important

All the body’s cells need a constant supply of oxygen to function. All cells have mitochondria, which are like little power plants. The mitochondria produce adenosine triphosphate (ATP), molecules that store and release energy, functioning like rechargeable batteries. This process is necessary to create new tissue, eliminate old tissue, convert food to energy, dispose of waste materials and toxins, and communicate with other cells. Healthy mitochondrial function and ATP production are vital to preventing and healing disease, and they require oxygen to work.

What causes iron-deficiency anemia?

A variety of factors can cause iron-deficiency. They include:

Not enough iron in the diet. Iron-rich foods include meat, eggs, and leafy green vegetables.
Chronic blood loss in the body from ulcers, heavy bleeding during menstruation, uterine fibroids, hemorrhoids, cancer, or regular aspirin use.
Pregnancy. The need for iron grows as the pregnant mother must supply iron for both herself and the growing fetus.
Inability to absorb iron. Iron-deficiency is common in undiagnosed celiac disease, which damages and inflames the small intestine so that it cannot absorb nutrients. Other food intolerances or poor digestive function can also result in poor absorption of iron.

Symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia

The easiest way to determine whether you have iron-deficiency anemia is through a functional blood chemistry panel, which looks at a complete blood count and iron markers. You can also evaluate your symptoms to determine whether you may be at risk for iron-deficiency anemia. Symptoms include:

Feeling weak and tiring easily
Dizziness
Feeling grumpy or cranky
Headaches
Pale skin, nail beds, and gums
Spooning of the nails
Short of breath
Trouble concentrating

Managing iron-deficiency anemia

One should address the root cause of iron-deficiency anemia. For instance, a gluten-free diet and repairing gut damage resolves anemia in many people. If you need an iron supplement, it’s important to choose one that is well absorbed by the body and will not cause an upset stomach or constipation. Ask my office for advice.

Avoid iron toxicity

There are many different forms of anemia besides iron-deficiency anemia, such as anemia caused by a B12 deficiency, inflammation, or an autoimmune disease. Supplementing with iron when you don’t need it may increase the risk of excess levels of iron in your body. Although the body needs iron to function, in excess it is toxic. I have seen a number of patients who were told by their conventional doctor to take iron because they are anemic, when they were actually deficient in a different nutrient entirely! This is unfortunate and dangerous for the patient, but worst of all it won't solve their anemia problems. A thorough investigation as to the the type of anemia and the cause behind it is essential recovery and essential for optimal health.

How to protect yourself from brain injury

02/13/2013 19:16:00

Brain injury prevention goes beyond whether you wear a helmet. Two people with the same injury can have two wildly different reactions—one mild, one debilitating—based on the health of their brain prior to injury.

Although we can’t necessarily control whether a brain injury happens from a fall, a car accident, or a blow to the head, we can affect how well our brain copes with the trauma. More than 1.7 million people sustain a brain injury each year, and more than 5 million people are disabled due to brain injuries.

Brain health determines response to brain injury

The brain is an extremely malleable organ that is constantly being shaped by our environment, diet, experiences, thoughts, and emotions. Because it is such a sensitive organ, brain health can easily suffer. What makes the brain most vulnerable to increased devastation from a brain injury is inflammation. Inflammation in a knee, ankle, or elsewhere in the body typically results in pain. An inflamed brain, however, does not hurt. Instead, a common symptom of brain inflammation is brain fog.

People with brain fog complain their thinking feels slow and disconnected, as if they are in a fog. This is because the inflammation in the brain slows communication between neurons. Other symptoms of brain inflammation can include memory loss, depression, anxiety, and neurological disorders.

What causes brain inflammation

The factors that cause brain inflammation are often the same factors that cause inflammation elsewhere in the body, and stem primarily from poor diet and lifestyle choices. One of the more common causes of brain inflammation is inflammation in the gut. If you have any digestive disorders—stomach pain, constipation, diarrhea, heartburn, gas, bloating, multiple food sensitivities—you may be at risk of brain inflammation. The effects of the brain injury will be much worse and more difficult to heal if inflammation is already a problem. Common factors that inflame the brain include:

Food intolerances, particularly to gluten. The brain has been found to be the tissue most often affected by a gluten sensitivity.
A diet high in sugar
Blood sugar imbalances (low blood sugar, high blood sugar, or diabetes) Leaky gut (a damaged gut wall that allows undigested food, bacteria, and other pathogens into the bloodstream)
Unmanaged autoimmune disease, such as Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism · Chronic inflammation elsewhere in the body
Hormonal imbalances. Hormones play an important role in brain health. For instance, an estrogen deficiency in a woman can cause brain inflammation and make the brain significantly more vulnerable to damage from a brain injury. Also, progesterone has been shown to be very therapeutic after a brain injury.
Poor blood flow and oxygenation. The brain cannot function well without a good flow of blood, which carries oxygen. Factors that can hamper this include anemia, smoking, poor circulation, blood sugar imbalances, chronic stress, and high or low blood pressure.

Symptoms that indicate you may be at risk for more devastation from a brain injury

By knowing what symptoms to look for, you can improve your chance of a good outcome in the event of a brain injury. Certain symptoms show your brain may be inflamed or in poor health. As mentioned earlier, digestive symptoms or hormonal imbalances can inflame the brain. Multiple chemical sensitivities indicate you have lost a tolerance to environmental compounds and your antioxidant status is low, making your brain more vulnerable.

Chronic depression has been linked to chronic gut and brain inflammation. Anxiety or mood disorders signal imbalances in brain health. Memory loss and poor cognition also signal brain health is deteriorating.

Supporting brain health

The factors that support brain health are the same factors that support your body’s health. They include a whole foods diet rich in antioxidants and with sufficient amounts of omega 3 fats and vitamin D, regular physical activity and enough sleep, healthy social activity, and avoiding foods and lifestyle factors that increase stress and inflammation.

Start walking today, even if you already work out

01/31/2013 12:09:00

We sit at desks, sit in traffic, and sit in front of the TV. Americans have lost touch with the most basic and unique human function: to walk. Walking daily not only wards off more diseases than you count on both hands, it also soothes the mind, inspires creativity, and heightens the mood. Even if you already work out regularly, walking can still deliver its ancient benefits.

Walking shaped the human brain and keeps it healthy

We departed from the rest of the animal kingdom when we evolved to walk upright on two legs. This adaptation freed our arms and allowed us to conserve energy while moving over long distances, giving us more endurance than any other animal on the planet. The ability to walk also stimulated the development of the human brain into the fascinating and complex organ it is today.

The Greek philosopher Aristotle was known to give his lectures while walking, and many great thinkers since—Henry David Thoreau, Sir Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, and even Steve Jobs—were known to use long walks to clear the brain and generate new ideas.

Walking is good for those intimidated by exercise

You don’t have to be one of history’s great thinkers to derive the benefits of a daily walk. For Americans who are overworked and overly sedentary, committing to a weight lifting routine or a workout class at the local gym may seem intimidating, overwhelming, or too expensive at first. A daily walk can be an excellent and non-threatening way to embark on an exercise program and reap the many benefits it promises. Once you’ve done it a few times, you’ll quickly realize it doesn’t require the same level of motivation as something more arduous—walking is a great way to escape and renew yourself on a regular basis.

Walking is beneficial even if you work out

If you’re not walking because you already work out regularly, you may be short-changing yourself. For one thing, if you’re a runner, walking instead could save wear and tear on your joints. Newer research has even shown that training for marathons and long distance runs may even damage the heart and arteries.

Because walking has played such an integral role in the development of the human brain, it improves brain health in ways other exercises don’t. Research of adults in their mid 60s showed that an area of the brain called the hippocampus, the seat of learning and memory, grew in the subjects who walked regularly compared to subjects who did other forms of exercise. Walking regularly is an excellent way to lower the risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s.

Walking can also stimulate the creative juices that may be put on hold during a weight-training or high-intensity-interval cardiovascular session. For Americans on information overload and inundated with daily distractions, walking slows you down and invites you to soak in the world around you.

Walking also offers a great way to socialize with others. Socialization has been shown to significantly reduce the risk of many disorders, making a walk with friends or family members doubly good for you.

Health benefits of walking

Walking 30 to 45 minutes at least six days a week along with a healthy diet has been shown to offer the following benefits:

• Shed excess fat

• Reduce blood pressure

• Improve circulation

• Strengthen bones

• Reduce stress

• Prevent depression

• Prevent Type 2 diabetes

• Improve mood and well-being

• Reduce risk of colon and breast cancer

• Prevent heart disease

Daily Health Tips

01/05/2013 17:55:00

As a naturopathic doctor, I give varying pieces of advice to people on how to get healthy. Much of that advice is individual or tailored to the specific needs of the person sitting in front of me. In fact, I feel individualized treatment plans are a key part of my approach. I don't just see a person with "health condition A" and give them "treatment A". Very few "protocols" are used in my office. The primary goal is always to identify and treat the underlying issues which result in the symptoms each patient has. In other words, what is crucial for one patient, may be useless for another. It all depends on what's going on.

That said, there are also certain basic health tips I give to just about everyone. I have chosen these health tips because, unlike the specific treatments I recommend to work on individual need, these tips will help EVERYONE.

Take Daily for Health and Longevity:

Skin to Skin Contact with the Earth: Based on the responses I have seen in my own practice, along with a growing body of research, I now consider "Earthing" to be the most simple, fundamental and crucial daily health tip of all. It is so easy to do, and yet so powerful and so potentially beneficial it's almost hard to believe. There is no reason why everyone of you cannot start "Earthing" today!

Real Food. Not too much. Mostly Plants: This simple piece of advice was originally coined by Michael Pollan in his book, "In Defense of Food". The statement pretty much speaks for itself. No reading between the lines here. Stay away from all processed, packaged, chemical-laden foods, choosing "real food" instead.. Eat each meal until you're about 80% full and stop there. Base your menu plans around a variety of richly colored organic veggies and different types of pastured, anti-biotic and hormone free animal foods and don't eat much of much else. You won't regret it! There are a variety of books on the right side of this page that can go a long way in helping you accomplish these goals.

Pure Water til Your Pee is Light Yellow: Everyone seems to have their own idea about how much water you can drink. 8 cups a day. Half your body weight in ounces. Only drink when you're thirsty. So on and so forth. What is clear though is that water consumption is crucial to good health. I have come up with my own recommendation though, which makes the most sense to me.This is because , depending on a variety of factors, especially activity level and diet, that your body's water needs can vary widely from day to day, so following some set rule for the amount you need seems illogical. After all, drinking too much water isn't good for you either! Give this a try and see how you feel.

Vigorous Physical Activity: Everyone knows that exercise is important, however most people still don't quite get just how important it is. Some people who surely do are the folks at the Warrior Room, who are partnering with Mayor Jeremy Ferguson of Milwaukie, OR during his "Mayor's Fitness Challenge" to provide him with some high quality, highly effective workouts.

Regular Outdoor Exposure in Nature: Richard Louv, author of The Nature Principle has researched the benefits of getting out in nature extensively. To me, it's a no brainer. GO OUTSIDE. OFTEN. 'Nuff said.

Quality Sleep and Frequent Rest: Unfortunately, this one is much easier said than done. Nonetheless, I would rank it up there along with Earthing and eating well, in terms of importance. If this is a challenging area for you, you should know there is a wide variety of advice available out there on how to get a good night's sleep. Of course the most obvious advice (Go to Bed!) is also probably the most difficult for most of us, especially parents, to follow. However, if you are having real problems in this area, you need the help of a health professional. If that is the case, I nominate.... ME. Why not? It's my blog posting.

Positive Social Interactions: This is another important bit of advice that could take a number of different forms, depending on the person. Honestly, most anything will do, as long as it's not directly harmful to the planet or any of its inhabitants (you included). The biggest problem I see in this category is that people just get stuck in their day to day life and don't go out and have fun anymore! What's the best social activity I can think of? Go to a park with your friends or family, run around barefoot on the grass playing some game or another that makes you all laugh and breath hard, drink some water, eat some local, organic food, then take a nap. Bam! You just followed all the advice on this entire post in about two hours!

Play, Laughter and Good Humor: Have you ever heard about how it takes way more muscles to frown than it does to smile? I always loved that bit of trivia. Well, if you're this lame-o, you can take time out of your precious day to disprove the theory, or you can just go with it! Smiling and laughter will make you live longer.

Meaningful Participation in Your Community:

And last but not least, what good is living longer if you are not helping out the rest of this world? We are all in it together here, and without all of us doing our part to help each other and this planet out, we will just not make it much longer.

So start small if you need to, just start somewhere if you aren't doing do so already. You know, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". Then go from there. If you want a shining example of this important action, check out what,

Mandy Zelinka Anderson of Milwaukierules.com is doing. Or, volunteer. Coach a Little League team. Open the door for someone. Plant a tree. Pick up the garbage you see on the ground and throw it away. Choose a job that makes you feel like you are making a difference.

Optimizing the Value of Your Blood Tests

12/27/2012 11:27:00

Do you suffer from fatigue, brain fog, hair loss, digestive issues, joint pain, or other symptoms?

Many doctors dismiss health complaints because of an incomplete or poorly assessed blood test result. And, often times they only order markers looking for diseases instead of trends toward disease.

In functional medicine, however, we use a blood test for assessing risk of disease before it develops. We also look at test results with a fine toothed comb, noticing patterns and trends that are suggestive of developing situations, that standard medical training does not teach a physician to look for. For instance, risks for diabetes or heart disease can be much more thoroughly assessed with some additional tests not typically ordered in an MD's office, along with a more discerning look at the standard tests ordered.

Probably the most poorly evaluated condition in conventional care that I am aware of is hypothyroidism, where physicians almost never order all that is necessary to fully see what is going on.

A functional blood test for a return to health

Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of symptoms instead of overriding them with drugs or surgery. One tool we use to accomplish this is to interpret blood tests using functional ranges, which outline the parameters of good health.

In contrast, the ranges most doctors use are based on a bell-curve analysis of all the people who visited that lab over a certain period of time, many of whom are very sick. These lab ranges have broadened over the last few decades as health of the American population has declined. As a result, many people with real health problems are told they’re ok because their results fall within these ranges. In other words, they are just as sick as everyone else!

Do you really want to evaluate your health in comparison to all the sick people who visited your lab, or do you want to look at a blood test for what constitutes good health?

Looking for blood test patterns

Because functional medicine is based on an in-depth knowledge of human physiology and how various systems in the body work together, we also look at a blood test for patterns instead of just looking at individual markers. By doing this, we see how these different systems influence one another to cause a constellation of symptoms.

For instance, looking at different white blood cells reveals whether an immune reaction is chronic or acute, and whether a virus, a bacterial infection, allergies, or parasite may be causing it. Other patterns can help us identify fatty liver, leaky gut, different types of anemia, or even a possible autoimmune disorder.

Blood test for functional medicine is more thorough

Because we look at a more complete picture, a blood test for functional medicine also includes more markers that standard blood tests. Going back to hypothyroidism as an example, many doctors only look at TSH, a basic thyroid marker, when running a blood test for hypothyroidism. A more thorough evaluation should include other markers to more fully ascertain how you metabolizing or using the thyroid hormone you are able to make, and whether or not your condition may be due to Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease that attacks and destroys the thyroid gland. It is not commonly known that this condition is responsible for approximately 90 percent of hypothyroid cases in the United States. If it is the cause of the thyroid disorder, treatment is much more complex and should assess a number of additional factors for the best result to be obtained.

A blood test for a functional medicine approach can also help us know what other tests may be necessary, such as a gastrointestinal panel or further testing for anemia.

Principles of functional medicine

Once the potential problems or risks have been assessed, the functional medicine practitioner uses a variety of evidence-based, non-pharmaceutical approaches to restore health. These include:

Adjustments to the diet
Lifestyle changes (such as eating breakfast, proper sleep hygiene, physical activity, or reduction of stress)
Appropriate basic supplementation to assure optimal intake of all important nutrient factors for the individual's condition
Supplementation with nutrients found to be specifically deficient in the individual patient (vs one supplement fits all)
Intravenous nutrient therapy to address cases where oral medicines will not have a strong enough effect
The use of herbal medicines to improve physiological function
Other natural medicine approaches customized for the patient based on lab testing

If your physician is not using similar principles and therapeutic approaches to guide his or her practice, yet optimal health is your goal, you need to find someone else.

If you cannot find a qualified doctor using these principles in your area, please contact my office. I provide long distance consultations to people around the world for chronic disease risk assessment and prevention, utilizing the approaches and principles discussed above and much more.

Could this little known condition be the cause of your digestive trouble?

10/04/2012 10:33:00

Could your IBS, constipation, or diarrhea be SIBO?

Do you meet the criteria for irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and can’t find relief? Do you look pregnant thanks to a bloated belly? Are chronic diarrhea or constipation your constant companions? If so, you may be a victim of stubborn gut bacteria, also known as small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO).

Full list of SIBO symptoms and related conditions

Excess gas, flatulence, belching
Abdominal bloating from gas
Abdominal pain and cramping
Constipation, diarrhea, or both
Nausea or heartburn
Irritable bowel syndrome
Multiple food sensitivities
Leaky gut
Fatigue
Malabsorption symptoms (anemia or fatty stools)
Rosacea
Neurologic and muscular diseases

While a long list of symptoms accompany SIBO, its trademark symptoms are a chronically bloated, distended belly; gas, which can cause flatulence or belching; and a tendency toward chronic diarrhea, constipation, or both.

How SIBO causes bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea

The entire gastrointestinal (GI) tract contains bacteria, both good and bad. The small intestine contains bacteria different from that of the large intestine. In the case of SIBO, the small intestine contains too much bacteria, and these bacteria more closely resemble the bacteria of the colon. These bacteria consume sugars and carbohydrates, producing large amounts of gas. Not only does this gas cause bloating, belching, and flatulence, it is also behind chronic cases of constipation and diarrhea (depending on the type of gas produced).

SIBO causes leaky gut

In addition to producing gas, the bacteria create byproducts that irritate and damage the lining of the GI tract. This damage causes intestinal permeability, or “leaky gut,” a condition in which the lining of the intestine becomes damaged and overly porous, allowing undigested foods, infectious bacteria, and other pathogens into the bloodstream. This creates inflammation in the GI tract and throughout the body. And because the bacteria digest foods normally meant for the intestine to absorb, nutrient deficiencies and malabsorption are common side effects with SIBO.

In addition to causing gastric complaints, SIBO is linked with neurological and cognitive symptoms. One of the best known is a condition called restless leg syndrome.

Diagnosing SIBO involves a hydrogen breath test, which has the patient ingesting sugar solutions and giving breath samples over a period of several hours. Although experts debate its validity, clinicians report hydrogen breath test results often correspond with symptoms. Standard medical treatment of SIBO, which includes expensive antibiotics, has a good success rate, but patients can relapse if they do not take preventive measures after treatment. Anecdotal reports show success using herbal antibiotics, although there are no published studies. A medical fast using a nutrition drink for two to three weeks shows a good success rate, as it starves the bacteria. But because no eating is allowed during the fast, many find it too challenging a remedy.

How to manage SIBO

In my practice I combine dietary changes focusing on avoidance of foods that feed the bacteria, with antibacterial herbs and herbs to heal the lining of the digestive tract and reduce its leakiness. Unlike most other physicians treating SIBO out there, I also recommend intravenously administered nutrients to my patients. This treatment bypasses the need to depend on the digestive tract to digest and absorb nutrients in its weakened state. I find using intravenous nutrients offers a tremendous advantage, increasing healing time and getting the patient feeling better more quickly.

Revisiting an Old Friend: Surprising Facts About Vitamin C

09/29/2012 16:49:00

What is the definition of a vitamin?

A "vitamin" is considered to be an organic compound that cannot be synthesized in sufficient quantities by our bodies, and so must be obtained from our diets. Believe it or not, by the above definition, Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) should not be called a vitamin for humans.

How can that be?

For starters, it’s called vitamin C. If you don’t consume vitamin C in your diet or as a supplement, you will get an absolutely horrendous disease known as scurvy and die a slow, painful death. That sounds like a “requirement” if I’ve ever heard of one.

How then is vitamin C not truly a vitamin?

Ascorbic acid has become a vitamin for humans because all humans are biochemically defective, at least in regards to our need for it. Nearly every other living organism on the planet is not defective in this way, so is fully capable of manufacturing their own vitamin C. In essence, they all possess a built in mechanism for manufacturing a biochemical substance to keep them from dying a slow, painful, horrendous death.

Where can I get one of those mechanisms?!?

Guess what. As I just alluded to, you used to have one.

What happened?

For millions of years the ability to synthesize ascorbic acid has been inherent in nearly all forms of plants and animals from the very basic to the very complex, which gives a strong hint about its incredible importance to life on this planet.

However, humans, along with all other primates, and a select few other species lost their vitamin C making machinery. In essence, a defect occurred many years ago in one our common ancestors, creating a missing component in the biochemical pathway of ascorbic acid production and a subsequent inability to make it.

Fortunately, the environment our ancestors lived in at that time was replete with lush vegetation, naturally high in ascorbic acid, so it could be obtained from food. As manufacturing ascorbic acid takes glucose and energy, someone who cannot do it will actually end up with an energy saving advantage over those who still can (as long as it is available in the diet). As with all genetic variations, the benefit this defect created, ended up winning out over time and the others who didn’t have it, died off, leaving only people like you and me around, and effectively turning ascorbic acid into vitamin C.

Why am I telling you this story? Well for one thing it is fascinating. But, more importantly, it’s crucial for your long term health to realize, just how important ascorbic acid is for you, and how to use it.

Telling research has been done using animals who can still make vitamin C and guess what. They make a lot of it, thousands of milligrams a day in fact, every day, without fail. What’s more, when these animals get sick, injured, or stressed they make more, way more, right away and continue doing so until the stress on their body has passed. If these animals are altered so, like us, they can’t make vitamin C, then they take much longer to get better, are at greater risk for complications and die much earlier.

The RDA for vitamin C in humans is 60mg per day. This amount will keep you from contracting and dying of scurvy. An orange has about 70mg. Eat an orange a day and you won’t get scurvy. However, the research above suggests that, if you could still make vitamin C, you would likely make about 2,000 to 4,000mg per day. In other words, 60mg is nowhere near enough. Neither is an orange.

Additional research on vitamin C has shown that if people were to consume just 800-1000mg per of ascorbic acid, they would live and average of 4 years longer.

To help maintain optimal health, I recommend all of my patients eat a diet high in plants and fruits (thus high in vitamin C) PLUS 2,000-4,000mg of pure ascorbic acid. If they have an increase in stress in their lives, get injured, have surgery or feel like they are getting sick, I recommend a lot more, depending on the case, and may even administer it to them intravenously, which can have astounding results. Since altering my recommendations this way, my patients get sick less often and better much more quickly.

So, I am sorry to say, you are defective. Luckily there is an easy way to make up for it.