Whittlesey Natural Health

Poor sleep habits raise the risk of dementia

2012-01-31T16:39:00.000-08:00

Are you a night owl who can’t fall asleep? Are you half dead in the morning without several cups of coffee? If so, you may have an increased risk of developing dementia later in life.
Our “body clock,” or circadian rhythm, regulates our sleep/wake cycles.
A healthy circadian rhythm has you alert in the morning, tired at night, and able to sleep through the night.
When it becomes imbalanced your risk of developing dementia, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases increases.
Dementia and circadian rhythm share same area of the brain
The area of the brain that governs the circadian rhythm, the hippocampus, also plays a role in short-term memory and learning. The hippocampus is the first target of degeneration in dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
An imbalanced circadian rhythm could point to problems in the hippocampus and an increased risk of dementia later in life.
Studies link circadian rhythm imbalance with dementia risk
A recent study found the risk of dementia was higher in older women with weaker circadian rhythms.
A 2008 study also found that tracking circadian rhythms over time could predict cognitive decline in healthy older adults.
Circadian rhythm balance goes beyond dementia
Dementia isn’t the only risk. Studies have also linked an imbalanced circadian rhythm with cardiovascular disease, weight gain, mood disturbances, constipation, prostate cancer, and breast cancer.
Are you at risk for dementia later in life?
How do you know if your circadian rhythm is off balance? Look at whether you suffer from any of the following symptoms:
• Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep
• Difficulty waking in the morning
• Not feeling rested after sleep
• Poor recovery from exercise
• Drop of energy between 4 –7 p.m.
Preventing dementia naturally
How can you normalize your circadian rhythm and lower the risk for dementia? The answer lies largely in regulating cortisol, an adrenal stress hormone. Studies show high cortisol from physical or mental stress degenerates the hippocampus.
The stress from inflammation in particular has been shown to be associated with atrophy of the hippocampus. This has been evidenced on blood panels by higher levels of homocysteine, a telltale sign of inflammation.
Lower inflammation to prevent dementia
One of the best ways to normalize the circadian rhythm is to reduce inflammation; your diet is the first place to start. Address food sensitivities, such as to gluten, lower the amount of starchy foods and sweets to stabilize blood sugar, and eliminate processed foods. Ask my office about an anti-inflammatory diet program.
Other tools I can help you with include addressing brain health and chemistry. Chronic stress can disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters, brain chemicals that regulate mood and wellbeing. Restoring balance to neurotransmitters helps regulate the body’s clock.
Adrenal adaptogens, herbs that help modulate adrenal cortisol levels, can significantly balance the circadian rhythm and protect the hippocampus, as can liposomal phosphatidylserine.
Of course, establishing healthy sleep habits and reducing lifestyle stressors will also help lower cortisol levels and normalize your circadian rhythm.

Qigong For Health

2011-07-11T17:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a great research study about Qigong. Qigong is an internal martial art similar to to Tai Chi. I have been doing Wisdom Qigong regularly for about six months now and have noticed a big improvement in my overall health and energy. Master Ping in China ran a Qigong Hospital for many years and many "cures" of people with chronic illnesses.

You want to look into Qigong for yourself. www.chicenter.com

Effect of Qigong on quality of life: a cross-sectional population-based comparison study in Taiwan

Tsung-Jung Ho, David C Christiani, Tso-Chiang Ma, Tsong-Rong Jang, Chih-Hui Lieng, Yi-Chun Yeh, Shinn-Zong Lin, Jaung-Geng Lin, Jim-Shoung Lai and Tzuo-Yun Lan

BMC Public Health 2011, 11:546doi:10.1186/1471-2458-11-546
Published: 9 July 2011

Abstract (provisional)

Background

Qigong, similar to Tai Chi Chuan, is beneficial to health. In Taiwan, Waitankung, a type of Qigong, is as popular as Tai Chi Chuan. This population-based comparison study compares the health-related quality of life between people practicing Waitankung and their comparable community residents.

Methods

A total of 165 individuals practicing Waitankung were matched by age and sex with 660 general individuals for comparison. Information about health-related quality of life, measured by the SF-36, and other basic and health conditions was obtained from the questionnaires. This study used the linear mixed-effect regression model to examine the association between health-related quality of life and the practice of Waitankung.

Results

Compared with either sedentary individuals or individuals practicing other types of exercise, the Waitankung group scored higher for eight and five out of ten SF-36 components, respectively. The Waitankung group scored better in general health, vitality, and physical component summary compared to individuals participating in other types of exercise, even when considering the energy expended by exercise.

Conclusion

The results suggest that Waitankung exercising is significantly associated with health-related quality of life. Waitankung may serve as an exercise choice for middle-aged and older people to improve overall quality of life.

Eatomaniac :) a vegetarian food blog: Gumbo Shop, New Orleans, LA ****

2011-03-07T15:52:00.000-08:00

Eatomaniac :) a vegetarian food blog: Gumbo Shop, New Orleans, LA ****

Blogger Buzz: Hang with Blogger @ SXSW2011

2011-03-07T12:03:00.000-08:00

Blogger Buzz: Hang with Blogger @ SXSW2011

Exercise For Life!!!

2011-03-01T11:11:00.000-08:00

Last week I had a terrible day. I didn’t feel good and things weren’t going the way I wanted them to go. That night I was supposed to the YMCA and do my water workout. I said to myself “I am NOT going tonight.” And I almost didn’t go. Well I got off work around 6:30 or so. It was dark and cold. But I went anyway, because I needed to keep in shape, because I was going to go to Hawaii in a couple weeks to go surfing with my son. That night I broke through a barrier and was able to add 4 laps to my routine.

My point is you just have to do it. And when you do, you will reap great rewards. It is easy to say: “I don’t have time.” Or “It is too cold.” “It is too dark.” “I’ll start this spring.” and so on and so forth. There is always an excuse. But time and accelerated aging march onward. There is always time. There are 24 HOURS in a day. You can find some time during those 24 hours to do something. If it is too cold or dark, join a gym. The light is always on. There is always a way, if you make the effort.

Unfortunately health is not free and it takes work. There is no magic bullet. No one can give it to you. Often when patients go to the doctor they want the doctor to heal them. Well all doctors (including myself) can only facilitate healing. True healing comes from within. And part of that healing from the inside is exercise.

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay area I was fortunate to be able to watch the Jack LaLanne Show. Just recently he passed away at the age of 96. People said that he sharp and clear to the end. He led a very active life and accomplished many things. He started exercising at a young age and he KEPT exercising to the very end. His fitness routine made him what he was.

Here are some his accomplishments:
• At age 40, swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco) underwater with 140 pounds of equipment, including two air tanks.
• At age 41, swam from Alcatraz Island to Fisherman's Wharf (also in San Francisco), handcuffed, shackled and towing a boat.
• At age 42, performed a world-record 1,033 push-ups in just 23 minutes on national television.
• At age 43, swam the Golden Gate Channel towing a 2,500-lb boat.
• Age 45: Completed 1,000 push-ups and 1,000 chin-ups in 88 minutes.
• At age 60, repeated his swim from Alcatraz to Fisherman's Wharf, again handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000-lb boat.
• At age 61, swam the length of the Golden Gate Bridge, underwater, for a second time handcuffed, shackled and towing a 1,000-lb boat.
• At age 62, commemorated the "Spirit of '76" by swimming 1 mile in Long Beach Harbor, handcuffed, shackled and towing 13 boats (representing the 13 original colonies) filled with 76 people.
• At age 70, towed 70 boats containing 70 people 1.5 miles from the Queen's Way Bridge in the Long Beach Harbor to the Queen Mary.

I am not saying that is what you have to do. But if don’t already have a regular exercise routine, start one now. The sooner the better. If you are already exercising, don’t stop and maybe do more. This winter at the age 55 with a bad knee and hip, I surfed waves the size of a freight train. And next winter I hope to do the same. Keep moving you’ll be glad you did.

Why am I still sick even if my blood tests are normal?

2010-09-14T12:40:00.000-07:00

Functional blood chemistry analysis is a really important tool to understand what is working or not working in person's body. A wealth of information about how all the natural processes are functioning can be obtained through these tests. Functional and conventional medical blood chemistry analysis are different. With conventional blood chemistry doctors looking to see if a person has any markers that indicate a disease or pathology. In functional blood chemistry analysis we use the markers to look not only for disease pathology but also to understand what is going on with a persons biology. What is going on with the patient's physiology that is causing the problems? In conventional medicine certain markers that are high or low mean that a person has a specific disease. They look only at laboratory or disease ranges. The problem is that these ranges don't tell the whole story. Laboratories create their “normal and abnormal” ranges by creating a bell curve of all the patients getting their blood draw at their lab in recent months. The markers that are in the top 2 ½ percent and the bottom 2 ½ percent are considered “outside the laboratory range”. But the vast majority of the people getting their drawn at the lab are sick or unhealthy people who are there to figure out why they are sick. So the bell curve is mostly made up of people sick people rather than optimally healthy people. Also as time goes by and the health of the population getting their their blood draw changes the laboratory ranges change. The lab ranges are also different from lab to lab even with in the same company from location to location. Many or most of the functional (optimal) ranges we use today were the normal laboratory ranges 15-20 years ago.

In functional blood chemistry analysis we use much stricter tolerances. And we also understand the physiology behind the markers and how the body is working based on subtle changes in blood values. For instance the normal laboratory ranges for one of the main thyroid markers TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) is 0.450-4.50. The optimal range is 1.8-3.0. Someone with a TSH of 3.8 could feel terrible but would considered normal using a conventional analysis. Another example is Glucose (blood sugar). The current laboratory range is 65-99. The optimal range is 85-99. A person with a with a blood glucose of 70 would considered to have normal blood sugar, but might have hypoglycemia symptoms.

Another thing we look at is mechanisms and patterns. It is important to look at groups of markers to really understand the cause of a patient's symptoms. Typically I order a much more extensive set of tests than the standard medical screening blood chemistry. This way we can see the patterns and mechanisms. For instance the standard screening test for the thyroid is often just TSH. Maybe they might include total T4. I usually order at least TSH, Total T4, Total T3 and T3 uptake. If the person has a history of or signs thyroid problems, I will also include TPO and TBG antibodies. The reason for the difference is that conventional blood chemistry analysis is looking for two thyroid patterns and I am looking for seven different patterns. TSH only only tells us whether or not the thyroid is responding to the signals the pituitary is sending to the thyroid. Total T4 will tell us how much thyroid hormone the the thyroid is producing. Total T3 will tell us if T4 is being converted to T3. T3 uptake can tell if there an excess or lack of thyroid binding proteins. The antibodies will tell us if there is an autoimmune attack on the thyroid. Thyroid symptoms with normal thyroid markers can mean that the patient has thyroid receptor site resistance.

So you can see a lot of good information can be had from a good functional blood chemistry analysis. All my patients a have a blood chemistry panel done. I recommend that everyone has one done too.

www.optimalwellness.net

2010-09-07T17:42:00.001-07:00

Stress and the Adrenal Glands

Most people experience stress, and most people think stress is only a mental problem. It is only in our “head”. However Hans Seleye MD and others discovered that stress causes many measurable physical and chemical changes to the body. There are different types of stress. Mental, physical and chemical. We all known about mental stress. It usually caused by time pressure or deadlines, relationship problems or money concerns. Physical stress comes from non-healing injuries, pain and physical over-exertion. Chemical stress comes from immune problems such as infections (virus, parasite, bacteria, yeast) or allergies. The other cause of chemical stress is high or low blood sugar. Blood sugar imbalances are one of the most common problems.

There are three stages to the Adrenal Stress Response:

3.Alarm Reaction stage
4.Resistance Stage
5.Exhaustion Stage

There are two primary hormones that the Adrenal Stress Response effects. They are Cortisol and DHEA. These hormones in turn effect and interact with other hormones and systems in the body. Disruption of cortisol and DHEA has wide reaching effects. Cortisol's main functions are: to break down muscle and convert it to glucose (blood sugar), stimulate the liver to release glucose and to inhibit insulin so that blood sugar stays elevated. This provides fuel for the body to burn when under stressful conditions. Other functions are to provide: a quick burst of energy for survival reasons, a burst of increased immunity, and lower sensitivity to pain. The stress response is an ancient physiological mechanism designed for short term support to help in emergencies or when food supplies were low or when we are sick or injured. It wasn't meant for the long term.

Changes in the levels of these hormones in people undergoing the different stages of stress can be measured using saliva and blood tests. The Alarm Stage is the beginning response to stress. This is the body's first attempt to stabilize itself. I n this stage cortisol is elevated and DHEA remains steady. In the resistance stage the body has been battling whatever is causing the stress and its reserves are beginning to decline. Cortisol remains high and DHEA begins to drop. As the person transitions through the Exhaustion stage the adrenal glands are failing and the levels of Cortisol and DHEA drop. In the end phase of Adrenal Exhaustion cortiosl is very low and DHEA plateaus.

In all stages fatigue and more frequent colds and flus are common. In the Alarm Stage the person won't be able to fall asleep very easily, perspire easily, wake up tired even after a good night's sleep, and gain weight easily during periods of stress. As they transition into The Resistance Stage they will begin to have insulin resistance and high blood sugar, which causes: fatigue after meals, crave sweets, craving that isn't relieved by eating sweets, frequent urination, increased thirst and appetite. When they begin to into the Exhaustion Stage they will have they following symptoms: cannot stay asleep, craves salt, afternoon fatigue, dizziness when standing up quickly, weak nails, headaches with exertion or stress, slow starting in the morning and afternoon headaches. By this time they will now have low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) and they will also have: irritability if meals are missed, feel shaky, jittery, tremors, agitated and easily upset, nervous, poor memory, get lightheaded if meals are missed, crave sugar during the day, blurred vision and need more and more coffee to function.

These imbalances also have negative impacts on thyroid function, testosterone, estrogen and progesterone production. Also adrenal and blood sugar imbalances also cause immune system over-activity and/or weakness, which leads to inflammation, allergies and chronic infections. These effects are too much for this article. We will save them for future articles.

The bottom line is: stress is a major player in the poor health many people are experiencing today. So what can you do? Learn how to manage time. Give yourself extra time to complete projects or do your errands. Take stress vacations. Take a day off now and then and don't do any work or chores. Do you the things that you enjoy the most. Learn stress exercises. Learn to forgive. See the light at the end of the tunnel. Follow my basic diet guidelines from my previous blog. If you really want to get your health under control, I highly recommend that you get a salivary Adrenal Stress Index test performed. This test is done by DiagnosTechs Laboratory. It is simple and pain free. They have been doing salivary hormone testing longer than any other lab and very accurate and thorough. I also recommend comprehensive blood chemistry testing to measure blood sugar levels, thyroid function and assess the functions of your other body systems.

Brain Degeneration

2010-08-02T15:22:00.000-07:00

The brain controls everything in the body. Our quality of life is determined by the health of our brain. In fact our body will sacrifice other parts of our body to save the brain. And the nerve cells in our brain are the only cells in our body that are never replaced --- They never reproduce. You are born with all the nerve cells that you will ever get. So therefore preserving the health of our brain is of vital importance. Several things influence the health of the brain:

Lack of stimulation
Deficiency of nutrients
Dysglycemia- Blood sugar problems
Hormone Imbalances
Inflammation
Methylation imbalances
Microglia Activation – immune activation of the cells between the nerves
Brain Ischemia- decreased blood supplied to the brain

Any of these things can cause atrophy or death of nerve cells. Proper oxygen and glucose (blood sugar) supply are vital to the brain. This seminar focused mainly microglia activation, brain ischemia, energy linked neuro-degeneration and brain degeneration from gluten. Most of the degeneration in the brain is in the microglial cells. These are cells in between the nerve cells. Half of the weight of the brain is made up of microglia cells. They protect and hold together the nerve cells. There is little antioxidant activity in these cells so they are very susceptible to break down and this causes degeneration of the nerve cells. They are easily effected by immune reactions from microbes and food allergies (especially gluten or wheat). Poor brain blood circulation leads to a drop in oxygen and this causes death of these cells. Abnormal blood sugar imbalances and hormone fluctuations lead to inflammation in the microglia. Blood sugar problems and toxic chemical (everything in our daily lives) exposure slow down the energy production in these cells leading to degeneration. I carry several products in my office halp with these problems. One of the best things you can you can do for yourself is to maintain proper blood sugar levels--- neither too or too low. Eat a breakfast containing protein every day. Also 3 or more meals a day each containing protein, fat and fiber. This is important because spikes in blood sugar and insulin is very damaging to nerve cells and microglial cells. Also managing inflammation is essential. You can do this by identifying food allergies and correcting dysbiosis (removing bad bugs and using probiotics) and eating an anti-inflammatory diet. In addition, continue to learn NEW things. Get exercise regularly and vary the type of exercise. Finally adjustments help maintain proper stimulation, balance and tone of the nervous system. Save your brain and save your life!

www.optimalwellness.net

Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome “Syndrome X”

2010-07-20T15:22:00.000-07:00

Sounds like something pretty scary. Well it is--- kind of. Metabolic syndrome or Syndrome X is the new “epidemic” in the modern world now. Insulin resistance is one of the most problems I see in my practice. Metabolic syndrome is really pre-diabetes. It is characterized by elevated blood glucose (>100), elevated triglycerides, LDL, decreased HDL, high blood pressure and a belly size that is bigger than the waist (You don’t have to be overweight to have metabolic syndrome.). Insulin resistance is the primary cause of metabolic syndrome. This means that insulin receptor sites on the cells no longer recognize insulin. Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that acts like a key that unlocks the lock on the cell and allows glucose (blood sugar) to enter the cell and be turned into energy. Glucose (our blood sugar) comes from the break down of all carbohydrates. Carbohydrates include: (complex) all grains, bread, pasta, potatoes, (simple) sugars including fruit juice and honey etc. Some carbohydrates break down and turn into glucose faster than others. When glucose floods our system too fast or in too great of quantity over a long period of time, it causes the insulin receptor sites to stop responding. So instead of being burned as fuel the glucose is stored as body fat or turned into triglycerides. It takes more energy to store it than use it so we then get tired. One of the main symptoms of insulin resistance is getting tired or sleepy after eating a meal laden with carbohydrates. And this also causes an increase in triglyceride level in your blood. The symptoms of insulin resistance are: fatigue after meals, crave sweets during the day, eating sweets doesn’t relieve cravings for sugar, must have sweets after meals, waist girth is equal or larger than hip girth, frequent urination, increased thirst and appetite, difficulty losing weight.
So from a functional standpoint insulin resistance can diminish our health in a number of ways. Because insulin resistance leads to hyperglycemia (high blood sugar level), the adrenal glands have to pump out stress hormones (cortisol and epinephrine) to stabilize the blood sugar. Eating too many sweets or starches has the same effects as emotional stress on the body. This causes weakening of the adrenal glands, which has number deleterious effects on the body on its own including fatigue, weakened immune system, memory loss, insomnia and inflammation. Elevated blood sugar also causes inflammation and cross linking of protein fibers. These are the major factors in aging.

Eventually insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome can lead to damage to the lining of coronary arteries, increased risk of cardiovascular disease, blood clot formation and type II diabetes.

The good news is that all this can be corrected. This is a fixable problem. Of course the best thing to do is prevent it from happening in the first place.

The first thing to do is to reduce your carbohydrate intake and don’t eat any “white sugars or starches”. In other words eat only whole grains, no white sugar and avoid potatoes. And when you eat carbohydrates make sure that you balance it out with good fats and protein. Also increase you fiber intake. A good way to do this is to eat enough fruits and vegetables to fill a quart jar. Also avoid foods that you are allergic to. Exercise and losing weight also help re-sensitize your insulin receptors. So it is essential that you exercise at least 4 days a week.

There are a number of supplements that help re-sensitize receptor sites as well. And it is important to repair and support the adrenal glands with supplementation and decrease the allergic load. I have helped many people turn their health around and stop Syndrome X.

www.optimalwellness.net

Posture and Laptops

2010-07-13T17:29:00.000-07:00

If you love your child, don't give him or her (or yourself) a laptop computer. This a pretty provocative way to start out an article, but I am serious about it. I am not talking about electromagnetic radiation or anything like that (Which also can be a problem.). I am talking about posture. Sitting on your bed with a laptop on your lap is about the worst thing you can for your posture. Even using laptop on a desk or table can be bad for your posture.

Your head weighs about as much as bowling ball. It is supposed to sit squarely on your shoulders. In normal sitting posture, your ears, shoulders and hips should line up in a vertical line. It is very hard to spend much time on a laptop computer and maintain normal posture. Using a laptop computer causes most people to crane their necks forward more than desktops. Some people also bend their upper back forward. This is a recipe for disaster. When you hold your body in normal posture, the muscles in your neck and back don't have to work very much. They only contract occasionally. When your head posture is forward of your shoulder, the muscles in the neck and back have to contract full time. The muscles in your spine aren't supposed to contract full time. And when they do, you muscle spasms. This abnormal posture also causes the the curve in your neck to straighten out. The curve in your neck is designed to to support the weight of your head. If the normal 30 degree radius curve is straightened then this can lead to early breakdown and degeneration of the vertebral discs and other joints in the neck. A research study was done many years ago looking at the x-rays of 3000 people. And in almost every person with a straightened or abnormal curve degeneration was found. Also the keyboards on laptops are not usually ergonomically designed. So over many years the wear and tear will accumulate and potentially lead to hand problems.

All this is important to everyone- young and old alike. However, in children their bones are still growing and developing.. And while the bones are still growing they can developed in a good way or a bad way. This means that the shape of bone and the architecture of the joints can be changed away from normal and lead to permanent abnormal posture.

Now, don't worry you don't have throw away that brand new laptop. There is a solution. I recommend that you buy a lap top stand, keyboard and mouse for your laptop. They sell them at every office supply and computer store. With the stand you can adjust the screen to any height you wish. For a good keyboarder the center of the screen should be even with your eyes. If you aren't so good at keyboarding, then the top of the screen should line up with eyes. I did this with both of my kids and they are very happy with the set up. If you are suffering from neck pain, back pain or headaches and are still using a laptop, no amount of adjustments will solve your problems. Laptops are great for traveling and for short periods of time. They are not good daily long terms use.

Hey Guys!!! What is Your Estrogen Level?

2010-07-06T11:47:00.000-07:00

Yes, what is your estrogen level? Most people think that estrogen is only found in women. But in fact women and men each have both estrogen and testosterone. In men testosterone should be at a higher level than estrogen and in women estrogen should be at a higher level than testosterone. In men high estrogen is the most common hormone imbalance of hormone imbalances. It is seen more often than low testosterone. This is a problem in many ways. For one, in men testosterone is heart protective and estrogen has negative effects on the heart In women the opposite is true.

The symptoms of a testosterone/estrogen imbalance in men are: decreased libido, spells of mental fatigue, inability to concentrate, episodes of depression, muscle soreness. decreased physical stamina, increased distribution of fat around the chest and hips, sweating attacks, more emotional than the past, decreased fullness of erections, and a decrease in spontaneous morning erections.

So what causes an abnormal testosterone/estrogen imbalance? The main causes are insulin resistance (high blood sugar) and adrenal fatigue. These two problems lead to an increase of fat deposition. In this fat and enzyme called aromatase converts testosterone to estrogen. In women this causes high testosterone. There are other mechanisms involved but this is the basic scenario. So this one reason why it is important to eat a low glycemic diet and manage your stress. A simple way to remember what to eat is “Eat nothing white”. That means no white sugar, white floor, white rice or potatoes. Also increase the amount of protein and fruits and vegetables. In addition avoid juices and sodas. Exercise is essential to re-sensitize your insulin receptors.

Other types of hormone imbalances occur as well. I recommend that everyone male or female get their hormone levels tested to determine what levels are off and to find the best strategy to correct what ever imbalances that are present.

www.optimalwellness.net

Visceral Manipulation

2010-06-28T17:04:00.000-07:00

The viscera are all the organs and glands in your body, such as the stomach, uterus and gallbladder for example. These organs and glands are where most of our vital processes occur. When there is restriction or constriction, our health begins to suffer. All the organs move rhythmically automatically on their own without any conscious effort on our part. Part of this movement is called peristalsis. This is the movement that pushes the food through our digestive system.) esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine). It is kind of like squeezing toothpaste out of a tube. The liver, spleen, ovaries, etc move in their own separate rhythm. This movement usually coincides with the movement of the bones in our head (cranial respiratory rhythm) or our breathing. Proper movement of the viscera is essential for good health. When this movement is restricted, blood and lymph flow to the organ or gland is diminished. Blood and lymph provide the nutrients necessary to keep the organ or gland healthy. Also this diminished flow of fluids causes stagnation, which leads to toxicity. This stagnation can impede the flow of food through our stomach and intestines. Constriction of organ movement can also interfere with the secretion of bile, enzymes and hormones as ducts become pinched off or blocked.

Covering and wrapping around all these organs is layers of fascia. The fascia covers all our organs, muscles, brain and spinal cord. It is that cellophane like layer of tissue you see covering a piece of chicken. And in between the tissues and fascia is the interstitial space. This can also get kinked up or stuck to the surrounding tissues or organs. The end result of all these problems is decreased health and vitality of the organs and glands and lower level of ability to do the work organ or gland is supposed to perform.

A couple good examples are: Hiatal Hernia and Gallbladder congestion. In Hiatal Hernias the stomach rides up and gets stuck or pushes through the hole (diaphragmatic hiatus) in the diaphragm that separates the abdomen and the thorax. This cause stomach acids to pass back up to the esophagus and cause heartburn symptoms. It also interferes with the normal movement of food and the production of stomach acids, which leads to poor digestion. Causes of Hiatal Hernias are: eating too fast, eating under stress, laying down too soon after eating, stress and improper breathing. (Most people don't breath correctly.) In Gallbladder Congestion the duct that allows bile to flow into the Small Intestine gets closed or blocked. The area of the Small Intestine where the Gallbladder drains into can also become spasmed, shutting off the draining of bile. This causes the Gallbladder to become distended and painful. In addition to being painful, bile is essential for the digestion of fats. Many who have Gallbladder problems will taste fats long after eating or feel bloated after eating fats. Proper Gallbladder function is also necessary for the processing of HDL and LDL cholesterol. Gallbladder Congestion is caused by: high or bad fat diets, eating under stress, liver toxicity and poor breathing. Other common areas of visceral mal-position or restriction are the Uterus, Kidneys, Liver and Large Intestine.

The good news is that these problems be helped with Visceral Manipulation. In my office I perform Visceral Manipulation both by hand and with the Fulford Percussor. Manual manipulation uses a gentle but constant force to mobilize the tissue and fascia. The Fulford Percussor is little more intense but generally comfortable. It goes deeper and helps break up the the restrictions in the fascia which bind the tissues and organs. Neuro Emotional technique is important in resolving constricted viscera. Often there are emotional connections to the problems. Nutritional supplementation may needed to help heal the organs, glands or tissues involved.

The movement and function of the viscera is often ignored. But as you have seen above movement is life!

You are what you eat!

2010-06-23T12:01:00.000-07:00

In order for you to be successful in health recovery and maintaining wellness, you need to follow some basic dietary guidelines. Your body requires proper nutrients of sufficient quality and quantity to maintain itself. If you do not fulfill its needs, your success will be greatly diminished. If it has been recommended that you avoid certain or you are allergic to certain foods, be sure to avoid them, in addition to following the guidelines below.

1.You have to eat breakfast. During the night when we don’t eat, the body secretes cortisol (a stress hormone) to try and keep your blood sugar level even. If you don’t, you start the day with your stress response already turned on. People who don’t eat breakfast start the day with stress before they even encounter stressful situations. Protein is especially important in turning off cortisol production
2.You have to eat 20 grams of protein with each meal. A palm-sized portion of meat or cheese, 3 eggs or protein powder will do. Protein provides the building blocks for our body. Also neurotransmitters (brain chemistry: serotonin, endorphins etc.) are made from proteins. So protein is important in maintaining our moods.
3.Do not eat trans fats. Trans fats cause inflammation and interfere with our brain and nerve function. Trans fat include margarine; any hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils etc. Our brain is 70% fat. Good fat-> good brain. Bad fat -> bad brain
4.Increase your omega 3 and 9 oil intake and decrease your Omega 6 oil intake. Omega 6 oils include canola, corn, soy, and safflower oil. Omega 3s come from fish, flax and walnuts. Omega 9s come from olive and coconut oil. Too much omega 6 causes inflammation. Omega 3 oils help quench inflammation, insure proper brain function and are essential for hormone production.
5.Eat enough fruits and vegetables every day to fill a quart-sized container. Vegetables and fruits provide essential phyto-nutrients and fiber.
6.Drink 6-8 glasses of water. Water is a part of every chemical reaction in the body. Therefore it is essential to have water to have smooth functioning body. Most people are dehydrated and don’t know it.
7.Decrease your grain intake especially wheat and corn. Get more of your carbohydrates (starches and sugars) from fruits and vegetables.
8.Do not eat any white sugar or starches. In other words do not eat any white flour (white bread, pasta, flour torrtillas etc.), white rice, potatoes etc. These foods rapidly elevate your blood sugar levels. We want to avoid any rapid elevations of blood sugar for a number of reasons. So if you are going to eat any grains, eat whole grains.
9.Eat 35 grams of fiber per day. You might need to take fiber supplements. But if you eat enough fruits, vegetables and whole grains, you can get away without fiber supplements. Fiber slows the absorption of sugars and fats and is important for our gut flora (good bacteria) and hormone metabolism.

www.optimalwellness.net

Food Allergies

2010-06-21T15:56:00.000-07:00

There has been much confusion about food allergies. When I was in school in the early eighties, many doctors didn't believe that foods allergies even existed. Many people think that food allergies only cause digestive problems. Well now it is clear that food allergies cause many health problems. It is estimated that a minimum of 4 percent of the population has some sort of food allergy. The number of people affected by food allergies is more likely around 15 percent.

Food allergies effect several parts of the body and cause many symptoms. The first place food effects is the digestive tract (stomach and intestines). They also cause problems in the liver, gallbladder, brain, lungs and thyroid. The symptoms food allergies cause are wide ranging. The obvious symptoms are bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea and burning. But food allergies also cause itching skin, runny nose, watery eyes, “brain fog”, fatigue, ringing in th ears, eczema, depression, anxiety, hyperactivity, aggression, joint inflammation and others. Food allergies also cause people to be more susceptible to environmental allergies such as dust, mold and pollen. Food allergies have been associated with autoimmune disorders such as Hashimoto's Thyroid (autoimmune) and celiac disease. Several prominent neurologists feel that gluten allergies( wheat, rye, barley and spelt) cause more problems in the brain than the digestive tract. MRI scans of gluten insensitive who still eat gluten, show shrinkage of the brain. Since food allergies are an immune system problem they stimulate adrenal stress reaction which leads to insulin resistance, inflammation, fatigue and hormone imbalances. Also the immune stress leads more frequent colds and flus and other infections. So you can see that food allergies can cause big problems.

The most common food allergens are:

Gluten --- wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut

Milk Products --- cream, ice cream, cheese, yogurt

Corn

Soy

Eggs

Peanuts

Tomatoes

Potatoes

Shell fish

There are different types of allergies. The three main types of sensitivities are fast reacting, slow reacting and food intolerance.

Fast acting allergies are caused by IgE antibodies and are the classic food allergies most people have heard about. This is the type of allergy that causes a rapid reaction and may lead to death in a matter of minutes or hours. Peanut, shell fish and strawberries are the most well known. These allergies are usually genetic in origin.

Slow reacting food allergies are less known by the general public. These allergies are mediated by IgG and IgA antibodies. These allergies can take up to 3 days to cause an allergic reaction. Because of this it is difficult to know what foods you are allergic to. This type of allergy is most often responsible for the chronic health problems associated with food allergies. Slow reacting food allergies can be genetic or acquired. People can develop slow reacting allergies because of chronic stress and adrenal fatigue, chronic insulin resistance (high blood sugar or metabolic syndrome), gut infection from yeast, parasites or bacteria, dysbiosis (too many bad bacteria and not enough good bacteria, liver toxicity or just eating too much of one type of food.

Food intolerance is where a person's body doesn't have the enzymes or lacks the ability to digest a particular food. Lactose intolerance is a good example. This is not an allergic response, as no antibodies are produced. But it does cause inflammation in the digestive tract. Also some foods cause rapid rise or drop in blood sugar and this can cause symptoms similar to food allergies.

So you do figure out what you are allergic to? In the past the only way test for this is the Rast scratch test. In this test the patient's back is painted patches of different allergens. And then these patches are scratched. If the patches swell up, then the person is allergic to the food in the patch. This type test is really only accurate for fast reacting allergies. Many doctors only accept this type of testing.

Now we have blood testing to check for allergies. The ELISA/EIA antibody testing can test for IgE, IgG and IgA antibodies. This is becoming more accepted. Most medical doctors usually only look at IgE antibodies, because they are looking for fast reacting allergies. Functional doctors look at both. The ELISA/EIA have some limitations. If the patient's antibodies are low overall due to chronic immune stress or the patient hasn't eaten th offending food for a long period of time, then there will be false negatives and the test will not be accurate.

Muscle testing or kinesiology and Electro-dermal Screening is often just accurate as ELISA/EIA blood testing.

Elimination and challenge is probably the most accurate method to determine food allergies. But it is the most difficult. In this method the patient eliminates the most common foods and foods that are suspected for three weeks. Afterwards, the foods are re-introduced one at a time every three days and the patient looks for any return of symptoms with each food. This very accurate but it takes discipline. I use this method in conjunction with the Clearvite Program and muscle testing. See www.clearvite.info.

After a food allergy is identified, the food should be avoided for 120 days. Afterwards patients can eat most foods every 7 days or so. With severe fast reacting allergies or celiac disease, those foods should never be eaten at all. NAET or ASERT are also helpful in reprogramming the body and sometimes eliminating the allergy. However to be most effective the gut must be repaired, yeast and parasites must be removed, adrenal stress removed and bad bacteria replaced with good bacteria.