Kessinger Health & Wellness Diagnostic Centre - Rolla, MO

Losing Weight and Increasing Lean Muscle

2012-01-19T08:54:00.005-06:00

Many people start a new weight management program in the spring, and there is a lot of confusion about how to do this successfully. I am going to make a few suggestion for you.

First, of course, you need to increase the number of fresh fruits and vegetables you consume. Fruits and vegetables help to cleanse and nourish the body and are great detoxification agents. Many people choose to juice the whole fruit and vegetable which is a great way to get high doses of them, but its also important to eat fresh, raw or slightly steamed fruits and vegetables frequently to maintain good health.

Sources of protein are important too. In order to manage lean muscle mass and burn fat protein is very important in your diet. Wild salmon, tuna, haddock and other fish, grass fed beef, free range chicken and turkey, wild game, as well as whey protein or non GMO soy, if you are not sensitive to soy.

It's always a good idea to start your day with protein, and protein shakes seem to be one great way to do this for many people. Protein shakes are often formulated to be easily digested and absorbed, and have vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other nitrients that are beneficial for a healthy body.

Typical breakfast proteins, such as bacon and sausage are not good choices for someone who is trying to manage a healthy lifestyle, although eggs are a great source of protein. Carbohydrates have become very common breakfast foods and are not a good way to start your day. Carbohydrates start a cascade of events which set you up for a roller coaster of high and low sugars all day long. This causes cravings, taps your energy and often leads to poor food choices, by leading to sugar cravings all day long.

No health program is complete without exercise. Healthy people should aim for 210 minutes a week of cardio/aerobic types of exercise, such as walking, biking or running. People who are working to burn extra calories may choose to spend more time walking or using weights to build muscle. Either way protein, fruits and vegetables are important in this routine. In order to build lean muscle you must provide your body with the building blocks it needs to make healthy cells.

I would also recommend a good source of essential fatty acids (fish oil) and CLA as a supplement if you are working on burning fat and building lean muscle. CLA - Conjugated Linoleic Acid is a naturally occuring fatty acid which aids in this process. It works great in conjunction with an exercise program and helps with that hard to lose belly fat too! We have a pharmaceutical grade Essential Fatty Acids and CLA supplements available at our office.

If you are looking for a great way to add some healthy protein to your diet we have several choices at our office. We also have a shake that is completely vegetarian for those of you who choose not to eat animal proteins. We even have a shake specially formulated for people who need a little help managing blood sugars.

One of our amazing shakes is listed below with the ingredients and nutrition information for you to check out.

SlimPlus Chocolate
All-Natural Whey Protein Isolate/Concentrate Blend

Key Benefits of SlimPlus
● High Protein Content: 26 grams Per Serving
● Whey Protein Isolate/Concentrate Blend
● Microfiltered, Ion-Exchanged and Enzymatically Hydrolyzed Whey
● Maximum Biological Value & Amino Acid Absorption
● Added Glutamine and Taurine To Support Lean Muscle Mass
● High in Branched Chain Amino Acids
● Now with GI friendly Fibersol-2® and Aminogen® to aid Digestion

SlimPlus is a delicious, all-natural blend of three of the highest quality whey protein concentrates and isolates from around the world: Microfiltered, Ion-exchanged and Enzymatically hydrolyzed (partially predigested). This blend is 100% bioactive and contains naturally occurring immunoglobulins for added immune support. The specially processed whey protein in SlimPlus is designed to maximize amino acid absorption, biological value and net protein utilization.

SlimPlus provides 26 grams of whey protein, which is considered to have the highest biological value of any protein source - superior in essential amino acid content as compared to beef, milk, casein or soy. SlimPlus contains Fibersol®-2, a high quality, GI friendly fiber to help reduce excess gas and bloating. Aminogen® has been added to help your body break down and absorb more amino acids from protein and is clinically proven to release 100% more plasma amino acids, 250% more branched-chain amino acids, and boost nitrogen retention by 32%. Since SlimPlus has a very low glycemic index, it is suitable for many people who are on restricted diets. SlimFit® contains substantially more protein and ½ the sugar of other popular products, making it an ideal body composition and weight management functional food.

Directions: Stir or blend 2 scoops into 8-10 ounces of water. To increase sweetness, use less water. To decrease sweetness, add more water.

Two Scoops Contain:

Calories .................................................... 204
Calories From Fat ......................................16
Total Fat ................................................... 1.6 g
Saturated Fat ............................................1.3 g
Trans Fat ................................................... 0 g
Cholesterol ................................................. 6 mg
Sodium ..................................................... 88 mg
Potassium ................................................149 mg
Total Carbohydrates ................................21 g
Fiber, Dietary ............................................. 6 g
Sugars ........................................................ 10 g
Protein ....................................................... 26 g
Calcium ...................................................... 78 mg
Aminogen® (patented enzyme blend) ..300 mg
Stevia Leaf (stevia rebaudiana, extract) . 89 mg

Typical Amino Acid Profile (mg per serving):
Essential Amino Acids: L-Isoleucine 1580, L-Leucine 3114, L-Lysine 2413, L-Methionine 605, L-Phenylalanine 920, L-Threonine 1940, L-Tryptophan 497, L-Valine 1498.
Non-Essential Amino Acids: L-Alanine 2054, L-Arginine 719, L-Aspartic Acid 3010, L-Cysteine 496, L-Glutamic Acid 4689, L-Glutamine 2755, L-Glycine 2633, L-Histidine 569, L-Proline 1467, L-Serine 1616, L-Taurine 675, L-Tyrosine 933.

Ingredients: Whey Protein Blend [micro-filtered whey protein concentrate (providing ß-lactoglobulin, a-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins and serum albumin), ion-exchanged whey protein isolate (providing ß-lactoglobulin, a-lactalbumin, immunoglobulins and glycomacro peptides) and enzymatically hydrolyzed whey protein concentrate], Fibersol®-2, fructose, cocoa, natural flavors, Aminogen®, free-form l-glutamine, soy lecithin, xanthan gum, and Stevia rebaudiana herbal extract. Contains milk and soy derivatives.

Contains No: Wheat, gluten, corn protein, yeast, artificial colors, sweeteners or preservatives.

Aminogen® is a registered trademark of Triarco Industries and is protected by Patent # 5,387,422.

Vitamin D and Your Health

2011-11-22T16:12:00.000-06:00

Vitamin D is well known for helping increase calcium absorbtion, but did you know that vitamin D is important for many other things, as well.

VItamin D can be obtained in two ways. One is from sun exposure and the other is from diet. Vitamin D from sun exposure is formed in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight (particularly UVB rays), with no sunscreen or other interference. Those with darker skin routinely absorb less vitamin D from sun exposure. Whether it comes from food or from exposure to sunlight, vitamin D can not be utilized by the body until the liver and then kidneys have processed it into a usable form.

Vitamin D has been shown to aid in the reduction of cancer, regulate mood, reduce inflammation, supress autoimmune disease, and boost the immune system.

There is concern that people who suffer from cardiovascular events in the winter time may be low in vitamin D, and when levels are below 34ng/ml the risk of cardiovascular disease has been shown to be twice as high. Vitamin D may also be beneficial in reducing high blood pressure as well.

In type 2 diabetes, managing vitamin D levels can improve insulin sensitivity by 21%. If you compare that to metformin, which only raises insulin sensitivity by 13%, vitamin D seems like the better and safer option.

Other conditions that may benefit from optimal levels of vitamin D are:

Osteoarthritis
Multiple Sclerosis
Enhance Insulin and Leptin Sensitivity
Prevention of Type 1 Diabetes
Depression
Epilepsy
Migraine Headaches
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Musculoskeletal Pain
Autoimmune and Inflammatory Conditions
Cancer Prevention and Treatment

The optimal level for a healthy adult is between 50-80 ng/mL
A blood test to determine your level of Vitamin D $58.00, but if you decide to have it tested before the end of December 2011, you can use our special and do a Bone Density test, Spirometer and Vitamin D test for $75.00.

There is a link between Lung function and Osteoporosis. Often people with COPD also have osteopenia, which is the beginning stage of osteoporosis. Take advantage of our special price to ensure that your health is at its best this winter.

Sniffles, Coughs and Congestion

2011-09-23T10:35:00.013-05:00

It's that time of year! Along with cooler temperatures comes ragweed and other inhaled allergens, which seem to irritate just about everyone this time of year.

Over the counter antihistamines for symptom relief are not the best option, because they can dry the sinuses and actually thicken mucous which traps irritants and can lead to infection. Much more, they lead to fatigue, lethargy and generally an unwell feeling.

Believe it or not, that runny nose and those watering eyes are doing just what they are designed to do. Get the irritants out of your body. Unfortunately, blowing your nose until you look like Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer is not really much fun.

The cells which release histamine are called mast cells. These cells are specifically designed to be sensitive to allergens and when they come in contact with an allergen they burst. This releases histamine and leukotrienes into the blood stream which causes symptoms such as; runny nose, watery eyes, itchy red skin and other reactions commonly associated with allergies. These symptoms can be mild or, in some cases, life threatening depending on the level of sensitivity.

So what do we recommend? Prevention, of course!
In this day and age, exposure to toxins and other allergens cause the body to become fatigued, over sensitive and over stimulated. Because of this, more people experience allergies than in past generations. Our solution to most allergy type reactions is to help the body be less sensitive. Strengthening the immune system and empowering the mast cells to be a little less sensitive can reduce allergy symptoms by preventing the release of histamine and leukotrienes. We recommend a product called Hist-X which helps to desenensitize mast cells to outside stimulus and prevent those pesky symptoms from happening.

Hist-X is only available at our office and it works well for most allergy symptoms.

If you would like to see a video of how this mast cell process works you can view it on you tube here.

2011-08-16T14:37:00.001-05:00

Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis

A hair tissue mineral analysis is a screening test that measures the levels of twenty-one minerals and toxic metals present in a sample of hair. Minerals are the “spark plugs” of life and play many important health related roles within the human body. Providing a “window into the cells”, hair makes an excellent biopsy material and reveals a clear record of mineral metabolism. Hair, like all other body tissues, contains minerals that are deposited as the hair grows. Although the hair is dead, the minerals remain as the hair continues to grow. The minerals and toxic metals are locked inside the hair during the growth stage as the body uses it for the storage and elimination of minerals.

A hair tissue mineral analysis reflects long term metabolic activity as it measures an average of mineral accumulation over a three month period of time. This is often an advantage as the test results are not influenced by day-to-day variations in the body chemistry due to stress, diet or other factors. Creating a blueprint of one’s individual stress, blood sugar and carbohydrate imbalances, metabolic rate, biochemical energy production, and glandular imbalances. Hair tissue mineral analysis is used worldwide to measure environmental contamination with toxic metals in the soil, plants and human and animal populations.

Screening tests (like all tests) do have limitations and ideally should be used in conjunction with other laboratory tests, medical histories and physical examinations. This test is provided to assist the health care professional in identifying nutritional and toxic elements that play a role in human health. The contents of this analysis are not intended to be diagnostic.

Electrolytes patterns
Calcium is mainly found in the bones and teeth, but is also required for the nervous system and for muscle contraction and relaxation. It is a primary extra-cellular element.

Magnesium is required for the bones and nervous system. It is also essential for over 600 vital enzymatic reactions in the body. It is a primary intra-cellular element.

Sodium is an essential mineral for maintaining water balance and blood pressure in the body and is a primary extra-cellular element. Low sodium may point to an adrenal dysfunction and may contribute to fatigue and low blood sugar. Low sodium does not necessarily mean that a person is consuming too little salt.

Potassium is a primary intra-cellular element required for fluid balance, nerve activity and muscle activity. Low potassium on a hair analysis could mean adrenal weakness, and may contribute to fatigue and low blood sugar.

Nutrient Mineral Patterns
Iron is required for energy production, blood formation and antioxidant formation (catalase). An excess of iron or toxicity may also occur and contribute to liver and artery disease, dementia and behavioral difficulties. Low iron on a hair analysis is often associated with fatigue.

Copper is required for connective tissue health, women’s fertility, cardiovascular health, blood formation, energy, production, neurotransmitter activity and the immune system. High copper may contribute to fatigue, joint pain, headaches and skin problems. It may also be a contributing factor in anemia, anxiety, depression, panic attacks, insomnia and PMS.

Manganese is required for sugar metabolism, tendon and ligament function, energy production, and thyroid activity. Low manganese may be caused by consuming processed foods and white sugar.

Zinc is required for over 50 functions including all protein synthesis, vision, digestion, prostate health, skin, hair and nail health, and immune system activity. Low zinc levels may be associated with mood swings, digestive disturbances, skin problems, vision problems, prostate problems, and a reduced sense of taste and smell. It may also help to balance sodium/potassium ratio.

Chromium is required for sugar and carbohydrate tolerance and cholesterol metabolism. Low levels may be associated with blood sugar imbalances, cravings for sweets or starches, fatigue, elevated cholesterol, hypoglycemia or diabetes.

Selenium is required as an anti-oxidant nutrient to convert T4 to T3 and for detoxification of heavy metals and toxic chemicals. Low selenium level may contribute to impaired detoxification and thyroid gland activity.

Phosphorus is an essential mineral that is involved in protein synthesis and energy production within the cells. All proteins contain phosphorus and thus are a significant source of organic phosphorus. The hair tissue mineral level of phosphorus is often associated with the adequacy of protein synthesis in the body. This depends on the diet, lifestyle, condition of the intestinal tract and liver and the levels of other nutritional minerals such as zinc and copper. Improper eating habits that interfere with digestion may also contribute to low phosphorus levels.

Toxic Metals and Chemicals
The presence of toxic metals and chemicals can potentially present a serious health hazard. A serious problem today is that a large number of babies are born high in toxic metals due to toxicity in the mothers. A review of over 400 medical studies by the US Environmental Protection Agency revealed that hair tissue mineral analysis is a meaningful test to detect toxic metals.

Toxic metals can cause hundreds of symptoms and contribute to many serious health conditions. There are no safe levels of toxic metals and reducing the presence of toxic metals is a primary goal of your nutritional balancing program.

Magnesium - a critical nutrient

2011-08-16T13:06:00.006-05:00

"Magnesium is a critical co-factor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body, and many are tied to energy production."

Taken from Tuesday Minute, Joe Buishas, LDN, CCN

Magnesium Utilization

Buffers excess acid

Acts as an antioxidant inside the cell

Protects DNA & intracellular proteins

Is a direct chelator for lead

Indirectly protects us from mercury, aluminum & other toxins like fluoride

Controls glutamate receptors in the heart

Contributing Factors In Magnesium Deficiency

Reduced dietary levels

Ratio of calcium to magnesium

Stress hormone

Magnesium is a critical co-factor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body. Many of them are tied to energy production. Deficiencies in magnesium ultimately yield lower energy states, which means cells can't maintain homeostasis, which means they are more susceptible to environmental toxins and infections, which causes free radicals to increase.

Free radicals "inside the cells" damage DNA and mitochondria which further reduce energy production and healthy cell replication. The average American diet creates a relative acidic chemistry. Excess acids can also cause free radicals. Magnesium helps buffer excess acid as it is a key alkalizing mineral. Also, if we are deficient in magnesium, this lowered energy state can cause the nervous system to be compromised which means muscles can't fire properly and spasms can occur anywhere but especially in the heart and vascular tissue. Magnesium acts as an antioxidant inside the cell and protects DNA and intracellular proteins. Although magnesium is a direct chelator for the heavy metal lead, it indirectly protects us from mercury, aluminum and many other toxins like fluoride.

Another one of magnesiums' principle jobs is to control glutamate receptors in the heart called NMDA receptors. When magnesium in the heart is low, the receptors become oversensitive. As a result, a minor stress becomes a major event. Animal studies have shown that as a magnesium deficiency gets worse, the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interlukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor -alpha increase. Over 95% of magnesium is in the cell, so lowered magnesium levels translate into increased levels of inflammation in the cell.

Three major factors are pushing magnesium levels toward deficiency: Reduced dietary levels, one study by the National Institute of Health showed 68% of the American population was depleted in magnesium, while other experts put the number closer to 80%.

Then comes the next factor, the ratio of calcium to magnesium. One way to reduce a mineral is to increase another mineral that competes with it. For example, if we want reduce copper, we use zinc. The National Institute of Health now recommends that the optimum calcium intake be further increased to 1500 mg/day to prevent osteoporosis.

This recommendation disregards the already substandard American magnesium intake, which is less than 300 mg/day. That would bring the Ca/Mg ratio to 5/1 - which is above the 4/1 ratio of Finland. Finland has the highest ischemic heart disease death rate for young to middle-aged men. Speaking of osteoporosis, bone loss is accelerated in the face of magnesium deficiency. The presence of magnesium spares calcium from osteoclastic activity. So, excess calcium in magnesium deficient patients, will further exacerbate the deficiency.

The third factor is the amount of stress that we experience. Dr. Mildred Seelig, formerly one of the world's authorities on magnesium, stated that stress, both physical and emotional, evokes release of the stress hormones catecholamines and corticosteroids. Stress hormones mediate the release and utilization of substrates for greater energy production and for improved skeletal and cardiac muscle performance. However, their excesses cause magnesium loss and inactivation and can be implicated in cardiovascular disorders.

True prevention is really about making the cell as healthy as possible which will allow it to utilize its own defense mechanisms. So although we need magnesium, we want to make sure we have a balance of the other nutrients necessary for energy production. That's why we always recommend a multivitamin/mineral and a mixture of EFAs.

Feel free to stop in or call with questions on supplenting with magnesium. We do have magnesium and calcium together in a supplement and several multi vitamins if you are in need of them.

Whats going on in your gut?

2011-07-06T13:03:00.031-05:00

The digestive system is more complex than most people realize. Most people know that the food they eat goes in their mouth and out the other end, but few people really understand what happens in between. It is a subject that people do not like to discuss, but digestion is something that everyone should understand and pay attention to.

Food should stay in your body for about 12-18 hours. If it moves through faster than that, proper digestion and nutrient absorption is not taking place. If it is slower than that, proper digestion and elimination are not happening, and this can cause a build up of toxins in the colon and the body.

This process can cause a myriad of symptoms such as;

Chronic Allergies

Jaundice

Acid Reflux

Indigestion

Kidney Disease

Candida Overgrowth

Acne

Psoriasis and Eczema

Headaches

Joint Pain

Depression

Fibromyalgia

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Diarrhea

Constipation

Leaky Gut Syndrome

Immune System Dysfunction; ie autoimmune disorders and/or antibody dysfunctions

and more

If you would like to know how long it takes your body to digest and eliminate waste, you can do a simple test. Eat something that doesn't digest all the way, like corn, and see how long it takes to show up on the other end. You might be surprised.

Food, which is meant to nourish the body, should be chewed into tiny particles and swallowed. The chewing process activates the salivary glands in the mouth and hydrochloric acid production in the stomach. Digestion begins with the chewing process by releasing the enzyme amylase, which acts directly on carbohydrates. This is why infants, who are learning to eat solid, food must have it gound into tiny particles. Infants do have plenty of saliva, but do not have the ability to chew their food into digestable sized pieces. Breaking the food into small particles releases the foods natural enzymes which aid in digestion. Children and adults should pay special attention to chewing their food into similar tiny particles so that digestion begins immediately upon consumption.

As food is swallowed, it proceeds down the esophagus to the stomach, where the second step in digestion takes place. The stomach, which normally produces hydrochloric acid, churns the partially digested food to help break it down further. The enzymatic break down of proteins begins in the stomach with hydrochloric acid. Without the proper amount of hydrochloric acid proteins are not broken down completely and can pass on into the small intestines. This can cause gas, bloating and other digestive upsets. If the process of digestion is hindered the hydrochloric acid can be forced back up and into the esophagus and cause acid reflux. As the broken down food empties into the small intestine both liver (bile) and pancreatic enzymes need to be adequate to buffer the acidity of the stomach contents.

If food particles enter the small intestine that are not broken down properly, the final stage of digestion is compromised. The small intestine utilizes additional enzymes from the liver and pancreas along with bacteria that lives in the gut to complete the digestive process. Fat digestion begins in the small intestine by using bile and bile salts from the gallbladder and liver. If the liver or gallbladder is not functioning properly, digestive upset can occur due to the inability to break down and absorb fats. The surface area of the small intestine, when stretched out has the surface area of about the size of a football field, however the small intestine itself is only about 22 inches long. This is made possible by the tiny villi that line the wall of the small intestine, which resemble fingers. These villi absorb the particles of digested food that have been broken down into small enough pieces for use. If the food particles are still too large, or not broken down properly, they are passed on as waste.

The large intestine is used for storage of fecal matter and the re-absorption of water. If the body is not properly cleaning itself out, or if waste matter is sticking to the sides of the colon, the water that should be recycled is either not able to be absorbed, or is absorbed and full of toxins. This water is of course filtered through the liver to clean it. This detoxification process can put unnecessary stress on the liver and kidneys. To keep the colon clean it's very important to have the proper amount of non-soluble fiber going through it every day to help clean the walls, and absorb undigested fats and sugars too.

Friendly bacteria are a necessary component of the digestion process. Most people live a lifestyle which is not "friendly" to friendly bacteria. Something else to keep in mind is, if there is no room at the inn... then taking a supplement with friendly bacteria may be of little help. When opportunistic bacteria, which are fed by processed foods, drugs and other lifestyle choices, take up too much space in the gut, it leaves little room for friendly bacteria. Likewise, friendly bacteria can also push out the non-friendly types if done properly. Bacteria is a necessary part of the digestive system, and often antibiotics, steroids, sugar and other things kill off the beneficial bacteria and feed the non-beneficial bacteria, by allowing yeast to flourish.

The immune system begins in the gut with proper digestion, detoxification and elimination. In order to have a healthy body, a healthy gut is very important.

So you ask... how do I have a healthy gut?

Avoid these things:

Antacids and proton pump inhibitors - acid killers

Antibiotics (unless absolutely necessary)

NSAIDS - non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

Steroids - including birth control pills

White sugar

Processed foods

Carbonated beverages

Antihistamines

Coffee

Chlorinated and flouridated water

Meat which has been given antibiotics

Do these things:

Completely chew every bite of food until it's liquid - looks like baby food

Eat fresh vegetables and fruits - as raw as possible

Eat fiber - from high fiber vegetables or as a supplement (psyllium husk is best)

Take probiotics - daily, you should flood your system at first to build up good bacteria

Walk regularly - 210 minutes a week or more to help the intestines move

Drink lots of clean water - avoid chlorinated and flouridated water

Take digestive enzymes if needed

Have your indican level tested - an indican test is a simple urine test to determine the level of bowel toxicity

For an indican test please call our office. If you wish to take probiotics we do recommend that you do a one week intensive booster for friendly bacteria. We also have a great psyllium husk fiber supplement. Please call our office for more information.

Fruit and Vegetable Wash

2011-06-24T10:55:00.002-05:00

The Clorox bath (it must be Clorox) is 1/2 teaspoon per gallon of tap water. Soak produce between 10 and 30 minutes depending on the thickness of the skin.
. Leafy veggies 10 to 15 minutes
. Root or thick-skinned veggies 20 to 30 minutes
. Berries, peaches, thin skinned fruits 10 to 15 minutes

Triple rinse to remove all residual Clorox, which is 100% water soluble (this is why the finest labs in the world clean up with Clorox).

In the early 80's a client at Complete Health Services decided to put the Clorox bath to the test. She organized a before and after Clorox bath experiment at Sommer Frey Lab in Milwaukee (est 1900). She knew from her research that commercial peaches were exposed to chemicals containing mercury. (Interesting that peaches are currently at the top of the list of chemically contaminated fruit.) The people at the lab thought it was a cute idea promoted by some health nuts but quickly changed their demeanor after the Clorox bath consistently removed 70% to 75% of the mercury. The average was 72%. We passed out the report in all future cooking classes, Love at First Taste, which we taught for 20 years from 1978 to 1998.

Then, in the mid 90's a client I was working with moved to Seattle. We stayed in touch and she mailed me an extensive study performed by a holistic community magazine in Seattle that promoted local alternative services. This publication ran a series comparing the purity of organic and non-organic produce by meticulously testing for chemical contamination.

Shockingly, organic produce sometimes tested as contaminated as commercial produce.

Personally, I was slow to accept the Clorox bath. The chef in our cooking class, Roger Ullenberg -- owner and chef of Au Natural Restaurant, loved the Clorox bath and insisted on teaching it to students. During class he demonstrated it's effectiveness on bananas.*

Roger learned about the Clorox bath from an icon in natural health; Dr. Hazel Parcells, a well known naturopathic healer who lived to 106. Dr. Parcells based her work on radionics using pendulums and other devices, but she did not delve into the chemistry. During class I was so impressed with improvement in the quality of the produce washed in Clorox I couldn't help but be won over, even against my will (which was definitely the case). Later, when the Sommer Frey experiment was done, I became fully aware of how right-on this technique is.

To this day our household uses it on commercial produce, and maybe we should on organic items as well. However, I now trust the purity of organics more than in the past.

If you try it you'll be impressed.

*Class Experiment: Roger would take bananas from the same bunch and separate them into two groups -- one group went into tap water and the other into the Clorox bath (1/2 teaspoon per gallon of tap water). Only Roger, Karen and I knew which was which. After 15 to 20 minutes in the Clorox bath (bananas are thick skinned) they were triple rinsed, peeled and cut into bite size pieces. Everything was kept separate -- one platter of Clorox washed bananas and another platter of tap water washed bananas. So, the taste test was on.

Each platter was passed around the class and without fail in every class for over 20 years virtually every single student specifically preferred the Clorox washed bananas. Why? Because they didn't have the metallic after taste so common with bananas. It was very distinct. I could tell the difference every time. This was a fun way to introduce a serious subject. Give it a try. I think you'll be convinced.

Jim Ehmke, CN
Provided by Biotics Research Corporation

Poison Ivy and Poison Oak Prevention

2011-05-05T09:54:00.005-05:00

Are you one of those people who is afraid to cut grass or go out in the springtime in fear of coming in contact with Poison Ivy or Poison Oak?

The annoying and often painful rash is an allergic reaction to the oil in the plants. Poison Ivy itself is not contagious, but the oil is long lasting and can be transferred from objects, clothing or skin which have come in contact with it. Some people, who are very sensitive, do not even need to have direct contact with the oil to have symptoms. Burning the plants can also make the oil airborne, which may affect skin and lungs. The oil from a poison ivy plant can stay on a surface for 5 years.

If you think you have come in contact with Poison Ivy, Oak or Sumac, you should wash thoroughly with soap and water. It may be a good idea to remove any clothing immediately and wash them, so that no one else comes in contact with the oil on the material.

If you already know that you are sensitive to Poison Ivy or Oak you should use some preventive measures to avoid exposure, like wearing gloves and long sleeves when doing yard work or walking in wooded areas. Something else you should consider is building your immune system up so that your body is not as sensitive to outside stimuli. We have a couple of products which can assist you in this.

Homeopathic products, which have been used for centuries, are one way to help build up your tolerance of specific substances. We have a homeopathic, which can be used for prevention as well as treatment in the case of a reaction. If used as directed, the homeopathic could prevent a reaction completely, or reduce the duration and/or symptoms in the case of extreme exposure. If you are interested in finding out more about this product, stop by our office.

Nutritional products can also be beneficial in preventing allergic reactions. D-Hist, which is commonly used for sinus irritation and allergies, is also very beneficial in the prevention of allergic reactions, because it helps the body "toughen up" and not be as sensitive.

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Causes

2011-05-02T15:20:00.004-05:00

Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Causes

Causes of Impotence
There are many underlying physical and psychological causes of erectile dysfunction. Reduced blood flow to the penis and nerve damage are the most common physical ED causes. Underlying conditions associated with erectile dysfunction include the following:

Vascular disease
Diabetes
Drugs
Hormone imbalances
Neurologic conditions
Pelvic trauma, surgery, radiation therapy
Peyronie's disease
Venous leak
Psychological conditions

Vascular Disease
Arteriosclerosis, the hardening and narrowing of the arteries, causes a reduction in blood flow throughout the body and can lead to impotence. It is associated with age and accounts for 50% to 60% of impotence in men over 60.

Risk factors for arteriosclerosis include:
• Diabetes mellitus
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol

Smoking, which can lead to any of the above risk factors, is perhaps the most significant risk factor for impotence related to arteriosclerosis.

Diabetes Mellitus
Chronic high levels of blood sugar associated with diabetes mellitus often damage small blood vessels and nerves throughout the body, which can impair nerve impulses and blood flow necessary for erection. About 60% of men with diabetes experience impotence.

Drugs
Over 200 commonly prescribed drugs are known to cause or contribute to impotence, including drugs for high blood pressure, heart medications, antidepressants, tranquilizers, and sedatives. A number of over-the-counter medications also can lead to impotence. Long-term use of alcohol and illicit drugs may affect the vascular and nervous systems and are associated with erectile dysfunction.

Hormone Imbalances
Hormone disorders account for fewer than 5% of cases of impotence. Testosterone deficiency, which occurs rarely, can result in a loss of libido (sexual desire) and loss of erection. Among other conditions, an excess of the hormone prolactin, caused by pituitary gland tumor, reduces levels of testosterone. Hormone imbalances can also result from kidney or liver disease.

Neurologic Conditions
Spinal cord and brain injuries (e.g., paraplegia, stroke) can cause impotence when they interrupt the transfer of nerve impulses from the brain to the penis. Other nerve disorders, such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson's disease, and Alzheimer's disease, may also result in impotence.

Pelvic Trauma, Surgery, Radiation Therapy
Trauma to the pelvic region or spinal cord can damage veins and nerves needed for erection. Surgery of the colon, prostate, bladde, or rectum may damage the nerves and blood vessels involved in erection. Prostate and bladder cancer surgery often require removing tissue and nerves surrounding a tumor, which increases the risk for impotence.

New nerve-sparing techniques aimed at lowering the incidence of impotence to 40 to 60 percent are now being developed and used in these surgeries. Temporary impotence is also associated with these procedures, even those in which nerve-sparing techniques were used. It can take as long as 6 to 18 months for full erections to return.

Radical cystectomy (for bladder cancer) and prostatectomy (for prostate cancer) require cutting or removing nerves that control penile blood flow. These nerves do not control sensation in the penis and are not responsible for orgasms; only erection is affected by these procedures.
Radiation therapy for prostate or bladder cancer also can permanently damage these nerves.

Peyronie's Disease
Peyronie's disease is a rare inflammatory condition that causes scarring of erectile tissue. Scarring produces curvature of the penis that can interfere with sexual function and cause painful erections.

Venous Leak
If the veins in the penis cannot prevent blood from leaving the penis during erection, erection cannot be maintained. Venous leak can be a result of injury, disease or damage to the veins in the penis.

Psychological Conditions
Depression, guilt, worry, stress, and anxiety all contribute to loss of libido and erectile dysfunction. If a man experiences loss of erection, he may worry that it will happen again. This can produce anxiety associated with performance and may lead to chronic problems during sex. If the cycle is inescapable, it can result in impotence. Psychological factors in impotence are often secondary to physical causes, and they magnify their significance.

Physician-developed and -monitored.
Original Date of Publication: 09 Jun 1998
Reviewed by: Stanley J. Swierzewski, III, M.D.
Last Reviewed: 03 Dec 2007
Last Modified: 29 Apr 2011
© 1998-2011 Healthcommunities.com, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Read more: Erectile Dysfunction (ED) Causes - Erectile Dysfunction - Urology Channel http://www.urologychannel.com/erectiledysfunction/causes.shtml#ixzz1LEENChjI

The 'Other' Sweetener That's Made from Sugar, but is Closer to DDT

2011-04-26T08:05:00.000-05:00

Posted By Dr. Mercola | April 26 2011

Researchers recently investigated sucralose (Splenda) to see if it could reduce hunger and keep blood sugar steady. They found that it could not.

The researchers hoped to find that sucralose could cause the intestine to produce a hormone that reduces blood sugar and decreases appetite, which prior study had indicated might be a possibility. But the effect did not occur when it was ingested orally -- hunger remained the same and the blood sugar remained the same.
According to FYI Living:

"Worse, other research has shown that artificial sweeteners might contribute to weight gain ... [when the] sweet taste is not accompanied by the calories (energy) our brain expects it to be, the complex systems our bodies have to regulate energy balance may be thrown off kilter. The result is that a diet high in artificial sweeteners may possibly, over time, cause people to seek out more calories from other sources".

Sources:
FYI Living March 10, 2011
European Journal of Clinical Nutrition April 2011; 65(4):508-13

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Avoiding sugar is a crucial component of a healthy lifestyle, but, instead of consuming a naturally low-sugar diet based on whole foods, some people are still trying to have their cake and eat it too.

Unfortunately, the belief that artificial sweeteners can allow you to have the best of both worlds is simply not based in reality. It's a carefully orchestrated deception. So if you're still consuming artificially sweetened foods, snacks and beverages because you think it'll help you manage your weight, please understand that you've been sorely misled.

In reality, "diet" foods and drinks ruin your body's ability to count calories, thus boosting your inclination to overindulge. This effect appears to be true for all artificial sweeteners.

Unfortunately, most public health agencies and nutritionists in the United States still recommend these toxic artificial sweeteners as acceptable and even preferred alternatives to sugar, which is at best confusing and at worst seriously damaging the health of those who listen to this well-intentioned but foolish advice.

Artificial Sweeteners INCREASE Your Risk of Obesity
Contrary to popular belief, research has shown that artificial sweeteners can stimulate your appetite, increase carbohydrate cravings, and stimulate fat storage and weight gain. In fact, diet sodas may actually double your risk of obesity!
How's that for being misled?

Studies have repeatedly shown that consuming artificial sweeteners may be ruining your ability to control your food intake and body weight. For example, I have listed the results of six studies on aspartame that found it increases hunger and body weight on my Aspartame Studies page, and research on other artificial sweeteners have come to the same conclusion.

It's thought that consuming artificial sweeteners breaks the inherent connection between a sweet taste and a high-calorie food, thereby changing your body's ability to regulate your intake of calories. The end result is that by consuming artificially sweetened foods and beverages, you end up gaining more body fat than if you were to eat the same foods sweetened with regular sugar!
But weight gain isn't the only health-harming side effect of these man-made chemical sweeteners.

Splenda Destroys Your Gut Flora
Different artificial sweeteners have been found to wreak havoc in a number of different ways. Aspartame, for example, has a long list of studies indicating its harmful effects, ranging from brain damage to pre-term delivery.

Splenda (sucralose) has been found to be particularly damaging to your intestines.
A study published in 2008 found that Splenda:
• Reduces the amount of good bacteria in your intestines by 50 percent
• Increases the pH level in your intestines, and
• Affects a glycoprotein in your body that can have crucial health effects, particularly if you're on certain medications like chemotherapy, or treatments for AIDS and certain heart conditions

They also found unmistakable evidence that Splenda is absorbed by fat, contrary to previous claims.

In response to this study, James Turner, chairman of the national consumer education group Citizens for Health issued the following statement:
"The report makes it clear that the artificial sweetener Splenda and its key component sucralose pose a threat to the people who consume the product. Hundreds of consumers have complained to us about side effects from using Splenda and this study ... confirms that the chemicals in the little yellow package should carry a big red warning label."

I agree. It's truly disturbing that Splenda can destroy up to 50 percent of your healthy intestinal bacteria, as these bacteria are absolutely vital for supporting your general health! Many people are already deficient in healthy bacteria due to consuming too many highly processed foods. This is why a high quality probiotic is one of the very few supplements I highly recommend for most, if not all, people.
Believe me, if you continually destroy up to half of your gut flora by regularly consuming Splenda, then poor health is virtually guaranteed!

Splenda has Never Been Proven Safe for Human Consumption
Splenda was approved by the FDA as a tabletop- and general-purpose sweetener in processed foods in 1998. The FDA claims the approval was based on more than 110 animal and human safety studies. However, what they don't specify was that out of these 110 studies, only two were human studies, consisting of a combined total of 36 people, of which only 23 people actually ingested sucralose.

Additionally, the longest of these two human trials lasted only four days and looked at sucralose in relation to tooth decay, not human tolerance!

Many people have sent me stories about their adverse reactions to Splenda, which are posted on my site. This list alone contains more people than were formally studied in the research submitted for FDA approval!

The remainder of those 110-plus "safety studies" were done on animals, and they actually revealed plenty of problems, such as:
• Decreased red blood cells -- sign of anemia -- at levels above 1,500 mg/kg/day
• Increased male infertility by interfering with sperm production and vitality, as well as brain lesions at higher doses
• Enlarged and calcified kidneys (McNeil stated this is often seen with poorly absorbed substances and was of no toxicological significance. The FDA Final Rule agreed that these are findings that are common in aged female rats and are not significant.)
• Spontaneous abortions in nearly half the rabbit population given sucralose, compared to zero aborted pregnancies in the control group
• A 23 percent death rate in rabbits, compared to a 6 percent death rate in the control group

Common Side Effects of Splenda
The web site www.truthaboutsplenda.com lists a variety of consumer complaints from Splenda consumption, such as:
Gastrointestinal problems Blurred vision
Migraines Allergic reactions
Seizures Blood sugar increases
Dizziness Weight gain

You can also read the first-hand accounts of many of my readers here, at least one of whom say that allowing Splenda on the market is "worse than chemical warfare" based on the adverse effects she suffered before she figured out the cause. Just as with aspartame, many Splenda users complain of general malaise or "feeling under the weather," along with a variety of neurological changes, such as foggy-headedness, lack of concentration, and "bad mood."

If you have ever suffered any side effects from taking Splenda or any artificially sweetened product, I strongly recommend reporting it to the FDA Consumer Complaint Coordinator in your area.

Splenda—"Made from Sugar" But More Similar to DDT...
That's right.
The catchy slogan "Made from sugar so it tastes like sugar" has fooled many, but chemically, Splenda is actually more similar to DDT than sugar.
Sucralose starts off with a sugar molecule, yes, but that's where the similarity ends. (A sucrose molecule is a disaccharide that contains two single sugars bound together, i.e. glucose and fructose.) Then, in a five-step patented process, three chlorine molecules are added to that sucrose (sugar) molecule.

This process converts the sugar molecule to a fructo-galactose molecule.
This type of sugar molecule does not occur in nature, and therefore your body does not possess the ability to properly metabolize it. As a result of this "unique" biochemical make-up, McNeil Nutritionals makes its claim that Splenda is not digested or metabolized by the body, hence it has zero calories.

But, if you look at the research, you will find that an average of 15 percent of sucralose IS in fact absorbed into your digestive system, and ultimately is stored in your body. To reach the average number of 15 percent means that some people absorb more and some people absorb less, depending on your biochemical makeup.
If you are healthy and your digestive system works well, you may be at HIGHER risk for breaking down this product in your stomach and intestines, so for you the adverse reactions may be more acutely felt.

How to Kick the Artificial Sweetener Habit
Sweet cravings are very common for the simple reason that sugar is as addictive as cocaine. Unfortunately, switching to artificial sweeteners will neither reduce these cravings nor increase your satiety. On the contrary, as discussed above, you're likely making matters worse.

Your body also craves sweets when you're denying it the fuel it needs. Sugar (and grain carbs) is very quick fuel and can give your body a boost when it's running low. Again, using artificial sweeteners does not trick your body into thinking it has had its fill; rather it wants more sweets because it didn't get the energy boost with that sweet taste!

A powerful solution to help curb your cravings is to determine your nutritional type, which will tell you which foods you need to eat to feel full and satisfied.
It may sound hard to believe right now, but once you start eating right for your nutritional type, your sweet cravings will disappear. To help you turn your health around, I now offer the full nutritional typing program online for free, so please take advantage of this opportunity to dramatically change your health for the better.

Interestingly, nutrition- and fitness expert Ori Hofmekler recently shared a fascinating benefit of caffeine that can be helpful here. If you like coffee, drinking organic black coffee (meaning without sugar or milk) can help eliminate sugar cravings because the caffeine is an opioid receptor antagonist.

As you may know, sugar binds to the same opioid receptors as cocaine and other addictive substances. But once an opioid receptor antagonist occupies that receptor, it prohibits you from becoming addicted to something else. Therefore, caffeine may attenuate the addictive impact of sugar.

There are a few caveats to using this strategy however, including:
• Only drink organic coffee (as it's one of the most pesticide-heavy crops there are)
• Drink it black, sans sugar/artificial sweeteners or milk
• Only drink coffee in the morning, prior to exercise
• Limit your consumption to one or two cups

In addition to eating right for your nutritional type, I highly recommend addressing the emotional component of your food cravings, using a tool such as the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). It's one of the most profoundly effective tools I've ever used or researched to help overcome food cravings and reach dietary success.
Turbo Tapping is particularly useful if you're addicted to soda. It's an extremely effective and simple tool to get rid of your addiction in a short period of time.

Related Links:
The Potential Dangers of Sucralose (Splenda)
Sucralose (Splenda) U.S. Product List
The Potential Dangers of Sucralose—Reader Testimonials

Are you a Fat Burner or a Sugar Burner?

2011-04-18T15:52:00.040-05:00

Did you know that you can change your body from its preferred metabolism of fat, to a sugar based metabolism?

Did you know that even if you have accidentally changed your metabolism to a sugar burning metabolism, you can choose to change your body to a fat burning, lean machine?

Sugar, in the form of glycogen, is utilized by the body in times of stress for rapid bursts of energy. Glycogen is stored by the liver, and when the adrenals call out for emergency energy, the liver releases glycogen. Living a high stress lifestyle, or eating a diet high in processed foods, can cause the body to get spoiled and lazy. This is because, burning fat for energy is a tougher process than burning readily available, easy to burn, sugars.

Your body also naturally burns sugar when you exercise. Which is why aerobic activity, such as walking, helps to reduce blood sugar.

If you have read my book, Maintain Your Weight, then you already understand my concept about your metabolic furnace. If not, then a simple way to understand it is, sugar and processed foods are like dead leaves when thrown on a fire. They flame up instantly, and then die out very quickly. Larger more dense pieces of wood burn slower, and hotter, and the energy they produce lasts much longer.

If a person eats too much sugar and/or processed foods, or they have insulin which is sluggish & isn't doing its job, these sugars are not processed as they should be. Unused sugars are sent back to the blood stream for disposal and since the body doesn't know what to do with the extra sugar it gets saved as fat. The problem is, sugars do not stoke up your metabolic furnace; so you need energy sooner, and because your body is trained to use sugar for energy, you start to crave more sugars and simple carbohydrates.

I am guessing by this point you can name several people, you know, who probably have a sugar burning metabolism. You may even be saying, "Wow, that sounds like me." Would you like to take charge of your body and teach it to burn fat? It is possible.

First of all you need to let go of the myths you have learned about what to eat, and what not to eat. Here are some common dieting myths:

Fat is bad. NOT TRUE. Fat is necessary for building cells, protecting your organs, making skin soft and supple and other necessary functions. More specifically cholesterol, which is made from fats, is very important to the body. Every cell in your body uses cholesterol. The truth is; Healthy Fats are a vital part of everyones diet. About 30-40 percent of your diet should come from healthy fats.

You can eat as much protein as you want. NOT TRUE. Protein is absolutely an important part of a healthy diet, but a variety of protein is important. If you eat meat, about 20% of your diet should come from lean animal protein or beans and legumes. Remember that vegetables, and grains like oatmeal also have protein, so you are not going to be without enough protein if you eat right.

Grains should be a staple in your diet. NOT TRUE. Grains should be a small part of your diet, and they should be whole grains, like real steel cut oats. Not the kind that comes in a package you can pour hot water on and eat. In order for grains to be a healthy part of your diet, they must be difficult for your body to break down. Make your body work for those calories... and make sure the calories you provide are nutrient dense and high in fiber.

Red meat is bad for you. NOT TRUE. Meat which has visible fat is bad for you. Lean cuts are acceptable, but remember a portion of meat is about 3-4 ounces.... which is about the size of a deck of cards. Some individuals tolerate red meats better than others. There are lots of other meats you could consume also. Consider chicken, white fish, salmon and tuna, deer, bison etc. Pork tends to have fat cells which are not visible, and you can not cut off, so we often recommend that people who have inflammatory conditions or are trying to manage their weight, avoid pork.

Fiber is yucky! NOT TRUE. Vegetables have lots of non-soluble fiber. This fiber helps to balance blood sugar, and keep the pipes clean. Vegetables are also high in phytonutrients and are also known to help fight cancer. Vegetables are so important for your body you should eat some with every meal. 8 out of 10 bites of food should be a fruit or vegetable.

Fruit is too high in sugar. NOT TRUE. Fruit is best eaten away from large meals, because it gets processed much faster than meats and vegetables, and can cause some gas or bloating if eaten on top of a meal. If you have fruit with your meal eat it about 15 minutes before the rest of the meal. Fruit has water soluble fiber in it, which also helps keep the pipes clean, and can help with constipation. If you are diabetic, you may find that fruit can raise blood sugar because your body is not utilizing sugar properly. It's absolutely necessary to get your body burning fat for energy if you are pre-diabetic, or already dependent on medications for blood sugar management.

So you need to know how to do this... right? Well, I recommend the Leptin Diet. If you would like a printable form of this diet click here. Below is a simple run down of how it works.

Eat These Foods:

Healthy fats, such as; nuts, seeds, avocado, olive oil, salmo, tuna etc.

Lean proteins, such as eggs, seafood, chicken, turkey, fish etc.

Vegetables and fruits, such as asparagus, cucumbers, spinach, lettuce, beans, green beans, garlic, peppers, apples, bananas, grapes, kiwi, pineapple, cherries, blueberries etc.

Foods to avoid:

Cows milk, frozen custard, fatty cheeses, processed meats, peanuts, barbeque sauce, ketchup, mayo, cakes, candies, processed foods, sugar, etc.

For the full diet and its explanation click on the link above. If you have questions please don't hesitate to call the office. By the way, this diet is a great maintenance plan for people who just finished their diet drops.

One of the most important things to remember is: Chew your food thoroughly. Chew it until it is no longer recognizable, then swallow it. Also, remember to drink plenty of water. You should drink about half your body weight, in ounces, of water a day.

Recommended supplementation:

L-Carnitine to help your body burn fat. L-Carnitine is to Fat, as Insulin is to Sugar. We do have a couple of different options at our office for this product. Recommended amount is 1000 mg at breakfast, and lunch, daily.

EFA's (Essential Fatty Acids) I always recommend that a person take 2000-4000 mg a day of a good quality, pharmaceutical grade fish oil or vegetarian based EFA product while trying to lose weight.

CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid) Check out my blog from a week or so ago for more information on this great product. I usually recommend about 1500 mg three times a day while trying to lose weight.

Vitamin D is also very important in this process. Unless you live near the equator and spend a lot of time outdoors with very little clothing and no sunscreen, you probably need to take about 5000-8000 iu a day of a good quality, proven to be absorbable, product. We have two different types at our office, come by and ask about it.

Probiotics which are non-dairy in nature. Since you will be completely avoiding most dairy products during this program, you should find a good non-dairy probiotic. There are many available. We have one at our office that you only need to take 1 a day of, which is way less than most products suggest.

Enzymes are also very important for general health. We have a few different kinds which work well to aid in digestion if taken with meals, but they also work great to help clean inflammation out of the body when taken away from meals, on an empty stomach. We typically recommend enzymes for anyone who needs to lose weight, or may be dealing with food sensitivities.

I hope this information is helpful, and if you need someone to discuss it with, you can always make an appointment at our office. If you would like a printable form of this diet click here.

Colon Cancer Can be Prevented

2011-03-11T12:06:00.011-06:00

The below article was printed in the March 10, 2011 issue of The Rolla Daily News. I thought this would be a great time to remind everyone that there are several options for screening for all types of cancer.

The best option to prevent cancer from forming, is of course, eating a healthy diet that includes lots of different colored fruits and vegetables, fiber, lean proteins and healthy fats... and making sure you get enough exercise.

For prevention and early detection, we offer an indican test. This test checks the urine to detect any bacterial or toxic buildup on the walls of the colon. If the colon is caked with fecal matter which is not being eliminated as it should, this sludge can become toxic, and since the colon has two main jobs, one of them being storage of waste material and the other being reabsorption of water back into the body, it's important to make sure that the colon is clean. If the colon is crusted with toxins, these toxins can be reabsorbed into the body. These toxins are also what cause infections, polyps and diverticulitis. An indican test is $33 and it's one of the best ways to prevent future problems.

It's important to know when you have a colon issue. We recommend that you have an indican test occassionally to check your colon status, and you should also check for blood in your stool. There is a simple test for blood in the stool. This test is great because you can do it in the comfort of your own home and it can detect blood which may not be able to be seen by the naked eye. You just drop it into the commode and it changes colors if it finds blood. This packet is only $25 and can be picked up at our office any time.

We also offer blood testing for all tumor markers. The AMAS test checks the entire body for cancer antigens. There are several specific tumor marker tests that you can also choose to look for, such as; breast, pancreas, colon, prostate and liver... If you are concerned about your cancer risk, stop in and discuss your options with one of our helpful staff.

Here is the article I mentioned...
Each year when Kelly Kibirige celebrates another birthday, it's not just a mark of being a year older. For Kibirige, 50, it's another year being cancer free.

"I always told people I had rot gut," said Kibirige, a registered nurse, who was diagnosed with colon cancer when she was 46. "At least three times a week I'd have a combination of indigestion, bloating, abdominal pain, and other issues. It wasn't until I saw blood in my stool that I went to the hospital."

That was August 2006. It took several more months of similar symptoms appearing and disappearing with treatment before she had a fecal occult blood test (FOBT). The test showed Kibirige had Stage 1 colon cancer.

March is Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month. Kibirige hopes that Missourians in Dunklin County make sure to get routine visits and screenings for colon cancer. Making the decision can be a life-saver. Colon cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States.

Colorectal cancer, also known as colon cancer, caused more than 50,000 deaths in 2007. With routine screenings like colonoscopies, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that as many as 60 percent of these deaths could be prevented. That would mean more than 8,000 lives saved in Missouri, based on Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS) data from 1998 and 2008, or 103 lives in Dunklin County.

You can take steps to help colon cancer. Colon cancer occurs when an unusual growth, or polyp, forms in the colon. If these growths go untreated, they can become cancerous and begin to spread. This is why early detection is very important.

Colon cancer affects men and women equally, but African Americans are at a higher risk than other ethnic groups. Because 90 percent of all cases affect those 50 and older, the American Cancer Society (ACS) recommends that everyone begin colon cancer screening at age 50. Those with a family history of the disease should talk with their doctor about beginning screening tests earlier. Those who show symptoms like Kibirige did should talk to their doctor, too.

When colon cancer is detected early, there is a 90 percent survival rate. However in 2008, only 61 percent of Missourians over the age of 50 had ever had one of these screenings.

"I often wonder if the cancer could have been a small polyp when I was in the hospital in August 2006," said Kibirige, who works in the St. Joseph's Health Department. "I should have insisted the nurse tell my doctor. Blood in stool is not normal. It may be something small or it could be cancer. Now, I tell people to ask questions, insist on getting answers or get a second opinion. It is your body."

There are several steps everyone can take to prevent colon cancer. The ACS and Health Literacy Missouri recommend the following :

* Get screened. Most medical insurance will cover a colonoscopy starting at age 50. An FOBT costs only $10-25.

* Eat a balanced diet. Foods high in fat and cholesterol increase your risk of colon cancer. Limit the amount of processed and red meat in your diet. A healthy diet includes five or more servings of fruits and vegetables per day and whole grains.

* Exercise. Obesity increases the risk of colon cancer. As little as 30 minutes of exercise, for five days each week, will lower your risk.

* Avoid tobacco and limit alcohol. Smoking cigarettes or using tobacco products can increase the size of polyps. Men should not have more than two drinks per day. Women should stop at one.

Crohn's Disease

2011-01-26T10:34:00.003-06:00

Chron’s disease is caused by food allergies - 100% of the time.

Crohn’s disease is an inflammatory condition of the intestine. Modern science has linked it to an immune response, which causes chronic inflammation. Commonly, prescription drugs are administered to alleviate some of the symptoms, and frequently surgery is performed to remove inflamed portions of the intestine, in an attempt to avoid infection and reduce symptoms.

It is well documented that certain foods cause discomfort, cramping and diarrhea, in people who have this condition. Because each person is different, there is no one diet that can be followed to prevent symptoms. The most important thing to understand, is that, IBS and Chron’s are always caused by food allergies. Common food allergens are cows milk and wheat/gluten, but often a food, such as; broccoli or carrots, will show up as an allergen. Some victims of Crohn’s disease may find relief by avoiding milk and wheat, but in reality, the foods that are chosen most frequently (favorite foods) are often the foods which are the most damaging. Eating a food which causes inflammation actually causes an adrenaline boost, which in turn causes the person to crave that particular food.

Food sensitivities that cause inflammation do not often cause an immediate response, which makes it difficult to pick out which foods are causing the problem. Often, food sensitivities like these do not cause noticeable symptoms for up to 2-3 days after consumption. If the food which causes inflammation is eaten every day, the symptoms increase over time.

The best way to determine which foods are causing inflammation is to run an IgG Rast Test, which tests 96 different food groups, and provides a rotation diet to clear the body of the inflammation. Removing the source of inflammation gives the intestines a chance to heal. Once the inflammation is gone, foods which are sources of inflammation may then be consumed in small amounts, on occasion. This information is very valuable to the person who suffers from Chron’s, because they are in control of their situation, and can choose to avoid foods which cause inflammation in their body.

Another concern for people with symptoms of IBS or Chron’s is malnutrition. The inability to properly digest and absorb nutrients can cause weight loss and fatigue, along with other symptoms. It is recommended that nutritional supplementation be utilized to help the body absorb these lost nutrients. It may be necessary to use liquid, sublingual or intramuscular injections to increase the absorption of these nutrients.

Each individual person has their own unique needs. There is no cookie cutter plan which can resolve symptoms in every situation. It’s necessary to discuss symptoms, nutrition and health with your health care provider regularly, and make changes as needed to maintain balance. Avoiding foods which cause inflammation is a very important part of this health plan.

Re: Am I overusing Antibiotics?

2011-01-24T12:02:00.005-06:00

Antibiotics are often prescribed and requested for many different types of symptoms, such as; ear aches, colds, flu's, runny noses, and a host of other types of illnesses. Many of these symptoms are caused by viruses, which can not be fought off with antibiotics. Taking antibiotics for a virus will not help you feel better faster, and can actually be dangerous. Resistant bacteria are a growing concern in the medical community. The use of antibacterial hand soaps, laundry detergents and other antibiotics have created bacteria which can resist antibiotics.

MRSA/STAPH is very difficult to treat, because of the resistance to many antibiotics, and the occurrence of this type of infection is rapidly increasing. Your chances of contracting infections increases if you are admitted to the hospital.

According to data from www.aware.md use of antibiotics is rising. Here are some startling statistics...

In 1954, two million pounds of antibiotics were produced in the US . Today the figure exceeds 50 million pounds. (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2000)
In one year in the US , of the 51 million physician visits for colds, upper respiratory tract infections, and bronchitis, 50% to up to 66% of those visits culminated in an antibiotic prescription. (Annals of Internal Medicine, July, 2000)
Streptococcus pneumoniae, the most common bacterial cause for illness such as meningitis, middle ear infections, and community-acquired pneumonia causes an estimated 700,000 to 1 trillion middle-ear infections in children a year, 50,000 cases of pneumonia, hundreds of cases of meningitis and blood stream infections, and 4,000 deaths per year. (CA Dept of Health Services, 2001)

In California , out of the three main classifications of antibiotics tested for effectiveness against streptococcus pneumoniae; penicillins show a 30% resistance level, erythromycin-like antibiotics 22% resistance and fluoroquinolones 1%. This means one in three people who receive a penicillin type antibiotic, it may not work. (CA Dept of Health Services, 2001)

What does all of this mean?
It means that about 1/3 of Americans receive a prescription for antibiotics every year. Of course some people get multiple scripts each year, which is another entirely different concern.

Antibiotics can not kill a virus... What are viruses? Organisms that mask themselves within our tissues and the cause of:

all colds and the flu
most coughs
most sore throats
viruses usually involve several parts of the body

They can also cause infectious diseases such as;

chicken pox
yellow fever
most childhood respiratory diseases
diarrhea
most upper respiratory infections
viruses are usually the precursor to bacterial infections

Bacterial infections include...

strep throat
urinary tract infections
most ear infections
some sinus infections
usually are localized to one part of the body

Antibiotics can kill bacteria that are not resistant. Bacteria adapt to their surroundings, which is the basis of antibiotic resistance.

What's the answer?
Use antibiotics only when you are absolutely in need of them. Your body can fight off many bacterial infections and viruses itself, if given proper nutrition and rest. Most of you have heard a doctor say "it just has to run its course," this is true in many cases. Occasionally a person whose immune system is already challenged will need additional support to recover quickly, but antibiotics should only be used when it's absolutely necessary to fight off the bacteria.

Increased vitamin C, under a physicians guidance, up to 4000-6000 milligrams a day has been shown clinically to absolve strep throat in acute stages.

To avoid getting sick you can do the following

wash your hands thoroughly often, especially when in public
eat a healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegetables
avoid sugar and high fructose corn syrup

supplement daily with vitamin C, D, E, and other antioxidants
utilize monolauric acid (Lauricidin) to help prevent viruses
normalize gut flora
have your zinc level tested with a zinc tally test

What if I get sick?

supplement with additional vitamin C to bowel tolerance
have your zinc levels checked
drink lots of water
take Lauricidin to 3 times a day (8 hours apart)
get some rest - stay home in bed if you need to

Talk to your natural health provider about options for your specific symptoms, often there are natural ways to reduce symptoms, and get you back to normal quicker.

Are you getting what you pay for? Discount Supplement Dangers

2011-01-18T11:08:00.010-06:00

The supplement industry is a very large industry. As with any industry there are honest, hard working, reliable companies who work very hard to make sure their supplements are the best available, hpwever there are companies who spend less time worrying about quality and more time on the end result ... profit.

What does this mean? It means that you may be getting a better price for what you think is Vitamin X, but you may not be getting vitamin X. It's also possible that you may be getting something in addition to the vitamin, such as Lead, Cadmium, Arsenic, and a whole array of other toxins or chemicals. Currently, the supplement industry is not required to follow any specific labeling or manufacturing standards which would prevent this from happening.

ConsumerLab.com in their November 9, 2010 posting, discussed this very topic. They analyzed 10 different forms of valerian root (often used for stress and relaxation) and found that only 3 met their label claims. They also tested for heavy metals, such as lead. They found that only 5 out of those 10 met label claims. In their study for potency (content of the substance advertised) they found 0%, 26.7%, 36.8%, 57.1% and 82.5%. 3 of these 10 products showed measurable amounts of lead from 1.2 mcg to 3.5 mcg.

Why is this information imortant? First, if you purchase the supplement which has 0% in it... guess what? You have no idea what you are consuming. It could be any type of filler, or other substance, but its definitely not what you thought you were buying. Often people will say, I can't take vitamin such-and-such, because it breaks me out in a rash. More than likely, it's the fillers they used that you are sensitive to. Even if you purchased the supplement that had 82.5% in it, you never know what else is in there!

This is important information for you to understand.

The products that we recommend to our friends, families and patients are all tested and are guaranteed to be accurately processed and labeled. Many of our suppliers take an additional step, and voluntarily adhere to pharmaceutical standards and practices. When possible, all of our products are created without allergens such as soy, wheat, gluten and casien. When it's not possible to avoid commonly known allergens, the products are accurately marked to prevent any type of reaction by the consumer.

I always tell people that it is this simple. If it's on the label it's in there, if it's not on the label... it's not in there!

When it comes to the health and safety of yourself and your family, it's important to stay educated and know that you have options. It's ok to challenge the things you hear and read. Do your own research, ask questions and get answers from people and sources you trust.

We hope that we have earned your trust over the years, and we will continue to provide what we hope is useful information. Feel free to call or stop by the office if you need more information or have any questions!

An Apple a Day Keeps the Doctor Away

2011-01-11T12:47:00.009-06:00

The old addage "an apple a day keeps the doctor away" actually does have some truth to it. Apples contain quercetin, polyphenols, antioxidants, water soluble fiber and vitamins. They come in many colors and thanks to modern technology, there are also many different flavors of apples. I would think it would be hard to get bored with apples, if you change it up and eat a different kind from time to time.

Apples, in general, are what we consider a negative calorie food. Meaning, if you eat an apple which is 50 calories, the digestion of the apple may burn 150 calories during the digestion process. Making the caloric intake of that apple a negative 100 calories. Talk about a winner, that's almost a pound a month!

Apples actually support the liver by thinning bile, which can help reduce the symptoms of heart burn. In addition, apple cider vinegar is often used to help with weight loss, and to reduce heart burn. Most people choose to mix it with a little water and stevia to take the pucker out. There is a recipe for this drink on the HCG page of our website.

In mideval times apples were considered good for eye function, flatulence, digestive concerns, kidney health and respiratory health. Science is yet to prove these claims, but old wives tales are believed to hold some truths. Maybe someday science will agree that apples are one of the best foods you can consume.

Adding an apple a day to your diet can help reduce hunger, and prevent binge eating. They also may delay the absorption of sugar and carbohydrates, which helps you feel more satisfied. Keep in mind that a diet rich in variety is best for everyone, but there is no reason why you shouldn't add an apple a day to your diet. You might be surprised!

Zinc - Are you low in this essential nutrient?

2010-11-01T13:47:00.010-05:00

Zinc is a trace mineral and is often depleted because its used by nearly every metabolic process in the body. It's excreted in saliva, urine, feces, sperm and more. It is an important part of immunity and metabolism, including the growth of skin, muscles, reproductive organs and cells.

People who are low on Zinc often do not have notable symptoms, and spotting a zinc deficiency without testing is sometimes difficult to do. Common signs that you may be low in Zinc are:

Milky White Spots on Fingernails
Freckles on the nose and cheeks
Acne
Diarrhea
Inconsistent Blood Sugar levels
Eczema
Enlarged Prostate
Colds or Slowed Healing
Sluggish Immune System
Reduced Ability to Taste or Smell
Inability to See Well After Dark
Male Infertility
ADHD

Individuals who have been diagnosed with Diabetes, HIV, AIDS, autoimmune dysfunction and even neurological concerns, such as Parkinsons' Disease, are often low in zinc. Zinc may also help to protect against fungal infections and other infectious disorders.

Because zinc and copper can displace each other, people who are low in zinc often have higher copper levels and often people who have a high zinc level are low in copper. Balance is important in all of the body processes. It's important that you have your zinc levels tested so that you know if you need more zinc by way of dietary changes or supplementation.

Our preferred method of testing for low zinc is a zinc tally test. The cost is $10, the test takes less than 5 minutes at our office and results are immediate. No appointment is necessary. Swing on in and ask for your Zinc Tally Test today!

The Healthy Answer to Diabetes :: Terry Talks Nutrition

2010-10-29T15:49:00.002-05:00

Did you know that by the year 2050, one third of all Americans could have Type 2 diabetes? The real shame of this is that it’s a preventable disease. Sugar and starch cravings and their consumption is one of the major reasons for weight gain, mood swings, most degenerative diseases today, and the rise of Type 2 diabetes. And despite all the studies showing the huge health dangers of refined carbohydrates, we still see empty calorie foods and snacks on the store shelves in abundance—especially at this time of year. I see them advertised in all forms of media, and I especially dislike the commercials targeting children. Because of the rise in obesity and diabetes, our children may actually have a shorter potential life-span than we were blessed with as children! That is just wrong.
People who have Type 2 diabetes are at increased risk for developing 24 different types of cancer, according to a new study. They are four to six times more likely to get these cancers. If that wasn’t bad enough, diabetes has recently been shown to also increase the risk of other diseases as well, including glaucoma, tuberculosis, uric acid stones, heart disease, and stroke.
But do not despair. Whether your blood sugar is just starting to creep up, or you already have type 2 diabetes, there are natural interventions that can make a real difference in your health. In this issue of Terry Talks Nutrition, we are going to look at supplements that have a powerful impact on blood sugar.
The Blood Sugar and Diabetes Connection
Insulin is a hormone that picks up sugars in the blood stream and carries them into cells to burn for energy. Not enough insulin = higher and higher levels of sugar left in the blood, which in turn can trigger a whole cascade of adverse health events, including increasing blood vessel inflammation and plaque (atherosclerosis) deposits.
If cells start to ignore insulin (called “insulin resistance”), they do not respond to insulin’s signals to accept sugar into the cell for energy production. When not enough sugar gets into the cells, the cells are starved for energy and cannot do their job. If starved for too long, they start to die.
Diabetes is classified as Type 1 or Type 2. Type 1 is an autoimmune disorder that usually manifests in childhood or the teen years. The body’s immune system attacks the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, which are damaged significantly. This results in an inability to make insulin, and people with Type 1 diabetes generally must take injectable insulin for the rest of their lives to replace their lost insulin. However, those with Type 1 diabetes can live long, healthy lives by monitoring their blood sugar and keeping a healthy diet. However, only 5 to 10% of people with diabetes have Type 1.
Type 2 diabetes is far more common, and is highly preventable. The basic problem is that the body stops making enough insulin, or the cells start to ignore insulin’s message. Sometimes both can occur.
Type 2 Diabetes on the Rise
I find the rise in cases of Type 2 Diabetes one of the biggest health catastrophes in America. Diabetes is currently the 7th leading cause of death in the United States. And of the 22 million Americans with diabetes, half are unaware they even have the disease until so much damage occurs that they start to have physical complications.
Did you know that children born in the year 2000 and after have a 1 in 3 chance of developing this disease in their lifetime? In 1985, experts reported that about 1 to 2 percent of children with diabetes had Type 2. By 1995, the number stood at about 17 percent having Type 2. More recently, in some areas of the country, 30 to 40 percent of children with diabetes now have Type 2!
Certainly, there is a genetic component to Type 2 diabetes. It tends to run in families, and is more prevalent among African Americans, Hispanic Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Native Americans. These groups may struggle more when adopting modern European or American refined carbohydrate foods as opposed to healthy, traditional diets.
But genetics aside, you have to wonder why there is such a huge increase in Type 2 diabetes? The major contributors are diet, obesity, and a sedentary lifestyle. We just aren’t taking care of ourselves the way we should. Though there may be many contributing factors, doctors agree that Type 2 diabetes is basically a disease of nutrition. With the right interventions, especially in the beginning stages of the disease, great progress can be made in preventing, reversing, or even curing this illness. Three things you can do to have the best chance of curing or preventing Type 2 diabetes are: make smart food choices, get moving, and use the right supplements.
Food Choices – Choose treats that make good sense
The more food you eat, the more insulin you have to produce. But different types of food affect insulin differently. The worst culprits are white sugar and high fructose corn syrup. After that comes a class of foods called simple carbohydrates. These are foods that convert quickly to sugar in the body, and generally have the natural fibers removed. An old adage, and a good one to follow, is “Don’t eat anything white unless it is cauliflower!” Avoid white bread, white rice, white pasta and white potatoes. Even if you don’t give them up entirely, but start experimenting with substitutes like brown rice and whole grains you may not have tried before. Many people do better if they eat gluten-free grains. Since proteins and fats are burned more slowly, they are not as burdensome on insulin production.

Try to make sure you have protein with each meal. It is healthy and satisfies hunger, so you aren’t ready to go for a candy bar an hour or two later. If you eat between meals, make it a protein, as this is less taxing on your insulin system. Some choices might be hard boiled eggs or a piece of organic cheese. Low carbohydrate vegetables, like salad greens, cucumbers, broccoli, cauliflower, celery, pickles, and olives are good choices, too. As for fats, they are not the enemy! Olive oil, for instance, is one of the healthiest choices you can make. There are people over a hundred years old in Italy who have drenched their food in olive oil every day. But stay away from too many animal fats (like butter) or, worse yet, something called partially-hydrogenated fats, found in margarine, many baked goods, cookies, and snacks. These chemically altered fats are dangerous to your health. When you eat higher carbohydrate foods like grains, and sweet vegetables and fruits like carrots and tomatoes, try to do so with meals that also contain protein and low-carb vegetables. This will help to balance things out and minimize the stress on the insulin system.

But, one of the worst things you can do is drink sodas (or other beverages with sugar or sweeteners) or snack on high carbohydrate foods like chips, crackers, candy, or cookies between meals. This revs up your insulin system and is very stressful to your body as it tries to manage this constant tweaking of blood sugar. I don’t like artificial sweeteners for a number of reasons, but they are a problem for people with blood sugar issues. First, they keep your craving for sweets active. Second, they trick your body into thinking a lot of sugar is on the way, and can disrupt the insulin system even if they have no calories. And it is not true that artificial sweeteners help people lose weight!

Get Moving
Find something physical you love and do it. If you hate it, you won’t stay at it. It could be walking, bowling, square dancing—even window shopping can be good exercise if you keep moving. If you love TV and movies, then set up your treadmill and walk as you watch. Start slow and don’t expect changes overnight. Find a buddy who will exercise with you and help keep you motivated. When you move around, you burn calories and help balance your blood sugar. If you don’t move, the system falls further and further into disrepair. Because I have been asked about this information so many times, I have outlined a meal plan and an exercise program that is simple and effective. Look for Terry’s Menu for Health and Longevity and Terry’s Exercise Plan on my website at www.terrytalksnutrition.com.

The Right Supplements
There are natural herbs and minerals that have been clinically studied and proven to lower blood sugars, slow their absorption, and help bring the insulin system back into balance. There are five I like to use in a formula, because each ingredient has strengths that work even better together.
Chromium is an essential mineral that has been shown in clinical studies to improve how the body handles blood sugar and insulin. In a study published in Diabetes: the Journal of the American Diabetic Association, chromium supplementation significantly improved fasting blood sugars and another blood test called hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), an important indicator of insulin system balance. I recommend at least 500 mcg a day.

Vanadium is another mineral to add to your regimen. If your blood levels of vanadium are too low, you’re likely to have more problems with high blood sugars. A dose of 1.5 mg a day can significantly raise blood levels of vanadium to a more optimal range. Besides minerals, there are three botanical ingredients getting a lot of attention: mulberry leaf, purslane, and apple extract.

Mulberry Leaf is More Effective than Glibenclamide
Mulberry leaf extract shows impressive results. Patients with Type 2 diabetes treated with a Mulberry extract significantly improved their glycemic control compared to glibenclamide (a drug) treatment. Comparing the two, fasting blood glucose after treatment with glibenclamide decreased by 8% and after mulberry treatment decreased by 27%. In a different scientific study, mulberry leaf extract was also more effective in controlling fasting blood glucose levels than the oral hypoglycemic drug glibenclamide.

How mulberry leaf works:
Mulberry leaf contains substances that inhibit an enzyme (alpha glucosidase) responsible for breaking down carbohydrates into sugars. That means that the absorption rate of these sugars is reduced and delayed, which lessens the stress on the insulin system. Make sure that the mulberry leaf extract is standardized for alpha glucosidase inhibition for it to be effective. Additional benefits of mulberry leaves in people with diabetes: reduces high blood sugar levels, works as an antioxidant, slows the onset of retinopathy (damage to the retina of the eye common in people with Type 2 diabetes), and curbs the cravings for foods that can worsen diabetic conditions.

Mulberry has been tested for safety, too. In one study, doctors gave Mulberry leaf extract to both healthy people and to people with Type 2 diabetes. Neither group showed any significant adverse effects when following the recommended dosage.

Purslane
Purslane is an ancient herb discussed in Greek medical scripts, and was even mentioned in the book of Job in the Bible. Some experts call it “The best vegetable you’ve never had,” because it is not well known, but enormously healthy.

In a clinical study of people with Type 2 diabetes, purslane extract outperformed the placebo group by 44%, returning blood sugar levels to normal ranges. In an observational study over five weeks, purslane herb extract normalized blood glucose in individuals with elevated levels. It was also safe and well-tolerated.

By stabilizing blood glucose concentrations, purslane may help to control blood glucose related appetite cravings, and help protect the body from the negative effects of high blood sugar levels.
Purslane works in three ways to target diabetes: It helps the cell respond to insulin more favorably; it reduces sugar absorption from the intestine into the blood stream, and it helps move the sugars out of the blood and into the cells where they can be burned for fuel. I prefer a 7:1 extract, which means it takes 7 pounds of purslane to make a pound of purslane extract, as it is a more concentrated and effective form.

Apple
The idea that “an apple a day keeps the doctor away” has a lot of evidence to back it up. The apple is chock full of amazingly healthy nutrients. But there is a very special, uncommon apple that is rarely in cultivation, called the sour green cider apple. Most apples today are bred for taste and sweetness, but these little sour apples have a rare plant compound called phloridzin that has been shown to help lower blood sugars safely by impacting how carbohydrates are absorbed, lessening stress on the insulin system, and helping the body to better metabolize carbohydrates that have been converted to sugars. It can also impact cellular fat storage.
Another ingredient in apple is quercetin, which also influences how sugars are managed in the intestines and works as a wonderful antioxidant. For any apple extract you use, there should be standardization for phloridzin and quercetin for full effectiveness. Always check the label for this.
Because these ingredients in apple extract moderate blood sugar, you don’t get so many blood-sugar related peaks and valleys that make you crave sweets or high carbohydrate foods throughout the day. Some people also use sour green cider apple extract as part of a weight loss diet, and there are studies on this as well. In one scientific study, supplementation with this extract caused a shift in body mass—11% less fat and 5% more lean muscle, compared to the group with no apple extract.

Having more lean muscle is good for many reasons. It’s important for people with Type 2 diabetes because muscle burns more calories at rest than any other tissue in the body, and this helps you keep blood sugar in balance and keep your weight in check. For example, two identical twins, each weighing 150 pounds, with the only difference being the percentage of fat vs. percentage of lean muscle in their bodies, can have vastly different health outcomes. The twin with more lean muscle can eat more calories each day without gaining weight because that twin burns more calories just by being alive.

You Can Control Your Blood Sugar
We’re coming into a difficult season for anyone who is trying to control their blood sugar and watch their weight, but blood sugar issues and Type 2 diabetes don’t improve on their own. You have to take active steps to change how your body interacts with the food you eat. I strongly urge you to consider my recommendations – by changing just 3 things—food choices, how much you move, and the right supplements, you can fight this potentially disabling and life-threatening illness. You have the power to take control and make a difference. Getting your blood sugar under control can add years to your life and give you many healthy

Coconut Oil - The Truth About Saturated Fats by Dr. Mercola

2010-10-22T11:12:00.004-05:00

You've no doubt noticed that for about the last 60 years the majority of health care officials and the media have been telling you saturated fats are bad for your health and lead to a host of negative consequences, like elevated cholesterol, obesity, heart disease and Alzheimer's disease.
Meanwhile during this same 60 years the American levels of heart disease, obesity, elevated serum cholesterol and Alzheimer's have skyrocketed compared to our ancestors, and even compared to modern-day primitive societies using saturated fat as a dietary staple.

Did you know that multiple studies on Pacific Island populations who get 30-60% of their total caloric intact from fully saturated coconut oil have all shown nearly non-existent rates of cardiovascular disease?[1]

Clearly, a lot of confusion and contradictory evidence exists on the subject of saturated fats, even among health care professionals.

But I'm going to tell you something that public health officials and the media aren't telling you.
The fact is, all saturated fats are not created equal.

The operative word here is "created", because some saturated fats occur naturally, while other fats are artificially manipulated into a saturated state through the man-made process called hydrogenation.

Hydrogenation manipulates vegetable and seed oils by adding hydrogen atoms while heating the oil, producing a rancid, thickened oil that really only benefits processed food shelf life and corporate profits.

The medical and scientific communities are now fairly united in the opinion that hydrogenated vegetable and seed oils should be avoided.

These manipulated saturated fats are also called trans fats, and no doubt you've heard about them lately. Some cities and states have now outlawed their use. There is no controversy anymore regarding the health dangers of these artificially saturated fats.

And guess what?
These are the same damaged trans fats that have been touted as "healthy" and "heart-friendly" for the last 60 years by the vegetable and seed oil interests!

But the truth finally came out. Trans fat was rebuked, debunked, and revealed as the true enemy to good health that it has always been, regardless of what the seed- and vegetable oil shills told the American public for the last half century.

Unfortunately, this rightful vilification of hydrogenated saturated fats has created a lot of confusion regarding naturally occurring saturated fats, including coconut oil.

If one form of saturated fat is bad for you, the argument goes, then all saturated fat must be bad.
Right? Nothing could be further from the truth!

The Truth about Coconut Oil
The truth about coconut oil is obvious to anyone who has studied the health of those who live in traditional tropical cultures, where coconut has been a nutritious diet staple for thousands of years.

Back in the 1930's, a dentist named Dr. Weston Price traveled throughout the South Pacific, examining traditional diets and their effect on dental and overall health. He found that those eating diets high in coconut products were healthy and trim, despite the high fat concentration in their diet, and that heart disease was virtually non-existent.

Similarly, in 1981, researchers studied populations of two Polynesian atolls. Coconut was the chief source of caloric energy in both groups. The results, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition,[2] demonstrated that both populations exhibited positive vascular health.
In fact, no evidence exists that the naturally occurring high saturated fat intake had any kind of harmful effect in these populations!

That's not what you expected, is it? Based on 60 years of negative public policy towards naturally occurring saturated fats, you would expect these cultures to be rife with clogged arteries, obesity and heart disease.

It may be surprising for you to realize that the naturally occurring saturated fat in coconut oil actually has some amazing health benefits, such as:
Promoting your heart health[3]
Promoting weight loss, when needed[4]
Supporting your immune system health[5]
Supporting a healthy metabolism[6]
Providing you with an immediate energy source[7]
Keeping your skin healthy and youthful looking
Supporting the proper functioning of your thyroid gland[8]

But how is this possible?
Does coconut oil have some secret ingredients not found in other saturated fats?
The answer is a resounding "yes".

Coconut Oil's Secret Ingredient
50 percent of the fat content in coconut oil is a fat rarely found in nature called lauric acid. If you're a frequent reader of my newsletter you already know that I consider lauric acid a "miracle" ingredient because of its unique health promoting properties.

Your body converts lauric acid into monolaurin, which has anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-protozoa properties.[9]

Monolaurin is a monoglyceride which can actually destroy lipid coated viruses such as:
HIV, herpes
Measles
Influenza virus
Various pathogenic bacteria
Protozoa such as giardia lamblia.

Lauric acid is a powerful virus and gram-negative bacteria destroyer, and coconut oil contains the most lauric acid of any substance on earth!

Capric acid, another coconut fatty acid present in smaller amounts, has also been added to the list of coconut's antimicrobial components.

This is one of the key reasons you should consider consuming coconut oil, because there aren't many sources of monolaurin in our diet. But the health benefits of coconut oil don't stop there.

The Benefits of Medium-Chain Fatty Acids
Coconut oil is about 2/3 medium-chain fatty acids (MCFAs), also called medium-chain triglycerides or MCTs. These types of fatty acids produce a whole host of health benefits.
Coconut oil is nature's richest source of these healthy MCFAs.

By contrast, most common vegetable or seed oils are comprised of long chain fatty acids (LCFAs), also known as long-chain triglycerides or LCTs.

Let me tell you why these long-chain fatty acids are not as healthy for you as the MCFAs found in coconut oil[10] :
LCFAs are difficult for your body to break down -- they require special enzymes for digestion.
LCFAs put more strain on your pancreas, liver and your entire digestive system.
LCFAs are predominantly stored in your body as fat.
LCFAs can be deposited within your arteries in lipid forms such as cholesterol.

In contrast to LFCAs, the MCFAs found in coconut oil have many health benefits, including the following beneficial qualities:
MCFAs are smaller. They permeate cell membranes easily, and do not require special enzymes to be utilized effectively by your body.
MCFAs are easily digested, thus putting less strain on your digestive system.
MCFAs are sent directly to your liver, where they are immediately converted into energy rather than being stored as fat.
MCFAs actually help stimulate your body's metabolism, leading to weight loss.
Coconut Oil Helps Fight Diabetes
Your body sends medium-chain fatty acids directly to your liver to use as energy. This makes coconut oil a powerful source of instant energy to your body, a function usually served in the diet by simple carbohydrates.

But although coconut oil and simple carbohydrates share the ability to deliver quick energy to your body, they differ in one crucial respect.

Coconut oil does not produce an insulin spike in your bloodstream. You read that correctly, Coconut oil acts on your body like a carbohydrate, without any of the debilitating insulin-related effects associated with long-term high carbohydrate consumption!

Diabetics and those with pre-diabetes conditions (an exploding health epidemic in America), should immediately realize the benefit of a fast acting energy source that doesn't produce an insulin spike in your body. In fact, coconut oil added to the diets of diabetics and pre-diabetics has actually been shown to help stabilize weight gain, which can dramatically decrease your likelihood of getting adult onset type-2 Diabetes.[11]

Cococut Oil, the Friend to Athletes and Dieters
If you live in the United States, you have an almost 70 percent chance of being overweight.
And, by now, I'm sure you're well aware that obesity affects your quality of life and is linked to many health concerns.

One of the best benefits of coconut oil lies in its ability to help stimulate your metabolism.
Back in the 1940s, farmers found out about this effect by accident when they tried using inexpensive coconut oil to fatten their livestock.

It didn't work!
Instead, coconut oil made the animals lean, active and hungry.
However, many animal and human research studies have demonstrated that replacing LCFAs with MCFAs results in both decreased body weight and reduced fat deposition.
In fact, the ability of MCFAs to be easily digested, to help stimulate the metabolism and be turned into energy has entered the sports arena. Several studies have now shown that MCFAs can enhance physical or athletic performance.[12]

Additionally, research has demonstrated that, due to its metabolic effect, coconut oil increases the activity of the thyroid. And you've probably heard that a sluggish thyroid is one reason why some people are unable to lose weight, no matter what they do.

Besides weight loss, there are other advantages to boosting your metabolic rate. Your healing process accelerates. Cell regeneration increases to replace old cells, and your immune system functions better overall.

Coconut Oil on Your Skin
Besides the mounting medical and scientific evidence that coconut oil has powerful positive health benefits when eaten, it has also been used for decades by professional massage therapists to knead away tight stressed muscles.

However, you don't have to be a professional massage therapist to gain the skin and tissue support benefits of coconut oil. Just use coconut oil as you would any lotion.
Coconut oil is actually ideal for skin care. It helps protect your skin from the aging effects of free radicals, and can help improve the appearance of skin with its anti-aging benefits.
In fact, physiologist and biochemist Ray Peat, Ph.D. considers coconut oil an antioxidant[13] , due to its stability and resistance to oxidation and free radical formation. Plus, he believes it reduces our need for the antioxidant protection of vitamin E.

Like Dr. Peat, many experts believe coconut oil may help restore more youthful-looking skin. When coconut oil is absorbed into your skin and connective tissues, it helps to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by helping to keep your connective tissues strong and supple, and aids in exfoliating the outer layer of dead skin cells, making your skin smoother.

Coconut Oil and Your Heart
Heart disease is the number one cause of death in the U.S. And heart disease is often a silent killer. The first sign of cardiovascular disease is commonly a heart attack, and sadly, over one third of heart attacks are fatal.

And despite the propaganda, the truth is this: it is UNSATURATED fats that are primarily involved in heart disease, not the naturally occurring saturated fats, as you have been led to believe.[14]

Plus, the polyunsaturated fats in vegetable and seed oils encourage the formation of blood clots by increasing platelet stickiness. Coconut oil helps to promote normal platelet function.

Coconut Oil in Your Kitchen
I only use two oils in my food preparation.
The first, extra-virgin olive oil, is a better monounsaturated fat that works great as a salad dressing.

However, it should not be used for cooking. Due to its chemical structure, heat makes it susceptible to oxidative damage.

And polyunsaturated fats, which include common vegetable oils such as corn, soy, safflower, sunflower and canola, are absolutely the worst oils to use in cooking. These omega-6 oils are highly susceptible to heat damage because of their double bonds.

I strongly urge you to throw out those omega-6 vegetable oils in your cabinets.

Why?
Reason # 1: Most people believe that frying creates trans-fat. That is not the major problem, in my opinion. Although some are created, they are relatively minor. There are FAR more toxic chemicals produced by frying omega-6 oils thantrans-fat.

Frying destroys the antioxidants in oil and as a result oxidizes the oil. This causes cross-linking, cyclization, double-bond shifts, fragmentation and polymerization of oils that cause far more damage than trans-fat.

Reason # 2: Most of the vegetable oils are GMO. This would include over 90 percent of the soy, corn and canola oils.

Reason # 3: Vegetable oils contribute to the overabundance of damaged omega-6 fats in your diet, which creates an imbalance in the ratio of omega-6 to omega-3. As you know from my extensive writing on this subject, I believe that excessive consumption of damaged omega-6 fats contributes to many health concerns.

They are all highly processed and consumed in amounts that are about 100 times more than our ancestors did a century ago. This causes them to distort the sensitive omega-6/omega-3 ratio which controls many delicate biochemical pathways which results in accelerating many chronic degenerative diseases.

There is only one oil that is stable enough to resist mild heat-induced damage, while it also helps you promote heart health and even supports weight loss and thyroid function -- coconut oil.
So, whenever you need an oil to cook with, use coconut oil instead of butter, olive oil, vegetable oil, margarine, or any other type of oil called for in recipes. Even though I don't fully recommend frying foods, if you must fry, by all means use coconut oil -- it's your smartest choice.

Coconut Oil Safety
The medium-chain fats in coconut oil are considered so nutritious that they are used in baby formulas, in hospitals to feed the critically ill, those on tube feeding, and those with digestive problems. Coconut oil has even been used successfully by doctors in treating aluminum poisoning.[15]

Coconut oil is exceptionally helpful for pregnant women, nursing moms, the elderly, those concerned about digestive health, athletes (even weekend warriors), and those of you who just want to enhance your overall health.

References:
[1] Kaunitz H, Dayrit CS. Coconut oil consumption and coronary heart disease. Philippine Journal of Internal Medicine, 1992;30:165-171.
Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561.
[2] Prior IA, Davidson F, Salmond CE, Czochanska Z. Cholesterol, coconuts, and diet on Polynesian atolls: a natural experiment: the Pukapuka and Tokelau Island studies, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 1981;34:1552-1561.
[3] Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century, part 2.
[4] Assunção ML, Ferreira HS, dos Santos AF, Cabral CR Jr, Florêncio TM. Effects of dietary coconut oil on the biochemical and anthropometric profiles of women presenting abdominal obesity, Lipids, 2009 Jul;44(7):593-601. Epub 2009 May 13.
[5] Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century.
[6] Baba, N 1982. Enhanced thermogenesis and diminished deposition of fat in response to overfeeding with diet containing medium-chain triglycerides, Am. J. Clin. Nutr., 35:379.
[7] Bruce Fife, ND. Coconut Oil and Medium-Chain Triglycerides.
[8] Raymond Peat Newsletter, Coconut Oil, reprinted at www.heall.com.

An Interview With Dr. Raymond Peat, A Renowned Nutritional Counselor Offers His Thoughts About Thyroid Disease,
[9] Isaacs CE, Litov RE, Marie P, Thormar H. Addition of lipases to infant formulas produces antiviral and antibacterial activity, Journal of Nutritional Biochemistry, 1992;3:304-308.
Isaacs CE, Schneidman K. Enveloped Viruses in Human and Bovine Milk are Inactivated by Added Fatty Acids(FAs) and Monoglycerides(MGs), FASEB Journal, 1991;5: Abstract 5325, p.A1288.
Mitsuto Matsumoto, Takeru Kobayashi, Akio Takenaka and Hisao Itabashi. Defaunation Effects of Medium Chain Fatty Acids and Their Derivatives on Goat Rumen Protozoa, The Journal of General Applied Microbiology, Vol. 37, No. 5 (1991) pp.439-445.
Dr. Mary G. Enig, Ph.D., F.A.C.N. Source: Coconut: In Support of Good Health in the 21st Century.
Hristov AN, Vander Pol M, Agle M, Zaman S, Schneider C, Ndegwa P, Vaddella VK, Johnson K, Shingfield KJ, Karnati SK. Effect of lauric acid and coconut oil on ruminal fermentation, digestion, ammonia losses from manure, and milk fatty acid composition in lactating cows, J Dairy Sci., 2009 Nov;92(11):5561-82.
[10] St-Onge MP, Jones PJ. Greater rise in fat oxidation with medium-chain triglyceride consumption relative to long-chain triglyceride is associated with lower initial body weight and greater loss of subcutaneous adipose tissue, International Journal of Obesity & Related Metabolic Disorders, 2003 Dec;27(12):1565-71.
[11] Geliebter, A 1980. Overfeeding with a diet of medium-chain triglycerides impedes accumulation of body fat, Clinical Nutrition, 28:595.
[12] Fushiki, T and Matsumoto, K Swimming endurance capacity of mice is increased by consumption of medium-chain triglycerides, Journal of Nutrition, 1995;125:531.
[13] Raymond Peat Newsletter - Unsaturated Vegetable Oils Toxic, 1996 edition, p.2-4. Daneil R. Doerge, Hebron C Chang "Inactivation of thyroid peroxidase by soy isoflavones in vitro and in vivo", Journal of Chromotography B, September 2002; 777(1,2);25:269-79. http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2005/01/26/coconut-oil-part-eight.aspx
Nevin KG, Rajamohan T. Effect of topical application of virgin coconut oil on skin components and antioxidant status during dermal wound healing in young rats, Skin Pharmacol Physiol, 2010;23(6):290-7. Epub 2010 Jun 3.
Marina AM, Man YB, Nazimah SA, Amin I. Antioxidant capacity and phenolic acids of virgin coconut oil, Int J Food Sci Nutr, 2009;60 Suppl 2:114-23. Epub 2008 Dec 27. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19115123
[14] Barry Groves, PhD. Second Opinions: Exposing Dietary Misinformation: The Cholesterol Myth, parts 1 and 2.

Robert H Knopp and Barbara M Retzlaff, Saturated fat prevents coronary artery disease? An American paradox, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 80, No. 5, 1102-1103, November 2004.
Mozaffarian D, Rimm EB, Herrington DM. Dietary fats, carbohydrate, and progression of coronary atherosclerosis in postmenopausal women, Am J Clin Nutr, 2004;80:1175-84.
[15] K. G. Nevin and T. Rajamohan, "Beneficial effects of virgin coconut oil on lipid parameters and in vitro LDL oxidation", Clinical Biochemistry, September 2004; 37(9): 830-835.

Fighting Heartburn and GERD Naturally – and Safely! :: Terry Talks Nutrition

2010-10-15T10:02:00.003-05:00

Almost everyone has experienced heartburn. Usually, the first thing a person does to stop the pain is reach for a couple of antacids. It’s almost a trained response; we’ve all seen the commercials on TV telling us why stomach acid is the culprit behind acid reflux, and the best thing to do is eliminate it as quickly as possible.

Actually, that’s about the worst thing you could do.

We need stomach acid. Without it, we risk broken bones, food poisoning, infections, and even pneumonia, in addition to not being able to digest food properly. But that doesn’t mean you have to suffer with the pain and worse, esophageal damage, of heartburn. There are extremely effective natural ingredients that can stop the burn and soothe the digestive system without interfering with stomach acid. In this week’s Terry Talks Nutrition, we’re going to talk about botanical solutions to the growing heartburn problem.

What causes the fire?

While it isn’t immediately life-threatening, the pain from heartburn can be so severe that sometimes people mistake it for a heart attack. The “burn” is caused by stomach acids overflowing from the stomach into the esophagus. This is usually because of a one-way valve called the lower esophageal sphincter (LES). This valve allows food to enter the stomach from the esophagus, but keeps the stomach contents from coming back up into the esophagus. When the LES opens at the wrong time, or doesn’t close properly, the acidic digestive juices in the stomach splash onto the unprotected lining of the esophagus, causing the characteristic “burn” of heartburn.

Of course, heartburn is one thing, but gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) is another, more serious condition. When stomach acid repeatedly washes up into the delicate structures of the esophagus it causes real damage over time, destroying the mucosal lining – possibly leading to ulcers. Even worse, chronic irritation of the lower end of the esophagus may lead to a pre-cancerous condition called Barrett’s esophagus, which in turn can lead to cancer. In fact, it has been estimated that people with Barrett’s esophagus have 40 times the risk of esophageal cancer as those without this problem. Therefore, it is important to eliminate chronic heartburn for more reasons than merely reducing occasional discomfort.

People with GERD may have other symptoms as well, including chronic coughing, wheezing and regurgitation of food. And unfortunately, the billion dollars a year that Americans spend for antacid products to treat their heartburn and GERD not only won’t help – they are making the problem worse!

Stomach acid is not the enemy.

While many manufacturers promote and sell products that reduce stomach acid as a way to treat heartburn, these products are not the solution. Although they may – temporarily – stop the pain of heartburn, interfering with the body’s production of stomach acid does not help the underlying processes that lead to heartburn in the first place. And reducing stomach acid causes a whole new set of problems instead.

Normally, when the contents of the stomach are properly acidified, the pyloric valve at the lower end of the stomach opens, allowing stomach contents to move into the duodenum, the first section of the intestines, where digestion continues and absorption of nutrients begins.

However, if stomach acid levels are low, it takes a lot longer for the stomach’s contents to ferment, and that causes gas that presses against the esophageal valve. Over time, the valve weakens and the acidified contents of the stomach spill back into the esophagus, causing the pain of heartburn, and over time, the potential complications of GERD.

Reducing stomach acid is not the answer.

The reason why antacids and drugs that reduce acid production appear to work is because, as they neutralize stomach acids, the pyloric valve opens too quickly and allows the not fully-processed stomach contents into the duodenum. Because the stomach empties faster, there is less chance of the contents escaping back up into the esophagus. Plus, anything that does back up is less acidic, and less irritating to the esophagus.

So why is this bad? There are some important reasons:
Proteins that were supposed to be broken down in the stomach are now in the intestines, and could actually act as an allergen. This may contribute greatly to leaky gut syndrome and irritable bowel.

Protein not being broken down properly means that calcium and iron aren’t being absorbed properly either. In fact, use of acid inhibiting drugs has been associated with a 25% increased risk of bone fracture.

Harmful bacteria that could have been destroyed by stomach acids now have a “free pass” into the intestines, where they could do much more harm. Particularly dangerous bacteria called Clostridium difficile have been found to cause infections much more often in people who use acid blocking drugs.

Neutralizing stomach acids with antacids (Rolaids, Tums, Maalox, Mylanta, etc) causes a rebound effect in which the body in turn OVER produces acid to compensate for the lack of acid in the stomach where it is needed.

A new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) shows that if you go into a hospital and are prescribed Prilosec (omeprazole), Nexium (esomeprazole) or Prevacid (lansoprazole)—all drugs that greatly reduce acid production--you have a 30% increased risk for contracting pneumonia during your stay. [Shoshana J. Herzig, Michael D. Howell, Long H. Ngo, Edward R.

Marcantonio. Acid-Suppressive Medication Use and the Risk for Hospital-Acquired Pneumonia. JAMA. 2009 May. 301(20):2120-2128.]

Fortunately, there are ingredients that help relieve and prevent heartburn naturally, without interfering with normal, healthy stomach acidity!

Natural ingredients work with your body—not against it!

Additional things to remember about heartburn and GERD

Of course, if you have problems with recurring heartburn or suspect that you have GERD, there are other lifestyle choices you must consider. If you smoke, stop. The benefits will far exceed stopping your heartburn, and you’ll be healthier and feel better overall. Avoid those deep-fried foods that can upset the stomach and cause inflammation throughout the body. And, consider eating smaller, more frequent whole food meals to avoid filling up all at once.

Pregnant women often complain of heartburn as the increasing size of the baby places unusual pressure on the stomach and its contents. After the child is born, this issue usually completely resolves. Pregnant women may not need any further intervention for their heartburn than eating smaller meals and elevating the head of the bed with some wood blocks to help prevent reflux. If heartburn persists, please check with your health care practitioner to decide if using this natural intervention is right for you.

Obesity, especially apple-shaped patterns of obesity, contributes greatly to heartburn and GERD, as the additional fat places undue pressure on the stomach. Losing even 5 or 10 pounds can improve heartburn and GERD risk.

You don’t have to suffer

Heartburn and GERD are not only painful; they can be dangerous as the esophagus becomes damaged by excessive acid exposure. However, turning off the acid can do more harm than good. By avoiding acid-stopping OTC and prescription drugs, being smart about your diet and habits, and using high-quality natural ingredients, you’ll give your body a chance to heal itself naturally. It’s a solution that simply makes good sense—for the long run.

For more information on how to cope with acid naturally call our office!

Homocysteine and Cardiovascular Health

2010-09-28T13:53:00.002-05:00

Homocysteine (homo-sis-teen) is a combination of two amino acids, methonine and cysteine and at increased levels joins other well established factors, including elevated cholesterol, cigarette smoke and obesity for causing poor circulation, heart attack and stroke. In addition to atherosclerosis, hyperhomocysteinemia also has been found to be a procoagulant and thrombogenic agent (a major cause of heart attacks and strokes). However, it has taken more than 3 decades after its initial discovery to gain its current morbidity and mortality notoriety.

More than 30 years ago, Dr. McCully determined that an infant had died due to a genetic defect that did not allow it to utilize vitamin B12. Among other essential functions, such as nerve integrity and bone marrow support, ineffective use of B12 was found to cause a rapidly increasing level of homocysteine in the blood. It was determined that excessive levels of homocysteine due to a genetic disorder caused hardening of the arteries and premature deaths in infants. Dr. McCully then hypothesized that increased levels of homocysteine could cause the same hardening of the arteries that is normally expected only in the unhealthy elderly.

Even though in many cardiovascular disorders the cholesterol level is normal Dr. McCully’s suggestion that excess homocysteine from vitamin B12 deficiency could possibly be the cause of plaque build up in arteries in those with normal cholesterol fell on deaf ears. Unfortunately, during that time, traditional medicine was so hung up on cholesterol as the only culprit in cardiovascular disease Dr. McCully’s suggestion was completely ignored.

Recently, however, all that has changed. During the 1900’s there have been numerous studies reported in all leading medical journals positively linking elevated levels of homocysteine with “hardening” of the arteries. It is now well accepted that elevated levels of homocysteine brings about the same kind of plaque build up in blood vessels that can be expected from high levels of cholesterol. In addition to hardening of the arteries, elevated homocysteine levels have also been found to increase the risk of blood clots, a major cause of strokes and heart attacks.

We now know there are four basic nutritional deficiencies that can cause elevated homocysteine levels, B6, B12, folic acid, and riboflavin. As are most vitamins, these nutrients are very fragile and easily destroyed by heat, light, preservative, and many chemicals. Vitamin deficiencies are commonly caused by food processing and poor selection of food in our diets.

There is good news!! There is a simple and reasonably priced blood test for homocysteine that any standard laboratory can perform. Also, dietary modifications and supplementation with vitamins B6, B12, riboflavin and folic acid will bring homocysteine levels into a normal range every time.

Cardiovascular disease can be prevented or reversed by taking a few simple steps. If overweight, losing weight with a lifestyle modification program consisting of plenty of vegetables and fruits is essential. Avoiding greasy and fried foods, dairy products, refined sugar and flour, chips, crackers and luncheon meats are important for overall well being as well as for cardiovascular health. Eight of every ten bites of food should be from vegetables or fruits (fruits cannot be canned). In addition to the above listed nutrients, the antioxidant vitamins, A, C, E, alpha lipoic acid and Co-enzyme Q-10 are also mandatory for a healthy heart. The Journal of the American Medical Association (AMA) reports that we cannot get enough vitamin E from our diets and must take it as a supplement for good heart health.

It has been reported that most cardiologists take nutritional supplements themselves yet very few recommend them to their patients.

Drugs for Osteoporosis Cause Bone Breaks and Other Health Problems

2010-09-24T08:12:00.004-05:00

Oral bisphosphonate osteoporosis drugs, which include such Actonel, Boniva, and Fosamax, could be associated with an approximately twofold increased risk of esophageal cancer.

A new study showed that long-term users of the drugs had nearly double the risk for the rare but deadly cancer.

Concerns about a link between bisphosphonates and esophageal cancer first reached the public a year and a half ago, when an FDA report cited 23 cases of the cancer in Fosamax users in the U.S., and another 31 cases in Europe and Japan.

WebMD reports:
"The ... analysis included close to 3,000 patients with cancer of the esophagus, 2,000 patients with stomach cancer, and 10,600 patients with colorectal cancer diagnosed between 1995 and 2005. Each cancer case was compared with five people without cancer matched for age and sex."
Sources:
WebMD September 2, 2010
BMJ September 1, 2010; 341:c4444.

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

Osteoporosis is a very common problem, affecting one in three women and one in five men over the age of 50.

It’s characterized by porous and fragile bones, increasing your risk of fractures, most often your hips, spine and wrists. Interestingly, nearly 75 percent of all hip fractures occur in women, and hip fractures, worldwide, rose 25 percent in just ten years, between 1990 and 2000.

All in all, osteoporosis is a major health risk for nearly 30 million Americans, in large part because many are clueless about how to prevent it.

As a result, osteoporosis has become yet another boon for the pharmaceutical industry. According to a 2010-2025 Osteoporosis World Market Report, the condition generated pharmaceutical revenues of over $12 billion worldwide in 2009.

Unfortunately, osteoporosis drugs are now also increasingly prescribed to women with osteopenia, a natural thinning of the bones as you get older, even though no conclusive benefit has been found for this condition.

The Conventional Approach – A Dangerous First Line Defense
There are a variety of drugs on the market to combat bone loss, but the first line of therapy typically includes oral bisphosphonate drugs, such as:
Fosamax
Didronel
Boniva
Actonel
Reclast

In June of this year the US FDA also approved a new type of injectable medication for the treatment of postmenopausal osteoporosis, as reported by CNN.

The drug, called Prolia, is a “biologic” medication, meaning it contains genetically engineered human proteins instead of synthetic chemicals.

The Los Angeles Times did a write-up on the drug, stating that:
“Prolia is a little bit different from the other osteoporosis drugs in that it's a complicated biological molecule — an antibody — that was specifically designed to bind to, and inactivate, a protein in the body involved in bone metabolism. That protein, RANKL, stimulates the breakdown of bone tissue during normal bone turnover. By inhibiting RANKL, Prolia suppresses bone breakdown and prevents bone loss.”

However, despite being entirely different from bisphosponates, some of the identical health problems have already surfaced with Prolia, such as jaw osteonecrosis (which I’ll discuss in a moment).

This is no surprise as it essentially works the same way as the bisphosphonates, as it prevents the normal dynamic building and breakdown of bone. It slows down the normal resorption so the bone becomes denser but not any stronger.

Other side effects of Prolia include “skin infections, some serious enough to require hospitalization, and other infections, such as in the ears, urinary tract and the heart. Back pain and pain in the muscles and bones have been reported, as have elevated cholesterol levels,” the LA Times reports.

Time will tell just how poor a choice this drug really is, but I can virtually guarantee you that, just like the bisphosphonates, it will not serve your long-term best interest.

Increased Cancer Risk Confirmed Among Bisphosphonates Users
According to this latest study published in the journal BMJ, long-term use of oral bisphosphonate drugs may double your risk of esophageal cancer – a rare but deadly cancer.
The authors concluded that:
“The risk of esophageal cancer increased with 10 or more prescriptions for oral bisphosphonates and with prescriptions over about a five year period.

In Europe and North America, the incidence of esophageal cancer at age 60-79 is typically 1 per 1000 population over five years, and this is estimated to increase to about 2 per 1000 with five years' use of oral bisphosphonates.”

This link came to light early last year, when a brief report in the New England Journal of Medicine revealed that the FDA had received 23 reports of esophageal cancer possibly linked to the drug.

The risk of contracting esophageal cancer from these drugs may still be low enough for many people to take the risk, but there are other, far more common side effects that can be just as devastating.

Side Effects of Osteoporosis Drugs can Be Far Worse than Brittle Bones…
Osteoporosis drugs have become increasingly well-known for their dangerous side effects, many of which could easily be worse than your original concern.

Acid reflux and related esophageal inflammation were a couple of the side effects that quickly became apparent when these drugs hit the market. This is why you’re instructed to take them with food and avoid lying down shortly after taking them.

But as I predicted over a decade ago, that’s just the beginning of the health nightmare these drugs can bring about.

Since their release, bisphosphonate drugs have also become associated with:

Hypocalcemia (blood calcium levels are too low)

Serious eye inflammation and possible blindness

Severe musculoskeletal pain

Stomach ulcers – particularly when taken together with anti-inflammatory drugs.
In one study, 8 percent of participants taking Fosamax and 12 percent of those receiving the anti-inflammatory Naprosyn developed stomach ulcers. But when the two drugs were taken in combination, the rate of stomach ulcers rose to a whopping 38 percent.
This is important, as many elderly, particularly women, are likely to suffer from both arthritis and osteoporosis, increasing the likelihood of bisphosphonates and anti-inflammatory drugs being taken at the same time.

Liver damage –Although the mechanism is still unknown, researchers believe drugs like Fosamax may inhibit the synthesis of cholesterol in your liver, which may alter liver function.
Regardless of the mechanism, if you’re taking Fosamax or related bisphosphonate drugs you need to beware of the possibility of liver dysfunction, and your doctor should monitor you properly for it.

Kidney failure (renal failure)

Atrial fibrillation -- Women who have used Fosamax are nearly twice as likely to develop atrial fibrillation (quivering of your heart’s upper chambers), which is the most common kind of chronically irregular heartbeat
One study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine found that Fosamax was associated with an 86 percent higher risk of atrial fibrillation compared to those who had never used the drug.
Atrial fibrillation can cause palpitations, fainting, fatigue, or congestive heart failure. It can also lead to embolic strokes.

high bone (femur) fractures – Although you’ve only started hearing about this recently, the FDA asked Merck (the maker of Fosamax) to “add information about the report of femur fractures” to the medication’s package insert back in 2008, according to an ABC News report.
Sixteen months later they finally added it to the list of fine print side effects, but neither Merck nor the FDA properly informed doctors and patients of this newfound risk.
According to a recent report by a US panel of experts reviewing the evidence of increased risk of unusual femur fractures, 94 percent of patients who had experienced a femur break had been on bisphosphonate drugs. Most of them had taken the drugs longer than five years.
More than half of those who broke their thigh bones had reported groin or thigh pain for a period of weeks or months before fractures occurred.
In addition, “more than a quarter of patients who experienced atypical femur fractures in one leg experienced a fracture in the other leg as well,” Canadian CTV reports.

Osteonecrosis of your jaw bone (jaw bone death) -- This is a serious condition that can also cause disfiguration as the bone in your jaw dies and begins to decay. Symptoms include jaw pain, infection, and loosening of your teeth. However, some people experience no symptoms until they suddenly notice exposed bone. If you’ve had teeth extracted, or wear full dentures, you may also be at greater risk.Interestingly, an animal study published in the June issue of Journal of Bone and Mineral Research concluded that osteonecrosis of the jaw may involve the interaction between bisphosphonate drugs and vitamin D deficiency! As you will see below, optimizing your vitamin D levels is imperative for healthy bones, and this finding further strengthens that recommendation.

How Osteoporosis Drugs WEAKEN Rather than Strengthen Your Bones Over Time
It’s important to realize that, over time, these drugs will only worsen, not improve, your condition, because all you’re doing is fooling your body to produce a denser bone that is actually weaker – as evidenced by increasing rates of thigh bone fractures.

It’s ironic, to say the least, that these drugs, prescribed to treat brittle bones and prevent fractures, actually produce weaker bones and cause more unusual fractures that are exceedingly difficult to recuperate from.

Healthy bones maintain their strength from a continual process of bone breakdown and bone rebuilding. Osteoclasts are cells that break down bone, and osteoblasts are the cells that rebuild it.

Healthy bone undergoes a dynamic process of cyclical removal of unhealthy bone and replacement with new bone. This is how they remain strong.

In osteoporosis, the net rate of bone resorption (breakdown) exceeds the rate of bone formation, which results in a decrease in bone mass.

But it’s important to realize that Fosamax and similar drugs do NOT build any new bone. Rather they are metabolic poisons that kill off your osteoclasts, which halts the normal bone repair process since you now lack the cells that break bone down.

Your bones will indeed get denser. However, denser bones are NOT stronger, which is the part they don’t tell you. Eventually your bones become weaker and more prone to fracture.
In women who have been taking a bisphosphonate-type drug for five or more years, their bones have literally lost the ability to regenerate and this is why many may be faced with more brittle bones and fractures.

12 Steps to Optimal Bone Health
It’s tragic that drugs like Fosamax continue to be touted as the answer to osteoporosis, because nothing could be further from the truth.

These simple guidelines can help you maintain, or increase, your bone strength safely and naturally, without the use of drugs that might cause you even further harm:
Eat a healthful diet based on your body's unique nutritional type.

Eating high quality, organic, biodynamic, locally-grown food will naturally increase your bone density and decrease your risk of developing osteoporosis. If you find it difficult to eat the recommended amount of vegetables you need daily, you can try vegetable juicing.

One food in particular that is worth mentioning are onions, which are high in gamma-glutamyl peptides that have been shown to increase bone density.

Also remember that you need high quality protein like organic free-range eggs and grass-fed meats, because amino acids are part of your bone matrix. If you don’t consume enough of specific amino acids your body can’t form strong, dense bones.

Avoid processed foods. If you eat a diet full of processed foods, it will produce biochemical and metabolic conditions in your body that will decrease your bone density, so avoiding processed foods is a first step in the right direction.

Consume a healthy balance between omega-6 and omega-3 fats. Most everyone needs to take a high quality, animal-based omega 3 fat. I recommend krill oil, as I believe it’s a superior source of omega 3’s. You’ll also want to reduce or eliminate the amount of processed vegetable oils you consume, such as corn, canola, safflower, and soy oil.

Avoid gluten, a grain protein that has been shown to decrease bone density. Gluten is found in wheat, barley, rye, oats and spelt.

Avoid soda and sugar, particularly fructose, which increase bone damage by depleting your bones of calcium.

Optimize your vitamin D levels, ideally through proper amounts of sun exposure. Vitamin D builds your bone density by helping your body absorb calcium.

Supplement with vitamin K2 if you are not getting enough from food alone. Fermented foods, such as natto, typically have the highest concentration of vitamin K found in the human diet and can provide several milligrams of vitamin K2 on a daily basis.

Vitamin K2 serves as the biological "glue" that helps plug the calcium into your bone matrix and is crucial for preventing osteoporosis. I recommend taking about 150 mcg per day.

Make sure your diet includes sufficient amounts of magnesium, manganese, zinc, silicon and boron, or take them as supplements. The best form of calcium is to consume raw dairy regularly. Additionally, cheese is a good source of vitamin K2.

Replace your calcium supplements with natural salts -- Dr. Robert Thompson M.D. wrote an entire book, The Calcium Lie, addressing this important issue. One of the tenets of his book is that bone is composed of at least a dozen minerals, and if you focus exclusively on calcium supplementation you are likely going to worsen your bone density, and will actually increase your risk of osteoporosis!

Dr. Thompson believes that the overconsumption of calcium in the goal of preventing osteoporosis creates other mineral deficiencies and imbalances that will also increase your risk of heart disease, kidney stones, gallstones, osteoarthritis, hypothyroidism, obesity and type 2 diabetes.

He believes almost everyone needs trace minerals, not just calcium, because you simply cannot get all the nutrients you need through food grown in mineral depleted soils. Dr. Thompson believes unprocessed natural salts, such as Himalayan salt, are one of the best sources of these ionic trace minerals.

Avoid steroids, especially if you have asthma or any other autoimmune disease, as they increase your risk for osteoporosis. Steroids are known to destroy bone density by impairing the cells that build bone (osteoblasts).

Exercise. Studies show that exercise is just as important to your bone health as eating a calcium-rich diet. Strength-building exercises like weight training are especially helpful here.

Consider natural progesterone, which can increase your bone strength and density by serving as a growth promoter for the osteoblasts (the cells that build bone).

I will be going into far more detail in the future, but the sex hormones ideally should be applied as a trans mucosal cream, applied in the vaginal labia area or rectum. They should not be applied on your skin and clearly should not be swallowed, so this would also eliminate sublingual drops as it is nearly impossible to avoid swallowing some of the drops.

Of course, it would be wise to have the other basics in place such as adequate amounts of calcium, zinc, magnesium, vitamin D and copper, in addition to exercise and avoidance of foods that will damage your bone, such as fructose and gluten.

It’s important to realize, however, that only natural progesterone will do here. The synthetic version, Provera, will not provide this bone-building benefit. For more on progesterone, please review Complications Regarding Progesterone Cream.

FLU Formula Available Soon!!! Call now to reserve yours!

2010-09-20T15:08:00.006-05:00

FINALLY... a homeopathic answer to the Flu Vaccine, and it's only $20.

No more needles in the arm!!! Kessinger Health and Wellness Diagnostic Centre is proud to announce that we have a homeopathic option for those who prefer to dodge the needle. This product is made in limited quantities, and will only be available while we have them in stock. We expect our shipment to arrive in the next week or so, and they are going fast.

We are only able to get our hands on a small quantity of this years Flu Formula 2010-2011, so if you prefer to use a homeopathic to increase your chances of avoiding the flu call us now to reserve yours. The number to our office is 573-341-8292.

What is a homeopathic?
Homeopathic remedies are created based on the idea that “Like treats Like.” For hundreds of years, people have been treated using this philosophy. Homeopathic physicians learned that if you find a substance that causes a specific symptom in an individual, when you reduce it down to minute particles in water, it can cure those symptoms. The final result of this dilution leaves only a “pattern” of the original substance, but because the body knows how to react to the substance, it also recognizes the pattern of it. This works very well in instances where the substance itself causes side effects, because the homeopathic version will not cause side effects.

We have seen amazing results with our patients and friends who have used the homeopathic version of the HCG diet, and are happy to be able to offer a homeopathic option to help our community combat this years flu season.

Flu Formula 2010-2011 is made from the most current flu vaccine available using this homeopathic method. With adults, the dosage is done as drops which are placed under the tongue (just like our homeopathic HCG drops), and used once a day for 4 weeks. Then there is a booster dose three weeks later. For children, the drops are absorbed through the skin.

These drops are only available for a limited time, and when they're gone that's it! Call us now to reserve your bottle of Flu Formula 2010-2011 and be ready this season!

Swine Flu Vaccine May Cause Narcolepsy

2010-09-10T08:53:00.006-05:00

The Swedish Medical Products Agency has received reports from health care professionals regarding narcolepsy as suspected adverse drug reaction following Pandemrix flu vaccination.

The reports concern teenaged children who developed narcolepsy symptoms one to two months after vaccination against the H1N1 pandemic. Finland is also looking into the possible link following an increase in the sleeping disorder among children this spring.

According to The Local:
“In the European Union, around 30 million people were vaccinated using Pandemrix. Sweden bought 18 million doses, which was enough to provide two injections for each person in its 9.3 million population.”

The Pandemrix package insert shows that “somnolence”, although not narcolepsy per se, is a known potential side effect of the drug.

Finland's National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) has also issued an order to stop the use of Pandemrix swine flu vaccine due the probable link to narcolepsy in children. The agency received six reports of children who developed chronic sleep disorders after they received the vaccine in January 2010, Seer Press News reports.

Six cases of narcolepsy with cataplexy – a rare disorder characterized by chronic sleepiness, together with a loss of muscle tone – have been detected in France in persons vaccinated against influenza A/H1N1.

As you may recall, Australia also banned the swine flu vaccine for children under the age of 5, back in April, 2010, due to excessively high rates of febrile convulsions.
Sources:
The Local August 19, 2010
Seer Press News August 26, 2010
WAToday.com.au April 23, 2010
birdflu666/wordpress.com August 29, 2010
The Epoch Times August 28, 2010

Dr. Mercola's Comments:

As you know, health authorities across the world fiercely maintain that flu vaccines are safe, regardless of what’s happening in the real world.

Time and again, serious side effects from vaccines are overlooked and swept under the rug as being “coincidental.”

Which begs the question, just how many coincidences does it take before a pattern emerges?
It’s all very convenient to ascribe all vaccine reactions to sheer chance…

Meanwhile, you know as well as I do that if a supplement were suddenly to be linked to, say, seizures or something as odd as narcolepsy, it would be banished from the market in short order – to protect your health, you see.

But when it comes to vaccines, they insist that the only way to protect your health, and that of your family, is to get a flu shot each and every season, from the age of 6 months until you die, and those who are harmed by this policy are simply viewed as being acceptable “collateral damage” or too defective to benefit from the prescribed health regimen, and their health problems would have occurred with or without the vaccine anyway.

This kind of flawed logic has been allowed to run amok for far too long.

Would You Want Your Child to Sleep Their Life Away?
Which would you rather risk experience: a week in bed, drinking hot soup, or a lifetime falling asleep at the most inopportune times; in class, during dinner, at work, in your car…

Narcolepsy, a mysterious, incurable neurological condition that causes you to suddenly fall into a deep sleep, is not something you hear about very often.

Yet Sweden and Finland recently sounded the alarm because young patients suddenly developed this abnormal sleeping disorder after being vaccinated with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine.

France, Germany and Norway have also started counting cases, and the EU has launched an investigation.

In Sweden, the Medical Products Agency (Läkemedelsverket) began their inquiry on August 18th. The vaccine in question is Pandemrix – GlaxoSmithKline’s vaccine against H1N1 influenza -- which has been used since September 2009 in Sweden and other European countries.

As of August 28, Sweden had 12 confirmed cases of narcolepsy which have been linked to the Pandemrix vaccine, the Epoch Times reports.

At least six of these cases involve children aged 12 to 16. Their symptoms developed within 4 to 8 weeks of being vaccinated with Pandemrix.

Finland has suspended the use of Pandemrix, the Seer Press reported on August 26, as Finnish children also began being diagnosed with narcolepsy at an unusual rate.

According to the Epoch Times:
“Six cases of narcolepsy is consistent with annual averages, reports THL [The Finnish National Institute for Health], but all of these patients were affected after being vaccinated, and there are nine additional cases that have not yet been confirmed."

Finland is expected to have preliminary results from their investigation by the end of this year.
Six cases of narcolepsy with cataplexy (a loss of muscle tone) have also been reported in France, as of August 29.

The French magazine Le Figaro states that three children and three adults have developed the sleeping disorder after being vaccinated with two different swine flu vaccines. The cases were all identified since August 23.

Five cases developed post vaccination with Pandemrix, and one case after vaccination with Panenza, manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur.

So far, a total of 27 cases of narcolepsy that occurred within weeks of being vaccinated with an A/H1N1 vaccine have been identified across Europe, according to Euorclinix.net.

As to why or how the vaccine may be causing narcolepsy has yet to be determined. But the Pandemrix package insert states that “somnolence”, although not narcolepsy per se, is a known potential side effect of the drug.

What is Narcolepsy, and What are the Known Causes?
Narcolepsy is a chronic neurological disorder that causes you to suddenly fall into a deep sleep. For unknown reasons, your brain becomes unable to regulate sleep-wake cycles normally, so at any point during the day you will simply fall asleep. Bouts can last from just a few seconds to several minutes. In rare cases, you may remain asleep for an hour or longer.

Needless to say, this is a very disabling disorder that can have a significantly detrimental impact on your quality of life, not to mention it can be dangerous, depending on where you suddenly fall asleep.

It can also be a terrifying disorder, because in addition to falling asleep, the majority (70 percent) of narcolepsy cases also involve cataplexy -- the sudden loss of voluntary muscle control – along with vivid hallucinations and total paralysis at the beginning or end of your narcoleptic attack.

The paralysis and hallucinations are both “intrusions” of REM sleep elements into your wakeful state. The hallucination is your brain dreaming, even though you’re conscious. The feeling of paralysis is actually normal “sleep paralysis”, which under normal circumstances occur while you are in deep sleep, so you never notice it.

For obvious reasons these symptoms can be quite terrifying when they first appear.
According to the US National Institutes of Health (NIH):
“Researchers have discovered abnormalities in various parts of the brain involved in regulating REM sleep that appear to contribute to symptom development. Experts now believe it is likely that -- similar to many other complex, chronic neurological diseases -- narcolepsy involves multiple factors interacting to cause neurological dysfunction and REM sleep disturbances.

A number of variant forms (alleles) of genes located in a region of chromosome 6 known as the HLA complex have proved to be strongly, although not invariably, associated with narcolepsy. The HLA complex comprises a large number of interrelated genes that regulate key aspects of immune-system function.

… Groups of neurons in several parts of the brainstem and the central brain, including the thalamus and hypothalamus, interact to control sleep.

… Genetic factors alone are not sufficient to cause narcolepsy. Other factors-such as infection, immune-system dysfunction, trauma, hormonal changes, stress may also be present before the disease develops.”

Unfortunately for the children afflicted with this incurable disorder, the symptoms tend to WORSEN over the two to three DECADES after the symptoms first appear. It is generally agreed that the earlier symptoms appear, the worse off you are. After the age of 60, symptoms typically lessen.

Australia Temporarily Banned Swine Flu Vaccine Due to Febrile Seizures
Back in April, Australia suspended its seasonal flu program for children under the age of five, after detecting an abnormal number of side effects within 12 hours of vaccination, compared to previous years. Side effects included high fevers and seizures. A one-year-old child also went into a coma after receiving the flu vaccine.

However, the Australian Department of Health resumed seasonal flu vaccinations for young children on July 30th, stating that:
“Continued close monitoring of side effects with this year's seasonal flu vaccine in children under five years of age has shown that the higher than usual occurrence of fever and febrile convulsions appears to be confined to the vaccine Fluvax, manufactured by CSL, so parents can now seek advice from their doctor to use other brands on the market if they want their young children vaccinated.”

The Chief Medical Officer of the Australian Department of Health also said:
“In my last report to parents and the medical profession on June 1 this year, I highlighted that Fluvax appeared to be the main concern but that, because of limited use, there was insufficient evidence about the extent of fever and febrile convulsions associated with the other vaccines on the market.

I therefore continued to recommend the suspension of use of all seasonal flu vaccinations for healthy children under 5 years of age… Since that announcement, continued investigations in Australia and overseas indicate that there does not appear to be the higher than normal incidence of febrile convulsions in children under five with the other seasonal flu vaccines Influvac and Vaxigrip.”

As you can see, there are a number of flu vaccines on the market. Some are specifically for A/H1N1, while others are a combination of H1N1 along with the seasonal flu strains.So far, significantly increased hazards have been associated with Pandemrix (GSK), and possibly Panenza (Sanofi Pasteur) in Europe, and Fluvax (CSL) in Australia.

Yet, all others are still claimed to be “safe.”
I would not bet my health on it!

So what does all this mean for Americans, for whom the flu season is drawing near?

This Season’s Flu Plan for the U.S.
The news for this year is that the flu vaccine you'll get this fall will be a combination vaccine that contains both the regular flu- and the swine flu vaccines – you will not be given the choice to take them individually, as was done last year.

The US Food and Drug Administration(FDA) lists a total of six monovalent and five trivalent flu vaccines approved for the 2010 season in the US, as well as one intranasal flu vaccine.
According to Barbara Loe Fisher this year’s seasonal flu shot will contain three type A or type B viruses, one of which will be H1N1.

As you may recall, in February of 2009 the CDC announced that every single American from the age of 6 months through the year of death should get an annual flu shot -- whether we're healthy or we're sick.

But despite the news coming in from around the world about harmful side effects from the A/H1N1 vaccines used, the US has yet to address any of these concerns as it pertains to the upcoming flu season.

Children are not the only group that seem to react more violently to the trivalent vaccine that contains the H1N1 component.

According to Barbara Loe Fisher of the NVIC, a special government committee has been created to investigate last year's H1N1 monovalent vaccine for signs that it may be associated with a higher rate of certain kinds of reactions. What the committee found out provisionally is that there were three signs of trouble with the H1N1 swine flu vaccine used last year.

In a recent NVIC video update, Fisher explained:
"One was Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS), which we know has been associated with influenza vaccine since 1976 when the first swine flu vaccine was used. There is [also] a sign of a blood disorder called thrombocytopenia. Thrombocytopenia is when your blood cannot produce enough platelets. It's an autoimmune type reaction.

The other is Bell's palsy. That's a facial paralysis. It's a neuroimmune reaction.
The government is saying they don't know if these are true signals or not, but there were some red flags that were raised."

In light of the recent developments in Europe and Scandinavia, the US is now moving into the 2010-2011 flu season with a vaccine that may be very reactive.

"I am concerned," Fisher says, "We have over 300 million people [in the US] which… are supposed to get this influenza vaccine. And we have a very aggressive push by the media and others who are following the lead of the government, so we could have a bad situation."

Asia Gets in on the Action
Late last month the Korea Herald also reported that nearly 2,600 side effects had been reported to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in association with the swine flu vaccine.

There, side effects included fevers, headaches and allergic responses, and 10 deaths.
Rep. Shim Jae-cheol of the ruling Grand National Party is quoted as saying:
“There is a possibility of the flu shots causing side effects in some individuals. Rather than pushing to consume the vaccines in stock, the government needs to be more cautious in giving the flu shots.”

Prevent the Flu Without Risking Your Health in the Process
I truly worry about the callous attitude that is so willing to throw our health to the wind and ignore any evidence that conflicts with the pro-vaccine agenda. Any time you’re dealing with the health of millions, the precautionary principle really should apply.

The signs that this year’s flu vaccine may be far more harmful than previous years’ are already there!
I urge you to take your time and really make an informed decision before you rush to get this year’s flu shot…
Fortunately, along with the bad news about flu vaccines we’ve also seen an upsurge in studies on vitamin D, strengthening the evidence that it is a potent preventive measure against colds and influenza.

For example, if you're pregnant or planning to become pregnant, you'll be pleased to know that an article published May 1 in the American Academy of Pediatrics News recommends pregnant women take 4,000 IUs of vitamin D daily to fight infection and disease, to maintain good health, and to deliver healthier, stronger babies.

But even this seemingly large amount may be seriously inadequate in many women. Some may need more than 10,000 units per day and the only way to know for sure is to have your vitamin D level tested.

Then, take a look at this Japanese study from last year, which showed that a group of children taking Vitamin D3 was 58 percent less likely to catch influenza A. That's a higher effectiveness than any flu vaccine can claim, and doesn't come with a barrage of potentially devastating side effects!

Since we already know that most children and teenagers are Vitamin D-deficient, I urge you to get your children's vitamin D levels tested, and if found deficient, follow my recommendations for optimizing their levels. Do this, and they'll be far less likely to catch any cold or flu this year.
For more information, I highly recommend you watch my one-hour free vitamin D lecture along with my video on vitamin D's role in flu prevention.

Dr. Mercola is the founder of the world’s most visited natural health web site, Mercola.com. You can learn the hazardous side effects of OTC Remedies by getting a FREE copy of his latest special report The Dangers of Over the Counter Remedies by going to his Report Page.

Inflammatory Bowel Disease

2010-09-07T11:28:00.004-05:00

Bowel flora may play a role in inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis). An article appearing in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology (2001;36(Suppl 234):29-40) discussed the role of bowel flora and intestinal permeability in this disease. The cells lining the intestine form a barrier that protects the body from the contents of the intestines. If these cells fail to act as an effective barrier, increased intestinal permeability becomes a problem. The article states that increased intestinal permeability leads to a lack of tolerance to the bacteria that normally exist in the bowel.

There is evidence of the immune system working against the bacteria that exist in the bowel, perhaps even overreacting. Also, the makeup of the bacteria is different in these patients than in normal controls. In patients with inflammatory bowel disease, the bacteria tend to invade the mucosa. Research appearing in Gastroenterology (January 2002;122(1) :44-54) compared colonoscopic biopsies in 305 patients with 40 normal controls. Patients with inflammatory bowel disease had much higher concentrations of bacteria invading the intestinal lining than did the healthy subjects. A normal, healthy intestinal lining has the ability to act as a barrier to bowel bacteria; this ability is compromised in patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

The Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology article mentions that taking probiotics is sometimes helpful; patients with Crohn's disease tend to have less Bifidobacteria, and more Bactero ides, Eubacteria and Peptost reptococcus. Generally, probiotics contain lactic acid bacteria, like Lactobacilli, Bifidobacteria (the species found to be in short supply in patients with Crohn's disease), and Streptococci. These bacteria can release antibiotic-like substances, reduce the pH in the intestine, improve the absorption of nutrients and help stimulate the immune system.
by: Dr. Paul G. Varnas & WholeHealthAmerica.com present

Patients with inflammatory bowel disease are often deficient in many nutrients. They commonly have problems absorbing nutrients, have poor appetites, are often on restrictive diets, or are nutrient deficient as a result of drug therapy. According to a review of research appearing in the Annual Review of Nutri tion (1985;5:463-484), nutritional deficiencies are common in patients hospitalized with inflammatory bowel disease. Iron deficiency was found in 40% of the patients, 48% were deficient in vitamin B12, between 54 and 64% were deficient in folate, between 14 and 33% were magnesium deficient, between 6% and 14% had a potassium deficiency, 21% were deficient in vitamin A, 12% were deficient in vitamin C, between 25% and 65% were deficient in 25-hydroxyvitamin D and between 40% and 50% had a zinc deficiency. Other vitamin deficiencies included vitamin K, copper and vitamin E. A study of 114 patients with inflammatory bowel disease, appearing in the Scandinavian Journal of Gastroenterology (1979;14:1019-1024) found low serum folate in 59% of patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease. There is an increased risk for colorectal cancer in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. Research appearing Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (2008 Feb;14(2):242-8), correlated folic acid deficiency with an increased risk of colorectal cancer.

Patients who had inflammatory bowel disease, and both a folic acid deficiency and a high homocysteine level had 17 times as many cancerous lesions as patients who were not folic acid deficient. Vitamin deficiencies may also contribute to the severity of the disease. The disease creates vitamin deficiency, which in turn makes the disease more severe. A study involving 30 male and 31 female patients with inflammatory bowel disease was published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology (2003;98(1):112-117). It found that vitamin B6 levels were significantly lower in patients with inflammatory bowel disease than they were in healthy controls. Furthermore, vitamin B6 levels were lower in patients who were experiencing a flare up in their symptoms than they were for patients in remission. Low vitamin B6 levels were also associated with higher levels of inflammatory markers (chemicals that, when present, indicate inflammation) C-reactive protein is an example of an inflammatory marker; it was increased in patients
with low B6 levels.

One of the roles vitamin C has is as an antioxidant, protecting cells from oxidative stress. According to research appearing in Free Radical Research (1995;22(2):131-143), patients with inflammatory bowel disease (Crohn's disease or ulcerative colitis) have reduced levels of vitamin C in the intestinal lining. Patients with Crohn's disease have levels that are 35% below normal while patients with ulcerative colitis have levels that are 73% below normal. The researchers state that most of the loss of vitamin C is due to oxidative stress from inflammatory cells. The loss of vitamin C makes the cells lining the intestines more vulnerable to oxidative stress.

Consumption of refined carbohydrates can aggravate symptoms.
The European Journal of Gastroenterology and Hepatology (January, 1995;7(1):47-51) conducted a prospective, epidemiological study of 104 patients and found that patients with Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis have a high intake of starch and sugar. Other research that appeared in Epidemiology (January 1992;3(1):47-52), followed the dietary habits of 142 patients with ulcerative colitis, 152 patients with Crohn's disease and 305 healthy controls over a period of three years. The relative risk of Crohn's disease increased with sugar intake and decreased with fiber intake.

Eating fast food increased the risk for both Crohn's disease and for ulcerative colitis. These studies may support Elaine Gottschall's model of inflammatory bowel disease. In her book, Ending the Vicious Cycle , Gottschall describes a possible mechanism for inflammatory bowel disease and a dietary solution. She reasons that we eat too many complex carbohydrates (disaccharides like table sugar and lactose in milk, and starches like bread, potatoes, rice and beans).

Our own enzymes are not adequate enough to digest the large amounts of sugar and starch that we consume, so it passes into the intestine without being digested. The undigested food allows bacteria to grow, irritating the intestinal lining. The irritation of the intestine causes a further reduction in the amount of enzymes produced, resulting in more undigested food. Gottschall suggests that completely avoiding starches and sugar (the sugar that is in fresh fruit is permissible). Some patients, but not all of them, go into remission after following Gottschall's recommendations. It would seem if this is the mechanism causing a patient’s disease, giving a digestive supplement, may be helpful.

Thanks to Biotics Research for this wonderful information!

High Fructose Corn Syrup by Joe Buishas LD, CCN

2010-08-26T15:11:00.006-05:00

What do the Atkins diet and the Japanese diet have in common? The Atkins diet is "high fat"… low carbs." The Japanese diet is "low fat"… "high carbs,” yet both display the ability to reduce chronic disease. The common link is both diets are low in "fructose." So here's the next question.

What simple sugar causes...
an increase in uric acid, hypertension, leptin resistance, reductions in energy or ATP, elevated triglycerides, insulin resistance, fatty liver, inflammation, and vascular disease? Let's add to that list the number one risk factor for the development of obesity? Have I got your attention? The answer, according to Dr. Richard Johnson, is fructose. Dr. Richard Johnson is a researcher and clinician at the University of Colorado Denver and author of the book The Sugar Fix.

Let's look closer at why fructose is one of the major factors that increases uric acid. "Fruit" contains fructose. As the fruit ripens the amount of fructose goes up. However, natural fruits contain vitamin C and other factors that are needed to break down and counteract the effects of fructose. So, two, three, or even four fruits a day are not a problem for most people.

Each piece of fruit contains around 8 grams of "natural fructose," but high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or the combination of sucrose and HFCS is a problem. Sucrose or table sugar is a disaccharide and contains approximately 50% glucose and 50% fructose. But according to Dr. Johnson, the sugars are bound together. High fructose corn syrup contains 55% fructose but the fructose is not tightly bound and gets absorbed instantly and goes right to the liver.

"If this study can cause these results in just 2 weeks, what happens in 2 years! “

Studies at Duke University show people who drink soft drinks have a higher percentage of fatty liver disease primarily due to fructose. The average American ingests 70 grams of fructose a day. That's the average American. 25% of Americans ingest 130 grams or more of fructose daily.

Dr. Johnson shared a study where participants ingested 200 grams of fructose for a mere 2 weeks and found elevations of triglycerides, increases in blood pressure and insulin resistance, and decreases in the healthy HDL cholesterol. Fortunately, these changes were reversed after abstaining from fructose. This is a profound study even though the amounts of fructose were excessive.

Dr. Johnson states that glucose increases insulin production, but fructose increases insulin resistance. If this study can cause these results in two weeks what happens in two years? We may not ingest 200 grams of fructose daily, but the more sugar we eat, the more our bodies up regulate the ability to absorb it and we become more sensitive to it as we age.

Dr. Johnson suggests we set a maximum of 25 grams of fructose per day as a goal, one third of what is consumed every day by the average American. Just to give you an idea, one 12 ounce can of soda contains around 25 grams of fructose. One liter of soda would yield approximately 75 grams of fructose. Because fruit juice is so concentrated and processed it's almost as bad as soda. Dr. Richard Johnson's book gives tables on all the fruits and hidden sources of fructose that we frequently overlook.

In another study, Dr. Johnson found in newly diagnosed obese adolescents' with elevations in hypertension, 90% of the time they had elevated uric acid. Blood pressure was reduced 87% of the time by reducing their uric acid. Next to fructose, the second greatest factor to raise uric acid is beer. Somehow the yeast and fermentation process has a powerful effect on uric acid. Dr. Johnson emphasizes that uric acid is a great screen. He believes the levels should be 3.0 - 5.5; and if levels exceed that threshold, there is an increased risk for diabetes, obesity, hypertension, and kidney disease. Testing is inexpensive and can be used as a great motivating factor to encourage patients to make lifestyle changes.

Uric acid has some antioxidant properties, so we would like to have an optimal level. When uric acid levels are elevated, uric acid seeps into the cell and becomes a pro-oxidant. So outside the cell it is an antioxidant and inside the cell it is a pro-oxidant.

If you are concerned about your uric acid levels or your health over all, please call our office about a wellness checkup. A Kessinger Panel is $175.00 and an office visit to go over the test is $45.00. We can check your body out from head to toe and let you know how you are doing.

Junk Food Diet Puts Children at Higher Risk of Allergies

2010-08-24T08:34:00.000-05:00

Junk Food Diet Puts Children at Higher Risk of Allergies

Thyroid, symptoms and Diagnosis

2010-07-23T10:39:00.003-05:00

Thyroid Hormones
TSH, thyroid stimulating hormone, is the most common hormone tested to determine if the thyroid is operating correctly. Unfortunately, this is only part of the picture. T4 and free T3 are also very important key factors in determining whether the thyroid hormones are in balance.
Synthetic medicines only provide T4, which must be converted to T3 by the body. If the body has a problem making this conversion, the medicine will be poorly utilized. It's important that your doctor understand this metabolic process in order to manage your care in the best possible manner. Natural supplements provide T4 and T3 in the proper ratios, which are better utilized by the body.

Diagnosis
Symptoms of hypothyroid can be many or few. Some patients exhibit severe symptoms and others have mild symptoms, which often go undiagnosed. Often people who have a thyroid condition are frustrated and confused about their health, and feel as if they can not get a straight answer from anyone regarding their condition. Many are prescribed anti-depressants because their doctor is unable pinpoint the cause for their discomfort. Blood tests which are the standard for diagnosis are often incomplete or inaccurate.
Hyperthyroid is a less common condition which speeds up the thyroid.

"Hypo"Thyroid Symptoms
· Brittle nails or nails with ridges
· Acne
· Dry hair and Skin
· Deeply cracked skin on elbows & heels
· Skin rashes
· Thinning eyebrows on outer portion
· Hair loss
· Slow healing
· Dry mouth/Dry eyes/Blurred vision
· Heat/Cold intolerance
· Cold hands & feet or being cold all the time
· Raynaud's Phenomenon (white fingers when exposed to cold)
· Low body temp of <98.2 when healthy
· Anxiety
· Depression
· Muscle & joint aches
· Weight gain with very little caloric intake
· Inability to lose weight
· Fluid retention
· Chronic infections
· Slow reflexes/Slow thinking/Indecisiveness
· PMS & Menstrual irregularities
· Infertility and Low sex drive
· High cholesterol
· High blood pressure
· Hoarse voice
· Asthma
· Allergies
· Gall bladder disease
· Chronic constipation
· Difficulty swallowing or Lump in throat
· Bad Breath

Diagnostic Tools
Blood tests are part of the testing process, but it is very important to discuss symptoms and a thorough medical history with the doctor. Many times blood tests appear to show normal results, but the patient exhibits symptoms which warrant further investigation.

Treatment
Occasionally, a person who's blood tests show a hypothyroid condition have other hormonal imbalances which cause the thyroid hormones to be out of sync. Symptoms related to thyroid imbalance are not always caused by the thyroid. They could be caused by adrenal, pituitary, or other hormone imbalances.

Diagnosing a thyroid disorder is a complex task. Often times men or women can have symptoms for months, or even years, and their blood tests do not show that there is a problem.

It's important to work closely with the doctor to find the appropriate treatment for your individual condition. Supplementation, nutritional counseling, exercise and natural hormone therapy are often used as a holistic way to correct these imbalances.

Many people find that they prefer natural therapies to synthetic, and that they have less symptoms using a holistic method of treatment.

Stevia: A Better Alternative to Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners

2010-07-15T09:19:00.005-05:00

We always recommend that our patients and friends and family use stevia instead of artificial sweeteners and sugar. I found the below article on the internet and thought it was a great way to explain why!

Most medical experts would agree that one of the best ways to improve your health is to reduce your sugar intake. Doing this can help decrease one’s chances of getting diabetes and being overweight or obese---both epidemics in this country with adults and children alike. Consider these facts:
Since 1985, childhood diabetes has increased ten-fold. The Centers for Disease Control predicts that if this trend continues, one out of every three children born beginning in 2000 will develop diabetes in their lifetime.

About 2/3 of U.S. adults are overweight or obese; while up to 30% of children are overweight, compared to 4% in 1982. In the past 25 years, obesity in children has more than doubled, affecting at least 15% of school-age children! The average American ingests over 150 lbs. of sugar annually! That represents a whopping 30- 5 lb. bags of sugar each year! In reality, much of this sugar is in the form of high fructose corn syrup prevalent in foods because it’s much cheaper than sucrose, common tabletop sugar.

While some might think that artificial sweeteners are the best solution to curb our love affair with sugar, others disagree. Artificial sweeteners do eliminate the high calories and carbohydrates associated with sugar, however many believe that these alternatives are unsafe and are actually worse than sugar. So is there yet another alternative available?

If there were an all-natural sweetening ingredient that’s been used safely for over 30 years in other parts of the world for food applications and diabetes management with no ill effects, would you be interested? Well, such a substance does exist and it’s called stevia.

Using stevia, an all-natural alternative to sugar and artificial sweeteners, is gaining increasing popularity worldwide. Stevia rebaudiana, its botanical name, is derived from a plant in the chrysanthemum family grown primarily in South America and Asia. The plant’s intense sweetening qualities are complex molecules called steviosides that are glycosides made of glucose, sophorose and steviol. These are what make stevia up to 300 times sweeter than sugar and non-caloric. These glycosides do not get absorbed into the body; rather simply pass through leaving no calories. The Japanese have used stevia in food applications from soft drinks to soy sauce since the 1970s and recent reports indicate that stevia commands up to an incredible 50% share of Japan’s commercial sweetener market. Moreover countries like Brazil use stevia for the treatment for diabetes.

The advantages to stevia are numerous, so the following are the most frequently cited. In its pure form, it’s non-caloric and doesn’t affect glucose levels, an advantage for diabetics and hypoglycemics. Also, it has no carbohydrates or fat, so it’s great for dieters, especially those watching carb intake. Unlike artificial sweeteners, high quality stevia has little aftertaste when measured properly. It has no known side effects like some chemical sweeteners and has been safely consumed around the world for decades. Actually, stevia’s original medicinal uses date back centuries ago with the Paraguan Indians who mixed the herb in teas for its healing properties. Since stevia is sugar-free, candida sufferers can use it. Health conscious consumers take advantage of stevia to avoid sugar and help prevent diabetes and obesity. The website www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov, under the direction of the National Institutes of Health, National Library of Medicine and National Center of Biotechnology Information, offers abstracts from stevia studies that indicate it may also aid in lowering blood pressure and regulating glucose levels.

The average consumer may not have heard about stevia until recently because of its current FDA approval as a dietary supplement, not as a sweetener or food additive. Numerous studies worldwide tout its overall safety and health benefits. As of this writing, about ten countries, including Japan, Paraguay and Brazil have approved stevia as a sweetener and/or food additive.

The FDA approved the use of stevia only as a dietary supplement since 1995. This means stevia companies must maintain a fairly low profile, thereby limiting its distribution and marketing potential. For instance, health food stores and natural grocers must place stevia in the supplements section, not with the natural sweeteners for fear of the FDA mandate. The stores cannot promote the “sweetening” qualities of stevia, even though that’s why it is purchased.
Stevia can be used as a healthy substitute in most sugar applications, including baking and cooking since it is heat stable. The average conversion rate of sugar to stevia is one cup of sugar per one teaspoonful of pure stevia extract. Clearly very little stevia is needed to replace sugar. When used in beverages, stevia dissolves quickly and easily and, depending on your taste preference, only a pinch is needed. The real challenge to using stevia effectively is knowing what ingredients to use in a recipe to make up for the volume and consistency lost with the elimination of sugar, especially in baked goods. That’s why it’s a good idea to find stevia cookbooks with proven recipes when you’re starting out. You can also find some free recipes online. Finally, stevia is not appropriate in recipes that require sugar caramelizing or browning like meringues.

Stevia is available in many forms including liquid, teas, plants/leaves, pure white and green powdered extract and powdered blends with different fillers. In baking, the pure extract is used primarily and, in some cases, the liquid variety. Stevia can be purchased at health food stores, natural grocers, food coops and online. Currently a big push is underway to expand distribution into grocery stores, vitamin shops and drugstores.

Due to the number of factors that can influence your stevia purchase experience, the following guidelines provide some good advice:

You often do get what you pay for; don’t buy based solely on price; taste and quality matter.
Higher % of stevioside doesn’t necessarily make the stevia better; you can find excellent tasting stevia with this key plant composition at even 80%.
If you purchase the green powder for its slightly higher health benefits, it will usually have more aftertaste than the white powder.
The product’s country of origin doesn’t matter; it’s farming, manufacturing and processing experience and techniques do.
At this time, stevia production is not standardized, so taste and strength do differ depending on brand.

Use a minimal amount; can be overwhelming if you add too much initially; add more later if needed. Widespread use of sugar and artificial sweeteners are at dangerous levels. The negative side effects and controversial studies regarding their proposed safety suggest that another alternative is desirable and necessary. Stevia may be a welcome option for those who want to ingest more natural ingredients with no known side effects, no calories, no carbs, no fat, no affect on glucose levels and no sugar or artificial sweeteners. Stevia may also be advantageous in the prevention and treatment of diabetes, obesity and other health conditions. Check with your doctor before including stevia to your diet. If he/she doesn’t recommend it, politely ask why to see if the reason is satisfactory to you.

Stevia: A Better Alternative to Sugar and Artificial Sweeteners © Lisa Jobs

What is Ketosis? Is Ketosis Dangerous? How to Detect Ketosis

2010-07-05T10:42:00.005-05:00

Question: What is Ketosis?
Answer: A lot of people are confused by the term "ketosis." You may read that it is a "dangerous state" for the body, and it does sound abnormal to be "in ketosis." But ketosis merely means that our bodies are using fat for energy. Ketones (also called ketone bodies) are molecules generated during fat metabolism, whether from the fat in the guacamole you just ate or fat you were carrying around your middle. When our bodies are breaking down fat for energy, most of the it gets converted more or less directly to ATP. (Remember high school biology? This is the "energy molecule.") But ketones are also produced as part of the process.

When people eat less carbohydrate, their bodies turn to fat for energy, so it makes sense that more ketones are generated. Some of those ketones (acetoacetate and ß-hydroxybutyrate) are used for energy; the heart muscle and kidneys, for example, prefer ketones to glucose. Most cells, including the brain cells, are able to use ketones for at least part of their energy. But there is one type of ketone molecule, called acetone, that cannot be used and is excreted as waste, mostly in the urine and breath (sometimes causing a distinct breath odor).

If enough acetone is in our urine, it can be detected using a dipstick commonly called by the brand name Ketostix (though there are other brands, as well). Even though everyone is generating ketones continuously, this detection in the urine is what is commonly called "ketosis."The higher the concentration of ketones in the urine, the more purple the sticks will turn. The Atkins Diet, in particular, advises people to monitor ketosis as an indication of fat burning. Other reduced carbohydrate diets don't pay much attention to this, or aren't low enough in carbs to make much of an impression on the sticks. (The latter type of diet is sometimes called a "nonketogenic" low-carb diet.)

Why do some people think ketosis is a bad thing?

There is an assumption that if a body is burning a lot of fat for energy, it must not be getting "enough" glucose. However, there is no indication, from studying people on reduced carbohydrate diets, that this is the case (though there is usually a short period of adjustment -- less than a week, in most cases). Although it's true that our bodies can't break fat down into glucose (though, interestingly, they easily use glucose to make fat), our bodies can convert some of the protein we eat into glucose. Indeed, this works well for people who don't tolerate a lot of sugar, because this conversion happens slowly so it doesn't spike blood glucose.A dangerous condition called ketoacidosis can develop in those with type 1 diabetes, and it is sometimes confused with normal ketosis. The body usually avoids this state by producing insulin, but people with type 1 diabetes are unable to produce insulin. Even most people with type 2 diabetes who inject insulin usually produce enough insulin of their own to prevent ketoacidosis.

What is Ketosis?By Laura Dolson, About.com GuideUpdated July 05, 2008About.com Health's Disease and Condition content is reviewed by our Medical Review Board

Your Independence Day

2010-06-30T08:16:00.011-05:00

This time of the year is always filled with nostalgia and feelings of achievement because we, The United States of America, are independent. We fought for this right, we achieved the ability to stand alone and make our own decisions on what is right for us in every aspect of our lives. We continue to fight, and to protect the rights of the peoples of the world, whether they realize the need us to or not. We desire to make the world a better place, a fair place, a place where individuals can make their own decisions about what is best for them and their families. Yet, as a people we have become complacent and many of us allow the powers-that-be (insurance companies and governmental agencies) to tell us what is best for us. I agree that the governing officials do a great job at making many decisions about this great nation and its future.

This Independence Day, I think we should all claim the right to be independent. I vote that we should each care for our own health, as individuals, independent from everyone else. Your body is different from your neighbors, and children's, and parents, and spouse! Your individual nutritional needs are separate and unique. Often, family members have similar health concerns because of lifestyle and eating habits, but each one of those family members has their own physiological makeup and is independent from the other members of the family. As Dr Jay says, "Heredity is 85-90% habit and only 5-15% genetic." You have choices, you just need to break the cycle.

This 4th of July, proclaim your independence, and choose to care for your body and health in the manner that is best for you! Make choices for yourself regarding diet and exercise, don't wait for someone else to decide it's time to make a change.

Eat More Veggies - 8 out of 10 bites of food should be fruit or vegetables

Eat at least 2 pieces of fruit a day - mix it up - choose different colors of fruits and veggies

Cut back on breads - one serving of bread, pasta, rice etc. a day is plenty (1 piece of bread is a serving)

Manage your blood sugar - keeping blood sugar levels under control helps with weight management and the prevention of diabetes and cardiovascular disease - use stevia!

Stop drinking soda - no... diet soda is not good for you - did you know it makes you eat more? Diet drinks turn off your bodies ability to know when it's full.

Don't drink flavored water - why drink your calories? Most of these drinks are full of salt and sugar. Sports drinks were designed for long distance runners and high output sports, as much as we would like to be like those people... we don't burn 1000 calories in one workout very often!

Avoid energy drinks and high doses of caffeine - you only have one heart - don't wear it out

Stop smoking - you can replace any habit. Trade cigarettes for carrot sticks not carbs.

Get plenty of sleep - 7 hours a night is the recommended amount

Work in 200 minutes of exercise a week - walking, jogging, bike riding etc. pump that blood

Take your vitamins - as we age we lose the ability to assimilate nutrients from foods. Nutritional supplementation is necessary in order to maintain optimal health

Check in - get your orthomolecular holistic health checkup once a year - find out where you stand so that you can make adjustments to your lifestyle and prevent illness from occurring

Take control of your own health. Celebrate the 4th of July this year by making a stand for your own independence!

Sleep is important!

2010-06-29T12:07:00.018-05:00

Sleep is very important to each persons health and well being. Sleeping less than 7 hours a night has been linked to health concerns such as cardiovascular risk, diabetes and cancer.

While you sleep, your body repairs and builds, but it's only when you get solid, sound sleep that this process is able to kick in. If you want to live longer and have a healthier life, make sure you are getting enough zzzzz's.

Children with disorders such as autism, aspergers and ADHD or ADD are often the same children who do not get enough sleep. It's not that they don't go to bed on time or spend hours trying to sleep, but their quality of sleep is poor and shallow, which doesn't allow them time to rebuild and rest. There are several reasons why people don't sleep well.

Out of whack melatonin and cortisol levels...

Melatonin, which is a hormone made by the pineal gland, helps control when and how well you sleep. It can be found in many types of food and can be taken as a supplement. Many people who have trouble falling asleep at night take melatonin, as a supplement, to assist them in feeling tired enough to fall asleep. Some use it to help recover from jet lag, and people who work odd shifts can sometimes gain benefit from it also. The amount of daylight you are exposed to is a key factor in the amount of melatonin your body manufactures. If you sleep in a dark room all day and work at night, you probably don't make enough.

Your body makes its own melatonin, but as we age we sometimes are not as good at making it as we were when we were younger. Fortunately we can eat foods which contain melatonin such as oats and brown rice, or we can supplement with a good quality product. There is also a saliva test that can be used to check levels of melatonin and cortisol, which work together to help your body know when to be awake and when to sleep. High cortisol levels, or cortisol levels which are not in the correct rhythm, for example; high at night and low during the day, can cause weight gain around the middle and disrupt sleep patterns. Cortisol levels can get out of sync because of stress, poor dietary choices, lack of exercise or adrenal fatigue. If you have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, it would be a good idea to get tested for these hormonal patterns. Our doctors can help pinpoint the cause of your hormone imbalance and get your body back into the right rhythm for sleep, and health, by using this test and natural supplementation.

Melatonin has also been found to reduce inflammation and may reduce the risks of certain kinds of cancer such as breast and prostate. Studies show that melatonin competes with estrogen for estrogen receptor sites and may help reduce the progress of cancers which are fed by estrogen.

Melatonin also helps regulate leptin, which a key player in Type 2 Diabetes and weight gain. Researchers think that melatonin may increase leptin at night, which is why you are not hungry while you are sleeping. Just this alone, is a good reason to find out if you are low on melatonin!

Blood sugar

Did you know that your brain runs on glucose? Yes, glucose is a sugar and its regulated by your pancreas. People who have Type 1 Diabetes and do not have the ability to make insulin, must take insulin to prevent diabetic shock and coma. Glucose is important to life, but as with anything it must be regulated. Type 2 Diabetics make enough insulin, but utilize it poorly.

Blood sugar spikes and dips are responsible for many different symptoms including poor sleep. If your blood sugar falls while you are sleeping and your brain needs food, your adrenal glands kick in to provide what it needs and BAM, you are awake. These are the times that you are awake and thinking about everything you have to do, and can't go back to sleep.

To prevent this, you should try to keep level blood sugar levels all day long. Eating a healthy supper with protein and vegetables is very important. You want to make sure your body has the nutrition it needs to build, repair and sleep all night long. Making sure your diet has a healthy amount of fiber, also helps control blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

Type 2 Diabetes is an epidemic in the USA. Many people are leptin resistant, which is considered to be pre-diabetic. Learning to manage your diet to keep your blood sugar at an even level through out the day is important for weight loss, sleep, cardiovascular health and diabetes prevention. If you need information on how to manage your blood sugar, call our office. We also have the leptin diet available for those of you who wish to manage your diet.

Stress & Walking

Managing your stress is very important. If you can't relax because you have too much going on, and can't turn off your brain because you can't stop thinking about grocery shopping, oil changes, the kids or the grandkids, you need to relieve some stress. The best way to manage daily stress is to walk. I know that I bring up walking on a regular basis, but that's because it's important. Walking reduces stress, helps prevent depression, moves the blood in your body to help with brain, heart and total body health. Walking also helps reduce blood pressure and blood glucose levels. Shoot for a minimum of 200 minutes a week for optimal health.

We do offer some supplements that can help with stress, including vitamins and natural relaxants to help calm the mind and promote sleep, but we always recommend walking to improve sleep habits and reduce stress.

Sleep Apnea

Sleep Apnea is often associated with being overweight, is also related to diabetes and men more frequently suffer from sleep apnea than women. Sleep apnea can be a very serious condition if it causes the person to have a low oxygen level. Some people who suffer from this condition actually wake up each time they stop breathing, and this causes terrible disruptions in their sleep. Because they never actually get to sleep, these people are typically troubled with health concerns.

As you can see there are many reasons why someone might not sleep well, but it's very important to make sure that you are getting your 7 hours a day. If something is disrupting your sleep, it is imperative that you find a way to resolve the issue as soon as you can. Call our clinic for more information on any of these topics, and we will be happy to help you.

Low Calorie Ideas for Covered Dishes

2010-06-18T09:23:00.006-05:00

Here are a few ideas you can use if you are asked to bring a dish to a barbeque!

Strawberry vinaigrette
(Enjoy with Arugula salad)
Ingredients
Strawberries1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar1 tablespoon lemon juiceStevia to tasteDash of saltDash of cayenne (optional) Fresh ground black pepper to tasteStevia to taste

Directions
Combine all ingredients in food processor. Puree until smooth. Pour over fresh arugala or green salad. Garnish with sliced strawberries and freshly ground black pepper. Variations: use as a marinade or sauce for chicken.
Makes 1 serving (1 fruit)
No Crust Apple Pie

Mexican Salsa
Boil red tomatoes and one chili pepper. When tomatoes are soft, pull the skin off. Put the tomatoes and chili pepper in blender with plenty of water and lots of salt. Vary the flavor using any of the following- garlic, sugar, cilantro, onion, thyme, oregano.
There are literally hundreds of variations for this and every Mexican Salsa starts here! Can also add hamburger/sausage, parmesan, mushrooms, etc to make an Italian sauce!

Garlic Chicken
100g chicken (400g chicken - 4 servings)
Diced onion
3-5 cloves garlic - unpeeled & left whole
Juice of half lemon
Black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.
Heat non-stick saucepan over MED.
Add the onion. Stir constantly until tender. 5-10 mins.
Transfer onions to glass baking dish.
Place chicken atop onions.
Squeeze on lemon juice & sprinkle with pepper.
Place garlic around and on the chicken.
Cover tightly either with lid or aluminum foil.
Cook for 30-45 mins or until chicken is no longer pink.
Note: You don't have to eat the onions as your veggie (it's primarily for flavor). Just eat the chicken and add veggie of your choice.

BBQ Sauce
2 strips of fat-free turkey bacon, chopped fine (or see substitutions)
1 small onion, minced
1 clove garlic, minced or 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1 small can (6 oz) tomato paste
1 can (12 oz) diet (sugar-free) cola - Stevia-sweetened
1/4 cup sugar-free catsup
3 T mustard
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 pinch ground cloves
Hot sauce to taste
1/2 cup of water

Pan-fry the turkey bacon. Add onion and cook over medium flame for about 4 minutes. Add garlic clove and stir. Add the remaining ingredients including the water. Stir. Allow to simmer for 20-30 minutes.
To adjust flavor at this point, use any of the following: vinegar, sweetener (liquid works best,) or hot sauce. Note: sweetener will tone down spiciness.
Makes approx. 10 servings of 1/4 cup with approx 15 - 30 calories, and 1 gram of fiber, depending on products used.

No Crust Apple Pie

What you need
Large glass deep dish baking dish with a lid
Fresh Apples
¼ cup granulated stevia
½ tsp nutmeg
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ cup of water
2-3 small slices of real butter

Directions
Mix stevia, nutmeg and cinnamon in a separate bowl.
Slice apples (with or without peel) and layer in class baking dish with stevia mixture. Fill to about ½ inch from top. Pour ¼ cup water into dish and top with a couple small slices of real butter. Cover and bake at 350 until tender.

For More recipes visit our website at http://www.drkessinger.com/HCG.html

If you could only do one thing to be healthier..... choose walking

2010-06-14T09:10:00.010-05:00

If you only had the time to add one thing to your day to make yourself feel better and live longer, that one thing should be walking regularly. Adding just 200 minutes of exercise a week to your schedule can make long lasting changes to your body.

Many people find that doing things for their health is one of the hardest things to fit into their daily lives. Constantly running around and taking kids to ball games, and other social commitments leaves little time for many people to think about themselves. I recommend that you add daily exercise to your schedule so that you are sure to make time for it. It is one of the most important things you can do for yourself.

In a study reported in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 1989, 13,000 men and women were studied for eight years. The data showed that an unfit man could reduce his risk of death from all diseases by nearly 37 percent by becoming fit, and an unfit woman could reduce her risk by about 48 percent. *

Walking is so beneficial to your health and well being. Many studies have been done over the last several decades proving that walking is important to the mind and body. What are some of the benefits ?

Lowered blood pressure - whether you walk 30 minutes several times a week or 10 minutes several times a day, regular walking has been proven to lower blood pressure by about 5 points. A 40 minute walk can reduce blood pressure for 7 hours!

Lowered blood sugar - regular walking can lower blood glucose levels. Get that 200 minutes in every week to prevent type 2 diabetes and reduce the symptoms!

Lower cholesterol - Walking can improve HDL (good cholesterol) which in-turn helps to lower bad (LDL) cholesterol.

Improved circulation - Getting the heart pumping forces blood into the tiny capillaries and increases oxygen distribution to the tissues.

Decreased risk of heart disease - According to The New England Journal of Medicine, August 26, 1999 Walking 3-4 hours a week can reduce female heart disease risk by 30-40%. Walking is a known benefit for cardiovascular health!

Reduced inflammation - Getting that oxygen to all parts of your body with increased circulation also helps reduce inflammation. The blood carries O2 and nutrients out to the capillaries and brings the trash back to the liver and kidneys to be cleaned out.

Reduction of stress - walking reduces stress. It gets you away from constant stressors and if you get outdoors, into the fresh air. A little sun adds some vitamin D which is also known to aid with depression or mood enhancement.

Improved mood/reduced depression - If you are depressed, get outside and go for a walk. Moving around and getting some sunshine and fresh air can do a lot for your mental state. Getting away from television and constant noise can also help. Listen to the birds, smell some flowers and enjoy the outdoors.

Reduced cancer risk - Studies show that not only does walking reduce the risk factors for heart disease but people in those same studies also show that they have a lower risk of getting cancer.

Bone Building / reduces risk of Osteoporosis - Walking is very beneficial to your muscles, tendons, cartilage and bones. You have heard that old saying " if you don't use it you lose it"? well that is definitely true when it comes to bones, muscles, tendons and cartilage.

Weight Management - Walking about 2.5 miles an hour for 40 minutes burns about 175 calories. That equals out to about a mile every 16 minutes. Do that 3 times a week and you have burned 525 calories.

Better sleep - More oxygen, using your muscles, better mood and circulation all add to a better nights sleep.

Improved energy - the more you walk the better you feel, which in turn gives you more energy. Get up and move around to give yourself more energy.

Improved immunity - helps clear lymphatic system. Walking helps the immune system by clearing out the lymphatic system. Keep your system cleaner and healthier by walking.

Brain health - walking improves circulation which in turn benefits the brain. You should also challenge your brain by doing things that require thinking every day. Read, do crossword puzzles or put together puzzles.

As you can see... walking has many benefits and if there was only one thing you could do to make yourself feel better, have more energy, live longer and be more mobile, it should be the thing you do.

Of course there are lots of other things you can do to increase your odds of living a fuller, healthier life. Eating right, which means increasing your vegetable and fruit intake and eating a variety of healthful foods. Avoiding inflammatory foods such as cow's milk, pork, chocolate, soda, diet drinks and fried foods. Supplementing your diet with additional nutrition when it's necessary is also very important. As we age, we lose the ability to build and to process some of the nutrients we need to be as healthy as possible. Supplementation is required in these instances to make sure we have what we need to build strong bones and new healthy cells.

CoQ10 is a good example of a supplement that we have a harder time making as we age. Calcium is a good example of a nutrient that we have more trouble breaking down and using, as we get older, because our stomach acid is not as strong as it was when we were young. For more information on supplementation, please come visit us at the office. We would love to help you get more information on your individual needs.

Have a good week and get out there and do some walking this week!

*(from all-about-lowering-cholesterol.com)

Alternatives to Dangerous Drugs by Terry Lemerond

2010-06-11T08:26:00.008-05:00

One of the greatest frustrations for anyone working in natural health is the prejudice that somehow prescription drugs are better, more powerful and safer than natural medicines simply because they are prescription drugs. The word “prescription” is like a halo that confers implied benefits such as “Ordered by a doctor” and “Clean” and “Powerful.” It is the slickest, most effective marketing campaign I have ever seen. Over the last 70 to 80 years, synthetic medication has pushed out natural remedies that have been used successfully for centuries. And the drug manufacturers have been going out of their way ever since to undermine the credibility and effectiveness of natural medicine. After all, you can’t make billions in profits from a simple herb. And what does it do to your bottom line if the simple herb turns out to be better than your heavily-invested drug? To what lengths would you go to protect those profits and investments? Obviously, some would go so far as to cause death and injury to innocent, unsuspecting patients, eager for a cure, but unaware of the toll the drug may take. Unaware they have other, safer options.

In this issue of Terry Talks Nutrition, we are going to look at some of these dangerous drugs, their adverse effects and which natural medicines are safer . . . and more effective, too.

Are Prescription Drugs ALWAYS Bad?

Am I against all prescription medications? No. There are a few that are great life-savers. But I am against blindly accepting all foreign chemical substances as “helpful” simply because they bear the “prescription” or “over-the-counter” drug moniker. In too many instances to count, these synthetic chemicals have done grievous damage when a natural intervention may well have yielded superior and far safer effects. A common drug like ibuprofen can cause the deaths of over 15,000 people a year—yes, I said 15,000 human beings a year—but if one person has an unusual or allergic reaction to an herb and dies, how long do you think that herb will remain on the market? The media goes into a feeding frenzy with “scary” sensationalized herbal stories, yet awful statistics about death and injury caused by prescription drugs are treated as an anomaly and the stories quickly fade.

Every day about 300 people die from an adverse reaction to a drug that was supposed to help them. More than 2 million people a year have to seek treatment at a hospital for an adverse reaction to a prescribed medication. An adverse reaction can be something relatively mild - itching or an upset stomach – or something as serious as breathing problems or an irregular heartbeat.

There are a myriad of effective, natural ways to address illness and injury without putting a person’s life at risk. Let’s look at some examples of natural products that have been proven equal or superior to pharmaceutical drugs.

The Best-Selling Drugs in America: Reducing Cholesterol
Brand names: Lipitor (atorvastatin), Crestor (rosuvastatin), Zocor (Simvastatin)
Adverse effects: headaches; muscle aches and debilitating muscle pain syndromes; weakness; dizziness; abdominal cramps; memory loss; “brain fog;” increased cancer risk; increased Parkinson’s disease risk; interferes with natural CoQ10 production, which leads to heart muscle weakness; interferes with hormone production; linked to depression and congestive heart failure, as well as hormonal disruption.

Remember that high cholesterol is not the problem. Low HDL cholesterol is a problem, along with inflammation in the blood vessels and oxidation of circulating cholesterol. So a better idea is to raise HDLs, reduce oxidation in the body and eliminate inflammation in the blood vessels. Did you know that for every 1% you raise HDLs, you get a corresponding 2-3% decrease in heart disease risk? And if your HDLs are high enough, you will not get heart disease, regardless of the total cholesterol number.

Raise HDLs and balance cholesterol using clinically-proven Indian Gooseberry (Emblica officianalis). Published scientific studies show it reduces plaque in the arteries, impacts cholesterol synthesis, protects cells from oxidation, and in a human trial, increased HDLs 14% while lowering LDLs 21% for a much healthier cholesterol balance.

At the same time, reduce oxidation and inflammation with a highly bioavailable curcumin extract. Inflammation on the interior of the blood vessel is the first step in plaque development, and curcumin will greatly inhibit this process. However, not just any curcumin will do. Curcumin is hard to absorb. In order to get therapeutic levels of curcumin in the blood stream, it should have clinically-proven enhanced absorption. I prefer curcumin extracts complexed with essential turmeric oils and naturally occurring plant phospholipids. I never recommend those blended with piperine for absorption, because piperine (extract of black pepper) is hard on the liver, and interacts with the majority of drugs on the market, including anti-seizure, blood pressure, heart rhythm, and cancer drugs.

Omega 3 fatty acids are crucial for cholesterol balance and heart disease prevention/treatment. They balance cholesterol by reducing LDL while increasing HDL cholesterol, and reduce triglycerides. Omega 3s also have a great impact on systemic inflammation. But omega 3 fatty acids from fish oil are very poorly absorbed, and are bound to triglycerides. The better way to increase omega 3 fatty acids is to use salmon extracts utilizing Vectorization. This process yields a natural whole food omega 3 complex that has 50 times the absorption of fish oil with no rancidity or GI upset.

And last, greatly increase fiber in your diet. Why? Because fiber soaks up and transports cholesterol your body is trying to eliminate. Less fiber means more cholesterol is reabsorbed during the elimination process, and more fiber means it is effectively carried out of your body. Try for a total of 25 or more grams a day of dietary fiber from food, and add supplements if you cannot reach or exceed this total with diet alone.

These steps will be much more effective at balancing cholesterol (shifting away from LDL and towards HDL) and preventing heart disease than any statin drug, and all without damaging or life-threatening adverse effects.

Reprinted from http://www.terrytalksnutrition.com/weekly-articles/2010/06-11/

TerryLemerond

I finished my HCG... Now What?

2010-06-09T15:39:00.015-05:00

WOW! is all I can say about the success we have seen with the new homeopathic HCG drops. We have patients and friends who are anywhere from 60 to 100 pounds lighter than they were before the start of the HCG program. They are also excited about the benefits of this weight loss, such as; more energy, renewed self esteem, lower blood glucose levels and a great reason to go shopping for more clothes!

If you wish to learn more about the diet you can visit our website to view the program and how it works. What I wish to discuss in this message is "Now that I have lost this weight, how do I keep it off?"

As with any weight loss program, once the weight is off, you must follow a healthy diet and exercise in order to maintain your new shape. HCG is a safe and fast weight loss solution for those who have had problems losing weight in the past, and most do not gain the weight back. With a few lifestyle modifications and committing yourself to a regular exercise plan, you can manage your weight and keep it off! Part of the reason many people do not gain the weight back is metabolic. The body has re-learned to burn fat for energy and it is no longer storing fat for an emergency hunger situation. Humans should be fat burning machines.

The Standard American Diet (SAD) is high in processed foods and sugar. Often the body is provided too much of these types of foods and not enough lean protein, or vegetables (healthy carbs). This type of eating trains the body to burn sugar and non-complex carbs for energy, and when the body is provided this type of diet it forgets how to burn fat. These types of food also encourage over eating because they burn off so fast that you are hungry again shortly after eating them. For example, eating a piece of buttered toast would cause your body to burn off the toast and store the fat, and 20 minutes later you would want more to eat.

Now to the Meat and Potatoes of this discussion...

These are the things you want to do.

Exercise 200+ minutes a week (aerobic exercise is important for the whole body).

Drink lots of clean filtered water, free of chlorine other chemicals (reverse osmosis is best)

Avoid bottled beverages - no flavored waters, no soda or diet drinks, no carbonated beverages - I know it's no fun but... let's be realistic!

Eat healthy fats - nuts, olive oil, avocado, tuna, sardines

Focus on lean proteins - farm raised eggs and chicken, fish, turkey, free range lean beef etc...

Eat more vegetables - 8 out of 10 bites of food should be veggies and fruit.

Variety is key - eat lots of different colors of vegetables and fruits --antioxidants come in many colors!

For a really good list of foods to eat abundantly, moderately and to avoid go to our website and download leptin resistance. This plan explains why some of us burn fat better than others and has a very comprehensive list of foods.

Some things to avoid

cow's milk

ice cream

corn oil

lard

sugars (anything that ends in "ose" is a sugar)

high sugar fruit - such as; bananas, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapes and dried fruits

fried foods

juices - especially ones made from concentrate. The best part of a fruit is the whole fruit, the juice is just the sugar part!

For more information on how to make sure your body continues to burn fat for energy click here and print out the leptin diet.

Natural Heart Health

2010-06-04T09:23:00.011-05:00

Are you looking for a way to care for your heart and cardiovascular system naturally? There are natural means of reducing blood pressure, maintaining healthy arteries and lowering LDL cholesterol. Speaking with your naturopathic and chiropractic physician should be your first step in learning how to help manage these things without drugs, but we will discuss some of the alternative methods here.

Blood Pressure - the number one addition to your natural health care regimen should be to get 200 minutes of aerobic exercise a week. Walking, swimming and other blood pumping activities are a great way to help lower blood pressure, and help the body deal with daily stress.

Secondly, stress should be dealt with and managed. There are many kinds of stress and some stressors are healthy, but emotional stress can have a negative effect on your health.

In addition to regular exercise and the reduction of stress there are several herbs and foods which can help reduce blood pressure, and stress; such as, Hawthorne, Garlic and Resveratrol.

Cholesterol - Eating fatty foods, particularly fried foods, can thicken the blood which increases the risk of cardiovascular concerns such as heart attack and stroke. This is compounded by plaque in the arteries, which narrows the arteries and restricts blood flow. You can see how these two things together can increase your chances of having a heart related problem. Again, diet and exercise play a role in lowering cholesterol. It is also a good idea to evaluate liver health when considering cholesterol levels, since the liver makes most of the cholesterol in our body.

When considering whether your cholesterol levels are within a healthy range you can use this formula. Take your total Cholesterol number and divide it by the HDL number, for example if your total cholesterol is 240 and your HDL cholesterol is 60 then your coronary risk factor is 4. We prefer to see a risk factor of 4 or less in our patients.

Good additions to your diet and nutritional regimen should be Garlic and Onions, along with Bromelain and Hawthorne to help reduce cholesterol levels in the blood.

Hawthorne has been used since the 17th century for heart health, and may be beneficial not only for the heart but for the kidneys as well. Hawthorne can increase the blood flow to the heart, increase the pumping action and reduce the workload of the heart muscle itself. Resulting in a steady heartbeat, increased performance and increased resistance to oxygen deficiency, such as during times of stress. It also may be used in cases of congestive heart failure. Many people use Hawthorne to relieve chest pain, and it may also help remove plaque buildup in the arteries which can lead to heart attack and stroke.

Garlic and Onions are both known to help the liver eliminate fats and cholesterol through the bile. Adding these two things to your diet can help the body naturally reduce the amount of cholesterol in the blood. These foods may also help reduce blood pressure. Garlic and Onions are best eaten raw or added to the recipe in the last couple minutes to add some flavor, but should stay as raw as possible. In order for Garlic to help it needs to be a regular part of the diet. You may also take a supplement if you do not like the flavor.

Bromelain is an anti-inflammatory, mucous reducer and a digestive enzyme. When taken with meals it helps to digest food. If taken away from meals it is beneficial to the flow of blood through the arteries and reduces inflammation in the body. Bromelain works like a blood thinner, but it does not thin the blood. It actually helps the blood flow better, by keeping it from sticking together. We recommend 2000 mg per day of this supplement when using it for cardiovascular health. It has no side effects and is safe for people of all ages. It is natural and made from pineapples. If you have an allergy to pineapple you should not use it. Essential fatty acids, such as fish oils and flax seed oil are also very effective and anti-inflammatory agents, as is vitamin C.

Resveratrol is a powerful antioxidant which has been shown to increase the health of the arteries. It has been said to slow down the ageing process, to reverse hardening of the arteries, increase energy, aid the body in processing high fat foods, and reduced blood sugar. Resveratrol supplements need to be processed carefully by a lab so be careful where you purchase it from. We have a product which we use for heart health that contains resveratrol and several other heart healthy nutrients. If you are interested please stop by our office for more information. Its name is Vasculosirt.

CoQ Enzyme 10 is another vital nutrient for heart and artery health. As we age, our bodies lose the ability to make our own CoQ 10. Supplementation is necessary to replace what we are lacking. If you are over 40 this is something you should consider adding to your daily nutrition. Co Q 10 may help with several other conditions such as diabetes and inflammation as well as adding a boost to your immune system.

There are other nutrients and foods that may help with heart health, these are just a few. Please stop by our office for more information on your particular concern. Because each person is different, there is no one size fits all approach to cardiac health.

Gout, Kidney Stones and Uric Acid

2010-05-21T09:44:00.012-05:00

Do you suffer from bouts with Gout or Kidney Stones?

These symptoms are caused mainly by an excess of uric acid in the blood. Uric acid can crystallize and form painful deposits in the joints or in the kidneys. Anyone who has suffered from this will tell you that it can be excruciating.

Often diet can be used to combat excess uric acid, but frequently nutrient supplementation is needed to alleviate symptoms and prevent future attacks. Food allergies can contribute to symptoms, and being overweight is a known factor in people who suffer from gout. Dieting, because of certain dietary changes can also trigger a gout attack. These are things which can be controlled, but in some cases a change in the weather or barometric pressure or stress can also trigger an attack of gout. Lets focus on what we can control.

Managing uric acid levels

Potassium is a key nutrient for helping the body balance uric acid levels. Fasting, diuretics and surgery are all known to deplete blood levels of potassium. Below are some foods that are high in potassium.

Baked Potatoes with the skin on. (Baked potatoes are not recommended for people who are watching their weight)

Sweet Potatoes

Avocado

Cantaloupe

Bananas

Orange Juice

Kidney Beans

Broccoli

Beets

Almonds

Walnuts

Depleted Vitamin B5 is also a concern for uric acid levels. You may take a supplement of Pantothenic acid (B5), or eat canned cherries to help fight off an attack of gout. You can also eat foods high in vitamin B5 to help prevent future attacks such as; Strawberries, Broccoli, Boiled Eggs, Sunflower Seeds or Winter Squash. Keep in mind that B5 does need other B vitamins to be utilized properly by the body, which is why getting it from food sources in addition to supplementation is the best plan. Vitamin C also helps the body with B vitamins. Quercetin has also been found to be beneficial. It is a potent antioxidant!

Uric acid is an ash left from protein metabolism. If the liver can not rid the body of this ash it accumulates, leading to gout. Some prescription drugs can cause uric acid to rise along with causing nutrient depletion of key nutrients like potassium, magnesium, sodium and calcium.

If your kidneys are not functioning properly it can also cause a build up of uric acid. Drinking soda, alcohol, caffeinated beverages and eating large amounts of protein will also add to uric acid production.

Foods to avoid

Organ Meats

Veal

Bacon

Sweetbreads, Baked Goods, Beer

Gravies

Broths and Bouillon

Turkey and Goose

Salmon, Mackerel, Trout, Cod, Herring, Sardines Crab and Shrimp

Peas, Beans, Lentils, Asparagus, Mushrooms, Cooked Spinach, Rhubarb and Cauliflower

Alcohol

Coffee - Caffeine impairs kidney function

Soda and simple sugars such as simple carbohydrates and saturated fats

Oatmeal

Some more great foods to include in your diet are:

Grapes (aid in elimination of uric acid)

Cherries ( Fresh is best, eat 6-8 between meals)

Garlic (minced and added to black cherry juice is useful)

Parsley (natural diuretic)

Strawberries (they neutralize uric acid)

Blueberries ( eases pain for gout)

Lemon Juice (fresh squeezed lemon juice is great for reducing uric acid also) Drinking the juice of one lemon in lukewarm water neutralizes acid.

For kidney stone relief you can drink lemon juice as the first option. Magnesium is also important for these attacks.

For a severe gout attack we recommend that you eat a can of cherries as soon as you feel it coming, but not marachino cherries. They have too much sugar! Cherries are high in vitamin B5 which helps to bring uric acid levels back to normal quickly.

We also have B5 available in supplement form at our office, which is beneficial for kidney stones and gout.

HBOT and Cerebral Palsy

2010-05-07T09:11:00.005-05:00

Cerebral Palsy and HBO Therapy (from Hbot today)

More than 500,000 Americans have cerebral palsy (CP). There are more than 4,500 new cases of CP each year. The term cerebral palsy is not a diagnosis; it is a loose descriptive term that is used to describe a group of chronic disorders—specifically, motor disorders—which impair the control of movement. These disorders usually appear in the first few years of life.

Cerebral refers to the brain's two hemispheres, or halves that contain the higher nerve centers. Palsy refers to any condition marked by tremor or any disorder that impairs control of body movement. CP is not describing disorders in the muscles or in the nerves. The impairment stems from damage to the motor areas of the brain, which in turn cause the brain to poorly control movement of the body's muscles.

What is the Cause of CP?

Although it was once believed that birth complications were the most frequent cause of cerebral palsy, we now know that such complications account for just a fraction of the cases. A study by the Federal Government's National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) in the 1980s confirmed that birth complications accounted for probably less than 10 percent of the total cases of CP. This drastically altered medical theories about cerebral palsy. The NINDS study also confirmed that in most cases, no direct cause for CP could be found.

Types of Cerebral Palsy

There are four broad categories of cerebral palsy: spastic, athetoid, ataxic, and mixed forms that are defined by the type of movement disturbance disorder in each case. Spastic cerebral palsy affects 70 to 80 percent of patients. Patients who suffer from spastic cerebral palsy have muscles that are stiffly and permanently contracted. Doctors often describe the type of spastic cerebral palsy a patient has based on which limbs are affected.

Medical Disorders

There are other medical disorders associated with cerebral palsy. These include:
Seizures or epilepsy. Up to half of all children with CP experience one form of seizure or another.

Mental impairment. Although about one-third of children with CP are not intellectually impaired, one-third are mildly impaired, and the remaining third are moderately to severely impaired.

Vision and hearing problems. A large number of children with CP have a condition called "strabismus," characterized by the eyes failing to properly align because of differences in the left and right eye muscles.

Growth problems. A syndrome called failure to thrive is common in children with moderate to severe cerebral palsy. Failure to thrive is a term that is used to describe growth and development that does not meet realistic expectations in infants and children.

Sensation and perception problems. The ability to feel certain sensations, such as touch and pain, can be impaired in some children with CP. These children may also have stereognosia, a condition characterized by difficulty identifying objects using the sense of touch.

Hyperbaric Oxygen (HBO) Therapy

HBO therapy is a medical treatment that uses the administration of 100 percent oxygen at controlled pressure (greater than sea level) for a prescribed amount of time—usually 60 to 90 minutes. HBO therapy is commonly used to treat conditions such as burns and difficult healing wounds. HBO therapy facilitates healing in these conditions by increasing the amount of oxygen in the blood by up to 2000 percent, depending on the treatment depth. This in turn dramatically increases the amount of oxygen at the cellular level.

In the case of cerebral palsy in children, HBO therapy is administered at 1.5 ATA or equivalent to a depth of 16.5 feet below sea level. Some research has been completed using treatment depths up to 1.75 ATA, or 25 feet below sea level, with positive results. Each treatment lasts one hour and one or two treatments are prescribed each day, five or six days per week. The total number of treatments given in each case varies. It is common to administer 40 treatments in the first phase of treatment. The question of further HBO therapy is then resolved by the medical team involved in each case and is dependent upon a number of factors. However, many believe that if improvement is observed in the first phase of treatment, then a break of one to four weeks should be taken, followed by another 40 HBO treatments.

At the Chico Hyperbaric Center we use a multiplace chamber, which allows a parent to be in the chamber with their child during treatment. Also, no patient at the Chico Hyperbaric Center undergoes treatment without a health care professional in attendance during treatment.

Promising Therapy

Why does HBO therapy show promise in helping cerebral palsy patients? First, let's confirm some previously mentioned facts. Cerebral palsy is the result of damage to motor areas in the brain. This in turn disrupts the brain's ability to properly control the movement of the body's muscles.

What causes this damage?

A National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) study found that in most cases of CP, no direct cause for the damage could be found. In other words, cerebral palsy is a result of the brain not properly communicating with the muscles because the brain has been damaged for one reason or another. Documentation now exists that clearly shows that HBO therapy can dramatically improve some CP symptoms. For example, a study in Brazil1 revealed a 50 percent reduction in spasticity of 94 percent (218 patients) of the patients involved in the study. Improvements have also been seen with vision, hearing, and speech. However, one should understand that improvement, if any, will vary from patient to patient. (Also see the CP section of our Patient's Feedback page for one parent's view of how HBO therapy at the Chico Hyperbaric Center positively affected her child.)

Dormant Areas

Back to our question, "Why does HBO therapy show promise in helping cerebral palsy patients?" In order to answer this question we need to look at one of the terms that we use to describe the type of brain injury involved in cerebral palsy. The term is traumatic brain injury.Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a condition in which certain nerve cells in the brain may be permanently destroyed. Conditions such as stroke and cerebral palsy are forms of TBI. It is important to note that although some of the brain may be permanently damaged when TBI occurs, a much larger area surrounding the permanently damaged area may also be affected. This larger area may be in a dormant state because the amount of oxygen it receives has been reduced due to a decrease in blood flow. Swelling and a change in cell physiology can cause reduced blood flow.

Reduced blood flow—and the resulting decrease in oxygen levels at the cellular level—as well as the swelling of brain tissue are of particular importance when attempting to understand traumatic brain injury and cerebral palsy in children. This is because some researchers believe that the lack of oxygen and swelling of brain tissue plays a part in the inability of the myelin sheaths to develop.

Myelination

Myelin sheaths are coverings that protect nerve fibers in the brain. These nerve fibers connect the brain to the spinal cord and they play an important role in impulse transmission. The process of myelination—that is, the action of the delicate myelin sheath cells as they envelop the brain's nerve fibers—begins a month prior to birth and continues until about two years of age. If myelination does not properly occur, the nerve fibers are left exposed and they slowly deteriorate. This disrupts communication between the controlling nerve cells in the brain and the muscles. The result may be spasticity. Given the presence of just a small amount of oxygen, the cells in the dormant area may remain in this suspended animation state for many years. The dormant area is often referred to as "not dead but sleeping." This is where HBO therapy shows such promise. It is believed that the high oxygen levels that are attained in the body's cells during HBO therapy cause a physiological change to the cells of this dormant area—effectively waking them up—thus, increasing the capacity for recovery. It is also believed that HBO therapy reduces swelling in the brain by constricting blood vessels, and provides an ideal internal environment for the growth of new brain tissue.It should be remembered that HBO therapy is not a cure, but a method of ensuring that the most complete recovery possible takes place. The degree of improvement will vary from patient to patient because the amount and type of damage to the brain varies with each patient.

The SPECT Scan

Modern technology has been a positive factor in the treatment of cerebral palsy and other forms of traumatic brain injury. Specifically, SPECT imaging, or what is commonly termed the SPECT scan, is helping to identify those parts of the brain that are in a dormant state due to a lack of oxygen. As Dr. Philip James of the Wolfson Hyperbaric Medicine Unit at the University of Dundee in Scotland has stated, "Loss of function in the brain can be either due to tissue swelling, which is reversible, or tissue destruction, which is not."2 When we combine what Dr. James said with what the SPECT scan can do, it is clear that the SPECT scan can help us identify those parts of the brain that stand a chance of being revived.

SPECT stands for Single Photon Emission Computed Tomography. The SPECT scan can give a clear picture of which parts of the brain are awake and working, which parts are dormant and sleeping, and which parts are lifeless and permanently damaged. This is of particular significance when considering HBO therapy because, to be blunt, the SPECT scan has the ability to indicate if HBO therapy is working or not by monitoring the change in brain tissue blood flow.

Let's Sum Up

Some brain cells become dormant due to a lack of oxygen, which can be caused by reduced blood flow. Swelling can cause reduced blood flow. HBO therapy has been shown to reduce the swelling of brain tissue by constricting blood vessels. Also, HBO therapy dramatically increases the amount of oxygen at the cellular level, which, it is believed, may revive dormant, oxygen starved areas of the brain. The ability to perform a SPECT scan before and after a course of HBO therapy can help identify those parts of the brain affected by the therapy. The SPECT scan will identify those areas of the brain that have reacted in a positive manner to an increase in oxygen, indicating the potential for recovery.

Timing Is Important

Obviously, the earlier that HBO therapy can be administered, the better the opportunity for recovery. However, HBO therapy has been shown to resolve tissue swelling even after the lapse of years. It is hoped that HBO therapy will also help revive the secondary, dormant areas of the brain that are not permanently damaged. This appears to be true for stroke patients and there are encouraging results indicating that this may also be true for cerebral palsy patients as well.

Risks?

HBO therapy is a medical procedure, and like any other medical procedure there can be risks. However, when HBO therapy is administered by trained health care individuals these risks are minimal. (As with any medical procedure, the evaluation and understanding of the current health status of the patient is of prime importance.) Minor ear discomfort is the most common complaint related to HBO therapy. This may present a greater concern with young children who cannot verbalize this discomfort. It is helpful to remember that the initial stage of each HBO treatment session is similar to sitting in an aircraft while it descends. Like the airline passenger, the patient's ears have to adjust to a change in air pressure. The hyperbaric health care professional works with the patient or parent and teaches them various techniques on how to equalize pressure in the ears, such as swallowing.If one cannot equalize the pressure in the ears, damage can occur to the eardrum. However, this is very rare. Some individuals who experience discomfort with their ears may require a procedure called a Myringotomy, or what is commonly called placing tubes in the ears. An ear, nose and throat specialist usually performs this outpatient procedure right in the doctor's office.Other complications can occur if a patient has lung abnormalities such as emphysema. However, with proper evaluation prior to HBO treatment any concerns can be eliminated. There is no evidence that other potential problems associated with much deeper depths are a concern at the relatively low pressures attained during HBO therapy for cerebral palsy patients (1.5 ATA or equivalent to a depth of 16.5 feet below sea level).

Research

The benefits of treating cerebral palsy with HBO therapy appear to be very positive. Several research studies have been completed, including studies at the University of Texas Medical Center (UTMC) and McGill University in Montreal, Canada. Some controversy exists with respect to the McGill study as results indicated the placebo group, treated with ambient air at 1.3 ATA, showed improvement similar to the group treated with HBO. Most experts agree that the methodology for evaluation in the McGill study was not optimal. Other research continues and more recently Dr. Maurine Packard of NY Presbyterian Hospital studied the effects of HBO in children ages 1-5 with moderate to severe CP. These studies and additional research will add to our knowledge and understanding of CP and HBO therapy. For the complete text of these studies, and others, please visit the Research Studies section of this site or click on the following link: http://hbotoday.com/treatment/clinical/researchstudies.

References:

Jose Jorge Machado, Clinically Observed Reduction of Spasticity in Patients with Neurological Diseases and in Children with Cerebral Palsy from Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. Machado is Neurological Advisor of "Centro Brasileiro de Medicina Hyperbarica" - Rua Bento de Andrade, 70, Sao Paulo, Brazil.

James, Phillip. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Cerebral Palsy Children.

Paleg, Ginny. Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Individuals with Neurological Dysfunction.

Ocean Hyperbaric Center. New Hope for the Neurologic Damaged Child, Cerebral Palsy, Anoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy and Traumatic Brain Injury

Southern Medical Journal, September 1994, Vol. 87, No. 9; An Investigation of the Treatment of Cerebral Palsy Children with Hyperbaric Oxygenation Using Spect Imaging.

National Foundation for Brain Research, Cerebral Palsy, 1996

What is a DABCI?

2010-05-03T16:39:00.016-05:00

DABCI is an acronym for Diplomate of the American Board of Chiropractic Internists. A chiropractic internist is a doctor who uses specific diagnostic skills to diagnose and treat a wide variety of internal disorders. These doctors are the "cream of the crop" when it comes to diagnosing chronic illnesses and in many instances can help people who have been told "there is no more we can do." They are also very educated in disease prevention and achieving and maintaining optimal health!

DABCI diplomate doctors have completed an additional 300 hours of classroom instruction on the inner workings of the human body and the processes that keep it functioning at its optimal level. Often these criteria are overlooked or ignored by standardized medicine. There is nothing "cookie cutter" about a DABCI doctor's practice. These specially skilled doctors look at each patient as an individual, their patient history, blood work, level of health, overall appearance and attitude, are all taken into account before a diagnosis can be made.

DABCI practitioners are skilled at getting to the core of the problem and treating the cause of the symptoms. They do not treat symptoms, they treat the disease process. Many illnesses that modern medicine has no cure for can be treated by DABCI doctors with much success. Illnesses such as fibromyalgia, chron's disease, IBS, migraine headaches, lyme disease, heart disease and diabetes can be greatly improved and often completely resolved with natural therapies offered by these doctors.

Many times, DABCI practitioners, through specialized diagnostic testing and skills, can pinpoint health problems before symptoms become evident and prevent illness from occurring. These specialized tests are not new, nor are they only used by the DABCI doctor, but in the hands of a DABCI practitioner these tests are indispensable tools for detecting future health concerns. The tests themselves are the same tests that are run at many clinics and hospitals. It's how the tests are interpreted and understood which makes the difference.

DABCI doctors understand that occasionally a person does need critical or crisis care, and must be sent to the hospital for emergency intervention, but in many cases these crises can be prevented by taking charge of health before the situation becomes critical. It's this skill that DABCI doctors hold dear; the ability to help people overt serious health problems with lifestyle changes and proper nutrition.

Changing habits and balancing nutrition is an effort that takes time and requires the patients participation and commitment. Many conditions can be eliminated rather quickly with minor changes to eating habits and nutritional supplementation, but some conditions require a more complex approach and complete health may take a little longer to achieve. Having a healthy body without the intervention of drugs is something that many people wish to accomplish. DABCI doctors are very well educated on how to prevent disease, as well as, how to treat it with natural therapies and nutrition. If you wish to learn how to help yourself and your family live longer, more active and healthy lives call your DABCI practitioner today. For a list of practicing DABCI doctors in the US you can go to our website www.drkessinger.com/dabci_locator.html. Doctors are listed by state and can be found through their local phone directory.

Why do we cough, sneeze and experience other symptoms?

2010-04-22T09:08:00.014-05:00

Did you know that coughing, sneezing, runny nose and eyes, diarrhea and fever are natural responses to bacteria, viruses and allergens? Your body knows to do these things to rid itself of invading organisms. Of course, many of us find these symptoms bothersome and difficult to deal with. Before you reach for that bottle of fever reducer or cold medicine, you should think about how your body functions.

The symptoms that your body exhibits when you have a cold or flu are actually an immune response. Your body coughs to clear out the lungs, sneezes & sniffles to rid the sinus passages of dirt and germs, watery eyes cleanse the soft tissue of the eye, fever is to make the body less habitable for organisms, and diarrhea is to rid the intestines of unwanted organisms.

When you look at it this way, it makes less sense to run right to the medicine cabinet and reach for an over the counter relief product, doesn't it? Your body has an innate ability to heal itself, when it is provided with proper nutrition and rest. Why would you want to stop your body from doing what it does best? Taking medicines to reduce the normal symptoms of a cold or flu can actually prolong the duration of an illness, because the body can not expel the invading organisms like it needs to. Of course, we all have responsibilities and things to do, but if we take the time to rest and allow our body to heal itself we would be healthy, and back on course much sooner.

Natural Solutions

Prevention is key, but even the most healthy person gets a bug occasionally. Maintaining a strong immune system is vital to avoiding the seasonal viruses that seem to run rampant through schools and work places. Below are some great ways to help boost your body's natural response and immunity.

Vitamin A - Vitamin A is often overlooked, but its role in immune health is not to be undersold. Vitamin A is depleted when the immune system is in high gear and fighting off bugs. Replacing this vitamin is very important for children and adults alike. Supplementation is available, and eating foods such as; carrots, spinach, apricots, cantalope, sweet potatoes, dark leafy greens, and other orange colored vegetables can increase your vitamin A levels over time. It is important to make sure your diet contains these foods regularly.

Vitamin C - This vitamin can not be made by the human body. It is very important to cell growth, immune health, cancer prevention and other body functions. Eating citrus fruits frequently and taking a good vitamin C supplement is necessary for a healthy immune system.

Vitamin D - This nutrient is key in immune health and almost all Americans are low on vitamin D. This vitamin is not taken in by eating foods, it is metabolized by the body when exposed to the sun. Even in the summer time we do not absorb enough of the suns rays to metabolize adequate levels of this important vitamin. Before you take a D supplement you should have your levels checked, and your physician should monitor your levels to ensure they are in optimal range. Vitamin D not only helps fight depression, autoimmune disease and fibromyalgia, it is known to reduce the risks of certain kinds of cancer, too.

Vitamin E - An antioxidant, helps the body reduce free radicals and is an essential nutrient for immune health. It is known to prevent certain types of cancer, heart disease, eye disorders and mental disorders.

In addition to the nutrients listed above there are many other nutrients that are required for a healthy body. Some of these include, zinc, iron, iodine and essential fatty acids. If you are concerned about managing a healthy immune system, feel free to stop in and talk to our staff about what you can do to increase your odds of staying healthy.

Reducing Allergic Reactions

For those of us that have seasonal allergies, immune health is very important. Allergies are a sign that the immune system is not opperating at its optimum level. Along with supporting the immune system allergy sufferers must take an active role in preparing their bodies to deal with the symptoms of allergies.

Symtom prevention - We use a product in our office which contains Quercitin, a powerful flavonoid, which helps to stabilize mast cells. Mast cells are the cells responsible for releasing histamine and other symptom producing chemicals into your blood stream. Quercitin strengthens mast cells and helps to prevent histamine release. (Histamine is what causes those annoying sinus and respiratory symptoms.) This product also has vitamin C, and Stinging Nettles Leaf, which is great to help support sinus passageway health. Bromelain is also used as an anti-inflammatory and it helps the body to absorb quercitin, along with supporting normal mucosal tissue. This great allergy fighting combination would not be complete without N-Acetyl L Cyeteine, which is also great for reducing the viscosity of mucous. We use this product for anyone who is suffering from an allergy or who wishes to prevent symptoms in the future.

Homeopathic remedies are also helpful with symptom prevention. Homeopathic tinctures which help the body build its response to specific allergens have been used for hundreds of years. There are options for broad spectrum products or to target specific allergens like cat dander or ragweed. These products can help your body become desensitized to a specific allergen so that your response is lessened over time.

Exercise is also important. In order for your immune system to operate at its optimum level, you must get regular exercise. Exercise promotes blood flow to all parts of your body, and by doing this it helps the body carry the important nutrients that all cells need to their destinations, along with carrying away things it no longer needs. Oxygen, which is increased by exercise, is vital to every cell in your body, and exercise is the best way to get it to those cells.

I hope you feel more educated about those annoying symptoms that happen when your body senses an invader. I also hope that you will think twice before you pop a pill for those symptoms in the future. Occasionally, we must do something to reduce the symptoms of a virus or allergy, but remember that by doing so we are hampering our bodies natural ability to handle things its own way.

Summer Time is BBQ Time

2010-04-15T11:27:00.008-05:00

Did you know that illnesses like Rheumatoid Arthritis were never seen before man learned to conquer fire and use it to cook their foods? Using fire to cook meats is a fun and tasty way to make your summer meals, but keep in mind that cooking meat at high temperatures may not be healthy for you or your family.

The National Cancer Institute reports that cooking meat increases the amount of heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are created when amino acids and creatine (found in muscle meats) react at high temperatures. Muscle meats, which are the meats most commonly used for outdoor cooking, are where higher levels of HCAs are found. The NCI also states that there are 4 factors that are included in HCA formation: type of food, cooking method, temperature, and time. One study conducted by researchers showed a threefold increase in the content of HCAs when the cooking temperature was increased from 200° to 250°C (392° to 482°F). The burnt portions or well done parts of the meat are higher in HCAs than the rare portions of the meat.

Most will agree that baking, stewing, poaching or boiling meats are the best ways to reduce the levels of HCAs. By cooking muscle meats slowly and at a lower temperature you can reduce the amounts of these possible cancer causing carcinogens formed during cooking.

Some believe that using spices or marinades that are high in antioxidants may reduce the amount of HCAs created when barbecuing, but you must be careful not to use marinades that are high in sugar. Making your own, is the best way to maintain control of what goes into the marinade.

From a health and wellness viewpoint, we recommend that you eat your vegetables and fruits as raw as you can, and with the skin on when possible. Meat should be cooked to kill bacteria and contaminants, but you should cook it on a low temperature for a longer period of time to reduce the HCAs. Most meats purchased at the market will tell you on the label what the temperature of the meat should be in order to be eaten safely.

If you are concerned about lessening your risk factors for cancer or reducing inflammation in your body, HCAs are definitely something you should consider when planning your summer meals. Using antioxidant spices to reduce the occurance of HCAs is a great idea, and making your own marinade can give you braggin' rights all summer long.

Bone Density and Osteoporosis

2010-03-31T09:57:00.015-05:00

Have you had a bone density test?

Do you know what information a bone density test provides you?

Do you know if your calcium or vitamin D levels are in an optimal range?

Your bones are not just bones. Bones are actually a living organ system that protects your internal organs, give you strength and the ability to move, and they are a vital part of blood cell production.

All of the systems in your body, including your bones, are constantly being torn down and rebuilt. The old cells are recycled and new ones are created to take their place. As a growing child bones are very flexible, but as they age they become more brittle. If proper nutrition is not provided to nourish the bones they can become brittle or weak, because they are not able to properly rebuild. This process is called bone loss. Bone loss causes the bones to become more porous and less flexible; therefore, more breakable!

Using prescription drugs to prevent osteoporosis actually defeats the purpose. These drugs stop the bones from tearing down and rebuilding the old bone cells. Which results in more dense, but old, fragile bones. Some drugs claim to stop bone loss, however if we stop the body from doing what it is meant to do, we can not expect it to function properly. Preventing bones from getting rid of old, used bone cells does not result in stronger bones. Supporting the body's natural process of rebuilding is what we should be focusing on.

Calcium alone does not make strong bones. It requires vitamin D, phosphorus and magnesium in the proper ratios (among other things) to provide the nutrients that bones need to rebuild. This said, these nutrients must be in the proper ratios in order to be effective. For Example; eating a diet high in phosphorus can cause the body to pull calcium from the bones to help the body process excess phosphorus. Carbonated beverages are high in phosphorus, and phosphorus requires calcium to be utilized by the body; so by consuming soft drinks (soda) and having insufficient calcium in your diet, you are depleting your bones every time you drink a soda. The same process happens if you have a low blood calcium and your body needs calcium for something, it pulls it from your bones! Sugar can also upset the balance of phosphorus/calcium in your body. Osteoporosis is not just a problem for the elderly any more!

Vitamin D has been found to be a very important nutrient and is essential for calcium absorption. Most Americans are low in vitamin D because of a lack of sun in the winter time, and many use sunscreen when outdoors. It is important to know what your vitamin D levels are, and take a supplement if necessary. Vitamin D supplementation can be very tricky and if you do not use an easy to absorb form, you are wasting your money. Vitamin D supplementation should be monitored by a health care practitioner. Vitamin D is responsible for helping calcium to be absorbed, building the immune system, fighting some kinds of cancers, and believe it or not, scientists are still learning about this wonderful vitamin.

Magnesium is found in the bones, but is also used in other body functions. It is known to assist in muscle relaxation, cardiovascular function and many other processes in the body. Calcium and magnesium also work together just as calcium works with phosphorus and vitamin D. If magnesium levels are too low or too high, it can be a serious condition.

The acid in your stomach is also an important factor in the utilization of calcium and other nutrients. If antacids are taken to reduce stomach acid, then calcium is not properly broken down and it can not be utilized by the body. Some antacids brag that they have calcium in them, but the calcium in those antacids (calcium carbonate) is not easily absorbed by the body, and if the stomach acid is reduced by the antacid.... how are you supposed to digest that calcium anyway?

All forms of calcium are not created equally. Calcium citrate is the most readily absorbed by the body. Calcium lactate is great for muscle cramps, and calcium gluconate is most often used for children. Again, taking a calcium supplement without the supporting minerals and vitamins doesn't provide the proper balance, so it's important to discuss this with your doctor.

Osteoporosis can be prevented, and in most cases reversed. Nutrients are very important in this process, but weight bearing exercise is also very important. The bone's ability do stay dense hinges on the body's need for bone strength. If you compare a sedentary person and an active person of the same age and sex with similar diets, the active person will have a higher bone density than the sedentary person. The body only does what it deems is necessary for survival and if you are not using your bones, you lose them!

Most hip fractures are not caused by a fall, but instead, actually cause the fall. Spontaneous hip fracture is common in the elderly. Sometimes they are the result of a simple twist which snaps the bone and causes the person to fall. These hip fractures caused by osteoporosis tend to force the individual to be confined to a wheelchair and can be very painful. Many people never fully recover from this type of fracture. Many times these painful falls could be prevented by proper dietary changes, regular weight bearing exercise, and necessary supplementation.

A bone density test can be done at any age, and provides you a comparison of what your bones look like compared to other healthy people your age. This information can be a pivotal point in your own personal health care goals. Having your bone density and vitamin levels checked is crucial in managing bone loss. Call us today to schedule an appointment to make sure that your bones are healthy and strong.

For a short video on Osteoporosis click here.

You really are what you eat!!!

2010-03-30T10:39:00.014-05:00

Hippocrates said "Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food." This statement is as important now as it was then. Nutrition that we gain from our foods and nutritional supplementation are more beneficial than drugs for most any condition. The body knows what to do with food substances. It many times does not know what to do with chemicals or drugs. Drugs cause the body to have a specific reaction, which is why they are used. Unfortunately, forcing the body to react a certain way in one area... may cause other body parts, organs or processes to be negatively effected. If you watch the commercials on TV about prescription drugs, they are always followed by a disclaimer that says what all of the side effects could be, and some of them say that liver (or other) testing is required, to monitor possible negative effects.

The body is so complex, and has the innate ability to heal itself when the components that it requires are made available. The sources of these components are very important. Using food as a source for nutrients is multifaceted when it comes to the benefits that the body receives. For example, a medium sized apple contains about 80 calories. These 80 calories not only contain necessary fiber and vitamin C, but potassium and natural sugars. These small things are utilized by the entire body, not just one part. Apples also burn more calories during digestion than they provide when consumed. The same with broccoli, grapefruit and many other fresh food options. For more information on negative calorie foods visit our website at http://www.drkessinger.com/images/negative_foods.pdf.

In healthy individuals most of the nutrients that are required by the body can be delivered by a well balanced diet. On the other hand, if a body is not functioning properly or a disease process has already developed, higher concentrations of nutrients may be required to reverse the effects. In this situation supplementation is necessary. As we age we also lose the ability to process, create and absorb some nutrients that our bodies need to stay healthy. A good example of this is calcium. As we age our stomach acid becomes weaker and this makes the absorption of calcium more difficult. This process, coupled with other changes that happen to our bodies as we age (like lack of physical activity, and reduced sun exposure) can lead to osteoporosis in some individuals. As you can imagine, nutritional supplementation is required to combat these types of conditions.

Poor dietary choices and malnutrition have been linked to Fibromyalgia, ADHD, ADD, Heart Disease, Diabetes and many other preventable illnesses. Most times with nutritional counseling and supplementation to level out the body's functions, persons in an ill state of health find their symptoms are greatly reduced or eliminated.

In most cases, a pharmaceutical drug is not necessary to achieve optimal health. Of course in an acute situation, drugs may be required to quickly restore a bodily function. Prevention of these acute situations is the best way to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Each of us is created differently, and our body's ability to process nutrients varies. Proper nutrition and necessary nutritional supplementation will differ from person to person. As I mentioned before, the body is a complex system, and each of its functions depends on another equally important function to operate at its optimum level. If one of our body's systems is not functioning at an optimal level, it affects the entire body.

In short... a healthy life requires that you do a few important things, and not do a few things

DO

Eat a well balanced diet - lean protein, fresh vegetables, raw fruits, whole grains, healthy fats....
Exercise regularly - one of the most important things you can do to stay healthy
Drink lots of CLEAN water - The body requires water free from chlorine, fluorine and other chemicals.
Take your supplements - if your body is not functioning at its optimal level, dietary changes and supplementation maybe required to return it to a healthy level.
Get some sun - 10-15 minutes of unprotected sun 3-4 times a week is important for health
Avoid inflammatory foods - Cows Milk, Pork, Chocolate, fried foods refined sugars and processed flours

DON'T

Smoke - if you do, STOP
Eat hydrogenated/trans fats - change to healthy oils and fats (olive oil, nuts etc...)
Eat refined sugars and processed flours - if it comes in a package.... it's likely not good for you
Drink carbonated beverages - Diet or not, avoid all soda. It has no nutritional value and depletes nutrients that your body needs

Following these simple rules can help your body function as it was meant to. Eating a healthier diet can reduce inflammation, help maintain a healthy weight and increase energy! Each of us must be responsible for our own health, and if something doesn't seem right, check it out. The doctors in our clinic focus on whole body health, and we think that you should too!

Homeopathic HCG

2010-03-25T09:28:00.003-05:00

Homeopathic remedies are created based on the idea that “Like treats Like.” For hundreds of years, people have been treated using this philosophy. Homeopathic physicians learned that if you find a substance that causes a specific symptom in an individual, when you reduce it down to minute particles in water, it can cure those symptoms. The final result of this dilution leaves only a “pattern” of the original substance, but because the body knows how to react to the substance, it also recognizes the pattern of it. This works very well in instances where the substance itself causes side effects, because the homeopathic version will not cause side effects.

Recently, our office started to offer a homeopathic HCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) to our patients who wish to lose weight, and we are seeing amazing results. This product is less invasive than the original HCG, which was a daily shot. It is also much more economical than the actual hormone, and as I mentioned before, it has none of the well documented side effects. Watching people lose 20-30 pounds in a month has to be one of the most exciting things we get to do in our clinic. Not to mention that many of the people who have used the HCG homeopathic drops to lose those stubborn extra pounds are keeping the weight off. Some of these individuals have continued to lose weight after they completed their drops.

Our office offers nutritional counseling for those who are interested, and with our help you can reset your metabolism for permanent results. Following the HCG diet has its benefits also. We are finding that once a person stops eating carbohydrates and sugar for the 23-40 days that they are taking the drops, they no longer crave these things like before. This benefit is an amazing one, because it makes following a healthy eating plan much easier. We recommend that once the drops have been completed a person eat at least 6 small meals/snacks a day and choose good healthy foods. Vegetables, fruits, nuts, lean protein and whole grains are what we suggest for a healthy lifestyle.

Packaged foods are typically very low in nutrition and high in calories. If you eliminate these types of food from your diet, you will feel better, have more energy, avoid many chronic illnesses and live a longer more active life. Adding exercise to this great eating plan increases the benefits of a healthy diet even more!

Are Energy Drinks a good idea?

2010-03-15T12:22:00.011-05:00

Do you or your children drink energy drinks such as Red Bull, Monster or Rock Star? Have you ever read the label on these drinks?

I think that everything you put in your body should be considered for its nutritional value. Empty calories are definitely one of the reasons that America is the most overweight society in the world. What I mean by empty calories is, food or drinks that we consume which have very little nutritional benefit per calorie.

Energy drinks, though they do give you a burst of energy, are full of caffeine and sugar. One energy drink may have as much as 6 times the caffeine as a similar sized soda. Caffeine raises heart rate, and if consumed in high quantities, a person with heart problems could die from altered heart rhythm.

Some of the symptoms caused by energy drinks are:

Heart Rate Acceleration or Irregular Beat

Dehydration (caused by the diuretic effects of caffeine and excessive sweating)

Stomach Problems

Fatigue

Insomnia

High Blood Pressure

Weight Gain

Irritability

Energy drinks were not designed to quench your thirst. They do not hydrate the body, in fact, they cause dehydration through excess sweat production and frequent urination. This can cause an imbalance in electrolytes, which are what help your heart function properly. Caffeine can also cause heart burn.

Many people find that when they use energy drinks they have a boost of energy, but then they feel tired later, which causes them to drink more energy drinks. If you consume high doses of caffeine in the afternoon, it can disrupt normal sleep patterns and cause you to feel less rested in the morning. Which leads to weight gain, and irritability. Some things never change. Remember the Dr. Pepper sign is 10, 2 & 4, denoting the time of day you should consume it to cure the craving.

Consumption of sugar is linked to a low functioning immune system, ADD, ADHD, Fibromyalgia and many other physical ailments including Candida overgrowth. Reducing daily intake of sugar is recommended for all ages.

The natural approach to eliminating these drinks from your diet would be:

Get enough sleep ( most people need 7-8 hours a night to feel rested)

Get daily exercise - 20 minutes of walking at a fast pace

Eat more nutritious foods - get the best out of the calories you consume

Take a multi vitamin with B-Complex ( B vitamins help the body process glucose and turn it into energy)

Using chemicals to alter your body function is never recommended to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Doctors are still learning what high amounts of caffeine can do to a growing child. Parents should definitely limit intake of caffeine in children.

For a list of foods and their nutrients go to http://www.drkessinger.com/images/foods_nutrients.pdf.

March Madness - Health Check Up

2010-03-03T14:13:00.001-06:00

March is spring cleaning time, and the start of exterior home maintenance. The cold temperatures and freezing precipitation tend to take a toll on everything they come in contact with. As you walk around your home and yard this spring, surveying your next home improvement project, think about the other place you live, your body.

Over the years, time and environment take a toll on our bodies. Some of the wear and tear can be easily seen, like dry flaky skin, eczema and wrinkles. Other things like arterial plaque, cholesterol levels, bone density and organ health are not so easily spotted. Many people are not well versed on how to provide their bodies with nutritional food, and most get little or no exercise.

Fortunately, the residents in and around Rolla, MO have Kessinger Health and Wellness Diagnostic Centre to assist them with everything from aging gracefully, to whole body health. Providing nutritional information, top of the line supplements and holistic health care to people from all over the US, is something that makes us very proud. Each year, during the Month of March, we offer a great deal on a comprehensive health checkup. March Madness provides our patients with an economical option for an annual whole body check up.

Participants of March Madness have two options; for $199 you may receive a complete blood profile, Blood Pressure, Pulse and Oxygen levels, and a choice of one diagnostic test, or for $250 add all of our diagnostic testing options such as:

Computerized EKG/ ECG (for heart)
Computerized Spirometry (lung function)
Microscopic/Chemical Urinalysis (kidney)
Bone Density Testing (for Osteoporosis)
Body Fat Analysis (BMI)
Doppler Carotid Study (for circulation)

This spring while you are surveying your yard and home for repairs, check in with your body, and schedule a comprehensive health checkup. Let us help you live a longer, more active life.

I'm Tired Foggy and Irritable, and I LOVE Pastries!!! Could I Have a Yeast Overgrowth?

2010-02-18T13:08:00.013-06:00

Do you have some of these symptoms?

Stomach pains or digestion problems

Skin problems (skin infections, eczema, psoriasis, acne)

Brain Fog

Trouble with Concentration

Fatigue

Anxiety

Sinus problems

Acid Reflux

Mood swings

Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Irritability

Headaches

Crave sugars, sweets, and breads

Take Birth Control Pills or Steroids

Past Use of Antibiotics

It is possible that you have too much yeast in your body. All of us have Candida yeast in our bodies, but it's when there is an imbalance of intestinal flora that we start to see symptoms. Candida overgrowth can affect men, women and children of any age. Often children get white spots on their tongue, which is typically called thrush. Adults may experience rashes, and the most common symptom is a yeast infection, which can be on the skin or genitals (areas where it is warm and moist). Modern medicine's answer to these types of infections is to use an antifungal such as Diflucan®, which can cause liver or heart damage. These types of drugs do not correct the problem, nor do they replenish the good bacteria that is required for a healthy digestive and immune system.

Yeast overgrowth is related to many different illnesses. Many people who have chronic illnesses and chronic pain such as; Fibromyalgia and Chrons disease are suffering from yeast overgrowth. Candida can also be related to low immune response and a plethera of other conditions. Candidiasis can affect individuals for many years, and can be passed back and forth between spouses.

If you have a Candida infection, you must avoid sugar and processed foods. Refined carbohydrates and blood glucose feed candida, which is why people who suffer from a Candida overgrowth crave breads and sweets. Replenishing the good bacteria is also very important. We recommend a high quality pro-biotic product which has Lactobacillus acidophilus, lactobacillus paracasei, bifidobacterium bifidum, bifodobacterium lactis, lactobacillus plantarum, lactobacillus rhamnosus, and saccharomyces boulardii. Saccharomyces boulardii is known to assist healthy flora by helping it take a stronghold in the intestines and multiply. Monolauric acid is also beneficial to the intestinal flora. It aids the immune system to rid the gut of viruses.

If this approach does not level out the bacteria in the intestines, we may recommend other supplements such as oil of oregano and caprylic acid, in addition to a strong pro-biotic. Of course, each situation is different and an individual may need other supplementation depending on their body's needs.

Testing for Candida is possible, but often treatment is based on symptoms. Because Candida is such a widely spread concern for many people, most benefit immediately from the natural methods that we use in our clinic. You may have a yeast imbalance for years and never know it, and you may just have come to terms with the fact that you are tired and achy.

Reducing processed foods and sugars would benefit each and every one of us, regardless of the amount of Candida we have in our system. Avoiding antibiotics, birth control and steroids are also very good practices, but are crucial to a person who is concerned about Candida.

More information is available by calling or visiting our office. The symptoms for Candidiasis are similar to other conditions which may be serious. Please come in for an evaluation of your symptoms so that we may rule out other possible illnesses.

Are drug dealers targeting our children?

2010-02-17T13:27:00.010-06:00

This is a photo of a substance known as Strawberry Meth or Strawberry Quik. I received this photo from a friend who was concerned that children in our area may fall in to this trap. Supposedly this drug reacts like a popular candy called Pop Rocks. It snaps and pops in your mouth and has a sweet taste. According to Snopes.com it is indeed a possibility that these drugs which smell and taste like candy may make their way into our communities. Even though the text message I received may not be 100% accurate, I still believe that we should warn our children about the possibility of drugs that appear to be a candy like substance. If a child were to eat a handful of this methamphetamine it could make them very ill. Not to mention the fact that Meth is addictive, and many Americans have unintentionally become drug addicts by using Meth for recreational use or as a way to "stay awake" or "lose weight." Meth is speed, it is made of toxic substances and can cause brain damage, psychotic behavior and often causes Alzheimer like symptoms.

You may also go to the DEA website on Meth for more specific information. This webpage explains how the drugs are ingested and offers statistics regarding Meth usage.

Drugs are becoming more widespread in our society and the people who use drugs are from every walk of life. Old, Young, Rich, or Poor you can not judge whether a person uses drugs by the way they look or the lifestyle they live. Children and teenagers are particularly succeptible to drug and alcohol abuse.

If you are concerned about drug use in your family, our clinic offers several options for drug testing. We offer complete, accurate and confidential testing, and can provide instant tests which test 5 or 10 types of substances, and are great for testing current use. We also have more detailed testing that we can send to a lab and test for specific drugs. In addition, we offer hair folicle testing which tests previous drug levels over the course of several months. To view our price list and to get more information please go to our website at http://www.drkessinger.com/drug_screening.html.

I hope that you and your family never have a need for drug testing. If you do please call us for more information.

Are statin drugs safe for healthy people?

2010-02-11T15:29:00.009-06:00

According to some new information that's been hitting the presses lately, the FDA has approved using statin drugs such as Crestor in otherwise healthy adults to "prevent" high cholesterol. According to an article on National News Desk from Dec. 17, 2009, the FDA has approved statin drugs for people who have an elevated C-Reactive Protein, to reduce the risk of heart attack and strokes, but this benefit may increase the occurrence of diabetes in these patients.

As you well know, our practice has always taken the stance that healthy people don't need chemicals or drugs to stay healthy. If you read the article noted above it appears that the FDA would rather you die slowly from diabetes, than quickly from a heart attack... It makes no sense to trade one catastrophic event for another, especially when both type 2 diabetes and heart disease can be prevented by a healthy diet and a minimal amount of regular aerobic exercise. We prefer that you live a long prosperous life, and die naturally of old age!

It is becoming more and more obvious that we, as humans, must take responsibility for our own health. The current "health care system", which has trained doctors and patients alike to look to prescriptions and surgeries to change the outcome of our nations health, has come under much scriutiny this year. This challenge has brought to light the fact that, as a nation, we have become a complacent society; in more ways than just one. It is up to each of us, as individuals, to take stock in what is important for ourselves and our family, and change our future for the better.

C-Reactive Protein is an inflammation marker that we use in our clinic every day to help monitor the cardiovascular health of our patients. Often "CRP" can be lowered rather quickly with some minor changes to lifestyle, diet and nutrients. Hemoglobin A1C is also a test that is used to monitor a persons sugar levels over time. These two very simple blood tests are great ways to check a patients progress.

Keep in mind that when something is too good to be true, most times it is. When a study is published that goes against what you believe to be true, challenge it. Check to see who funded the study, and who completed it. If the company who completed the study stands to make money from the outcome of the information, then chances are the deck was stacked to come out on their side.

True wellness requires that you pay attention to your body, listen when it tells you something is not quite right, educate yourself on a healthy diet, and work in that 15-20 minutes of aerobic exercise every day. As our bodies age, we lose the ability to make and utilize some of the nutrients that we need to stay healthy, such as;

Essential Fatty Acids, commonly referred to as fish oil or Omega 3, 6, 9. Used to fight inflammation, ease depression and lube up the joints and arteries.

Vitamin D - the sunshine vitamin. Boosts the immune system, fights cancer cells, aids calcium absorption and many other great things yet to be discovered!

Vitamin E, a powerful antioxidant which also helps fight inflammation and is known to ease PMS and Menopausal symptoms too.

Vitamin C - Crucial to good health, known to fight cancer, build the immune system and has a chelating effect on the plaque in the arteries

Co-Q Enzyme 10 - many people over 40 have lost the ability to make this key antioxidant which is known to help reduce inflammation and lower C-Reactive Protein.

Alpha Liopoc Acid - another important element to health that is reduced with age, Alpha Lipoic Acid is known to reduce blood glucose levels by converting it to energy, it also eases neuropathy related to diabetes.

B-Complex - B Vitamins including folic acid are among some of the many essential vitamins and minerals that Americans lack. They are also the first to go when you are under constant stress. The body relies on B-vitamins for energy, and stress uses them up rather quickly.

Of course... I could go on all day about nutrients that supply your body with the help it needs to stay healthy...the point is... its up to you to stay well. No magic pill is going to rescue you from diabetes or heart disease if you eat a diet high in processed foods, sugar and fat.

If you wish to check your health status call us to set up your March Madness appointment. To get a complete work up its only $250.00. More information is available on our website at http://www.drkessinger.com/images/march.pdf

How is Your Blood Pressure?

2010-02-11T15:13:00.001-06:00

High blood pressure is called HYPERTENSION and is a "silent killer." It is closely associated with an increased risk of developing heart disease, stroke, poor circulation, and kidney disease.

There is no known cause for 95% of all hypertension.However, years of research have helped prove that hypertension is almost always due to numerous adverse health habits rather than any single cause.

Kidney disease is responsible for almost all the known causes of hypertension. Long term use of many common over-the-counter drugs are known to injure the kidneys. Such drugs include aspirin, ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin, Rufen), naproxen (Anaprox, Naprosyn, Aleve), and many others. Also, cold medications and many prescription drugs, such as oral contraceptives, can also increase blood pressure. Of course, adverse lifestyle habits (consumption of alcohol and caffeine, cigarette smoking, etc.) contribute to hypertension. While the potential risks of caffeine pale next to those of cigarette smoke and alcohol, when combined with either tobacco or alcohol the risk is greatly increased.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Department of Health and Human Services (NIH Publication No. 93-2669)reported that by far the safest and most desirable way to control blood pressure is lifestyle modification. In fact, they state that medication for hypertension should only be used when the blood pressure is dangerously high, and then used only until control can be maintained naturally.

There are several natural interventions that are recommended as therapies for hypertension.

Weight control - Excess weight greatly increases the risk of many serious conditions, including hypertension, and is an increasingly common health problem in the United States.

Regular exercise - Exercise has been shown to effectively improve all health complications. To be effective, the exercise program must sustain an increased heart rate for a minimum of 20 minutes daily.

Avoidance of tobacco smoke

Reduction or elimination of refined sugars, caffeine and alcohol

Increased consumption of fruits and vegetables - At least 5 different colors of fruits (not canned) or vegetables should be consumed every day, and 8 of every 10 bites should be from fruits or vegetables. (This is now the basic recommendation of the American Heart Association and the National Cancer Institute.)

Reduction of fatty foods - Red meat should be eaten less than once a week. Fried foods should be avoided. Preferred forms of cooked meats are broiled, boiled, baked or stewed.

Nutritional supplementation - Several supplements have been proven to help lower blood pressure, including calcium, potassium, fish oil, coenzyme Q-10, germanium, magnesium, and vitamins C and E. Several other nutrients are also often necessary.

Remember, there are no shortcuts to maintaining or regaining good health. No medication or combination of medications will ever be superior to healthy habits in preventing or reversing most diseases.

BMI Calculations are used to determine how much body fat a person has. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) has a calculator on their website for adults, children, men or women, because body mass does vary between sexes and ages. Feel free to visit their website and determine your body mass index.

A body mass index over 25 is considered to be overweight, 30 and above is defined as obese. People with a BMI over 30 are at risk for many health concerns.

If your BMI is over 25 or if you would like to discuss how to reduce your BMI, please call us. We have several different methods to assist you in increasing your healthy lifespan and reducing BMI. We utilize HCG, Nutritional Supplementation, Healthy Eating Habits and a physician directed support program called "A New You" to help our patients return to or manage a healthy weight.
Adult BMI Calculator
This calculator provides BMI and the corresponding BMI weight status category. Use this calculator for adults, 20 years old and older. For children and teens, 2 through 19 years old, use the BMI Calculator for Children and Teens.

Do your Feet Make Your Back or Knees Hurt? Orthotics May Help!

2010-01-21T08:55:00.030-06:00

The body is an amazing machine, designed so that all of its parts work together to achieve movement, digestion, thought processes and basic life as we know it. When one part of the body is not functioning at its optimal level the repercussions are felt in other locations. For example if you have one knee that is weak, the hip, back, other knee and leg take on the responsibility of making up for that weakness. Many times you do not feel these changes immediately because your body is made to keep functioning, even if it has to change the way it does things. Walking differently, or putting more weight on one leg constantly can cause posture changes, which can affect your entire spine and even cause headaches. Odd isn't it, that your knee could cause you to have a headache? This is because our bodies need balance to work properly.

Changes or modifications in the way we move, or balance ourselves, is meant to be a temporary shift to allow the other body parts to heal. When healing doesn't or can't happen due to injury or surgery, these permanent changes can cause an imbalance in your musculoskeletal system. This change typically results in chronic pain, and often the pain is not in the spot where you would expect it to be. Of course a chiropractic adjustment and treatment can relieve the pain and put the body back into alignment, but if the cause of the misalignment is foot imbalance then the problem will surely return. People who use orthotics often find that chronic pain in their knees, back or neck disappears.

Our feet are our base, our foundation, the stability resource for our entire musculoskeletal system. If our feet are not functioning properly our body compensates for this imbalance, but our knees, lower back, spine and neck will surely suffer from being out of alignment. Improperly balanced arches and other foot problems can be caused by injuries to the foot or leg, or from years of walking on hard surfaces with little or no support.

In order to find out if your feet are working as they should, you can have your feet scanned by Lucy in our office. Our foot scan program provides a free scan to anyone who wishes to find out what the condition of their feet is. It takes about 20 minutes and you get a picture like the ones below of your own feet. It shows what a foot with normal arches looks like and compares it to your feet.

What is the solution to the foot concerns shown above ??? It's a simple thing. Orthotics, balance the foot and change the way your weight is distributed onto your feet. This in turn makes you stand up straighter, walk taller and remove the strain on your muscles, tendons and bone structures.

Our office uses Footlevelers products. You can view their website for more information if you like at http://www.footlevelers.com/index.php .

Orthotics are a cost effective way to help manage many different chronic conditions caused by fallen arches or misaligned feet.

To schedule a foot scan please stop by our office or call Lucy to make an appointment. She can walk you through the process and explain how your feet affect your performance on a daily basis. The foot report is yours to keep and it comes with a photo of the scan of your feet.

Shingles and Chickenpox

2010-01-15T09:04:00.008-06:00

What is Shingles?
Shingles also known as Herpes Zoster, is a condition commonly associated with people over 50 who have had the chickenpox virus at some time in their life. Shingles is not the same virus that causes cold sores or genital herpes. Studies show that 2 out of 10 people will experience shingles, which is usually brought on by stress and a low immune system. Many people only experience shingles one time, but for some it is a very painful reoccurring condition. In very few cases where the symptoms last longer than a month, nerve damage may occur.

Shingles is actually the same virus as chicken pox. After a person has chicken pox, the virus doesn't actually go away. It lays dormant in your nervous system and only shows up when the immune system can no longer keep it at bay. Shingles, or Herpes Zoster, attaches itself to a specific nerve in your nervous system and it follows those nerve fibers when it becomes active.

What are the Symptoms of Shingles?
A flare up of shingles can be very confusing for the person experiencing the symptoms for the first time. Typically the symptoms range from a burning or tingling sensation to an extreme sensitivity of the skin, and is typically on one side of the body. The pain can be internal or external. Occasionally a fever or headache may accompany this pain. In most cases a red rash with blisters appears a few days after the onset of pain. Shingles is contagious while these blisters are active and can be passed on to other people as chicken pox, if they have not been exposed in the past.

The location of shingles can be on any part of the body but most often occurs on the trunk or buttocks. Occasionally it will appear on the face or neck, these cases are monitored very closely so that they do not affect the eyes.

What Should I Expect if I Have Shingles?
Most cases of shingles will subside within a couple of weeks, however with weakened immune systems, such as seen with HIV or cancer, it may last longer or symptoms may be considerably worse. If you have a weakened immune system or suffer from autoimmune condition you should discuss this with your physician.

What Treatments are Available for Shingles?
In most cases the virus must run its course, and leaves no lasting effects on the patient. Cold compresses and pain relief is the most common treatment, but homeopathic medicine does offer a tincture to reduce the duration of the flare up and pain associated with the nerves. We also recommend that our patients take Monolauric Acid as a supplement to help combat the virus itself, and receive spinal adjustments to restore biomechanical and neurological integrity.

If you are one of the few who has reoccurring shingles symptoms our doctors would recommend reducing the stress level in your life and nutritional supplements to help your immune system fight off this virus naturally. Of course if you have active blisters from shingles try to avoid coming in contact with people who may not have had the virus.

Please feel free to call our office for more information.

Healthy New Attitudes for the New Year

2010-01-15T09:01:00.003-06:00

We hope you all had a fantastic holiday season and that you are looking forward to a blissful and healthy new year. With that in mind we wanted to give you a few pointers as to how to achieve a healthier you over the next several months.

Exercise is the most important thing that you can do for your health. All you need to start lowering your risk for Diabetes, Heart Disease, Weight Gain and many other health related issues is 210 minutes of exercise a week. Take the stairs, park in the back of the parking lot, walk around the block when you go get the mail or take the dogs for a walk. It's easy to fit in, if you make it a priority. Exercise increases the amount of oxygen in your blood and increases blood flow to extremities also.

Water is required for all life. Your body is made mostly of water, and without it you would die in a few days. Water cleanses your system and helps your body process nutrients. There is no substitute for clean water. You should try to consume at least 6-8 eight ounce glasses of water a day, more if you are exercising or doing physical activities.

Sugar reduces your body's ability to handle pain, and it decreases the effectiveness of your immune system. One teaspoon of sugar, can reduce your immune system by 50% for up to 4 hours. Sugar is found naturally in fruits, but fruits contain fiber, enzymes and other nutrients that are good for your body. Sweetened drinks provide a concentrated amount of sugar which is more than the body can use in a reasonable amount of time, so it is saved as fat. This fat often surrounds your vital organs such as your liver or heart. Even "diet" drinks which have no sugar added have sweeteners which may not increase your blood glucose levels, but they do require that the body process them, much in the same manner as sugar. Which has the same results as eating sugar, such as High Fructose Corn Syrup.

High Fructose Corn Syrup is a highly concentrated sugar which is in many processed foods. It's used in Ketchup, breads, cereals and many of the foods you eat every day. In order to reduce your sugar intake you must be ready to read food labels, and take responsibility of the amount of sugar, in many different forms, that you consume. For a list of names that sugar appears as in food labels, stop by our office. We are happy to provide a printed list of the many technical names for sugar. Avoiding packaged foods is the number one way to reduce the amount of high fructose corn syrup and sugar you consume.

Protein is vital for energy, and the rebuilding of tissues and cells. Lean proteins are a great way to help burn off those excess calories, too. Your body requires protein to survive and it can come from many sources. Beans and lentils are a great low fat way to add protein to your diet. The fiber in beans & lentils also help to reduce fat and sugar in your blood stream.

Fiber is one of the things that the American diet does not have enough of. Many Americans fall very short on the recommended amount of fiber, which has shown to reduce the occurrence of colon cancer, IBS, diverticulitis and other intestinal problems. Fiber helps to lower the sugars and fats in your blood by absorbing them in the intestines and moving them out of the body. If there is not enough fiber in your diet these sugars and fats are re-absorbed into your blood and processed. Wouldn't you rather get rid of the excess sugar and fat in your system??? Eat More Fiber! We also have a great psyllium seed fiber product for those of you who have a hard time getting enough fiber. Come see us for more information.

Vegetables and Fruits are the best way to make sure you are getting more fiber, and they are rich in antioxidants. You should eat a variety of these vitamin packed foods every day. Try adding different colored vegetables and fruits to your diet, because each color has different antioxidant properties. Studies show that people who eat 7 servings of fruits and/or vegetables a day have less cancer, are thinner, healthier and have more energy than people who do not. Beware: Fruit juice may count as a serving of fruit, but remember that fruit juices do not always have the fiber and other benefits that come with eating the fruit itself, and they have more of a sugar concentration than the actual fruit. Unless you are doing your own juicing, try to stick to eating the whole fruit and vegetable.

Grains are important also, but many of the wheat and oat products that are available in stores today are so broken down and bleached that there are hardly any nutrients left. B vitamins come from whole grains along with other very important nutrients, which aid in keeping your mood elevated. Oatmeal is great for you if you eat real oatmeal, the minute version and the prepackaged microwave packages are not the best source for oats. Grains should take more than a minute to cook if they are whole. Oatmeal usually requires 5 minutes in boiling water to be cooked, and most other grains require similar treatment. Look for these kinds of grains when shopping for healthy whole grains. In breads watch out for high fructose corn syrup also.

Vitamins and Minerals are what keeps our bodies running like a well oiled machine. Without them you would not be able to function at all. With the lifestyles that most of us live and the limited amount of time we have to prepare our meals, many of us do not get the proper amount of nutrition from our diets. Studies also show that most Americans are low on vitamin D which is essential to calcium absorption, and immune function, along with other bodily functions. We just don't absorb enough of the suns UV-B rays to make enough vitamin D. The reasons for this are numerous; lack of exposure, use of sunscreen, inability to convert/absorb etc. Supplementation for most of us is crucial to our development. Without the proper nutrients, our bodies just can't create new healthy cells. Adults over 40 should supplement with CoQ10, as well as vitamin D and several other important nutrients. If you wish to discuss these nutrients with one of our doctors please come by or call for an appointment. Visit our blog for more information on these nutrients.

Rest is ultimately important for stress reduction and overall health. Your body needs sleep to rejuvenate and build new cells, and manage your metabolism. Setting a standard sleeping pattern is best. Go to bed about the same time each day and rise at about the same time every day to help train your body to rest completely. It's also good to plan mealtimes, eating a small meal or snack every three hours is also a good practice. Its good for the metabolism.

The Bottom Line
Remember the old adage "Your body is a Temple"? We should treat our bodies like temples, if we don't we may end up with a shack. We need to provide our well oiled machines with the building blocks of healthy cells. If we exercise, get plenty of rest, drink clean water, avoid processed foods and eat a healthy diet of lean protein and fruits and vegetables, we are surely on the right track. Supplementing nutrients that our bodies either lack, or are not proficient at producing, is also key to keeping our temples in tip top condition.

We wish you all the best in the years to come, and if there is anything we can do to assist you in your quest for a healthy you... just give us a call!

Could This 'Forbidden Medicine' Eliminate the Need for Drugs?

2009-12-22T08:16:00.008-06:00

Could This 'Forbidden Medicine' Eliminate the Need for Drugs?
Posted by: Dr. Mercola December 22 2009 51,297 views
Amy L. Lansky, PhD
http://www.impossiblecure.com/

Perhaps the most derided of alternative medicines is my own favorite – homeopathy. Over the past few years, detractors have focused their efforts in the United Kingdom and have succeeded in crippling homeopathic hospitals and clinics funded by the National Health Service, as well as the practices of many homeopaths.

A few well-placed editorials in prominent newspapers have done the trick, despite the fact that Prince Charles and the rest of the royal family are ardent supporters of homeopathy.

It now seems that some of these folks are taking their show on the road. Two key UK players, Michael Baum and Edzard Ernst have published a commentary in the November 2009 issue of the American Journal of Medicine [1] in which they state, “a belief in homeopathy exceeds the tolerance of an open mind. We should start from the premise that homeopathy cannot work and that positive evidence reflects publication bias or design flaws until proved otherwise.”

Not surprisingly, their commentary also reflects a complete ignorance of homeopathy and the range of studies that support its effectiveness. For example, their article incorrectly uses the term “potentation” instead of “potentization” for the method used to create homeopathic remedies (more on this later). The authors also insist on citing a single negative meta-analysis study that has already been shown to be methodologically flawed [2], while ignoring many positive studies in respected publications, including two other meta-analyses that showed positive results [3—8].

So why do the skeptics love to hate homeopathy? Perhaps because it is one of the most threatening alternative modalities – financially, philosophically, and therapeutically. Actually, homeopathy has been a threat to allopathy ever since the 1800s, when German physician Samuel Hahnemann developed the homeopathic system.

Founder of Homeopathy
Hahnemann, a respected doctor and chemist who helped to pioneer the importance of hygiene as well as homeopathy, was forced to move frequently during his life because the local German apothecaries objected to the fact that he created his own medicines rather than use theirs.

A fierce battle was also waged against homeopathy in the United States during the 1800s, where homeopathy had achieved a strong presence by 1840. In fact, in 1847, the American Medical Association (AMA) was formed specifically to fight the battle against homeopathy.

Most homeopaths of the 1800s were former allopaths who had abandoned their brethren because they found Hahnemann’s system to be more successful in battling cholera, typhus, yellow fever, diptheria, influenza, and other epidemics of the 1800s. In retaliation, the preamble to the AMA’s charter forbade its members to associate with homeopaths or to use their medicines, and many doctors were expelled for failing to comply.

But does homeopathy really pose such a threat to conventional medicine today? To see how the little David of homeopathy could take down the Goliath of big pharma, we need to take a closer look at what homeopathy is all about.

Like Cures Like - - Law of Similars
Homeopathic practice is based on a single law of therapeutics called the Law of Similars. This law states that a substance that can cause the symptoms of a disease can also cure it. In fact, that’s exactly what word “homeopathy” means: similar (“homeo”) suffering (“pathy”). For example, one reason that the remedy Coffea Cruda (made from coffee) can be curative for insomnia is that coffee can cause sleeplessness. Interestingly, allopaths sometimes utilize the Law of Similars, but are unaware of it when they do and are perplexed by the phenomenon.

Ask any conventional doctor why Ritalin (a substance that would normally cause hyperactivity) can treat hyperactivity in children, and they’ll scratch their heads in confusion. Ask a homeopath, and it’s a no-brainer: the Law of Similars.

The reason why homeopaths run into trouble with the skeptics, though, revolves around how homeopathic remedies are prepared. Obviously, many of the substances that can cause the symptoms of disease are toxic. This inherent toxicity poses a challenge if you want to administer these substances safely.

In an effort to deal with this problem, Hahnemann tried various methods of diluting his medicines so that they would become less harmful to his patients. This proved unsuccessful until he also incorporated vigorous shaking or succussion into the process. The result was a method that he called potentization, in which a substance is serially diluted and succussed over and over.

Much to Hahnemann’s own surprise, these ultradilutions – so dilute that they cannot possibly contain a single molecule of the original substance – were still potent therapeutically. In fact, they were even more potent than low levels of dilution.

Of course, this was and still is too much for the skeptics to bear. It turns much of accepted science on its head!

What the skeptics keep ignoring, however, are an increasing number of scientific studies that indicate that some kind of signature of the original substance is embedded in a potentized ultradilution. In a 2007 paper by Professor Rustom Roy, the founding director of the Materials Research Laboratory at Penn State and one of the world's leading experts on the structure of water, it was demonstrated that lab instruments could pick up energetic signatures in ultradilutions that were not only specific to individual homeopathic remedies, but to specific potencies of these remedies [9, 10].

Indeed, science has backed up the phenomenon of potentization for over 20 years. In 1988, Nobel Prize nominee and medical researcher Jacques Benveniste turned the course of his life upside down when he discovered that ultradilutions could retain substance-specific properties. In particular, he found that a certain antibody could be serially diluted and succussed beyond the point where a single molecule could remain, but still cause the same effects [11].

Naturally, the skeptics quickly attacked Benveniste. But he continued his work and further demonstrated that the electromagnetic signature of an ultradilution could be recorded electronically, transmitted via Email, replayed into water, and still achieve the same substance-specific effects in the laboratory [12]. Eventually, Benveniste’s results were replicated [13]. Most recently, a 2009 paper by Nobel Prize winner Luc Montagnier underscored the power of ultradilutions too [14].

Drug Companies are Running Scared
Now think about it. This is what big pharma is scared of.
What if an expensive drug could be potentized to create billions of effective doses at essentially no cost? It would destroy big pharma entirely. Medicines that cost essentially nothing? Nontoxic ultradiluted medicines that cause fewer side effects? How could the coffers of big pharma be sustained? Forget about the Law of Similars. It’s potentization – the process of creating effective ultradilutions – that big pharma is scared of! No wonder Baum and Ernst got the word “potentization” wrong. This one word is the small stone that could take Goliath down.

Of course, homeopaths add fuel to the fire. The fundamental philosophy of homeopathy implies that the primary tools of allopathy are harmful. In particular, homeopaths believe that suppressing symptoms with anti-pathic drugs – drugs that oppose the symptoms of a disease rather than mimic them – cannot cure and can even do harm. If a symptom is suppressed – for example, if a seasonal allergy is suppressed by an antihistamine – it is only temporarily palliated.

A patient still has allergic tendencies and his or her symptoms will eventually return. That’s why suppressive drugs must be taken again and again. And of course, big pharma loves that! It’s good for business.

Deceptive Cures
Unfortunately, if a substance succeeds in completely suppressing a symptom, there may be an illusion of “cure,” but the real result is more sinister. Another key tenet of homeopathy is that the true result of suppression is a deepening of the underlying disease state – because the energy of the disease is now forced to manifest in a more serious way.

That’s why repeated application of cortisone cream to eczema can lead to asthma. That’s why the suppression of arthritis pain can lead to heart disease. That’s why teenagers who take acne drugs sometimes develop suicidal depression.

Doctors call this phenomenon a “side effect” or a “natural disease progression.” But that’s because they don’t understand the effects of suppression or the signs of true cure.

Over the past two hundred years, homeopaths have discovered that homeopathic medicines – drugs that mimic a person’s symptoms rather than oppose them – can lead to genuine cure of chronic disease, not mere palliation or suppression. Rather than creating a deeper disease, a homeopathic medicine that is similar to a patient’s disease can not only cure it, but reveal previously suppressed layers of disease that can be treated too.

That’s why good homeopathic treatment can often cure asthma – and also reveal and treat previously suppressed eczema. That’s why it has the potential to cure arthritis and chronic bladder infections, not simply palliate them with endless medications. Indeed, homeopathy can effectively treat acute diseases like influenza and bacterial infections too. With its ability to successfully treat both chronic and acute disease with low-cost medicines, homeopathy really could be a threat to big pharma, given half a chance.

Ideal for Poor Countries or Rich Ones with Declining Economies
Poor countries with less access to expensive drugs have already discovered this. That’s why homeopathy is the second most widespread form of medicine in the world. In India, homeopathy is a full-fledged medical system with its own medical schools and hospitals. Homeopaths in India successfully treat the full range of diseases, including AIDS, cancer, and malaria.

In Cuba, a poor country with a health care system that often does better than our own, homeopathy is being used more and more. In 2008, 2.5 million Cubans were given a homeopathic remedy to prevent Leptospirosis, an infectious disease also known as swamp fever.
This disease has plagued the country for several years in the aftermath of flooding, but the year in which homeopathy was used, in contrast to previous years, there were no fatalities and very few cases of the disease [15].

But here’s the rub. Homeopathy is harder to practice than allopathy. There are no cookie-cutter cures, especially for chronic disease. (Luckily, however, effective treatment of epidemic diseases like the flu is easier; see Resources.) Each patient’s health pattern is unique, so each patient must be treated as an individual.

A homeopath must find a single remedy (among thousands of possible homeopathic remedies) whose associated symptoms match those of the patient – not just their main complaint, but their entire symptom picture that includes emotional, mental, behavioral, as well as the physical symptoms of the entire body. It’s a daunting task. A practitioner who practices classical homeopathy (the kind of homeopathy I advocate) typically needs at least two hours for an initial case interview and may spend just as long deciding upon a remedy.

And sometimes it takes a homeopath several tries to find just the right remedy – the one that homeopaths call the simillimum. This process also requires patients to engage in their own treatment, because symptoms are gathered not by machines or by using tests, but through direct communication between patient and homeopath.

Of course, this is not something big pharma, conventional doctors, or insurance companies would be happy about. No expensive medicines or tests or equipment needed? No five-minute appointments reimbursed at $300 a shot? A medical system that requires long appointments, time for case analysis, and patients who must participate in the healing process? Not very lucrative.

How I Broke Out of the Mold and Reliance on Failed Medical Therapies
Of course, I used to be a lover of conventional medicine like most people. Back in the early 1990s, my husband Steve Rubin and I were both computer researchers in Silicon Valley and followed our doctors’ instructions obediently, loading our kids up with every recommended vaccine on schedule. Our allopathic trance began to break in 1994 when our 3-year-old son Max began to show signs of autism.

I first read about homeopathy in the January 1995 issue of Mothering Magazine, which contained an article about the successful homeopathic treatment of ADD and other children’s behavioral problems [16]. Steve and I decided to give it a try and found a practitioner in our area. Within a week we began to see small and subtle improvement in Max – improvement that became a slow and steady trend. After two years of treatment, he was testing normally and was released from eligibility for special education benefits.

His speech and language therapist told the county representative that she had never seen an autistic child recover like Max had, and she fully credited homeopathy for his recovery. By the time he was eight, nearly all signs of Max’s autism were gone. Today he is 18, a freshman at a leading university, completely autism free, and without restrictions of any kind.

Needless to say, this experience was both mind-boggling and life-transforming. I began to study homeopathy myself and ultimately wrote what became the best-selling patient education book in the USA – Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy [17] – a comprehensive introduction to homeopathic history, philosophy, science, and experience, sprinkled with dozens first-person cure stories for a variety of ailments, along with a chapter about Max’s cure.

In the end, I left my work in computer science and devoted myself to letting others know about the healing powers of homeopathy. I got involved in the successful campaign for health freedom legislation in California too [18]. Steve also got involved and developed the National Vaccine Information Center’s online interface to the VAERS database [19] (the CDC’s public record of vaccine injuries). I guess Max’s healing led us both to become alternative medicine activists, and we haven’t looked back.

Conclusion
So why not take a look at homeopathy for yourself? Make it your New Year’s resolution to find a good classical practitioner and to learn more about this amazing medical modality. The skeptics manage to create a lot of smoke in an effort to hide homeopathy from public view. But where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Find out about how this powerful healing system – a system that packs a lot of firepower into an infinitesimal punch – can help you and your family.

Resources
(1) Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy – http://www.impossiblecure.com/.
This website includes: book ordering information; autism help page; free archive of Amy’s show on AutismOne Radio – There’s Hope with Homeopathy; Cure Stories Database; helpful links.
(2) National Center for Homeopathy – http://www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/.

Leading open-membership organization for homeopathy in the USA that organizes the yearly national conference. Membership buys a quarterly magazine, Homeopathy Today, monthly eNewsetter, online chats with leading experts, extensive online resources and social network. Website includes many free resources, including practitioner and resource referrals lists and flu treatment information.

References
[1] Baum, Michael and Edzard Ernst, “Should We Maintain an Open Mind about Homeopathy?” The American Journal of Medicine, Vol. 122, No. 11, pp. 973-974 (November 2009).
[2] Shang, A. et al. “Are the Clinical Effects of Homeopathy Placebo Effects? Comparative Study of Placebo-Controlled Trials of Homeopathy and Allopathy,” The Lancet, 366, pp. 726-732 (2005).
An extensive refutation of the results of this study, including statistical analyses and evidence of foul-play, can be found here
[3] Linde, K. et al. “Are the Clinical Effects of Homoeopathy Placebo Effects? A Meta-Analysis of Placebo-Controlled Trials,” The Lancet, 250, pp. 834-843 (1997).
[4] Kleijnen, J. et al. “Clinical Trials of Homeopathy,” British Medical Journal, 302, pp. 316-323 (1991).
[5] Jacobs, J. et al. “Treatment of Acute Childhood Diarrhea with Homeopathic Medicine: A Randomized Clinical Trial in Nicaragua,” Pediatrics, Vol. 83, No. 5, pp. 719-725 (1994).
[6] Bell, I.R. et al. “Improved Clinical Status in Fibromyalgia Patients Treated with Individualized Homeopathic Remedies Versus Placebo,” Rheumatology, 2004b; 43 (5):577-82.
[7] Taylor, M.A. et al. “Randomised Controlled Trial of Homoeopathy Versus Placebo in Perennial Allergic Rhinitis with Overview of Four Trial Series,” British Medical Journal, 321, pp. 471-476 (2000).
[8] For more trials, see http://www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/ (under Articles, click Research).
[9] Rao, et al. “The Defining Role of Structure (Including Epitaxy) in the Plausibility of Homeopathy,” Homeopathy, 96, pp. 175-182 (2007).
[10] Rao, et. Al. “Characterization of the Structure of Ultra Dilute Sols with Remarkable Biological Properties,” Materials Letters, Vol. 62, Issues 10-11, pp. 1487-1490 (2008).
[11] Davenas, et al. “Human Basophil Degranulation Triggered by Very Dilute Antiserum Againt IgE,” Nature, Vol. 333, No. 6176, pp. 816-818 (1988).
[12] Aissa, J. et al. “Transatlantic Transfer of Digitized Antigen Signal by Telephone Link,” Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 99:S175 (1997).
[13] Brown, V. and M. Ennis. “Flow-Cytometric Analysis of Basophil Activation: Inhibition by Histamine at Conventional and Homeopathic Concentrations,” Inflammation Research, 50, Supplement (2), S47-S48 (2001).
[14] Montagnier, Luc, et al. “Electromagnetic Signals Are Produced by Aqueous Nanostructures Derived from Bacterial DNA Sequences,” Insterdiscip Sci Comput Life Sci, 1:81-90 (2009).
[15] http://homeopathyresource.wordpress.com/2009/01/01/successful-use-of-homeopathy-in-over-5-million-people-reported-from-cuba/
[16] Reichenberg-Ullman, J. “A Homeopathic Approach to Behavioral Problems,” Mothering, Number 74, pp. 97-101 (1995).
[17] Lansky, Amy. Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy. R.L. Ranch Press (2003).
[18] http://www.californiahealthfreedom.com/.
[19]http://www.medalerts.org/.
About the Author
Amy L. Lansky, PhD was a Silicon Valley computer scientist when her life was transformed by the miraculous homeopathic cure of her son’s autism. In April 2003 she published Impossible Cure: The Promise of Homeopathy, one of the best-selling books on homeopathy in the USA (http://www.impossiblecure.com/).
Amy is an executive board member of the National Center for Homeopathy (http://www.nationalcenterforhomeopathy.org/). She speaks and writes internationally about homeopathy and hosts a monthly radio show on Autism One Radio (http://www.autismone.org/).