Meet the naturopathic doctor

The FDA just issued a warning that the use of proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) – including Nexium, Prilosec, Aciphex, Protonix, and Prevacid – may increase the risk of bacterial infection from Clostridium difficile, which can cause severe diarrhea and other gastrointestinal issues.

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It is generally accepted that if you need to lose weight, are stressed out or want to put on muscle mass, you need to hit the gym and hit it hard! While this approach will work for some people, most people’s eating habits and lifestyle choices will cause high intensity workout sessions to have a detrimental influence on their health. That’s because of the effect these sessions have on a person’s nervous system.

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We talk a lot about using amino acid therapy to help correct underlying neurotransmitter imbalances to help people overcome disorders such as depression, anxiety, OCD, ADD/ADHD, trichotillomania, migraines, obesity, fibromyalgia and insomnia. However, recent research has shown that you may be able to fine-tune your mental and emotional states by using the right combination of probiotics.

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We are surrounded by chemicals. In fact, toxic chemicals have been detected in EVERY American tested in recent years. And it’s no wonder, in the US alone, we produce over 500 billion pounds of synthetic chemicals each year – that’ s more than four pounds of man-made chemicals for every person in the country EACH DAY. This post will give you some natural alternatives to use to cut down on you and your family’s exposure to toxic chemicals.

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If you are used to burning the candle at both ends, the thought of slowing down, even to go to sleep, can be daunting. If you are one of those people, it’s time for a reality check. If you ever question whether or not it is important to get enough sleep, just ask yourself this question: Is your health FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE worth getting a few extra minutes or hours of sleep? If the answer is yes, or if you are just struggling to get some more ZZZZs use these techniques to give you the best sleep of your life!

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For many women, perimenopause is accompanied by varying degrees of unpleasant symptoms, including hot flashes, night sweats, irritability, sleep disturbances, dry skin, dry eyes, vaginal dryness, irregular menses, migraines and a whole host of others. These symptoms are due to the extreme variability in hormone levels as the ovaries begin to shut down, signaling the end of the child-bearing years (learn more). This should be a time for celebration, as the mind and body prepare for a new phase of life. However, women experiencing one or more of the symptoms above often feel like they have little to be grateful for. Luckily, many of the ups and downs that are typical during this phase of life can be moderated through proper nutrition.

In fact, what you eat can play a huge role in helping you rebalance your hormones naturally while minimizing the symptoms associated with perimenopause. These dietary guidelines are a natural and easy way to improve perimenopause symptoms.

• Eat soy foods, buckwheat, citrus fruit rind and pulp (not the juice) and ground flax meal in shakes and cereals. They are high in phytoestrogens and will help improve estrogen metabolism and modulate estrogen receptors.
• Avoid potato chips, caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, sugar, soft drinks, fruit juices, fried or fatty foods, and salt, all of which slow down estrogen metabolism and elimination from your body.
• Eat a low-fat, high-fiber diet to help your intestines eliminate estrogens so they are not reabsorbed into your body. Include plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, whole grains and legumes (beans, peas).
• Reduce or eliminate red meats because they can elevate estrogen levels. This can also cause menstrual cramps and worsen the inflammation of endometriosis.
• Eat fish such as salmon, mackerel, sardines, trout, and tuna, which are high in beneficial omega-3 fatty acids that reduce the pain of menstrual cramps, improve hot flashes and night sweats, improve sleep and eliminate dry skin, eyes and vaginal dryness. You can also use flax and flaxseed oil regularly.
• Avoid dairy products, as they have a negative effect on reproductive health similar to that of red meat. Use soy or rice substitutes, including soy and rice milk, cream cheese, sour cream, and soy yogurt.

Many women find that having a more detailed menu plan works better for them. If you are one of these women, check out the Hormone Balancing Diet. It will provide you detailed recipes and menus to help rebalance your hormone levels naturally allowing you to reduce and even eliminate many of the symptoms associated with perimenopause.

Most of us will have some physical pain throughout our lives (i.e., we fall down, injure ourselves playing sports, etc.). Everyone is also familiar with the typical sensations that go along with those injuries – heat, soreness, swelling and pain. These natural responses by the body to physical injury help with the healing process. However, over time, chronic inflammation can be bad for your health. Luckily, Mother Nature has given us many ways that we can help our body in the healing and recovery process and minimize the pain and discomfort that accompany them.

Controlling Inflammation Naturally

Safe, natural and effective methods of controlling inflammation have become a primary focus of research in chronic auto-immune and inflammatory conditions, largely due to their necessity and the serious side effects associated with prescription and over-the-counter (OTC) medications, such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including ibuprofen.

Essential fatty acids (EFAs) in the correct balance are needed to maintain a healthy inflammatory response. Typically, we eat diets that are high in omega-6 essential fatty acids (i.e., corn, safflower, sunflower and soybean oils) saturated fats (i.e., animal protein and dairy products), hydrogenated fats and/or partially-hydrogenated fats and oils. These fats increase the production of pro-inflammatory compounds and intensify chronic inflammatory conditions. Omega-3 essential fatty acids – including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexanoic acid (DHA) – promote anti-inflammatory responses and ease chronic inflammation. Omega-3 EFAs are found primarily in fresh, cold water fish (salmon, tuna, halibut, and mackerel), leafy green vegetables and flaxseed oils. Therefore, balancing a typically omega-6 rich diet with omega-3 fatty acids can be an effective way to shift the balance toward anti-inflammatory compounds and can provide a foundation for relief in chronic inflammatory disorders.

EPA-DHA Complex can provide omega-3 essential fatty acids necessary in cases of inflammation and pain.

Phytochemicals found in herbs, including ginger, turmeric, cayenne and boswellia demonstrate many pain and inflammation reducing properties. Here is a sampling of data supporting the use of these powerful, natural compounds:

• Ginger – patients with osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis and muscular discomfort were given ginger; more than 75% of the arthritic patients and all the patients with muscular discomfort reported improvements in pain and swelling.
• Turmeric – curcumin (the principal compound in turmeric) showed significant improvement in joint swelling and relief from morning stiffness when compared to phenylbutazone (an anti-inflammatory drug) in a double blind trial.
• Cayenne – capsaicin (the principal compound in cayenne) has shown marked ability to suppress inflammation, decreasing pain and inflammation in joints and muscles.
• Boswellia – boswellia is an Ayurvedic herb that has shown significant reduction in joint pain, swelling, and morning stiffness, while improving general health and well-being in rheumatoid arthritis patients.

Inflavanoid Intensive Care contains all four of these compounds and has demonstrated ability to reduce the pain and inflammation associated with acute and chronic injury or inflammatory conditions.

In addition, proteolytic enzymes, including bromelain, papain, proteases, trypsin, chymotrypsin and pancreatin, have demonstrated significant reduction in pain and inflammation and faster recovery rates in cases of inflammation by improving circulation to the damaged area.

Vascuzyme is a select blend of proteolytic enzymes that can dramatically decrease inflammation and speed healing in cases of acute trauma and accidents as well as chronic inflammatory conditions.

Repairing the Damage

Glucosamine sulfate is a fundamental building block for joint tissue. Studies show that it can significantly reduce joint pain, tenderness and swelling as well as increase mobility. Studies show that although glucosamine sulfate (1500 mg/day) is slower acting than ibuprofen, the improvements with glucosamine sulfate were more consistent and progressive, leading to significantly lower pain scores after only 8 weeks.

Chondroitin sulfate has also been shown to aid in cases of joint inflammation by inhibiting the breakdown of joint tissue and promoting healthy tissue synthesis.

Chondro-Flx provides therapeutic amounts of glucosamine sulfate and chondroitin sulfate to help repair joint and tissue damage.

Supporting Proper Gut Integrity

Tissue injury due to long term inflammation or use of NSAIDs can propagate chronic inflammatory conditions. Therefore, restoring the health of the gut is often an essential component to eliminating chronic inflammation. Three compounds have proven particularly useful:

• L-Glutamine – supplementation of L-glutamine helps maintain the integrity of the intestinal lining and promotes optimal immune responses. Glutamine supplementation with NSAIDs showed significantly lower damage to the gut as compared to NSAID use without glutamine.
• Deglycyrrhizinized licorice (DGL) – DGL enhances the stomach lining and has been shown to reduce aspirin-induced stomach lining damage and accelerate gastric ulcer healing, making it especially useful for those recovering from NSAID use.
• Aloe vera – aloe vera promotes faster healing in the gut and provides immune support.

Glutagenics provides these three compounds in an easy to take powdered form to quickly and effectively support proper gut integrity, which also provides added protection for those using or recovering from NSAID use.

An Anti-Inflammatory Diet

What you eat can have a dramatic impact on how you feel. You can speed recovery and reduce pain by eating foods that speed up the healing process and eliminating foods that will slow it down. Here are some general guidelines for you to follow:

1. Eat more sulfur-containing foods, including asparagus, onions, garlic, green leafy vegetables, non-acid fruits, whole grains, oatmeal, brown rice and fish – these compounds are needed for repair of bone, cartilage and connective tissue and also aid in calcium absorption.
2. Eat fresh pineapple frequently. Pineapple contains an enzyme called bromelain that is excellent for reducing inflammation (note that most of the bromelain is in the core of the pineapple); must be fresh, as freezing and canning destroy the enzymes.
3. Eat some form of fiber daily – ground flaxseeds, oat bran, rice bran, legumes, etc.
4. Reduce the amount of fat in your diet. Do not consume milk, dairy products or red meat.
5. Avoid caffeine, citrus fruits, paprika, salt, tobacco and everything that contains sugar.
6. Avoid nightshade vegetables (bell peppers, eggplant, tomatoes, and white potatoes); these foods contain a chemical called solanine that interferes with enzymes in the muscles and can cause pain and discomfort, especially in those with arthritis.
7. Do not take iron supplements. Supplemental iron can increase pain, swelling and joint destruction. Consume iron rich foods instead – blackstrap molasses, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, fish, lima beans and peas.
8. Eat an alkaline diet. When the blood increases in acidity, pain and inflammation also increase. Have at least 50-75% of your plate contain alkaline forming foods.

If you injure yourself, you can dramatically speed your healing and recovery by using the guidelines above. If you suffer from chronic pain, use these guidelines to reduce your pain and facilitate healing. If you have osteo- or rheumatoid arthritis, or if you are particularly interested in joint health, please see our Joint Health Department for more information.

We work with a lot of people that suffer from disorders relating to neurotransmitter imbalances, including depression, anxiety, ADD/ADHD, OCD, trichotillomania, migraines, insomnia, additions, cravings, obesity and fibromyalgia.  Most of the time, we find that the gut plays a role in their overall health in one way or another. However, I just came across an interesting article that may provide additional insight into the causes of neurotransmitter imbalance and the how probiotics may be useful in correcting the problem.

Probiotics and mental health

Probiotics are the “good” bacteria that normally reside in a health gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Different formulations are available in many health food stores containing one or more strains of different bacteria. Recently, Professor Mark Lyte and associates at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center have come up with a radical new concept: that you may be able to affect your neurotransmitter levels – and therefore your psychological health – by taking and establishing the right blend of probiotics.

What these researches found was that several neurotransmitters (normally produced in the brain) are also produced by various probiotic strains in the gut. For instance, they found that bacillus and serratia strains of bacteria produce dopamine; streptococcus, Escherichia and Enterococcus strains produce serotonin; Escherichia, Bacillus and Saccharomyces produce norepinephrine; and Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium strains produce GABA.

The Second Brain

This has potentially startling implications. First, it provides another pathway to help explain why a person’s neurotransmitter levels become imbalanced in the first place. If the microbial environment of the gut is abnormal from birth, let’s say, this research suggests that over time, neurotransmitter imbalances could result. In addition, many people experience an exacerbation of symptoms or entirely new symptoms after being treated with antibiotics; this research could help explain this as any shift in the microbial environment in the gut could lead to alternations in neurotransmitter levels.

In addition, it provides other possible avenues to correct those underlying imbalances. This research suggests that altering the bacteria in the gut could dramatically affect a person’s overall neurotransmitter balance.

More research needs to be done, but if this hypothesis is confirmed, probiotics could prove to be a valuable adjunctive therapy to help those who suffer from disorders relating to neurotransmitter imbalance.

If you have symptoms of depression, anxiety, migraines, insomnia, OCD, ADD/ADHD, trichotillomania, compulsivity, food cravings/binges, drug or alcohol addiction, memory or concentration issues, Parkinson’s disease or restless leg syndrome, you have a neurotransmitter imbalance. This means that serotonin (the main inhibitory neurotransmitter) and dopamine (the main excitatory neurotransmitter) are out of balance with one another, which causes you to experience one or more of the symptoms above.

One of the products we use to help bring those neurotransmitter levels back into proper balance is called NeuroReplete. NeuroReplete was developed by Martin Hinz, MD, and is sold exclusively through CHK Nutrition to licensed health care professionals. It provides the amino acids 5-HTP and L-tyrosine along with the necessary co-factors (vitamins, minerals and amino-acids) to give the body everything it needs to make serotonin and dopamine in a balanced fashion. This is extremely important, as research has shown that administering only 5-HTP or L-tyrosine will lead to depletion of neurotransmitters, creating further imbalances.

Providing only 5-HTP will increase the amount of serotonin in the brain. In response to this, the body increases the amount of enzymes to break down some serotonin to maintain balance. However, these enzymes also breakdown dopamine, which is the main excitatory neurotransmitter that needs to be kept in balance with serotonin in order to keep everything working well. Because no dopamine precursor was given (i.e., L-tyrosine), relatively more dopamine than serotonin is broken down, so the imbalance between them becomes greater. This often leads to additional issues over time.

It works something like this: let’s say I have two bank accounts, both with $100 in them. I put $1,000,000 in one of them (which is like taking just 5-HTP), but leave the other one where it is. Now let’s say I take $90 out of both accounts (which is equivalent to the enzymes breaking down serotonin and dopamine non-selectively). The account with $1,000,000 isn’t affect much, but the account with only $100 in it is affected a great deal. Moreover, the imbalance between the two accounts has also gotten a lot more lopsided. This is similar to what happens if one takes only 5-HTP with no l-tyrosine (or vice versa, taking only l-tyrosine and no 5-HTP) – it can create greater imbalances over time and really deplete the competing system.

The bottom line is that net effect of giving improperly balanced amino acids is neurotransmitter depletion and further neurotransmitter imbalance. Even though some people may initially see some positive results due to the increase in either serotonin (if 5-HTP is given) or dopamine (if L-tyrosine is given), they will eventually develop other symptoms as the two systems become imbalanced. Creating more problems is definitely not going to help you over the long haul.

NeuroReplete contains the precise amounts of 5-HTP and L-tyrosine to assist the body in achieving proper neurotransmitter balance. For many people, NeuroReplete provides all the building blocks their bodies need to achieve a complete resolution of symptoms. Even for those that do not achieve a complete resolution of symptoms with NeuroReplete alone, taking it establishes the foundation necessary to attain proper neurotransmitter balance in the future.

Stuffy head, runny nose, pressure behind the eyes, maybe a tickle in the throat; these are all common allergy symptoms that plaque a growing number of people. This post will focus on simple ways to naturally eliminate your symptoms and breathe easy.

Allergies are one of the most common health conditions in America. In fact, more than 1 in 5 people suffer from allergies, and the number is growing every year. Common causes of allergy symptoms include food allergies such as peanut allergy or milk allergy, and seasonal allergies resulting from grass, weed, tree pollen, or various molds. Cat allergies and dog allergies can also cause miserable symptoms such as itchy eyes, sneezing, nasal congestion, and wheezing. Allergic skin conditions can cause a rash and itchy skin.

Nailing Down the Source of Allergies

Almost anything can cause an allergy, but the most common underlying cause is an imbalance in the immune system. Most people shouldn’t react to pollen, grasses, animal dander, etc., but for some reason, they do. That reason is often excessive stress put upon the immune system via stress, improper food choices, and lack of sleep or illness. Long term allergy control depends on correctly these underlying lifestyle factors. However, we must also identify the things a person is reacting to so that we can minimize them in order to allow our immune system to rebalance.

• Skin testing is the most widely used; there are several different methods, but all involve exposing the skin to small amounts of various substances and observing the reactions over time. Blood tests (RAST) generally identify IgE antibodies to specific antigens. Both of these tests can help identify specific reactions to certain substances, but often miss most immune reactions and are of little clinical value to many people.

• The most accurate testing available today is called a lymphocyte response assay (LRA); it is a simple blood test that looks at every immune reaction a person can have against a substance (except IgE reactions). It is more comprehensive and accurate than any testing currently available (find out more at www.elisaact.com). You can test a variety of substances; most people begin with either a Basic or a Comprehensive profile. Once we receive your test results, we work with you to identify where you may be being exposed to these substances and how you can eliminate them from your life while your immune system readjusts.

Relieving Symptoms

You don’t have to wait in anguish as your immune system rebalances; Mother Nature has provided several options that have been combined to provide quick, effective relief without the side-effects many over-the-counter and prescription allergy medications provide.

• Sinatrol contains several components to help thin and drain mucus, support optimal immune function and reduce sinus pressure and pain. We have had countless clients use and benefit from this formula taking just 1 capsule 3x/day (ideally between meals).
• Natural D-Hist provides key factors to help address and support the underlying nasal and sinus imbalances that can lead to so many symptoms. It also helps balance the immune system and provide fast relief if your allergies have really kicked in. Most people start with 2 capsules three times daily for 7-10 days, then reduce to the lowest amount possible to control symptoms. Kids can use D-Hist Jr, which provides the same formula in a kid’s strength chewable that tastes great!
• Another incredibly effective therapy to use in conjunction with the supplementation above is to use a Nasaline to help clear the sinuses. All you do is make a saline solution, using either the Nasaline Salt or sea salt (start with ½ tsp in 1 pint of warm water; you can add ¼ tsp baking soda if you have any inflammation in the sinuses) fill the Nasaline with water and push it into one of your nostrils. The water will fill the sinuses, decreasing pressure and inflammation and killing any bacteria that could be causing the pain, and drain through your other nostril. Do this twice on each nostril and you are done with the whole procedure in about 3 minutes from start to finish! Using the Nasaline 1-2x/day is a great way to keep the sinuses clear and healthy any time of year.

Allergies can affect every aspect of your life, but they don’t have to. Using the simple steps above to identify and address the reasons you have allergy symptoms can naturally alleiviate your symptoms and allow you to get back outside again and enjoy breathing fully again!