From the Bloggers

Women’s Health…Women’s Choices

May 14, 2012 in From the Bloggers

As a naturopathic physician practicing women’s health for the past 20 years, I’ve watched my patients be overwhelmed, excited, or conflicted by the amount of “medical” advice that comes their way. From self-help books to health food store free magazines, research articles quoted in newspapers to on line advice and Dr. Oz, women are being told what supplements, diets, drugs, tests and exercises are essential for them to be happy, healthy, and hopefully forever young.

What patients need most is competent diagnosis then respectful individualization of their care. An example from my practice would be a treatment approach for three women with migraine headaches. One young woman has premenstrual migraines, another has peri-menopausal premenstrual migraines, and the third woman has migraines that began with taking the birth control pill. Conventionally, all these women would be recommended to take a prescription medication, such as Imetrex or Relpax. From an integrative perspective, while all of these women would probably benefit from a multiple vitamin and magnesium supplementation, my advice would differ according to their health history and headache etiology.

Younger women with premenstrual migraines often respond to increased intake of B vitamins, especially riboflavin. If she also has severe menstrual cramps, Evening Primrose Oil (500mg bid) often helps with the dysmenorrheal as well as the headaches. Perimenopausal migraines often require hormonal balancing, though I’ve seen the most improvement for women who undergo a detox protocol as well. I highly recommend the Biotics Research 10-Day BioDetox Kit. Oral contraceptives are a common cause of migraines. The best choice if the birth control pill is causing migraines is for women to choose a different method of contraception. If that’s not an option, then in addition to B vitamin supplementation, a botanical formula containing Petasites hybridus “purple butterbur” can be effective for these types of migraines.

With many women’s health concerns (PMS, peri-menopause, menopause, osteoporosis, weight gain, and sexual health issues), comprehensive care addresses the cause but also focuses on treating the individual.

Poor Health and Stress

April 30, 2012 in From the Bloggers

I have noticed over time, one of the leading factors of poor health is STRESS.  The combination of SUGAR and STRESS is devastating!  I am familiar with one of the very common statements today as many of you are; “comfort food”.  The definition for “comfort food” for many includes massive amounts of carbohydrates and I recognize chocolate as one of the most widespread items in the mix of foods that appear to “calm the nerves”.  The desire and passion for the little dark bean creates an addictive pattern of high and lows; the sugar and chocolate combination create chaos in the body after the calmness settles down.

Do you crave sugar?  How about chocolate?  Chocolate consumption has become one of the most recent media driven health food that has been peddled off as a source of anti-oxidants and being good for you.  Ladies, I can tell you from my experience that chocolate and sugar slowly drain adrenal gland function.  The adrenal glands are very important glands known to support optimal immune system and hormonal health.  The more sugar and chocolate you consume over time, the more exhausted you will become and your emotions will be on a roller coaster ride of fast and furious then “BAM”, the brakes go on and you are in a low of lows.  You will develop menopausal symptoms sooner than your “sugar free” friends; and I am not talking about Splenda^® or Nutra Sweet^® either.  I recommend ADB5-Plus™ from Biotics Research; 2 upon rising and 2 at noon.

So what do you do to stop those cravings?  I have noticed that the individuals who really crave sugar tend to be mineral deficient and crave the sugar to satisfy the mineral need; their body is confused and they continue to eat sugar which only compounds the problem.   I have discovered over time, analyzing mineral tissue analysis reports for many years, there is a deficiency in chromium in many who have the relentless desire for the small granulated sweet pellets.  I would suggest you look into getting a Chromium based mineral supplement. I use Cr-Zyme™ from Biotics Research.  You can take up to three daily, and I have had patients need up to nine daily to take the edge off the desire for sugar.

I would also encourage you to eat more greens. Greens are good and make a great base for lunch. A mixed green salad five days a week will supply your body with magnesium, which is often lacking or deficient in many who grab for a chocolate square or bar when they are feeling a bit “edgy”. I recommend NitroGreens^® from Biotics Research; 1 scoop daily. I also would suggest you increase your protein and fats, eat more protein on your salad with avocado and take 3 Optimal EFAs Caps^® or 3 Blackcurrant Seed Oil capsules daily.  The protein and fats from the avocado will satisfy the bodies cry for protein and fat. Also try 1 scoop of Rice Protein Concentrate. Eating a regular salad and good fat source will give your brain and emotions a rest. You will learn a lot about your patients if you have them fill out a diet journal.

Pain and Inflammation

April 23, 2012 in From the Bloggers

Of the many things we all share as humans, one is pain. While we cannot judge each others levels of it, we all have it. What we choose to do about it makes for an interesting life. The old adage, “You are what you eat” becomes proven more accurate every day. But while pain may be subjective, inflammation is not. Although when you think of one, the other is right next to it. The biochemisty of an individual means person A can eat hamburgers and fries all they want and suffer few ill effects, while person B gains weight just smelling a hamburger. The final frontier for the average person is going to be that the foods they eat, the foods they love and crave are making them sick, fat and in pain. This can be as a primary cause or as a symptom of a bigger problem, whether functional, emotional or biochemical. Which means the person may be fueling their problem!
One of the simplest ways to combat pain and inflammation is to target the individual’s amounts of Histamine rich foods and Histamine releasing foods. Histamine is a natural substance produced by the body and is also present in many foods. It is released by the body during times of stress and allergy. In any type of immune system/self defense response, like an injury- response, histamine is released from the mast cells and may cause many symptoms of various organs, including pain and inflammation. Histamine is a vasoactive amine which causes dilatation of the blood vessels resulting in skin flushing, rash, itching and increased mucus production such as a runny nose, productive cough, and bronchial spasm resulting in wheezing, cough. Because histamine is contained in almost all body tissues, especially the lungs, nose, sinuses, skin, intestinal mucosa and certain blood cells (mast cells, basophils), it is able to cause a wide variety of symptoms, such as inflammation and pain.

The International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP) defines Pain as ‘an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage’. Inflammation is the tissue’s immune system response to injury, real or perceived, and characterized by white blood cell response, histamine release, antibodies, swelling, heat and fluid accumulation. Pain is actually a healthy response to a problem, informing us that something is going wrong, has been damaged or close to becoming damaged. Inflammation often distorts this normal reaction, which makes the pain last longer than is. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs – such as aspirin, ibuprofen or naproxen) and Corticosteroids (such as prednisone) are the common and easiest band aide fix for pain and inflammation. but usually with some serious side effects when taken long term. The average person or health care professional has gotten more educated on the use and mis-use of drugs and constantly battles with means of alternative health and nutritional care. Attempting to have the person take control and responsibility for their dietary health care has proven, at least clinically, to be an uphill battle in many cases. It has generally been accepted and clinically validates that by changing the person’s lifestyle, and not just the diet, that improved results in the patient’s pain perception, tolerance and degree of decrease in inflammation goes a long way.

1. Drink water to carry away waste products
2. Avoid foods that cause allergies or sensitivities that cause inflammation
3. Regulate the immune system
4. Increase essential fatty acids (omega 3 oils)
5. Eat organic meats, poultry and fish when possible
6. Support the body with proper nutritional supplementation
7. Avoid inflammatory foods

Hippocrates has been attributed with the following saying,“Let food be your medicine, and medicine be your food.”

Managing Chronic Pain & Inflammation

April 9, 2012 in From the Bloggers

For many individuals, chronic pain and inflammation is just part of living. The “good news” is that it doesn’t have to be. Modifying diet and lifestyle, along with nutritional support, can change pain filled days to pain free living. The key is in understanding the inflammatory process and how it leads to pain. Inflammation begins with environmental triggers that get translated into genetic expression, that leads to the production of pro-inflammatory mediators that result in the clinical manifestation of pain.

Physical and emotional stress, radiation, oxidative stress, injury, food and environmental allergens, along with nutrient poor processed food diets with insufficient phyto-nutrition, antioxidants, and essential fatty acids are just some of the environmental triggers that start the inflammatory process. Once the inflammatory process is started, some of the pro-inflammatory mediators perpetuate the up-regulation of the inflammatory process. It is a process where pain begets pain.

The first step in managing chronic pain and inflammation is to modify the environmental triggers. Consider a Paleo-Mediterranean diet. Begin by removing food allergens and pro-inflammatory food from your diet. There are many healthy anti-inflammatory food choices. Your local Biotics Research distribution center can provide you with a list of hypoallergenic and anti-inflammatory foods. Vitamin D deficiencies can up-regulate the inflammatory process. If you’re suffering from chronic pain and inflammation, consider having your Vitamin D status checked with a serum 25 hydroxy Vitamin D test. If deficient, consider supplementing with Bio-D-Mulsion^® or Bio-D-Mulsion Forte^®. Essential fatty acid imbalances can also up-regulate the inflammatory process. Consider supplementing your diet with Optimal EFAs^®, a balanced formula containing Omega 3, 6 and 9 fatty acids.

The second step is to supplement your diet with nutrients that down- regulate the inflammatory process. A number of botanicals and nutritional factors have been shown to down-regulate the inflammatory process. Resveratrol, curcumonoids from turmeric, propolis, green tea, celery, rosemary and alpha lipoic acid are just a few of the botanicals and nutritional factors that down-regulate the inflammatory process. These botanicals and nutritional factors are part of the proprietary blend in KappArest™, a Biotics Research product designed to provide nutritional support for individuals with chronic systemic inflammation.

Addressing the underlying cause of pain and inflammation with dietary and lifestyle changes and down-regulation of the inflammatory process takes time for the maximum reduction of pain. For short term pain relief there are a number of botanicals that can provide more immediate relief. Devil’s Claw, White Willow, Boswellia, Chinese Skullcap, and Acacia Catechu are botanicals that have been shown to inhibit pro-inflammatory mediators. Bio-Allay^® and Sculacia^® are two Biotics Research products that provide these botanicals.

It’s time to take charge and make the dietary and lifestyle changes that can help you achieve a more pain free life.

References

Integrative Orthopedics, Second Edition by Alex Vasquez, DC, ND, DO

The Clinical Importance of Vitamin D (Cholecalciferol): A Paradigm Shift with Implications for All Healthcare Professionals: Alex Vasquez, DC, ND, Gilbert Manso, MD, John Cannel, MD; Alternative Therapies, Sept/Oct 2004, Vol. 10, No. 5

Inflammatory Pain, Immune Balance, and Mitochondria

April 2, 2012 in From the Bloggers

Chronic inflammatory pain should be treated by therapeutic interventions that address the cause(s) of the problem rather than with drugs that merely lessen the effects of directly-treatable metabolic dysfunction.  Per a growing body of scientific research, immune imbalances and the systemic pro-inflammatory state that are noted in patients with degenerative, metabolic, and autoimmune/allergic diseases can be addressed directly. By directly addressing the causes of the pro-inflammatory state (rather than using drugs that suppress inflammation) we provide patients an opportunity for authentic cure, rather than perpetual medicalization.

Mitochondrial dysfunction is increasingly recognized as a cause of chronic inflammation and a direct contributor to conditions such as allergy, neurodegeneration, and diabetes mellitus. Instead of attributing these diseases to “bad genes” or “unknown factors”, clinicians are more effective who utilize a multicomponent treatment plan that includes important details such as mitochondrial dysfunction. We now know that improvement in mitochondrial function underlies the clinical success of many treatments we’ve been using for years; we can also be more specific and accurate in our treatment plans to ensure that we are taking specific measures to improve mitochondrial function.

Ironically, many commonly-used medications promote and exacerbate mitochrondrial dysfunction and many of the drugs used to treat inflammation, which is partly caused by mitochrondrial dysfunction, actually lead to further impairments in mitochrondrial function. So-called anti-inflammatory drugs such as aspirin, acetaminophen, diclofenac, indomethacin, and naproxen are documented to cause mitochodrial impairment. “Statin” drugs to lower cholesterol and metformin to lower blood sugar are known to cause mitochondrial dysfunction; these drugs are used in the treatment of diabetes mellitus type-2, which is known to have mitochondrial dysfunction as a major part of its underlying pathophysiology.

Please attend the next webinar on Wednesday, April 4th at 12:00pm CST which will focus on the role of mitochondrial dysfunction in chronic diseases.  Clinical interventions with diet, exercise, and nutritional supplementation will be reviewed. Click here to register.

Something is in the air! Springtime Allergies

March 26, 2012 in From the Bloggers

Sneezing, wheezing, runny nose, and itchy, watery, red eyes — these are just some of the symptoms that more than 35 million Americans face each year as the pollen from trees, grass, flowers, and plants makes its way into the air. Antihistamines are the most common drugs used to treat seasonal allergies, but not everyone can tolerate these drugs, many of which can cause drossiness and react with other medications, making them suboptimal therapeutic agents. Some people have such severe reactions to seasonal allergies, that the medications have little or marginal effect. Why might this occur?

One of the most common issues many patients and doctors may not realize is that the gut is not functionally properly. When the immune system is triggered from one set of allergies, it becomes hyper-sensitized and other agents that you may not react to, or react mildly to become heightened.Since the gut (stomach) must be maintained at an acidic PH, and many people are too alkaline in their gut, they cannot split certain dietary proteins. When this occurs, the poorly digested proteins pass into the small intestine, initiating a cascade of improper digestion and inflammatory reactions. When the gut cannot properly recognize the substance which should have been broken down, it activates a histamine reaction.

There are 4 distinct Histamine receptors in the human body designated H1-H4. H1 causes, bronchoconstriction, bronchial smooth muscle contraction, vasodilatation, separation of endothelial cells (responsible for hives), and pain and itching due to insect stings; the primary receptors involved in allergic rhinitis symptoms and motion sickness as well as sleep regulation. This is the primary form patients suffer from in seasonal allergies. The interesting thing you will be marveled with, is to replete with Hydrochloric acid.

HCl-Plus™, Hydrozyme™ or Betaine Plus HP™ can remarkably influence this H1 receptor via shifting the PH of the stomach when it has become too alkaline.

If you have any experience in muscle response testing, you can challenge the gut reflex, as taught in Integrative Assessment technique, to determine if hypochlorhydria is present. If you are not familiar with this procedure, you can give the patient 2-3 HCl-Plus™, or Hydrozyme™ with a meal and see if it improves the patients symptoms. I have found that when this is a major causation, you need to use higher concentrations to attain a therapeutic effect. One Betaine Plus HP™ is equivalent to 5 HCl-Plus™ or Hydrozyme™, so dose accordingly.

Pollen Counts Will Soon Be Rising – It’s Time to Think about Allergies

March 5, 2012 in From the Bloggers

Spring is just around the corner. Trees and flowers will soon be in full blossom filling the air we breathe with pollen. That’s right, allergy season is about to begin. This is not good news for approximately 60 million people in the United States who suffer with allergic rhinitis during allergy season. The number of people suffering from allergic rhinitis has increased from 10 percent of the population to 20% over the past 2 decades and its prevalence continues to increase. The sneezing, itching, mucus discharge and congestion that comes with allergic rhinitis can be very debilitating for many.

Pollen allergies are essentially the result of our immune system overreacting to a substance that will not harm us. While immune system antibodies are meant for killing viruses or bacteria that enter the body, there is one particular type of antibody that instead attaches itself to a harmless substance such as, pollen.  The pollen from trees, flowers and weeds act as allergens and are attacked by an antibody called immunoglobulin E, or IgE. Once an antibody specific to an antigen has formed in the bloodstream, any subsequent exposure to the particular harmless substance will cause an allergic reaction.

The most common explanation for the increase in allergies is called the hygiene hypothesis. We are born with an immune system that is unable to readily distinguish harmless substances from a potentially deadly threat. The best way for the still developing immune system to cope with this is through allergic reactions, which treat most substances entering the body as potentially hazardous and reject them. Normally, as an infant develops and encounters viruses and bacteria in their environment, their immune system shifts away from an allergic response to one capable of protecting them from infectious organisms. In today’s super-hygienic world, the lack of exposure to pathogens has promoted the continuation of the allergic response.

Another important contributor to the rising prevalence of allergies may be nutrition. Countries with high rates of asthma and allergic rhinitis have lower blood levels of certain vitamins, including vitamins C and D.  Other nutrients that may be beneficial to allergy sufferers include vitamin E (shown to reduce IgE levels in humans), Coenzyme Q₁₀ (found to be low in 40% of patients with allergies according to a small study conducted by Folkers and Pfeiffer), Vitamin B₁₂ (shown to reduce physiologic manifestations of allergy in ovalbumin-sensitized mice), and Bioflavonoids (shown to stabilize mast cell membranes and reduce the liberation of histamine).

If you are a seasonal allergy sufferer, it is time to prepare your body to handle high pollen counts and minimize the irritating symptoms of allergic rhinitis that come with seasonal allergies. Consider laying an immune support foundation with Bio-Immunozyme Forte™. In addition, consider Bio-D-Mulsion^® or Bio-D-Mulsion Forte^®, along with B ₁₂-2000™ Lozenges as easy-to-dose sources of vitamins D and B₁₂,  Bio-C Plus™ as a great source of vitamin C and bioflavonoids, E-Mulsion 200^® for your vitamin E needs and don’t forget CoQ-Zyme 30™ and CoQ-Zyme 100 Plus™ for your Coenzyme Q 10 needs.

Resources:

100 Questions & Answers About Allergies – by Jonathan Corren

American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (http://www.aaaai.org/about-the-aaaai/newsroom/allergy-statistics.aspx#Allergic_Rhinitis)

Integrative Rheumatology – 2^nd Edition 2007 – by Alex Vasquez, DC, ND

Build Your Business with Nutritional Basics

February 27, 2012 in From the Bloggers

Are you observing your patients? Today’s public desires to be healthy! This is obvious by only observing our patients who passionately read articles in magazines or sift through them on the internet. Intuitive clients will even Dr. Oz in hopes of finding the latest ”super nutrients” so they can feel confident they are doing hat they can to be healthy. There is not a day that goes by that we, the public, are not only being bombarded by drug advertisements but now certain generic supplement companies have also jumped on the train and are doing what they can to pitch their one-a-day, A-to-Z product. If your do not hae supplements available for your patients in your office (based on assessments and a history/consultation) they are going to the big box store, whether it be the one on the corner or the one on the internet, and purchasing the spotlighted merchandise of the day featured on the end cap.

The real health product we provide for patients is “hope”. You have the privilege of answering and assisting them to achieve a level of health they desire. Patients will naturally be attracted to your practice because they know you create the protocols that get results. To achieve expected optimal responses, you must ask the right questions and be their detective-hero. You should, at the very least,  start recommending basic products that we have discovered are commonly deficient in our society. For example, the Bio-Anabolic Pack™ is an indispensable package of five supplements, providing a complete array of nutrients that will assist your patients to achieve their goal of optimal health. Every new patient should be on this product until there are further assessments taken – this starts them not only on the road to feeling better, but also gets them used to adding good nutrition to their daily routine.

We have found that educating our patients has been an important ingredient in our journey to created a healing, as well as educational, institution and a strong business model. I suggest incorporating a condition of the week: a product/condition slide on a digital frame that is updated weekly. This can be displayed where your patients will be most likely to see it most. You can discuss any product you feel knowledgeable about: Bio-D-Mulsion Forte™,  for example. You can say, “Place 2-4 drops on your tongue each day during the non-sunshine months. Ask our staff for more information. By the way, have you had your vitamin D level tested?”

All you have to do is be proactive, study and start recommending products for the conditions you recognize – give your patients HOPE for a brighter, healthier tomorrow!

Repairing the Breach

February 21, 2012 in From the Bloggers

When it comes to health, what you see is not always what you get, that’s why we continue to build technology that provides us different views or a different perspective of the body.

For thousands of years the energy aspect of human anatomy has been a component to health and healing, but aside from a small number of shaman or Zen priests, it wasn’t directly observed.

With the discovery of electricity and instruments that measure electricity, new ideas about bioenergy emerged. One of the early pioneers in this pursuit was a medical doctor from Germany named Reinhold Voll. Voll designed a surprisingly effective diagnostic and treatment technique called EAV (Electroacupuncture According to Voll). This technique used, what is essentially an ohm meter, to measure the electrical characteristics of the skin at acupuncture points.

Your body, like a battery, collects, stores, and discharges energy. Acupuncture points are ‘hard-wired’ to different organs or parts of the body, and the electrical activity measured at an acupuncture point is a direct reflection of the health of its associated hard-wired destination. By measuring the electrical characteristics of individual acupuncture points, Voll was able to observe the battery responses of specific organs and see the body in new and useful ways.

Another early pioneer in energy was a Swedish MD named Bjorn Nordenstrom, who discovered that the body is a closed circuit electrical system. When the circuit is breached, for example when you get a cut, it’s the electrical response that directs the immune reaction and tissue repair.

Circuit breaches usually happen in ways more subtle than a cut; physical and emotional trauma are examples. Repairing any breach is usually more successful when the healing strategy is holistic.

Energetically, there are interconnections throughout the body that are not visibly obvious and are not well understood by most health practitioners. These interconnections provide redundancy that is necessary to keep us healthy, but when a breach occurs at any location, these same connections allow a ripple effect which can obscure the underlying cause and make diagnosis more difficult.

For example, chemicals, emotions, organs, pathogens, allergens, structure and even financial circumstance (of your patient) are all part of the circuit. They’re all part of life’s continuum. If a breach occurs anywhere on that continuum you will see ripples throughout the system. Clinical strategies that intervene simultaneously at multiple insertion points are more likely to succeed because they’re less reliant on ‘hitting the nail on the head’, and they are more supportive to the entire body.

Nutrition, energetic therapy, emotional support, lifestyle changes, and structural correction all have individual value, but when used in combination you substantially increase the likelihood of a positive clinical outcome.

Creating a Solid Structure with Nutritional Basics

February 14, 2012 in From the Bloggers

Any structure requires a solid “footer”, which is a measured amount of concrete or other solid material strategically placed in the ground to support the building above. It has been said that an experienced builder can accurately tell you the size of the formation to be built by looking at the supporting structure. Just like a building structure, the human body requires basic nutrients to serve as a “footer” and allow you to perform optimally. A skilled health care practitioner can tell you a lot by looking at a patient; large pores on the face suggest a zinc need, possibly caused from too much gluten.

I have discovered over time that there are nutrients commonly deficient in the general public. We live in a very stressful society which creates an acidic environment and tends to cannibalize minerals; I would recommend Multi-Mins™ (three to six a day). I also encourage a green food because we have synthetic estrogens in nearly every layer of our environment; food, water, lawn applications, cosmetics and common household items. Green food, like NitroGreens^®, should be a part of the nutritional basics to help manage the estrogen excess and synergistically neutralize the acid state.

I also encourage a CBC with a differential to help determine the iron levels and potential digestive deficiencies, which requires HydroZyme™ and/or B12-2000™ Lozenges. It is wise to request a chem screen profile which can provide a road map for your protocols, like high cholesterol that could be from a subpar thyroid, an altered chloride or carbon dioxide level which may suggest pH challenges. You always want to make sure your clients are on a multiple product, such as Bio-Multi Plus™ (two to three a day), which is one of the best products out there. I always have patients fill out a diet journal and some type of survey form to have a basis for my recommendations. We have been using the ZYTO Technology along with other assessments to create a plan. Also, Biotics Research Corporation has taken the thinking out of your recommendations by creating the Bio-Anabolic Pack™ with 5 important supplements per pack and I encourage all of my patients to start with this product.