Living in central Texas there are several different airborne allergens that seem to strike different people at different times. For years I suffered with terrible allergies during the cedar (aka juniper) season. I would try a homeopathic one year, a couple sessions of acupuncture, honey, quercetin and some other helpful supplements. But every year I would end up double dosing on several prescription medications trying without success to prevent the inevitable sinus and lung infection by the end of the season. One season (because I know how effective they can be) I resorted to one of the worst things you can do to your body, a cortisone injection, which didn't even work.
After years of trial and error, I have finally discovered a solution to my own severe seasonal allergies. Last year with lower cedar pollen counts I made it through the season with a couple sneezes, and minimal fatigue without any prescription medication. This year with off the chart pollen counts I have taken a few over the counter medications on the really bad days, but have had very few symptoms compared to previous years. For those of you who seek to manage your allergies naturally, I will admit that it is one of the most difficult ailments to manage naturally. If you have constant allergies year around it becomes even more difficult to manage especially the older you get.
STEPS TO MANAGING ALLERGIES NATURALLY:
*Note: Even if your allergies are only seasonal, these steps are to be followed year around to be effective.
1) Decrease Inflammation - if you have gut issues, you have inflammation. If you have elevated cholesterol, you have inflammation. If you have joint pain you have inflammation. There are several herbal and dietary supplements that can be helpful with inflammation, I would suggest consulting myself or a natural care practitioner for your specific needs. Read my blog on food sensitivities, and avoid processed sugars for dietary modifications. Avoiding certain foods has been one of the most essential parts to my recovery.
2) Manage any underlying disease process - if you are diabetic, have parasites, Hoshimotos or any number of disease processes you will need to manage these conditions first for the best response to naturally managing allergies.
3) Exposure to the allergen year around (not recommended for children under 4 years of age)- this is the same principal used for those of you who get allergy shots. Allergy shots are great because the injection is concocted specifically to the allergens you react to. Homeopathic tree blends are also available over the counter. LOCAL honey and bee pollen exposure is also an excellent way to expose your body to allergens.
4) Detoxification - if you have developed new allergies with age, sometimes allergies will clear up with the right detoxification program. Nutritional detoxification can vary depending on each person's individual needs.
5) Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables - if you are unable to consume at least 8 servings per day (that's a cup of fresh per serving) you need to supplement with a whole food supplement like Juice Plus (multivitamins like Centrum are isolated nutrients with fillers in their supplements that can sometimes make allergies worse). Many people become toxic because their body does not have the basic nutrition that allows us to detoxify naturally.
6) Exercise regularly - like that doesn't help everything right?
7) Acupuncture - especially just before the allergy season starts.
8) Nutritional Support specific for allergies - what works depends on the individual. As mentioned earlier high doses of quercetin have been found to be helpful for some people, but my personal cure (after trying many) is a product called Albiza Complex made by MediHerb taken every four hours along with Allerplex.
9) Limit exposure - seems like a no brainer, but stay indoors as much as possible, clean your house often, wash your sheets often, use air purifiers, and take weekend trips away from your allergens if possible.
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Thursday, January 13, 2011
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Last week my daughter told me she wanted to sign up for a class that is expensive, far away, and not exactly what I would have picked for her. Unlike the unenthusiastic grunt, "I guess that would be OK" I got when I suggested a marine biology class at the beach, scuba diving, the gifted and talented camp, and a number of other things, she beamed with excitement offering up $1,000 of her own babysitting money to pay for it.
I did sign her up for the class because a parent I want to encourage her to follow her heart..... to do things that encourage growth in areas that make her and thus the world around her a little happier/better. It is easy as a parent to do for your child; picking up their toys is easier than teaching them to pick them up; cooking their meals is easier than teaching them to cook for themselves; and sometimes telling them to go to college or take over a particular business is easier than letting them discover for themselves what they enjoy. It seems easier as a parent to (try to) control our children's decisions and much harder to guide them towards following their own passion or purpose. But in reality it is working in a field that we enjoy and find fulfilling that keeps us happy and healthy. I want my daughter to discover on her own that work of any sort is a blessing, because the gifts we have mean nothing unless they are shared.
I'm not sure anyone really knows exactly what they want to be when they grow up. I don't think this class my daughter has signed up for will be her destiny (because maybe the journey is our destiny), but I do believe anything that creates such excitement in her heart will help guide her towards becoming what she is intended to be. Hopefully we never stop growing up.
I did sign her up for the class because a parent I want to encourage her to follow her heart..... to do things that encourage growth in areas that make her and thus the world around her a little happier/better. It is easy as a parent to do for your child; picking up their toys is easier than teaching them to pick them up; cooking their meals is easier than teaching them to cook for themselves; and sometimes telling them to go to college or take over a particular business is easier than letting them discover for themselves what they enjoy. It seems easier as a parent to (try to) control our children's decisions and much harder to guide them towards following their own passion or purpose. But in reality it is working in a field that we enjoy and find fulfilling that keeps us happy and healthy. I want my daughter to discover on her own that work of any sort is a blessing, because the gifts we have mean nothing unless they are shared.
I'm not sure anyone really knows exactly what they want to be when they grow up. I don't think this class my daughter has signed up for will be her destiny (because maybe the journey is our destiny), but I do believe anything that creates such excitement in her heart will help guide her towards becoming what she is intended to be. Hopefully we never stop growing up.
Monday, January 3, 2011
Food Allergies and Sensitivities
There is a lot of confusion as to why healthy foods like wheat, eggs, milk, nuts, strawberries or just about anything may be bad for you. I know many people who suffer from food allergies or sensitivities because they refuse to believe this could be possible. But as the autoimmune population grows (over 300 new autoimmune diseases are being identified every year), more and more people are claiming to be "allergic" to certain foods. Who doesn't know someone who is lactose intolerant, allergic to some nut, or feeling a lot better on a wheat free diet?
If you have a true food allergy (by current medical definition), your body has an IgE immune response when exposed to the offending food. An IgE response is quite dramatic (like the throat swelling, or sharp stomach pain) and occurs soon after exposure. Most medical doctors will run IgE tests to determine food allergies (although I'm not sure why, because it is usually quite obvious if you have an IgE immune response).
What is called a food sensitivity by some and a food allergy by others is typically an IgG or IgA response to consumption of offending food. Symptoms can be vague and vary from weight gain, weight loss (less common), bloating, brain fog, joint and muscle pains, increased hay fever/allergies, headaches, and much more. Many food sensitivities do not cause digestive symptoms, which is why many people refuse to believe their health problems could be related to eating healthy foods. Symptoms do not typically occur immediately(usually several hours to a day after consumption) so identifying the offending foods can be difficult. Several methods can be used:
1) The gold standard for identifying this type of sensitivity is with the elimination diet. The problem with this type of diet is, most elimination diets use brown rice as their non-allergenic food. I have found that some patients are sensitive to rice and some will develop new sensitivities to almost any food upon repeated exposure due to poor gut health. If there is not a single food that you are certain is not causing an immune response, it is almost impossible to determine the foods that are causing immune responses.
2) If you suspect a particular food, you can take your pulse before consuming it, and then again after you consume the food. If your heart rate increases after consumption, you are likely sensitive to that food.
3) Many alternative care providers will use a technique called muscle testing. Although I find this to be very accurate, it is impossible to scientifically support this method.
4) The IgG and IgA blood testing is quite expensive and only works if your immune system is functioning properly (unfortunately most people who have this type of sensitivity, have altered immune function). I find this bloodwork can be a good basic guideline, but not the best method.
5) Sometimes certain health problems are associated with specific sensitives. Wheat sensitivities have been linked to Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Ulcerative Colitis, and Chron's Disease. Corn sensitives are common in people with brain fog. Milk sensitivities are almost a given in a child with ear infections, and very common in people with allergies.
If the cause of a food sensitivity is genetic (like with Celiac Disease) your body will never become capable of digesting that particular food because it lacks the ability to do so. Consuming the offending food will damage your intestinal linings which results in additional food sensitivities because the enzymes used to breakdown food are no longer being made by the damaged tissues.
Any deterioration/damage of the intestinal lining can cause a non-genetic type of food sensitivity. Intestinal deterioration can be caused by many things from poor diet, celiac disease, yeast/bacteria imbalance, and parasites just to mention a few. If you have heartburn, you have gut deterioration, and whether you realize it or not you have food sensitivities. When your intestinal wall deteriorates it is not capable of secreting enzymes to properly digest the foods you eat which will cause the walls to deteriorate even more. Eventually because of the intestinal wall damage, food leaks into the blood (often referred to as leaky gut) and your body will create antibodies against that food in an IgG or IgA immune response. In this type of food sensitivity or 'allergy', you will likely be able to eventually consume the offending food again without having an immune response when the intestinal lining improves.
There are many supplements that help to improve the intestinal lining, but it is almost impossible to completely repair the intestinal lining without removal of the offending foods.
If you have a true food allergy (by current medical definition), your body has an IgE immune response when exposed to the offending food. An IgE response is quite dramatic (like the throat swelling, or sharp stomach pain) and occurs soon after exposure. Most medical doctors will run IgE tests to determine food allergies (although I'm not sure why, because it is usually quite obvious if you have an IgE immune response).
What is called a food sensitivity by some and a food allergy by others is typically an IgG or IgA response to consumption of offending food. Symptoms can be vague and vary from weight gain, weight loss (less common), bloating, brain fog, joint and muscle pains, increased hay fever/allergies, headaches, and much more. Many food sensitivities do not cause digestive symptoms, which is why many people refuse to believe their health problems could be related to eating healthy foods. Symptoms do not typically occur immediately(usually several hours to a day after consumption) so identifying the offending foods can be difficult. Several methods can be used:
1) The gold standard for identifying this type of sensitivity is with the elimination diet. The problem with this type of diet is, most elimination diets use brown rice as their non-allergenic food. I have found that some patients are sensitive to rice and some will develop new sensitivities to almost any food upon repeated exposure due to poor gut health. If there is not a single food that you are certain is not causing an immune response, it is almost impossible to determine the foods that are causing immune responses.
2) If you suspect a particular food, you can take your pulse before consuming it, and then again after you consume the food. If your heart rate increases after consumption, you are likely sensitive to that food.
3) Many alternative care providers will use a technique called muscle testing. Although I find this to be very accurate, it is impossible to scientifically support this method.
4) The IgG and IgA blood testing is quite expensive and only works if your immune system is functioning properly (unfortunately most people who have this type of sensitivity, have altered immune function). I find this bloodwork can be a good basic guideline, but not the best method.
5) Sometimes certain health problems are associated with specific sensitives. Wheat sensitivities have been linked to Autoimmune Thyroiditis, Ulcerative Colitis, and Chron's Disease. Corn sensitives are common in people with brain fog. Milk sensitivities are almost a given in a child with ear infections, and very common in people with allergies.
If the cause of a food sensitivity is genetic (like with Celiac Disease) your body will never become capable of digesting that particular food because it lacks the ability to do so. Consuming the offending food will damage your intestinal linings which results in additional food sensitivities because the enzymes used to breakdown food are no longer being made by the damaged tissues.
Any deterioration/damage of the intestinal lining can cause a non-genetic type of food sensitivity. Intestinal deterioration can be caused by many things from poor diet, celiac disease, yeast/bacteria imbalance, and parasites just to mention a few. If you have heartburn, you have gut deterioration, and whether you realize it or not you have food sensitivities. When your intestinal wall deteriorates it is not capable of secreting enzymes to properly digest the foods you eat which will cause the walls to deteriorate even more. Eventually because of the intestinal wall damage, food leaks into the blood (often referred to as leaky gut) and your body will create antibodies against that food in an IgG or IgA immune response. In this type of food sensitivity or 'allergy', you will likely be able to eventually consume the offending food again without having an immune response when the intestinal lining improves.
There are many supplements that help to improve the intestinal lining, but it is almost impossible to completely repair the intestinal lining without removal of the offending foods.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Why am I not Losing Weight?
We come to the end of another holiday season and patients keep telling me they are sure they gained more weight than they ate. It seems the weight goes on a lot easier than it comes off and takes a lot longer than it used to. Here are a few things that will slow or prevent weight loss:
1) Not working out, or working out in the wrong heart rate zone. Although you will burn more calories at a higher heart rate, most fat calories are burned in the lower heart rate zones. There are many websites you can go to calculate where your heart rate should be for optimal weight loss, for a great explanation you can go to http://www.thewalkingsite.com/ Many disease processes can cause your heart rate to change from day to day, so for best results wear a heart monitor.
2) Hormone balance - any hormone imbalance can cause you to gain (or lose) weight. Diabetes, menopause, Cushings, thyroid problems.... these are just a few examples of hormone imbalances. If you eat processed sugar on a daily basis, you most likely have a hormone imbalance or will develop one. The best way to fix a hormone imbalance is not by taking hormones, but by eliminating all processed sugar and working on all the things listed in this blog. There are also adaptogenic herbal supplements that when used properly can help. I find it rare that a person needs to take hormone replacement (unless endocrine organs have been removed) to correct a hormone balance. If you suspect you have a hormone imbalance, I would suggest you see a doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormones, or an alternative care provider who knows how to interpret labwork in functional ranges.
3) Not enough water - water is used to break down sugar and almost everything in your body, so if you want to break down fat be sure to consume more than enough water. The basic formula for water intake is half your body weight in ounces (eg. if you weigh 100 pounds you should be drinking at least 50 ounces of water each day). If you are exercising, sweating, or wanting to loose weight, you will probably have to increase that amount.
4) Toxic environment - Ever notice the people drinking diet drinks are just as fat as the ones drinking the full sugared ones? Our environment is filled with all sorts of toxic substances, from dry cleaned clothing, surgical implants of any sort, tap water, medications, and the list goes on. Read labels, avoid all foods with anything made in a lab or you don't know what it is - did you know all commercial gum contains aspartame, sucralose or both? Besides increased exposure, certain diseases and any hormone imbalance will decrease your body's ability to detoxify itself naturally.
5) Food Sensitivities - (often confused with food allergies) For reasons too long to list in a simple blog, each person is able to digest some foods better than others. When you eat foods that are difficult for you to digest, you will gain weight. My next blog will be on this if you would like additional information.
6) Not Eating Right - Eat breakfast and set your metabolism for the day. Not eating enough will slow your metabolism because your body thinks it's starving. Better than coffee, Green Tea is known to increase metabolism. Start your day with your largest and highest protein meal, then eat small HEALTHY snacks throughout the day eating your lightest lowest carbohydrate, high vegetable meal in the evening. Citrus fruits (especially grapefruit) contain hydroxycitic acid which helps with weight loss. Celery helps to curb appetites. If you do not eat fats your leptin levels will not increase to a level that tells your body you are no longer hungry, just avoid all hydrogenated fats, and limit fried foods. If you are not eating processed food (like flour and sugar), working out five days a week, and following these guidelines - it is unlikely you will ever need to count calories.
1) Not working out, or working out in the wrong heart rate zone. Although you will burn more calories at a higher heart rate, most fat calories are burned in the lower heart rate zones. There are many websites you can go to calculate where your heart rate should be for optimal weight loss, for a great explanation you can go to http://www.thewalkingsite.com/ Many disease processes can cause your heart rate to change from day to day, so for best results wear a heart monitor.
2) Hormone balance - any hormone imbalance can cause you to gain (or lose) weight. Diabetes, menopause, Cushings, thyroid problems.... these are just a few examples of hormone imbalances. If you eat processed sugar on a daily basis, you most likely have a hormone imbalance or will develop one. The best way to fix a hormone imbalance is not by taking hormones, but by eliminating all processed sugar and working on all the things listed in this blog. There are also adaptogenic herbal supplements that when used properly can help. I find it rare that a person needs to take hormone replacement (unless endocrine organs have been removed) to correct a hormone balance. If you suspect you have a hormone imbalance, I would suggest you see a doctor who specializes in bioidentical hormones, or an alternative care provider who knows how to interpret labwork in functional ranges.
3) Not enough water - water is used to break down sugar and almost everything in your body, so if you want to break down fat be sure to consume more than enough water. The basic formula for water intake is half your body weight in ounces (eg. if you weigh 100 pounds you should be drinking at least 50 ounces of water each day). If you are exercising, sweating, or wanting to loose weight, you will probably have to increase that amount.
4) Toxic environment - Ever notice the people drinking diet drinks are just as fat as the ones drinking the full sugared ones? Our environment is filled with all sorts of toxic substances, from dry cleaned clothing, surgical implants of any sort, tap water, medications, and the list goes on. Read labels, avoid all foods with anything made in a lab or you don't know what it is - did you know all commercial gum contains aspartame, sucralose or both? Besides increased exposure, certain diseases and any hormone imbalance will decrease your body's ability to detoxify itself naturally.
5) Food Sensitivities - (often confused with food allergies) For reasons too long to list in a simple blog, each person is able to digest some foods better than others. When you eat foods that are difficult for you to digest, you will gain weight. My next blog will be on this if you would like additional information.
6) Not Eating Right - Eat breakfast and set your metabolism for the day. Not eating enough will slow your metabolism because your body thinks it's starving. Better than coffee, Green Tea is known to increase metabolism. Start your day with your largest and highest protein meal, then eat small HEALTHY snacks throughout the day eating your lightest lowest carbohydrate, high vegetable meal in the evening. Citrus fruits (especially grapefruit) contain hydroxycitic acid which helps with weight loss. Celery helps to curb appetites. If you do not eat fats your leptin levels will not increase to a level that tells your body you are no longer hungry, just avoid all hydrogenated fats, and limit fried foods. If you are not eating processed food (like flour and sugar), working out five days a week, and following these guidelines - it is unlikely you will ever need to count calories.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Fountain of Youth
"We don't stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing." - Ben Franklin. So let's play....
Crossword puzzles, sudoku, board games, read a book, maybe even a little pac man...... because it is brain exercise, use it or loose it. Change up the games to exercise different parts of your brain.
And of course don't forget to exercise your body; work out, take a hike, run, swim, bike, go horseback riding..... just play. Studies show that the older people get, the less likely we are to exercise and the our muscles will deteriorate faster as we age when not used.
Learn to belly dance, or try yoga, skiing, scuba diving, mountain climbing, tai chi; whenever you learn a new physical skill your brain grows. Some researchers believe our brains do not deteriorate because we age, but because we stop learning new physical activities. We use many parts of our brain when we learn, especially physical activities.
Try something new and healthy to eat, explore, let your taste buds learn. Discover new foods like a child, play. An occasional treat is not bad, but remember what we choose to consume is an expression of who we are.
Get a dog, gather with friends, get a massage, play with some kids, go to work, because who really needs me to quote a study to know that companionship is essential for our emotional health? Laughter, friendship, and a great outlook on life probably influences our health more than any other single thing.
Seek out spiritual guidance, through church, through friends, meditate, spend some time alone in nature or writing, or maybe even drawing. In my silent moments I can hear my inner child telling me what to play. In my silent moments God's voice is not drowned out by the world around me.
The young sapling is beautiful with its fresh green growth reaching for the skies; but it is the tree centuries old with termites, squirrels, and the laugh lines from living well that is truly intriguing. A fountain of youth exists within us all, if we choose to look for it.
Crossword puzzles, sudoku, board games, read a book, maybe even a little pac man...... because it is brain exercise, use it or loose it. Change up the games to exercise different parts of your brain.
And of course don't forget to exercise your body; work out, take a hike, run, swim, bike, go horseback riding..... just play. Studies show that the older people get, the less likely we are to exercise and the our muscles will deteriorate faster as we age when not used.
Learn to belly dance, or try yoga, skiing, scuba diving, mountain climbing, tai chi; whenever you learn a new physical skill your brain grows. Some researchers believe our brains do not deteriorate because we age, but because we stop learning new physical activities. We use many parts of our brain when we learn, especially physical activities.
Try something new and healthy to eat, explore, let your taste buds learn. Discover new foods like a child, play. An occasional treat is not bad, but remember what we choose to consume is an expression of who we are.
Get a dog, gather with friends, get a massage, play with some kids, go to work, because who really needs me to quote a study to know that companionship is essential for our emotional health? Laughter, friendship, and a great outlook on life probably influences our health more than any other single thing.
Seek out spiritual guidance, through church, through friends, meditate, spend some time alone in nature or writing, or maybe even drawing. In my silent moments I can hear my inner child telling me what to play. In my silent moments God's voice is not drowned out by the world around me.
The young sapling is beautiful with its fresh green growth reaching for the skies; but it is the tree centuries old with termites, squirrels, and the laugh lines from living well that is truly intriguing. A fountain of youth exists within us all, if we choose to look for it.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
What is Functional Blood Chemistry?
It is a frustrating experience to feel absolutely terrible and have your doctor tell you that your bloodwork and all of your tests are 'normal' . This is quite common with hormonal imbalances as well as with many of the over 2,000 named autoimmune diseases (300 new classifications added every year). Often after being poked and prodded in about every way possible and everything is still 'normal' , you may be labeled with a vague diagnosis of 'fibromyalgia' or 'mitrochondrial disease'.
The reason this happens is that lab abnormal ranges are set to identify most life threatening diseases. There are many health problems that can cause you to feel so terrible, it often feels like you must be dying. These health problems may not yet be life threatening and therefore your lab tests will come back as 'normal'. A functional bloodwork analysis can be done on the same bloodwork you have done at your yearly physical, or when you are trying to figure out what is 'wrong' with you.
Functional ranges are a lot smaller than disease state ranges, and meant to identify patterns rather than diseases. In other words, the smaller ranges are used to identify weak organ systems, or areas you need to strengthen. Strengthening can be done with a number of different techniques from exercise to specific nutrition and lifestyle changes. A functional bloodwork assessment should be done by someone trained to identify patterns of bloodwork with functional deficiencies.
Eating healthy, exercise, supplements, and taking care of yourself is not covered by your health insurance (seems that would be common sense, but a lot of people need to be told). Health insurance is meant to help people who suffer from life threatening or physically debilitating diseases. I believe all health problems (life threatening or not) are best served by proper nutrition and care of your body. I try to guide patients along this path using functional blood chemistry as one of many tools. And don't worry if you want your insurance to pay for it, with a few more years of doing the same thing and expecting a different result, your body will continue down the same path and eventually your lab tests will come back abnormal. At which point your doctor is likely to recommend a drug or treatment to prevent death or debilitation not disease, and of course that is covered by your insurance.
I believe we create our own destiny by the choices we make. Or as Eleanor Powell once said, "What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God."
The reason this happens is that lab abnormal ranges are set to identify most life threatening diseases. There are many health problems that can cause you to feel so terrible, it often feels like you must be dying. These health problems may not yet be life threatening and therefore your lab tests will come back as 'normal'. A functional bloodwork analysis can be done on the same bloodwork you have done at your yearly physical, or when you are trying to figure out what is 'wrong' with you.
Functional ranges are a lot smaller than disease state ranges, and meant to identify patterns rather than diseases. In other words, the smaller ranges are used to identify weak organ systems, or areas you need to strengthen. Strengthening can be done with a number of different techniques from exercise to specific nutrition and lifestyle changes. A functional bloodwork assessment should be done by someone trained to identify patterns of bloodwork with functional deficiencies.
Eating healthy, exercise, supplements, and taking care of yourself is not covered by your health insurance (seems that would be common sense, but a lot of people need to be told). Health insurance is meant to help people who suffer from life threatening or physically debilitating diseases. I believe all health problems (life threatening or not) are best served by proper nutrition and care of your body. I try to guide patients along this path using functional blood chemistry as one of many tools. And don't worry if you want your insurance to pay for it, with a few more years of doing the same thing and expecting a different result, your body will continue down the same path and eventually your lab tests will come back abnormal. At which point your doctor is likely to recommend a drug or treatment to prevent death or debilitation not disease, and of course that is covered by your insurance.
I believe we create our own destiny by the choices we make. Or as Eleanor Powell once said, "What we are is God's gift to us. What we become is our gift to God."
Sunday, September 5, 2010
"I'm So Stressed Out"
If you haven't uttered those words at one point or another, please share your secret. It seems to me jobs, schedules, foods, cars, houses, and even spouses are changing more and more. Since stress can be simply defined as 'change', it is no surprise the prevalence of depression, anxiety, impulse control, and substance abuse disorders have doubled since 1945. Of course stress affects our health on a physical level as well.
I have wanted to write this blog for a while, but have struggled to put simply to words what stress looks like in your body. I believe in a holistic vision when it comes to taking care of myself, and that doesn't mean avoiding allopathic medical care. Holistic means to see the body as a whole and not as individual parts. It is as if I am looking out at an entire landscape trying to put into words what causes it to change over time. I want to just say "God only knows", but understand that many of us seek answers as to why we get sick.
Having studied a Western paradigm, I will start with what Western scientists refer to as our stress glands, the adrenals. I start here because it is quite rare to find an American with a completely normal adrenal hormone labwork. Often I see patients whose labwork consists of a single cortisol number, and tell me their doctor said their adrenals are completely normal. Well maybe they don't have adrenal cancer, but saying your adrenals are functioning normally with a single cortisol level, is like starving a diabetic then testing their blood sugar and then saying they no longer have diabetes because their blood sugar was normal. Adrenal stress causes abdominal weight gain, muscle aches, sensitivity to light, perimenopausal symptoms, fatigue, and so much more......
Regardless of whether you have high, low, or bloodsugar somewhere in between, the best thing you can do to help restore you health is ***eliminate all processed sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and MSG from your diet because all of these things can increase your cortisol levels. Increased cortisol levels will cause your blood sugar to elevate, and long term will cause diabetes, and hypothyroidsim.
Even children are under more stress today playing more sports, more homework, busier schedules, less family time, less spiritual growth, more sugar, more MSG and other food additives that cause their adrenal glands to become stressed at younger and younger ages. This causes their immune systems to become weaker, and their liver less capable of detoxifying the chemicals added into our foods (like dyes, aspartame, etc.). Both of these things cause a decrease in immunoglobin A which causes food allergies and leaky gut syndrome. So it is very important to **eliminate foods that cause allergies/sensitivities in anyone with stress for optimal health.
*Good sleep patterns are essential to maintain good cortisol levels, most people having trouble sleeping are struggling with an overworked adrenal gland. As your body struggles to make more hormones to keep everything in balance, your cholesterol levels will climb because your body needs cholesterol to make the hormones and also to respond to the inflammation indirectly caused by the increased blood sugar caused by the increased cortisol. Eventually adrenal stress will lead to altered neurotransmitter function which causes depression, anxiety and a number of emotional problems, as if you weren't stressed out enough now your stress is causing you to be more stressed.
Western and Eastern scientists alike recognize that stress effects our health. M. Emoto (a Japanese scientist) believes that when water is subjected to good or bad feelings it will change appearance; and since most of our body is composed of water, our feelings and the feelings of those we come in contact with can influence our health. During the past few weeks we have been in a time period Eastern scientists refer to as 'Mercury Retrograde' which is what us Western scientists would simply call a stressful time. I hope one day Eastern and Western scientists will be able to combine their knowledge, fitting pieces of the puzzle together so we can better see the entire landscape and not just a piece of it.
Life was a lot easier when I thought Western science had all the answers, but as my mind grows I have come to recognize life is not a small town, a country, a planet, and who knows maybe not even an entire universe. In the end, I still believe only God truly knows everything.
I have wanted to write this blog for a while, but have struggled to put simply to words what stress looks like in your body. I believe in a holistic vision when it comes to taking care of myself, and that doesn't mean avoiding allopathic medical care. Holistic means to see the body as a whole and not as individual parts. It is as if I am looking out at an entire landscape trying to put into words what causes it to change over time. I want to just say "God only knows", but understand that many of us seek answers as to why we get sick.
Having studied a Western paradigm, I will start with what Western scientists refer to as our stress glands, the adrenals. I start here because it is quite rare to find an American with a completely normal adrenal hormone labwork. Often I see patients whose labwork consists of a single cortisol number, and tell me their doctor said their adrenals are completely normal. Well maybe they don't have adrenal cancer, but saying your adrenals are functioning normally with a single cortisol level, is like starving a diabetic then testing their blood sugar and then saying they no longer have diabetes because their blood sugar was normal. Adrenal stress causes abdominal weight gain, muscle aches, sensitivity to light, perimenopausal symptoms, fatigue, and so much more......
Regardless of whether you have high, low, or bloodsugar somewhere in between, the best thing you can do to help restore you health is ***eliminate all processed sugar, high fructose corn syrup, and MSG from your diet because all of these things can increase your cortisol levels. Increased cortisol levels will cause your blood sugar to elevate, and long term will cause diabetes, and hypothyroidsim.
Even children are under more stress today playing more sports, more homework, busier schedules, less family time, less spiritual growth, more sugar, more MSG and other food additives that cause their adrenal glands to become stressed at younger and younger ages. This causes their immune systems to become weaker, and their liver less capable of detoxifying the chemicals added into our foods (like dyes, aspartame, etc.). Both of these things cause a decrease in immunoglobin A which causes food allergies and leaky gut syndrome. So it is very important to **eliminate foods that cause allergies/sensitivities in anyone with stress for optimal health.
*Good sleep patterns are essential to maintain good cortisol levels, most people having trouble sleeping are struggling with an overworked adrenal gland. As your body struggles to make more hormones to keep everything in balance, your cholesterol levels will climb because your body needs cholesterol to make the hormones and also to respond to the inflammation indirectly caused by the increased blood sugar caused by the increased cortisol. Eventually adrenal stress will lead to altered neurotransmitter function which causes depression, anxiety and a number of emotional problems, as if you weren't stressed out enough now your stress is causing you to be more stressed.
Western and Eastern scientists alike recognize that stress effects our health. M. Emoto (a Japanese scientist) believes that when water is subjected to good or bad feelings it will change appearance; and since most of our body is composed of water, our feelings and the feelings of those we come in contact with can influence our health. During the past few weeks we have been in a time period Eastern scientists refer to as 'Mercury Retrograde' which is what us Western scientists would simply call a stressful time. I hope one day Eastern and Western scientists will be able to combine their knowledge, fitting pieces of the puzzle together so we can better see the entire landscape and not just a piece of it.
Life was a lot easier when I thought Western science had all the answers, but as my mind grows I have come to recognize life is not a small town, a country, a planet, and who knows maybe not even an entire universe. In the end, I still believe only God truly knows everything.
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