Holistic Health Information A Holistic Approach to Heart Health

Heart disease is still the number one killer in the nation. Preventative measures include a whole foods and varied diet, that consists of high fiber foods such as ground flax seeds, vegetables and fruits. There is also a need for Omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce bad cholesterol.

Cholesterol is not the only factor that can causes heart disease Exposure to homocysteine, a molecule that is destructive to blood vessels and can cause blood clots and heart attacks, must be kept in check by consumption of Vitamin B12, B6, trimethylglycine, choline, folic acid, and minerals.

Aerobic exercise is also crucial for heart muscle health and strength, as well as reducing overall stress. Hardening of the arteries has long been associated with the production of damaging molecules, called iNOS- inducible nitric oxide, which our body produces when there is inflammation, autoimmune deregulation, or disease. We also produce a nitric oxide that is reparative to blood vessels, but we may not have the raw materials to produce enough. There is now a supplement called Nitric Balance, which provides these nutrients, and helps heal blood vessels, and soften arteries.

Chiropractic adjustments can also improve heart health, as they have been proven to lower blood pressure. Blood pressure is another concern, which is a consequence of life stress and weight gain. Reducing stress and maintaining adrenal health go a long way to reducing blood pressure, and supporting heart health.

Contact me to learn more about holistic approaches to heart health.

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Holistic Health Information A Holistic Approach to Thyroid Health

I recently attended a lecture that opened my eyes to the fact that thyroid dysfunction is the #3 health challenge in the country, only after heart disease and cancer. It is now known that 90% of women that are plagued with hypothyroid have autoimmune disease, and particularly Hashimoto’s disease. This is a condition in which your body attacks your own thyroid. The symptoms of Hashimoto’s disease include: foggy brain, fatigue, weight gain, depression, and chronic inflammation.

One of the main ways to treat and control this condition is the elimination of gluten from the diet, since 100% of women suffering from Hashimoto’s are also gluten-intolerant. Also, the ingestion of high doses of Vitamin D3 and omega 3’s are helpful. These two nutrients aid in assisting your immune system in self-regulating. Vitamin D3 and omega 3’s also allow your immune system to stay more balanced, and neither attack your body, or become weak when it needs to fight infections.

Surprisingly, prescribing and consuming thyroid medications is often ineffective, and sometimes detrimental to this condition. The effect of autoimmune thyroid disease also degenerates and reduces the brain’s ability to produce neurotransmitters, such as dopamine and serotonin. This must also be addressed through the consumption of the precursor nutrients that help the brain make the neurotransmitters.

I now carry specialized neurotransmitter precursor nutrients called Serotone and Dopatone to restore the production of neurotransmitters. I am also able to offer a combination formula that provides the necessary amount of Vitamin D3 and Omega 3’s called Bio D mulsion.

Of course, the rest of the endocrine system must be supported, in order to aid in restoring proper function to the thyroid. Both blood sugar regulation and adrenal health are vital for this situation to become balanced. When properly functioning, this restores energy, brain functioning, normal weight, mood, and eliminates inflammation from the body.

Contact me to learn more about holistic approaches to thyroid health.

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Holistic Health Information: Gluten Intolerance

                

 I am inspired to address the issue of gluten intolerance and celiac disease this month. There is now evidence that over 35% of Americans are subject to these two conditions. The effects of consuming this protein are far reaching. It is found in wheat, rye, barley, spelt, kamut, soy-isolated protein, and soy sauce. It is also found as an additive in packaged and prepared foods, disguised as modified starch; in every pain killer as a filler; and many prescription drugs. It is also present oats and corn that have been milled in the same place, or cooked in the same oil as wheat products.

The effect of gluten intolerance goes beyond the inflammatory effects on the digestive tract. It can also inflame your brain, pancreas, liver, bladder, skin, and possibly, any organ in the body. In a study done with gluten intolerant people, an MRI was taken of their brains while still consuming gluten-containing foods. The MRI’s showed extensive plaque throughout their brain tissue, similar to that which is seen in MS patients.

After instructing these patients to undergo a 100% gluten-free diet for 6-8 months, the MRI’s were done again. The images revealed that the plaque had been almost completely eradicated. This is due to the fact that gluten inflames and triggers an aggressive antigenic immune response in the body that is very destructive.

When the inflammatory response goes on for years in the digestive tract, the ultimate consequence is called “leaky gut.” Leaky gut refers to the fact that the intestinal lining has been inflamed for so long that it now has little holes over much of it. This leads to incomplete digestion and absorption of proteins, carbohydrates and fats.

Normally, the small intestine finishes the digestion process, and allows for small nutrient particles to cross the lining and enter the blood stream for distribution throughout the body. When there are holes in the lining, this process is incomplete, and much bigger particles of carbohydrates, proteins and fats cross the lining and enter the blood stream.

When this happens, our white blood cells do not recognize these particles as food, rather they consider them foreign invaders, and start attacking them. Since we are also made of these building blocks, our white blood cells (the immune soldiers of the body) get confused and cannot distinguish between us and these undigested particles, and then attack our tissues. This leads to autoimmune diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, Psoriasis, Hashimoto’s autoimmune thyroid disease, etc.

The only definitive way to test for gluten and celiac disease is to do genetic testing through a lab called Entero-Labs. Because the immune system in people that have been exposed to gluten for many years is less than optimal, and the cells that produce antibodies may be compromised, conventional blood and biopsy tests may produce false negative results. I encourage my patients that present with autoimmune symptoms to use this genetic testing.

There is a wonderful website I recommend to all of my gluten-intolerant and celiac patients, that gives multiple resources for finding gluten-free products, restaurants, cooking classes, and educational resources to live a gluten-free lifestyle: www.karmic-health.com.

I carry a gluten digestive enzyme formula that can be taken when people are inadvertently exposed to gluten and want to minimize the inflammatory effects.

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