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Archive for the ‘Tips’ Category

Who’s afraid of Zika (or any other virus, for that matter)?

My answers to that is, probably everybody. Most especially, the uninformed. You see, there’s not enough antiviral medications available in the market and those that are, are very specific for certain viruses. Those that are synthetic, come with a significant number of side ffects. Those are that natural, supposedly do not come with enough clinical studies (or we’re not looking at the right journals). So, what are we to do? We know that a healthy immune system is a very formidable defense against microbes and tumors. What you can do then is something really simple. First, make sure that you’re getting enough vitamin C, not plain ascorbic acid, but whole vitamin C, complete with bioflavonoids and all. Vitamin C’s RDA is a joke so definitely do not follow that. What you need to follow is a vitamin’s ODA or Optimal Daily Allowance. For vitamin C, that may vary from 3 to 6 grams per day, taken in divided doses. When someone encounters a viral infection, the timing and dosage of ingestion of vitamin C really matters. An often repeated advise would be to take a gram per hour until symptoms abate or until a person has loose stools. If someone has access to intravenous nutritional drips like the Myer’s cocktail (vitamin C and other nutrients), that would be great! Another vitamin that has antimicrobial properties is vitamin D. Notice why the flu is more prevalent during the winter (or rainy) months? Well, it’s because of the marginal exposure to sunlight, the best source of vitamin D. What about other natural ways to fight off viruses? There’s one modality that stands out and that is medical aromatherapy. It involves the use of clinical grade essential oils such as lemon, cinnamon, oregano, clove, thyme, etc. Numerous clinical studies done at major US hospitals have proven that these oils can be effective against a whole slew of infectious agents. The quality of the oils matter though. Make sure to choose one that’s really pure and are not synthetically-cut like possibly 98% of the oils out there. There are companies that self-regulate themselves in the absence of industry standards. Careful identification of plant sources, quality processing, and clinical validation matters. img_0871

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Waiting for weight loss….

Are you in a rut when it comes to your weight loss goals? Eating like a bird and exercising 24/7 (I’m exaggerating, of course) and still not an iota of change in your body composition? This, inspite of being on a “scientific” weight management program? Maybe it’s about time to look into other possible causes of weight gain. In the next few blog entries, I’ll be discussing a few of the most common causes of being overweight or obese. Let’s begin with your thyroid. Most doctors screen for thyroid function only by checking the pituitary hormone TSH. The normal range for TSH is quite wide. And remember, normal values are based on statistics. The healthier the population, the higher the normal values. Case in point, the normal values in Western Europe are somewhat higher than that of the North American population. This is definitely influenced by diet and lifestyle. Anyway, the optimal range for TSH is between 1-2. If you’re above or below that, further testing may be necessary esp. if you have symtoms of a sluggish thyroid, one of which is poor metabolism leading to weight gain. Ideally, a comprehensive thyroid test should include the following: fT3, fT4, reverse T3, and thyroid antibodies. A functional test for the thyroid includes basal body temperature testing. A temperature less than 97.8 could mean a sluggish thyroid. There’s a condition called Wilson’s syndrome which basically is a person with all the classical symptoms of low thyroid, has normal basic thyroid tests and when it comes to temperature testing, has subnormal temperatures. All enzymatic processes in the body function optimally at ideal temperatures. If temperature is sub normal, then these physiologic processes don’t proceed as normal. One condition that could also affect thyroid function is chronically elevated cortisol levels with stress. This prevents conversion of T4 to T3, the active form of thyroid hormone. Deficiency in minerals like selenium also prevent this conversion process. A group of elements belonging to the halide family such as fluoride (in water/toothpaste), bromide (in baked products, soda), and chlorine (in water), actually affects thyroid hormone production by competing for the same receptors for iodine. In conclusion, there are a lot of possible causes of thyroid hormone imbalance that could ultimately affect one’s metabolism. Make sure that this is addressed comprehensively prior to starting a weight management program. Otherwise, it’ll be a complete waste of time and resources. Another way to put it, you only lose days, not inches (or fat, for that matter). 

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Tips

How to Avoid the C word

imageEveryone dreads about hearing the C word from their doctor. Actually, it’s nothing to be afraid about. That is, if you have a healthy immune system. Each one of us has cancer cells in the body. Cancer cells are just abnormal cells resulting from a defective manufacturing process (cell division). Factors that contribute to this malfunction include excessive free radical formation (oxidative stress), chronic inflammatory processes, chronic toxicity, poor oxygenation, defective metabolic processes (such as impaired blood sugar metabolism, sluggish thyroid), defective DNA repair mechanisms and inefficient detoxification processes, among many other things. Oftentimes, the only risk factors for cancer that doctors discuss with their patients are smoking and  drinking alcohol. It’s not that doctors conveniently forget about these numerous other causes. It’s just that a functional or molecular or nutritional approach in medicine has not been espoused in medical school or post-graduate training. There is a heavy empasis on pharmacology during medical training. After med school, continuing education primarily comes from pharmacaeutical companies. Unless a doctor’s interested in a different approach in healing, then it’ll always be the same approach in dealing with patients and that is, the allopathic approach. Anyway, ways to ensure that you have a healthy immune system to prevent chronic degenerative diseases such as cancer, is first and formost, having a healthy lifestyle. A healthy diet, exercise, rest and relaxation, adequate water intake and sunlight exposure, and  healthy relationships are important. In today’s industrialized and over-polluted world, I would add nutritional supplementation and regular detoxification procedures as part of one’s ultra-preventive program. There’s an abundance of superfoods or nutrients that have anti-carcinogenic properties. It’s important to work with licensed health practitioners who have a knowledge and experience in integrating allopathic and complementary/alternative if one’s ever diagnosed with it. And just FYI, there’s a test available called a chemosensitivity test. This takes the guesswork out of what natural and synthetic chemotherapy drugs to use for a particular cancer. No more trial and error or better yet, guesswork on what would or wouldn’t work. A holistic personalized approach in treating any illness beats a one-size-fits-all approach any time. More info on this chemosensitivity testing in future blog entries. Have a great weekend everyone! 

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Opinions, Tips

Got high BP? 

  • Are you aware that high blood pressure is not a medical illness but actually just a symptom (of some underlying problem)? Unfortunately, high blood pressure is being treated like it’s a disease. And as such, there’s always a corresponding medical treatment. The usual treatment to control high blood pressure is to take any of the different classes of anti-hypertensive meds. Nothing bad about that especially if it’s only given during times of extremely high blood pressure. These meds are sometimes taken indefinitely however, resulting in long-term side effects. Are you aware that a lot of nutrients can actually be depeted by chronic intake of these medications? Among them include vitamins B1, B6 and C, CoQ10, Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Zinc, and Sodium. Once people start having symptoms of nutritional deficiency, unfortunately they’re treated with more medications. It becomes a vicious cycle until eventually, the combination of medications cause damage to the liver and kidneys, among other things. Anyway, there a lot of underlying causes of high blood pressure. Treat the cause or causes and you resolve the underlying problem. Treat only the symptom and you’ll run into more problems. Among the possible causes of hypertension could include nutritional deficiencies (potassium and magnesium), toxicities (elevated tissue levels of lead and mercury), hormonal imbalance (low testosterone in men, evelated cortisol levels in both sexes, estrogen dominance in women), chronic inflammatory states, obesity, dehydration, stress in general, etc. These underlying conditions can be addressed by a nutritionally-minded doctor who can order tests such as a comprehensive nutritional profile, blood or salivary hormone panel, hair mineral analysis, autonomic nervous system analysis, skin carotenoid testing, body composition assessment, and genomic testing. In my practice, it’s not uncommon to get people off of synthetic medications once the root cause of the problem is addressed. Chronic conditions can be reversed by using what we call TLC or Therapeutic Lifestyle Changes. More to this TLC on subsequent blog entries. Have a great week everyone!

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Tips

Skin Savers

Hello everyone! I just wanna share comments that I usually get from clients when I first meet them (or even those I haven’t seen in a while). Modesty aside, they usually ask what I do for my skin. Like most guys, I don’t wanna put too much stuff on my face so I try to keep it really simple. I don’t use soap on my face since most of them cause dryness. I use gentle, organic facial cleansers. My current favorite is the one from Nuskin. It’s important to use a moisturizer on the face and neck area. One of my favorites is the sandalwood moisturizer from Young Living Essential oils. They’re certified organic and they’re very pure as well that you can actually eat them (although I don’t recommend this unless there’s a famine going on). I remember the founder of the company taking a bite of their deodorant stick at one of their annual conferences held a few years ago. If it’s good enough for your skin, then it must be good enough for the rest of the body (or to be taken internally). Makes sense! What a lot people don’t know is that what you eat actually affects the quality of your skin. Eating a lot of refined carbs causes something we call “Advanced glycosylation end-products” or AGE for short. This process takes place when there’s excess blood sugar. This excess sugar combines with protein molecules rendering them non-functional. When these sugars combine with collagen in our skin, that’s when wrinkles begin forming. What gives skin a healthy glow? It’s the pigments coming from fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, pomegranates and many more. What helps in the formation of collagen, the main supporting structure of the skin? Vitamin C, L-lysine and L-proline. What about collagen supplements? I started trying a famous Canadian brand which is now sold in the PI. Let’s see how that goes. In summary, healthy skin can be achieved through a good diet, exercise and topical skin regimen.

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Tips

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Dazed and confused about supplements?

Herbal supplements (Photo credit: Ano Lobb. Follow on Twitter: @healthyrx)

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Tips

It’s all about the timing….

Are you taking handfuls of supplements? You might wanna think about what you’re doing if you’re in the habit of doing that. Timing of supplement intake is as important as the form in which you take them. That would have to be a totally different discussion altogether though. For now, let’s discuss ways in which to optimize the effectiveness of your nutritional supplement program. One thing to take note though before I make general recommendations is that everybody is metabolically different and unique and as such, an individualized program has to be in order.
Multivitamins, whole-food based, should be taken with food a couple of times a day. I’m not a huge fan of time-released multis coz they usually come in the form of tablets (which by the way, may have unnecessary binders and fillers).
Probiotics ideally, are taken on an empty stomach unless they’re enteric-coated.
Supplements such as essential fatty acids and fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E and K are best taken with the heaviest meals.
Mineral supplements are taken apart from meals since fiber from food would actually interfere with their absorption.
Amino acids should ideally be taken apart from food as well. Examples include NAC, L-carnitine and L-tryptophan.
Digestive enzymes such as pancreatic enzymes should be taken 15-30 minutes prior to meals. Plant-based enzymes such as bromelain and papain are more stable in an acid environment and as such, can be taken with meals.
I’m available for in person and virtual consultations. Contact me at +1-415-800-3757 or on Skype at drjlopezmd. Yours in wellness, DrJLo. http://www.drjlopez.com

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Tips

Stressed Out?

Diagram of physiologic negative feedback loop ...

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Hi everyone! A lot of things have happened since I last wrote. Globally, locally, as well as personally. With all the events that are going on around us, one wonders “how can I be safe, stay healthy and vibrant?” I don’t have all the answers but for starters, I would suggest not to worry. Indeed, the popular song, “Dont’ worry, be happy” is so appropriate for our times. Anyway, worry, anxiety or “stress” could affect our delicate systems especially our endocrine or hormonal system. In fact, stress is a major cause of chronic ailments or physical/mental health disorders. How does our body cope with stress? It’s does so primarily through our adrenal glands, a pair of endocrine glands that sit on top of the kidneys. Each adrenal gland is divided into two functionally distinct zones, namely the adrenal cortex (which produces corticosteroids and further classified into mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids and androgens) and the adrenal medulla (produces the catecholamines). For today’s discussion, let’s focus on the glucocorticoids (also known as cortisol). Cortisol is normally secreted in a circadian rhythm. Secretion is highest in the morning around 8 am and , followed by a gradual tapering off through the rest of the day, the lowest level being around midnight. Chronic stress typically causes elevation of cortisol initially  until the adrenals get “depleted”, at which point, cortisol levels start declining. Again, it’s all about hormonal balance. Too much or too little of a hormone (or a nutrient or a neurotransmitter, for that matter), could lead to ill health. Therefore, it’s important to keep everything in balance or homeostasis. In Chinese medicine terms, it’s about yin and yang. In future blog entries, I’ll discuss better ways to manage stress.

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Scared Of Radiation?

Ikata Nuclear Power Plant

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There are different kinds and levels of radiation. It’s constant, high levels that could cause health problems. I won’t go into the kinds or signs or symptoms of radiation exposure coz there’s already an abundance of info on that on the internet. What I’d like to discuss today is how to protect yourself from radiation exposure. Of course, everybody knows that potassium iodide helps by primarily protecting the thyroid glands (from cancer eventually). However, there’s more that we can do to protect ourselves from radiation and it’s byproducts in our bodies. Radiation causes damage in our bodies by primarily increasing free radical formation. Increased free radicals (and there are different kinds of free radicals, by the way) damages all our cells. What do you do then to protect your cells from the onslaught of these harmful substances? The answer is by taking antioxidants, whether it’s in the form of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, herbs and even so-called “superfruits” such as goji and pomegranates. By the way, regarding iodine intake, most people are deficient in this beneficial mineral. Statistics show that up to 90% of the population have abnormally low levels. A lot of holistic doctors that I know of used to check iodine levels of their clients. Since, a large majority of those tested showed low levels, these doctors have just recommended supplementation with  a low dose of potassium iodide (12.5 to 50 mg/day, although in the literature, as much as 300-1000 mg/day has been used in the past). In the last couple of days, there has been a “mad run” for potassium iodide at pharmacies and health food stores. If a person has no access to this, one may consider increasing their intake of seaweeds such as kelp, kombu or arame. Nori sheets used to wrap sishi is also available as a snack. Other helpful products are Rad Tox from a company called Apex Energetix, Modifilan (a brown seaweed product), and  chlorella tablets. Taking NAC or glutathione are also helpful for detox.

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Environment, News, Tips

Bad Hair Day Because of Hormones?

Alopecia

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Yes, it’s possible. Hair loss could be due to hormonal imbalance. The sooner this imbalance is corrected, the better. Hair loss could cease or better yet, hair could grow back. One of the most common hormonal causes of hair loss is a poor thyroid condition. Of course, a lot of thyroid issues unfortunately, still goes undiagnosed. It’s not enough to do a blood test alone. Sometimes, clinical signs and symptoms such as low basal body temperature, slow reflexes, or loss of outer third of a person’s eyebrows, have to be taken into consideration. When a person has blood work for thyroid, it’s important to check for free T3, the metabolically active form of thyroid hormone. In some cases, tests such as reverse T3 and thyroid antibodies could yield very helpful information. The pattern of hair loss is also important by the way. A more diffuse type of hair loss points to a thyroid condition while “male-pattern” hair loss is due to testosterone decline in men (or elevated DHT in both men and women). Ever wonder why younger men have full heads of hair and once they get older, they lose their scalp hair? This is not generally true any more. Unfortunately, we’re seeing young men in their teens and 20’s starting to lose hair. This is due to poor nutrition as well as environmental influences. We’re getting more chemicals from our environment that mimic estrogen in our bodies (xenoestrogens) which are causing a hormonal imbalance. One of the consequences of hormonal imbalance is hair loss. Fortunately, this and other health challenges can be addressed through the use of bioidentical hormones. Addressing the problems associated with aging using a holistic approach always yields better results.

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