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Posts tagged ‘health’

Baby, You’re A Firework! The Role of Chronic Inflammation In Premature Aging

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One of the common issues associated with aging is chronic inflammation. This manifests as symptoms a lot of people are so familiar with, such as arthritis, allergies, headaches, asthma, weight gain, etc. Inflammation in general, is a natural process that protects us in certain situations. Chronic, unregulated inflammation however, could cause more harm to our selves more than we all know. It is a major factor in all chronic degenerative diseases or the aging process in general.

One of the reasons behind this surge of inflammatory disorders lies in our diet. A deficiency in omega 3 fatty acids due to the process of refining our foods, has led to this epidemic. Studies show that a person needs at least 4,000 mg. of EFAs to prevent symptoms of deficiency. In my practice, I’ve recommended 8,000 and upwards of EFAs for cardiovascular and neurological problems. I always start with dietary recommendations like the avoidance of hydrogenated oils or trans-fats. I recommend primarily a plant-based or anti-inflammatory diet. There are those people who actually do better with animal protein in their diet (small, cold-water fish; organic, free-range poultry; grass-fed beef; wild game; etc.). What this really means is that, we need to consider each person’s biochemical individuality when it comes to making dietary and supplement recommendations (even exercise recommendations, for that matter). Regarding the use of EFA’s, the key words to look for when purchasing them are “molecularly distilled” and “free of PCBs and heavy metals”. It’s best to refrigerate the bottle once it opened. More info on this in future blogs.

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on November 29, 2010

Scent Power: Essential Oils For Awesome Health

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Medical aromatherapy or the use of essential oils for therapeutic purposes, is one of the oldest forms of medicine and cosmetics known to man. According to Egyptian hieroglyphics and Chinese medical manuscripts, physicians and priests were using essential oils thousands of years before Christ to heal the sick. What are essential oils anyway? Essential oils are the subtle, aromatic and volatile liquids extracted from the flowers, seeds, stems, leaves, bark and roots of herbs, shrubs and trees. The extraction process is done primarily through distillation. Some of the oils that have been used since Biblical times include frankincense, myrrh and cinnamon. Modern clinical research has been confirming the medicinal properties of these oils. For instance, frankincense has been found to have superior immune stimulating properties while cinnamon has blood sugar regulating properties.

Are all essential oils equal? Unfortunately, that’s not the case. For example, the majority of the rose oils come from Bulgaria. In order to keep up with demand from the perfume or cosmetic industry, they have to produce large volumes and in the process compromise quality by using solvent extraction instead of steam distillation.

Some of the modern applications of oils include eugenol (from clove), which is used in the dental industry and thymol (from thyme) which is used as an antiseptic. For one of the best sources of essential oils, check out www.cleanbodycare.com.

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on November 29, 2010

Triple Treat For Your Cell Battery

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A lot of people notice that the number on their scale increases as they age, even while adhering to a sensible diet and exercise regimen. This leads to so much frustration that people sometimes resort to drastic and often, unhealthy treatment measures.

What causes this “what may seem to be an unavoidable” change in metabolism? One of the reasons is the mitochondrial damage caused by free radicals. How do we restore mitochondrial function and optimal metabolism then?

By naturally supporting energy production, cellular health can be renewed and vitality achieved.

Several supplements work in concert to impact energy at the cellular level, providing wide-reaching health benefits (again, taking the right kind of supplements makes a difference).

Resveratrol, a compound found in high quantity in the skin of grapes, in red wine and in plants, like giant knotweed, is a powerful anti-aging antioxidant. Resveratrol recently gained attention because of it’s ability to enhance longevity and support healthy mitochondrial function.

One of the most effective ways to slow the pace of aging is a low calorie diet. It releases a longevity enzyme to help the body adapt- but few people can follow such a restrictive diet. Studies show that resveratrol duplicates the effects of calorie restriction and activates this enzyme without dieting! It also counters the effects of free radicals, shields your system from oxidative cell damage, speeds up cellular repair and supports a healthy heart.

Ubiquinol, the most active form of CoQ10, is the bioactive and reduced form of ubiquinone. Because ubiqiunol is very unstable outside the body and it readily converts to CoQ10, there has been no alternative to CoQ10 supplementation- until now. After more than 10 years of research, the first true ubiquinol product, UBQH, was developed using a patented stabilization process. This means that ubiquinol can go to work faster than CoQ10 alternatives! Ubiquinol works inside of the mitochondria, the “energy powerhouse” of the cell, to improve energy output.

D-ribose, a unique, simple sugar, is a necessary component for the production of cellular energy. It is present in all living cells and essential for life. Because ribose does not exist as a free standing compound in foods, it must be produced in the body from other dietary nutrients. D-ribose is clinically proven to restore cellular energy needed to promote healthy tissue function, increase exercise tolerance and improve quality of life.

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on November 29, 2010

Cholesterol: Optimal Levels For A Healthy Life

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It’s always good to remind ourselves about cholesterol because of the flurry of information you get from the news on tv or the net. It seems that everybody has a strong opinion about it. Anyway, cholesterol is not all bad. In fact, it is essential for life. It’s part of our cell membranes besides being the parent molecule for all the steroid hormones in the body including cortisol, aldosterone and sex hormones. 90% of the cholesterol molecule is made in the liver from carbs (de novo synthesis) while only 10% comes pre-formed from our food. Therefore, the first step in curbing unhealthy cholesterol numbers is to cut down simple carb intake. That includes your white bread, white rice and pastries. Anyway, what’s also important is your bad cholesterol or oxidized cholesterol. What causes this is the ingestion of trans-fats or hydrogenated oils from fried foods primarily. One more thing to consider is the actual size of your cholesterol particles. The smaller the size, the more dangerous it is. Fortunately, there are labs that would actually do a more comprehensive lipid panel. One  lab also includes the following in their panel namely; C-reactive protein, homocysteine, lipoprotein-a, fibrinogen and ferritin levels. Anyway, there are a host of natural remedies that help balance cholesterol levels. These include the use of essential fatty acids, plant sterols, guggulipids, red yeast rice extract and garlic. For those people who “have to ” be on statins, I highly recommend the use of coenzyme Q 10 just to prevent the common side effects of statins such as memory loss (by interfering with pregnenolone synthesis), fatigue, and muscle aches. An integrative approach to lipid management always yields better results than just taking the medication route alone.

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Oh My Zits! Clear Your Skin The Healthy Way

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Acne, the PC word for zits, bothers people of all ages including me when I was a teenager. There’s a lot of possible causes of acne, as well as a host of treatments available. I remember during my teenage years having to see the dermatologist regularly. I would be given OTC meds such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, antibiotics such as tetracycline and occasionally have some “angry” zits “popped”. No dietary advise was given at the time except for the avoidance of chocolates. Acne, especially during the teenage years, is usually due to hormonal imbalance. Although in today’s world, I would say that toxicity could also be a likely cause, similar to adult acne. In Chinese medicine, any pathologic skin condition including acne could be attributed to liver dysfunction. So, if a person sees a holistic practitioner, one of their possible recommendations would be to do a liver cleanse. The liver by the way, is one of the major detoxification organs of the body. Improve the liver’s function and skin function improves as well. Cleansing the colon could go a long way in clearing the skin too. Having a diet consisting of anti-inflammatory vegetables and fruit also helps inflammatory skin conditions. Supplements such as omega 3-fatty acids, chromium (by balancing blood sugar levels), and B complex, are just among the few things that could lead to healthier skin. Cleansing the skin with natural agents, avoiding synthetic/petroleum-based skin care products, and for women (and some men), avoiding toxic make-up could help improve the skin. Getting adequate sleep, exercise, and stress reduction are all good.

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Bad BP! Correct It Now!

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Bad BP! I’m not talking about the company that spilled all this precious oil in the Gulf, although I should be talking about this topic in the future. I’m talking primarily about extremes in blood pressure. That’s high blood pressure as well as low blood pressure. High blood pressure is not an illness or disease although if you talk to other people, they’ll tell you it’s an illness that needs to be medicated. High blood pressure is usually a symptom of some underlying medical problem. Take care of that problem and your blood pressure goes down naturally or on it’s own. Hypertension (another name for high blood pressure), according to the medical literature, can be classified as either essential or secondary type. If you read their descriptions, it doesn’t make any sense at all. Essential hypertension, which comprises 90-95% of cases of hypertension, is said to be due to an idiopathic cause or “cause unknown”. In reality, there could be a lot of causes but these are not typically searched for in a typical practice. Secondary hypertension, on the other hand, could be due to overt underlying problems such as kidney, adrenal or metabolic dysfunction.  Most people end up on medications long-term anyway, whether they have essential or secondary hypertension. Therefore, the distinction between these two types of hypertension is useless, to put it bluntly. Other causes of high blood pressure that aren’t normally addressed include nutritional deficiencies (potassium and magnesium), heavy metal toxicity (lead and mercury), stress (physical, mental, emotional), and allergies (food, drug, chemicals). It’s easy to correct most of these issues. In other cases, treatments such as chelation therapy for heavy metal toxicity and LDA (low dose antigen) therapy for allergies, may be warranted. Medications do have their place in the treatment of high blood pressure but I emphasize an integrative approach to any type of health challenge. One that involves the use of food, dietary supplements, and lifestyle changes such as moderate exercise, stress reduction and optimal sleep.

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I’m Back!

Ani Phyo

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Yup, I’m back after a brief hiatus. Was at a conference this past weekend in Las Vegas. Attended the fall meeting of the American College for Advancement in Medicine or ACAM for short. It’s one of the better, if not the best, integrative medical association in this part of the world. What I love about this group is that it practices what it preaches. One of the guests at the meeting is Ani Phyo, a raw foodist and raw food chef. What I like about her is that she’s not self-righteous as other raw foodists that I’ve met. And the food that she asked the hotel to prepare for one of our lunches was absolutely fabulous! As far as the workshops and lectures are concerned, I would have to say that ACAM puts up one of the best educational meetings. I constantly attend meetings and they do a great job of finding the best speakers on relevant topics. Cheers as well to Drew and Michelle. They’re doing a great job in “spreading the word” on the internet.

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Fall Changes

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Yup, it’s that time of the year. Things around us are changing. That includes the weather, the trees and leaves, our moods (because of impending winter when days are dark and gloomy), among many other things. It’s also that part of the year when I recommend a thorough detoxification or cleansing program. The process of “detox” or detoxification is not just something an alcoholic or drug addicted person needs to do. It’s actually something that all of us need to go through regularly. The main reason for this is due to the environmental pollution that we’re all exposed to. Toxins can be found in our food, air and water. Then, there’s also toxins produced in our bodies from regular metabolic processes. The world has changed a lot during the last 100 years and our bodies haven’t kept up with these changes. Therefore, it’s really important to support the organs of detoxification since our bodies are practically overwhelmed with these external and internal sources of toxins. Simple things that a person can do include avoidance of environmental toxins. Eating organic food, drinking pure water, installing a shower filter  and having an air filtration system at home could be a good start. Avoiding petrochemical-based personal care products and shifting to natural or better yet, organic ones is better for our bodies and the environment as well. Herbal/nutritional support of the major detoxification organs such as the liver include the use of cruciferous vegetables, green tea, milk thistle, NAC, ALA, glutathione, etc. Other simple things anyone can incorporate in their regular detox program include regular exercise, dry skin brushing, and occasional fasting (medically supervised if someone has chronic degenerative diseases or is on medications). Therapeutic grade essential oils of clove, peppermint and cumin have different cleansing properties. Stay tuned for more specific detoxification protocols.

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Desperate Housecalls….

 

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Saw Sunday night’s episode of Desperate Housewives. Interesting how one character has been experiencing anxiety and depression since his wife gave birth a few months earlier. He was diagnosed with post-partum depression and even got a brochure from his primary care physician about the condition. Anyway, he saw a doctor who prescribed him some type of medication for his condition. Upon his return home from the doctor’s office, he told his wife about the medication. His wife didn’t agree with this approach and she then advised him to see a holistic MD, especially after a friend of hers got great results for her back pain. So he did, and when he came back from this holistic MD, he was so delighted because he was prescribed some medical marijuana. Now, that’s stretching it a bit. Personally, I don’t think a holistic MD would prescribe marijuana as an initial treatment for depression. Although it’s one of the medical uses of marijuana, there are other nutrients that one should consider before resorting to this. Nutrients such as Magnesium, vitamin D, B complex, essential fatty acids, St. John’s wort, L-tryptophan, L-tyrosine, and 5-HTP could all help relieve a person’s symptoms of depression. Back to the story, the depressed guy’s wife wasn’t so happy with this recommendation from the doctor. So, she happily switched the medicine bottle with marijuana with oregano without her husband’s knowledge. Her husband however, got better and take note, he even experienced getting “high”. Think about the power of placebo effect. Long story short, he eventually found out about the switch. By that time, he was actually better. Lots of lessons to be learned from this episode but the main one that stuck is the role of the mind in the healing process. The mind is really powerful. So, be careful what you think.

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Flu Fighter

 

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There’s more to preventing the flu than just getting your annual vaccine (which actually doesn’t protect against the current strain of the flu). A healthy immune system is always our best defense against any type of bug, whether it be a virus, bacteria, fungus or parasite. To achieve and maintain a healthy immune system, a person has to take care of the basics. That includes having a healthy diet, adequate water intake, deep breathing, stress reduction, adequate rest and exercise, quality sleep, healthy relationships and last but not least, spirituality. Besides these general recommendations, there are specific nutrients that could help in the fight against the flu. These include certain vitamins, minerals, herbs and essential oils. Vitamin D (D3 in particular), the so-called “happiness” vitamin because of it’s role in preventing SAD or seasonal affective disorder, is more than a vitamin. It’s a pro-hormone and and an immune modulator as well. Doses from 1,000 to 10,000 IU daily may be given to achieve an optimal level of 60-80 ng/ml. Vitamin A can also be used for short periods to help increase secretory IgA and improve the immune system. Doses from 50,000-100,000 units have been used for short periods to help against viral infections. Make sure that a person has a healthy liver prior to initiating high doses of vitamins A and D. Vitamin C complex (with bioflavonoids) can also be given at 1,000-6,000 mg daily. Adequate water intake is suggested when taking higher doses of vitamin C. Minerals such as zinc and selenium, and herbs such as astragalus and garlic, do help as well. Finally, there’s essential oils such as clove, cinnamon, lemon, eucalyptus, rosemary and thyme. I specifically recommend a therapeutic-grade essential oil blend from YLEO called Thieves. It works!

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