Over the years, many of you have taken advantage of the supplements I recommend to you.  While I enjoy sharing all the latest information I have learned, when I make a recommendation that you use or buy a certain supplement, it is based on my research and understanding of Whole Food Supplements.  While you are certainly free to purchase items at the herb shop or Walmart, I am not basing my recommendations on those products, and have no idea if they will work.

Whole Food Supplements are made from food ingredients grown by the company from which I buy the supplements.  They are not mega doses, but placed in the tablet or capsule in a form that makes them readily available to be used by your body.  This is called bioavailability.  The different supplements made by the company Standard Process are put together in such a way that they are bioavailable to your body.  They are also put together in certain formulations to support the process that your body uses to stay healthy.

For example, Antronex, a supplement which I sell regularly to help individuals who might have a sinus problem or a cold, is actually a liver extract that increases the bodies’ natural detoxification processes. It is not, as many of them think a "natural decongestant".  But I understand their confusion, as many patients have been  helped by this supplement when traditional over the counter and even prescriptions have failed.  This is because all drugs deplete the body or change its processes, in some way.  Whole food supplements add nutrients to the body and let the innate wisdom of the body do the rest.

Patrick Quillan, PhD, said it best in the American Journal of Natural Medicine September 2002:
“The assumption that human technology could improve on the wisdom of Nature (God) has become a primary course of disease in the modern world.  We dissect food, take out the most glaringly obvious  parts, attempt to recreate them in a laboratory, and label them as ‘active ingredients’. In fact it is the symphony of nutrients working synergistically that provides the quantum healing power of whole foods.”

According to Judith De Cava a Nutritionist and Author of The Real Truth About Vitamins and Antioxidants:
Nature does not produce vitamins, minerals, trace minerals or any other food components in concentrated or segregated forms, but merges and blends them – synchronizes them – for the body’s needs.  The idea that “ if a little is good, more is better” leads to ingestion of mega does of “high potency”, refined, separated “nutrients”, dismantled, disassembled, or artificially manufactured chemical supplements.  This will ‘work’ for a short time . . .  Eventually, this method backfires and causes complications, (and) imbalances. . .  Such supplements do not contribute to health, they only disrupt it.  Balance and function – not quantity – are the keys.”

So when I recommend you take a certain product, and you decide you will look for it cheaper elsewhere, ask yourself if your health is worth the trade off.  

Why Do I Use Standard Process supplements?

Because the products are made from food, not synthetic chemicals.
Because the chiropractic nutritional researchers I rely on have themselves relied on Standard Process.
Because in a world where companies come and go, Standard Process has been around since 1929.
Because Dr. Royal Lee, was so far ahead of his time, he is only being proved right today in some of his theories.

 - I hope I have educated and enlightened you today

Well this might seem like an ominous topic, but it caught my eye as I was going thru a file full of health related articles.  Over the years I have gotten into the habit of handing out articles to my patients to help educate them about health.  Many of the articles are about Chiropractic, Nutrition and positive thinking.  Over the years I have read hundreds if not thousands of magazine and  newspaper articles, along with dozens of e-articles from all kinds of online sources.

This headline, "Ovarian cancer does have early warning signs, experts now say" caught my eye, because I distinctly remember getting an e-mail a year or two ago,  with 'warning signs of ovarian cancer'.  Since Ovarian cancer is typically considered to have no firm or established warning signs, I forwarded the e-mail to the women in my e-mail list.  Not a day later, a very diligent friend e-mailed me back, stating that the first e-mail had been de-bunked by snopes.com and that it was not legitimate.  I found this a little disappointing, as Ovarian cancer is often caught in its later stages, when the prognosis is bleak.

This article, written by Liz Szabo for USA Today in June of 2007 states that the following could be early warning signs:

Pelvic or abdominal pain

         Bloating

         Difficulty eating or feeling full quickly

         Urgent or frequent urination

Now, you might be saying to yourself, " That just sounds like Christmas Day" or the after the holiday blues.  However women want to be especially careful if these symptoms are new, severe, or persist for more than two or three weeks.  An appointment with your doctor is recommended if you fall into the category of sudden, severe symptoms.

According to the American Cancer Society, 90% of women diagnosed with Ovarian Cancer  reported having one or more symptoms, such as abdominal pain, bloating, back or pelvic pain.  Again, the symptoms are non-specific, but if they persist, so should you.  Misdiagnosis is common, especially since the symptoms could be mistaken for gastrointestinal diseases.

According to the Mayo Clinic, common misdiagnoses include irritable bowel syndrome, stress and depression.They say "The key seems to be persistent or worsening signs and symptoms. With most digestive disorders, symptoms tend to come and go, or they occur in certain situations or after eating certain foods. With ovarian cancer, there's typically little fluctuation — symptoms are constant and gradually worsen."

So here's some words to the wise.  Get your diet under control to eliminate the symptoms that are coming from things you know you shouldn't be eating, and if problems persist get it checked out.

  For further information go to: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ovarian-cancer/DS00293/DSECTION=symptoms

Have a Healthy New Year

(Don't forget to get adjusted)

Dr. Liz

Last night, we hosted a dinner lecture for our patients.  As the lecture wrapped up, the topic of the Flu and Immunization came up.  I did an impromptu survey and found out of about 20 people in the room, only 4 had had the flu in the last 10 years!!  Many of those who DID NOT, admitted to NOT taking the vaccination.

This leads me to the topic of Natural Health.  What are these people doing that others are not? Even more interestingly, a married couple at last nights' lecture, stated that one of them had had the flu and the other had not.  So clearly it is not just a matter of "Germs".  How could you live with someone who has the flu "Germs" and not get them yourself?

The answer is, you can't.  Those "bugs" were floating around that household, sure as I'm tapping on this keyboard.  It's just that they found "fertile ground" in one spouse and not the other.

So what makes one more susceptible than another?

According to Dr. Russell Blaylock the following conditions affect immunity and are common amoung those who have died from the flu and related illnesses:

• Immune suppressing chronic illness, such as diabetes and direct immune dysfunctions.
• Dietary deficiencies of critical immune-supporting nutrients, chronic pulmonary disease, heart disease or cancer.
• Smokers are much more likely to suffer complications and die than non-smokers.
• Excess dietary omega-6 fats (corn, safflower, sunflower, soybean, peanut and canola oils) also severely weaken immunity. The EPA component of omega-3 oils also powerfully suppresses immunity.

Are we seeing a pattern?  Dietary deficiencies caused by chronic conditions, smoking and immune suppressing conditions.  In children he noted asthma and neurological problems such as seizures and cerebral palsy.

Diet plays a role in many of the conditions listed above and much research as been done on the effects of foods which cause an inflammatory response or state in the body.  My next post will delve more into that research and give an example of an anti-inflammatory diet, but for today, I am going to list several things you can do at home to give your immune system a fighting chance as we move into the winter months.

1. Decrease or eliminate your sugar intake.  Sugar is immune suppressing in all its forms.
2. Exercise regularly
3. Get a good nights sleep. Many people are sleep deprived.  Most adults require 8 hours.
4. Avoid stressful situations, if possible.
5. Wash your hands often and keep unclean hands away from eyes, nose and mouth.
6. Cover your mouth when coughing or sneezing
7. Get adjusted regularly.  Researchers have found that the immune and respiratory systems depend on normal communication from the brain and spinal cord to control and coordinate their functions properly.  Chiropractic adjustments  “tune up”  this communication system
8. Last but NOT LEAST - Take Supplements.  We sell a line of  supplements that are food based and easy for your body to absorb.  They contain items that act as natural decongestants, help with fatigue, boost immune response and in general help give your body the nutrition it needs to stay healthy.  With our hectic lifestyle and fast food diets, we do not get the nutrition we need every day.
   

Review the above list and dedicate yourself to maximizing your God Given ability to survive the winter without a jab or a germ.

Dr. Liz

 

Toxins Are Fattening

"What are toxins and what do toxins have to do with weight gain?", you may ask.  Or, "how are toxins fattening?  Will reading this really help me with weight loss?"

Last night we hosted our first in a series of lectures on nutrition and weight loss.  I focused on cleansing and ridding toxins from the body.  We had a good turn out and most people were very interested in how toxins stored in the body are stored in the fat cells.  Most attendees were very interested in how to cleanse the body of toxins and of course, the great side benefit, lose weight. 

Last night we featured a "Done For You" Cleanse System from Isagenix.  When I say "Done For You", I mean just that.  Let me explain a little about cleansing.

I am a health food nut from way back.  I have been interested in Cleansing and Detoxifing the body for years.  I did my first cleanse in the 1980's, which was a 4 day rotation diet.  This meant that no one food  type was to be eaten more than once in 4 days.  And without going into detail, it required an extensive focus on the diet and a very diverse supply of foods to be available.  Although it was time consuming and very restrictive, it allowed me to see first hand the power of detoxifying the body.  After about 4 days on this diet, a minor problem that I had, disappeared.  Now, this was a minor condition which I was basically ignoring,  but I had seen a medical doctor about it.  He had given me the diagnosis and then suggested a procedure, which he qualified by saying " We don't know why patients get this, sometimes it goes away on its own.  If you decide to do the treatment, it might just come back."  Well I decided not to do the treatment, did the detox diet a few weeks later, and saw the problem resolve never to return.

This was a condition the medical doctors couldn't figure out, but a Cleansing diet permanently "cured" it.

So now you are asking, "What's the secret, already?"

The Secret is that "Your Body Heals Itself.",  You just have to give it the right materials AND clean out the filters  once in a while.  You wouldn't expect your car to run for 30 years with out changing the oil, would you?  You wouldn't run your air conditioner or home heating unit for 20 years without changing the filters would you?

Well in these industrialized, pesticide, insecticide laden times, you need to cleanse your internal systems too.  And with Isagenix, there is no inventory of food, there is no need to buy a juicer or read books on pH.  Although all those are interesting and valid topics, which I may address at another time.

With Isagenix, you just buy the cleanse system and commiit to 9 days or 30 days.  Remember the old saw "today is the first day of the rest of your life"?  Start the rest of your life less toxic.

For more information on Isagenix go to http://gethealthylocustgrove.isagenix.com/us/en/home.dhtml. Go under the 'Products' tab and a pull down menu will appear with more information about cleansing, nutrition and other topics.

One thing that seemed apparent with the group who were attending the lecture last night, was the need for information on healthy foods and where to buy them.  If you have any questions you would like me to address personally, just scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the "email the doctor" link.

Here is my receipe for Hummus

Ingredients:

• 1 16 oz can of chickpeas or garbanzo beans
• 1/4 cup liquid from can of chickpeas
• 3-5 tablespoons lemon juice (Usually I juice one lemon)
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (Up to 1/4 cup if you like it tangy)
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil (Can use more if needed)

Preparation:

Drain chickpeas and set aside liquid from can. Combine remaining ingredients in blender or food processor. Add 1/4 cup of liquid from chickpeas. Blend for 3-5 minutes on low until thoroughly mixed and smooth.

Place in serving bowl, and create a shallow well in the center of the hummus.

You can garnish the Hummus with a  small amount (1-2 tablespoons) of olive oil in the well. Garnish with parsley (optional). 

Hummus is a standard in the Middle East and their are many variations.  You may add things like fresh red pepper, black olives, more garlic, parsley, chives etc. . .

Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, or cover and refrigerate.

 

ENJOY

Dr. Liz