New website and new blog

I will no longer be maintaining this blog. (I'm sure you guessed, seeing as how my last post was roughly three years ago.) You can find my new blog - along with my new website - at www.drscottisaacs.com. See you there, and be well.

Green Tea, Diabetes, and Metabolic Syndrome

Green tea is one of those beverages that just seems perfect for health. Hardly anything has been written bad about it, and more benefits are being discovered and confirmed every day. In particular, a compound in green tea called epigallocatechin-3-gallate (more easily remembered as EGCG) seems to be the main reason for green tea's benefits. A quick perusal through journal article abstracts on EGCG gives nearly 2200 articles - and that's just as of today. (A search for green tea gives over 4000 article references!)

Considering also that diabetes and its precursor, metabolic syndrome, are at epidemic levels in our country today, it is worth looking at EGCG and green tea to see if it has benefits for these people. The results are quite impressive. Just a few articles:

• In September of 2008, the Journal of Medicinal Food released a study concerning EGCG. This study determined that EGCG significantly increased uptake of glucose by muscle cells - over 70% more than the control used in the study. This is great news for diabetics searching for additional ways to help increase control over their blood sugar. It's also great news for athletes who want to ensure their muscles are getting all the fuel they need. (The dose used was not given, unfortunately.)
• A study from February of 2010 showed that when subjects with metabolic syndrome either drank 4 cups of green tea a day or took 2 grams of a green tea extract over 8 weeks, they decreased their weight significantly. The average weight loss was 5.5 pounds with the tea, and just over 4 pounds with the extract. Further, the subjects who drank green tea decreased their LDL levels (the form of cholesterol that increases the risk of cardiovascular disease).
• Another study from September of 2008 demonstrated that when mice were simultaneously fed a high fat diet as well as EGCG gained less weight and had less insulin resistance, lower total blood cholesterol, and liver triglycerides than mice only fed a high fat diet.

The take-home message here: if you are diabetic or have metabolic syndrome, drinking green tea on a regular basis is in your best interest. Four cups a day is excellent, but sometimes not to everyone's taste. In a case like this, a more concentrated extract (called a solid extract) that retains all the properties of the original tea can be more easily consumed; only 1/2 teaspoon of this molasses-like sweet extract is equal to four cups a day.

If you are interested in controlling or preventing diabetes or cardiovascular disease with a comprehensive protocol that may include green tea solid extract - especially if drinking 4 cups of green tea a day seems a bit much - contact your nearest naturopathic doctor. And if I happen to be that nearest naturopathic doctor, of course I'd be happy to see you! Check out either of these two websites - you can schedule an appointment from there, or simply call 303-797-6656. And be well!

Sesame Oil, Diabetes, and Cholesterol

Calling all diabetics and people who are flirting with diabetes! Cooking with sesame oil, it seems, can help lower triglycerides, blood glucose, and normalize blood cholesterol in your body. So says a study published in December of 2010 in the journal Clinical Nutrition.

In this study, diabetics used 35 grams of sesame oil a day for 60 days. (This equates to about 2 1/2 tablespoons of oil.) They either cooked with it or used it as a salad dressing. Here are the results after 60 days:

• Total cholesterol decreased 20%.
• Low-density lipoproteins (LDLs - the bad form of cholesterol) decreased 33%.
• Triglycerides decreased 14%.
• High-density lipoproteins (HDLs - the healthy form of cholesterol) increased 16%.

These results are cause for celebration. Diabetics have a higher risk of cardiovascular disease than non-diabetics. If a food that can be easily integrated into a daily diet can significantly reduce the risk of cardiovascular events such as heart attacks and angina, ideally, it should be.

It's good to note that the study also tested diabetics who were on a drug called glibenclamide (aka glyburide, a powerful drug used to reduce blood glucose). Some only took glibenclamide, while others took the drug in addition to sesame oil. The cardiac risk factors listed above were slightly normalized when subjects took the combination, except for LDLs, which were decreased 38% - a 5% advantage over sesame oil alone.

Here's another great example of letting your food be your medicine, just as Hippocrates suggested thousands of years ago. Integrate sesame oil into your daily diet. Add it to salads. Use it in stir-fries. And decrease your chances of cardiovascular issues easily, harmlessly, and tastefully!

Stairs and Piano Keys

When I see patients and encourage them to engage in regular movement, I encourage them to do something they find fun. Go for a run in the park with your dog and throw a frisbee with her! Jump on a trampoline with your kids! Do a water aerobics class, and wear the brightest, fanciest-colored arm floaters you can find! Go run through a sprinkler!

Notice I said "movement," not "exercise." Too many people associate exercise with hitting the gym and doing a set routine of exercises, lifting weights, running on a treadmill, or taking the stairway to nowhere. And lots of people consider that a chore more than actual fun. If it isn't fun, we figure, why do it? It's not long before we stop out of boredom or losing sight of a goal.

In Sweden, some people took the idea of making "exercise" fun and, uh, ran with it. They made taking the stairs much more fun that it usually would be. Check out this video. And do something fun today!



(Disclaimer: I have no association with The Fun Theory or with Volkswagen.)

Ear Infections and Antibiotics

On November 16th, the Journal of the American Medical Association published a study asserting that antibiotics only moderately increase the rate of cure of ear infections, while also significantly increasing the risk of side effects, including diarrhea and rashes. It found that 80 out of 100 children would recover in a few days without antibiotics, while 91 out of 100 would recover with antibiotics. The children in the study who did not take antibiotics relied on agents to reduce pain and fever during their ear infections.

The reasoning behind this is simple. Ear infections can be divided into three main types. Acute otitis media (AOM), or an acute infection of the middle ear, is the most common type of ear infection in children. Another type is acute otitis media with effusion, in which the area behind the eardrum fills with fluid.

And otitis externa is an infection of the outer ear, more commonly called "swimmer's ear," due to its prominence amongst swimmers. Of these, otitis externa is the only one caused mainly by bacteria. AOM may be caused by bacteria or viruses, while AOM with effusion is caused by viruses. Antibiotics are only effective against bacterial infections.

This is an interesting conundrum. Parents who take their suffering children to the doctor do not particularly like to hear that their child does not need an antibiotic. They expect to walk out with something in their hand that will address the infection. The thing is, ear infections can often be successfully and naturally treated at home. Employing the following measures can contribute to quick resolution of an ear infection.

• Use warming socks. This is perhaps the most important treatment for an ear infection. Make sure your child's feet are warm by either having your child take a warm bath or shower, or just a simple foot bath. (If your child has a fever, you probably can skip this step.) Wring out a pair of cotton socks in cold water until they are just damp. Put them on your child's feet, then put a pair of wool socks on top of them. Immediately have your child go to bed or take a nap. This will increase lymphatic flow away from the ear and drain it quickly. It will also stimulate a fever. And your child will sleep deeply and comfortably. (If you're a parent, you know just how blessed this can be!)
• Fast. Remember when doctors used to say "don't take anything by mouth, except for liquids"? This is it. There are a few exceptions to this rule, like chicken broth or miso soup (my personal favorite). Otherwise, when someone has a fever, usually their appetite is suppressed. The body needs all the energy it can to fight that infection, and since digestion takes 60% of a body's energy, this makes sense.
• Drink. Water is, of course, highly recommended here. But often, people with fevers are also dehydrated and sweating out precious electrolytes. As stated above, chicken soup and miso soup are excellent choices to help with replenishing electrolytes.
• Rest. Again, an ailing person's body is trying to fight an infection, so the more a person can rest, the better off they will be. (This does not include lying down and watching stimulating TV shows!)
• Gentle movement. If your child can move around a bit (i.e., walk), this may help move blood around and help him or her to feel better. But this is only to your child's tolerance; do not force them to move if they don't want to.
• Avoid medicines that reduce fevers. Considering that I recommend using warming socks that stimulate a fever, this should make sense. Bacteria and viruses often are destroyed in temperatures above 102 degrees. If you can maintain a high fever, your body will be able to mount a more effective response. Taking anti-inflammatories blunt your body's immune response and may prolong ear infections. Read more information here on why fevers are good, when and how to lower a fever safely and naturally, and when to go to a hospital if a fever goes too high.
• Consider vitamin D. There is often a high correlation between an inadequate immune system and low levels of vitamin D. The easiest way to increase one's vitamin D, of course, is to sunbathe regularly, exposing plenty of skin to the sun. But at this time of year, it's often too cold to do this, and vitamin D supplementation comes in handy. For children, the guideline is 1,000 IUs per 25 pounds of body weight.

Some people swear by other remedies like garlic oil or hydrogen peroxide placed in the ear. But these are NOT recommended if there is a perforated eardrum.

If your child is prone to repeated ear infections, this may be a reason to see a naturopathic doctor in your area. Naturopathic doctors can address not only the reason why your child suffers ear infections regularly, but can also recommend measures to support your child's health in general. And the healthier your child can be today, the healthier they will be in the future.

Best wishes for a season free of ear infections. But if your child does end up getting an ear infection, you now have powerful tools to treat it effectively!

Apple Cider Vinegar for Diabetes and Heart Disease

One of the biggest "cure-alls" in the realm of natural medicine is apple cider vinegar. It frequently makes its way into lay publications. Unfortunately, touting apple cider vinegar as a cure-all is problematic. First and foremost, it is not a cure-all. Second, saddling natural medicine with so-called panaceas makes natural medicine look like the realm of snake oil, and brings its reputation down.

But the effects of apple cider vinegar on cardiac risk factors and diabetes have been studied. And the results have been quite impressive.

One study has shown that cardiac risk factors improve with apple cider vinegar supplementation. According to this study, normal rats who took apple cider vinegar with meals showed a significant decrease in LDLs (the "lethal" form of cholesterol), and a significant increase in HDLs (the "healthy" form of cholesterol). Rats with diabetes had a decreased HgbA1c (basically, the average of blood glucose over the past 3 months), decreased triglycerides, and increased HDLs. This is a promising study, but a human study should be done to see if this trend applies to humans also.

A second study shows that apple cider vinegar can improve insulin sensitivity for persons with type 2 diabetes, or even those with insulin resistance (a precursor to type 2 diabetes). And a third study demonstrates that in type 1 diabetics, blood sugar spikes after eating (aka postprandial hyperglycemia) are lessened when vinegar is taken before meals. What does this mean? If you are diabetic or at risk of developing diabetes, I strongly recommend that you take apple cider vinegar regularly.

Here's the "recipe": take a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar in 4-8 oz of water, shortly before meals. You can also take it after meals if you experience indigestion. If it tastes too sour, you can add a teaspoon of raw honey to the mix, making it taste like apple cider. Some people believe that this is the ideal way to take it. It is not recommended to take it undiluted, as it may dissolve tooth enamel.

The healing power of...broccoli?

Absolutely. Bad news for people like George Bush the Elder, who, during his tenure leading this nation, asserted: “I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm President of the United States and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli.” Despite the fact that for much of his life (and throughout his presidency) he regularly got high scores on health and fitness from his family physician, Bush missed out on some amazing health benefits.

So here's a few articles about the greatness of broccoli. If you have osteoarthritis, ulcers, cancer, or are at risk for any of these, it would be good for you to sit up and pay attention. And what about isolating the components like sulforaphane, di-indolylmethane, and selenium? Here's why it's better to get your nutrition from food than from supplements:

"It's probably a combination of ingredients in the plant that is responsible (for health benefits). When you try to extract them out to make a pill, it usually doesn't work." So says a randomly-named Steven Zeisel from the University of North Carolina. Dunno who he is, but the quote rings true.

Tip: either eat broccoli raw or only lightly steam it for 3-4 minutes. Cooking longer than that destroys the sulforaphane, hugely responsible for broccoli's anticancer effects.

UPDATE: Here's a great picture of a friend's son enjoying his broccoli. Seeing enthusiasm for vegetables among kids like this is cause for celebration!

Ancient Art Health Center - my new home!

I have some great news! As of August 16th, I will be joining the Ancient Art Health Center in downtown Littleton, Colorado. AAHC is, according to the website, "a a group of professionals skilled in acupuncture, chiropractic, massage therapy, BodyTalk, herbal medicine, holistic nutrition and other natural therapies." AAHC has been in existence since 1997, and has a high profile directly on Main Street. It has been well-known for years as a great resource for those who are seeking "alternative" methods of healing.

The former practice I was with, the Chiropractic Wellness Center in Arvada, was an excellent place for me to hone my skills in chiropractic. I saw many patients there, and saw some excellent successes with patients. You might guess that my heart lies more with naturopathic medicine than with chiropractic, though...witness the title of this blog as well as the bulk of the posts here. And working at a practice called the Chiropractic Wellness Center did not necessarily attract many patients interested in naturopathic care. So with the support and guidance of a group of colleagues and associates I called my "circle of influence," I decided to explore other options. Ancient Art happened to be a perfect fit.

I want to reiterate that for those who are interested in help with back pain, neck pain, and other musculoskeletal conditions, I will continue to offer chiropractic care. But at Ancient Art, I'll be able to integrate both of my areas of expertise more effectively. It's always good to have a doctor who is passionate about the work he or she does; you inevitably get better care. And that is what I expect to provide for my patients.

My best wishes for health and happiness to you all!

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Recipe: Carrot Soup

The past few days in Denver have been unusually cool and cloudy for summer. It has felt more like the mid-spring or mid-fall, with temperatures in the 60s. Maybe because of this, I made one of my favorite comfort foods - a simple carrot soup that tastes a bit like marinara. One of my friends, incidentally, hates cooked carrots to the point of getting sick if he eats them. He tried this soup and pronounced it "okay." For someone who can't stand cooked carrots, this was the most amazing, ringing endorsement I could have hoped for!

The carrot is one of the most common vegetables out there - and as it happens, it is also one of the biggest nutritional powerhouses as well. The most common conception about carrots is that they are excellent for eyesight (which is why rabbits don't wear glasses, so the joke goes). This is because of the high vitamin A content - over 20,000 IUs per cup! (The most prevalent form found in carrots is, appropriately enough, beta carotene, and the optimal daily dose of vitamin A in this form is 25,000 IUs.) It's because of this vitamin A content that, aside from supporting vision, carrots can also support growth and bone development in children; optimize immune responses to bacteria, viruses, and parasites; support reproductive processes; and even may be used to aid in the treatment of cancer. Incidentally, carrots also contain significant amounts of folic acid, vitamin C (only when raw), vitamin B6, vitamin K, potassium, and fiber.

Carrots are often juiced as well, which makes for a more potent blast of nutrients and enzymes than when eaten alone. However, as a juice, carrots also provide a high dose of sugar that's easily absorbed by the body and can cause a sugar spike and crash. Because of this, I don't recommend carrot juice alone for diabetics or those at risk for diabetes. Unjuiced carrots, because of their high fiber content, are better.

So here is the recipe for carrot soup, taken from Mollie Katzen's New Moosewood Cookbook, one of the classic vegetarian cookbooks of all time. Be generous with the herbs. For a light dinner, enjoy the soup on a chilly evening with freshly-baked or warmed bread and butter. Or spoon it on top of pasta. It's even better the next day, once the herbs have had a chance to infuse the soup more.

Carrot Soup
2 pounds peeled or scrubbed, chopped carrots
4 cups stock or water
1 medium potato, chopped
1-2 tablespoons butter or olive oil
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup chopped onion
1-2 cloves crushed garlic
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp marjoram or oregano
1 tsp basil
1-2 tbsp lemon juice

Place carrots, water and potato into a medium sized soup pot and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 12-15 minutes, until tender.

Meanwhile, sauté the onion in the butter/oil and salt until the onions are clear, about 5-10 minutes. Add the thyme, basil, and marjoram/oregano, and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the lemon juice and garlic, and sauté a few minutes more.

Puree everything together in a blender or with an immersion blender until smooth. Enjoy!

Oil Pulling

It's a bit hard to discuss oil pulling without making it sound sensationalistic, or without sounding like a huckster hocking the latest miracle cure. I'll do my best to ground myself here.

Oh, what the hey. If you have any sort of gum disease, bad breath, cavities, or tooth pain, you REALLY need to read this. This therapy will drastically help you! And if you have asthma, diabetes, arthritis, migraines, chronic sinus infections, or some other chronic disease, you still need to read this. You might find this a great help.

Oil pulling is one of the simplest natural health therapies I've yet discovered. Here it is in a nutshell: When you wake up, take 1-3 teaspoons of oil and put it in your mouth. (The most common oils recommended are sesame, sunflower, olive, or coconut.) Swish it around for about 15-20 minutes. Spit the oil out in the toilet or the trash once you're done, so you don't clog up the sink. (Spit ONLY in the trash if you use coconut oil, which solidifies below 76 degrees Fahrenheit.) Don't swallow it. If you want, you can repeat it again before meals or just before bed. That's it. Seriously.

Why in the world would you want to do this? Read on.

Oil pulling is a safe and effective natural therapy that has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years. The successes that people have enjoyed from oil pulling are vast. Perhaps the most common one is the rapid healing of tooth, gum, and mouth diseases, such as abscesses, gingivitis, halitosis, and toothaches. Many have successfully used it to whiten their teeth. Some people have even claimed that unsightly tooth gaps have closed up as a result of oil pulling. But remarkably, if we believe the (literally) hundreds of testimonials about oil pulling, both online and in surveys done in the past, many other diseases and conditions far removed from the mouth have been healed by this simple therapy.

There's some positive scientific evidence for oil pulling, from studies that have been published within the past two years. The first study demonstrates that Streptococcus mutans, the bacterium responsible for tooth decay and cavities, is indeed significantly reduced after at least a week of oil pulling; this benefit is even more pronounced after two weeks. The second study showed that plaque was reduced, and gingivitis healed as well. Both studies were done using a chlorhexidine mouthwash as a control, and both studies showed that oil pulling produced beneficial results that were similar to chlorhexidine. (Chlorhexidine is an antiseptic agent very effective at killing Streptococcus mutans.)

There's also a wealth of evidence linking oral health to the health of the body. The mouth can indicate diseases ranging from heartburn and irritable bowel syndrome to AIDS and cancer - not just by appearance, but often by the bacteria present. And infections can spread quickly and easily from the mouth throughout the body. Dentists who treat patients with a history of rheumatic fever know this...they require that such patients take antibiotics before dental procedures to prevent life-threatening heart infections.

Oil pulling works simply. Consider that the mouth is the ideal place for bacteria to thrive. It's warm, humid, and at a constant temperature. In fact, the human mouth contains more bacteria than a dog's mouth, and more bacteria than the population of the whole world. Oil pulling dramatically reduces the bacteria in the mouth, much more than just brushing your teeth - and as the study above indicates, just as much as strong chemical mouthwashes. As you swish the oil in your mouth, it attracts the oily surface of bacteria away from all surfaces of the mouth and teeth. As it decreases the billions of bacteria in your mouth, the gums become tighter, stronger, and are less likely to bleed. The mouth becomes a stronger barrier against harmful bacteria. And as a result, the body can concentrate more of its energy toward eliminating infections and diseases that are harming itself.

Oil pulling is one of the very cheapest natural remedies for health. You could start today without even spending a penny on a kitchen ingredient you probably already have in your cupboard. Healing and even potentially cures from disease may come quickly or may take months; it often depends on how long you've been dealing with a condition, how severe it is, and how healthy your lifestyle is. But even if all you want to do is make your teeth whiter, you have nothing to lose! Here's to your health!

Other sources:
Oil Pulling Therapy, by Bruce Fife, CN, ND
http://www.earthclinic.com/
http://www.oilpulling.com/

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Video: John Williams is the Man!

Here's another great video. The plot for Star Wars (at least the three movies that were released first), sung to music by John Williams. Only here's the catch: none of the music is from Star Wars. It's all from other films!

Although this video is not the original, and he actually lip-syncs the whole thing, I find his the most fun. So enjoy!

"Are naturopathic doctors worth it?"

Here was an excellent question recently posed by someone from around Detroit, Michigan, and who stumbled onto my blog as a result. So...are naturopathic doctors worth it? Absolutely.

A popular view of naturopathic doctors is that the cost of seeing us is very high. Indeed, I have had a number of people call, ask me about what I do, then get excited about how I might be able to help them. Then they ask about my rates, and their enthusiasm often wanes. Then they say they're gonna shop around, and I usually don't hear from them again.

Let's look at what allopathic (or conventional) medical doctors charge, in comparison. A few years ago, I went to see my primary care physician (an MD) to get a prescription refill. I forgot my insurance card, so I was billed for my quick, 5 minute visit. How much? A whopping $89! Compare this with an initial visit with a naturopathic doctor, where the cost may be anywhere from $120-$250 for an initial visit, but you see the doctor for up to two hours. You may also be paying for research done outside the visit, so that you can get a thorough treatment plan. Taken in this perspective, naturopathic care is an excellent deal. (If we go by the scale of $89 for a 5-minute visit, a 2-hour visit would cost over $2000!)

Many people ask whether I take insurance. This is a legitimate question. But in a state like Colorado, where naturopathic doctors are not regulated, the question really should be "does insurance take you?" At this time, unfortunately, the answer is almost exclusively "no." Insurance offers reimbursement for services provided by a licensed practitioner, and as long as the practice of naturopathic medicine is not regulated in Colorado, insurance will not cover services provided by a naturopathic doctor. (Incidentally, I often tell patients that I do take insurance, but strictly for chiropractic services only.)

Here are some reasons why seeing a naturopathic doctor really is worth it.

First, naturopathic doctors aim to address the fundamental causes of disease. When you see a naturopathic doctor, most likely, you will not just be given a supplement or a drug that simply acts as a band-aid, covering up symptoms that warn us of potential major health issues. Rather, you will see a doctor who actively probes, researches, and questions exactly why you ended up with the health condition or malaise that you currently have - often outside of your visit as well as during your visit. Let's say you have insomnia. It could be caused by any number of things - a neurotransmitter imbalance, too much light in the room at night, drinking too much caffeine late in the day, or even an emotional trauma. Simply giving sleeping pills does not address the cause of your disease.

Second, naturopathic doctors often offer a wealth of information on preventive care. Notice that I did not say "a wealth of supplements for preventive care." There are some naturopathic doctors that do use a lot of supplements, and some get great results. And often, if you are dealing with a severe health condition, you may expect a fair number of supplements to jump-start you on the road to health again. But the best naturopathic doctors will also provide information for patients that will empower them to take charge of their own health. For example, I often provide handouts on simple hydrotherapy treatments that patients can do at home to help boost the immune system. I also provide information on ways to make eating organic food easier; this might include pamphlets on local farms that provide an abundance of organic produce in exchange for a relatively inexpensive share on the farm.

Third, naturopathic doctors take the edict to "first do no harm" very seriously. This entails two things. First, the best naturopathic doctors support the body's health and its innate tendency to heal itself when given the right conditions. With this strategy, it is difficult to do much harm; frequently, this results in no harm done at all. Second, naturopathic doctors will use the least invasive therapies first. Eliminating obstacles to cure, establishing a healthy daily regimen, and providing gentle treatments like homeopathy, hydrotherapy, and simple botanical medicines to support health can and regularly do work wonders. Often, this is all that needs to be done to help a person heal.

Fourth, visits with naturopathic doctors tend to be longer than with conventional physicians. You get more individualized care, with all attention devoted to you for the entire visit. Naturopathic doctors are interested not just in your disease. They want to get to know you as a person, how you got to the state of health you are at during your visit, and what makes you tick. What excites you? What irks you? What foods do you like? How's your sleep? You get the idea.

If this all sounds enticing, then by all means, naturopathic doctors are worth it.

However, you may not be a good candidate for naturopathic care. Here's some possible reasons:

• If you are looking only for quick fixes that provide symptomatic relief, naturopathic care might not be what you should look for. (Keep in mind that naturopathic doctors often do provide symptomatic relief, but that's not where they stop.)
• If you are only looking for a source for supplements without consulting a health care professional, naturopathic care may not be for you. (I once had a woman call me just to ask if I carried strontium to address her osteoporosis; she did not want to come in for a consult. To be blunt, this is what health food stores are for.)
• If you only want your disease treated, you may be better off seeing a disease specialist. Naturopathic doctors usually specialize in health, not disease. (There is a big difference between just getting your disease treated and actively becoming healthier.)
• If you are simply looking for an herbal or nutritional supplement that takes the place of a drug, you may want to reconsider your options. For example, naturopathic doctors may give St. John's wort or 5-HTP to address depression, but this is not merely to replace Prozac or Paxil. You can expect more out of naturopathic doctors.

To the reader in Detroit who originally posed this question...I hope you came back, and I hope you found this enlightening! To everyone reading this: best wishes for health and happiness!

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

"How much water should I drink?"

Good question. Let's ask Dr. Fereydoon Batmanghelidj. (And while we're at it, let's just call him Dr. Batman. A lot easier, right?) But why ask this guy?

Dr. Batman is the author of Your Body's Many Cries for Water, a highly-regarded book in naturopathic circles. He claims to have treated over 3,000 prisoners in Iran in the late 1970s suffering from stress-induced peptic ulcer disease with water alone. His research on the subject was published in the Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology in 1983. Since then, he has been a strong advocate for the use of water to treat the many symptoms of what he calls "chronic unintentional dehydration." The symptoms, he says, can include simple body pain, which he views as perhaps the first sign of dehydration (a dry mouth is about the last symptom). But he includes even debilitating chronic diseases like asthma, arthritis, hypertension, angina, type 2 diabetes, lupus and multiple sclerosis.

His motto? "You are not sick, you are thirsty. Don’t treat thirst with medication."

Of course, I love the concept of drinking water instead of relying on pharmaceutical drugs. It supports all the tissues of our body, all of which are composed of significant amounts of water. Here are a few examples:

Bones: 25%
Muscles: 75%
Brain: 76%
Blood: 82%
Lungs 90%
The human body in general: 60%

If water composes so much of our body, it only makes sense to ensure that we support it with water! But again, how much water should we drink?

According to Dr. Batman, we should aim to drink one ounce of water for every two pounds of body weight. So let's assume that you weight 150 pounds. According to this rule, you should drink 75 ounces of water. This ends up being about 9 cups of water a day.

Maybe you're not terribly keen on drinking so much water, or have a hard time doing it at first. Or you're used to drinking flavored beverages like soda pop or coffee. If this is the case, why not make water flavored, too? Use fresh fruits, vegetables, and herbs! Here are some great ideas.

• Oranges
• Grapefruit
• Lemons
• Limes
• Apples
• Melons of all sorts
• Strawberries
• Pineapple
• Kiwi
• Cucumbers
• Mint
• Lavender
• Lemon balm

Slice any combination of what you like in the morning, and throw it in a water bottle or two before you leave for the day. The fruits, veggies, and herbs will make a delicious infusion and you'll want to drink more water.

Raise a glass! Here's to your health! *clink*

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

The Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen

Any naturopathic doctor worth their salt will tell you that eating organic food is in your best interest. You ingest far fewer cancer-causing pesticides (none, actually, if the food you eat truly is organic) and many more nutrients. Moreover, from an environmental standpoint, you're reducing the levels of pesticides that not just you, but all manner of plants and animals are exposed to.

Still, for many people, eating solely organic is a bit too much to ask for from the monthly budget. You want to be as healthy as possible, but the dollar can only stretch so far, right? Turns out that you don't have to sacrifice one at the expense of the other.

The Environmental Working Group has determined the 12 fruits and vegetables that have the most pesticide residue on them - the "dirty dozen." It's estimated that if you only eat the organic versions of these fruits and vegetables, you will reduce your pesticide exposure by up to 80%! So for your health's sake, purchase and eat these ONLY ORGANIC whenever possible:

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell Peppers
8. Spinach
9. Kale
10. Cherries
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (imported)

On the other hand, there are the "clean fifteen" - the fifteen fruits and vegetables that you could buy conventionally (i.e., nonorganic) and eat without significantly increasing your exposure to pesticides. Here they are:

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangoes
6. Sweet Peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potatoes
15. Honeydew

It's good to have this list available when you need it (like when you go shopping), so here's a link to a list you can print out and carry in your wallet.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

The Muppets - Bohemian Rhapsody

It's been a long time since I've contributed to this blog. This is a trend I hope to end. So why not do it with some fun?

Here's a hilarious video I recently saw of the Muppets performing Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody." In my opinion, Gonzo's part at the beginning is the least interesting. And any video where Gonzo's part is the least interesting has to be great, right?

Enjoy!

"Do you treat...?"

"Health is a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity."

-- World Health Organization, 1948

Quite often, I get e-mails from potential patients asking me if I treat X condition. They are happy to have received a diagnosis, be it hypothyroidism, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, fibromyalgia, diabetes, or whatever they have been labeled as having. At least these people know that what they are suffering has an official name, and thus a potential exact treatment, usually a drug of some sort. (Unfortunately, in many cases, these drugs are not effective, or have undesirable side effects.)

I also often get e-mails from patients who have a mysterious array of symptoms that are not easily pigeonholed into a diagnosis. They have run through a barrage of lab tests that indicate - at least on paper - that all their blood/urine levels are normal, or that there was nothing abnormal found on the imaging they received. These are the people who often come to me like Princess Leia, saying, "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You're my only hope."

In either case, when working with patients, I generally adhere to a philosophy known as the naturopathic therapeutic order. It goes like this:

1. Remove obstacles to cure.
2. Instill a healthy regimen.
3. Support the body's natural healing process.
4. Support individual weakened or diseased organs or organ systems.
5. Address structural abnormalities.
6. Address the condition or pathology.
7. Suppress the condition or pathology.

Notice that in this therapeutic order, there is no emphasis on whatever condition a person has been labeled with until all other health-supporting priorities have been addressed. Often, an effective treatment protocol may include just the first three or four parts of this order, and the patient gets better. (Incidentally, treatment almost always includes patient education, so that not only does the patient get better, but he or she has tools they can use for the rest of their lives to help keep themselves healthy.)

This emphasis on creating health is often the rationale behind naturopathic doctors who say, "We don't treat conditions. We treat people (who happen to have these conditions)." This is not to say that naturopathic doctors do not understand these conditions; four years of excellent in-residence education with many classes in pathology, public health, and pharmacology (among others), ensures that they do. But patients are more than the labels of diseases they have been given. Addressing only these labels without addressing the fundamental causes of their diseases - the obstacles to cure, the less-than-optimal health regimens, the weakened organ systems - does a patient disservice. To address each patient wholly and to pursue the real cause of disease is the ultimate goal of a naturopathic doctor. Only by doing this can we achieve the true definition of health: complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Recipe: Simple Breakfast Smoothie

This is a simple recipe for a breakfast smoothie I adapted from a elimination diet program that I recently did. It's wonderful that smoothies are as quick and easy to prepare as they are. (Cleanup is a snap, too.) And there are many, many recipes out there for smoothies. However, I like this one because it is so simple, because it uses whole foods, and because it is a balanced source of macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates, and proteins). And depending on what ingredients you use, this smoothie can become a powerhouse of antioxidants, bioflavonoids, vitamins, and minerals. (Hint: if you use more colorful fruit, such as berries, peaches, or mangoes, the nutritional value skyrockets.) Here's the recipe:

• 1/2 cup cashews
• 1 cup rice, soy, almond, or oat milk
• 1/2 cup fresh or frozen fruit of your choice
• 8 ice cubes

Blend the first two ingredients together for approximately 1-2 minutes, until thoroughly blended. Add remaining ingredients, blend thoroughly, and enjoy.
There are many variations on this recipe. Here are some of my favorites:

• Add a splash or two of coconut milk for a creamier texture and for healthy medium-chain fatty acids.
• Substitute almonds or walnuts (soaked overnight) for the cashews.
• Blend a date with the nuts and milk for a sweeter flavor.
• Add 1/4 - 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon or ginger.
• If using a banana as fruit, add 1 tsp coffee substitute.
• Add 1 tsp ground flax seeds.
• Add a splash of vanilla extract.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by conventional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Dispelling Health Myths: Fevers Are NOT Bad

Flu season has hit with a vengeance. I hear many people talk about how many in their family have fallen ill with the flu virus, and all the strategies they have used to get themselves and their loved ones through it. Almost inevitably, I hear about people using acetaminophen to lower a fever. This strategy is ultimately misguided, and blunts the body’s ability to heal itself. It may even cause an illness to last longer than it needs to.

A fever is the body’s way of killing off a bacterial or viral infection. It is, in the vast majority of cases, not a dangerous symptom to be frightened about. For children, a temperature of up to 105° is not a cause for concern; it is instead a sign that the body is mounting a healthy response to a foreign invader. This is particularly true if a child has a high fever, but otherwise shows little sign of illness. (For adults, a temperature up to 103-104° is healthy.) Indeed, in some cases, it may be beneficial to stimulate a fever if it is not high enough.

So how does a fever come about? If a flu virus, for example, is detected in your body by an immune cell called a macrophage, it eats the flu virus up, then sends a signal to the hypothalamus. This signal tells the hypothalamus (basically the control center of the body) to raise the body’s “thermostat.” You respond by shivering and feeling chills. You may also cover yourself up and try to warm yourself. This results in a fever.

Fevers are actually effective immune stimulants. When the body temperature is elevated, white blood cells are produced at a higher rate, and they are released into circulation more quickly. Antibody production is increased up to 20 times the normal rate as well!

Moreover, fevers provide an inhospitable environment for invading organisms. Many harmful bacteria cannot thrive in temperatures above the body’s normal temperature of 98.6° F, and growth rates of many viruses are decreased significantly.

Finally, fevers often decrease appetite, which is why you seldom see people with fevers craving food. This is a normal and important aspect of fighting colds and flus. The body expends 60% of its energy digesting food. When you fast for awhile (e.g., when you have a fever), your body suddenly has that much more energy it can put toward fighting an infection.

Knowing all this, is there a reason why you would want to decrease a fever? The answer should be, in most cases, “no.”

There are certain issues with fevers that should be addressed. If a fever does get too high, the best way to decrease it is to rub the body down vigorously with a tepid washcloth; this will allow blood to move toward the surface of the skin, releasing heat naturally. Also, febrile seizures are a cause for concern, but are usually the result of dehydration and/or an electrolyte imbalance; making sure someone who has a fever is drinking plenty of fluids with electrolytes often will prevent febrile seizures.

Indications for hospitalization include a fever in children that stays above 105° for prolonged periods (or in adults if it stays above 104°), or febrile seizures, particularly if they last longer than 15 minutes.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by traditional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Mentos and Diet Coke

No, I don't advocate eating Mentos. I especially don't advocate drinking Diet Coke, for many reasons. At the top of the list is Nutrasweet. Also known as aspartame, Nutrasweet is made of two amino acids: phenylalanine and aspartate. Aspartate is well-known to increase the tendency of neurons to fire. In physiologic doses, this is perfectly fine, and indeed important for optimal neurologic function. But ingesting high doses of aspartate can actually lead to overexcited neurons, and may be linked to a number of neurodegenerative diseases, including Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease), Huntington's disease, and Alzheimer's disease. You can read Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills by Russell Blaylock for more information.

But throw Mentos into a bottle of Diet Coke, and the result can be quite effervescent. Enjoy this video and see what happens when this tendency is harnessed to create a neat fountain display.
(And as you'd imagine, it is an EXTREMELY bad idea to drink Diet Coke and eat Mentos at the same time!)

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by traditional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!

Eating 101 with Luciano Pavarotti

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating."

~~ Luciano Pavarotti, Pavarotti, My Own Story

Leave it to Pavarotti to extol the virtues of eating. The legendary operatic tenor, who died from pancreatic cancer at the age of 71 in 2007, struggled with his weight throughout his life. His appetite for food was nearly as well-known as his ability to sing beautifully and effortlessly. It may be tempting to just dismiss this quote. Of course, it's something that an avowed glutton would say, right? However, his sentiment actually shows great insight into how we should ideally eat.

Eating nowadays is often just an afterthought. How did your breakfast go today? Did you wolf down an apple while driving to work? Nibble at a muffin and gulp coffee during the morning's meeting? How about lunch? A quick drive-thru meal? Or something eaten at the desk while trying to work on that project before the deadline? And dinner? Something thrown together or even microwaved quickly and quickly devoured while watching the evening news?

Unfortunately, the above scenarios are often the norm, rather than the exception. We don't sit down intentionally, relax, and fully concentrate on eating. Life in the 21st century is often hectic, and it seems like setting aside time to eat mindfully often falls lower and lower on the list of priorities. Yet it can be one of the most delightful experiences to "stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." Just sitting, enjoying good company in a relatively quiet environment, and deliberately savoring each bite of food can make an otherwise frantic day more handleable.

But beyond being merely pleasant, there is a more physiological reason why, when we eat, we should be so single-minded about it. Digestion ideally occurs when the body is at rest - in a state called the parasympathetic state. It's the exact opposite of the sympathetic state we all know as the "fight or flight" state. In fact, I prefer to think of it as the "rest and digest" state.

In a sympathetic state, our body is alert and primed for action of some sort. Breathing becomes deeper and quicker, the heart pounds, and blood is shunted to the muscles to provide oxygen, should we need to fight off that metaphorical saber-toothed tiger or run from danger. Or, to put it in modern terms, we enter this state when someone swerves in front of us and we slam on the brakes at the last minute to avoid an accident, or when our boss yells at us for missing that deadline. The body expends very little energy on digestion at this point, and any digestion that does occur is bound to be less effective. Considering that we derive all of our nutrition from the food that we eat and digest, it behooves us to avoid this sympathetic state.

Conversely, in a parasympathetic state, breathing slows down and becomes shallower, the heart relaxes, and blood becomes concentrated in the core of the body. The stomach is more prone to secreting acid to help digestion, and the liver and pancreas both tend to secrete more of their respective digestive juices, too. The intestines engage in more peristalsis - that is, they churn more effectively, making sure that the contents of the food we ate can be more readily absorbed. This enables us to get the most out of eating, nutritionally speaking.

So how do we most optimally get into this parasympathetic state and eat effectively? Here are some good ideas.

• Tonight, sit down at the dinner table and resist your usual routine of reading the newspaper, watching television, doing homework, or getting into negative emotional discussions. In other words, "stop whatever it is you are doing, and devote your attention to eating." Simply focus on enjoying the experience of nourishing yourself.
• Establish the habit of experiencing genuine gratitude for whatever the food or beverage is before you. Or, in simpler terms, say grace before each meal. Who are we to take for granted the bounty which surrounds us in our uniquely blessed culture? It is essential to feel your gratitude here, not to just think it fleetingly, for thoughts which we attach feeling to become emotions and emotions influence every cell of our being. (A good source of pre-meal blessings is John Robbins’ book May All Be Fed: Diet for a New World.)
• Notice your breathing as you reflect on your good fortune and begin to draw deep slow breaths from low in your abdomen, feeling your stomach relax as it rises and falls with each breath. Notice how this type of deep relaxed breathing feels inside.
• Notice the aroma of your food, and if you do not find it appealing, add your favorite natural herbs and spices to enhance its appeal. Be creative! You owe it to your soul to experience the dozens of delightful and healthful herbal and spice seasonings available in our culture’s diverse marketplace. Whole healthy foods can taste marvelous. Make the time to master this art. You will have no regrets.
• Place a reasonable amount of food on your plate, and if you are still hungry when you are done, wait five minutes. If you are still not satisfied inside on a gut level, you may then eat more.
• Throughout your meal, listen to your stomach – not just your taste buds – and do what it tells you. Notice when you are satisfied or when foods do not agree with you.
• Chew each bite 42 times and swallow it before you place more food in your mouth. Digestion of all food actually begins in the mouth where it is reduced to small enough particles for your digestive enzymes to get at and continue the process. Important salivary enzymes also begin their work here when provided the opportunity as per the above suggestions.
• Drink only pure water with your meals and only as necessary, between swallows of food – not with them. Excessive fluids may dilute valuable digestive enzymes, minimize chewing, and therefore serve to negate salivary digestion. The most disruptive beverages are those which are alkalizing (acid-neutralizing), such as milk, which can interfere with digestion in the stomach. Learn to satisfy your thirst between or before meals to minimize any possibility of interference during the meal.

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Do you have health issues that aren't being adequately addressed by traditional medicine? Naturopathic care may be the answer you're looking for. Visit my website for more information about naturopathic medicine, and begin your journey toward optimal health!