"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!