Category Archives: Weight Loss

The Key to Unlocking the Thyroid

Posted on April 29, 2015 | Leave a comment

The thyroid gland plays a vital role in countless functions.  Hypothyroidism, or an under active thyroid is one of the most commonly diagnosed and medicated conditions in healthcare today.  It can leave an individual feeling mentally fatigued, physically tired, constipated, unable to lose weight, abnormally cold, or plagued with dry skin, brittle nails and hair loss; to name a few.

This desperate individual turns to a doctor for help and is usually provided thyroid hormones without a blink of an eye.  Right off the bat we are witness to a flawed system and an antiquated way of thinking when it comes to health and our bodies.

The thyroid gland, just like every other organ in our body, does not exist and function in isolation.  As such, its function or dysfunction is normally a consequence of some sort of additional dysfunction somewhere within the interdependent matrix that is the human body.  The practice of supplementing thyroid symptoms with thyroid hormones is no better than a stop gap at best, as the underlying dysfunction persists and a dependency or worse is created by the external source of thyroid hormones.

Traditional medicine currently listens to symptoms, measures TSH, perhaps some form of T3 and T4, and diagnoses and prescribes from there.  It should be known that TSH alone is great at telling you something is off along the thyroid, pituitary access, but is useless as far as telling us what or why.  Adding some measurement of T3 and T4 to the panel is superior to the former, but again comes up short in shining a light on the why.

When the option of a more illuminating, complete thyroid panel (blood work) can be ordered, one must ask why it isn’t?  Even further, with the number one cause of hypothyroidism in this country being an autoimmune issue, why would a test for thyroid anti-bodies not be included in the standard testing?

Perhaps all resources aren’t utilized due to the fact that it doesn’t change the cookbook approach allopathic medicine has to offer.  If thyroid symptoms are present and the limited blood markers ordered signify that the thyroid hormones are off, another thyroid hormone consumer is created and left to life long dependency and/or incremental increases in dosage.  This shotgun approach is nothing less than reckless and a prime example of sick care.  Perhaps the thyroid isn’t the main issue that need be addressed.

Perhaps the adrenal glands are on overdrive from constant stress (physical, chemical or emotional).  Did you know hyper-functioning adrenal glands will dampen thyroid function?

Perhaps a leaky gut or gut infection is present.  Did you know that ~20% of thyroid hormones are converted in the intestines to  an active form the body can use, BUT only in the presence of a healthy gut and proper gut flora?

Perhaps liver function is hampered due to a high fructose diet, long term statin use or toxic overload.  Did you know the majority of thyroid hormones are converted to the active form in the liver?

These are just a few common examples of what can lead to hypothyroid symptoms and a skewing of limited, tunnel visioned lab numbers.

The most intelligent approach to the thyroid puzzle should at the very least include a COMPLETE thyroid panel accompanied by an antibody test.  Some practitioners may deem this medically unnecessary and refuse to order it, and to some aspect they may be correct.

It may very well be medically unnecessary if the goal is to simply stick a finger in the damn of dysfunction by flooding the body with thyroid hormones.  However, from an intelligently formulated functional standpoint, the complete panel (in addition to a comprehensive history, and a few other additional tests) can guide those interested in identifying the source of the dysfunction and provide the practitioner with the information needed to construct a plan.  If this is the goal, than it is no doubt medically necessary.

An eye opening example of this rests within the fact that the number one cause of an under active thyroid in America is due to immune dysfunction (Hashimotto’s Disease). That makes this an immune issue, not a primary thyroid issue.  The immune system can be and must be addressed and balanced in order to halt the attack on the thyroid gland.  This attack is what leads to the symptoms and can be identified by, amongst other things, a test for thyroid antibodies.

That is just one instance of how ordering the proper tests and not immediately resorting to medications  can clear the path to true health and wellness.  If you have a practitioner who refuses to order the tests you request, maybe it’s time to ask why, or find one who will.

Personally, my patients have been met with reluctance and sometimes outright refusal when the additional tests are requested. However, they can be done and it is your right as a proactive, educated patient to receive the tests you desire; as well as to work with a professional who is open minded and willing to work together when it comes to your health.

That is the model we strive to achieve and implement on a daily basis.  If it sounds appealing and liberating to you, feel free to contact us at anytime.

We’re ready when you are.

Make health happen.

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Don’t Detox Without Performing This Essential Step

Posted on March 31, 2015 | 2 comments

Everyone wants to find the most efficient path to health, wellness, and longevity.  This overwhelming demand creates an abundance of products and protocols claiming to be the best.  One of the hottest buzzwords amongst these products is the detox.  And while a true detox/cleanse can not be overlooked as an intricate tool to utilize during the construction or renovation of our health, there exists a separate targeted approach that is just as, if not more important when it comes to creating an internal environment that facilitates the ability to thrive.

What we are talking about is fortifying the site where the bulk of our immune system resides.

We are talking about ensuring that maximum potential is achieved when it comes to reaping the benefits of the foods we consume via absorption of nutrients, vitamins, and minerals; and conversely minimizing the risk for nutritional deficiencies and infection.

We are talking about rebuilding the major barrier systems of our body that protect us from exposure and subsequent damage to our respiratory system, digestive tract, skin, and brain.

We are talking about optimizing and balancing the immune response and not ending up as a statistic representing the alarming growing number of seemingly idiopathic auto-immune conditions sweeping the country.

We are talking about setting the stage to grab control of glucose and insulin levels, weight and minimizing the stress response from within.

The foundation for health that we’re talking about is an optimally functioning GI (gastrointestinal) or digestive tract.  Healing and sealing any intestinal permeability or a leaky gut is absolutely essential when looking to address a countless number of issues.  Improving function on this level often times leads to an attenuation or outright termination of seemingly disconnected signs or symptoms.  When we recognize, respect and comprehend the complex interwoven matrix that is our bodies, this holistic approach becomes not only understandable but mandatory for attaining true health from the inside out.

For a number or reasons (diet [food sensitivities or high sugar/carb], antibiotics, chlorinated water, excessive use of NSAIDs, etc.) our intestinal wall can begin to falter.  This is problematic due to the fact that the majority of our immune system resides there and because it serves as a major barrier system in our bodies.

It’s relation to the three other major barrier systems (blood brain barrier, lungs, and skin) becomes blatantly obvious when gut dysfunction leads to mental fog, fatigue and forgetfulness, respiratory infections and asthma, or psoriasis and eczema, respectfully.  Further strengthening of the relationship is seen when correction of the gut dysfunction leads to a change in many of the aforementioned conditions.

This is where full acknowledgement and respect must be paid to the holistic nature of our bodies.  When one of these barrier systems is effected, damaged or dysfunctional, the effects can be seen amongst the others.  Never is this so obvious as when healing and sealing the intestines, coupled with an elimination diet leads to massive improvements or outright resolution of what appears to be unrelated issues.

If a leaky gut is left unaddressed, undigested food particles and other organisms that would otherwise be refused access, freely enter into our bloodstream.  This causes the immune system to do it’s job and launch an attack on the unwanted visitors.

The problem occurs as the immune system is called upon to perform this search and seizure so frequently that it becomes hypersensitive and begins to attack our own tissues, some of which have a similar molecular structure to the unwanted invaders.  This can manifest as allergies, asthma, rheumatoid or psoriatic arthritis, eczema, irritable bowel syndrome (Crohn’s and ulcerative colitis), hypothyroidism; even MS depending on the tissue attacked.

The longer the door is open and an attack persists, the more tissues that can suffer as condition after condition can begin to mount.  It is for these handful reasons, and countless more that fortifying the gut by way of clearing, replacing and rebuilding is at the core; the foundation of attaining optimal health.

More than 2,000 years ago, Hippocrates appeared to be onto something when he stated, “all disease begins in the gut.”  In a relatively short time, the changes I’ve witnessed personally and clinically have been nothing short of game changing for all involved.

The knowledge and path to practical implementation exists and is waiting.

As always, we’re ready when you are.

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Drop the Wheat, Drop the Weight

Posted on January 22, 2015 | Leave a comment

It’s a new year and with it comes renewed motivation for change and resolutions.  One of the most prevalent goals for the new 365 day cycle is to shed those pounds that may have been accumulating for sometime now.

With all of the quick fixes and abundance of conflicting information out there, it can be difficult to know which way to go.  Well, a simple, free way to get the ball rolling is by eliminating all wheat from your diet.  Now this may sound way too simple, but there is a physiologic explanation for this and here it is:

The first concept that needs to be understood is that for the most part it is not dietary fat, but rather the carbohydrate that is mostly responsible for increased deposition of body fat.  This includes everything from bread, sugar, pasta, and even too much fruit.

This is due to the fact that these foods break down to glucose in the body, which then prompts the release of insulin.  Insulin delivers what glucose is needed to fill stores in tissue like the liver and muscles, with the rest being stored as fat.

You see this mechanism came in handy for our Paleolithic hunter and gatherer ancestors who encountered real periods of feast and famine due to the unavailability of food supply.  It was at these times that the fat stores would be utilized to survive.  For the most part this is not the case today as we live in an age of availability and relative abundance.

The issue arises when, due to high carb meals, insulin is constantly triggered by elevated blood glucose levels.  When no more is needed for fuel, the storage of fat begins.  The difference being, most people do not fast or skip meals at this point, but rather eat another carb heavy meal when hungry or even out of habit.  The fat storage continues, the pounds pile on and the waist circumference balloons.

The higher the carb content of the meal, the higher the blood sugar rises, the more drastic spike in insulin, and the more fat being deposited; mainly around the waist and abdominal region.

This creates a vicious cycle as a high carb meal will lead to a high insulin response from the pancreas.  This aggressive clearing of glucose from the blood can then leave you tired and hungry for another ride on the blood sugar roller coaster.

This is also the mechanism behind type II diabetes, as repeated spikes of blood sugar from high carb meals and subsequent surges in insulin in response to the blood sugar spikes leads your tissues to become insulin resistant, not wanting to accept any more glucose. At this point the only place for your body to dump the glucose load is around your waist as body fat.

So why is wheat public enemy #1 if you are diabetic, trying to lose weight or simply interested in overall health?  Well if we comprehend the physiologic process laid out above, we understand that the higher the carb load, the more insulin is secreted and the more fat is stored for a rainy day; or better yet a beach day when it’s really appreciated.

Wheat is special due to the fact that it breaks down into a complex carbohydrate (a string of glucose molecules) in the body called amylopectin A.  This particular carb has the distinguished honor of spiking the blood sugar more than actual table sugar.

If you are familiar with the glycemic index, you know it is basically a scale or measurement showing how readily absorbed a food is and the effects it will have on the blood sugar levels.  Wheat ranks higher on the glycemic index than actual table sugar.

If we combine that knowledge with the knowledge of the carbohydrate digestive process that leads to fat deposition and the road to diabetes that we described above, we know that this is a big, bad deal.  It also is essential, empowering knowledge of you are looking to drop the weight.

In addition to leading to weight gain and the metabolic dysfunction described above, wheat packs one more diabolical punch in that it is actually chemically addictive.  You may hear people joke about their addiction to bread, but chemically it breaks down and serves as an exorphin to your brain that stimulates the same pleasure generating opioid receptors as heroin or morphine.  There is a reason for the overeating of this mind altering, comfort food, and now you hopefully have another reason to kick it to the curb.

Two points in closing:

Many people resist the notion that wheat, or any food they were raised on can have such a negative impact. What needs to be fully understood is that the food, and wheat in particular, of today is not the food of the past.  Cross breeding, hybridization and genetic modification has created a new product not in line with our genome, of which the long term effects are not known.

What is known is the basic human physiology and systemic impacts of elevated blood sugar (which wheat is king at causing), as far as weight gain and the path to diabetes.  The fact that a diet consisting of heart healthy grains is still suggested to anyone, but especially those with the aforementioned two conditions is outright shameful.

The second point is that while kicking wheat (and all wheat, not just the obvious bread; read your labels) can have a strong impact on weight and blood sugar control, it needs to be accompanied with an intelligent diet.  It seems obvious, but if you avoid wheat, but continue to drink soda, eat a high sugar diet (excess fruit included), and high carb/sugar gluten free alternatives, results will in all likelihood be hindered or outright negated.

However, beginning to phase the wheat and gluten out of your regular regimen can have benefits well beyond those covered in this brief post, but is essential if you are looking to drop some weight or regain control of your blood sugar.

If you have questions, need help getting started, figuring it out or devising an implementable and practical plan, please do not hesitate to contact us. (321-848-0987)

Make a move.

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Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

Posted on November 26, 2014 | Leave a comment

Thanksgiving is here which means we’ve officially kicked off the holiday season.  As we break bread with loved ones during these times of celebration and reflection we often tend to take feasting to another, many times uncomfortable and self destructive level.  Here again are a few tips for limiting the collateral damage and post meal regret, stomach ache and reactive hypoglycemic nap.

TIP 1: INTELLIGENT ORDER OF CONSUMPTION

I know. I know. It’s a mouthful (pun intended).  However different macronutrients (protein, fats and carbs) have different levels of impact on satiation or our perception of fullness, with protein having the greatest, followed by fats and then carbs.

To utilize this fact to your advantage, go heavier on the bird or hog first, followed by healthy fats like some grassfed butter, olive oil as a dressing or seasoning, or maybe even some coconut oil, which in my opinion goes good with just about anything and is beneficial across the board.

Do not be hesitant to consume these fats making the seemingly logical association that dietary fats = more body fat.  This is a topic for another post but is simply is not the case, as the more accurate association is excess dietary carbs = body fat.

Consume in this simple, intelligent order and bring on that satisfied feeling without becoming the human garbage disposal for the carb heavy favorites that fill the table and that special place in our hearts.

TIP 2: TAKE YOUR TIME

In order to take advantage of the effects noted in TIP 1, you need to allow time for the brain to receive the hormonally delivered message from the digestive system.  Like so many other situations in life, we look forward to a particular event only to rush through it, not even taking a second to breathe and enjoy the moment while in it.

Never is this so true than with holiday feeding frenzies, especially Thanksgiving, where we feed as though we are preparing for a winter long hibernation.

Admire the construction of your intelligently designed plate.

Take time to savor each individual seldom experienced taste that someone spent time to prepare.

Engage in or attentively listen to some of the surrounding conversations.

Taking time to enjoy that moment will allow the appropriate signals to reach the brain and make practicing self-control all that much easier.

TIP 3: DON’T FAST FOR THE FEAST

Another pitfall leading to gluttonous engorging is not eating throughout the day to save room for the big meal.  Creating this energy and blood sugar deficit can set you up for an out of control food overload followed by the subsequent blood sugar roller coaster, and eventual face plant into the couch.  While this makes for good holiday instagram posts for your guests, it could’ve been avoided had you not fasted to feast.

Eat as you would any other day leading up to “the meal.”  Enjoy a nice breakfast after your turkey trot or while you watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.  Have lunch or a snack as you normally would throughout the day.

Maintaining your usual habits will keep your metabolism on a more even keel and help to curb becoming a rabid animal at the table, drool and all.

TIP 4: ENJOY

For many this kicks off what truly is “the most wonderful time of the year” appropriately with a day that should prompt reflection and expression of gratitude for at the very least, being here for another Thanksgiving.

Exhale.

Laugh.

Enjoy a “rare treat,” as my Mom would say.

And if you are interested in not falling too far off the tracks, implement the tips above.

Thank you.

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The Time For Change is Here

Posted on September 26, 2014 | Leave a comment

Over the past few years I’ve had the privilege of speaking with a large number of diverse souls.  Due to my profession and personal interests, many of these conversations have been about health, namely that of the other party.

I will  usually hear a laundry list of complaints and presumed reasons for these issues.  Many times the individual will even verbally acknowledge the importance and impact that lifestyle changes could play in their life.

However, for whatever reason, the disconnect between talk and action remains and the path towards sickness and breakdown continues.  Knowledge without action is useless, and in this case, detrimental to your health.  Rather than going off and making this a psychoanalytical piece on why people don’t help themselves, let’s keep it positive and focus on how to get moving in the right direction.

First thing that needs to be done is to keep it real with yourself.  Take a good look in the mirror and decide what you really want.

Do you really want better health?

I would imagine so.  We all do.

Are you willing to WORK for it?

I mean really work. Not for show. Really work on yourself physically, mentally and spiritually.  This requires a discipline that keeps you in line and on track when no one else is looking. These are the times that the real changes occur.

What’s your goal?

Is it to kick the meds, normalize your levels, get rid of pain, drop some weight, do all you can to elongate this one shot at life?  Be clear on your goal as this will serve as your motivation to start and stick with it, especially early on in the process.

And be clear, this is a process. A marathon and not a sprint.  Living like no one else now so later on you can live; no, thrive like no one else.  Although drastic results are experienced by some early on, this is no quick fix. The “quick fix” mentality has got us in this mess to begin with by way of pill-popping per symptom and never really investigating or attempting to remedy why the symptom emerged in the first place.

Once you have your goal, investigate the means to achieving it.  What needs to be done and in what fashion in order not only achieve but sustain the achievement?

When it comes to healthcare, 90% of the time we are talking about lifestyle changes. Breaking the routine or the accustomed norms. This is where the “keeping it real” with yourself part comes into play.

Is your goal and the means by which to achieve that goal worth more to you than coming out of your comfort zone and breaking the habit?

Is it worth investing the time to plan and prep meals for the week ahead?

Will you follow through and set the alarm earlier or skip that 60 minutes of TV time in order to get that workout in?

Keep it real now. Do the benefits outweigh the costs? Although objectively speaking they do, ultimately this comes down to subjective perspective.

If you find that you are tired of the current state of affairs in your own life and you’ve decided enough is enough, the next step is to formulate a realistic, practical plan.  I find this to be another major stumbling block for people.  A sense of overwhelm sets in along with analyzation paralyzation.

The trick here is to get with your trusted healthcare provider and come up with a plan together.  Never be afraid to start small, as any change, any momentum in the right direction is better than sitting idle.  While sustained sweeping changes across the board would be ideal, studies show longer lasting changes occur more often as a product of smaller changes, cultivation over time.

A perfect example of this is my own personal anatomy of a “cheat meal.” This is that meal that diverges from the norm, an indulgence if you will. (In order to have a cheat meal you need to be sticking to clean eating for 80% of your meals or better.)

Through years of cultivation, the cheat meals have evolved from pizza and ice cream to a meal with gluten free rice, or a smoothie with organic peanut butter and heavy fruit. The latest “cheat” dessert has become a bowl of chia seeds with nuts, fruit, peanut butter and chocolate almond milk.

I say all this not to induce hunger, but to illustrate where you can wind up if you simply get started.  Make a change here and a change there. Implement another one as you learn more.  Once you get that ball rolling down the hill, it can be a powerful thing.

The other initial hurdle is that it is never a good time. Well, when it comes to core lifestyle changes there really never is an ideal time.

Again, they idea is to simply bite the bullet and get rolling.  In most cases it doesn’t have to be all or nothing all the time. Just do it.  Constantly talking the talk, while constantly finding excuses will leave you wondering where the time went and how on Earth things got so bad.

Believe in the power of lifestyle changes.  Resolution of every issue does not have to be another drug.  Every issue should not be blamed on genetics, making us all helpless victims.  Embrace the empowerment behind epigenetics and realize that lifestyle choices play a significant role as to whether or not certain genetic traits are expressed.  We’re talking about everything here from hair loss to cancer and auto immune diseases.

One shot.

One body.

That’s all we get.

The time is now to respect this opportunity and treat your body right.  Pick somewhere and get started today.  If you would like assistance on this journey, call us at anytime.  As we continue our own journey, we would love to be a part of yours.

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