The new year is a time to hit the “reset” button, examine our lives, and reflect on changes we’d like to make in the coming year. Starting the year with a detoxification program can help us to renew and refresh from the inside out so we are truly our best selves to the core.
Call us at (770) 937-9200 for information on how to get tested and started, and pricing.
Toxins are everywhere
In the past 50 years, more than 100,000 toxic chemicals, including heavy metals and pesticides, have been introduced into the environment — into the air we breathe, food that we eat, and water that we drink. Toxins can accumulate and damage critical internal body systems, so it’s no wonder that the incidence of toxicity-related afflictions (such as cancer, arthritis, allergies, obesity, skin conditions and cardiovascular disease) is also on the rise. In addition, a wide variety of symptoms, such as headache, fatigue, pain, cough, gastrointestinal problems and more can all be related to toxicity.
How does the body detoxify normally?
A healthy body has many systems in place to remove toxins. Water-soluble toxins can be filtered and removed by the kidneys, the intestinal tract, and through sweat and breath.
Fat-soluble toxins must first be made water-soluble, which occurs in the liver.
There are three phases of detoxification of fat-soluble toxins:
Phase I: Large toxins are broken down into smaller pieces by a group of enzymes known as the cytochrome P-450 family. In some cases, these smaller compounds can still possess some toxicity if allowed to build up, and that’s where Phase II comes in.
Phase II: The byproducts of Phase I and other remaining toxins are effectively neutralized and made water-soluble so they can be excreted from the body. This process is known as “conjugation.” Once toxins are made water-soluble, they can be eliminated through our urine, bile, sweat and breath!
Phase III – In addition to Phase I and Phase II detoxification, liver detoxification involves a third phase which takes care of the final elimination of toxins. This involves direct excretion into bile; and is called the Phase III detoxification (T.Ishikawa, Trends Biochem.Sci., 17, 1992).
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Support your body’s natural detoxification
By participating in a detoxification program, we can actively assist and support the body in its own natural cleansing actions and help it to eliminate toxic substances. A functional detox program helps to strengthen all of the organs involved in detoxification, including the liver, lungs, kidneys, skin, and lymphatic system. Among the valuable benefits of a successful detoxification program are:
Increased energy
Clearer skin
Stronger immune system
Greater mental clarity
Improved digestion
Weight loss (if desired)
A Detoxification program to start the year strong
Drink plenty of water. One of the keys to eliminating water-soluble toxins and toxic metabolites is having plenty of water available. Water helps dilute waste products and carry them out of the body. Drinking pure water all day is recommended. Freshly squeezed lemon or lime is a simple alkalinizing addition.
Another way to move toxins out of the body is to increase blood flow through movement and exercise. Regular exercise will also improve overall health.
Choose the PERQUE Detox Kit, a safer, natural, multi-system detoxification program that takes advantage of the synergy of 4 products:
PERQUE Detox IN Guard™ contains a unique blend of sulfur amino acids, lipotropic factors and minerals that support all the body’s detoxification pathways (Phases I, II and III). The potent nutritional detoxifiers like methionine, glycine, cysteine and glutathione also boost neuroimmune and cardiovascular health. Choline and inositol improve cell communication and increase the cell’s defenses.
PERQUE Liva Guard Forté™ is a liver-protecting formula that combines five carotenoids, pure silymarin (milk thistle), vitamin E, CoQ10, methionine and glutathione to deliver unique synergistic benefits. This unique formulation helps protect liver cells from damage and facilitates the liver’s role as the body’s main detoxifying organ.
PERQUE Potent C Guard™ buffered l-ascorbate powder helps strengthen, repair and energize the immune system while mobilizing and removing harmful toxins from the body.
The healing effects of vitamin C are widely known. The vitamin C portion of this program can fill the deficits we all have and put the healing potential back into our bodies so we can rebuild and revitalize tired and stressed organs and tissues.
The scientific literature has confirmed vitamin C’s key role in
Immune system function
Collagen repair and formation
Joint function
Energy production
Antioxidant protection and function
Detoxification
Protects delicate endothelial cells that line blood vessels from free radical and toxin damage and so much more.
PERQUE Potent C Guard™enhances hormone production and function as needed and helps the body adapt better. In addition, it is important to take the amount of ascorbate needed to keep an adequate supply in the cells. This varies based on levels of distress, toxins, acute and delayed allergy reactions, and cell buffering/ alkaline reserve. Optimum ascorbate use is based on calibration of need (see ascorbate calibration instructions) or as directed by your health professional.**
PERQUE EPA/DHA Guard™ contains Omega 3 fatty acids, which are extremely helpful in improving antioxidant absorption, dissolving fat soluble toxins and repairing cell membrane fluidity.
Your Revitalization Plan
Using the Detox Kit with your Diet
Rebuild and Revitalize by feeding the body what it needs to naturally obtain the potent medicine found in the right foods. These next 30 days will find our meals full of green leafy veggies, salads, roasted vegetables a full 4-6 servings a day. You can have any lean protein that you want, chicken, turkey, salmon, and other wild-caught seafood. Protein is essential for rebuilding muscle and tissue and helping the body recover from injury or illness. Protein is important in hair and nail growth.
Choose the right foods. Remove toxic substances such as caffeine and alcohol, eliminate processed foods, and limit intake of sugars and saturated fats. This will help your body detox naturally.
Specifically, you will want to avoid the following foods:
Sugar:
Avoid refined sugar, including sucrose, high fructose corn syrup, and dextrose-containing products. Also, avoid artificial sweeteners. (Monk fruit and stevia are healthy options.) Fresh fruit and fruit juices are preferred.
Processed Foods:
Instead of snacking on chips, candy, and cookies, choose nuts and seeds as a healthier option. Alkalinizing suggestions include sunflower seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and cashews.
Avoid refined flour products such as doughnuts, cakes, cookies, white rice, and pasta. Wheat and other gluten-containing grains should be minimized. Grasses like quinoa, amaranth, and brown rice are healthier options.
Avoid fast food and processed foods.
Red Meat and Dairy Products:
Conventional red meat can add to the toxic load. Better protein sources include grass fed beef, chicken, turkey, fish, beans, and legumes. Milk, butter, and other dairy products should be kept to a minimum or eliminated. For many people, cow dairy is difficult to digest and can impede the process of detoxification.
Caffeine:
Coffee, both regular and decaffeinated, black teas, sodas and other drinks containing caffeine should be avoided. Green tea, ginger tea, and herbal teas are better substitutes.
Alcohol:
Avoid all types of alcohol and recreational drugs. This will give your mind and body a rest from harmful toxins.
High Amounts of conventional Table Salt:
Sea salt is a healthier option.
In addition to avoiding toxic and processed foods, you will also want to avoid immune-sensitive foods and substances, to help reduce inflammation and enhance repair. Please keep in mind your food sensitivities and avoid these.
Determine how much Vitamin C is best for you, using the C-Calibration Protocol. As the central antioxidant molecule responsible for regeneration, recycling, and cell detox, the amount of ascorbate needed by any given individual varies more widely than that of any other essential nutrient. The C-Calibration protocol makes it possible for you to determine how much ascorbate you need, at any given point, in order to stimulate repair and respond to oxidative stress. We will help you determine your own unique need for vitamin C on this program.
Take a salt and soda bath. We recommend a salt and soda bath 1-2 times per week to help you relax and to enhance the detoxification process. Combine a half cup of Epsom salts with a half cub of baking soda in a very warm bath (You may also choose to add lavender or other relaxing essential oils.) Soak for at least 20 minutes. While soaking, practice deep breathing and let the warm water take all your stress away. Since Epsom salt is another name for magnesium sulfate, this bath will help remove toxins from your body, and if done regularly, can also help to boost magnesium levels. Healthy magnesium levels support healthy serotonin levels – essential for improved mood.
This program is 30 days long and will gently supply your body with much-needed nutrient levels that will put back into you what has been burned out over the last year. You will find a sense of wellbeing and a much-needed element of self-care in the special program you will embark upon this next month.
Call us at (770) 937-9200 for information on how to get tested and started, and pricing.
There are products galore to improve energy and motivation. There are energy drinks, exercise programs, self-help books, therapy, drugs, even coffee!
Here are two practical actions you can take to boost your energy, motivation, and general mood. Neither one will cost you any money, and they don’t take much time.
1. Smooth out your blood sugar:
Your blood sugar is the primary source of energy for your body, including your nervous system. If you eat in a way that creates low blood sugar, you may experience:
Waking in the night and nightmares
Brain fog and concentration problems
Heart palpitations and anxiety
Hunger, or the reverse: a feeling of aversion to food, even if you should be hungry
Mood swings and nervousness
Headaches
Blurry vision
Jittery, shaky feelings
Lightheadedness, dizziness, and loss of balance and coordination
You can have low blood sugar from… eating sugar!
Eating sugar or refined carbohydrates (bread, chips, pasta, cakes, cookies) can put too much sugar into your bloodstream. Your body reacts to prevent high-sugar damage by flooding the bloodstream with a hormone (insulin) to bring the sugar levels down. The high sugar emergency caused too much insulin hormone to be released, and now the sugar drops way too low. You feel terrible and crave sweets, bread, chips—anything that will bring up the low blood sugar. But you overeat the carbs and sugar, and now your blood sugar goes too high. Your body has another sugar emergency, over-produces insulin again, and the whole cycle repeats. “Roller-coaster” blood sugar is a very common scenario and can cause chronic symptoms from low blood sugar. Solution:
Avoid eating sugar (cake candy, cookies, ice cream, soda, beer, wine) and limit your carbs intake (bread, pasta, rice, and white potatoes).
Eat protein (meat, eggs, cheese, nuts) with every meal and every snack.
If you feel jittery, like you have low blood sugar, eat protein and vegetables instead of chips, bread, and sugar. Keep eating protein and veggies (for example, no-sugar peanut butter on celery) until you feel better.
Another way you can have low blood sugar is not eating regularly enough:
Your body runs out of stored blood sugar about four hours after a meal. So if you skip lunch, by dinner time, your body can have to break down protein from the muscles to make blood sugar. This problem is worse if you have fatigued adrenal glands. Your adrenal glands prevent your body from being damaged by stress, so if you’ve been surviving through the stress of the past few years, maybe they’re not in wonderful condition. Solution: Eat frequently enough to prevent running out of blood sugar.
Eat within an hour of waking in the morning (you are running out of blood sugar from not eating since the night before).
Eat again four hours after a meal.
A snack will give you one to two hours to bridge two meals to avoid running out of blood sugar.
My patients often report remarkable improvements from eating this way. They can think more clearly, sleep better, and have more energy.
2. Stop feeling overwhelmed, and be more motivated! Do this simple exercise:
If you have too many jobs, responsibilities, deadlines, and things you are behind on—you may feel overwhelmed. It’s hard to be motivated to do more when you feel like you can’t keep up with what you’re already supposed to be doing. The problem: You are using up too many of your available “attention units.” You can feel irritable and at the end of your rope, or you may just feel tired and unmotivated.
The exercise:
Take pen and paper and write out a list of the things you have your attention on. List the things you haven’t finished yet, or need to do. The list can be any length, but try to make it complete.
EXAMPLES:
Grocery shopping for this week
Finish next phase of a major project at work
Take the car in for maintenance
Catch up on laundry
Call and visit with a family member
Buy a birthday gift for a friend
Get the exterior of the house painted
(Etc.)
Circle the items on the list that you could complete (finish all the way) in the next hour.
Get busy and do these tasks right now.
Notice any difference in how overwhelmed you feel—do you feel better now?
You can continue to work on your list. In general, do the tasks you can complete (finished all the way) first.
The reason that this exercise works: Every item on your list is using up some of your available attention units. If you free some attention units (regardless of the importance of the task), you will have more available for other tasks, plus you won’t be as overwhelmed.
Below this Introduction is a well-written in-depth article on Leaky Gut with some great examples of how it happens. This Introduction is a short version if you don’t have time for the full story.
There is this thing called “Leaky Gut” that you may have heard of or run across.
You may already know something about it, or it may be an unknown, just vaguely alarming.
You do need to know about it because it’s increasingly common and can mess up your life in ways that you would never normally associate with anything related to digestion.
Leaky Gut can be a Factor in:
Attention deficit disorder
Symptoms resembling autism
Chronic and rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Eczema
Food allergies and intolerances
Inflammatory bowel disease
Irritable bowel syndrome
Joint and collagen problems
Compromised liver function
Malnutrition
Multiple chemical sensitivities
Psoriasis
Skin disorders ranging from urticaria to acne and dermatitis
Symptoms like schizophrenia
Leaky Gut can cause stress to your immune system leading to chronic problems (the ones that don’t get better) of all kinds.
What Is It?
To understand Leaky Gut, you must know about the two main functions of the “gut” (small intestine):
To absorb nutrients from the food you eat by transferring them from the gut into the bloodstream.
A barrier to protect your body from the microbes, undigested food and other unwelcomes from escaping out of the gut.
“Leaky Gut” happens when your gut fails to some degree with these two functions.
Leaky gut is associated with a wide range of general symptoms such as fatigue, abdominal pain or bloating, diarrhea, feelings of toxicity, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and poor tolerance of exercise.
Because your absorption of food is affected, you can have multiple health problems from malnutrition, despite eating a healthy diet.
Do I Have Leaky Gut?
If you have one of the conditions listed at the beginning of this article, or if you have chronic health problems of long duration, there is a possibility that Leaky Gut is a contributing factor or the primary cause of your difficulties.
There are degrees of Leaky Gut. The problem is that once this gets started, it tends to become worse and rarely heals itself.
How to Avoid or Improve Leaky Gut
Clean up your diet. Food chemicals such as preservatives, colors, and flavor enhancers often worsen gut problems. Eat fresh foods, not canned, bottled, or bagged. Stop all fast and junk foods. Limit restaurant foods.
Find your allergies and avoid them. There are effective blood tests for this. Allergies are one of the main stress factors that worsen Leaky Gut.
Eat protein and veggies, limit carbs and eliminate sugars.
Avoid antibiotics (soaps and drugs) unless absolutely necessary.
The absorption of nutrients from food in the digestive tract.
A barrier function, to control microbes or large food particles from going beyond the gut environment and getting into the bloodstream.
The digestive tract has tiny permeable openings between the cells (called tight junctions) to absorb nutrients from our food. If these pore-like structures open too wide, toxins from the gut can spill over into the bloodstream, overwhelming the liver and causing allergies or any of dozens of other ailments.
This malfunction is known as hyperpermeability because the lining has become too permeable (porous)
It’s also called Leaky Gut Syndrome because the gut begins leaking larger food particles and toxins from the gut.
It’s not a disease per se, but rather a natural process gone bad. Under normal optimal conditions, these pores open and close whenever nutrients are absorbed from our food. Only when the pores open too wide is leaky gut is said to occur.
The Big Picture Behind Leaky Gut: The Real Story
Here’s a detailed account of how leaky gut occurs. Let’s use the example of someone who has a food allergy. Suppose Mary has a wheat allergy and innocently eats a bagel; this can elicit a reaction in her body. If she has an immediate food allergy, her immune system may begin reacting right away. If she has delayed allergies, the reaction may not occur for as long as three hours, but it could take as long as forty-eight hours to occur.
What is surprising is that no matter when it occurs, Mary may not even be aware that it’s happening. She may have a vague feeling of discomfort that could include mild indigestion, a headache, or even joint or muscle aches.
Although she may not notice anything more than vague discomfort at the time, she may develop some chronic problems later down the road, such as auto-immune disorders, allergies, asthma, or arthritis. And she probably won’t link it to this microscopic process going on in her digestive tract as the lining becomes too permeable and begins leaking tiny particles.
On the other hand, she may have noticed that if she cheats on her allergy diet and has milk for breakfast, sometime that day or the next, her joints may be achy, and exercise will become a major effort.
The response of Mary’s body to the offending food also activates her immune system. When she eats allergic foods, her immune system sounds the alarm through chemical messengers, the cytokines. They act like horn-blowers calling out the cavalry, and their job is to bring the infection fighters (the antibodies).
Now the immune system is set in motion. While we always have cytokines as an essential part of our system, the gut will start leaking when too many cytokines and other immune chemicals are circulating in the bloodstream.
The Healthy Mucosal Lining
When Mary’s system is working properly, absorption occurs through tiny structures in the small intestine lining. All this is happening on a microscopic level. Nutrients are being absorbed through three structures:
Directly through the cells of the gut lining, called transcellular absorption
Between the cells, in paracellular absorption
In the crypts, tiny crevices in the lining of the gut
Each structure is programmed to absorb nutrient molecules of a particular size and electromagnetic charge. Between the fingerlike villi lining the gut are crypts, crevices at the base of each villi, like the webbing between your fingers. Because of their larger size, the crypts absorb bigger molecules, such as the disaccharides, which are complex sugars.
Between every cell in the gut lining is a tiny pore-like structure called a tight junction. These tiny pores are also active during digestion. They expand and contract just as other muscles do, opening and closing to release nutrients from the gut into the bloodstream or contain the food mix as it passes through the gut.
The Damaged Mucosal Barrier
Too many immune chemicals can cause the pores to open too wide, causing too much permeability. When there’s inflammation or any crisis in the body, if too many immune-signaling chemicals are circulating in the bloodstream, they can overstimulate the tight junctions, causing the pores to open too wide.
This process can be compared to a house with doors wired to a fire alarm system. If the alarm system malfunctions, it may keep all the doors in the house open and won’t let them close. Clearly, other problems can result. Intruders could easily enter the house.
Leaky gut can raise the body’s exposure to intruders, such as bacteria, yeast, or large food particles that would normally remain in the gut. Again, when the pores open too wide, material is inappropriately released into the bloodstream. In Mary’s case, if her immune system detects large food particles in the bloodstream (perhaps other innocent foods, released through the leaky gut), it will assume they’re allergens and launch a second attack, flooding her system with more cytokines. Then the whole dynamic just gets worse.
Resolving hyperpermeability can have Real Benefits.
Leaky gut is associated with a wide range of general symptoms such as fatigue of unknown origin, abdominal pain or bloating, diarrhea, feelings of toxicity, memory loss, difficulty concentrating, and poor tolerance of exercise.
Hyperpermeability can be an underlying factor in such conditions as:
Attention deficit disorders
Symptoms resembling autism
Chronic and rheumatoid arthritis
Chronic fatigue syndrome
Eczema
Food allergies and intolerances
Inflammatory bowel disease
Irritable bowel syndrome
Joint and collagen problems
Compromised liver function
Malnutrition
Multiple chemical sensitivities
Psoriasis
Skin disorders ranging from urticaria to acne and dermatitis
Fatty Liver can be caused by alcohol use, but it can also happen in people who don’t drink or use very little alcohol.
Called “NAFLD” (Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease”), it affects 25 to 30 percent of people in the US and Europe.
Recent studies link NAFLD with cognitive impairment and dementia. This can occur even with no other symptoms.
You may or may not develop symptoms from NAFLD. The most common symptoms are feeling tired or discomfort or pain in the upper right side of your abdomen.
Eating sugar, refined carbs (bread, cakes, rice, pasta, potatoes), and bad fats (fried foods, chips) creates a risk for Fatty Liver.
The same process that causes Type II diabetes also can cause Fatty Liver Disease. If you’re “Pre-diabetes” or a diabetic, you’re at risk.
High levels of fat (especially triglycerides) in your blood.
Overweight
What to do about Fatty Liver Disease
As with most chronic illnesses, NAFLD has different causes in each person. If you want to get the problem handled, you’ll need to be tested to determine the exact problem causing your body stress and preventing it from healing. Go HERE to get started on this process.
DIY NAFLD Improvement:
(See article below for more information):
1: Lose excess weight–losing between 7 and 10 percent of body weight can improve other symptoms of NAFLD, such as inflammation, fibrosis, and scarring
2: Research from 2017 suggests that the Mediterranean diet may help to reduce liver fat, even without weight loss.
3: Exercise: It’s important to stay active when you have NAFLD. A good goal to shoot for is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
4: Avoid foods with added sugars-Dietary sugars such as fructose and sucrose have been linked to NAFLD development.
5: Take an omega-3 supplement–A peer review study suggests that taking an omega-3 supplement may reduce liver fat.
6: Avoid known liver irritants–Certain substances can put excess stress on your liver. They include alcohol and certain over-the-counter medications.
7: Consider taking vitamin E--Vitamin E is one antioxidant that may reduce inflammation caused by NAFLD. Must take all components of vitamin E. This would include Mixed Tocopherols and Tocotrienols
8: Consider Herbs--A 2018 paper identified certain herbs, supplements, and spices that have been used as alternative treatments for NAFLD. Compounds that have positive effects on liver health include turmeric, milk thistle, resveratrol, and green tea.
A study from the journal Neurology revealed that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is independently associated with cognitive impairment.
Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an umbrella term for various liver conditions affecting people who drink little to no alcohol. As the name implies, the main characteristic of NAFLD is too much fat stored in liver cells.
Dementia and NAFLD are two frequent conditions that share underlying risk factors mainly in the realm of metabolic disease.
The study from the journal, Neurology included 4,472 adults aged 20–59 years.
The participants underwent assessment of liver enzyme activity and hepatic steatosis by ultrasound. They underwent cognitive evaluation using the following computer-administered tests: the Simple Reaction Time Test (SRTT), the Symbol-Digit Substitution Test (SDST), and the Serial Digit Learning Test (SDLT).
Increased activity of the liver enzymes alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) correlated with lower performance on the SDLT, while increased alanine aminotransferase was also correlated with lower performance in the SDST.
The current studies suggest that NAFLD patients incur cognitive dysfunction.
Although if left untreated, NAFLD can lead to much more serious conditions, including cirrhosis and liver failure. The good news is that fatty liver disease can be reversed—and even cured.
8 Steps to Effectively Treat Fatty Liver Disease
1: Lose excess weight–losing between 7 and 10 percent of body weight can improve other symptoms of NAFLD, such as inflammation, fibrosis, and scarring
2: Research from 2017 suggests that the Mediterranean diet may help to reduce liver fat, even without weight loss.
3: Exercise: It’s important to stay active when you have NAFLD. A good goal to shoot for is at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise per week.
4: Avoid foods with added sugars-Dietary sugars such as fructose and sucrose have been linked to NAFLD development.
5: Take an omega-3 supplement–A peer review study suggests that taking an omega-3 supplement may reduce liver fat.
6: Avoid known liver irritants–Certain substances can put excess stress on your liver. They include alcohol and certain over-the-counter medications.
7: Consider taking vitamin E--Vitamin E is one antioxidant that may reduce inflammation caused by NAFLD. Must take all components of vitamin E. This would include Mixed Tocopherols and Tocotrienols
8: Consider Herbs--A 2018 paper identified certain herbs, supplements, and spices that have been used as alternative treatments for NAFLD. Compounds shown to have positive effects on liver health include turmeric, milk thistle, resveratrol, and green tea.
In the world of weight-loss diets, high-protein and low-carb have ruled for a decade. South Beach, Paleo, and Atkins diets are often considered “ketogenic” or “keto” diets.
True keto diets differ from the most popular high-protein diets because a keto diet is based on fat instead of protein. Fat supplies up to 90% of the calories in a “true” keto diet.
How Does It Work?
A keto diet is designed to force your body into burning a fuel that the liver produces from stored fat instead of using the normal sugars it derives from carbs.
This fuel from your liver is called “ketone bodies.”
To force your body to use this fuel, you must eat fewer than 50 grams of carbs per DAY. (One slice of bread, for example, contains 15 grams of carbs). After a few days, your body may reach a state of “ketosis,” where it is creating and burning ketone bodies. However, too much protein can also interfere with the process (usually limited to 75 grams per day).
A typical person on a keto diet will eat 170 grams of fat, 50 grams of carbs, and 75 grams of protein. And yes, that is a LOT of fat! Your fruits are restricted to a few berries, and your vegetables are very limited.
This can lead to heart disease risks and nutritional deficiencies. Other potential problems are stress on your liver and kidneys, constipation, and brain fog from the low-carb diet.
I send many of my patients to a local keto bakery. This is not because I want them to go on a keto diet, but because I want them to stop eating sugar.
Keto cookies, cakes, and sweet rolls have almost NO sugar OR carbs! It’s like a miracle! Not everyone likes them, but most people can find some great substitutes to be able to eat a cookie when they want to without messing up their immune system. (See “Sugar and Your Immune System)
The Problem with Keto (And Other Weight-Loss Diets)
Everyone’s body is different. A diet that works for someone else may fail for you, or even damage your health.
Many patients who come to me for weight loss don’t need a diet. Their weight is coming from hormones, digestive problems, or allergies.
My Advice:
Stop trying to lose weight or improve your health based on trial and error. Stop reading about some “great, new thing” on the internet and thinking, “Hey, I should try this out and see if it works!”
Honestly, what are the chances that any given product or diet would work on your particular body? Also, what does “work” mean? If you lose 10 pounds and then gain it back but now will have much more difficulty losing weight in the future, was this a “success?”
Printout from Heart Rate Variability Testing, shows nervous system function
Testing, An (Apparently) New Idea
I can’t think of any single food, supplement, or treatment that would be appropriate for every patient I’ve had in the past year except for maybe clean water. Every person is unique in many ways and needs different solutions.
You might ask, “But, how can you tell specifically what I should do?”
In health care today, the concept of TESTING is almost foreign. Most treatments, supplements, and drugs are recommended on a “try it and see if it works” basis.
But if you could accurately test someone to determine what foods, supplements, diets, and treatments would be effective and safe for them—why would anyone make any decisions without testing first?
My Universal Answer
I always have the same answer when asked about diets, supplements, or treatments:
“Why don’t you come in and let me test you to find out?”
After all, the only other option would be to GUESS.
Submit your Questionnaire, and you’ll receive a complimentary consultation to get more information and your individual health questions answered.
The Gene That Makes the Ketogenic Diet Dangerous
Ronald Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O., DACBN, MS, CFMP
With all the craze about the ketogenic diet it would behoove one to know if they are a candidate for this type of diet.
First for those not familiar with the ketogenic diet here is a short summary:
The ketogenic diet is a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that in medicine is used mainly to treat hard-to-control epilepsy in children. Here are 8 additional benefits:
Triglycerides Tend to Drop Drastically
Increased Levels of ‘Good’ HDL Cholesterol
Reduced Blood Sugar and Insulin Levels
May Lower Blood Pressure
Effective Against Metabolic Syndrome
A Greater Proportion of Fat Loss Comes From Your Abdominal Cavity
Improved ‘Bad’ LDL Cholesterol Levels
Therapeutic for Several Brain Disorders (Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease)
Now with all of these benefits the scientific literature has investigated if indeed this type of diet is beneficial for all people.
Well it may ultimately come down to your genes. Most specifically, your APOE genotype.
The three different types of APOE genes are as follows:
APOE2 – Best suited to a High Fat / Low Carb Diet (saturated fats are good) APOE3 – Suitable For Both APOE4 – Best Suited For A High Monounsaturated Fat / Low Carb Diet (Avoid Saturated Fats)
Research studies have shown that APOE4 carriers are most effected by high cholesterol, and benefit more from a low saturated fat diet, instead using monounsaturated fats, low carb diet, whereas APOE 2 carriers suit a high fat low carb diet, regardless of the saturated fats.
So what should you do?
Ask your doctor to order the APOE genotype blood test and see if you are in fact a carrier of the APOE4 gene.
If you are a carrier of the APOE4 gene, I recommend decreasing your consumption of saturated fats and focus more on monounsaturated fats.
