The Dangers of Hormone Imbalances

Hormone balance is directly connected to the food we eat, the exercise we get, the toxins we absorb and internally produce, the weight we carry and the stress levels we put up with.  How these multiple factors impact the overall hormone picture is crucial, particularly at midlife when most hormone production is mediated by the adrenal glands.

I have previously spoken about the changes that prolonged mental/emotional stress can produce in the adrenal glands, resulting in symptoms that are associated with sympathetic hyper-stimulation syndrome...blood pressure problems, sleep disturbances, low testosterone production in women, depression, anxiety,  elevated cortisol production and immune system deficiencies, among the most significant.

The excess cortisol production affects total hormone production.  This forces the body to steal from its own supplies of available progesterone, to make more cortisol, thus depleting this key balancing hormone with obvious implications for estrogen dominance.  The symptoms of hair loss, cold extremities, dry skin and dry membranes that are typically associated with thyroid dysfunction, are actually primarily connected to adrenal imbalance. 

Prolonged stress tears up our bones, melts our muscles, robs us of strength and energy, lowers our libido and overwhelms our immunities, putting us at serious risk for chronic illness and autoimmune disease.

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The Truth about a Gluten-Free Diet

The past couple of days I've both read articles and watched while medical doctors on a news program comment negatively about gluten-free diets.  Their rationale centered around the fact that only 1% of the population has Celiac Disease and it's claimed that only about 6-7% have symptoms indicating a sensitivity.  "And your point?" I thought to myself is...

They really didn't have a point except that people (I don't know what people) had the idea that they would lose weight on a gluten-free diet when, in fact, many of those packaged GF products contain a considerable amount of added sugar, salt and fat.

So, their point is that gluten has a taste to it?  I find that amusing. Gluten-free packaged foods have a different texture because of the types of flours that are used, so that could be perceived as a taste variant.  But, if the GF companies are putting more fat, salt and sugar in their products, then consumers need to  be aware of it.

The truth is that most of us have become sensitive to gluten because of the GMO wheat that has been grown in the U.S. since the Clinton Administration.  We become sensitized to those items that we eat in excess....dairy, citrus, peanuts, soy, corn, gluten and so on.  Look at the label on any packaged product you buy...soy is at the top of the list; anything containing wheat, contains gluten. There are other grains/products/foods that contain gluten...the internet is a great resource for that information.

We have developed symptoms that are associated with that sensitivity to gluten...bloating, gas, bowel problems, allergies, inability to digest certain foods....all gastrointestinal symptoms that are relieved by cutting out gluten.  Many people do lose weight resulting from water retention because of the inflammation in their GI tract.

I recommend people cut out gluten to help eliminate inflammation and its associated symptoms. I also recommend that people not eat prepackaged or processed foods...eat fresh vegetables and fruits, cut out the foods to which you are sensitive and don't eat gluten, whenever possible.  That way, you aren't getting added trans-fats, salt or sugar in your diet and you will be better able to lose weight that way and live a healthier life.

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Warning Signs Your Body is Giving You

I don't know how many times I've heard patients tell me that their symptoms just began, "from nowhere."  I can categorically say that the body Always gives us warning signs when it is becoming ill or is stressed beyond its capacity to cope.  We are so used to the Western approach to health....take a lab test and if it comes out "normal" we must be healthy.  The truth is often farther away than we believe.   Simply put, continuous stress depletes the adrenals and affects the weakest systems of our body, first.

Here are warning signs from your body that stress, if left unchecked, will cause any of the following:

high blood pressure-----> cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, strokes
diabetes--------> cancer,  neuropathy, blindness, early death
chronic fatigue----> autoimmune disorders, chronic illness
gastrointestinal disorders----> migraines, anxiety, gall bladder disease
obesity----> cancer, sleep apnea, diabetes, high cholesterol, cardiovascular    disease, stroke, liver and gall bladder disease

These signs and symptoms often go full circle, as you can see. 

Here are some common signs and symptoms of stress:
hair loss   trouble concentrating    depression    increase in drug or alcohol use
social withdrawal    teeth grinding   mouth ulcers

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A New Paradigm....Functional Medicine

Back in 1991, the AMA sued two doctors (PhD's), Jeffrey and Susan Bland, for making claims that a person could lose weight by changing the metabolism.  Also, they claimed that by changing a person's diet, that person's gastrointestinal, inflammatory and immune problems, fatigue, food allergies and mercury poisoning could be affected or eliminated. 

You might be interested to know that the medical association lost and the Bland's won the suit.  In fact, if you watch Dr. Oz or The Doctors or even the Steve Harvey show, you'll hear all about how diet and dysfunction are interrelated...seems as though once the medical association loses, they absorb the information and pass it along as their own....just one person's opinion.

The Institute of Functional Medicine was born in 1991.  If you google it, you'll even be able to find medical doctors who are now certified in Functional Medicine.

Functional Medicine addresses the underlying causes of disease, using a systems-oriented approach and engaging both patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. It is an evolution in the practice of medicine that better addresses the health care needs of the 21st century. By shifting the traditional disease-centered focus of medical practice to a more patient-centered approach, Functional Medicine addresses the whole person, not just an isolated set of symptoms. Functional Medicine practitioners spend time with their patients, listening to their histories and looking at the interactions among genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors that can influence long-term health and complex, chronic disease. In this way, Functional Medicine supports the unique expression of health and vitality for each individual.

I had never heard of the term, "Functional Medicine," before a year or so ago.  What I find ironically interesting is that we have been practicing using this philosophy and approach to patient care for over two decades.  That's why we offer treatment that encompasses both a neuro-mechanical and physiological, functional  approach.  Maybe, great minds do think alike.

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Foods We are Most Allergic To

The American Association of Pediatrics has complied a list of foods to which we are most allergic.  In past blogs, I have detailed the difference between true allergies and adverse reactions to foods.

The eight foods are:

tree nuts (ex. pine nuts)                wheat
peanuts                                          dairy
corn                                               eggs
soy                                                 shellfish

I believe the problem with the wheat is gluten, the dairy is the size of the protein, with shellfish, the iodine and with eggs...maybe the years of added hormones.   I have seen the greatest negative reactions to nuts, eggs, soy and shellfish.  Typically, people usually have adverse reactions to corn, wheat and dairy, although there are many who are allergic to these foods.

To see how much of an adverse reaction to foods you have, if you know you don't have actual allergies to the foods, remove the food from your diet, one at a time, for 3 weeks.  Then, reintroduce the food into your diet.  If you adversely react, as in headaches, stomach symptoms and the like, this is a food to cut out of your diet. 

Coffee, sugar and beef also can typically cause your body to react adversely.  When trying to cut out sugar or coffee, expect withdrawal symptoms for about 3 days time.  Then, it should get progressively better.

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Are You Still Following the old Pyramid Eating Plan?

You remember the old pyramid, calling for low-fat foods and between six and eleven servings of carbohydrates a day?  That ridiculous standard, given to us by the medical profession, has resulted in our obesity epidemic of today.  And, more importantly, the typical recommendations by national dietary organizations are simply not aggressive enough to reverse the conditions that are associated with obesity...especially the horrific number of childhood diabetes diagnoses.

The CDC has released its latest figures about blood sugar and sugar intake:  By the age of 65, 77% of adults have progressing blood sugar management problems.  This is as a result of our diets being based on processed foods with a high glycemic index (remember how you were encouraged to eat bagels for breakfast?) causing nutritional deficiencies that increase the risk of developing many of the degenerative diseases plaguing older (and many not-so-old) people, today.  When was the last time you knew of an older person simply passing away during a normal night's sleep at home? We don't have a robust nursing home care industry for nothing.

I just performed a physiological/nutritional work-up on a 55 year old patient.  This person had every one of the 9 physiological indicators for sugar handling dysfunction.  This is a pre-diabetic case who, if left unchecked, would be a full-blown diabetic in a very short time.  None of this person's lab tests indicated diabetes or even hyperglycemia....the systems survey, history, BMI, fat percentage and nutritional work-up certainly did.  What's so amazing is that with a change in diet, exercise and individualized formulations, this person won't become that CDC statistic.

 We understand that it's nearly impossible for patients to cut down on their simple carbohydrate intake to the degree necessary without good, clear-cut guidelines on what is desirable, healthy fat--including healthy, natural saturated fats (hint: think coconuts).  There is growing evidence that removing saturated fat, entirely, from our diet over the last few decades and replacing it with commercially processed liquid oils like corn, canola and soy has done more harm than good.  ( U.S. Dept. of HHS, National Diabetes Information Clearinghouse; Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).

Those of us that understand the world of alternative healthcare, sometimes referred to as "functional medicine," are equipped to help guide patients into a healthier and balanced lifestyle...they need only ask.

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How Reliable are Lab Tests for Determining Your State of Health?

All of us are familiar with our doctor's ordering laboratory tests during our annual check-ups.  I wonder how many of us realize just what parameters these tests are based upon?  National averages, mostly,  educated guesses, frequently, hard science, sometimes.

The best example is the 98.6F.  as the determinant normal body temperature reading.  What many don't know is that millions of people's normal body temperature can run between 95.5 F. to 99.5 F. and that the 98.6 number is merely an average temp reading taken from our armed forces in WW 2.  If your temperature is normally 96 F and you are reading, 98.6 F, you are definitely running a fever. I know one person like this and he tells me that every time he has gone to the medical doctor with a "normal" temperature reading, he has to convince the nurse and doc that he's not well.

Scores of other lab tests are based on the average results of mostly sick people; after all, how many of you actually go to the medical doctor and have lab work done when you are feeling well?  These lab tests don't take individual variation into consideration.  A good health care provider will put more emphasis on clinical presentation than lab results if they come back within normal limits and you are not feeling well.

I find the body lets us know in advance, sometimes years, when it is beginning to break down.  For example, there are 9 physiological indicators that show up when the metabolic pathways for sugar handling are weakening...a precursor to diabetes.  The skin, face, eyes, ears, feet, other indicators and acupuncture meridians all show us signs of systemic physiological imbalances. 

What is especially helpful is the fact that we can analyze how each system of the body is functioning, and that imbalances and dysfunction can be identified well before any laboratory tests are run.  We can, in effect, head off serious problems before they are more than annoyances.

I highly recommend that anyone who is interested in their state of health take a half hour of their time to answer our systems survey and send it to me for analysis....your body is very chatty, one need only know how to listen. 

Here's the form for those of you interested in taking charge of your health:

05-08-2013HEALTHanal

You can print it out, scan it and send it back to: drkollars@gmail.com, anytime...I'll be happy to analyze your results.  You may even send it via snail mail.

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One-third of our Population Take this Medication

If you are in your sixth decade, the chances that you are taking statins for high cholesterol levels is one in three.  The possible side effects are, in my opinion, significant:  muscle pain or severe damage, liver damage, digestive problems, skin rashes, and, my favorite, an increase in your blood sugar levels and a worsening of your type 2 diabetes.

It really is important to have a dialogue with your medical doctor when considering being put on statin drugs.  Is this based on your total cholesterol levels (which is not indicative of the need for medication) or your LDL levels, your VLDL levels and your HDL-2 levels?  Is medication the first thing your doctor suggests?  Is this the first time you have had your cholesterol levels checked or is your high reading based on a "normal" reading baseline that was taken in the past?  What are your other, non-medication, choices?

Did you know that high cholesterol levels, high blood sugar levels and gut imbalances are inter-related?  You may be able to avoid medications with the proper nutriceutical formulations, dietary and lifestyle changes and avoid the side effects that "forever usage" of a medication frequently cause. A physiological/nutritional work-up, like the one that we offer, can help to identify and correct the areas of dysfunction that are causing these imbalances.

The choice is fairly simple:  rely on a medication to "correct" high cholesterol levels (which, over time, becomes less effective) or try to nutritionally support the body to be able to heal itself.

Many of us complain about the high cost of health care...I think what we're really complaining about is the high cost of sickness care.  If we want to see that changed, we have the choice to try the nutrirional route to health care.

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The FDA, ADHD and Food Dyes

I've discussed the topic of the connection between food coloring and ADHD in previous blogs.  This week, the FDA is meeting to, yet again, decide whether or not there is sufficient evidence to require food manufacturers to either decrease or eliminate artificial colorings from prepackaged foods.

I include the article about this topic for those of you who are interested.  My position hasn't changed:  if you feed real foods to your family,  there is little danger of exposing them to artificial coloring and you don't need to worry about the problem.  If your children are eating prepackaged cereals and snacks, then they are ingesting artificial dyes.

Here is the article:

 http://www.npr.org/2011/03/30/134962888/fda-probes-link-between-food-dyes-kids-behavior

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