More Info About Fibromyalgia

One of the many sources that I read to keep up on the latest information from the medical world is, "Medscape News."  This is an on-line allopathic newsletter that any licensed practitioner can access.  (I say, "licensed" practitioner because these folks check your credentials before sending you the newsletter....no lay people allowed, so to speak.)  When I received the newsletter, today, that was about fibromyalgia, I accessed it immediately to see what new approach was being touted.

Maybe, it's a good thing that the everyday patient isn't able to read this newsletter.  They might become jaded.  The conclusion was that since the opiates in our brains respond differently to pain, these chemicals that are released by pain signals are the reason that the current prescribed fibromyalgia medications (see the latest television commercials for the current "guess-what we're trying now," pharmaceutical) don't work very well. So, now we blame the brain for not responding to medications.  I disagree.  It's the lack of understanding about the true cause of fibromyalgia and, thus, the grasping-at-straws-for-anything-that-might-help mentality, rather than the let's-get-to-the-bottom-of-this strategy that is the cause of the failure, in my humble opinion.

For anyone suffering from this problem and thinking that medications will solve the symptoms, I would suggest trying a different approach.  Medications, taken regularly and long term, eventually cease being efficacious and frequently cause very serious side effects.

Re-balancing the body through nutriceuticals has been shown to be one highly effective approach to this problem with which I've seen much success.  I have said before that I don't believe that fibromyalgia is a disease or cause of a problem, but is an effect of multiple nutritional imbalances in the body, beginning with a dysfunction of the gut.

For those dealing with this dysfunction, it's my guess that your symptoms have increased over the past week or so if you've been attending seasonal parties.  Refined sugar will exacerbate fibromyalgia due to causing increased insulin demand, decreased B vitamin content in the blood and decreased native intestinal flora population. Refined sugar is definitely not our friend.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Correction of my Brownie Recipe

I mistakenly said to use an 8 inch non-stick pan in which to bake the brownies.  I meant to say to use a 10 inch non-stick pan.  I'm sorry if anyone tried this recipe using the smaller pan...I hope you didn't have any oven accident!

Dr. Esther

Incredible Brownie Recipe

If you use a good non-stick pan, you need do nothing in the way of preparing it.  If you use a regular 8 x 8 baking pan, then, grease and flour the pan, then cut two strips of parchment paper wide and long enough to stick up the sides by about 3 inches, placing the paper at 90 degree angles to one another and grease the parchment paper, again.

Set the oven temperature to 325 F.

Ingredients:

6 ounces of dark chocolate (minimum, 70%)  I use Divine or Chirardelli, 72%
1 stick of butter
1 tsp. ground coffee
3 eggs, room temperature and lightly beaten
1 tsp. real vanilla extract
3/4 cup of GF flour (I like Pamela's)
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 1/4 cup of coconut palm sugar (this makes for low glycemic index brownies)
3/4 cup of chopped walnuts

Directions:

Melt the chocolate, butter and coffee in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside to cool a bit, and then whisk the eggs, vanilla and sugar into the mixture.

In a small bowl, mix together the flour, salt and cocoa powder. Fold the dry ingredients into the wet, then add in the nuts.  Pour the mixture into either a 10 inch non-stick pan or 8 x 8 prepared baking pan.

Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake for 30 minutes.  Do not over bake this recipe.  It's meant to be moist when you remove it from the oven as the eggs will keep cooking for a bit.  Cool completely before removing from the pan.

Two things to remember:  the quality and taste of the brownies depends upon the quality of the ingredients, especially the chocolate, and these taste so much better when they are cooled.  If someone just can't wait to try them, they will crumble if eaten warm.  The recipe is easy and simple; the taste is complex and incredible!  Happy Holidays.

Enjoy.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

My Quest for the "Perfect" Non-Stick Pan

For many, many years I have been trying to find a poisonous chemical-free non-stick pan.  At first, there was "T-Fal."  But, soon we learned that pan was dangerous to our health as it emitted chemicals when heated to high temperatures.

Next, I tried Calaphon, but those pans were definitely Not non-stick.  I believe that the company that produces this brand does now have a non-stick option, but I'm not looking backward.

Tramentina, sold by QVC, was my next purchase.  These are stainless steel with an aluminum core and, after 20 years, still look beautiful, cook evenly but are only "stick resistant," not non-stick. Onward.

America's Test Kitchen recommended a brand of non-stick that I thought would be wonderful, for sure, as they were, after all, recommended and these people put the products through rigorous testing.  Alas, the 12 inch lasted only 6 months...not exactly what I had in mind.

My regular readers may remember that last year I wrote about the "green" non-stick fry pan as a new favorite non-stick pan. I still do use them (12, 10 and 8 inch) but the "non-stickiness" has had to be renewed, regularly, and they don't work as well as I would like.

I promise, I do have a point to this topic.  The other day, out of desperation, I tuned into QVC and was watching Wolfgang Puck demonstrating his non-stick cookware.  "Kinda expensive,"  was my response.  So, "Why not try HSN?" I thought. 

One Curtis Stone was on the air talking about his "Everyday" cookware.  I watched the entire show (including listening to how this non-stick cookware was designed and developed).  This was different...these pans weren't simply coated with a non-stick surface, but had the formulation impregnated into its 5 layers.  The pans are heavy-duty (much heavier than all my other pans, but about the same weight as the Tramentina stainless), flat-bottomed (others are somewhat rounded), have an aluminum core and truly need zero oil of any kind.

We've made over-easy eggs with no oil, vegetable fried rice (no oil) and a fantastic brownie recipe that was highly tweaked from a Martha Stewart recipe which called for oiling and flouring the baking pan and oiling and flouring the parchment paper, but with my non-stick pan, cooked up perfectly with no greasing necessary.

Oh, I don't think I told you that you don't have to use any special utensils with this cookware...I used stainless steel spoons in it last night!  It doesn't scratch because there isn't any surface coating. Wow.  I didn't have to prepare the pan before use or do anything special before cooking.  I really like that. (The "Green" cookware has to be "re-non-stuck" every so often.) The pans even came with a universal lid...it fits my 8", 10" and 12" pans perfectly.

So, I'm hoping that I will continue to delight in the new fry pans for many years to come.  HSN sells these online and I highly recommend them to any of you who have similar experiences with non-stick cookware.

I thought I might give you the brownie recipe, tomorrow.  Best brownies I've ever eaten.

Dr Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Don't Eat These Grains, Legumes or Vegies?

When I was in chiropractic school, we were required to take a course in research.  It was a mere 2 credit course and one that not too many took very seriously.  In this course, we learned how to distinguish "good" science from "bad," and "biased" science from relatively "unbiased."  As humans, it is impossible to be completely unbiased, but you can make a pretty good effort.

So, I was interested in the latest findings by the American Heart Association concerning vascular disease and diet, published in their 2013 Scientific Sessions.  They have decided to recommend the elimination of "lectin" containing grains, legumes and vegetables...including all night shade plants...in order to decrease endothelial (vessel) damage.  Lectin is a sugar-binding protein, usually thought to be very helpful in the diet.  Let's look a bit deeper into the actual study.

The population studied was very restricted.  It consisted of only 200 people.  Of these 200, 40% were women, the ages ranged from 51-86, ALL the individuals had multiple risks for vascular disease and nearly 75% had "endothelial dysfunction."  This means, in effect, vessel damage.  Every one of these statistics show bias....an aging population with preexisting vascular disease/damage and no indication as to their state of health, diet, lifestyle or other health history issues before inclusion in this "study."

There are also different values associated with various types of studies.  Anecdotal data, case history, non-randomized trials or double blind, randomized trials.....upon which type of study were these data based? That information was not included and it makes a great deal of difference to those trying to figure out the validity of the reported findings.

My suggestion:  don't believe everything a "study" concludes.  Just as an example, egg plant is a "night shade" vegetable.  It is also a member of the "viscous fiber" category.  Sticky or viscous fiber eaten everyday is a vital component to vascular protection and normalization of cholesterol levels.  Of course, you don't want to eat a diet high in sugar or sugar-containing foods, that's a "no-brainer."  But, to suggest that we cut out healthy, phyto-nutrient rich foods because the elderly have experienced vascular damage is absurd.  There was nothing in this report to suggest that any reversal of endothelial damage occurred, either.  At the very least, some good science needs to address the specifics of this recommendation.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Chicken Pox + Depressed Immunity= Shingles + Stroke & Heart Attack

Chicken pox (Varicella), that inconvenient, itchy condition that plagues many children (and adults, too) can turn into herpes zoster, aka shingles, in older age.
Now, it appears, those who develop this condition are more likely to die from a stroke or a heart attack within a week of the outbreak.

Caroline Minassian and colleagues from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine conducted a Meta study of some 67,000 Medicare-aged victims of shingles.  

"We observed a marked increase in the rate of acute cardiovascular events in the first week after zoster diagnosis: a 2.4-fold increased ischemic stroke rate and a 1.7-fold increased MI (heart attack) rate," they wrote in the Public Library of Science journal PLoS Medicine.
"The most marked increase was observed during the first week following zoster diagnosis."

What many people don't realize is that once in the body, any herpes virus never leaves...it simply moves around via the nervous system, waiting until the host's immune system becomes suppressed, either from another condition or simply from stress or poor diet.

I cannot stress enough the importance of keeping one's immune system healthy and strong.  Diet alone will not do the trick. Anti-viral drugs will not do the trick as All of the people in this study were on those medications.

Anyone interested in learning how to maintain a healthy immune system?

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Another Explanation for Autism

In a study just published in JAMA, it was found that children born to women taking certain anti-depressants during their second and third trimester are twice as likely to become autistic. Prosac, Paxil and other serotonin-inhibiting anti-depressants appear to be the major culprits.

Now, let's add to that the explosion of opioid-based pain medication that has been prescribed to young people in the past decade and the skyrocketing incidence of heroin-like addiction and you have a recipe for disaster.

Honestly, I am appalled at the medical profession's seeming ignorance of the ever-growing consequences of the attitude of, "the more drugs the better," approach to health care.  I think the public bears some of the responsibility for this, too.  I've heard a number of medical doctors who claim that they are often virtually "forced" into prescribing medication by patients who won't take "no" for an answer.  If they don't get the desired medication from one doctor, they'll simply go to someone else who will give them what they want.

Personally, I know what I say to potential patients who come in for help and tell me exactly what the internet research has told them what I should do.  Let us simply say that if they refuse to listen to my advice, they are encouraged to seek help elsewhere.

Autism is a multi-faceted problem.  Pollution, illicit and prescription drug usage, high sugar, lots of soda and a pre-packaged food diet of the mother and child and a high stress environment have all been shown to be complicit in this condition.  In my opinion, Autism is turning out to be the Alzheimer's of children.  Both are neurological conditions that rob the person of cognition and emotional connection and can devastate the entire family.

I wonder if we'll ever wake up and take a good, hard look at our actions and the consequences of those choices.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

The Hidden Problem That May be Killing Our Children

One in five Americans kids has unhealthy cholesterol levels, and more than 8 percent have the most worrisome high cholesterol levels, a new survey finds (from NCHS).

Older children and teenagers had the worst cholesterol levels -- nearly 27 percent of 16- to 19- year-olds had at least one measure of unhealthy cholesterol, the National Center for Health Statistics found. And the heavier children were more likely to have unhealthy cholesterol measures.
More than 43 percent of obese kids had bad cholesterol levels, the survey found.

"While it's not a surprise that they have more abnormalities than non-obese kids, it is pretty frightening," said Dr. Julie Brothers, a preventive cardiologist at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, who was not involved in the study.
"It's quite high."

The findings definitely support recommendations to start screening even young children for cholesterol, Brothers said. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends cholesterol screening all children age 9-11.

Unhealthy cholesterol levels can mean arteries are already being blocked with hardening "plaques" that can cause heart attacks and strokes.
Many studies have shown heart disease starts young — with artery-clogging blockages starting sometimes as young as age 3! Ultrasound examinations of children as young as 10 have shown they can have arteries that are already as clogged as those in some middle-aged people.


Thirteen percent had low levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL or "good" cholesterol). HDL scoops up the "bad" cholesterol and carries it away, so having high levels is important. It's linked most with poor diet, Brothers said.
"I look at things like what they are drinking throughout the day. The majority are drinking a lot of sugar drinks," she said. Cutting back on sugary drinks can help, she's found. So can adding exercise.

I can remember studies showing autopsy results on soldiers who were killed in the Vietnam War of a significant level of atherosclerosis in men as young as 18.
It's obvious that this nation's health has not improved over the decades.

Not only are we seeing type 2 diabetes in early elementary-aged children, we are now seeing risk factors for heart disease and strokes in this same age group.  This should outrage and horrify all of us.  But, I suspect it does not.  We certainly are a species of "see-no-evil" and it doesn't exist.  I fear for our youth and the health of this nation.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Our Body's Toxic Overload and Our Health

Toxins are in the foods we eat, water we drink, products we put on our skin, and air we breathe. You are probably aware of most of the environmental and food ingredients that are problematic:

Pesticides   Heavy metals    Chemicals    Pollution  Additives & Preservatives

But what you  might not realize is that our bodies also produce natural toxins, such as ammonia, carbon dioxide, hormone-metabolism byproducts, oxidized lipids, and protein/nucleic acid compounds. 

These natural toxins linger in the body if they can’t be excreted.  The liver, lymphatic system, kidneys, lungs, intestines, blood, and skin filter, expel, or metabolize these toxins. When overloaded, the body becomes inefficient. 

Toxins can build up, creating a toxic burden that can have wide-reaching effects. Toxin buildup in the body can lead to inefficiencies and altered metabolism. When the body isn’t operating optimally, this can contribute to:

A stuffy feeling in the head

Fatigue or difficulty sleeping

Indigestion and other temporary

gastrointestinal upset

 Food cravings and weight gain

         Reduced mental clarity

  Low libido  and Skin that's not looking its best

There is a protocol developed by Standard Process that specifically targets the elimination of both acquired and naturally-occurring toxins that affect our level of health and wellness everyday.  I've used this for many patients; many say it has changed their energy levels, clarity of thinking, sleep patterns, skin health, weight gain patterns  and general health and well being.

Dr. Esther

drkollars@gmail.com

fixdhealthcare.com

Do You have Swollen Feet, Legs or Ankles?

If you or anyone you know has swollen lower extremities, it's called, "edema."  There are two major categories of edema, one is non-medical and the other, medical.  The two are caused by entirely different problems and should be addressed as such.

If your medical doctor has told you that your edema is not caused by a heart or kidney problem or prescription drugs, and you eat the standard American diet of processed foods, grains, sugar and white "trash" carbohydrates, then it it likely that the edema is caused by insufficient quality protein.  Fortunately, this is easy to test and cure.

However, if your doctor has said that your edema is connected to a heart or kidney dysfunction, then, not only do you need to change your diet, but you will need a specific protocol that will help to tone and strengthen your heart or kidneys.  The magic of nutritional re-balancing comes from the proper supplementation and formulations that are specifically designed to offer this support.  After following these recommendations, it is highly likely that your medical doctor will be able to wean you from the prescription medication that you have been taking for the heart or kidney imbalances.  We have seen many instances of this very thing happening for our patients who have chosen nutritional re-balancing to strengthen their bodies.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
www.fixdhealthcare.com

Ideas as to How to Reduce Stress This Season

Even though many of us have more activities to do than usual during the holidays, this extra scheduling isn't necessarily our major source of stress...what does cause our bodies to over-react is our diet.

Exchanging cookies, office parties, children's school parties and holiday dinner parties all put a tremendous stress on our adrenals and GI tract.  The primary culprit is refined sugar; I think most of us know this.  Therefore, I am including a suggested list as to how to eat about 90-95% of the time this holiday season in order to help your body reprogram itself into health.

 It's fine to eat a little sugar as long as you remember that only a few teaspoons full can repress our immune systems for up to 8 hours...the "danger" zone.  I suggest extra high quality garlic and Vitamin C taken after eating "naughty" foods will help to mitigate the danger.

Here are a few tips:

1.  Eat whole foods, as provided by nature.

2.  Eat lots of raw and fermented vegetables with every meal.  Buy the dark green, leafy lettuces, preferably organic.  Ice berg lettuce is a waste of time.

3.  Eat frequent small meals, but eat as often as you are hungry.  Large meals over burden the digestive system, so, at a holiday dinner, take small portions and, if you're hungry in another 4 hours, eat another small portion of the food you craved.

4.  Don't eat multiple simple carbohydrate foods at the same time...stuffing, corn pudding, mashed potatoes, bread, muffins, biscuits and the like really aren't "food,"  they're sugar cubes in disguise; pick one and leave the others to those who wish to become comatose after the meal.

5.  Avoid combining sugar and protein...wait a couple of hours after that protein meal to eat dessert...you're digestive system will thank you.

6.  Drink LOTS of water...but not with meals!  Drink one-half your weight in ounces throughout the day and up to a half-hour before you eat.  If you drink with your meals, you're stomach acid will be diluted and not be able to properly break down all that protein you're eating.  If you have to have wine with the meal, keep it down to no more than 4 ounces. 

7.  If you're doing the baking for the holidays, may I suggest you use coconut palm sugar instead of refined white or brown sugar.  The glycemic index of the palm sugar is 35, while the GI of white/brown sugar is 100.  Your body will thank you.

Happy Holidays to All and Happy Eating, too....
Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

President Jimmy Carter is One of the Fortunate Ones

As I sat watching yet another ad for some medication or another (they all sort of run together for me), I began thinking about what most of us are really doing when we pop those pills into our mouths.

From what I've seen, I believe that many, after xx number of years taking the same medication, don't even register what they are putting into their system.

I am a big fan of taking a specific medication for a specifically indicated malady for a specific amount of time. Certain medications have been proven to save lives, over the years.  (Look what has happened with former President Jimmy Carter.  It's amazing).  But, I have to wonder how many listen to or read about the disclaimers concerning the proven efficacy of many of the advertised pharmaceuticals. "Not shown/proven to decrease the number of heart attacks/strokes/other indicated problems...," let alone some of the horrific side effects listed:  anything from swelling of the tongue to brain cancer to death, and, yet, we are the "pill-poppingist" nation in the world.

What many are missing about the daily, sub-conscious ingestion of the average 12 meds per day, in my opinion, is that, with some exceptions, the physiological imbalances/deterioration that caused the original problem has not ceased.  Going off the medication results in the problem popping back up.  So, what is happening is that the medication is only masking the symptoms, not addressing the cause.

I know that many actually are very contented to simply continuing to take  pills.  I understand that.  What I am hoping that people understand is that their body continues to deteriorate in the absence of symptoms. I encourage you to read the labels that are included with your medications.  Good luck with that; you'll probably need a magnifying glass.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

These Statistics About the State of our Health are Stagering!

According to the chief medical officer of Pfizer, 88 million Americans are pre-diabetic and a full 24 million Americans have Type 2 Diabetes, right now.  These statistics do not include anyone suffering from Type 1 Diabetes, the cause of which is not diet related.

How have we gotten into this predicament?  A full 1/3 of our population has metabolic syndrome! What has caused us to go from a nation in which type 2 diabetes used to be a disease of the elderly to a disease comprised much more of little children, teenagers and young adults?

Ever hear of the "food pyramid?"  About 20% of the diet was supposed to be protein and fat, some dairy and the other part mostly carbohydrates (55-65%). Also, no real distinction was made as to the difference between complex and simple carbohydrates.  We went from a nation of a reasonable BMI to an obese people in just 10 years. What group pushed us into eating this way?  Why, the medical doctors, of course.

Every doctor's office had the food pyramid chart prominently displayed on the exam room wall.  From what I can tell, many still do!  I truly need someone to explain this to me.  Medical doctors get zero courses in nutrition in school.  Some schools offer a 12 week course in a combination of public health and nutrition. And yet, the public chooses to rely on these same undereducated doctors for health and nutrition advice.

A recent gallop poll commissioned by the American Chiropractic Association revealed that a full 75% of Americans would go to their medical doctor for nutritional advice and concerns before ever even thinking about asking a chiropractor.  Amazing what a little brain washing and lots of negative marketing can do.  All fully accredited chiropractic colleges offer 4-5, 15-week courses in nutrition! (Taught by those with Ph.D's in nutrition)

Nutrition is not an afterthought; it's a complex course of study involving the understanding of the micro-environment of our cells to the macro-environment of our tissues and organs and how this interplays with our physiology, biochemistry and neurology.  That, my dear readers, takes a long, long time to understand, let alone to master.

Why don't we hold the medical profession accountable for its actions?  I believe I know why.  I also believe it's up to all of us to ask ourselves why, if we truly want to change our health care system from one that is sickness-driven to wellness-driven.

Integrative Therapeutic Nutritional Wellness....check it out on my website, if that interests you.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Car Accidents & Chiropractic Care

"If I'm in a low speed car accident and don't have any problems, why should I check with my chiropractor?"  I wish I had a dollar for every time that question was asked...I'd truly be rich.  Seriously though, that's a legitimate question; I do have a legitimate answer.

Think of your head as a bowling ball and your cervical spine as a rubber pencil, trying to support it.  While not an exact representation, the image is not so very far from the truth when it comes to the physics of an injury like a low speed (or high speed, for that matter) impact.  The reason why I am talking about low speed impact accidents rather than high speed ones is that the resulting injuries are very different, depending upon the speed.

A low speed impact injury (under 25 mph) is very similar to the type of injury that one experiences in a fall, moderate impact to the face or a moderate sport's injury.  These types of injuries are ones that the majority of us experience throughout our lives.  Normally, we don't feel any significant after effects and we typically forget about the incident/incidents.  Unfortunately, our bodies do not forget about them.  In fact, the nervous system remembers and records the injury in its neurons and that changed information is then fed back to our musculoskeletal system.  Then, our body compensates for the changed information, forcing structures to perform duties for which they weren't designed.  Unless and until the CNS is "reprogrammed" with the corrected, originally designed information, our body will continue to perform its functions in an unbalanced manner, which eventually leads to more imbalance and pain.

It can, literally, take years for symptoms to appear.  And, worse, few health care professionals are able to make the connection between what is now happening and what originally caused the problem, so people end up with pain prescriptions that deal only with symptoms.  That's what we usually see....the person who has significant but diffuse symptoms due to injuries incurred years ago.

My suggestion is for anyone who has had a car accident or impact injury, with or without symptoms, to have a chiropractor who understands what to look for check them out.  Your future self will be really, really grateful.

Drs. Esther & Thomas
drkollars@gmail.com
thomaskollars109@gmail.com

Your Nails reveal a lot about Your Health

Among the many different methods I use to determine a patient's state of health, or "unhealth," is to assess the condition of their finger nails (toe nails usually just tell me about the presence of fungus in the blood). This method has been a major part of Oriental medicine for many, many centuries.

Nutrient deficiencies in the body present themselves in the condition of the nails in the following ways:

Soft, tearing or peeling easily, opaque lines
Dry, brittle, breaking easily, horizontal or vertical ridges
Thin, flat, spoon-shaped, white or yellow nail beds
White spots or bands on nails or nail bed
Yellow nail bed, poor or no growth
Darkened nail beds

All of these problems indicate not only significant nutritional deficiencies, but can also indicate chronic organ dysfunction or impaired circulation, a possible precursor to cardiovascular problems.

Don't ignore these signs if your nails fit any of the above descriptions.  And, please don't just cover up your nails with polish.

Dr.  Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Chiropractic Therapy for Migraines

Of all the problems that our patients come to us with, headaches are the most difficult to help because there are so many causes for them and types of headaches...over one hundred!  Of these, we have found migraines to be the most complex to treat.

There are many different triggers for migraines and just as many different causes.  We have found that there are always both mechanical and emotional components that must be addressed.  If not, the typical outcome is usually less than satisfactory for the patient.

We have to understand that the central nervous system records and memorizes every mechanical, emotional, physiological, biochemical and neurological input that it experiences, daily.  If it didn't, we would never learn how to walk, run, ride a bike, speak and so on.  If the CNS didn't record all experience, we would have to re-learn everything we just learned, everyday.  On the down side, all injury and trauma is also recorded.  As such, the CNS "relearns" the corrupted input of injury and sends messages out to the peripheral nervous system (including our musculoskeletal system) that are also, corrupted or imbalanced.

Our job is to find and identify these imbalanced areas and fix them.  It is no different for the patient suffering from migraines...usually by the time someone develops migraines, many, many systems are imbalanced and need attention.

The good news is that migraines can be successfully treated or managed.  One of our patients used to have migraines 4-5 times a week.  Now, she experiences much more mild headaches once a week or less.  Others have been migraine free unless they eat the food that triggers them.  For those suffering from these incredibly painful headaches, there is relief available.

Dr. Esther & Dr. Thomas
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Holiday-Theme GF Recipes

A post from one of my readers gave me the bright idea to ask if any of you have a particular holiday recipe that you love or make every year.  I'd been posting recipes this past week and would like to try that recipe very much.

Anyone else interested in swapping GF holiday recipes?  I'm looking forward to seeing some.

Dr. Esther

Double Chocolate Bundt Cake-GF

This recipe is one that I modified from Martha Stewart.  It uses Pamela's Baking Mix as the GF source.  I like Pamela's much better than Bob's GF flour for cakes and pie crusts because Bob's flour has a distinctive flavor while Pamela's does not (for me, at least).

You'll need a 12 cup Bundt cake pan.  Grease it liberally and dust it with unsweetened cocoa powder (instead of flour so your dark cake doesn't turn white).

This recipe calls for 1 cup of sour cream; I use buttermilk powder (Bob's Red Mill), add it to the dry ingredients and then use water, adding it to the wet, instead.  The choice is yours: sour cream, buttermilk or buttermilk powder...it makes no appreciable difference.  

Preheat your oven to 325 F.

Ingredients:
1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder mixed with 1 cup of boiling water, cooled to room temperature

3 sticks room temperature unsalted organic butter
2 1/4 cups sugar (coconut palm sugar is my choice)
1 Tbsp. organic vanilla extract (GF)
6 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sour cream OR  3/4 cup of room temperature water OR 3/4 cup buttermilk, room temperature

3 cups GF flour plus    1/4 cup of buttermilk powder
3/4 tsp. pink salt
1 tsp. baking soda
Mix the dry ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.

1 1/4 cups of semi-sweet chocolate chips (I use 60%)

Directions:

Place the butter in an electric mixer bowl, cream with the sugar at medium speed until incorporated.  Add the vanilla and the six eggs, one at a time.  Turn down the mixer speed to low and add the sour cream/water/buttermilk. Alternately with the flour mixture add the cooled cocoa mixture until all the liquid is incorporated.

Then, by hand, mix in the chocolate chips.  Spoon this mixture, carefully, into the bundt pan.

Bake for 1 to 1 1/4 hours, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Cool in pan for 15 minutes before turning out onto a cooling rack and cool, completely.

Serve as is or drizzled with dark chocolate genache or even powdered sugar...your choice.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Why Some of Us Cannot Lose Weight...It's Our Blood Sugar Response to Food

The idea that we all could benefit from testing our blood glucose levels after eating is central to understanding why some people have such a difficult time losing weight or controlling their blood sugar response.

One of my faithful readers, BK, sent me a facebook link that clearly explains that many of us have different metabolic responses to the same diet.
 
Additionally, the researchers from the Weizman Institute touch on what I believe to be the fundamental cause of the world-wide epidemic of obesity and metabolic disease....the alteration of our microbiome environment, otherwise known as, "dysbiosis." (SP protocol specifically targets this syndrome).

I have spoken about this condition in numerous blogs.  It is caused by repeated antibiotic usage and results in the destruction of our native intestinal flora.  The overgrowth of unhealthy bacteria, causing blood sugar changes leading to metabolic syndrome, gut imbalances, intestinal dysfunction and auto-immune response disruption, is the result. 

Understanding how we as individuals respond to food is only the first step in reversing metabolic syndrome.  We must also rebalance the gut and repopulate our native intestinal flora (food, including yogurt and regular probiotics cannot rebuild the native flora) in order to restore complete blood sugar and intestinal microbiome balance.

Here is the Facebook link:  https://business.facebook.com/WeizmannInstituteOfScience/videos/942575569143312/

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

A Healthy & Yummy Easy Dessert

Many people don't love pumpkin pie, so here is an alternative for us:

A Simple Fruit Cobbler

Here's my new favorite dessert that's not only yummy, but also very nutritious.  I like blueberry cobbler, made from wild grown and not cultivated blueberries.  While the cultivated ones are delicious and contain anti-oxidants, the wild grown ones contain twice the amount.  You can buy them in the frozen food section, so they are already cleaned and stemmed...you have to love that:  convenience with a super-food!

I use a 12 inch, oven-safe, non-stick pan.

Ingredients:

20 ounces of wild-grown blueberries OR----

6 cups of sliced frozen peaches WITH 8 ounces of wild-grown blueberries, or whatever frozen fruit combination you prefer. (I like the combination of peaches/nectarines with the blueberries).

3/4 cup of coconut palm sugar
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 Tbsp. non-gluten flour

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl, until incorporated.   Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Topping:

In a large bowl, combine 2 cups of Pamela's Baking Mix or Non-gluten flour with 1/2 cup coconut sugar, 1/4 tsp. pink salt, 1/2 tsp. baking powder, 1/2 tsp. cinnamon, cut in 6 Tbsp. of cold butter and combine until the consistency of the flour is like coarse sand.  As an unusual touch, if you want, add 1/2 cup grated goat's cheddar cheese and then add about 1/4 or so cups of cold coconut milk.  Mix this just until combined, making certain that the biscuit mix isn't too moist...err on the dry side.

Place the fruit mixture into the non-stick pan and drop the biscuit mixture by spoonsfull over the fruit.  I like to try to keep the biscuit mixture about the same thickness so it bakes, evenly.  Bake for 40-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and completely done.

I suggest you place a large cookie or baking sheet under the pan in case there's a spill over.  Let the cobbler cool before serving.  This should feed at least 6 people.  This dessert is high in phytonutrients, anti-oxidants and has a low glycemic index.  It doesn't get much better than than...enjoy!

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Antibiotic Resistance is Hurting our Children (and,the rest of us, too)

American kids are being hurt and killed by the spread of antibiotic-resistant "superbugs," pediatricians said Monday.

 "The rise of antibiotic resistance is a global crisis. It's one of the greatest threats to health today,"  WHO director-general Dr. Margaret Chan said in a news conference Monday.

U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that more than two million people are infected by drug-resistant germs each year, and 23,000 die of their infections.

The causes are clear — people taking antibiotics for infections they cannot help; people failing to take a full course of antibiotics; natural mutation and evolution; and the widespread use of antibiotics to fatten up farm animals. 

Even though the FDA has been trying to educate farmers about the dangers of the use of antibiotics in farm animals:

"Approximately 80 percent of the overall tonnage of antimicrobial agents sold in the United States in 2012 was for animal use, and approximately 60 percent of those agents are considered important for human medicine," the committee wrote in the group's journal, Pediatrics.  When healthy animals are dosed with low levels of antibiotics, drug-resistant germs grow in their bodies.

In March, the White House released a five-year, $1.2 billion plan to fight drug-resistant germs that includes better tracking of infections, faster tests and new drugs. (That's what we all need, more drugs!)

But people need to do more as individuals, WHO's Dr. Keiji Fukuda said. WHO surveyed 10,000 people from 12 countries about antibiotic resistance and found an alarming number just don't understand what it means or what can be done about it. 

Fukuda said 76 percent of those surveyed thought the term antibiotic resistance meant people were resistant, not the germs infecting them. Nearly two thirds wrongly believe that antibiotics work to help viral infections such as colds and flu - they don't.

So, here's our choice:  continue to purchase low quality, conventionally-raised meat with lots of antibiotics in it, or wake up and demand that we want a better choice for our children (and ourselves)....it's called,  "voting with the purse."  The decision is up to all of us. You can start by purchasing a Thanksgiving turkey that doesn't contain antibiotics.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Some healthy recipe ideas for Thanksgiving

1.  Mashed apple sweet potatoes

According to how many people you want to feed, the amount of ingredients will vary.  This simple recipe feeds 4-6.

4 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 medium sized apples, if peeled and cut into 3/4 inch cubes

Place the potatoes and apples into a large sauce pan, cover them with water, add a little salt (1/2 tsp. pink salt) and boil on medium/low heat until tender...about 15 minutes.

Drain all the water, mash with a potato masher until it's the desired consistency (I like it "rustic").  Add a couple of tablespoons of butter, about 1/4 cup of coconut milk, one tsp. cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of maple syrup, coconut palm sugar, stevia or whatever sweetener you desire.  This is yummy and pretty healthy.

2.  Scalloped Vegetables

We all know the simple carbohydrate nightmare that awaits us when we eat scalloped white potatoes and cream...this is my "updated" version...still made with some white potatoes, but containing a lot of other vegetables so we don't need to feel guilty.  This recipe feeds 6-8.

Spray oil a 9 x 14 pyrex dish or other large baking dish.

3 large baking potatoes, washed but not peeled
2 small yellow squash
2 small green squash
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 small package of mushrooms (any kind you like)
2 medium fresh tomatoes or 1 small can of organic diced tomatoes
grated goat's cheddar cheese
goat's feta cheese
pink salt and freshly ground pepper
3/4 cup of chicken or vegetable broth or, a combination of coconut milk and chicken/vegetable broth, for a creamier consistency

Sautee the onions and mushrooms in a little oil until softened...set aside. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

Slice the potatoes and squash into thick slices, about 1/2 inch.  Slice the fresh tomatoes into 1/4 inch slices.  Layer the potatoes, squash and tomatoes, adding a bit of salt and pepper (to taste) and then sprinkle on the feta and cheddar cheese.  Add all the onion and mushroom combination over the first layer of vegies.  Add a second layer of the vegies, ending with the cheeses that should cover all the vegetables.  Carefully pour in the broth or broth/coconut milk combination. Cover with aluminum foil (preferably recycled aluminum, but be sure to first cover the dish with parchment paper so the aluminum won't touch the vegetables).  Cook for one hour.  Uncover the dish and bake an additional 15 minutes.

Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!

Follow-up About Hypertension Medication

As this category of medication is one of the most frequently prescribed and among the medications indicated as taken by some 60% of the population, I thought a reprint of a blog I wrote two years ago was in order.  These findings need to be kept in mind in light of the "latest" study opinion that says, "the lower, the better," when it comes to systolic blood pressure.  Although, the head of the study did admit that the side effects of drastically lowering someone's blood pressure included: fainting, dizziness, tiredness, difficulty concentrating and so on.... Is it just possible that there is such a thing as too low of a blood pressure?

Here's the reprint:

Do you really need that blood pressure medication?

New guidelines have been suggested for whom should be medicated for high blood pressure.  Researchers conducted a meta-study (looking at years of data from past studies), focusing on health outcomes for people over 60 with blood pressure readings reaching 140/85.  After reviewing all the data for relationships between cardiovascular events, strokes and death rates and the efficacy of hypertensive medications, a conclusion was reached that this type of medication made little morbidity and mortality differences for those in this age group.

Researchers concluded that people over 60 years of age received no clear benefits from hypertensive medications until they showed a systolic of 150 and diastolic of 90.  Simply put, too many people are on medications that are of no proven benefit. 

As might be expected, the National Heart Association disagrees with the results of the study and wants to conduct one of its own.  Please remember, not all studies are valid and all contain biases.  However, the conclusion about the necessity for medications for hypertension was made after looking at data that were collected over more than a decade.  Any conclusions drawn by a single study by the NHA would most likely be flawed by biases, especially since the member doctors of the NHA were so quick to criticize the conclusions.  We have to remember that 75% of all doctors in this country do have some financial connection with the pharmaceutical companies whose drugs they prescribe.  No one, that I know of, has ever even hinted that this could be considered a conflict of interest.  Perhaps, it's not.

My suggestion is for those in any age group to at least consider alternatives to taking hypertensive medication, as I know of a number of studies, done over 30 years ago, concluded that 50% of all people on hypertensive medications are not helped by them....at all.  Yet, we know of the explosion of prescription meds for high blood pressure.  Is anyone else out there confused?

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

25- Year Meta-Study Proves This Exercise is Best

A newly published update to an analysis of twenty-five years of exercise studies indicates that there is only one truly effective quality and quantity-of-life-enhancing type of exercise:  WALKING! 

Actually, very brisk walking for at least 30 minutes a day, 4-5 times a week.  By definition, "brisk" means that the heart rate is increased and held at 85% of the maximum heart rate for at least 20 consecutive minutes.  There is a specific formula that takes into consideration your age and resting heart rate to determine the optimal exercising heart rate.

This type of exercise was found to be superior to swimming laps, biking, running, dancing and all other types of exercise.  For those looking to decrease the possibility of developing osteoporosis, weight-lifting stress exercise should be added to the walking, as well as taking a whole food, organic, correctly formulated calcium/mineral supplement.  (Remember, one needs sufficient hydrochloric acid in the stomach in order to break those minerals down so the body can actually utilize them.)

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Follow-up Information About the Dangers of Long-Term Cell Phone Usage

Here is more detailed information as to why we all need to be cautious about our EMFR-emitting device usage.

Electromagnetic field radiation is indicated as “emfr” in the literature. It's also easier to write in the abbreviated form. Basically, emfr is a low frequency magnetic radiation that is generated, constantly and continuously, by microwave and cellular technology. In nature, there are many electromagnetic fields that have no adverse affects on our bodies. That is because natural fields are either temporally constant (same frequency) or spatially constant (same shape), but never both.

 Man-made signals, by necessity for communication, are both temporally and spatially constant. These constant signals, with prolonged exposure, can cause the protein vibratory receptors located on our cell membranes to resonate (vibrate). 
 

This may seem a bit complex, but it is truly important that we understand that all communication, whether auditory or biochemical/physiological is done by vibration. All cells vibrate. The colors we see are the result of vibration just as all sounds are the result of vibrations. When any force interrupts, damages or changes these physical vibrations, our body considers itself to be under attack.

We have mechanisms that can address an attack that the body recognizes, but no mechanisms to address foreign attacks. Therein lies the problem at the core level of our cells: they do not recognize the man-made emfr signals and are unable to develop any protection for this. As is the case with all man-made signals, our cells react by going into what is called, “sympathetic lock,” in order to try to protect the cell from this perceived invasion. Sympathetic lock prevents the cell from taking in nutrition and releasing toxins. Cells will die if this sympathetic lock is not reversed.

This cell membrane reaction triggers a cascade of events that can then manifest themselves in a variety of symptoms and diseases, starting with compromising the immune system. If the exposure is prolonged, the stress-response system (our adrenals) becomes exhausted and the competency of the immune system declines to below normal. As a result, animals and humans are more susceptible to cancer and infectious diseases and conditions related to immune system compromise.

So, we can see that it isn't just our children we need to protect, it's all of us.  Don't walk around with a Bluetooth hanging on your ear; don't sleep with your smart phone/cell phone next to you on the nightstand; please turn off your phone overnight and, at the very least, use the speaker phone setting instead of holding the phone to your ear when talking.  These precautions will help to decrease the possibility of developing brain cancers.

Keeping the immune system strong is vital because of emfr exposure.  In that, at least, I can be of significant help.

Dr. Esther

drkollars@gmail.com

fixdhealthcare.com

Be Cautious When Allowing your Children to Use Cell Phones

Earlier this year 190 independent scientists representing 39 countries (including the United States) appealed to global health organization to strengthen cellphone guidelines and ensure the public be "fully informed about the potential health risks from electromagnetic energy." These scientists, who have collectively authored more than 2,000 papers on the topic, add to a growing number of prominent experts and government agencies around the world who are holding up a caution sign for consumers — particularly when it comes to kids.

"Children are not little adults," Dr. Gisela Mercada-Deane, chair of radiology at the American Academy of Pediatrics, said. "The amount of radio frequency that children will be exposed by the time they are our age [an adult] is exponential to the amount of radiation, radio frequencies that we ourselves are being exposed to in a lifetime."

Here is a reprint of a blog I wrote a couple of years ago on this very topic:

In 2007, the Bioinitiative Working Group released a 650-page report citing more than 2,000 studies detailing the toxic effects of emf's from all sources. Chronic exposure to low-level radiation (like cell phones, wi-fi, blue tooth, I-Pods, computers, etc.) can cause a variety of cancers, impair immunity and contribute to Alzheimer's disease and dementia, heart disease and other ailments.

Additionally, every single study of brain tumors that looks at 10 or more years of use shows an increased risk of brain cancer. Australia reports an increase in pediatric brain cancers of 21% (children's brains are many times more susceptible to the damages of emfr than adults) in just ONE decade. Studies across Europe and the UK show an increase in brain cancers of 40% in the last twenty years.

Brain cancer has now surpassed leukemia as the number one cancer killer of children. The BioInitiative Report also includes studies showing evidence for exposure to emfr brain tumors, acoustic neuromas (tumors on the auditory nerve which damages hearing) and childhood cancers like leukemia.

A review of 11 long-term epidemiological studies published in the Journal of Surgical Neurology two years ago revealed that using a cell phone for 10 or more years approximately doubles the risk of being diagnosed with a brain tumor on the same side of the head where the cell phone is typically held. 

 

My next blog will go into more detail about the dangers of electromagnetic field radiation than the above-quoted article.

 

Dr. Esther

drkollars@gmail.com

fixdhealthcare.com 

More Americans Than EVER Are Taking Drugs!

And I quote:

More Americans than ever are taking prescription drugs — close to 60 percent of U.S. adults, according to new research.
And most seem to be related to obesity, with cholesterol and blood pressure drugs leading the pack, researchers report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
The single most popular drug is Zocor, a cholesterol-lowering drug in a class called statins, said Elizabeth Kantor, formerly of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, and now at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. The drug, known generically as simvastatin, is taken by 8 percent of the U.S. population.

The other most frequently taken drugs are anti-depressants and PPIs (for acid reflux). 

I have written blogs about the side effects of all the above-mentioned categories of drugs, including liver, kidney and cardiovascular damage from statins, the same for blood pressure drugs and osteoporosis from the PPI drug category.

I do find it alarming that we are choosing the "simple" pill-way approach as opposed to the nutritional physiological re-balancing approach to our health challenges. How sad.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com 

Warning: Xylitol can Kill Your Pets

On the CBS Evening News last night, a story about the death of a beloved dog was highlighted.  It seems that this two-year old Lab ingested some chewing gum that contained the artificial sweetener, xylitol. 

This sweetener is added to many foods and drinks and is considered "safe" by the FDA for human consumption.  However, it is deadly for pets, causing kidney failure.  Please, pet owners, read the labels on all the processed, packaged "foods" you buy, including soda.

I personally do not recommend any artificial sweeteners, mostly because they fool your body into thinking that it is getting something sweet that is purely empty calories.  It's so much better to free the body from needing to eat sweets.  My blog about diet soda and losing weight, written on August 21, 2013, addresses that issue.

Conditioning the body to want something sweet is what has this country's population at nearly catastrophic diabetic levels....we want sugar...we eat lots of sugar...we develop metabolic syndrome...we get diabetes.  Eating artificial sugars doesn't diminish the rate of diabetes, it feeds it.

April 11, 2013 I wrote a blog about splenda vs. stevia. If you haven't read it, I recommend you do so; I talk about the topic of artificial sweeteners in great detail...over three thousand people have read this blog topic, so I know many have found it interesting.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Is Truvia the same as Stevia?

Of all my blog posts over the years, this topic has engendered the most hits and responses.  The latest response is from a gentleman who was given the impression from my original blog that the sweetener developed by Coca-Cola under the name of "truvia" is the same as the herbal sweetener, "stevia."  I apologize that my blog caused this confusion.  Here are the facts:

Stevia is an herb native to Paraguay that is 300 times sweeter than sugar. It has been used for centuries as a sweetener and has been found in many studies to be completely safe. It even has some health benefits. Apparently, it improves insulin sensitivity to fight obesity and diabetes and can reduce hypertension (high blood pressure).

Stevia comes in many forms. It comes dried, powdered, and in a concentrated liquid extract. Make your choice based on the amount of sweetness you want (white extract powders are the sweetest). High grade products that use only grade A and B plants and separate out as much of the stems, roots, and leaf veins as possible will have a much better, sweeter taste, without the bitter aftertaste that many stevia products have.

"Truvia is not made from whole Stevia, just two of the sweetest compounds extracted from Stevia. It was developed jointly by The Coca-Cola Company and Cargill. Truvia contains erythritol, known to be derived from GMO corn. Rebiana is the trademarked name for rebaudioside A (Reb-A), a steviol glycoside that is thought to be responsible for the sweet taste of Stevia. It takes a 42-step procedure to derive Rebiana. This process of extraction, which is patented by Coca-Cola and deemed a safe sweetener by the FDA, is chemically driven, using acetone, acetonitrile, methanol, ethanol and isopropanol for extraction and likely starts with genetically modified stevia leaves. Rebiana is a chemically modified form of stevia — it is NOT pure stevia. There have been concerns about Rebiana being a “mutagen”, defined as any substance that may alter genes. Truvia also contains dextrose and erythritol. The erythritol constitutes approximately 3g of carbohydrates per 3.5g packet of Truvia.

Research on the safety of this product has thus far been limited to several studies sponsored by Cargill itself. Truvia also contains natural flavors — that means that your guess is as good as mine as to what is in the natural flavors. Since the term natural flavors is unregulated, it could be MSG or some other nasty neurotoxin."

We have Wendy Myers to thank for the above information about Truvia.

I truly hope this clears up any mistaken impressions my original  blog may have given about the safety of truvia.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Are You Getting Enough Micronutrients?

I read the following excerpt on the Thrive Market website.  I thought it so interesting that I quote it, below.

The list of nutrients the body needs to ingest on a daily basis can at times seem unattainable. There's protein, healthy fats, fruits and vegetables, and whole grains to think about—and without even considering micronutrients.

You probably know micronutrients by their more common alias: vitamins and minerals. The human body desperately needs these nutrients, but can't produce them all on its own. That's where food comes in.

Of course, not all diets are created equal, and not every diet can provide a full serving of each vitamin and mineral. In fact, one study conducted by the National Institutes of Health discovered how bad four popular diets are at providing these essential nutrients.

And the numbers might be against us. To get the recommended amount of micronutrients suggested by the USDA, you'd need to eat an average of 27,575 calories a day. At 12 times the amount of calories we're supposed to consume daily, it's clear that a diet focused on obtaining micronutrients definitely isn't a sustainable one.

Wow, 27,575 calories...and, still, the quality of those micronutrients isn't even addressed.  Our body requires high quality, whole food micronutrients to perform all of its vital functions, everyday.  Standard Process offers whole food, organic supplements and formulations that supply all the necessary daily micronutrients without supplying all those calories!

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

The "Happy" Patient Experience

This story has nothing to do with insurance.  It has everything to do with my area of special interest:  helping people with chronic problems by supporting a balanced physiology and biochemistry through proper nutritional formulations.

This patient came to me after having gone through years of blood work with her medical doctor that showed altered biochemistry results that were consistently not addressed.  The most significant problems involved her immune system, sugar imbalances and her blood's oxygen-carrying capacity.  Her symptoms were significant and interfered with her sleeping, eating, digestion and assimilation of food, energy levels and her ability to work; not a happy camper.

What did we decide to address first?  The immune/digestive system, of course.  Without a balanced gut, nothing much works well.  We began the second week of September, with a number of ups and downs the first couple of weeks; that's the primary reason I need people to keep in close contact and work in partnership with me for a period of time...the body reacts differently with every individual.  I saw this patient the second week of October to deliver another phase of supplements and then, again, for our monthly consultation 17 days later.

This visit was with a new person.  Before, where she was exhausted and looked  old and worn, she now almost bounced into the appointment.  Her face had lost all of its puffiness and her complexion was no longer gray, but pink.  Her eyes were bright, her energy levels were higher than they had been for years, her quality of sleep had improved and all of the swelling in her hands and extremities was gone.  What a difference a few weeks had made.  We have much more to do, but in looking years younger and beginning to feel like she used to years ago, she one happy lady.

This is another example as to why my nutritional relationship is with only one company, Standard Process.  In my 27 years of experience, there is no other company whose supplements and formulations are able to make such an immediate impact in someone's quality of life. I really, really love my job!

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

A Tale of Two Patient Experiences: One Happy, One Sad

I'll start with the "bad news," so to speak.  This is a story about a patient who, as part of her profession, is required to perform constant repetitive tasks.  I have spoken about the fact that months of a repetitive task can result in the same damage as one significant trauma.  This is what has happened, in this case.

Now, add a motor vehicle accident in which this patient's neck, shoulders and wrists absorbed the majority of the trauma, and we have the need for frequent rehabilitative treatment over 8-10 weeks.  After her first treatment, she felt more energetic, stronger and an improvement in her symptoms.  So far, the story seems to be pretty positive.  The problem?  She opted for only  $5,000.00 of medical coverage per accident on her car insurance.  A trip to the ER, some X-Rays and a visit to her medical doctor and that money was gone.  Even though her injuries are directly the result of this MVA, she has to bear the burden of the cost of care.

For about $10.00 more per YEAR, she could have had $25,000.00 of coverage.  I just do not understand why people frequently tell us that they don't even know how much their medical benefits are and that we find that most patients aren't proactive when it comes to knowing the details of the insurance that they carry.  I probably sound like a broken record, but please, please, at least find out how much medical benefits you have chosen to receive if you have a car accident.  It's the cheapest medical insurance you'll ever purchase.  Ask yourself, "What are the odds of my getting into a car accident?"  I think we all know the answer.

I think I'll tell the story about the happy experience in my next blog as this one ran a bit long.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Do You Order Food from Amazon? I have a better suggestion...

In a blog post last month, I told you about a new place I found to order organic, gluten free items at a significantly reduced price...www.thrivemarket.com.

Today, I did a bit of price comparison between the exact same items, including size and weight, sold by Amazon and Thrive.  Here are just three examples, you decide which is the better choice:

1.  Andean Dream Quinoa Organic Spaghetti, 8 ounces

     Amazon:  $12.34                     Thrive:  $4.00

2.  Chicken/Beef Bone Stock, organic, 15.2 ounces

     Amazon:  $14.75                     Thrive:  $4.35
(actually, I couldn't find the chicken bone broth at Amazon, just the beef)

3.  Pamela's Baking Mix, 24 ounces

     Amazon:  $8.79                       Thrive:  $4.95

That's just a sample of my savings on hundreds of high quality food items.  Pretty good find, eh? 

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Do You Want Beautiful Skin? This Product is for You

Many of you know that I am a Nutritional Wellness Life Coach and offer phone consultations for those who either live too far away to come to me or prefer to have me at their "beck-and-call" on a monthly basis via texts, e-mails or phone.

I was in the middle of a phone consultation with a client when she said something that stopped the conversation in its tracks.  "My skin was radiant this weekend."  We weren't even addressing her skin condition problem, at least not in a conscious way.  She has had facial and general skin problems for quite a while, but at this point we were focusing on her gut reconditioning program.  Additionally, she has had skin breakouts during her period for years. 

I thought about this for a moment and realized that, of course, as the gut improves, so will the skin, as it is the window to a person's level of health or wellness.  She also noticed that her skin became a bit duller-looking as the week progressed as we had her on the gut protocol formula only on the weekends.  We changed that to fewer of the particular supplement to be taken on a daily basis.

A few days ago, when we had our monthly consult, I asked her about the protocol and her symptoms.  About her period, she said, "I wasn't as gloomy and my hormones didn't feel as though they were across the board."  About her skin, she said she didn't break out (for the first time ever during her period), and it was back to looking radiant, again.

I don't know about you, but I find this very, very impressive.  No creams, lotions or "magical" skin formulas ever produced results like this and helped to re-balance monthly hormone levels, too. If this interests you, let me know.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

The First-of its-Kind Pharmaceutical Advertisement

Yesterday, I actually bothered to listen to an ad by the pharmaceutical industry and have to admit a reaction of both surprise, initially, and resignation, practically.

This was what I call a "cartoon" ad...marketing advisors obviously think that the public will accept a cartoon woman character taking opioids for pain better than an actor aka:  "not a real person." (I'm guessing because the public has been educated as to how incredibly addictive this class of drugs is.)  What surprised me was that the cartoon lady was telling about the nasty side effect of the opioid: painful constipation.

What was the advertising recommending?  Why, taking another drug for the side effects.  Think about this for just a moment.  Now the drug industry has found a whole new demographics: people taking all those medications (we know government statistics indicate each person takes an average of 10 medications in this country!!!!!) who are experiencing side effects--let's get them to take yet another medication.

I'm guessing this type of ad is just the first of its kind with many, many more to come.

There are multiple ways to help those experiencing chronic pain; it's too bad that the majority of Americans choose the "easier" road:  a pill, which almost always leads to nasty unintended consequences.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

How Safe are Your Vitamin Supplements? According to CBS

Last night, the CBS Evening News ran a report about the potential harm that can result from taking vitamin supplements.  The resident medical expert told us that the FDA doesn't control the safety of these products. 

A 17 year old boy's story was detailed; a picture of him when he was 15 was shown:  bulging yellow eyes, an indicator that his liver was not functioning properly.  His mother related the story that at 15, this morbidly obese boy started taking a green tea-based weight loss product.  In her words, "He saw how well one dose worked and decided on his own to take extra."  His liver was found to be dysfunctional and he was given a 50/50 chance to live.  He recovered, but his story was described in detail as a cautionary tale about taking "unregulated" vitamins.

Most of you regular readers know that I don't recommend regular lab-based vitamins and for those new readers, you may read about the reason on my website.  As an aside, the news program showcased many different non-FDA regulated supplements....Standard Process was not among those shown as this food-based supplement company is regulated out the....well, let's just say, "regulated."

The bias of this reporting astounds me.  The good doctor didn't bother to mention that the highly FDA-regulated pharmaceutical industry is responsible for producing medications that cause tens of thousands of deaths every year.  How many deaths could this investigative reporting find? ZERO! Interesting, don't you think?

Now, I'm the first one to assert the cautionary tale about not taking synthetic, non-food based or fractionalized vitamins, but the fact that 2,300 people (according to the report) are hospitalized every year with symptoms associated with taking or, more accurately, improperly taking vitamin supplements, in my opinion, does not warrant the level of fear that this report tried to encourage.

"Take all your vitamins and dump them out on the desk..." when you go to the medical doctor and he (even though he's had no nutritional education whatsoever) will tell you if your vitamins aren't safe to take, the good doctor on CBS advised.  Wow.

Just another reason that I'm so pleased to offer Standard Process nutritional supplements to my patients and clients.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

You Increase Your Death Risk if You Have Lots of This in Your Diet

A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition ( one of my favorite medical journals), shows a association between an excess intake of phosphorous and an increased risk of death.

Dietary phosphorous is found in such foods as: milk, cheese, grains, dried beans, peas, nuts and peanut butter.  This element is necessary for normal cellular function such as energy storage, metabolism, the utilization of many B vitamins, the buffering of body fluids, kidney excretion of hydrogen ions ( part of the oxidation/reduction reactions that lead to cellular aging), proper cellular and nerve function and maintaining calcium balance.  As you can see, phosphorous is vital to our body's health.

However, if taken in excess, calculated to be over 1400 mg/day, this element was seen to be associated with an increased risk of death from, "any cause."  The researchers did not establish a 1:1 ratio at this point, but this finding is consistent with those of other studies in which a cause and effect was established between increased phosphoric acid intake and osteoporosis and, sometimes,  heart disease.  What is the primary dietary source of excessive phosphoric acid in the American diet?  Soda.

My recommendation is for anyone who drinks soda on a regular basis, please check the can/bottle labels to see just how much phosphoric acid you are ingesting.  It doesn't matter if the soda is zero calorie or regular, it contains phosphoric acid.  The body doesn't recognize the phosphorous that is in soda and cannot utilize it, at all.  Dietary sources of phosphates are easily utilized by the body and helps keeps us healthy.

We do know that excessive intake of phosphates can lead to hyperphosphatemia, which occurs in people with impaired kidney function and can cause serious electrolyte imbalances and even, in some cases, death.

Cutting out or down on soda is one of the easiest changes that can be made to the diet.  This is especially important for children and the elderly, as they are always highly susceptible to electrolyte imbalances and the negative effects that soda can have on the body.

Some researchers believe that a low phosphorous intake is indicated in the third trimester of pregnancy as phosphorous levels rise, probably due to thyroid stimulation.  Usually, this element is well utilized throughout pregnancy, but probably should be carefully monitored in high-risk or susceptible cases.  These women need to check the phosphorous content of any supplements they take.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com 

Is Chiropractic Care Safe During Pregnancy? What about Pickle Juice for a Healthy Pregnancy?

Yesterday, my husband and I were discussing patient care.  He told me that he was talking with a woman in her third trimester who didn't know that chiropractic care wouldn't harm her baby and that it is often very helpful, not only in pain, discomfort and nutritional management but also in the delivery process, itself.  I've treated many pregnant women who, to a person, have told me that my treatment helped them have an enjoyable pregnancy and easy delivery compared to a pregnancy when they hadn't had chiropractic care.

I asked my self, "Why is it that many women are so often uninformed about alternative pregnancy care?"  I think the answer is a combination of very poor public information by us chiropractors as well as very good anti-chiropractic marketing by the medical profession.

My first venture into treating pregnant patients came almost 27 years ago when a woman came into the office with her prenatal vitamins....they looked like little pink footballs.  Just for the fun of it, we cut the vitamin with a knife and, much to the patient's surprise, the pink coating peeled off the vitamin, resembling a plastic covering.  She was taken aback, to say the least.

The prenatal supplements that I offer are only derived from real, honest-to-goodness food.  Hmm...lets see: fake, laboratory-cooked "vitamins" or real food supplements...a very difficult decision, indeed.

I also was apprised about a new idea touted by some dietitians, recommending the daily drinking of pickle juice as a way of keeping pregnant women and all of us, "healthy."  I include the ingredients of this so-called elixir:

Cucumbers , Water , Vinegar Distilled , Salt , Contains less than 22% of , Garlic Dried , Spices , Calcium Chloride , Sodium Benzoate , To Protect Flavor , Peppers Bell Red Dried , Flavors Natural , Polysorbate 80 , Oleoresin Turmeric

Now, if drinking distilled vinegar, loaded with salt and preservatives is one's idea of a healthy drink, it's beyond me.  If one wishes the benefits of vinegar (acid/base balancing), why not simply drink watered-down pure vinegar? (I like apple cider vinegar as it contains nutrients that distilled vinegar does not)

Another problem with drinking this pickle water (or any acid, for that matter) straight is enamel erosion. I always recommend that my patients who drink a lot of lemon water use a straw so their teeth would be protected against the mild acid.  The pH of vinegar is lower than that of lemon juice, so the straw idea is vital.  

I have to admit that I have never heard of drinking pickle juice as a means of keeping one healthy. I would not recommend it. 

Dr. Esther

drkollars@gmail.com

fixdhealthcare.com

A New Way to Treat Auto-Immune Diseases

By now, many of you may have heard about a young female celebrity's treatment for SLE or Lupus....Chemotherapy.

What is the definition of chemotherapy, according to the medical community?
   
"Chemotherapy is a drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in your body.
Chemotherapy is most often used to treat cancer, since cancer cells grow and multiply much more quickly than most cells in the body.

Many different chemotherapy drugs are available. Chemotherapy drugs can be used alone or in combination to treat a wide variety of cancers.

Though chemotherapy is an effective way to treat many types of cancer, chemotherapy treatment also carries a risk of side effects. Some chemotherapy side effects are mild and treatable, while others can cause serious complications."

One might wish to inquire of the FDA or the AMA about this "off-label" drug usage to kill what cells?  A person's own cells that have run amok?

 What is auto-immune disease?  Simply (very simply) put, it is a condition that results when the body's immune system attacks itself. I have described how this happens in a number of previous blogs.  I have also described the existence of nutritional protocols which can help the body to re-balance itself.

I wonder how many years it will take for the "unintended consequences" of this treatment to be used as a lucrative income source for the legal profession.  I also wonder why we don't even consider immune-system re-balancing for immune system-mitigated problems.

Someone once said we get the government we deserve; it appears we get the medical care we deserve, too.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Recommendations for Surviving the Flu Season and Other Maladies

 

Recently, I had a phone conversation from one of my out-of-state patients who was telling me about having beaten her bout with a cold much more quickly than others who were struggling with the same problem.  She was very happy that her cold was just about gone after only two days.  There is a secret that I have given to all my patients when it comes to beating colds....a special garlic formula that Kyolic offers; it is an odorless organic aged garlic extract.  Stock up on this and your winter will be a much more pleasant one, this year.  Kyolic can be safely taken by children.  The capsule may be swallowed or opened and sprinkled on food.  If you have taken all that your body needs, you might burp up a slight garlic taste.  Otherwise, you'll never know you are taking a garlic product.  Do not buy a cheaper knock off of Kyolic because other companies don't age the garlic.  It must be aged in order to produce the bio-active medicinal enzyme found only in the aged product.

If, however, you have forgotten to take the garlic and now have full-blown symptoms of the flu, Standard Process offers a product that many have found to kick the problem in a very short period of time, sometimes causing an almost immediate cessation of symptoms.  It's definitely worth having around.*

Another problem that this patient was also experiencing was sinus stuffiness.  Now, for any of you who have this problem, I have a product suggestion for you.  It's called, "Sovereign Silver" nasal spray.  Actually, Sovereign Silver makes colloidal silver in a number of forms.  For any of you not familiar with colloidal silver, I suggest you look up information on this product.  Again, never buy cheaper substitutes as the source of silver must be pure and cheaper products are not.  Anytime you may get a cut, burn or skin injury or infection, this is the product to use.   Also, for those who want a mouthwash that does not contribute to mouth and tongue cancer (see earlier blog on this subject), colloidal silver may be used to rinse the mouth.  When applying to a wound, soak a cotton ball with the liquid and let sit for 10 minutes. 

If you keep these products in your medicine cabinet, you will be amazed as to how effectively and quickly they work.

*Standard Process products are nutritional supplements and not intended to treat, cure or prevent any disease.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Why Does Flu Season Begin in November?

The answer to the question concerning why we are more susceptible to viruses and bacterial infections in the Fall is a five letter word:   SUGAR.

We consume 160-180 pounds of refined added sugar per person each year in this country.  What happens on the 31st of October?  Exactly.  Halloween is the number one candy consuming holiday of the year.  Our children and we already are consuming pounds of  "white trash" (any refined, simple carbohydrate, including white food and flour products and prepared foods ) every year;  now, add to it a night or week of refined sugar gluttony and you have yourself a recipe for a seriously weakened immune system--including the adrenals and GI tract.

"The consumption of sugar and other relatively pure carbohydrates has become so great during recent years that it presents a serious obstacle to the improved nutrition of the general public."

Any guesses as to the source of that quote?  Believe it or not, it was published by the American Medical Association in....1942!

Even small amounts of refined sugar represses the normal functioning of our adrenals...that means that the production of T-cell lymphocytes ceases for a time, leaving us susceptible to whatever microbes may be lurking.  Sugar also destroys a significant amount of our "good" intestinal flora, which mitigates about 70% of our immune system. 

Tomorrow, I'll write about how to remain healthy during flu season (besides watching those simple carbohydrates).

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com

Big Pharma Gold Mine: Gluten Allergies Do Exist!

Not so very long ago, the medical profession denied there could be any such thing as a gluten sensitivity, let alone an allergy and/or actual dysfunction.  Now that the Mayo Clinic estimates that some 2 million Americans (and 1% of the Caucasian population) have Celiac disease, the pharmaceutical industry has hopped onto the bandwagon, hoping to have medications ready by 2018.

GlaxoSmithKlein, Alvine Pharmaceuticals, AbbVie and Alba Therapeutics are all racing to get to the finish line, first.

 I find it fascinating that a problem that alternative medicine identified over 15 years ago is just now making into mainstream medicine.  When a buck is out there to be made, the drug companies are never far behind.

The very sad thing is that whether it be gluten sensitivity, allergy,  Celiac or one of the many auto-immune diseases, the idea that we can "drug" the body into healing, is absurd.  There are ways to help the body heal itself by using protocols that were developed years ago when Celiac was known as Sprue. There are ways of re-balancing the intestines, without nasty side-effects; it's simply a matter of choice.

Dr. Esther
drkollars@gmail.com
fixdhealthcare.com