Allergies And Brain Fog
Brain fog is a common condition and it affects millions of people. It’s characterized by a confused state of mind, a lack of clarity and fatigue. It’s a well-established fact that there are current studies showing a connection between allergies and brain fog. Allergies of various kinds, ranging from foods to environmental allergens, such as pollen, ragweed, etc., cause the body to release an excessive amount of a particular neurotransmitter called histamine. Excess histamine makes it difficult for the brain to process information. Excess histamine can also cause one to experience anxiety and depression and low self-esteem. For more information on how we clear out allergies/sensitivities (food, environmental allergies, pets, etc.) in 25 hours, give our office a call (954) 565-4440.
Natural Chemicals That Could Improve Your Child’s Grades
The body produces a group of chemicals called neurotransmitters. These are messengers that connect one cell to another. If they are not present at optimum levels, it can result in learning disorders, depression, anxiety, etc. The primary causes of neurotransmitter imbalance are chronic stress, poor diet, neurotoxin exposure, prescription drugs, improper supplementation and genetics.
At Advanced Wellness Center, we have a questionnaire that determines how balanced your neurotransmitters are. Most important of all, our technology helps us determine the root cause of the imbalance and the proper course of action to take to correct the problem. If you would like a healthier state of mind for you and your children, please contact our office (954) 565-4440.
Back-To-School Kid Meals
Solid school performance requires solid nutrition beginning with breakfast. It really is the most important meal of the day. It gives kids the brain power to focus and avoid low blood sugar behavior such as fatigue, headaches, moodiness, and inability to concentrate.
Firstly, we recommend gluten-free, dairy-free and watch-the-sugar eating …
Why? Allergies, sinus/nasal congestion and digestive issues just to name a few reasons. For more information go to the home page, click on “Current Health Message”, scroll to bottom and watch these videos: #1 Inflammation Part I: The Major Cause of All Diseases
#2 Inflammation Part II: The One-Two Knock Out Punch
BREAKFAST FOOD
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Oatmeal with cinnamon, made with Silk Unsweetened Almond Milk and a handful of walnuts
- Nature’s Path gluten-free, Whole O’s Cereal , with cashews & Rice Dream Milk
- Organic Boiled Egg(s): 1-2 with 1 slice of toasted Food for Life brand pecan bread with Earth Balance butter. Try boiling a batch of eggs over the weekend and on a weekday just mush a couple and mix with Vegenaise (healthy mayonnaise) for egg salad instead.
- Van’s Gluten-Free Waffles with berries – come in original, blueberry, flax & apple cinnamon. They also offer gluten-free mini sizes.
- Check out Amy’s frozen, gluten-free, dairy-free, soy-free breakfasts
LUNCH
Sometimes a minor change can make a big difference as to whether all of your kid’s lunch winds up in their stomach or not. The ideas below may help make that difference.
- Grilled Cheese Sandwich & Tomato Soup (in thermos)
Rudi’s White Sandwich Bread with Earth Balance butter and alternativwe cheese Rice Slice (comes in cheddar, mozzarella) or Daiya cheese (These are dairy-free products.)
Eden brand organic canned soup (homemade soups are not difficult to make – try a crockpot, where you throw everything in and let it simmer. Plus they are more nutritious, economical and you can make a batch to freeze portions.) - Baked Beans with Hot Dog
Cook & cut up an Applegate brand, gluten-free, casein-free chicken dog. Mix into a can of 365 Whole Foods brand Vegan Baked Beans. - BLT with Turkey Bacon
Rudi’s White Sandwich Bread, Vegenaise (dairy-free mayonnaise), turkey bacon, lettuce and a big sliced tomato with toast. - Egg, Spinach Omelet Sandwich
Sauté spinach in Earth Balance butter, add organic scrambled eggs.
Toast the Rudi’s White Sandwich Bread and place omelet over a slice of alternative Rice Slice cheese (this is a dairy-free cheese that comes in mozzarella, yellow American cheese flavors.) - Turkey Tortilla Roll
Grind fresh organic lemon peel and mix into Vegenaise (healthy mayonnaise), then spread the lemon mayo onto a Brown Rice Tortilla (brand name found at health food store or on-line). Add either Boar’s Head or Applegate turkey slices (its’ nitrate free), then roll (more like fold over into thirds.) - Macaroni & Cheese
Gluten-free noodles (Quinoa Harvest – is a light noodle) or any of the brown rice pastas (Tinkyada, Joy, Lunderberg, etc.) Mixed in frozen carrots & peas. Add shredded Daiya Cheese. - Chicken Salad
Shred left-over chicken, mix in chopped celery, add Vegenaise and scoop over lettuce.
DAYTIME/ AFTER SCHOOL SNACKS
Be careful not to over-snack your kids (see blog “Child Snacking Can Pack on 13-18 Lbs. per Year”, March 26, 2010)
- Raw Veggies (Carrot sticks, celery sticks)
- Low Glycemic Fruit (Apple)
- Kind Bars (chewy nut & fruit health bar)
- So Delicious – Greek Style Yogurt (oval shaped container, not the round)(Can also try the rice yogurt)
- Enjoy Life Chocolate Chip cookies
- Pamela’s Lemon Cookies
- RW Garcia Corn Chip (not too salty or greasy) with mild salsa or guacamole.
- Snyder’s or Barkat Gluten-Free Pretzel Sticks
- Crispy Parmesan Protein Gluten free Chips
Can’t find these at your local grocer? Many of the healthy snacks are conveniently available on-line such as at the http://www.glutenfreemall.com, or http://www.gluten-free.net or http://www.shopglutenfreefoods.com. http://www.gluten-freeproduct.com, or http://www.glutenfreeclub.com. Or you can go to the brand company’s website.
ALTERNATIVES TO THE MICROWAVE USE
Given the documented results of microwave use (see previous blog “Wave Good-Bye to the Microwave” July 30, 2012), it’s time to look for alternatives.
TO RE-HEAT FOOD
The best way to re-heat food is usually the same way you cooked it – for example, if cooked on the stove, it should be re-heated on the stove. But you can still employ some short cuts.
TOASTER OVEN or better yet a CONVECTION / TOASTER OVEN
According to those in the know, convection/ toaster ovens can warm your food in a third the time of conventional ovens. Use an oven safe Pyrex dish for your leftovers to then reheat your foot.
STOVE-TOP STEAMING
Place a little water in a saucepan, add the food and cover with lid. Place over low heat on the stove. This works with most frozen foods. It serves to steam the food.
If someone is coming home late, and you want to give them warm food when they arrive, put a saucepan lid over the food while it is on a (Corelle type) plate. Put the plate of food on a simmering saucepan of water. It will stay warm without drying up (tip from Acres Magazine 1994).
TRY “FLASH COOKING”
Flash cooking is used by cooks in restaurants. It’s a simple method of cooking or heating your foods in the oven between 425-475 degrees Fahrenheit anywhere between 2-10 minutes. This will allow you to heat foods quickly without overcooking them. Not all foods can be “flash cooked”. Go to Cooking in a Flash: How to Reheat Food without Overcooking It, for more information.
TO BOIL WATER
Start with water which is filtered with a high quality filter. Then, instead of the microwave to warm your water for tea, instant cereal, etc., consider the following:
> Use an electric or stovetop kettle to heat water.
> Install a steaming hot water tap in your kitchen. > Purchase a water cooler with a hot tap.
These alternatives can still warm your food and water in a timely way and are much healthier for your body.
Wave Good-Bye to the Microwave
Are you still using the “radiation oven”? Even FDA warns that you shouldn’t stand directly in front of your microwave while it’s heating your food. Some say just stay four feet away from it while it’s in use – especially children since they absorb radiation more easily than adults. But if big and little people have to step away from it, then what impact does it have on your food?
The article, Effects of Microwave Ovens (www.i-amperfectlyhealthy.com) highlights conclusions of Swiss, Russian and German scientific clinical studies. Their bottom line is that we can no longer ignore the effects of microwaved food. It’s not just that nutrients of all microwaved food are reduced or altered so that the human body gets little or no benefit, or that the human body absorbs altered compounds that cannot be broken down. It’s also that it is dangerous to your health. Some of their findings are below.
Continually Eating Microwaved Foods Causes:
1. Long term, permanent brain damage by “shorting out” electrical impulses
in the brain, polarizing or de-magnetizing the brain tissue;
2. A shut down or alteration in male and female hormone production;
3. An increase in cancerous cells in your blood;
4. Cancerous growths and tumors in the stomach & intestine;
(This may explain the rapidly increased rate of colon cancer in America.); and
5. Loss of memory, concentration, emotional instability, and
a decrease of intelligence.
In addition the MICROWAVED PLASTIC WRAP often placed over foods HAS 10,000 TIMES FDA LIMITS OF CARCINOGENS!
A study by a high school student, Claire Nelson (with help from a Dr. John Wilkes of the National Center for Toxicological Research) focused on the effect of microwave radiation on plastic wrapped food. The result? A carcinogen called Di(ehtylhexyl) adepate or DEHA for short, which is found in plastic wrap, migrated into the oil at between 200 parts and 500 parts per million. The FDA standard is 0.05 parts per billion, according to the article. PLUS xenoestrogen, which is linked to low sperm counts in men and breast cancer in women, also migrated into the oil.*
Time for alternative options! See next week’s post for recommended alternatives to microwave use.
*(See “Carcinogens –At 10,000 Times FDA Limits” Options, May 2000. Published by People Against Cancer, 515-972-4444) or go to http://www.rawfoodinfo.com)
Stomach Acid Drugs Cause Increased Risk of Death From Infection
Do you know someone on Prilosec or Prevacid? A recent study at the Naval Medical Center Sand Diego showed…
that out of the 23 patients who died in their facility from a bacterial infection known as C. difficile, 19 were prescribed acid suppressing drugs (Prilosec, Prevacid, etc.) within 90 days prior to their hospital stay. The study concluded that patients who had recently taken prescription acid suppressants were almost 5 times more likely to die from their C. difficile infection than those who had not taken the drugs.
How do you protect your digestive tract from bacteria and parasites?
Are you really absorbing the minerals you get in foods or supplements?
Are you at risk for Osteoporosis?
Stomach acids help protect the body from foreign invaders that get into the digestive tract such as bacteria, parasites, etc. The acid burns them up. Without stomach acids, you have little protection. Stomach acids are also important for mineral absorption, including calcium which is necessary to prevent osteoporosis. Therefore, people on antacid drugs are at increased risk of osteoporosis.
Do you take Tums?
Some doctors are recommending Tums because it reduces stomach acids and it contains calcium. However, the calcium is in the form of calcium carbonate, which is poorly absorbed by the body. Calcium carbonate is the main ingredient found in rocks, like limestone. That’s the equivalent of chewing on the sidewalk or on a piece of chalk in order to meet your calcium requirements.
Clostridium difficile and antibiotics can be counteracted…
C. difficile seems to be at an all time high in hospitals. Don’t expect to rely on alcohol based hand sanitizers, because C. difficile is resistant to it. It won’t touch it! The spores for this bacterium are found on surfaces in a room. When you touch the surface and get the spores on your hands, they can then find their way into your mouth and eventually into your digestive tract. If you are taking antibiotics, it may compound the problem, because the antibiotics can kill off the good bacteria in the bowel which counteract the C. difficile.
Natural Remedies recommended…
There are many natural methods and products that can control stomach acids and eliminate bacteria and other foreign invaders, including C. difficile. If you, or someone you know, suffer from stomach acid reflux, call our office for an appointment so we may identify the right protocol to restore your digestive system and your overall health (954) 565-4440.
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Good Fences Make Good Neighbors
Robert Frost wrote the poem, Mending Wall, in 1914. It is best known for the line, “Good fences make good neighbors,” which is taken from a 17th century colonial proverb. Barriers play an important role in our lives. Barriers, in the form of rules and regulations, place order in society and teach us how to be respectful of others. Barriers can also function as a means of protection. In biblical times, all of the major cities had protective walls around them. They had guards, called watchmen, who stood on the walls and would sound the alarm if enemy forces were approaching.
Our bodies are equipped with barriers (small intestine, lungs, skin, and around the brain). Perhaps the most important of these barriers is the small intestine. It is the link between your outside world and your internal world. Certain foods, such as gluten, certain bacteria, viruses and other microorganisms can destroy the barrier in the small intestine. Even stress can have an adverse effect on it.
When the barriers are compromised, toxins are able to get into your body and create an internal environment that is ripe for inflammation. Inflammation is the key element that leads to all of the major diseases, such as cardiovascular, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, and rheumatoid arthritis, etc.
Don’t let the terrorists (toxins) get past your internal border control. Our approach is to inform you of the ideal foods and nutritional supplements that will strengthen your internal barriers. If you want to be healthy, build up your protective walls like Nehemiah did in the Bible. You will be spared from many devastating diseases. Border control is ultra important for a healthy life for you and your family. Why not start today? Contact our office and find out how!
The Importance Of Running The Right Lab Tests
The Importance Of Running The Right Lab Tests
The last two years have been extremely frustrating for one of our new clients as she watched her normal self ebb away. Her previous doctors diagnosed her with a thyroid problem and put her on various medications, but she was getting worse. She was losing hope of ever finding a resolution and felt no one understood the depth of what she was experiencing.
Unfortunately, none of her previous doctors ran the right blood tests. She had been to several endocrinologists, including the head of endocrinology at a couple of highly-esteemed medical facilities. They omitted some very important tests to determine if she had an autoimmune disease. We ran those tests and they showed positive, meaning her immune system was attacking her thyroid. They were just giving her thyroid medications without calming down her immune system. This means that her immune system was slowly “eating away” at her thyroid. We placed her on a special diet and nutritional supplements that calmed down her immune system as well as supported her thyroid. We also gave her specific exercises to enhance the energy flow through the thyroid.
After 5 weeks of care, almost all of her symptoms are completely eliminated. Her symptoms included extreme exhaustion, heart palpitations at night, severe anxiety, migraines, loss of self-esteem . Today she came in truly excited about the fact that she has finally regained her energy so she can do the things she loves to do, especially hours of gardening. This is the first time in several years that she has been able to exert that amount of energy. She is excited about getting her life back and we are thrilled to be of service to her.
Getting To The Root Of The Problem
One of the dilemmas in the medical field today is that there are too many specialists and not enough general practitioners; too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Lots of doctors just focus on their specialty and don’t see a whole person. For example, when a cardiologist reviews the patient’s blood tests, he or she will tend to focus on specific tests relating to cardiovascular disease, such as cholesterol and C-reactive protein. An endocrinologist will pay more attention to thyroid tests, such as TSH, and blood sugar levels. Unfortunately, oftentimes, neither specialist tends to see how the pieces of the puzzle fit together. If a patient has an underactive thyroid, it can cause their cholesterol to elevate. Instead of merely prescribing statin drugs like Lipitor or Zocor to lower the cholesterol, doesn’t it make more sense to fix, the thyroid, i.e. the underlying cause, rather than just reducing the cholesterol level? If you don’t fix the root cause of the problem, you never get well.
At the Advanced Wellness Center, we’re not like the blind men touching the elephant and describing the whole animal based on the individual parts that each man touched. We specialize in detecting and correcting the root causes of health issues. Our U.S. patented procedure, Digital Response Technique (D.R.T.), enables us to evaluate the energy flow through all parts of the body. When we combine D.R.T. with proper assessment of blood tests, we can see the client from an overall or global perspective as well as from a close up or organ-specific perspective.
Lost Z’s Not Easily Recouped
Lost Z’s Not Easily Recouped
Many individuals believe they can adapt to chronic sleep loss or that recovery requires only a single extended night’s sleep. Yet, a recent study (see Uncovering Residual Effects of Chronic Sleep Loss on Human Performance published in the Science Translational Medicine January 2010), showed that sleep recovery is actually harder than we thought.
The study examined the effects of “sleep deficit” — the cumulative amount of lost sleep due to poor sleep habits, sickness, awakenings, etc., over three weeks of alternating staying awake for 33 hours and sleeping for 10 hours – – the equivalent of 5.6 hours per night.
According to the lead author of the study, Daniel A. Cohen, M.D.:
- The brain literally keeps track of how long we’ve been asleep and awake — for weeks.
- An extended nights’ sleep (10 hours in the study) can restore your performance from chronic sleep loss to normal during the first several hours of wakefulness, but you will peter out very quickly after that. .
- Those who pull an all-nighter after 2-3 weeks of chronic sleep loss will have reaction times comparable to those who are legally drunk within 18 hours of being awake.
- Circadian rhythms may make you think you are managing the effects of sleep loss better than you are because for most people, melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy is lowest between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
- Of particular concern to researches was that the circadian low or some call it the circadian “night”, when the sleep producing melatonin is the highest, (roughly between 3 a.m. and 7 a.m.) magnified the effects of sleep loss, markedly slowing down reaction time – an important consideration for those with overnight jobs.
- It could take up to two of weeks of a normal sleep schedule before someone overcomes a long-term sleep deficit.
The Sleep Foundation says that sleep needs vary depending on lifestyle factors such as health, work schedules and stress, but they offer the following “sleep needs spectrum” below.
How Much Sleep Do You Need? *
| AGE | SLEEP NEEDS |
| Newborns (0 – 2 months) | 12 to 18 hours |
| Infants (3 -11 months) | 14 to 15 hours |
| Toddlers (1 – 3 years) | 12 to 14 hours |
| Preschoolers (3 – 5 years) | 11 to 13 hours |
| School-age children (5 – 10 years) | 10 to 11 hours |
| Teens (10 – 17 years) | 8.5 to 9.25 hours |
| Adults (18 years and over) | 7 to 9 hours |
*Source: National Sleep Foundation
Sources:
Erin O’Donnel, Fortifying Winks: Lost Sleep is Hard to Find, Harvard Magazine, July/August 2010.
Daniel A. Cohen, Wei Wang, James K. Wyatt, Richard E. Kronauer, Derk-Jan Dijk, Charles A. Czeisler, and Elizabeth B. Klerman, Uncovering Residual Effects of Chronic Sleep Loss on Human Performance , Science Translational Medicine 2, 14ra3 (2010).
The National Sleep Foundation
Advanced Wellness Center Blog 