Getting Revitalized at Naturopathic Med

Season Change. I find myself writing this newsletter seeking the words to describe my year. "No pain, no gain" comes to mind. Or perhaps, "Trial by fire." I like this perspective: "Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way." James 1:2-4 At the core of physical health is spiritual health. If you nourish your soul, you will improve your physical well-being. We can pursue many ways to improve physical health, all important, but find ourselves empty at the end of the day, feeling discontented. It is easy these days to be overwhelmed with responsibilities, distractions and stressors that keep us from finding rest and regeneration. By nature, life is a process of lessons. Some learned and wiser for it, or some destined to repeat with frustrating recurrence. The power to learn and change is often not a matter of shear will, but a reliance on something beyond ourselves that gives hope. This is the only way not to be the sum total of our experiences and genetic accumulation. A "super meaning," as Victor Frankl called it, isn't necessarily something imagined, but a supply line for faith, hope, and love. We often apply these to people close to us. However, when we stay connected to the continuous care from our maker, it can transcend everything else. If we know nothing can separate us from this love, we can better care for ourselves and others. At the heart of naturopathic medicine is to recognize the truth of existence, in body, mind, and spirit. I like to think of the soul as the integration of all our attributes. One of my lessons this past year is that I can't exist without a connection to my creator and his creation, especially people. The stress of life and experiences can wear us down. There are seasons of difficulty that can refocus us on what is important. Then rest can come. Learning through trials, I've realized our "super-meaning" must be tuned-in to, sought after, and continually brought into consciousness. The cup has to be filled before we can drink. As I turn a corner and see a change in season, I am excited about the future. If you've read this far I thank you. I also need to say I'm sorry. My practice and our service to patients has suffered over the past year. Many of you were not properly responded to when contacting our office. I have made some important changes and we are working hard to improve the level of service we provide. I hope you read further about some upcoming events and announcements. Thank you for the gift of being a part of your health care.

Gluten Roundup

The gluten-free diet is sweeping the country or at least awareness of potential issues from eating wheat. A number of health problems have been clearly associated with the regular consumption of wheat and gluten containing foods. These include Celiac disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, behavior disorders such ADHD, and liver disease, just to name a few. Many individuals who simply suspect a food component to a health concern have attempted the gluten-free diet, many finding that it indeed relieves some or all of their symptoms.

Studies have shown that the protein matrix referred to as gluten, found in wheat and related grains, can induce changes to the bowel epithelial (lining) cells and change the physical makeup and absorption system of the small intestines. This can result in such things as: leaky gut, disaccharidase deficiency, malabsorption, lactose intolerance, and cross-reactivity food sensitivities. Celiac disease is one of the more serious results, in certain individuals, in which there is the induction of an autoimmune cascade leading to severe damage to the small intestine architecture. It's believed that in the more serious reactions to gluten there is a genetic predisposition. But this doesn't account for all cases, especially when we consider the high rates of non-celiac gluten sensitivity. In this case, environmental factors such as excess stress, infection, or medication side-effects can induce gluten intolerance.

The damaging effects of gluten can lead to a person being allergic or intolerant to other foods, making the situation even more complicated. Commonly dairy intolerance can result from the damaging effects of gluten. It's also been observed that gluten can induce intolerance to a long list of foods, including: chocolate, coffee, rice, oats, buckwheat, sorghum, potato, quinoa, millet, soy and tapioca. You'll note that many of these items are foods often used in place of wheat when on a gluten-free diet.

The question is often raised as to why all of a sudden is everyone intolerant to wheat and gluten? Like a lot of medical mysteries this one is still being sought after. Some of the top theories include the hybridization of wheat into a specific strain of high gluten hard winter wheat that dominates flour production and the food industry in the Western world. Perhaps we are weakening as a species.  The amount of grains consumed in the diet today is unprecedented in human history. Historically as grains became a human staple, they were processed in such a way to assist digestibility and nutritional content. Today those practices are largely ignored. They included fermentation, soaking and sprouting.

More recently the theory of toxicity has emerged. I recently read of research analyses that have correlated the use of herbicides such as Round Up (glyphosate) with the increase in gluten sensitivity. Glyphosate has been increasingly used to kill wheat crops near harvest to speed up the time it takes to get the wheat off the field and into your food. The glyphosate residue may shield the gluten from being properly digested then induce it's deleterious effects. If this is indeed the case, one can avoid this herbicide by eating only organic wheat. (note: glyphosate is widely use on corn, soy, and other crops and research is increasingly showing it causes harm)

Whether you are susceptible to Celiac disease or gluten intolerance, there are other benefits of reducing your intake of wheat, and all grains for that matter. Excess consumption of grains is associated with weight gain, cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Often cutting down on gluten forces one to increase the diversity in his or her diet. Hopefully that means more nutrient-rich vegetables, fruits, beans and legumes, and lean meats.

There are lab tests available to test your tolerance or lack thereof to gluten. In addition, specialty labs have developed ways to test for sensitivity to other foods. Through this process you will likely find a new level of wellness and diversity in your diet.

New web site in the works

Preview it here:

https://natpathmed.squarespace.com/

Is Calcium Bad?

If you've heard any of the news reports regarding the dangers of taking calcium supplements and were confused, read this:

I agree with the heart of the article below.  I believe that most of the studies they sight and the problems with calcium is related to the primary form that is used in most supplements: calcium carbonate. In addition, it is the absolute ridiculous amount that is being recommended and taken. 1,000mg and even more in the form of a "Tums" pill or other junk supplement is definitely a bad thing to ingest. The key in my opinion, as they mention in the article, is to first eat a healthy whole diet, then supplement in a balanced way. I never recommend more than 200-500 mg of supplemental calcium per day. And 99% of the time it's in the 200 mg range or less. It is always from sources such as Albion chelates or calcium lactate, or whole food bone sources. Lastly it's always taken with other minerals and essential nutrients like vitamin K, D, A, Mag, Silica, etc. Vitamin K2 for instance is essential in ensuring that calcium gets transported to where it should be and NOT deposited in joints, soft tissues or the blood vessels. Oh ya, and don't forget that phosphorus intake has to be in balance with calcium. Isn't it so much easier if we just EAT RIGHT!
Hope this helps.

David Graves, ND

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/08/15/is-your-calcium-supplement-a-heart-attack-or-stroke-waiting-to-happen.aspx

a year without groceries

I love this!

http://ayearwithoutgroceries.blogspot.com/

Would you like your receipt?

I came across an article from EWG.org that reminded me of the ever pervasive chemicals around us. Specifically, it's Bisphenol A or BPA, the stuff found to leach out of Nalgene water bottles and canned food containers. Bisphenol A or BPA can act like estrogen if absorbed into the body and can cause a host of issues from infertility to cancer. Now it's shown up in receipts of all places.

Evidently thermal receipt paper is often manufactured with BPA. It does transfer to your skin from handling a receipt and may be quickly absorbed so that it can't be washed off. Most at risk individuals are those who work in retail and handle receipts hundreds of times per day.

An EWG study of receipts from US retail companies found 40% of them had high BPA levels. Some of these companies included McDonald's, CVS, KFC, Whole Foods, Walmart, Safeway, and the US Postal Service. Even the US House of Representatives cafeteria had high levels. Efforts are already underway to further assess this issue and the impact on individuals, as well as pressures to encourage companies to use BPA free paper. Like many issues of toxicity and the environment, it may take years or decades for policy to catch up with good science and common sense. In the mean time, stay aware and maybe just skip getting your receipt.

See EWG article here:

http://www.ewg.org/bpa-in-store-receipts/release

Slow Down

I found this article interesting and a good reminder that it's not about doing more to be healthy. Maybe we need to do less and reconnect with ourselves.

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/body-sense/201007/slow-movement-awareness-better-exercise