What’s Your Currency?

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Just like we all have love languages that dictate what we look for that makes us feel loved, we also have a currency in life. What do I mean by that? I mean that you make decisions in your life based on what you will gain from it. You unconsciously make decisions to gain more of the currency you prefer. For many people, currency is money or power. I think this is probably the case because our culture sets it up that way! You do so many things in life to get you to a marketable position in hopes of employment to make you the most money or power. We then measure how successful you are by how much money you are able to obtain or how many people you are “over”! However, what if your currency isn’t money?

I have been thinking about this a lot lately after having some conversations with colleagues about why they make certain career decisions and their assumptions about why other people would make the decisions they make. For example, what if you had a job opportunity presented to you and the salary was actually less than you make now? Is your instinct to say “Why would I take a job for less money? No thanks.”? Or do you want to know more. Does that job allow me more freedom? Does that job fulfill my life’s purpose? Will that job force me to grow? If you are asking more questions, the things you want to know about are probably your currency! For me, my currency is experience and growth. No matter how scared I am, how off the wall it seems, how “beneath” my education level it is, I say “yes” to the things that will gain me experiences and growth as a person and doctor.

I remember one day in high school when I was doing a project researching careers. This exercise was meant to let students explore the possibilities and decide what they may want to pursue. I remember looking at one thing: salary. If the salary was low, I quickly moved to the next option until I saw a number that I thought was a lot of money (which is usually relative to what you grew up around btw). So, I started college without a clue what I was going to do, but I was confident, it would pay a lot. As I progressed, my currency changed. It wasn’t about a career that made the most money, because at that point, I had been to several countries and realized much of the world is happier with LESS money! My currency then became prestige. I chose my major (when they forced me) based on what the most difficult career attainment could be. I needed to prove I could do it. Watch me. Then started the pursuit of becoming a medical doctor…until the moment came when I needed to start medical school. I had the wherewithal to ask myself how this career was going to fulfill me, and I had some real doubts because my work would fundamentally work against my belief system of health. It was going to make lots of money and have lots of prestige, but when those things were no longer my currency, it sounded miserable.

Today, my currency is experience and growth, and I don’t see that changing anytime soon. What does this mean? This means that I have pursued tasks “beneath” my career status for the experience. This means that I have taken jobs for less money for the ability to grow from them. This means that when opportunities are presented to me, I evaluate whether I am going to do them based on the growth and experiences they will afford. This means making career decisions that many people don’t understand! If someone’s currency is true currency, then it sounds ludicrous to choose a career with a pay cut. Right?!

Think about this. What is your currency? Truly what you want out of life at the end of the day. If you can identify that currency and make decisions through life based on acquiring it, you will likely be much happier with what you do day-to-day! If your currency is improving the world, then you may not want to take the job that gives you more money to create tv remote parts! Nothing wrong with designing tv remote parts, and if your currency is money, and it pays more money, then it’s perfect! But if your currency is making a difference in the world, then asking if it fulfills your currency will give you a heavy thumbs down pretty quickly. I am throwing this out there because often times people will say things like “You are so lucky to have such an amazing fulfilling career.” I want other people to be as happy doing their work as myself, but the answer isn’t to all become doctors. Some people would hate that because it doesn’t fit their currency! I encourage all of my patients to think about their currency through certain exercises I assign them. In these exercises, it often clears up what they want in life, how to know what opportunities to pursue, and when to say “no thanks.” Then the things that start filling their life, fulfill them because they are acquiring their currency.

If reading this does nothing else other than make you think about what persuades the decisions that ultimately determine what you do for 70% of your life (aka time spent in your career), then it was worth asking the question: What is your currency?

Gallbladder Issues or Removal: Natural Solutions

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You wouldn’t believe how many people I know who have had gallbladder issues in their lifetime.  Sometimes, gallbladder removal is suggested, sometimes it’s just a diagnosis of a sluggish gallbladder, and sometimes gallstones is what the doctor ordered.  No matter how you slice it, people typically find out there’s an issue with their gallbladder because it’s so painful they go to the emergency room. Since it is located just under your ribcage on the right side, that’s usually where most people feel it; however, many people experience pain in their right shoulder blade area!  At the point when you want to head to the ER, it’s usually too late.  So, let’s have a quick conversation about what the gallbladder is, how it can malfunction, and natural remedies for gallstones.

The very first thing I will mention is how important it is to have an appropriately-functioning stomach that is producing enough acid.  Hydrochloric acid found in the stomach is essential to proper digestion and elimination of bacteria before it reaches the intestines.  Without this important step, everything downstream suffers.  How might you know that you are suffering from low stomach acid?  Often times people will feel really full after meals and say they have a “heavy stomach.”  Many people will also experience brittle nails and even sometimes hair loss!  Ironically, one of the symptoms of low stomach acid is acid reflux.  Having adequate stomach acid signal to the esophageal sphincter to close, and without that signal…HELLO reflux.

Let’s jump downstream a little.  There is a hormone that senses fats and stimulates your gallbladder to release bile into the bile duct.  When that bile is emptied into your intestines, it’s job is to emulsify fats.  Interestingly enough, it has been shown that gluten sensitivity can seriously depress the production of that hormone that stimulates your gallbladder, called cholescytokinin.  (Notice the first part of the word looks like Cholesterol? We will get to that.)  When something like low stomach acid or gluten sensitivity are present, it can lead to sluggish bile, or technically speaking “biliary stagnation.” This eventually ends in glallstones (biliary stagnation). You guys know how big I am on gut health, and one other cause that can impair gallbaldder hormone signaling is damage of the little finger-like projections in your intestines called “villi.”  Guess what causes villi damage?  Chemotherapy, alcohol, medications, infections; it’s bad news, guys.

Without adequate fat breakdown, you will also see impaired assimilation of the fat soluble vitamins that accompany fats.  Vitamins A, D, E, and K.  Vitamin A is essential for your immune system, for you gut lining, you skin health, and so much more.  Vitamin D acts as a hormone in the body and low in almost everyone with cancer and autoimmunity.  Vitamin K deficiencies can be a part of arterial calcifications and bone density loss.  This is real stuff!

If you eat a low fat diet, this can cause the issue of “use it or lose it.”  It’s important to demand the process of fat digestion to keep the bile flowing.  Having said that, if you are in a full blown gallbladder attack or suffering from stones, this may be the appropriate time to usher in the low-fat diet for a while.  If you are caught in the midst of a gallbladder attack, try your best to avoid having your gallbladder removed.  Having it removed can cause long-term issues with fat breakdown, fat soluble vitamin assimilation, hormone production, and even fatigue.

Here are a list of supplements to consider if you are having gallbladder issues or have had it removed:

  • Ox bile- let a supplement help you breakdown those fats when eat meals with fat
  • Vitamin D- letting this fat soluble vitamin get low can cause depression, autoimmunity, and cancer
  • Hydrochloric acid (HCl and pepsin)- this will help you optimize stomach acid, which will allow things to function better downstream *This should be done under doctor supervision because there are times when you would not want to take HCl or would need to combine it with other things to take it safely)
  • Phosphoric acid- this can help breakdown calcium gallstones naturally (if still have gallbladder)
  • Malic acid-this can help soften cholesterol gallstones naturally and thin the bile (if still have gallbladder)

This is a huge issue in the United States, and I wouldn’t even be surprised with we started to see campaigns around “save the gallbladders.”  You know, a play on “save the tatas.”  It doesn’t feel really serious to have it removed at the moment, but it could have real long-term health consequences.  I hope this was helpful!

Hair Loss: What Ladies Need to Consider

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Did you know that 30% of women report substantial hair loss by the time they are 30?  By the time they are 50, the stat jumps to half.  Half of women have a complaint that is somewhat of a vanity concern, but it could very well be a real health condition , as well.  I want to visit a few reasons why women may be dealing with hair loss, what you may do to address the root cause, and what you may want to do in the meantime to keep those strands on your head.  Before we start, I just want to say, you would still be beautiful if you were bald.  Ok.  I’m ready.

Causes of hairloss in women:

  • high androgens (male dominant hormones)-do you also have acne? deflated breast tissue? increased body odor?
  • low iron-are you also fatigued?
  • thyroid conditions-do you have TSH levels above 2.5?  Have you every had antibodies tested? Are you also constipated? Dry? Weight gain?
  • insulin resistance- Do you have belly fat? PCOS? diabetes?
  • stress-induced-Do you find yourself with lots of anxiety?  Putting too much on your plate? Emotional frequently?
  • autoimmunity- Have you ever had your ANA levels tested?

Tests you can run to decide if any of these things are your issue:

  • ferritin levels- this assesses your iron stores
  • TSH, T3, T4, reverse T3, both antibodies- these will look at thyroid function and rule out autoimmunity
  • cortisol panels- this can peek into your ability to handle your stress
  • glucose levels or A1C- these are pictures of how your blood sugar is doing
  • hormone panels- this can tell you if you are dominant in testosterone

Depending on what the root cause is, there will be some things that are important you could start regardless of knowing a definitive diagnosis:

  • increase fiber- this important for the removal of excess hormones like testosterone so they can be removed by the body and not reabsorbed
  • decrease sugar intake- this does nothing good for your blood sugar
  • start some type of exercise- weight loss can be important because it’s often associated with PCOS, diabetes, and hormone imbalance
  • eliminate dairy- dairy and even eggs can drive inflammation, which can pump up androgens like testosterone
  • consider supplement support or eating liver to cover your bases of minerals and iron

Let’s say you are in the process of identifying and treating the root cause, but don’t want to be bald and beautiful while you’re patiently waiting, here is a list of some things you can consider:

  • topical therapies that stimulate oxygen and blood flow to the scalp
  • get a massage and have them do some work on your head
  • use products that don’t have chemicals
  • drink red clover tea, spearmint tea, and decrease caffeine- these could have positive influence on hormone imbalance if androgens are the cause

Just like anything, the best solution is based on a good diagnosis.  If you have positive results with some topical stuff, keep searching for the root cause, because the hair loss is likely just one symptom of a bigger problem. To some extent, it’s somewhat normal to have some fluctuations in things like hair and skin as you age.  Don’t neglect your lifestyle, because that is often the last thing people look to but has the largest impact.  Hope this helps!

Flu Prevention 101

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2018 Flu Pandemic.  In full swing.  What should we do?

Well, flu statistics tell us that February is the month with the highest rate on infections.  So, the worst is yet to come.  Pharmacies are having difficulties keeping Tamiflu in stock, and they are saying this could be the worst flu season since the bird flu scare.  As a functional medicine practitioner, I have never been a fan of the flu shot for a couple reasons:

  1. The flu shot is a vaccine that we produce BEFORE flu season.  This means that we GUESS which pathogen will be the issue, and we are notoriously wrong.  That means that massive amounts of people are convinced to get a shot that includes adjuvants.  What are those?  Things that wake up the immune system.  Often times they use things like components of an egg.  It always makes me wonder if they has anything to do with why so many people have egg allergies now.  It’s just not normal to have egg anything in the bloodstream and it actually makes sense that the immune system would recognize this as abnormal and produce antibodies against it.  Hello food sensitivities.   Anyway, that’s exactly what happened this year.  We dispersed vaccines against a strain that was not the correct one.  So, even if you had a flu shot, you are just as susceptible as everyone else.  Sorry, Charlie.
  2. The flu vaccine was created specifically for immunocompromised populations.  The elderly, HIV patients, you know, people that will DIE if they catch the flu.  However, a healthy individual may be down for a few days, but then they will be fine.  We shouldn’t need to intervene with toxic therapies.

We can’t take back the fact that the vaccine was against the wrong strain.  So, is there anything we can do now?  Yup.  Here are my tips for preventing and treating the flu naturally and effectively:

  1. Wash Your Hands.  When you go around touching surfaces and then touching your face, you expose your mucus membranes to all the organisms that may have been resting on those ledges, hand rails, door handles, dollar bills, pens, you name it. So, washing your hands before you eat is huge deal right now.  Just do it.
  2. Eat plenty of plants and organ meats.  Plants are full of phytochemicals that keep your immune system robust.  Spices also contain compounds that can stimulate the immune system, so use them generously.  Organ meats (from appropriately-raised animals) are full of fat soluble vitamins like A and D.  These are heavy-hitters for the immune system.  They also have minerals like Zinc.  Zinc is a well-known immune-supporting mineral, which is why zinc lozenges adorn the shelves of every pharmacy.
  3. Get 8 hours of sleep.  When you sleep, cortisol levels go down.  When you wake up, cortisol levels go up.  Cortisol levels are inversely related to immune system function.  That means that you immune system is allowed to its best work at night when cortisol is down.  If you deprive yourself of sleep, then you don’t do much to support your immune system’s ability to fight infection.  Why do you think people just want to stay in bed when they are sick?  Sleep matters.
  4. Take supplements.  I’m not a huge supplement person, but there are a couple supplements to consider in these types of situations.  The first one is colostrum.  Colostrum contains antibodies.  The antibodies have the ability to bind up viral antigens like those present in influenza to eliminate them before they would get into your bloodstream.  The other supplement is one that has a mixture of herbs and nutrients that specifically support immune function.  You should be looking for beta-carotene, zinc, Vitamin C alongside herbs like Echinacea and Andrographis.  If you feel the slightest tickle in your throat or “off-ness” start taking an immune stimulating formula right away.

A word of advice:

The flu is caused by a virus, which means antibiotics have absolutely zero impact on it’s treatment.  If you have confirmed flu, consider denying the antibiotics and letting it run its course if you are healthy.  Most people will be just fine.  Keep hydrated, get rest, get some nutrients, and consider taking some supplements to boost immune function, but DO NOT take antibiotics and expect them to treat your flu.  What they will do is wipe out the healthy bacteria in your gut that is fighting for you  It will take 3 months to rebuild that bacteria, so think about it!

Cheers to a happy and healthy winter season!

Zucchini Ice Cream

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I got home from work one day and thought myself how much I love zucchini bread, why not make zucchini ice cream? I like pumpkin ice cream, so I should like zucchini ice cream. Brain child was born.

Zucchini ice cream:
1 zucchini pealed and pureed in a food processor
1/4 cup pure maple syrup
2 cans full fat coconut milk
3 egg yolks
1 tsp vanilla
1 Tbsp cinnamon
Pinch of cardamon

Directions:
Blend or puree all the ingredients together in a bowl and use in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
It tasted really good although I used a really large zucchini, so the texture may have been slushier than normal ice cream; so, I have doubled the coconut milk in the recipe. Since I used the entire zucchini, it’s hard to tell how much it measured out to be. I would use 1 cup and move down to 1/2 cup if you don’t think it’s creamy enough. Either way, the taste is great!

Breakfast Quesadillas (Grain-free, Gluten-free)

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I don’t know if you guys have been out to Whole Foods to pick up Siete wraps yet, but they completely opened the door for me to make quesadillas again!  This version is breakfast, but you could really go any route, so try “pizza” with Italian seasoning, mozzarella, pepperoni, because that would be great, too!
Breakfast Quesadillas 
Ingredients:
Siete tortillas (any variety found at Whole Foods.  I preferred the almond flour)
  • raw, shredded cheese
  • scrambled eggs
  • cooked bell peppers and onion
  • cooked bacon
Directions:
Heat a skillet to med-high.  Cook all your ingredients (eggs, bacon, veggies).  Place one tortilla on the skillet and place the cooked ingredients along with cheese on the tortilla.  Make sure that cheese is in contact with the tortilla and some is on top to attach to the other tortilla.  Add the second tortilla on top and cook for 5 min or so until the tortilla begins to brown.  Flip the quesadilla over and brown on the other side, too.  These tortillas are small enough you shouldn’t have to do a magic trick to flip it.  Use an electric skillet to do multiple at a time!

Peanut Butter Cup Christmas Cookies

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You want to know the tragedy about peanut butter cup Christmas cookies?  The peanut butter cup is often gone in one bite!  I like cookies that have the goodness in every bite, personally.  This cookie recipe has peanut butter and peanut butter cups, so it is not paleo.  However, you could sub sunbutter for the peanut butter and replace the top with your favorite flavored chocolate bar….or….you could make paleo almond butter cups and chop those up if you are feeling really ambitious!  I tried a few different versions of this recipe, and I’m here to tell you that butter is where it’s at!  So, don’t mess with the butter!
Gluten-free Peanut Butter Cup Christmas Cookies
Ingredients:
  • 2 cups almond flour
  • 1/4 cup grassfed butter, room temp
  • 1/4 cup peanut butter
  • 3 Tbsp pure maple syrup
  • 1 Tbsp vanilla
  • 1 tsp salt
  • coconut sugar
  • 2 packages Justin’s dark chocolate peanut butter cups, frozen, chopped
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix together almond flour, butter, peanut butter, maple syrup, vanilla, salt until well-combined.  Create tablespoon balls and roll in a shallow dish of coconut sugar and place on baking sheet.  Bake for 12 minutes or until the coconut sugar starts to brown.  Immediately after removing from oven, press peanut butter cup pieces into the top.  Let cool.  Enjoy!

Chocolate (Bone Broth) Protein Cookies (paleo, GF, DF)

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I am not a huge fan of people using powdered food in substitute for meals.  It’s just not the same as real food.  I am a fan of homemade bone broth and using it regularly, especially for those with certain health concerns.  When bone broth protein hit the market, I didn’t spend much time addressing it because it’s powdered food.  However, as my life became a little more hectic, and I was struggling to cook as often as I used to, I decided I would try it.  I NEVER recommend anything for anyone without trying it first, which has it’s pros and cons I must say.  I tried the bone broth protein in all flavors (some are sweet and some taste like bone broth), I tried them in standard liquid, smoothies, etc.  Then I decided I was going to try and bake with it.  Bone Broth Chocolate Protein cookies at your service.
Chocolate Protein Cookies
Ingredients:
1 scoop chocolate bone broth protein
2 cups almond flour
1/4 cup grassfed butter
1 tsp vanilla
4 tbsp pure maple syrup
pinch of salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350F.  Mix all the ingredients together until dough forms and roll into small balls, flattening with your hand.  Bake for 10-15 minutes.

 

Herbal Series: Echinacea for Cold and Flu

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This photo of a purple coneflower was taken over a year ago before I even realized it was Echinacea!  Often times, we have medicinal plants growing all around us, and we are completely unaware.  Therefore, I wanted to highlight some of the herbs you may see around or that may pop up in your supplements.  I’ll let you know what they are, what they’re good for, and anything you should consider when taking them!

What is Echinacea?

Echinacea is a wildflower native exclusively to North America, and Indians used it therapeutically more than any other herb. In 1895, an Ohio drug firm manufactured the first preparations of Echinacea in the US, and by 1994, German physicians had prescribed Echinacea over 2.5 million times.  To this day, it remains popular in Europe, and is used most to shorten the duration of the common cold and flu.

What is it good for?

Echinacea is one of the most studied herbs in herbal medicine and it has shown many effects on the immune system.  It increases antibody responses to viruses and it signals to WBCs to fight infection.  This is a great tool to take when you feel as though you may be coming down with something, but it’s not that great for prevention.  So, look for Echinacea to use short-term during cold season.

Precautions

Autoimmunity: Echinacea boosts the immune system and unfortunately, in today’s world, there are many people that suffer from autoimmune conditions.  These people have an over-activated immune system and should be careful using herbal remedies that boost immune activity, such as Echinacea.  These patients would do better using beta-glucans instead.

Medications: Echinacea can have an effect on liver enzymes and increase blood levels of certain medications including statins, allergy medications, and birth control.  Like I have mentioned before, herbs can work just as well as medications and therefore can react with medications or affect their ability to work properly.  The more you can rely on herbs PRIOR to using medications, the less interactions you have to worry about.

*This is not intended to diagnose or treat any conditions.  Please consult with a knowledgeable physician to decide it is right for you.

 

Cancer, Chemo…Now What?

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I want to start this post by saying there are thousands of people who have been touched by cancer, and I can’t imagine the decisions that have to be made under such circumstances.  Regardless of your stance on standard cancer treatments, there is a huge population of people, our people, that have been through it and deserve to know there are things they can afterwards that will help restore some of the health lost in collateral damage while going through treatment to save their life.  This post is for those people who have been there, done it, can’t change the past, but want to set up the best future possible for their health moving forward.  This is not a recommendation for cancer therapy, treatment, or anything of that nature.  This is the plan moving forward.

Are you with me? 

What is chemo and what does it affect?

Chemotherapy is just the name of drug therapy aimed at killing cancer cells under the premise that they multiply quickly and we don’t want them to spread.  However, it is not selective to cancer cells.  It has a major impact on ALL cells that grow quickly like certain blood cells and especially the cells of the intestines. Chemotherapy drugs and their byproducts are also toxic to these little organelles in our cells called mitochondria.  Mitochondria are responsible for producing cellular energy called ATP.  Now, that’s great, but what does this have to do with me!?  If you have been through chemo, you know these things are happening because the bowel issues that arise, and the fatigue that takes over.  And that’s ok.  You were fighting for your life!  But now we need to nurse those two things back to health if we don’t want recurrence, formation of neuropathy, autoimmune diseases, etc.  There is a chance you will never have 100% function in these areas again, but we can try our best!

How can I start healing my gut?

It’s not really a secret to health professionals that chemo changes the gut, but what I was surprised to find out while researching journals for specific measures of damage is that just one single day of chemotherapy increases the permeability of the intestines by 7 fold.  ONE DAY!  We are concerned about that permeability because damaging the cells in the intestines allows things that should stay in the intestines to get into the blood.  When they end up in the blood, your immune system freaks out and produces antibodies against them…rightfully so.  However, this is how we end up with certain systemic infections, allergies, and autoimmunity that has the potential to damage any organ’s tissue.  If the organ with the most depleted nutrients in reserve is your thyroid, then we may see Hashimoto’s.  If the organ is joint tissue, then maybe Rheumatoid arthritis.  This is an incredibly important issue to address.  Some very basic guidelines as to HOW to address this permeability are:

  • eat gluten-free
  • eat dairy-free
  • eat bone broth daily
  • eat fermented foods or take probiotics
  • consider supplements with growth factors like that signal cell repair like colostrum
  • don’t exercise too intensely
  • reduce stress
  • avoid alcohol and caffeine
  • get in the sun or supplement with vitamin D3
  • sleep 8 hours a night
  • consider periods of intermittent fasting to allow the GI tract to rest from digestion
  • juice fresh vegetables daily

How can I restore my energy?

We have almost all heard that we have 10 times the amount of bacteria in our body than we do cells.  A statistic you may not have heard is that we exponentially more mitochondria than bacteria!  Without these little guys in our cells, they don’t function.  It’s amazing to me that you can pluck the nucleus out of a cell, which contains the DNA, and the cell can still function because of the presence of mitochondria!  However, if you pluck out the mitochondria, it ends in certain, quick cell death.  So, these things are super important and are often the missing link behind conditions such as chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, fibromyalgia, etc.  Today though, we are talking about how chemo negatively impacts your mitochondria.  Side note that certain antibiotics also have a negative impact on mitochondria…. Ok, back to what to do about it:

  • do burst exercise (it not only improves their function, but causes them to multiply)
  • intermittent fast
  • eat balanced macros (protein, fat, carbs) but try to slowly transition to lower carb for a while
  • eat some grassfed red meat
  • eat lots of organic, colorful vegetables and their juices
  • reconsider the use of statins or supplement with COQ10
  • use saunas
  • consider laser therapy

These are two areas that need your support in order to restore function to the best of your body’s ability.  It is ALWAYS essential to have a plant-based, whole food diet, good sleep, adequate exercise, and successful stress management.  However, those things are hard to implement sometimes without tools and a little direction.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help.  Remember that may mean looking to a different provider.  When we have fires, we call firemen.  When we need the building restored after the fire, we call contractors and carpenters.  Alternative care providers are not experts at putting out the fire necessarily, but they are the expert at RESTORING AND MAINTAINING HEALTH.  There are always additional things that can increase healing beyond basic lifestyle, and don’t be afraid to explore those things either.  Things such as massage, chiropractic, supplementation, infrared saunas, detoxification baths, etc.  They all have a place, and it’s your job to explore and find what feels right and works for you.  I hope this was helpful, although somewhat basic, it gets the basics across. ;)

*This is not intended to diagnose, treat, or direct care for any patient.  Consult your physician for information that would be right for your case.