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Eat More Weigh Less

March 22, 2011 By 1 Comment
healthy-eating-tips

Did you ever think that you would be told that you CAN EAT MORE and WEIGH LESS?  Well today is your day!  If you eat more whole foods, fruits and vegetables, you CAN eat more and lose weight!  This past week we had my great friend and Holistic Health Counselor, Eve Cannon, present on a fascinating topic called "Eat More, Weigh Less."  One of the distinctions that she pointed out was about the Caloric Comparison.  The Caloric Comparison was mind blowing and I once again felt the need to share it with others.  Enjoy! :)

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Blood Chemistry Analysis

March 11, 2011 By 4 Comments
blood-test-results

Functional vs Pathological Blood Chemistry Analysis

 

One of the most effective, efficient, and affordable tests for a general health screening is a Comprehensive Blood Chemistry.  A Comprehensive Blood Panel allows a health-care provider to quickly assess the health status of their patient.  This is the best tool to evaluate a new patient, especially if they have not had a comprehensive evaluation in recent years.  So, What sets our analysis apart from other practices using blood chemistry?  FUNCTIONAL BLOOD CHEMISTRY ANALYSIS!

What is the Difference?

When a Doctor reviews a routine blood test, they use what is called the Laboratory or Pathological Lab Range, which are lab values that diagnose disease.  Those lab values are generated by a collection of lab values from "sick" patients.  So, how most Doctors would look at this is if you are outside this range you are considered "sick" and if you are in this range then you are considered "healthy."   Now this does not sit well with me, why is it so black and white?  Do we really go from healthy to sick over night?  Also, do your really want to have your health status be compared to a bunch of sick people?  Wouldn't you rather be compared to healthy individuals?  That is where the Functional Lab Ranges came about. 

The Functional Lab Range is the range in which they collected lab values from healthy people and then we say if you are in this certain range you are considered to be FUNCTIONING ideally, but if you are outside that range, your function is not ideal and you are headed towards a disease state.  How does this benefit you?  This allows the doctor to catch things before they actually show on the pathological lab range, therefore preventing disease. 

This range is the most effective range to use when reviewing a blood panel.  The problem is most laboratories and doctors do not use the Functional Range, they use the Laboratory Range, which defeats the purpose of being "preventative."

So if you have not had a routine blood test in recent years, I highly recommend contacting a doctor that is familiar with the functional lab values to analyze your results.  Our office is one of a few offices in this area that can provide that type of service.

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5 Ways to Health

March 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment
good_health

Did you ever feel like you don't know where to start when trying to make healthier choices?  Well, I have an answer for you!  I have put together a short video about the 5 Things you can do Right NOW to Be the Healthiest you have Ever Been!  Click Here for the PowerPoint Presentation referenced in the video.  Enjoy!

Filed Under: Blog, Half-Hour to Health

Autoimmune Disorders

February 28, 2011 By 20 Comments

What's up with this Immune System?

 

We all know that our Immune System keeps us healthy, but how many people really understand how it works?  The Immune System is so fascinating when you break it down and understand how it works.  I want to take this time to review the Immune System, how it relates to the Brain, and what is happening in an Autoimmune Disorder.

The Immune System

The portion of the Immune System that helps fight disease is the White Blood Cells (WBCs).  White Blood Cells are broken down into 5 major cells, Neutrophils, Lymphocytes, Monocytes, Basophils, and Eosinophil.  Neutrophils help fight Bacterial Infections, Lymphocytes help fight Viral Infections, Monocytes are immature macrophages, Basophils are non-specific, and Eosinophils help fight off Allergies and Parasites.

For the purpose of this reading we are going to dive into the Lymphocytes because that is where all the "magic" happens.  Lymphocytes break down and mature into 3 major cells, T-Cells, B-Cells, and Natural Killer Cells (NK cells). NK cells are the Immune System's "killer cells" and helps modulate autoimmunity.  The B-Cells produce Antibodies that target or "tag" cells that need to be attacked by the NK cells.  The T-Cells themselves breakdown into 4 major cells, T-helper Cells, T-Suppressor cells, Regulatory T-Cells, and Cytotoxic T-Cells.

T-Helper Cells signal immune cells to bring NK cells and Cytotoxic T-Cells to actively destroy the Antigen or the "foreign invader."  The T-Suppressor cells signal T-Helper cells to stop attacking, to reduce inflammation.  T-Helper and T-Suppressor Cells are modulated by the Regulatory T-cells, which is very important for autoimmune mechanisms.

The Immune Response

Step 1: Macrophages immediately attach to the foreign antigen to begin the fight, this becomes the Antigen Presenting Cell (APC).

Step 2: APC stimulates the production of T-Helper Cells.

Step 3: T-Helper cells produce cytokines to activate Cytotoxic T-cells and NK Cells.

Step 4: Cytotoxic T-Cells, NK cells, and Macrophages begin to destroy the foreign antigen.

Step 5: T-Suppressor cells eventually signal T-Helper cells to stop the attack.

If the immune system has a difficult time destroying or finding the Antigen, as in Viral Diseases then:

Step 6: B-Cells are initiated to make Antibodies.  After a few days B-Cells will start "marking" the antigen so that it can be recognized by the Cytotoxic T-Cells and NK cells.  Viral cells are so small that it is difficult for the T-Helper Cell to find it, so the second response from the B-cells are needed to recognize the virus.  This is why it is sometimes a few days before a Virus is recognized.

-The Initial response with the T-Cells is known as cell-Mediated Response or TH-1 Response

-The response when B-Cells are being released and Antibodies are being formed is called Humoral Response or TH-2 Response.

TH1/TH2 Balance

Now that there is a better understanding of the Immune System, how it works, and that there are two driving forces behind it, TH-1 and TH-2 responses, we can now explain how the brain ties into this and what happens when there is an an Autoimmune Disease.

In order for our Immune System to properly function there needs to be a proper balance in TH1 and TH2 response to disease.  We do not want the TH1 response to be over-active because then the T-cells will be out of control, destroying everything.  We also do not want TH2 to be over-active because then we will be having B-cells out of control, "tagging" to many things to be destroyed.

So how can there be an imbalance in these systems?  The first and most common way that this can occur is with imbalances in our Nervous System.  Research has shown that the Left Side of your brain TENDS to stimulate the TH1 response and the Right Side of the Brain TENDS to stimulate TH2 response.  In simpler terms, the left side of your brain TENDS to stimulate the immune system, whereas the Right Side of the Brain TENDS to regulate or suppress the immune system.  When these two systems are working in perfect unison, we have a strong immune system, but when there is an imbalance in this system, the immune system is no longer fighting off disease properly.

TH1/TH2 Balance and Autoimmune Disorders

Understanding that there must be a balance in the TH1/TH2 immune responses, will give you a better understanding on what happens with Autoimmune Disorders.  Autoimmune Disorders means that the Body is beginning to attach its own tissues and the disorder is characterized by what tissue is being attacked.  Some of the more common Autoimmune Disorders are:

  1. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)- Auto-Immunity to Cartilege/Joints
  2. Multiple Sclerosis (MS)- Auto-Immunity to the Myelin of the Nervous Sytem
  3. Fibromyalgia- Auto-Immunity to our Muscles
  4. Diabetes- Auto-Immunity to the Pancreas
  5. Hoshimoto's Thydoiditis- Auto-Immunity to the Thyroid Gland

When there is an imbalance in the TH1/TH2 immune responses, any of these disorders can occur.  The thing that need to be understood is that Autoimmune Disorders are IMMUNE SYSTEM disorders, they are not a problem with that specific tissue.  Most of these disorders are treated using medications that help to relieve the SYMPTOMS of the disorder, NOT THE CAUSE of the disorder.  Many Doctors don't even look into the immune system as the cause to these disorders.  To get a better picture of the immune system, TH1/TH2 balance, and overall Nervous System function, a Comprehensive Metabolic/Immune Blood Test needs to be evaluated, in addition to a Comprehensive Neurological Evaluation.

Functional Neurologists are very well rounded in Autoimmune disorders and imbalances in the Nervous System.  Make sure you find your local Functional Neurologist that can coordinate the proper treatment plan for you.

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Neuroplasticity

February 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Did you ever wonder why we have the ability to learn new things?  The first time you tried to ride a bicycle, did you know exactly how to balance yourself on the bike so that you do not fall off?  Did you understand the mechanics to ride the bike forward, backward, left, or right?  So how did you learn to ride a bike?  This brings me to my topic, Neuroplasticity.

What is Neuroplasticity?

Simply put, Neuroplasticity means that The Human Brain has the ability to permanently change, or is "malleable" based on one's experiences or environment.  Your Brain consists of Nerve Cells (Neurons) and Glial Cells which are interconnected.  The "strength" of these interconnections is what constitutes our learning or behaviors.

For instance, lets go back to the riding a bike.  The first time you got on the bike, you did not know the mechanics of riding a bicycle.  Balancing was difficult, the physical motion of pushing one foot, than the other foot, in a sequence was foreign to you.  So how did you learn how to ride the bike?  PRACTICE and REPETITION!  The more you practiced the easier it got.  You built strong enough connections in your brain to learn how to ride a bike.  This change was a PERMANENT change to your neurology because now when you ride a bike its second nature.

Understanding Neuroplasticity will help you realize that you have the ability to DO or LEARN ANYTHING!  It will even explain how functional neurology works.  In our office, our goal is to find out where in your Nervous System, you are "unbalanced."  Once we find that area we can put an effective plan together, that has a specific TIME, FREQUENCY, and INTENSITY that will strengthen those connections to cause a PERMANENT Functional change.

For instance, during our initial examination we notice that you have difficulty balancing, especially when standing on one leg.  What do you have to do to learn how to balance?  Practice and repetition right?  So what we do is teach you balance exercises, specifically on the weaker side, to make the necessary "connections" to balance on that leg.  If we do this for a long enough period of time, with enough frequency and intensity, you will learn how to balance on that leg.

Balance, Learning, and even changing neurological function is really that easy.  Using the principle of Neuroplasticity allows us to change the lives of many people that once had NO HOPE for improvement.

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Kick your Sugar Craving

February 16, 2011 By Leave a Comment
Sugar pic

On Tuesday nights at The Chiropractic Source, we have what we call "Half-Hour to Health" classes.  These are complimentary  classes that I put on for patients, friends, and families of the community to educate them about various aspects of health.  I am a big believer that if people begin to understand more about their bodies and true health care, most of them will start to make better decisions about their health, and then that is a step closer to having a healthier and happier nation.

This week we had an amazing talk about "Kicking your Sugar Cravings."  This was actually presented by a special guest of mine, Eve Cannon.  Eve is a Holistic Health Counselor whose outlook on Nutrition really parallels the Chiropractic philosophy on natural holistic health care.  Eve taught some techniques to use to "kick" your sugar cravings, she spoke about people's "relationships" with food, and she spoke about primary vs secondary foods.  This talk was very beneficial and most of the patients had great reviews about Eve.

One aspect of her talk that really impressed me and I believe many others can relate to, is her idea of Yin and Yang foods.  We all have heard of "Yin and Yang" balance, but I have never heard someone reference that to the foods that we eat.  After the talk I asked Eve if she wouldn't mind sharing that idea for our website.  She gladly accepted the offer and we put together a short video about Yin and Yang foods.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

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Understanding Childhood Developmental Disorders

February 10, 2011 By 68 Comments
Sticking out tongue


Functional Disconnection Syndrome:

Understanding Childhood Developmental Disorders

Did you know that in the year 2010, 16 million or 22% of children living in America were diagnosed with severe attention, behavioral, and learning disorders.  Some of the more common of these developmental disorders are AD/HD, Dyslexia, Autism and other learning disabilities.  Just 10 years ago, Autism was considered a rare disorder, diagnosed in 1 in 10,000 children.  At the present time, 1 out of 150 children are diagnosed with Autism, some sources even saying 1 in every 100 children.  In fact, New Jersey has one of the highest rates for Autism rising as high as 1 in every 75 children born.  With such an alarming increase in these rates, one should be asking the question WHY?  What is causing such a dramatic increase?  Why haven't techniques used to treat these children changed in over 50 years even yet the rate is still increasing at an alarming rate?  The answer to that lies in the knowledge of the true cause to these disorders. Recent breakthroughs in neuroscience have found that there is a connection between each of these disorders.  This connection is actually a "Disconnection."  A Disconnection that is being called a "Functional Disconnection Syndrome (FDS)."

Most of the information I am about to share comes from the Amazon Best Seller, "Disconnected Kids: The Groundbreaking Brain Balance Program for Children with Autism, ADHD, Dyslexia, and other Neurological Disorders."

Over the past year, I have had the honor of taking part in  the most premier post-graduate program, focused on Childhood Developmental Disorders.  The instructor of this program was none other than the author of this best seller, Dr Robert Melillo.  Dr. Melillo is the leading expert in Childhood Development Disorders.

What is a Functional Disconnection Syndrome?

In order to understand what a "Functional Disconnection Syndrome" is we need to understand what a "Syndrome" is.  A Syndrome is a group of signs and symptoms that occur together and characterize a particular abnormality or condition.  With that being understood than we can say Functional Disconnection Syndrome is just a set of symptoms that occur when there is a Functional Disconnection in the Brain/Nervous System.  Makes sense right?

When a child is diagnosed or "labeled" with ADHD, Dyslexia, Autism, or any other developmental disorder, the mother is asked a serious of questions to determine if their child is showing "signs" or "symptoms"of a developmental disorder.  The problem here is that the questionnaire is very subjective and it is primary tool used to diagnosed these children.  There is no medical blood test or diagnostic test to diagnose these disorders, it is simply a questionnaire.  So when the mother answers these questions, there is a tally being made, if the child shows enough "signs" of a certain disorder, then the child is labeled as that disorder.  Does this sound like the best way to diagnose a child?  Based on subjective questions that are very broad in context?  There is no explanation of why these children act the way that they do, until now!  Thanks to extensive research in neuroscience, we have found the explanation and that is a "Functional Disconnection" in Brain Function.

The Human Brain

Your Brain controls every aspect of your body.  It controls your thoughts, your personality, your postural muscles, your heart rate, blood pressure, digestion…EVERYTHING.  As you can see in the picture there is a right and left side of the brain, which both function uniquely.  Although, when functioning properly, they is a perfect synchronicity to that function, kinda like an orchestra.  Each musician in the orchestra must play at the right tempo, rate, and rhythm in order to make their beautiful sound.  This is exactly how your brain works as well.  There is as ideal rate, rhythm, and frequency of firing needed to function properly.  Unfortunately, during childhood development, the right or left side of the brain can begin to decrease in function, or slow down, and that synchronicity is no longer there.  Now, there is one side of the brain that is functioning more efficiently than the other.  This is an explanation of why some of us are REALLY GOOD at some things and not so great at others.  This imbalance in function is what we call a "Functional Disconnection." Functional Disconnection Syndrome is THE explanation behind children with developmental disorders.  There is an imbalance in their brain function!

Children with ADHD and Autistic Spectrum Disorders tend to have decreased function in their RIGHT BRAIN, where as Dyslexia, Auditory Processing and Speech Disorders tend to have decreased function in their LEFT BRAIN.  Now this is not definitive but it is the pattern that is seen in these disorders.  A COMPREHENSIVE FUNCTIONAL EXAMINATION IS NEEDED TO CONFIRM THIS!

Left Brain vs Right Brain Function:

Now that you understand that there can be an imbalance in brain function, we need to go over left brain vs right brain function, in order to understand these children.

Left Brain: (Dyslexia, Auditory Processing, sometimes Speech Disorders)

  • "The Gas Pedal"- Initiates our Actions
  • Detail-Oriented
  • Verbal Communicator
  • IQ (Intelligence)
  • Small Muscular Control
  • Word Reading
  • Math Calculation (Basic Math)
  • Theoretical "Planning"
  • Conscious Actions
  • Positive Emotions
  • High-Frequency Sounds (Fast, High-Pitched)
  • Low-Frequency Light (Red, Orange, Yellow)
  • Linear/Logical Thinking
  • Curious/Impulsive Actions
  • Likes Routines, Sameness, and Familiarity
  • Activates Immunity
  • Spatial Awareness (Locally)

Right Brain: (ADHD, Autistic Spectrum Disorders)

  • "The Brake-Pedal"- Withdrawal from Actions
  • Sees the Big Picture
  • EQ (Emotional)
  • Non-Verbal Communicator'
  • Social Skills
  • Large Muscular Control
  • Reading Comprehension
  • Math Reasoning (Problem Solving)
  • Practical "Doing"
  • Unconscious Thoughts
  • Negative Emotions
  • Low-Frequency Sounds (Slow, Deeper Tones)
  • High-Frequency Light (Blue, Indigo, Violet)
  • Abstract Thinker
  • Cautious/Safe Actions
  • Likes Newness, Novelty
  • Suppresses Immunity
  • Spatial Awareness (Globally)



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Mastering your Thyroid

February 9, 2011 By 4 Comments
thyroidbook

"Every cell in the body has receptor sites for thyroid hormones.  Thyroid hormones are responsible for the most basic and fundamental aspect of physiology, the basal metabolic rate.  Lack of ideal thyroid hormone leads to global decline in cellular function of all bodily systems.  The thyroid is the central gear in the complex web of metabolism and extremely sensitive to minor imbalances in other areas of physiology.  An astute clinician should always ask what else is going wrong, as a result and cause, when they identify a thyroid imbalance."

-Datis Kharrazian, DC, MS, M.Neurocience


Mastering your Thyroid

I went to the most amazing seminar called "Mastering the Thyroid."  This seminar was taught by one of the most dynamic practitioners in the world, especially in Thyroid Dysfunction, Dr. Datis Kharrazian.  Dr Datis is the leading expert in thyroid dysfunction and practices in California strictly with patients suffering from chronic and challenging immune, endocrine, and neurological disorders.  He is the author of "Why Do I still have Thyroid Symptoms when My Lab Tests are Normal." I learned more about thyroid function in a 25 hour weekend seminar with him than I did in 3.5 years in chiropractic school.  What he taught us changed my life and the lives of my future  patients forever!

What is the Thyroid Gland?

The Thyroid Gland sometimes referred to as "The Shield" because of its protective mechanisms for your body.  It sets the body's "speed limit" or metabolism.  When you are cold it tells the body to create more heat, when you get sick, it revs up the engine of your immune system, and if you are very stressed out from a long day it hits the brakes so you don't blow a gasket in the fast lane.  It controls the metabolism of nearly EVERY cell of the body.  If this gland malfunctions or something causes it to have altered function you could experience many different symptoms.

How is Thyroid Hormone Made?

Believe it or not, Thyroid Hormone production begins in your Brain.  Dopamine and Serotonin are important Neurotransmitters in the Brain that begin this complex process.  These neurotransmitters signal the Hypothalamus to release what is called Thyroid Releasing Hormone (TRH). TRH then tells the Pituitary Gland to start to release Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) which tells the Thyroid Gland to start producing Thyroid Hormone using Thyroid Peroxidase (TPO). During this process the thyroid produces 93% Thyrosine (T4) and 7% Triiodothyronine (T3).   T4 is the inactive form of thyroid hormone and T3 is the active form.  With that being said, T4 and T3 jump on a "taxi" called Thyroid Binding Globulin (TBG). TBG transports the hormones to the liver where T4 gets converted to T3 using '5 Deiodinase. Once the hormone has been converted to T3 (the active form) it is able to bind to the nuclear receptor of the desired tissue.

What a complex process to make a sufficient amount of thyroid hormone for our tissues right?   Why is this important?  Well, when most doctors order a Thyroid panel, they only order TSH, T4, and/or T3.  This is NOT enough information to understand true thyroid function.  In order to get a better understanding of Thyroid Function, we must order a panel which includes, TSH, T4, T3 Uptake (representing TBG), and TPO and TAA Antibodies (tests Autoimmunity).  That will give a bigger picture of the thyroid and will allow us to take the appropriate steps to solve the problem at hand.

What are the Symptoms?

The Thyroid Gland can malfunction in 3 different ways:

  1. Hypothyroidism (Low Thyroid Function)
  2. Hyperthyroidism (High Thyroid Function)
  3. Fluctuations between Hypo and Hyperthyroidism (Hoshimoto's Autoimmune Thyroid)

Hypothyroidism Symptoms:

  • Sensitivity to Cold
  • Hands and Feet are always cold
  • Fatigue
  • Unexplained Weight Gain (with the inability to lose that weight)
  • Depression
  • Itchy, Dry Skin
  • Hair Loss
  • Constipation
  • Morning Headaches
  • Slow Wound Healing

Hyperthyroidism Symptoms:

  • Heart Palpitations
  • Sweaty Palms
  • Nervous
  • Increased Heart Rate
  • Inward Trembling
  • Insomnia
  • Night Sweats
  • Difficulty Gaining Weight
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