How to Find the Right Doctor for You! Make it a Physician that is also trained in Holistic Practices!

As you're on your journey to maintain great health there are times that you run into a bump on the road. Now is the time that you should have a care giver by your side that is on the same page as to addressing the problem. Too many times physicians are ready to jam pharmaceuticals down your throat that ultimately mask the symptoms without addressing the root cause. With the multiple side effects that come with pharmaceuticals it would be nice to make the use of them an absolute last choice. More and more physicians are getting the holistic training that is needed to treat the cause, now its up to you to find them.
               
There is an organization that certifies physicians (MD) in holistic practices. The American Board of Integrative Holistic Medicine can help you in the search for a physician that is also trained in the use of natural nutrients and whole body treatments that address the reason for your symptoms.
By going to ABIHM search site you will be able to find the doctor in your area that fits you. http://www.abihm.org/search-doctors

Dr. Carol Bowman MD, ABIHM put it very well in a blog she wrote 8/17/10:
"At what point did we stop asking patients what they eat?  Knowing for a fact that cells derive their nutrition to grow properly from food, when did we stop ignoring this basic fact of science?  How have we justified the split in our minds between health and emotions?  We know for a fact that triggering the stress response in the body elicits a host of physiological responses that if triggered continuously and inappropriately by worry and fear, which we euphemistically call “stress”, result in a number of disease states.  And, the biggest question is when did we, as both physicians and patients, really start believing that a pill could cure a disturbance in the complex structure of the human being?   When did we give over the practice of medicine to the pharmaceutical industry, and insist on labeling anything else as holistic, thus marginalizing it outside of “real” medicine?"
                
The perfect combination is an MD that has completed medical school but has continued their education to address the deficiencies of their training by supplementing with the holistic approach. You are not taught nutritional importance through diet in med school but how to diagnose symptoms and treat with drugs.

Holistic medicine has been given a bad name, I believe proliferated by the big pharma companies, because it is not considered conventional and so it is outside the realm of normal. A physician that has trained in holistic combines conventional with alternative procedures that address your whole body health instead of just taking a pill to alleviate a symptom.

Because of their Medical degree you can feel confident that you are seeing a doctor that if necessary  can prescribe pharmaceutical medications but will only use these toxic chemicals if there is no other path to health.

So use the ABIHM site or check on doctors websites in your area. They will display what their practices encompass and through diligence on your part you should be able to find the right fit for you!
Cheers to Great Health
Oly

Don't Risk Your Health to the Uncertainty of Synthetic Vitamins Part 2

What are synthetic vitamins? They are an attempt to copy something from nature.

Synthetics are made in a laboratory with base materials that can include coal tar, formaldehyde, petrochemicals, toxic cow livers, fecal mater or ground-up rocks and shells!

The isolate vitamin-wanna-be does not have the complex co-factors that work with naturally occurring vitamins to produce the nutritional effects and proper absorption.  Vitamins are never isolates in nature but synthetics are and they just don’t work the same!

It’s the belief of many researchers that these isolates have little or in some cases no nutritional molecular activity compared to their naturally occurring superior and can actually have a detrimental effect to our bodies.  Let me be clear that I do believe that synthetic vitamins in many cases have some bioactivity and at first can produce the desired effect but the question is if the bioavailability and activity decreases with time and what the long-term detrimental side effects are on the body. When you take synthetic vitamins your body will draw on it’s small reserve of co-factors to deal with the isolate at first and you might feel like they are working but once your body has exhausted these reserves the symptoms of deficiencies and imbalances will return!  Over time synthetics could actually be depleting your body’s nutrients!

Under a microscope synthetics don’t look the same!

-Most synthetic vitamins are crystal form, the naturally occurring vitamins are not and the body has a problem recognizing them and as a result treats them as a foreign substance, excreting them with a major reduction in absorption.

-Another difference is something called Chiral. The vitamin isolates that are produced in the lab many times are the mirror image of the naturally occurring vitamin molecule. The molecule is made up of the same atoms but the structure is different, left-handed or right-handed.  The change in structure makes the molecule act completely different.

To try to illustrate this difference hold your hands out, palms up.  You cannot superimpose your hands over each other because your thumbs are pointing in opposite directions, so the structure is different.

This is a picture from americanhistory.si.edu  

This picture is of mirror molecules (stereoisomers) and another example of how the structure of a molecule can completely change it's activity and the way the body reacts with it.  There are all the same atoms but different structure, one is right-handed and the other is left.  The picture on the left is the molecule found in an orange peel and it is the left-handed version of the molecule Limonene. The picture on the right is the molecule found in a lemon peel and is the right-handed version of Limonene. The change in structure of this molecule makes it smell completely different and so your body perceives these two molecules as being completely different even though they have the exact same atoms.

So for some to say that synthetic mirror image vitamin molecules are the same as naturally occurring vitamin molecules is a bit of a stretch! The bigger questions are how do these mirror synthetic molecules work in our bodies, what is their bioavailability and what are their detrimental side effects?

 

-Encyclopedia of Food Sciences and Nutrition. Caballero B, Trugo L, Finglas P, 2003

-Vitamins are Naturally Found in Food Complexes. Thiel R ANMA Monitor, 1999

-Natural Vitamins are Superior to Synthetic Ones. Medical Hypotheses. Thiel R, 2000

www.foodkills.org/synthetics.html

www.naturalnews.com/036650_synthetic_vitamins_disease_side_effects.html#ixzz2GyNgcE7a

The Insight Team of the Sunday Times of london. Suffer the Children: The Story of Thalidomide. New York: Viking Press,1979.

Don't Risk Your Health To The Uncertainty Of Synthetic Vitamins Part 1

Don’t Risk Your Health to The Uncertainty of Synthetic Vitamins!  Part 1

Some say that Synthetic (man made) vitamins are the same as naturally occurring nutrients! In a multi-part blog I’m going to present evidence why they’re not.

Synthetics were developed in the lab in the ‘40s. They were far cheaper and could be mass-produced.  Dr. Royal Lee, Dr. Robert McCarrison, Dr. Weston A. Price and a few other pioneers of nutrition immediately determined that they were not the same and did not produce the same results and could possibly be producing bad side effects. Unfortunately much of their thoughts and studies did not come to light because of the power of money that the synthetic manufacturers had. Umm does that sound familiar to what is going on today with the GMO war?

Vitamins work in concert with their naturally occurring co-factors that are essential for the bioavailability (absorbance) of the nutrients. Basically your body must recognize the nutrients or they are treated as a drug or foreign substance and will try to expel them in the most efficient manner. The co-factors, some that have been identified and many others that haven’t, are as important to the body’s use of the nutrients as the vitamin itself. Synthetic vitamins are isolated and do not include natural co-factors which renders it’s usefulness as damaged our destroyed.  One such instance of the incompetence of synthetics were the studies of Nobel prize winner, Dr. Gunter Blobel in 1999. His studies of intercellular communication brought him to a conclusion of understanding that naturally occurring nutrients know where to find the proper receptors in the body to be absorbed, unlike synthetics!

Synthetics can show, in some cases, a short-term benefit but the real question is what are the longer-term detriments and havoc that they can wreak on the body?!!  As in many vitamin supplement studies that have been conducted, of which 99.9% of them use synthetic vitamins, the results have shown inconclusive or even  detrimental effects. Well we all know that the body needs vitamins and yes it’s best to get them through your food, correct? Could it be that synthetic vitamins are not what some scientists say, “Synthetic vitamins are identical to naturally occurring vitamins?” I would have to say a big DAH to that!! And maybe a What the…….? They are not the same!!

As more and more of us are learning to mistrust the producers of GMOs we must take a long hard look at synthetic vitamins with like contempt.  The mistrust of these laboratory-created, so-called nutrients have been in question since the ‘40s so let’s continue to question!

We will explore these problems and uncertainties in blogs to come. Please join in the conversation!

Oly

Cheers to Charlotte's Web and the Stanley Brothers

After a large dump of Colorado snow I was out shoveling and talking with my neighbor. He said he was preparing to travel in the snow to Colorado Springs. “Are you crazy”, I said. The conditions were not great for a 130 mile drive. He was heading to the Stanley brothers’ dispensary to get his son the cannabidiol (CBD) therapy Charlotte’s Web. They have been using this therapy with their son, who has a disorder that is responsible for seizures, for well over a year. The results have been amazing! His seizures have been dramatically reduced. He had close to 100 seizures a day and now is down to 7 or less a week. His motor skills have improved and his quality of life has greatly improved. 

My brave neighbors have been in this tough battle for a long time and now because of 5 brothers that are not in it for the money, are able to enjoy more fully, life with their son.  The Stanleys started their quest in 2011 when they crossbred industrial hemp with marijuana to produce Cannabis sativa L strain. This strain has a very small percentage of THC and a greater percentage of CBD. THC is the psychoactive ingredient in marijuana that gets you “high” and is not the cause for the reduction in seizures. CBD (cannabidiol) is the ingredient that is attributed to the anti-seizure activity. The Stanleys announced in September 2013 that they were able to consistently produce the purified oil extract with a THC content of less than .3%.  The Stanley’s company CW Botanicals is working hard to keep up with the demand. Many families have had to pick up and move to Colorado where it is legal to use this treatment. It’s too bad that many other states have turned a blind eye to the fact that this therapy does not get you high but has the ability to change the lives of many children and adults. 

Many of the states and the federal government that blockade this treatment do it because “there is not enough scientific evidence” and there are only “anecdotal health claims”.  The definition of “anecdotal” is “based on reports or observations of usually unscientific observers”. Well hearing the stories from my neighbor and reading of thousands of more families that have been positively impacted by the Stanley’s therapy I call their observations pretty damn reliable! I call BS on the bureaucrats!! Granted that this therapy does not work for everyone does not mean it should be kept from all!!

University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus has been running an “Observational Clinical Trial” since September 2014 and will be concluded this month.  This study is aimed to distinguish between  “responders” and “non-responders” to the therapy. Once they have been placed in one of the 2 groups they are trying to determine the differences of the genetic make-up that would make an individual have a higher propensity to respond to Charlotte’s Web, thus making it an easier decision for families to try it.

The American Medical Association has finally come around to the medical benefits of marijuana and American Epilepsy Society moved forward with a study. We need to keep this momentum moving forward and keep on the politicians advocating for our well-being and not the well-being of the deep pocket pharmaceuticals who fund their campaigns.

Cheers to the Stanley brothers and their great work!!

I could go on for pages but my understanding of this blog thing is to keep it short. Please research this more and be an activist!! 

Please check out these videos:

This is the story of Charlotte Figi the one for whom the therapy is named

https://youtu.be/BH5yzEu3JGQ

This is the story of the Stanley brothers and CW Botanicals:

https://youtu.be/_9x8yUXMBmY

The Problem With The Healthcare System

The Healthcare System

The problem with our healthcare system is that it is not set up to prevent but only to diagnose those that are already sick. Unfortunately most doctors are only taught how to diagnose not prevent. A statistic that really illustrates this problem is taken from the National Cancer Institute’s latest Cancer Statistics Report. Fortunately the cancer death rate is going down but the cancer incident rate is going up in the United States. Its good that we are getting better at battling cancer but it’s bad that we are getting worse at prevention.

Its my belief that the increase incident rate is causal to the ever decreasing nutritional value of our food. Artificial ingredients, fortification with synthetic vitamin isolates and poorer farming practices all lead to lower nutritional content.  On top of that the increasing use of pesticides and food additives that are known to be carcinogens are making our food more toxic requiring our bodies to deplete it’s resources to expel the toxins draining it's ability to fight off disease. If you don’t think those pesticides are making it into our bodies from the farmer’s field, think again! 

 I’m afraid that our population’s health is going to get worse with the FDA allowing GMOs into our food supply.  It seems that those that the FDA are suppose to be protecting have been overlooked because of the blinding power of money. Some 26 countries have banned the use of GMOs why haven’t we?

If the health of our people continues to weaken it will continue to put stress on the fragile financial well being of our country. I appreciate the discussion of taking care of our planet, by the administration, but don’t understand that that conversation does not include the ecological and financial destruction that pesticides pose.

If you agree with prevention over just diagnosis try to find an MD (Medical Doctor) that has also been trained in the holistic field of nutrients and their positive effects on our bodies. 

If you oppose the use of GMOs and pesticides go to www.organicconsumers.org to help the cause.

Don’t Risk Your Health to the Uncertainty of Synthetic Vitamins! Or GMOs!!

Cheers! Live long, exercise, hydrate and get your nutrients!

Oly

What Do Bs Do For You

What Do Bs Do For You?

B vitamins are essential nutrients! This means that the body does not store them and so they must be ingested on a daily basis, whether through diet or supplements, to maintain optimal health.

All Bs are involved in breaking down food into energy

B-1 (Thiamine) Support Brain, Nervous system and cell creation.

B-2 (Riboavin) Breaks down carbs, fats, protein for conversion to energy. Supports function of B-3 and B-6. Supports mucous membranes and red blood cell production.

B-3 (Niacin) Is believed to help cholesterol and blood glucose levels, supports red blood cell formation

B-5 (Pantothenic acid) supports liver function, creation of co-enzymes which help with normal physiological function.

B-6 (Pyridoxine) supports immune system, red blood cell strength and nerve communications.

B-7 (Biotin) Believed to support healthy hair and nails and required for metabolizing fats and amino acids

B-9 (Folate) supports cell division, DNA and RNA formation, muscle strength.

B-12 (Cobalamin) Supports DNA and RNA production as well as the important nerve protective sheath, Myelin. Supports red blood cells in the transportation of oxygen and nutrients.

Don’t Risk Your Health to the Uncertainty of Synthetic Vitamins

Avoiding GMOs

Avoiding GMOs in your holiday menus? Try to get organic whenever possible!! If you can't get organic then avoid corn on the cob, zucchini, edamame (soy beans), yellow squash, beets and Hawaiian papaya that are most common as GMO. Corn and Soy that are used in processed foods is almost always GMO. I do want to point out though that GMOs have not invaded the great snack pop corn yet.
Happy Holidays!!

B Vitamins Help You Enjoy The Fun

As we approach the festive season we indulge in great meals and traditional libations. While preparing theses meals for friends and family please include as many organic ingredients as possible and stay away from non-organic processed foods. A big part of the fun is in the preparation of great recipes handed down from prior generations and the creative new ones that utilize all the wonderful foods available to us.
Vitamin Bs are essential nutrients that are needed every day. Our bodies do not store them so we must supply them on a daily basis. When we include alcohol in our festivities our B vitamins can become depleted. With depletion comes the possible effects of fatigue, stress, irritability, depression and a general lowering of our mental and emotional well being.
This is a good time to supplement your diet with Mountain Rescue Nutrients' B Complex. Naturally Occurring, MRN B Complex is the closest thing to the foods that contain these essential nutrients. The concentrated nutrients in our B Complex come from Spinach, parsley, holy basil, shiitake, Indian and star gooseberry.
B vitamins are important in breaking down carbohydrates, fats and proteins producing energy for every cell. They also work as an antioxidant to fight against free radicals in the blood, support cell structure and the nervous system.
Foods that contain B vitamins also include:
Broccoli, beets, turnips, mustard greens, asparagus, romaine lettuce, lentils, snapper, chicken, turkey, shell fish, eggs to name a few.
Enjoy the company of family and great friends during the holidays and enjoy the nourishment of every meal. Make sure to hydrate and exercise every day!
Cheers!!





References:
Boulder Medical Center article "Nutrition Recommendations For Those Who Consume Alcohol",
The World's Healthiest Foods article "Foods Rich in B Vitamins: For Heart and Mind"
ncbi.nlm.gov/pubmed/16550223
crnusa.org
Dr Brownstein, Natural Way To Health, Achieving & Maintaining Your Optimal Health, Vol. 8 Issue 1 Jan 2015