4 Ways to a Healthy Gut

Digestive distress is extraordinarily common in the American population.  This distress ranges from indigestion, gas, bloating, to more severe disease states such as Celiac's disease, Ulcerative Colitis, and Crohn's disease.  Regardless of the diagnosis, some tried and true methods exist for restoring balance to the digestive tract.

The "4R" Program is one I have been following for several years now. 

1.  Remove irritants to the digestive tract such as caffeine, alcohol, food allergens, and/or over-the-counter pain relievers.  I use manual muscle testing as well as saliva testing to determine food sensitiviies or allergens.  Or, you can use a rotation diet to help you identify if any foods are making you ill. 

2.  Replace what the body is missing i.e hydrochloric acid from the stomach, pancreatic digestive enzymes, or bile salts from the gall bladder.  When the body is missing these essential elements to digestion, they body cannot digest the food it consumed.  This sets the stage for any number of digestive ailments. 

3.  Reinoculate by re-introducing the beneficial microbes/bacteria into the digestive tract.  These include Lactobacillus, Bifidobacterium, and Saccoromyces boulardii to name a few.   My preference is to use kefir, kombucha, fermented veggies, and/or yogurt as the food sources of these beneficial microbes.  However, when necesssary, I use Standard Process whole food concentrates to re-inoculate the gut. 

4.  Repair the damage to the gastro-intestinal lining.  Inflammation of the digestive tract must be repaired, otherwise the body will never properly heal.  I recommend homemade bone broth, castor oil packs, fermented veggies, cabbage juice, slippery elm, and glutamine to address the inflammation.

My preference is always to use foods as the basis for healing, but at the same time, I regularly use whole food vitamins to facilitate the healing process. 

Jennifer Greenfield D.C.
Raleigh, NC



Raleigh Chiropractor discusses the importance of Vitamin D

It’s still winter although spring is coming. Most of us have been indoors all winter with little exposure to the sun. I know I’m starting to feel like a mushroom myself. Because of this, your vitamin D levels may have dropped significantly. I encourage you to get yourself tested as appropriate vitamin D levels are vital for optimal health. Currently there is an epidemic of vitamin D deficiency in the U.S.

Why is vitamin D important? “In a paper published in the August issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Anthony Norman, an international expert on vitamin D, identifies vitamin D's potential for contributions to good health in the adaptive and innate immune systems, the secretion and regulation of insulin by the pancreas, the heart and blood pressure regulation, muscle strength and brain activity.” Healthy vitamin D levels are also associated with decreasing the risk of cancer of all areas of the body, Parkinson’s disease, Autism, and osteoporosis.

Currently the RDA for vitamin D is 400 IU which I believe to be severely inadequate in ensuring healthy vitamin D levels. My research has shown that 2000-5000 IU daily are necessary for most adults to maintain healthy levels. But many people are so vitamin D deficient that they need higher doses for 1-3 months before going on a maintenance dose.

There are many ways to get your vitamin D levels tested but it should be a blood test. You can contact your general practioner to run the test for you but you can also order your own test through www.directlabs.com. The correct test to order is 25(OH)D, also called 25-hydroxyvitamin D, which is the better marker of overall D status. Lastly, http://www.grassrootshealth.net/ is an organization dedicated to eradicating vitamin D deficiency and they are conducting regular research on vitamin D. If you join the group, you will get your vitamin D levels tested and contribute to a greater understanding of vitamin D.

For more information on vitamin D, I recommend you visit the Vitamin D Council at www.vitamindcouncil.org/ and as well as www.mercola.com.

Soy is NOT a Health Food!

You may have read about my health journey in previous posts. I continue with that theme as I discuss soy foods today. I was a vegetarian for 13 years and relied heavily on soy foods regularly during that time. I read in all of the health magazines that soy was healthy and the more the better! However, since becoming a health professional, I have learned that soy is not a health food and should be avoided by women, men and children.

Modern process soy has been demonstrated by numerous studies to not only cause thyroid dysfunction, digestive irritation, nutritional deficiencies, reproductive disorders but even heart disease and cancer. Soy blocks the absorption of minerals such as calcium, magnesium, iron, copper and zinc. These foundational minerals are vital to a healthy body.

Soy estrogens, also known as isoflavones were once touted as a miracle food, especially for menopausal women. But isoflavones have repeatedly been demonstrated to depress thyroid function. As little as 38 mg of isoflavones daily (less then one cup of soymilk) can result in hypothyroidism. Symptoms of depressed thyroid function include fatigue, constipation, weight gain and brain fog. Since some food manufacturers make a great profit on the sale of soy milk than dairy milk, it’s no wonder why this information isn’t readily available.

May of the commonly available soy products available today contain soy protein isolate (SPI). This product is produced at very high temperatures using a variety of chemicals, including hexane, a toxic, petroleum derivative. SPI has not been granted “Generally Recognized as Safe” status by the FDA. In addition to the chemical used to extract soybean oil and protein, many toxic substances are formed including nitrates and lysinonalanine (both of which are carcinogenic) aluminum, fluoride compounds, and MSG, which is a neurotoxin.

SPI is the key ingredient in soy infant formula. Infants consuming soy fomula have been found to have pancreatic distress and digestive damage. As those children aged, soy formula consumption has been linked to premature sexual development in girls, twice the risk of developing diabetes, autoimmune thyroid disease, more reproductive difficulties and asthma as adults. The real kicker is that because of the high isoflavone content in soy formula, the average intake of soy formula results in infants receiving the equivalent of 5 birth control pills per day.

Lastly, 90% of the soybeans grown in the United States are genetically modified. Seeds that are genetically modified have viruses injected into them by scientists. Currently the long term effects of this alteration of natural food is unknown. The US population is part of a large science experiment.

One does not have to be consuming soy milk or soy burgers to be exposed to soy. Soybean oil is one of the more common oils used for food production today. You’ll find it in nearly all packaged food products. Worse yet is when the oil is hydrogenated.

My intention with this information is not to alarm you but to provide food for thought (pun intended!). I consumed soy for years before I realized it’s damaging effects. You can make changes too!

More information on soy can be found at:

www.westonaprice.org

www.thewholesoystory.com

http://www.organicconsumers.org/

Perimenopause: What Can You Do About It?

Perimenopause is defined as the 2-3 years around the onset of menopause. Menopause generally affects women in their late 40s or early 50s although it can happen earlier or later. Perimenopausal women experience many changes within their bodies but that does not mean that a woman should be symptomatic. Hot flashes, brain fog, fatigue, weight gain, and general malaise are all very common in perimenopausal women but these symptoms are not natural.

When a woman is shifting into menopause, her ovaries are starting to wind down their production of estrogen and progesterone. Menopausal women still needs and produces these important hormones. Since the ovaries are no longer producing these hormones, the adrenal glands must now take up the responsibility. The adrenal glands are more commonly known for producing stress hormones but a menopausal woman’s adrenal glands now produce her progesterone. Estrogen is generally produced in the fat cells.

A woman who has stressed adrenal glands will most likely have a difficult transition to menopause. The hot flashes, brain fog, fatigue, and weight gain mentioned earlier are typical symptoms a woman will have if she has stressed adrenal glands.

But all is not lost. Even if a woman is experiencing these symptoms, they can be reversed through proper evaluation and treatment. I use saliva testing and/or hair analysis to help properly evaluate a woman’s female and stress hormones. This is a functional approach to a woman’s health. I am not looking for diseases, but rather for imbalances that prevent the body from healing. In addition to saliva testing, I use appropriate nutritional support, diet changes and stress modification to assist a woman into menopause. However, if a woman is already menopausal and having the same symptoms, this type of evaluation and treatment is appropriate for her as well. There’s no need to suffer through perimenopause or menopause.

The Cost of Obesity

The rates of obesity in the United States are staggering. The depth and breadth of the problem is astounding and the costs are many. The National Center for Health statistics has been tracking America’s obesity problem for over four decades.

• Between 1962 and the year 2000, the number of obese Americans grew from 13% to an alarming 31% of the population.
• 63% of Americans are overweight with a Body Mass Index (BMI) in excess of 25.0.
• 31% are obese with a BMI in excess of 30.0.
• Childhood obesity in the United States has more than tripled in the past two decades.
• According to the U.S. Surgeon General report obesity is responsible for 300,000 deaths every year.
  

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes a fascinating series of charts noting the obesity trends from 1985-2007. Go to http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/obesity/trend/maps/index.htm to view the charts.

Research has demonstrated the following increased health risks associated with being overweight or obese.

· Coronary heart disease

· Type 2 diabetes

· Cancers (endometrial, breast, and colon)

· Hypertension (high blood pressure)

· Dyslipidemia (for example, high total cholesterol or high levels of triglycerides)

· Stroke

· Liver and Gallbladder disease

· Sleep apnea and respiratory problems

· Osteoarthritis (a degeneration of cartilage and its underlying bone within a joint)

· Gynecological problems (abnormal menses, infertility)

As mentioned above, children are affected just as adults. The CDC reports that “obese children and adolescents are more likely to become obese as adults. For example, one study found that approximately 80% of children who were overweight at aged 10–15 years were obese adults at age 25 years. Another study found that 25% of obese adults were overweight as children. The latter study also found that if overweight begins before 8 years of age, obesity in adulthood is likely to be more severe.”

The health consequences for overweight and obese children make them more

“more likely to have risk factors associated with cardiovascular disease (such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and Type 2 diabetes) than are other children and adolescents.” Additional consequences include impaired learning in school and poor self-esteem to name a few.

The financial costs for obesity/overweight related health care include $79 billion dollars spent annually, in the United States alone. Half of that money is taxpayer funded as the costs are paid for by Medicare and Medicaid. These numbers were from 1998 and one can assume that they have increased as the rates of obesity continue to rise. These are only the direct health care related costs. Additional economic costs include decreased productivity, restricted activity, absenteeism, bed days and even premature death!

This is a real problem and truly, it concerns me more than the swine flu. It’s up to us to change the way we feed our children. We must realize that we are role models as children learn their eating habits from their parents. Let’s start reversing these trends!

Monosodium Glutamate : MSG

Today I had the opportunity to look at the ingredients of a common food product, Rice A Roni (Creamy Four Cheese Flavor). The ingredient list reads like this:

Rice, wheat flour, durum wheat semolina, partially hydrogenated palm oil, salt, cheddar, parmesan, romano, and blue cheese, reduced lactose whey, whey, corn syrup, onions, palm oil, corn starch-modified, monosodium glutamate, natural flavor, cream, sugar, nonfat milk, sodium caseinate, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, enzyme modified cheddar cheese, autolyzed yeast extract, lactic acid, parsley, citric acid, annatto extract color, niacin, soy lecithin, ferric orthophosphate, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, riboflavin.

My first reaction was “wow, that’s a lot of ingredients for cheese rice.” My second reaction was horror as I realized how many forms of transfats and monosodium glutamate (MSG) were in this food product. (The MSG containing ingredients are in bold.) I don’t consider this Rice A Roni food as this food was created in a lab, not by mother nature.

The short answer to “What is Monosodium Glutamate” is that MSG is a potential neurotoxin that has been linked with simple disorders such as skin rashes to life threatening brain lesions. Research has also linked MSG and its derivates with behavioral disorders, learning disabilities, reproductive disorders and obesity.

Traditionally, MSG has been used as a “flavor enhancer” in food. In this way, this chemical food additive chemically tricks the brain into not only liking a food but also wanting more. Many food products are labeled as containing monosodium glutamate but sadly, many are not. FDA loopholes put many people at risk of potentially life-threatening illnesses.

It’s estimated that 40% of Americans react negatively to MSG and it’s derivates. I gasp anytime I’m with somebody I care about and I see them eating food products containing MSG. It saddens me tremendously when I see children eating these foods. I suggest to everybody to read the ingredients in the food you are eating. If eating a packaged food, try to eat one that has 5 ingredients or less. Even products at health food stores are not safe. I’ve routinely seen the following ingredients in health food stores. All of these are pseudonyms for MSG and MSG containing ingredients.

• amino acids
  
• autolyzed yeast
  
• glutamate
  
• glutamic acid
  
• any “hydrolyzed protein”
  
• monopotassium glutamate
  
• monosodium glutamate
• sodium or calcium caseinate
  
• textured protein
  
• whey protein concentrate
  

Ultimately, we are responsible for what we buy at the grocery store and consume in our homes. Making your own food is a sure way to avoid harmful additives in food. To learn more about how to keep yourself safe and help to alert others about these toxins, please visit www.truthinlabeling.org. Also, Russell Blaylock, M.D. has written several books not only on MSG but other neurotoxins such as aspartame. Excitotoxins: The Taste That Kills is his first book on the subject. You can also read about him at http://www.russellblaylockmd.com.

Swine Flu Grabbing National Headlines: What can you do?

Swine flu has grabbed national and international headlines over the past few days. Today marked the first death in the recent surge of cases. While I believe the national media is using scare tactics rather than providing useful information, it is important to take this potential threat seriously.

I think it’s important to question why we are susceptible to these flu viruses. One major reason is nutritional deficiencies. Wholesome and health promoting foods are not staples of most Americans’ diet. Americans are a nation of overfed and undernourished people. This coupled with the chemical burden our bodies face each day from air/water pollution, pesticides, plastics, and medications has dramatically comprised the health of our country. Refined (packaged) foods lack the vitamin A, C, E complexes, B6, folic acid, zinc selenium, iron, copper, probiotics, and enzymes necessary to support a healthy immune system.

The human body is designed to be well. The immune system’s job it to protect the body from bacteria, viruses, parasites and fungi. When the body is nutritionally strong, the immune system works as it should. However, stress, lack of sleep, and a poor diet all affect the body’s ability to ward off potential illness.

I regularly work with patients to build their immune systems in a natural way. As one is learning to eat nutritionally dense food, I suggest using whole food concentrate supplements to support the healing and protective processes in the body. I specifically use Standard Process nutritional supplements. I have found no other nutritional support help restore health and vitality to the body as I have with Standard Process. You can learn more about Standard Process at www.standardprocess.com.

My Journey Out of Diet Coke Addiction

I recently joined Toastmaster’s International so I can improve my public speaking skills. I am just now preparing for my first “Ice Breaker” speech. As I was jotting down some notes, I realized that I wanted to tell a story.

I have been enjoying a healthy lifestyle for about 5 years but prior to that, it was quite the opposite. I used to be a Diet Coke addict.

My first memory of diet coke was when I was in my early teens. Mom was a chronic dieter so it was around in the house. I actually remember my first experience with Diet Coke. I can picture being in the kitchen, looking at the can and then giving it a try. Yuck! I thought it was disgusting! But somehow I gave Diet Coke another try and began liking the taste. There’s nothing like chemical additives to get one hooked!

Growing up in New Hampshire, Pepsi products were more common but Texas was Coke country and I moved there when I was 19. I drank Diet Coke regularly in my late teens and early 20s but I knew I was addicted when I lived in Ireland for a year at age 23.

In Ireland, my daily routine consisted of stopping at the corner shop to get my can of Diet Coke and a small chocolate. The anticipation and then pleasure of sitting down, popping the top, and letting the icy cold soda glide down my throat was delightful. It was my “Calgon, take me away” moment. My 5 flatmates were so accustomed to my habit that my going away present was a Diet coke and a little chocolate tied with a red ribbon. That’s when I realized I was addicted.

Upon returning to Texas at age 24, I discovered that I liked best the Diet coke from Wendy’s by my house. I liked fountain soda best as it was a perfect balance of fizz and flavor. Ironically, I would often buy food at Whole Foods and then stop at the Wendy’s drive-thru on my way home. I couldn’t imagine my life without Diet Coke.

However, in 1998, my life started to shift. I had been battling severe fatigue and bouts of depression for years. I began to realize that it was my responsibility to change my eating habits if I wanted to feel better. I began my health journey that continues to this day. One of the first changes I made was to switch from regular Diet Coke to caffeine-free Diet Coke. Friends and colleagues used to joke with me about the worthiness of drinking caffeine-free diet soda. They asked, “why bother?” But I was addicted. Once I overcame my 4 day long caffeine withdrawl headache, I felt good about my change.

The next radical change occurred in late 1998. Upon the recommendation of my chiropractor, I did the Master Cleanser, a fast in which one consumes only water, lime juice, maple syrup, and cayenne pepper. After 7 days of the fast, my body felt stronger and cleaner. At that time, I had no desire to put Diet Coke back into my body. I’ve been clean ever since but I had cravings for Diet Coke for about 5 years. I remember salivating when a friend would drink a Diet Coke in my presence.

In chiropractic school, I learned about the dangers of Aspartame, the artificial sweetener, in Diet Coke. Aspartame is a neurotoxin, which means that it actually induces your nerve cells to die!. As a chiropractic physician, I feel obligated to share with my patients the danger of Aspartame. I provide information and encouragement to help them overcome their addictions to diet soda.

A profound realization occurred to me once I was Diet Coke free. My unexplained joint and muscle pain that had plagued me since I was 17 was now gone! I had mistakenly been diagnosed with Fibromyalgia but it was actually Aspartame toxicity.
It breaks my heart to see people drink multiple Diet Cokes a day and put that poison into their bodies. But all I can do is lead by example. Realizing and then overcoming my addiction to Diet Coke was an integral part of my health journey and I am thankful for it.

~Dr. Jennifer Greenfield