Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, Depression OH MY!

As a practitioner, I am faced with a number of health issues. Most people come into my office for pain relief, but many times our conversations will take a turn into other health concerns. I hear “I have trouble sleeping”, “I crave sweet or salty food”, “I have dealt with depression”, “I am having trouble with my memory.”

A number of differentials run through my mind when I hear these comments, but the common thread among these is; they are all related to neurotransmitter imbalance. Neurotransmitters are biochemicals produced by the brain (and other areas) acting as signals to the rest of the body, each having a unique effect. The four neurotransmitters produced are: 1) Dopamine, 2) Acetylcholine, 3) GABA, and 4) Serotonin.

Each person produces these four neurotransmitters in varied amounts. This is what gives us each our disposition or personality. Have you ever wondered why some people are the life of the party and others are laid back? Certain neurotransmitters create those personality traits.

You may have experienced times throughout your life where you did not feel like your usual self. This may be due to an imbalance or deficiency in one or more of the four neurotransmitters. Many times, people will self medicate without knowing what they are doing through caffeine, alcohol or drugs. Anyone on medication for depression, ADD/ADHD, Parkinson’s or sleep disorders are chemically trying to balance their neurotransmitters. I propose that we aim to do this naturally when possible.

How can we affect neurotransmitters through nutrition and vitamins? There are a number of foods and vitamins that will affect 2 or more neurotransmitters or overall brain function and these are the ones I want to review.

Vitamins B6 and Folic Acid are involved in the production of each neurotransmitter therefore should be supplemented in times of deficiency. Caution should be used when supplementing with folic acid because supplementing can cover up a vitamin B12 deficiency.

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oils) are an overall brain booster. Your nerves as well as every cell in the body are coated with this essential fatty acid which makes it vital to nerve and cell transmission. Any inflammation in the body will benefit from this essential nutrient as well. You want to get a good source of this or else you risk taking an already rancid supplement which will only cause further damage. The bottle must not let in light and capsules should be opaque, not clear. It should contain both DHA and EPA.

Other brain vitamins:

Antioxidants including Acetyl-L-Carnitine, Alpha Lipoic Acid (ALA), Co-Q-10, N-acetylcysteine(NAC), also vitamin D (found to be low in dementia patients), Phosphatidylserine(for increased cortisol)

Brain boosting diet:

Lean meats, fish, nuts (almonds/walnuts/pine nuts), Dark green vegetables, Sulfur containing vegetables(Broccoli/Cauliflour), Eggs, Avocado, Artichoke, Oats

If you are dealing with a chronic imbalance or have neurological disorders in your family history, I urge you to get help and start supplementing appropriately. The suggestions above are not specific to any one imbalance, therefore you may need more support. There may also be other primary factors to deal with such as blood sugar issues, chronic stress and hormone imbalances or vascular problems. To schedule a personal evaluation contact me at 305-259-8755. Phone consultations can be arranged. Feel free to comment below.

Be blessed,

Dr. J

Exercising Smarter

Good news! The latest research is saying that shorter intense workouts are more effective than long, drawn out cardio routines. Hallelujah!

I have adapted to this new way of exercising for about 6 months now and have greatly increased my strength, endurance and have seen noticeable improvement in overall muscle tone. These short 10-20 minute workouts are ideal for all people with a busy lifestyle and who despise working out. You may feel like you are going to die within those 10-20 minutes, but just think "It will be over in a few minutes." You will feel amazing later and enjoy looking in the mirror at your fit body.

If you are a nerd like me and want to know more, check out these articles by Dr. Mercola click here & here

If you need ideas on what types of workouts to do, follow me on Pinterest, where I re-post workouts that I find. click here

Here are some of my favorite workout sites:
/www.bodyrock.tv/
Zuzka Light Youtube
BeFit Youtube

If you find these workout routines to be stressful on your body, modify them and focus on proper form. The idea is to do an intense workout for 10-20 minutes.

Blessings,

Dr. J

Inner Beauty

Confession: I was a smoker at one point in my life. Fortunately, it was a short phase and easy for me to quit. I remember at one point during this phase, a good friend said to me, “Jessica, you are beautiful on the outside, but you are making yourself ugly on the inside?” I thought about that today, as I look at women around me and pictures of beautiful people. Many of us are aware of our outer appearance, but how many of us are concerned with our inner beauty. What do you think your organs look like? Are your lungs blackened? Is your liver enlarged? Are the rest of your organs inflamed? Think about this for a few seconds.

You may not have any physical symptoms of the ugliness going on inside. In fact, I have taken the x-rays and seen the lab results of some beautiful people, only to find out they are really messed up inside. They have had no pain or symptoms (or have ignored them) up until they come in to see me.

I challenge you to come into an awareness of what you may look like on the inside. Also, if your body is expressing a symptom of any kind, what is it telling you? Many times symptoms of poor health will show up in the eyes, teeth, nails or skin. Think about what you are putting into your body, or on your body, or the everyday toxins around you. Once you have the knowledge then you can take action.

Blessings and Love,

Dr. J

*To the right you will find some websites and books that can give you the tools to become informed about your health. I would recommend subscribing to Dr. Mercola's site to start. "Healthy Child Healthy World" is also a good one to subscribe to. I also welcome your questions and thoughts so feel free to contact me.

Breakfast for Dinner - Mushroom and Herb Omelet

I try to plan out most meals for the week, but Saturdays are what I call "Fend for yourself night". Since grocery day is tomorrow and I had only a few fresh ingredients left I decided on breakfast for dinner. I love a savory omelet with garlic and herbs. Here is what I did.

First saute the vegetables and herbs. I used some wild mushrooms I got from the farmers market last week, chopped onion and dried rosemary. (I would have added tomato if I had some) Cook to your desired taste and add chopped garlic at end and take off heat. In another saute pan, make your omelet (I like to use one egg with one egg white, organic and range free eggs) Tonight I used Earth Balance vegan/soy free butter in my pan, but a better choice would have been coconut oil. (I wanted the butter taste). Top with some more herbs if you like. Salt and pepper to taste and Voila! 

How fat is stored & used in the body: An essential concept for weight loss...

Many of us have heard the best way to lose weight is to eat or snack throughout the day. The problem is that this concept does not compliment how we store and use fat.

Imagine 3 storage tanks in the body. The first tank is glycogen. This is stored glucose, and is the first tank to be burned off for fuel or energy. The next two tanks are muscle and fat. These are broken down into glucose and used for energy at about the same time. If you were to continually put glucose or carbohydrates into the glycogen tank, than you would never be able to access your fat reserves and lose weight.

You may have noticed that you will be burning muscle once you burn your glycogen stores; so it is essential to replenish with a lean protein source.

Also, be aware that you may feel tired while depleting glycogen, but not to worry, you will regain your energy within a few days.

There are a number of things that may need to be addressed for weight loss, but this concept is the first step. Calorie restriction, and low or no carbohydrates are the way to go according to all of my research. If this plan does not work for you, then you may be dealing with toxicity, hormone imbalance or food allergies. There are a variety of other health issues that may inhibit weight loss, which is why the best weight loss plan is a health and wellness plan.