• 1 in 4 American adults have been diagnosed with a psychiatric disorder of some kind.
• For children, it’s 1 in 5.
• More than 60 Million Americans suffer from either anxiety or depression.
• 1 in 10 Americans currently takes at least one antidepressant prescription medication daily.
• Since the year 2000, the use of prescription antidepressants has increased more than 200%.
• Antidepressant prescription sales alone now top $2 BILLION annually!
• Pre-schoolers are the fastest-growing market for antidepressants.

And on, and on, and on.

So it’s official. The problem is huge. We’ve identified the “What?” The more important question is “Why?” Is it possible that millions of Americans each year simply develop a Prozac deficiency? Or Zoloft deficiency? Or Wellbutrin? Is it likely?

What’s the “root cause” of all this suffering? Actually, there are scads of possible culprits, from poor diet, to food hypersensitivities, to adrenal insufficiency, to sex hormone imbalances, to GI problems, to stress, to nutritional deficiencies, to neurotransmitter imbalances, to thyroid dysfunction, to sleep disorders, to gluten sensitivity, and more.

The trick is to discover what precisely is going on in each particular instance. How? Simply by testing. We have the technology. It can be done. Then, once we know the cause, we can determine a natural, non-pharmacological way back to optimal health.

Want to learn more? Click here!

“Sleep Hygiene” — Things you can do to improve your sleep.

•

Try to maintain a steady schedule: rising and going to bed at the same time each day.

•

Avoid distractions when it’s time to sleep – No TV, radios, or laptops. (In fact, such
devices produce an electromagnetic field that reduces your body’s ability to produce
melatonin, a hormone that helps you feel drowsy.)

•

Keep the room as dark as possible – darkness triggers melatonin production.

•

If you exercise, great! But not in the late evening.

•

Avoid snacking two to three hours before bedtime.

•

Consider a non-prescription sleep aid such as melatonin, valerian root, L-theanine,
magnesium, or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP).

To begin, not all sleep is created equal. Each night, if all goes well, sleep progresses through distinct
and predictable stages. Different things happen in each stage. Dreams, for example, occur almost
exclusively in REM sleep. Without adequate time in Stages 3 and 4, we never feel truly rested.

Second, we know that during sleep, the body restores itself. Damaged cells and tissues mend. Muscles
grow. Proteins are synthesized. Damaged DNA is repaired. Important hormones are released into the
bloodstream. The immune system, stressed through the activity of the day, has a chance to refuel and
recuperate. (Interestingly and somewhat sadly, studies in which animals are totally deprived of sleep
consistently demonstrate total immune system failure. Death comes quickly, within weeks!)

Third, important brain processes take place in sleep. In wakefulness we’re bombarded by countless
stimuli: ideas, words, thoughts, sensations, stressors, interactions, discussions, decisions. In short,
life happens while we’re awake. But it’s during sleep that the important function of assimilation,
processing, and learning take place. That’s one reason babies sleep so much, up to 13 or 14 hours a
day. They’re learning so very much! Every day. The brain has to work overtime to take it all in, to make
sense of it all.

Is that it? Is that all? Not by a long shot. But it’s a start. And food for thought.

Among all the B-Vitamins, Folic Acid (also known as Vitamin B9) is especially
important for heart health. While cholesterol has long been believed to be a risk
factor for heart disease, few people have heard of a potentially more significant risk
factor: HOMOCYSTEINE. Elevated homocysteine levels damage arteries and reflect
metabolic dysfunction that can cause a number of diseases, including heart disease.
Folic acid lowers homocysteine levels.

COLON CANCER:

Folic acid deficiency is associated with an increased risk of colon cancer, making
supplementation especially important for those with a family history of colon cancer.

CELLULAR HEALTH:

Folic acid plays an important role supporting cell repair, DNA-synthesis, protein
synthesis, and improving immune function.

For more information on this and many other beneficial supplements,
visit www.livingwithintention.biz\supplements

For the past 30 years or so, we’ve heard the same “low fat” message over and over again.  When it comes to weight loss, go easy on the fat.  Low fat is good.  No fat is best.  Read the label.  Always read the label.  The only problem is this:  it doesn’t work.  Over that same 30 year period, America has grown fat.  We’ve become a nation obese.

Addressing this apparent disconnect, those defending the “low fat” mantra simply tell us that we’re not disciplined enough.  We aren’t trying hard enough.  We’re really not eating “low fat” at all.  If we were really did, we’d all be slim and trim and healthy.

Let me offer another slant, another rationale.  I believe we’re a nation growing fat not because we’re not disciplined, but because the “low fat” message is, at best, misleading.  At worst, it’s simply wrong.

The conventional food pyramid, with its broad base built on processed carbs (grains, pastas, breads, etc.) is simply wrong.  Carbs (that is, sugars) create food cravings, especially for more carbs.  Fats, protein, and fiber, on the other hand, help to suppress cravings and control appetite.

That said, we must acknowledge that we’re painting here with very, very broad strokes.  Are ALL carbs bad for us?  Of course not!  Are ALL fats good for us?  By no means!

To eat right requires that we educate ourselves, something most of us (including physicians) were never taught or trained to do.  It also requires a healthy dose of skepticism.  When a commercial tries to convince us that a particular breakfast cereal is actually good for us, we need to ask a very simple question.  What’s the manufacturer’s goal:   To make me healthy, or to sell me a box of cereal?

All this is, very obviously, the tip of the iceberg.  For more information, check out books like The Primal Blueprint, by Mark Sisson, and Why We Get Fat, by Gary Taubes, M.D.

There are two types of hearing loss. Most commonly, the loss that comes with aging, called “presbycusis,” initially affects high-pitched (high frequency) sounds and progressively worsens over time. More rarely, hearing loss can occur abruptly, affecting either or both ears, and may produce a sense of disorientation and even dizziness. This rarer form is called “sensorineural” hearing loss.

Just because we can name a disease, however, doesn’t mean we understand it. No one really knows for sure what really causes either “presbycusis” or “sensorineural.” The true “root cause” has thus far escaped us.

But hope may be on the way. In a series of studies over the past 15 years or so, Dennis Trune, PhD, has identified a link between a hormone called aldosterone and sensorineural hearing loss. Joining the investigation Jonathan Wright, M.D. has initiated his own study. He offers the preliminary results of that study as well as a nice review of Dr. Trune’s work in his January 2011 issue of Nutrition and Healing (vol 17, issue 11). The bottom line: In more than 50% of those studied, aldosterone supplementation offered significant improvement from sensorineural hearing loss.

As with any medical treatment, consulting an appropriately-educated and trained physician is always important.

Dr. Wright’s Nutrition and Healing is a monthly publication. I commend it to anyone interested in learning more about functional medicine. For more, visit www.wrighgtnewslettercom.

Chelation is an effective way of ridding the body of heavy metal toxicity. Chelation involves introducing into the body any of a number of “chelating agents” specifically designed to bind a particular metal in such a way that it can then be eliminated via urine or stool.

But be careful: not all approaches to chelation are the same. Chelation can be done very safely and effectively using oral agents such as ALA (alpha lipoic acid), EDTA (ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid), DMSA (dimerecaptosuccinic acid), and DMPS (dimercaptopropane sulfonate sodium).

IV chelation, though popular, should be avoided for three important reasons. First, it is unnecessary and potentially dangerous, causing sudden, rapid fluctuations in essential serum minerals and electrolytes. These fluctuations can, among other things, produce potentially life-threatening abnormal heart rhythms (cardiac dysrhythmias). Secondly, IV tubing itself is a source of very dangerous toxins called phthalates, and using IV therapy can actually add to your toxic load. Thirdly, it is generally very expensive and must be done in a medical office

By contrast, oral chelation may be done anywhere, avoids the toxic phthalate issue altogether, and is far more affordable than its IV counterpart.

As it is with women, so it is with men. As it is with menopause, so it is with “andropause.”

With men, the primary hormone involved is testosterone (T). The symptoms of low T? Poor libido, fatigue, muscle weakness, erectile dysfunction, depression, insomnia, mood swings, memory lapses, cognitive slippage, and more. Sound familiar?

Is it hopeless? Is this just an inevitable, unavoidable part of aging? Not at all! Just as hormone replacement can be safely and effectively accomplished with women, so, too, with men. The aging clock can be slowed down, even turned back a bit.

The goal of Functional (Anti-Aging) Medicine is to get at the “root cause” of symptoms, the “root cause” of disease. Why is the body not functioning properly? How can we restore optimal function? With andropause, the “root cause” is clear: declining testosterone levels. The treatment? Increase testosterone levels. It really is just that simple.

How do we raise T levels? Well, exercise for one. That’s right. Exercise increases testosterone production. Beyond that, we can supplement, and we have lots of options. DHEA supplements raise T levels. Clearly, testosterone shots and/or transdermal gels raise T levels. Human chorionic gonadatropin (hCG) shots raise T levels.

Safe, effective, anti-aging, functional medicine is available today.

In fact, cholesterol plays a very important role in every cell in your body. Without cholesterol, cell membranes cease to function, and vitamin D and hormone production comes screeching to a halt.

So cholesterol is actually a good thing … as long as it’s where it’s supposed to be and isn’t where it’s not supposed to be. Like so many things, it’s a matter of balance.

Cholesterol, you see, doesn’t just float around in the bloodstream by itself. It gets packaged inside a carrier molecule known as lipoprotein. While there are many different types of lipoprotein, the two primary ones are known as LDL and HDL. LDL carries cholesterol throughout the body, taking it where it’s needed. HDL molecules transport excess or unused cholesterol back to the liver, where it’s broken down to be recycled.

As designed, the process works well. When, however, something (poor diet choices, genetic predisposition, sedentary lifestyle) disrupts the proper LDL-HDL equilibrium, bad things happen. Cholesterol starts accumulating where it shouldn’t. The result? Inflammation and premature aging. Blocked blood vessels. Strokes. Heart attacks. Bad stuff. Very bad stuff.

So, then, how do we maintain the balance … naturally? What’s the Functional Medicine (a.k.a. Anti-Aging Medicine or Alternative Medicine) approach to lowering LDL and increasing HDL?

Answer:

First, a diet low in processed carbohydrates, saturated fats and high in soy, extra-virgin olive oil, tree nuts, beans, and garlic.
The big gun supplemets: Niacin & Co-Enzyme Q10
Other worthy weapons: Omega 3 Fish Oil, Probiotics, Policosanol, Rutin, Red Yeast Rice, Tocotrienols (a form of vitamin E), green tea, rutin, hesperidin, pantethine (a part of vitamin B5), phytosterol esters.

Insomnia and sleep deprivation are HUGE problems in our stressed out, high-pressure, chronically-fatigued American culture.

Things you can do to improve your sleep:

• Try to maintain a steady schedule: rising and going to bed at the same time each day.
• Avoid distractions when it’s time to sleep – No TV, radios, or laptops. (In fact, such devices produce an electromagnetic field that reduces your body’s ability to produce melatonin, a hormone that helps you feel drowsy.)
• Keep the room as dark as possible – darkness triggers melatonin production.
• If you exercise, great! But not in the late evening.
• Avoid snacking two to three hours before bedtime.
• Consider a non-prescription sleep aid such as melatonin, valerian root, L-theanine, magnesium, or 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP).

There is a safe, effective approach to treating sleep disorders. Functional Medicine – check it out.