food allergies

Auto-immunity, the what, where, why and how

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My favorite question is “why?”.  I ask it many times in my mind during an intake until I really get to the root causes of the health concern.  When we ask ourselves, our body, “why is this happening to me?”, we can often find the answers ourselves.  Our body is always trying to communicate to us what it needs and doesn’t need.  With awareness of the wisdom of the body, even in its dis-ease, we learn, grow, have hope, and enlighten ourselves and all that we touch.  We learn to trust the body, its vital energy to heal itself, and this leads to miraculous healing power emerging.  So this is a conversation, into the “why” of auto-immune disease.  Enjoy.

What are common auto-immune diseases?

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis

What causes auto-immunity?

It happens when our immune system sees our normal cells as foreign cells.

Why does this happen? The term is cross-reactivity. The cells of our immune system are not operating properly and see a particle in the blood that should not be there, they make a “red flag” warning label for this particle. This particle looks VERY similar to a protein in our body’s structure, and sends the immune system army to attack it.

Why does this cross-reactivity happen?

2 reasons

First reason.  The immune system is geared more towards something called Humoral and Cell-mediated Immune response (aka TH2 response). The body has allowed foreign substances into the blood stream.

Why is the immune system tipped toward TH2?

Because the TH1 system or balance is suppressed.

Why is it suppressed?

Toxins in the body suppress it. Such as mercury and lead, pthalates (perfumes), exhaust from diesel, benzene, pesticides, insecticides and more. These actually suppress the chemical signals of the TH1 immune system, and use up our glutathione (the most important de-toxer in the body)

What is the first sign that this is happening in the body?

Allergies, and a person that “never gets a cold/flu”, or one that has chronic infection they cannot fight.

 

Second reason.  The body allows things into the body that should not be there, term is permeability.

Why does this happen?

Body linings have become permeable, or “leaky”

Why?

Some insult to the body causes this, here are a few.

Stress (I know you hear this all the time, it is researched to be true)

Drugs, commonly, steroids, NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc), anti-biotics, alcohol, other infections

Food intolerances, eating foods you are intolerant to, causes toxins in bowel

Dehydration cause dry cracked membranes (nose)

NSAIDS break down our healthy mucus protective barrier

Anti-biotics kill our natural immune barrier army

Alcohol damages the lining of the gastrointestinal tract

Other infections such as candida

So what can I do?

Avoid chemicals and things that suppress our immune system. Buy a high quality air purifier for your home or at least your bedroom. Chemicals travel on dust particles. Change your chemicals for cleaning out for vinegar, boric acid and baking soda. Do not wear perfume. Eat organic, non-GMO foods. Avoid plastics as much as possible. Sweat daily, in the form of exercise, sauna, or hot Epsom salts baths. Take NAC or n-acetyl-cysteine and buffered vitamin C daily to increase glutathione. See a naturopathic physician to help guide you through the process.

 

Can I reverse auto-immune disease?

Yes, while we don’t yet understand how to regenerate damaged tissues, you can certainly lower the anti-body levels, put your disease in remission, and live a long healthy life.

 

 

Another Cancer Cause Revealed

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Colorectal cancer is the 3rd most common cancer diagnosed in men and women in the U.S. The American Cancer Society’s estimates for 2014 are 96,830 new cases of colon and 40,000 new cases of rectal cancer. The lifetime risk is 1 in 20 or 5%. There are factors within our control to lessen our chances (research based) such as eating less red meat (beef, lamb, liver), especially processed meats (lunch meat, hot dogs). Also, increasing vegetable and high-fiber foods, and getting daily exercise have been proven to be effective. Obesity, is a strong risk factor within our control, as is Vitamin D deficiency, drinking more than 2 alcoholic drinks per day and radiation exposure.

 

A new study links eating a high-carb diet to colorectal cancer re-occurrence. It is highly likely that the participants in this study always enjoyed a high carb diet and did not start AFTER their colorectal cancer bout. That being said, I add eating a high carb diet to the list for a clear risk factor for colorectal (or any) cancer. Here are the study facts.

 

This study analyzed data on 1,011 adults, most in their early 60s, who had surgery and chemotherapy for Stage III colon cancer, in which the cancer had spread to lymph nodes in the immediate area but had not metastasized to distant parts of the body. In about a seven-year span, the cancer recurred in 343 people; 262 of them died, as did 43 others who had no recurrence of cancer. People who consumed the most carbohydrate-rich foods were 80 percent more likely to have had a recurrence of colon cancer or to have died than were those who consumed the least of such foods. Among people who were overweight or obese, high carbohydrate consumption more than doubled the risk for a cancer recurrence or death.

Anything we do to our bowels that is not healthy can contribute to cancer.  Cancer is a cell that has mistakenly gone awry.  The cells of the body are wise however and can convert back to normal cells.  This happens all the time in the body.  Problem is, often we only start to care about ourselves and the health of our cells, AFTER something has gotten our attention (i.e. a tumor), and then it seems too late to make changes.  Some things that come to mind that can harm the gut lining are taking too many antibiotics, steroids, acid blockers, ibuprofen, naproxen, aspirin, not moving the bowels daily, eating foods we are intolerant too (causes toxins), eating “foods” that are not real food, preservatives, nitrates, nitrites, pesticides, insecticides, fake sweeteners and other chemicals.

 

Naturopathic medical doctors play a powerful role in getting to root cause of the health issue. I highly recommend finding a naturopath to support your health.  I am governed by the naturopathic principles of do not harm, and treat the cause. I also can help stimulate the vital healing power of your body and with the help of nature, optimize your health, for you and for all.

 

Remember for a free consult, contact the office at 480-607-0299, or email me directly.  I’d love to talk to you!  Check out my facebook page and follow our feed on twitter.

Why am I sensitive to certain foods?

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What is happening to me?  Now I am sensitive to foods!  Finally, the body is trying to tell you what foods are harmful, the signal is getting louder, and you are hearing it!  These symptoms are truly blessings in disguise.

As you may know, trying to figure out exactly which foods are bothering you can be maddening.  Everyone has 1 or more food intolerances, and have had them since birth.  Many of us don’t ever notice symptoms, others notice and patch the symptoms with medications.  In recent years, with the surge of gluten intolerance, the idea of food intolerances is becoming more popular, so more and more are catching on.

The symptoms of eating foods you are intolerant to are as unique as we are.  They can arise in minutes, hours or days.  They can range from itching to hives, gas/bloating to fatigue, heartburn to abdominal pain, migraines to sinus congestion .

If you have been eating the foods you are intolerant to, this tells me that your GI tract may be unhealthy and not functioning properly on a cellular level. What are the OTHER underlying things that may cause unhealthy GI tract?

  • Antibiotic use
  • Chemotherapy – (methotrexate)
  • Alcohol use
  • Eating food you are Intolerant to
  • Chronic use of NSAIDS (aspirin, ibuprofen, etc)
  • Steroids (prednisone, cortisone, etc)
  • Surgery/Trauma
  • Recent gastroenteritis
  • Aging
  • Stress
  • Low anti-oxidants
  • Poor diet

 

So what can I do about it?

The first thing I would do is test your Food Intolerance via a blood test.  Clearly, eating these foods cause an unhealthy GI tract in a major way.

What is food intolerance anyway?

Your body cannot digest the foods you are intolerant to properly.  These partly digested food particles produce measurable levels of toxins in the GI tract.  These toxins are “work” for the body to get rid of.  They also lead to microscopic deterioration of the healthy GI lining.  The undigested food particles basically “rot” in the intestines and interfere with normal functioning of the body.  This can lead to chronic disease.  These intolerant foods are a source of maldigestion, intestinal toxemia, dysbiosis, gastroparesis, leaky gut, and cause chronic irritation to body tissues.

Once this food or food combination is determined through testing and then eliminated, your body begins to heal.  I can also help you heal the GI tract.  In order to do this, certain nutrients are needed.  Occasionally a GI cleanse may be needed first.  Of course, we must first avoid, as much as possible, drugs that harm the GI tract, high stress, and we must eat a healthy diet of plenty of plant foods and no processed foods or sugars.

Here are some things that help the GI to heal.

L-glutamine – food for the GI tract cells

Probiotics – good bacteria that help the GI tract by producing food for GI tract cells, by keeping at bay foreign invaders that make us sick, and they help increase our immune system

N-acetyl-glucosamine or NAG – is from seafood and helps produce healthy mucus lining which protects the GI tract cells from damage

Fiber – absorbs toxins and pulls them out of the body, helps feed the good bacteria and keep them healthy, moves things along so stagnant conditions don’t ensue.

Slippery Elm – helps produce healthy mucus lining, an important part of the health of the GI tract

All patients benefit from complying with the food intolerance test results.  This is the first step, however.  Some patients need deeper support and further testing such as the stool analysis.

How can I find out what my food intolerances are?  Contact me anytime or call the office and set up an appointment for the FIT or food intolerance test.

Remember for a free consult, contact the office at 480-607-0299 or email me directly.  I’d love to talk to you!  For coupons and the latest updates, check out our facebook page, follow our feed on twitter, and sign up for a monthly newsletter.