JUNE 4, 2012 THE TOXIC WORLD / NOTHING COULD BE FINER THAN TO BE IN CAROLINA

"The choices we make.... The co evolution  of plants and people is a harmonious continuum. Plants revitalize us, and we must nurture them in return. It is this reciprocity that sustains the well-being of everything on this planet, and brings a renewed sense of wholeness to all the earth."- from meetings and awakenings-
                                                                                                     ric scalzo and greg cumberland


You must realize that you are in a co existing, constant relationship with everything on Earth Mother. Until you realize this you will never be one with nature. My weekend in Asheville, North Carolina has revitalized me- it always does. I am among colleagues who love plants as much as I do. I respect the plants. I respect nature. I respect everyone I have met and I learn from all. I am humble and grateful.

The herbal world is not new to me. Years ago during medical training, it was foreign to me  The use of medicinal plants has been and still is a life-altering experience and exploration. You may want to find out if plants resonate intuitively with you. They do with me. Do you ever feel fulfilled when gardening or growing plants from seeds? Does your mind wander in the garden? Plants have an uncanny way of entwining the heart and mind. It has done this for me. I hope and pray it does the same to you.

We live in a constant state of environmental overload. From the air we breathe, to the water we drink and to the food we eat. The three classic systems intimately involved with environmental presentation of toxic overload are the immune system, nervous system, and endocrine system. There are some patients who present with books of testing, bags of supplements and every single test being done from 10 or more physicians. This could be nightmare of a patient. But it is a challenge and I love a challenge. This is the patient who has multiple allergies, chemical sensitivity, headache, brain fog, balance issues, mood changes,  Parkinson's movements and sometimes infertility. Oh I forgot, this patient might also be hypothyroid and have multiple autoimmune diseases.

Most doctors will run the usual battery of tests again. I will not repeat everything, and will do heavy metal testing by serum and urine- pre and post provocation (www.doctorsdata.com)  as well as solvent, insecticide and PCBs testing from other companies. After the result the detox must begin. However there usually needs to be change in dietary and exercise lifestyle as well.

First avoid the DIRTY DOZEN FOODS. There are fruits and  vegetables that are most heavily contaminated with chemicals. These are potatoes, lettuce, spinach, grapes, pears, cherries, strawberries, kale, nectarines, celery, blueberries, apples, peaches, and bell peppers.  When purchasing these in the grocery, choose the organic ones.

Second, consume all of the LEAST TOXIC fruits and vegetables which are avocado, onions, pineapples, mango, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, watermelon, grapefruit and sweet potatoes.

Do not eat FARMED or ATLANTIC salmon. Stay away from fish that have a high mercury load like tuna, swordfish, marlin, snapper and Chilean sea bass. (checkout www.vitalchoice.com).  Vital choice is a great source of your fish. Also check the charts for lowest mercury content fish like Alaskan salmon, tilapia, sole and catfish.

Reduces all 'white sugar' Avoid processed foods to the best of your ability. Say goodbye to bagels and lox.,

This is a start...there are more suggestions...

Until tomorrow...

MAY 30, 2012 WEIGHT GAIN AND FOOD INTOLERANCE

"Expressing ourselves honestly in any relationship is essential to our well-being."

Yes, honesty is the best policy. It doesn't matter what kind of relationship we are talking about. It could be the parent-child, child-parent, sister-sister, man-woman, man-man, or woman-woman relationship.If you are to have a healthy relationship, then you must be honest.  I was a man who was honest, but I had those little white lies. Sobriety has taught me that little white lies are in reality 'big' lies told small or stretching the truth. In either case, in my opinion it is a lie and will eventually get you in trouble. It is not healthy in any relationship not to be honest. If you disagree then you must ask yourself, what are you hiding from, or what is so secret? It could be a skeleton in the closet that needs to be brought out into the light of day to free yourself. Sometimes these skeletons are not pleasant, You are not unique--we all have those skeletons. I had plenty to fill many a casket. It was a relief to get it out.. my body actually felt lighter.


In the photo above, do you ever feel like your stomach hurts? Mine does!


It is not enough to lose weight if  you eat less and exercise more. You need to consider why you are eating so little and exercising so much, and you cannot lose weight nor an inch of your waist line. You need to start considering if something you are eating or drinking is causing inflammation in the body. This is almost always overlooked. This was taught to me years ago when working closely with Dr. Atkins. Food allergy testing is just as important as following the low carbohydrate, high protein lifestyle. Today, I have no specific diet for everyone. Every patient is an individual. It is not a diet but a change in a dietary lifestyle. When a patient eats food that causes inflammation it is more than just bloating or gas the individual will experience. Some patients do not even experience these reactions, but have joint pain, headaches,anxiety and skin problems. These individuals never connect that their food intake could be doing this to their body. Those who consume diet sodas have more body inflammation than most patients I see. Well - there is one exception--those who consume highly processed foods.


Last week I saw a patient with an autoimmune thyroiditis, called Hashimoto's thyroidits (inflammation of the thyroid) causing fatigue, weight gain, depression, hair loss, cold intolerance and constipation. She is taking some thyroid medication. None of her previous doctors have ever mentioned the association between gluten foods and autoimmune thyroidits. Most of her symptoms were related to anxiety, depression, apathy and loss. This is because she eats gluten. Not only does she eat gluten but she eats white bread. I do not know many people who still consume white bread like Wonder Bread. She does not have a food allergy to gluten. She has a food intolerance or sensitivity which is not as obvious as a food allergy. These food in tolerances or sensitivities can take up to 3 days to cause symptoms. These are the delayed reactions. This is why an IgG RAST food test must be done. You will not see these delayed reactions if you do an immediate or IgE food allergy test. These IgG food intolerances are a source of many of the chronic diseases as chronic joint pain, muscle aches, depression, anxiety and even eczema.

You must eat foods that are typically low in inflammation as these foods place less burden on your gastrointestinal system. These are typically foods that are low in sugar (or those with a low glycemic index). Glycemic index is how quickly the food will turn to sugar. Breads and pastas are foods with a high glycemic index. Fruits that are high in sugar are also not the best to eat. These fruits taste good but have low antioxidant potential. These fruits should be combined with fruits that are high in antioxidant potential and low in sugar. All berries, apples and pears are lower in sugar and high in antioxidant potential.

You need to change your dietary lifestyle. Yes it is great to remove these foods, but you must then repair and restore the gut lining. This is assisted by the increased intake of amino acids such as glutamine, theanine and taurine. You must take a probiotic (the good bacteria) as well as vitamin D. I am sure your vitamin D level is low if you have food intolerance or food sensitivities.

I am a crafter. I am an artist. I, to the best of my ability craft a treatment plan for you. We accomplish this by working together as a team. We use certain blood testing to develop this plan. We also look at the psycho social issues that might be affecting your medical issues. This is a true overall assessment of the individual. I believe the doctor should talk to the patient NOT at the patient.

Until tomorrow...

MAY 15, 2012 hCG DIET

“Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don't resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.”


― Lao Tzu

Reality is reality. You cannot change that. Change happens every day and every minute of the day. Change often creates fear. Do not let fear stop you from change. Always move in the forward direction. Look at the past as a learning experience. Do not project into the future. Let go of your expectations of people, places and things. Life should be like a stream--let it flow. In the stream there are rocks, twigs, branches and mud piles. These are the obstacles. Learn to let your life flow around them.


How many diets have you tried? Did you try a dietary lifestyle change or just a fad diet to lose weight? There are more 250 diets on the market and many of them are written in books. I worked for one of the biggest diet gurus until his death. His name was Robert Atkins, MD. Many of the diets today are direct derivatives of the Atkins low carbohydrate lifestyle. There is South Beach diet which is  a low carbohydrate lifestyle with better sources of protein than the high animal protein of Atkins. Actually South Beach is really a modified Atkins dietary lifestyle.

I have reviewed many diets in my clinical years. I have reviewed Ornish, Weight Watchers, Sugar Busters, Protein Power, Estelyn et al.

Many of my patients have tried and asked me about the hCG diet. The hCG weight loss program is based on the power of hCG to improve your metabolism. hCG, or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin, is a hypothalamic  hormone that, when present in your body in adequate levels, controls many metabolic functions. Combined with a special diet of 500 calories a day, hCG can force your body to utilize the stored fat in your body helping you to lose weight rapidly.  A physician has to be familiar and be enrolled as an hCG physician. I find it very difficult for some patients to maintain a daily allowance of only 500 calories. Of course, using hCG does allow this to be done. One of my patients lost 30 lbs. When she stopped the hCG program she gained 20 of her thirty pounds back as she couldn't restrict herself/himself to 500 calories.
It is a medically advised dietary program.  The hCG diet has been around longer than you might think.

The hCG diet was developed in Italy in the 1930s and 1940s by the late Dr A.T.W. Simeons M.D. Dr. Simeons spent over 20 years searching for the proper combination of hormones and foods to achieve unprecedented weight loss. This method has been used by medical doctors all over the world since the late 1950’s. Hundreds of thousands of patients have safely and successfully used this diet to lose weight. The hCG diet for weight loss effectively addresses your metabolic and hormonal imbalances likely caused by a lifetime of exposure to environmental toxins, stress and denatured or altered foods —that can negatively impact your metabolism and your waistline. 

Dr. Albert T. W. Simeons, (1900–1970), English endocrinologist, schooled in Germany. During a short stay in Africa he became interested in finding a cure for tropical diseases. Then he went to India in 1930. He was awarded with the Red Cross Order of Merit for his discoveries in new methods that could lead to a cure for malaria.

While in India he also became involved with an endocrine disorder called adiposogenital dystrophy. This disorder attributed to the pituitary gland would cause extreme obesity while delaying puberty in young teen aged boys. Dr. Simeons believed that if human Chorionic Gonadotropin was administered in very low doses while eating a very low calorie diet extreme weight loss occurred. Scientific consensus does not support Simeons's claims finding no weight loss attributable to the use of hCG


 I feel from more than the average blood tests that I order for patients especially serum (blood) levels of toxins, food allergy IgG testing, insulin levels, a possible glucose tolerance test and the 'right' thyroid testing
I address the root of the problems. There are also many psychosocial issues that need to be discussed with the patient including addictions, meditation, self esteem and hobbies, anger/resentment, forgiveness and self like or self love.  I address the root of the problem as does the hCG diet

I reduce risk factors associated with obesity such as high blood pressure, high blood sugar and elevated cholesterol, while repairing your metabolism and improving your relationship with food. I go Beyond Cholesterol. Americans are obsessed with their bad cholesterol (LDL) levels. Do you know your Triglyceride (TG) to Good Cholesterol (HDL) ratio? Have you had your high sensitive CRP checked? What is your serum (blood) mercury level?

The hCG diet plan is designed to severely limit caloric intake.Some individuals cannot reduce their caloric intake to 500 calories. hCG diet feels that the actual nutrition you will be getting will come from your own body fat.

The diet provides for two servings each day of low-fat, high-quality protein, which is needed to keep you from losing muscle mass. The diet is only done for a short amount of time (four to six weeks) and is not designed for the long term. No diet is for long term. I do not think the word diet should be used regardless of what you are following. It is a dietary lifestyle change no matter what diet you are following  It SHOULD ALWAYS be a change in lifestyle  The very low caloric intakeof the hCG diet is similar to the induction phase of Atkins and then you go to the maintenance phase which is equivalent to the On-Going Weight Loss Phase (O.W.L.)

I feel greater success comes when you explore your relationship with food as you make changes in your dietary lifestyle. Discuss your psychosocial issues with your doctor. The problem is many doctors do not have enough time. Do not follow a diet through a book.

Protein is a major component of the hCG diet for weight loss plan. hCG info recommends that you eat two 100 gram servings of low fat chicken breast, white fish, lean beef or veal each day. Consuming two servings of high-quality protein each day can provide you with the essential amino acids needed to sustain adequate health. I agree that protein (moderate amount ) from any source other than red meat is the way to go. It is better to have snacks between each meal and eat every 2-3 hours.


The hCG diet program  can have long-lasting effects on improving your metabolism and your enhancing your relationship with food. As part of the hCG info, you’ll learn about portion size, and how to choose more nutritious foods than you may normally eat.  This is with any dietary lifestyle change. The secret of the diet is the administration of hCG into your system. Many people rely on that and do not always change dietary habits. This is why many gain weight after using hCG.

Do a lifestyle change in moderation with as much guidance as possible. For those who want a quick fix or have an addictive personality I can see this working. I also have the many 'brides' to be use Victoza or Byetta pens to lose inches rather than stop their bread or chocolate. Another quick fix.

You must be motivated in any dietary LIFESTYLE change

You also must exercise which I didn't see mentioned in the introduction of the hCG diet. And where is the meditation?

Whatever you chose- make it part of your life!
Until tomorrow...

Constant Learning is Essential

March 19, 2010 Friday
"I am always willing to learn, however I do not always like to be taught."
--Winston Churchill


I received this quote on my phone today from a friend--there are no coincidences. It gave me the inspiration to discuss a person's willingness to learn, including mine. Some seventeen years ago I was willing to try something new. I was willing to learn but it took me some time to be taught. I did it my way and I had to start again after ninety days and do it a different way. Most of us do not want to be taught or "told" about different ways. But I think it best if our minds are like sieves, always open to new ideas.

The idea of lifestyle changes creates fear--again that word fear appears. I could never say that I do not have fear. I do have certain fears. Everyone has at least one fear. They might not even realize the fear they have.

When considering a change in one's dietary lifestyle, there is always a certain amount of resistance. Most people feel they can never go without a piece of Italian or French bread, chocolate ice cream or even a glass of wine. Remember it is only for today. You can start the day over any time you want. But consider this: you may add extra time to your clock when you change your dietary lifestyle. This means you increase your survival by years. Maybe now that doesn't seem like much but it might allow you to see your children and/or grandchildren graduate high school or college and even attend their commitment ceremony.

This is why your consumption of 'white' must change. In my opinion, sugar equals 'white death'. Prior to the industry of processed food in this country, we had very little diabetes and heart disease. It wasn't until Wonder Bread hit the shelves and the food industry began adding more chemicals to food that these diseases began to rise in this country. Very little, if any, heart disease was known in the 1920s. I am sure it was there but infectious disease killed millions (remember the Influenza pan epidemic of 1918).

All disease can be traced to the consumption of some food. High sugar intake will lead to diabetes which will lead to obesity which will lead to Cardiovascular Disease. The same can be said about milk. Read "The Untold Story of Milk". I am not advocating drinking any raw milk but there are studies to support drinking raw milk from certified farmers for certain diseases. Raw milk (unpasteurized) still has all the enzymes in it, unlike the milk most of us purchase today.

I am sure you are still thinking about yesterday's HALT lesson. Was there anything to be learned? Sure: eat balanced meals and snacks in between them. Try to consume less white carbohydrates.

The needlework above is cross-stitch. During this past summer, I decided to do bookmarks. Actually I started doing them some 8-9 years ago. I needed a hobby at that time in my life to boost my self-esteem. It gave me a task and resulted in a finished product. Today, life is about action not reaction.

Although Sir William Osler stated, "Medicine is not taught in the classroom (books) but at the bedside," it is appropriate today that a bookmark reads BOOKS.

Until tomorrow...