Balancing Body Chemistry,
Detoxification, & Chelation
Dietary therapeutics for health and wellbeing are a keystone for nourishing, healing and transforming our BodyMind. In the late 70’s I suffered from hypoglycemia, fatigue, sleepiness, weight gain (the freshman 15-40#) and cured it with diet and exercise changes alone. Then in 1983 I managed a health food store and witnessed the healing potential of the human BodyMind with simple dietary, lifestyle habits and nutritional supplementation. The daily influences of what we feed ourselves, how often, the variety, the source, all of our choices truly matter. There was a study on epigenetics of obese, diabetic, cancer and heart disease ridden mice, which in changing the diet of the pregnant mothers, gave birth to healthy, lean, mice of a different color. These mice continued on with the new diet and retained all of their health benefits. This is very exciting as they still had the same ancestral DNA strain but the methylation had changed, thus proving that our diet is very important! Our body is only as functional as its most deficit nutrient, the “Rate Setting Factor” that constricts the capacity of our optimal functioning. Eating a poor diet, high calorie malnutrition, impedes the potential to create energy, detoxify, heal, and stifles our functioning at the highest potential which is why we must supplement the missing vital elements. Eliminating food allergies and sensitivities, healing an inflamed leaky gut, restoring intestinal flora decimated by antibiotics in pill form and dietary residue in animal proteins, & GMO residue such as Bacillus Thuringiensis (Bt). Bt DNA has been injected into the DNA of various GMO crops, it is a biological pesticide with an insecticide action, and has been found in over 93% of the placental blood of newborn human babies. This means that it is absorbed by the mother, and then crosses the placental barrier, long-term effects are not known. It is my goal to avoid all GMO grains, veggies, fruits, seeds, that are then fed to animals and all of the end products (milk, meat, meat by products and gelatins). This includes recombinant Bovine Growth Hormone that increases milk production in cows, plus increased mastitis, infections, antibiotic usage and it’s residual in commercial cow dairy products. It is important to know your source and ask questions. This long-term exposure to antibiotics can contribute to a lifetime of Candida yeast over growth, gut dysbiosis and bioaccumulated toxins as well as antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. The symptoms of Candida and gut dysbiosis are gas, bloating, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue, sinusitis, immune compromise, thrush (thick white coat on tongue), fungal skin eruptions and rashes, mental confusion and in some case alcohol toxicity from the fermentation of sugar (even though the person never had an alcoholic drink or rarely drinks). This is compounded by a diet missing essential foods, flavors, deficient in essential nutrients, and loaded with pesticides, preservatives, artificial flavors, colors, and man-made chemicals.
Eating in harmony with the seasons, with the widest variety of proteins, veggies, nuts, seeds, herbs, low glycemic fruits, spices, whole non gluten grains (no corn or soy) in moderation, good quality/non rancid fats. Balanced with activity level, and circadian rhythms, supporting our bodies aging. Eating local (closest to source), organic, grass fed, the best and most beautiful of what is available, not purchasing bruised, rotting, or stressed produce as they can make internally generated pesticides (learned at a Functional Medicine Seminar) which compromises our health. Earlier in my studies, there was a book that did some experimentation with Kirlian photography.
Looking for the energy, life force, the Chi given off growing veggies and fruits. Huge while growing, down to half of the energy within 24 hours of harvesting. I made it a point of eating local, fresh food with less canned and frozen foods. Then with our governmental subsides and its support of mega farming, I have watched our food supply become more processed, boxed, canned and convenient, produced far away. It is better to can and freeze tasty local produce, than eat “fresh” flavorless produce, picked unripe from South America, New Zealand and other far away places. Fortunately we live in Boulder, CO where there are at least 5 different health food stores, and the regular grocery stores carry organic selections. Many of the restaurants are farm to table plus our Farmers Market runs from April through December. When we eat localvore, minimally processed, closest to the source, we maximize and enhance our own vitality and CHI.
Our BodyMind health is enhanced by focused supplementation as we each have a unique chemistry, metabolism, toxic load, epigenetic tendencies, strongly imprinted and directed by our everyday choices - sleep, movement, diet, meals & snacks, entertainment, infotainment, work, travel, relationships, hydration & beverage choices, electromagnetic stressors, etc.
Nutrient Program
An individual nutrient program is arrived through a focused lens utilizing a thorough history, including our mothers health, our time in the womb, physical exam, relevant laboratory tests, recurrent infections and drugs used to treat them, evaluating your toxic exposure through your life (home, work, travels, community location, hobbies, etc.), food choices, drinking water and upstream contamination (chemical, solvents, antibiotics, mood altering drugs, chemotherapy, hormones, all medications, etc.), these persistent organic pollutants bioaccumulate in our body, necessitating supported detoxification and chelation of these harmful and poisonous substances.
A woman in her mid 60’s was experiencing increased blood sugar (glucose) and loss of Kidney function. She had been diabetic for over 4 years and was losing Kidney function for a longer time. We changed her diet, hydration, added focused supplementation, and she had her blood drawn 10 days later. She had optimal blood sugar (diabetes gone), down 25% and her Kidney function improved 10%! She was amazed that she had so much influence on the quality of her body and it’s functioning. Her Nephrologist told her to “not drink too much water, but she could have a beer or some wine everyday”, no advice on diet except “don’t eat too much protein”. No advice on sugar, carbs, processed foods and chemicals, quantity, meal timing, gluten, grains, or anything else. She continues to improve, commenting on better cognitive function, energy level, positive outlook, feeling empowered, with knowledge and actions that are changing her life.
Have you noticed all the various cancer treatment centers springing up everywhere? The stories of friends and family being diagnosed with cancer and the alarming escalating rates of breast, uterine, ovarian, prostate & testicular cancers? What is most alarming is that they are all reproductive organs & tissues, responsive to hormones and hormone stimulating substances and then all the other cancers. It used to be that only 1 in 20 women got breast cancer now it is 1 in 6 to 7. In Japan, women who eat their epigenetic traditional diet, 1 in 20 is the ratio, but when they move to America or switch to the American diet the ratio alarmingly becomes the same! Holistic medicine was meant to teach people healthy ways of living and the importance of regular maintenance, treatments, and the power of choice. Like you would for a car or downloads for computer software.
Detoxification
Detoxification is not just an option but an everyday necessity. First and easiest is to eat organic, non-GMO, no pesticides, antibiotics and hormone enriched foods with toxic preservatives and additives. Once we stop adding to our toxic burden, we can maximize our nutrient reserves by increasing organic, grass-fed, in season, local food with minimal processing and foods harvested far away (picked unripe) with diminished nutrient levels and a larger carbon footprint, some of these foods traveling thousands of miles. Through various testing methods I have observed that NO ONE is free from heavy metal burdens, bioaccumulated persistent organic toxins, and nutrient deficiencies. Additionally with all the above ground nuclear testing, various nuclear disasters, including 3 Mile Island, Chernobyl, Fukushima (ongoing leakage and non-containment since 3/2011), we face a legacy of millions of years of contamination. Daily consumption of foods that bind cellular toxins and impurities are Dashi Broth, Sea Vegetables, Miso soup, vinegars (basis of EDTA), Citric acids (lemon, lime), cilantro, garlic, onions, high fiber diets with veggies, seeds, nuts, additional fiber from non-gluten grains, except corn and soy sources) increase the binding and excretion of these unwanted and health compromising poisons. To this we add specific, focused supplementation and Far Infrared Sauna’s to maximized detoxification and support our body through this crucial, all-important process!
Recently various holistic functional medicine seminars are focusing more on adjunctive cancer treatments. Not on prevention and good important lifestyle habits. I did not get into this field to just treat disease processes. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, plus unnecessary surgery, drugs, and radiation. This is how I prepare for my life, the actions I take and is what I teach and share with others.