Beyond The Basics Health Academy Podcast

Podcast 032: Telomeres

Telomeres are the specialized structures at the end of chromosomes that protect the signal of DNA throughout our life.  This is similar to how our shoelaces have plastic at the end to protect so that our shoelaces do not unravel.  We are conceived with about 15,000 nucleotides in each telomere (nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA and telomeres) and then born with about 10,000 nucleotides.  As our cells replicate and are broken down by oxidative stress, we shorten these telomeres.  It is the length of this telomere that is a direct correlation with health, wellness, and longevity.  There is also another component of telomere length by looking at telomerase that protects the telomeres.  We know some things like estrogen help to increase telomerase to protect the length.  Research is still ongoing in this field.

We have found some positive research with some Chinese Medical Herbs and protecting the length of the telomeres.  Shoushen and Astragulus are two Chinese Herbs that have been shown to have a positive effect on telomere length.

For now, I think in order to preserve the telomeres, we have to look at the cultures that have been able to live longer and healthier.  Dan Buettner, from the University of Minnesota, has become an expert in longevity through his work and exploring the “Blue Zones.”  These are cultures and groups of people that are living longer.  By looking to these communities we can get answers on how to live healthier and preserve our telomere length.

Here is the link to the article about Dinner with Blue Zone Solutions Author Dan Buettner:

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/02/fashion/dinner-with-blue-zones-solution-dan-buettner.html?_r=0

Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices.

Podcast 031: Natural Medicine Cabinet Overhaul

Wendy and Dr. Meaghan discuss what natural items you can use to replace your medicine cabinet.  Whenever possible you can utilize homeopathic remedies, essential oils, and Bach Flower Essences.  We go into detail about what you can switch out of your medicine cabinet.

Thank you to listener Kara Snoke for the GREAT topic.

Here is a recap:

Pain Relief/Migraines/Headaches

Few and White Bark for aspirin replacement

500-750 mg Magnesium

400 mg Riboflavin

Common cold

·      Prescription sprays can cause dependency

·      Pseudoephedrine has many potential side effects

·      Eucalyptus oil (Good idea to put it in steaming water so that you can breath it in)

·      Neti pot with salt-water solution.  Lean your head over a sink and pour the water to allow nasal irrigation

·      Echinacea

·      Zicam is a zinc-based homeopathic

·      3000 mg Vitamin C

·      Zinc (especially important if smell and taste are decreasing)

·      There are great essential oils such as doTERRA’s OnGuard and Young Living’s Thieves oil.  They are great for the immune system and fighting off infections.

·      Melaleuca/Tea Tree Oil is antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal.

Hangover

·      2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice with 1-teaspoon honey to warm water.  Take immediately upon waking and 2-3 times during the day.  Drink slowly

·      Increase water intake throughout the day

·      Control blood sugar, hydrate, and alter pH levels for best results

·      4 teaspoons of raw honey every hour until signs and symptoms decrease

·      The honey is good because it is rich in potassium that counteracts the alcohol

·      Bananas can also do this

·      Activated charcoal to bind impurities

·      Tomato juice to metabolize alcohol quickly- can add lemon, honey and cayenne pepper to juice

·      Egg is rich in cysteine that will help break down toxins

Allergies

·      Natural HST- Histamine reducing agents that usually have fenugreek and goldenseal

·      500 mg quercetin twice daily between meals

·      75 mg butterbur twice daily

·      Stinging nettle capsules 3 grams twice daily

Digestion

·      PGX as a fiber for constipation.  Can find out more information at www.pgx.com but this is a great fiber that helps to control weight, blood sugars, improve digestion, and regulate cholesterol levels

·      Magnesium based relaxers are good for digestive regulation.

·      Ginger will help to soothe the stomach

·      Probiotics and digestive enzymes will help to regulate digestive activity

Sleep

·      Diffuse lavender or rub it on the bottom of the feet (if can be used topically)

·      Magnesium at night (especially good for Restless Legs Syndrome)

·      5-HTP and St. John’s Wort can help with sleep due to improving serotonin levels

·      Melatonin 1-3 mg.  If you can find an extended release melatonin that will help since melatonin’s half-life is 47 minutes.

·      If deficient in GABA, usually will utilize wine to help relax and sleep at night.  Replace with GABA improving supplements.

·      Be careful with valerian because it can become dependent and have side effects.  Use cautiously.

Muscle Strains and Bruises

·      Arnica gel is a great homeopathic for anti-inflammatory, bumps, and bruises

·      Capsaicin ointment from hot peppers is great for inflammation and joint pain. Many people with arthritis pain find relief with this cream.

·      Calendula cream comes from a herbal plant (marigold) and is super healing, antibacterial, viral and anti-inflammatory

·      Peppermint based essential oils or creams

Cuts and Scrapes

·      Tea tree oil/Melaleuca- has been shown in research to kill off Staphylococcus aureus

·      Aloe is great for wounds and skin burns

PMS

·      1200-1500 mg of calcium per day to help with cramps, bloating, backache, and fatigue. 

·      Pine bark

·      Chaste tree (Agnus castus) 20 mg per day

UTI

·      Cranberry caps

·      Uva Ursi

·      D-mannose

Mild anxiety/nervousness

·      Bach Rescue Remedy- flower essences

Be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices

Podcast 030: SOW Organic Farm to Table

Organic farming has become a $35 billion dollar industry in the United States.  In the past 15 years, organic farming has gone from 2 million acres to 5.4 million acres.  There is a rigorous process in order for a farmer to have the label “USDA Certified Organic.”  Lydia Henshaw is with us today to discuss the process of certified organic and farmers.  She is with the company of Sow Organic and has a product that helps to connect the communication of farmers with the certifying agencies. 

She talks about how the organization of documents and the process.  It takes three years to fully build a certified organic farm.  She discusses how her products helps to make this an easier process for both farmers and certifying agents in order to help uphold the integrity of USDA’s certified organic label.

If you would like to find out more about her company check out Sow Organic at www.soworganic.com.  Or you can contact her at [email protected]

Podcast 29: Book Club 1: Why We Get Fat by Gary Taubes Chapter 1-4

We have increased weight in our country throughout the last 100 years. Many times we think that this increase in weight has really been since the 1950s but truly we have started to gain weight well before that.  In 1939, there was a childhood obesity clinic at Columbia University.  50 years ago 1 in 8 people were obese, now 2 in 3 are obese. 

Gary Taubes talks in these first four chapters about how it is not about calorie-in vs calorie-out.  It is more of a hormone control with growth hormone, thyroid hormone, reproductive hormones, insulin, and leptin.  Insulin and leptin resistance play a role in increased weight gain. 

Marion Nestle states that gaining weight is natural in this environment because companies are in the business of selling more and having you eat more. 

Yale University psychologist Kelly Brownell states “Do we live in a toxic environment that encourages overeating and physical inactivity?”  Are our bodies being driven to eat more because they are undernourished.  This also speaks to the fact that we are seeing that there is a link to obesity and poverty NOT a correlation of obesity and prosperity.  It has become a socioeconomic problem where we are starting to see a higher rate of obesity in the poor.  Also, some cultures, such as the Pima Indians, had fine weight management with an overabundance of food but gained weight when they were given different and processed foods. 

Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices.

Podcast 28: The Human Microbiome.  Probiotics and reinoculating the gut.

The 2007 NIH Human Microbiome Project launched a study to look at the correlation between the microbes that live on us and our overall health and wellness.  The research has been amazing that shows the positive correlation between supporting these microbes and health. Research shows that there is an increase in weight for individuals that have been on long-term or broad spectrum antibiotics.

We are made up of 10 trillion human cells but we have about 100 trillion microbes on our body.  This includes about 10,000 species.  It is important to live in symbiosis with these microbes because they help us.

Probiotics are the microbes that are in the gut.  The balance of them is important for overall gut health and immune support.  I recommend that you take different probiotics with billions of microbes in them.  You are going to want to switch them up.  It is also important to eat fermented foods and prebiotics to support the overall health of your gut and body. 

Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices

Podcast 27: Estrogen dominance and estrogen cleanse

Estrogen dominance can occur because of a high estrogen level or low progesterone level in comparison to each other.  Here are the signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance:

It is important when you look at hormone health that you make sure the following are under control:

·      Gut health and GI health

·      Weight maintenance.  Increased fat leads to the aromatization of testosterone to estrogen, increased hormone chaos from stored hormones and increased insulin pushes more testosterone.  This is why increased weight leads to men being more feminine and women being more masculine.  Not fair, but true

·      Diet.  Make sure that your diet is not leading to more hormonal problems.  Phytoestrogens and concentrated GMO based soy foods cause a problem.

·      Drinking because of its effects on the liver. The liver is responsible for breaking down hormones and a toxic liver causes hormonal problems. 

·      Stress.  Increased cortisol pushes the progesterone into cortisol.  This leads to what we call a cortisol steal where instead of balancing progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone, we push into cortisol. Manage your stress, manage your hormones.

·      Limit xenoestrogens (foreign estrogens) in your life.  Reduce the use of plastics, BPA, synthetic hormones, and estrogens in your diet.

If you want more information on hormones, check out our hormonal health course on www.btbha.com.  It goes much more in depth about hormone health.

Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices

Podcast 026: Coffee Has Many Health Benefits

Pure coffee has many health benefits.  The benefits of coffee are also increased by the nutrients and their affect at decreasing the negative effects of caffeine. The positive phytochemicals that are found in coffee are:

The benefits of coffee come from small amounts each day of organic, pure coffee.  Coffee should not be a means of taking in more sugar and dairy.  It is also not beneficial for the following people:

·      High levels of stress that use the caffeine to stimulate the adrenals and cortisol levels

·      Electrolyte imbalances because this would be affected by the diuretic effect of coffee

·      Sensitive to coffee

There is now a lot of research that shows the benefits of coffee.  It protects the brain and shows a decrease in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. It also shows a decrease in Type 2 Diabetes.  Also, because of its antioxidant effects, it shows a decrease in certain cancers. 

We recommend that you drink 1 cup of coffee a day of organic, dark roasted coffee from a glass or ceramic travel mug.

Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices.

Podcast 025: Stress

Thanks Super Fan Nicole for the great question about stress and the impacts it has on health. 

Stress can be physical, emotional, or chemical in nature.  One thing to remember is that our body is geared to tolerate and want stress for short periods of time. The problem is the effect that stress has over long-term exposure. 

CAFFEINE USE DURING STRESS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA.  Repeated doses of caffeine in a short period of time or over a single day result in markedly increased cortisol levels, regardless of the stressor involved or the sex of the individual. Although the extent of the link has not been fully elucidated, a positive relationship clearly exists between caffeine intake and cortisol release, and this relationship is exacerbated when other stressors are introduced. It also triggers the body to sleep less and people tend to go from one caffeinated drink to another.

SHUTS DOWN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, SHUTS DOWN THE CELL MEMBRANES, AND CAUSES WEIGHT GAIN. During periods of increased stress, “the immune cells are being bathed in molecules which are essentially telling them to stop fighting,” according to Dr. Esther Sternberg. These molecules, namely cortisol (a natural steroid), suppress the immune system and inflammatory pathways, rendering the body more susceptible to disease.

Women are more prone to stress, Women are not fight or flight wired in brain.  They are wired to negioate and feel.  The higher level of estrogen has more of an effect on their health when it comes to stress.

Great books that talk about the effects of stress on the body are:

“Biology of Belief” by Bruce Lipton

“Molecules of Emotion” by Candace Pert

Gratitude is the emotion that has the most healing effects on the body. It is important to remember to surround yourself by gratitude and appreciation.  It is also important to make sure to take time for yourself during the day and manage the source of stress.

Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices.

Podcast 024: STOP SODA POP

Wellness Mama is a great website and blog with lots of great information.  On www.wellnessmama.com there is a great list of 10 reasons to avoid soda.  Soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar.  This sugar along with artificial sugar leads to increase in carb cravings and increased intake in sugar and carbs.  It is interesting to see that soft drink companies are the largest user of sugar in the country.

Soda contains both phosphoric acid and citric acid that leads to a more acidic environment in the body. This leads to the body having to neutralize the acidity and alkalinize the body.  It does this by pulling calcium out of storage in the bones and teeth. This leads to softening of the bones.  On top of that, you can say goodbye to the pearly whites.  Research published in General Dentistry shows that mouths of cocaine-users, methamphetamine-user, and a habitual diet-soda drinker, found the same level of tooth erosion due to citric acid eroding the enamel over time.  One diet soda a day leads to a 36% increased risk for metabolic syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes.

Diet soda uses artificial sweeteners to make a calorie-free drink. This can lead to calorie confusion and weight gain.  It still triggers insulin that can push the body to store fat.

Diet sodas are a chemically altered, multiple sodium and aspartame containing product that might make you crave carbs.  These drinks provide no nutritional value to your diet.  Aspartame has been linked to almost a hundred different health problems including seizures, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, diabetes, and emotional disorders.  Researchers from the University of Texas found that over the course of about 10 years, diet soda drinkers had a 70% greater increase in waist circumference compared with non-drinkers.  And participants who drank 2 or more sodas experienced a 500% greater increase.. University of Miami and Columbia University research showed that soda drinkers were 43% more likely to experience a vascular event.  Therefore, soda drinkers are more at risk for stroke, heart attack, or vascular disease.   American Academy of Neurology showed that over the course of 10 years people who drank more than four cups of soda a day were 30% were more likely to develop depression.

Sodas containing high fructose corn syrup.  Most of this corn has been genetically modified, and there are no long term sturdies showing the safety of these genetically modified foods.  Also, interesting to note that high fructose corn syrup has mercury.

Northern Kentucky University showed that low-calorie cocktail mixers get you drunk faster than sugar-based beverages.  Had a higher breath alcohol concentration possibly because they are absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly.

When aspartame gets above 86 degrees Fahrenheit the wood alcohol in aspartame converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid.  This leads to metabolic acidosis.  Formaldehyde is a severe toxin to the body and formic acid is an irritant (found in fire ants). This is stored in the fat of humans.

If you are interested in knowing the whole story about the history of aspartame, it can be found at this link: http://www.rense.com/general50/KILLER.HTM

Thanks for listening.  Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices

023: The trouble with diagnosing Lyme disease with Patrick Plum

Wendy and Dr. Meaghan welcome Patrick Plum to the BTBHA podcast studio. He has been battling with Lyme Disease since 2012. He tells his story about visiting 36 different doctors and the difficulty with both getting a diagnosis and treatment options.

If you are someone that has been struggling to find an answer regarding medical concerns, you will totally relate to this podcast. His story shows how important it is to be your own advocate at times. He talks also about the difficulty with diagnosing and treating chronic Lyme disease because it is not recommended by the CDC (Center for Disease Control).

He also talks about the severe Jarisch-Herxheimer effects (also known as "herxing") that he has experienced from treatments. We talk about why these happen with Lyme. He also currently uses a Rife machine and Kangen water for additional support. Also, touches on utilizing the Gerson therapy with treatment.

This podcast is full of great information not only for Lyme patients but also anybody dealing with ongoing health concerns. Thanks Patrick Plum so much for sharing your story. If you would like to connect with him on facebook, you can find him as Patrick Plum and he has a Lyme warrior logo for his picture.