A lot of my patients suffer from various types of mood disorders, though I’d say that anxiety is slightly more common than depression.  While sometimes neurotransmitter balancing is the best way to approach this, and there are certainly plenty of lifestyle changes, hormone balancing, medication issues and a number of other factors to consider, quite often some very simple techniques can make a very big difference.  Here’s a few of my favorites.  I do my best to practice these myself when I get stressed!

1. Pay attention to what you are thinking about.  Sometimes it’s hard to remember that you are always thinking, because it goes on without your notice.  It’s like being aware of the fact that you’re breathing.  For that reason, it’s easy to forget that you get to choose what you think about!  Thoughts have a physical structure (they look like trees in your brain), and they can trigger emotions, which set off a cascade of hormones that cause physiologic changes in your body.  Thoughts that trigger fear, anger, and anxiety set off a cascade of stress hormones, which can set you up for high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, weight gain, and a number of other potentially serious conditions.  So the trick is, when you catch yourself thinking something that makes you feel anxious, consciously choose to reject that thought, and replace it with something positive.  The more you tell yourself the positive “rewrite” of a negative thought, the easier it will become to believe it.
2. Create a list of your priorities in life.  This can really help with the tendency to become frantic and overwhelmed.  More often than not, we allow ourselves to become frantic over something that is someone else’s priority, and not ours.  If your priorities aren’t immediately obvious to you, it can help to ask yourself, “At the end of my life, what is it that I want people to say about me?  What do I hope to accomplish?”  When you answer these questions honestly, you may discover that your biggest sources of stress are not actually at the top of your priority list.
3. Spend a little time every day listing the things for which you are grateful.  These can be the big things (your family, your relationships, your job) or little things (you got a few minutes to yourself at lunch yesterday so that you could collect your thoughts, you spent some time with a dear friend), etc.  People have a tendency to be very problem-focused, and as soon as one problem is solved, instead of being grateful for the solution, we forget it was ever an issue in the first place, and just move on to the next problem!  It’s very hard to remain peaceful in this mindset, and it’s also very difficult to trust that our current problems will work out if we forget all the others that have worked out already.
4. Disengage from your sources of stress.  This isn’t always possible, but when you have the option, stop and take a break.  Go for a walk.  Call a friend.  Take a long lunch.  Pray.  Journal.  Often we don’t do this for fear that if we don’t plow right on through, we won’t get everything done, but this is an illusion.  In reality, we become much more creative and productive (not to mention happier) when we can lower our stress hormones.  Taking a break is often the most productive thing you can do!
5. Stop blaming other people.  It’s a cliche, but it’s true: you can’t change other people; you can only change yourself.  It certainly may be the case that other people are contributing substantially to your problems, but if you persist in thinking of all the ways the other person needs to change, you keep yourself in a state of powerlessness, because you can’t change them.  It’s our job to take responsibility for our own happiness; no one can do it for us.  So how can you react to an adverse circumstance differently?
6. Take some time for yourself every day.  Your responsibilities, demands, and work will always expand to fill whatever time you allot them.  This means that if you think you’re going to wait until everything is done before you take time for you, it’ll never happen!  Try scheduling “you” time like an appointment, and guard it just as jealously.  Wake up an hour earlier than everyone else in your house.  On your way home at the end of the day, pull over and rest.  Stay up an hour later than everyone else.  If you carve out time to do the things that help you to recharge, then you won’t feel so much as if your life is not your own.
7. Pay attention to your feelings (don’t suppress them).  We tend to think that “good” emotions (joy, peace, love, etc) are good, and “bad” emotions (anger, sadness, grief, fear) are bad.  This is true in terms of subjective experience of course, but it is not absolutely true; all emotions have a purpose that can lead to our ultimate health and well-being, if we listen to what they are trying to tell us.  It may be that you are angry because someone in your life is taking advantage of you; the anger is telling you that it’s time to draw your boundary and separate yourself from a harmful situation.  It may be that you are fearful because your thinking is going awry, and you need to be more vigilant about the thoughts you allow into your head.  Sadness and grief are normal and appropriate responses to painful circumstances, and they are part of the process of letting go and moving forward.  We cannot pave the way for the “good” emotions to come without going through the process of grieving the loss of something precious to us.  Problems with negative emotions come in when we start to tell ourselves lies, like it will always be this way.  Instead, try to see negative emotions as red flags that something is amiss and needs to be dealt with or changed, but remember that they do not have to stick around once the reason for their presence has been addressed – unless you let them.

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. To receive her free e-book, “Ten Nutritional Supplements Everyone Should Have,” or to receive her monthly health and wellness newsletter, please sign up at www.drlaurendeville.com.  

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I mentioned before in my article on heavy metals that I am not completely against vaccines.  Although they sometimes come with side effects, they’ve certainly saved a lot of lives.  There was a time when there was absolutely no question that the risks of not vaccinating were much higher than the risks of choosing to vaccinate.

That said, the cost/benefit analysis is no longer quite so cut and dry.  Vaccines are controversial now mostly because such a large percentage of the population is vaccinated, and so many of the illnesses our children are protected against are far less common than they once were.  Thus, in some cases (but not all), the risks appear to outweigh the benefits.

That said, the decision to vaccinate, not to vaccinate, or to use an alternative vaccine schedule is a personal choice.  Here’s a quick breakdown of a few things to consider.

• Hep B (Hepatitis B): this vaccine is given immediately after birth (with two more later), and it is a good idea if mom has Hep B, because then the baby will have been exposed.  Otherwise, it is transferred almost exclusively via sexual or blood contact, and children are therefore unlikely to be exposed until adolescence.  It’s unclear whether immunity will last into adulthood, however.
• RV (Rotavirus): this is a bigger issue in third world countries than in the US.  Less than ten kids in the US die of Rotavirus yearly; if they catch it they’ll typically get symptoms such as a runny nose, fever, or at worst, watery diarrhea (which can cause dehydration – and this could be concerning depending on the size and age of the child).
• DTaP (Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis): usually a series of five shots, although it can be four depending on the age of the child.
• Diphtheria is basically obsolete in the US but it’s part of the series, so you don’t really get to pick on this one – it’s all or nothing.
• Tetanus: once kids start walking, they may run the risk of, for instance, stepping on a rusty nail, or encountering a scorpion, and contracting this.  It’s a serious and rapidly fatal infection, and although you can just get the tetanus shot after exposure, by the time you realize you’ve been exposed it’s already too late.
• Pertussis: if a baby contracts this under three months of age, it’s rapidly fatal.  Older people, however, only get an annoying and persistent cough.  The most common route of transmission to a newborn is through a family member so it’s often recommended for the adults in the newborn’s household.
• Hib (Haemophilus Influenzae): This is a four dose series typically.  Infection can lead to epiglottitis (which closes the throat) and meningitis (infection of the tissue surrounding the brain), both of which are serious and potentially fatal.  On the other hand, the vaccine has been associated with autoimmune disease.
• PCV (Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine): this is usually a four dose series vaccine against the most common strains of streptococcus pneumoniae, which (hence the name) can cause pneumonia, but can also cause meningitis in infants, and this can be very serious or fatal.  However, the vaccine is live, which can make it tougher for a little one to handle if given in conjunction with other live vaccines.
• IPV (Inactivated Polio Vaccine): Polio is still common in India and Africa… not so much in the US.  However, polio can have debilitating and lasting effects.
• Influenza: the nasal spray version is a live vaccine, which means you can get the flu from the vaccine itself.  The shot is “dead” (inactivated.) It’s very rare for a child to die of the flu if he or she does get it.  Some flu vaccines still have thimerosol (mercury) in them but some do not – you can request those that don’t.
• MMR (Measles Mumps Rubella): this vaccine contains three live viruses at once, which can overwhelm an immature immune system.  This is also the vaccine most frequently connected with autism, though the debate on this point is quite heated.  It has also been associated with ITP (Idiopathic Thromobocytopenia Purpura), or low platelets that lead to bruising with no clear cause.
• Rubella: if babies get this it isn’t a very big deal, but if a pregnant woman catches it, it can harm the fetus.
• Mumps: this can cause meningitis, but it is not as virulent as the form conferred by H. flu (Hib) or strep pneumo (PCV).  It also has been linked to orchitis and sterility in teenage boys.  But protection from childhood vaccination does not last into adulthood, so the traditional vaccine schedule includes a booster around 4-6 years.
• Measles: it’s miserable to come down with it – the kid gets a high fever, a rash, lots of upper respiratory symptoms, and it’s quite contagious… but, all else being equal, they’ll fight it off and be fine.  Measles can cause meningitis and encephalitis (inflammation of the brain itself,) but it usually doesn’t.
• Varicella (chicken pox): this is also a live vaccine.  Kids can die from chicken pox, although they usually don’t.  There is a chance that chicken pox sores can get infected and cause scarring, though.  Older kids who catch the chicken pox have a much more severe case than younger kids, and if a pregnant woman gets it, it can cause deafness in the fetus.  There is an increased rate of shingles post-vaccination, even in kids.
• MCV (Meningococcal Vaccines): this form of meningitis is particularly nasty, and once you catch it, it’s hard to treat – about 50% of those infected die from it, although death tends to occur around 16-20 years of age.  For this reason, first vaccination is recommended at around 11 years, with a booster several years later to ensure continued protection.  Some neurological side effects (Guillain Barre syndrome) are associated with the vaccine, although rarely.

A few other things to keep in mind: there are alternative vaccine schedules out there, which include some vaccines but not others, or which stagger vaccine doses so that the child does not receive all of them at once.  This may be worth considering, for a couple of reasons.

1. You may have noticed that the risk of infection for some of the illnesses above is small, and if it does happen, the consequences are not especially severe.  For others, however, infection can have very severe consequences, no matter how unlikely.  Take that into consideration when making your choice.
2. The child’s immune system is immature for the first several years of his or her life, which means antibody response to vaccinations may not be as strong when they are given all at once.
3. The preservatives in vaccines are often blamed for most of their side effect profiles.  Spacing out vaccines rather than giving them all at once may help the child to handle the preservatives better.

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. To receive her free e-book, “Ten Nutritional Supplements Everyone Should Have,” or to receive her monthly health and wellness newsletter, please sign up at www.drlaurendeville.com.  

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As promised a few weeks ago when I wrote my article on declining testosterone in men, I decided to cover the topic of phytoestrogens more fully.

There’s a lot of hype out there that particularly soy is bad for you, because it’s estrogenic.  Men avoid it out of fear that it may cause them to develop breast tissue (gynecomastia).  Women avoid it out of fear that it may throw their already precarious thyroid numbers out of balance, or that it may increase the risk of hormone-based cancers.

For the moment, however, let’s separate the issue of soybeans specifically from phytoestrogens generally (which, in addition to soy, also include isoflavones such as lentils and chickpeas, lignans such as flaxseeds, and coumestins such as red clover, alfalfa, and a number of other botanicals).

What is a Phytoestrogen?

The prefix phyto- means plant, so phytoestrogens are plant-based estrogens, as opposed to the estrogens your body naturally produces, bioidentical estrogens (which are physically indistinguishable from those produced by your body), or animal-based estrogens such as Premarin (which is derived from horse urine, and far from side-effect free).

Phytoestrogens are 100 to 1000 times weaker than the estrogen your body produces.  What this means: both types of molecules bind to estrogen receptors the same way a key might fit into a lock – but the resulting effects of this match will be very different between the two.

• If you have too few natural estrogen molecules in your body, such as in menopause, these phytoestrogens will bind to those estrogenic receptors and weakly stimulate them, which may help improve symptoms of too little estrogen.
• If you have too much estrogen relative to progesterone, however (such as in endometriosis, PMS, some menstrual migraines, etc), then a phytoestrogen will still stimulate that estrogen receptor, but it will do so 100 to 1000 times less than the estrogen molecule that otherwise would have occupied that spot!

In other words, phytoestrogens can be either estrogenic OR anti-estrogenic, depending on which one your body needs.

Soy as a Goitrogen

The connection between soy and thyroid suppression has nothing to do with its status as a phytoestrogen, however.  Several other foods considered to be thyroid suppressants (aka goitrogens) include millet, peanuts, radishes, turnips, and raw cruciferous veggies (such as cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and broccoli).

These are very healthy foods overall, and it would be a mistake to completely avoid them!  Goitrogens are only a problem for thyroid function if you’re already iodine deficient.  Iodine is one of the minerals necessary for the formation of thyroid hormone, and goitrogens compete with thyroid hormone for iodine.  So as long as your iodine status is not a problem, you need not avoid these foods – including soy.  Even if you are iodine deficient, fermenting, cooking, or steaming these goitrogens renders them safe for consumption.  (Fermented soy products include natto, miso, soy sauce, and tempeh.)

Soy as a Genetically Modified Organism (GMO)

However (and this is a big however): soy is one of the foods that is most commonly genetically modified – we’re talking 94% of the soy in the U.S.  It still isn’t absolutely clear what sorts of ramifications genetic modification may have on health, but because there is plenty of evidence to suggest there might be a problem, I choose to play it safe and avoid GMO soy.  

This isn’t always as easy as it sounds, though.  Companies are not required to label GMO foods as such, and soy is ubiquitous in our food – it’s hiding in lots of things you’d never expect.  So read your labels (here’s a list of ingredients that contain soy), and assume that if it doesn’t specifically say it’s not GMO, then it is.  Non-GMO will either contain a non-GMO label on the package, or it will be labeled organic.

Bottom line:

• As a general rule, phytoestrogens are balancing, not dangerous.
• Goitrogens should be consumed with iodine-containing foods, or else cooked, steamed, or fermented IF you already have low thyroid function.  Otherwise, enjoy them in moderation!
• Consume non-GMO soy.

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. To receive her free e-book, “Ten Nutritional Supplements Everyone Should Have,” or to receive her monthly health and wellness newsletter, please sign up at www.drlaurendeville.com.  

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I am not against antibiotics.  I prescribe them.  I just don’t prescribe them first, not usually.

Antibiotics were undoubtedly a great medical advance in their day.  For a little perspective: infectious disease was the number one killer in 1900, accounting for 32 percent of all deaths.  Mortality declined even prior to the invention of penicillin in 1935 due to improved nutrition and public health measures, but it dropped twice as fast in the period between 1940 and 1960, when antibiotics were added to the mix. However, this trend leveled off after 1960, and our mortality rates, though still declining, are declining at roughly the same rate as they were in the pre-antibiotics era.  (In other words, we’ve already gained about as much in terms of life expectancy as we’re going to get from antibiotics.  Now we’re dying for other reasons – namely heart disease and cancer – so further advancements will have to focus on these issues instead.)

Bacteria: Friend or Foe?

The predominantly antibiotic approach in traditional medicine is based on the “germ theory of disease,” developed by Louis Pasteur (hence the word pasteurization, a process that uses high heat to kill off bacteria).  He’s the guy who said that each type of bacteria caused a specific kind of illness.

Nobody ever hears about Pasteur’s contemporary, though – he was a guy named Antoine Bechamp, who said essentially the opposite.  Bechamp claimed that there was a symbiotic relationship between bacteria and their hosts, and that bacteria can morph to adopt to their environments.  In other words, when you try to kill a certain type of bacteria, most of them might die, but the few that remain will pass on their resistance to their progeny.

The Answer is Both!

Turns out they were both right, on some level.  Pasteur was correct in that there are some organisms so pathogenic that your immune system isn’t likely to be able to overcome them without some outside intervention, no matter how strong you may be.  There are also some individuals whose immune function is so weakened that they won’t be able to overcome an infectious invader without outside intervention, even if the invader itself isn’t all that strong.  These are situations in which antibiotics are absolutely appropriate.

However, Bechamp’s discoveries should not be overlooked either.  Antibiotics are usually indiscriminate, which means they kill not just the bacteria causing symptoms, but they also slaughter all of the “good,” symbiotic bacteria in our guts (aka probiotics), which contribute substantially to the health of our immune system, thus rendering us far more susceptible to future invaders.  Then, when those future invaders arrive, instead of strengthening the immune system to fight them off naturally, we throw another round of antibiotics at them, weakening the system still further.

Additionally, this approach allows those previously symbiotic organisms that survive in the gut to overgrow and create imbalance.  Certain bacteria and yeast that are helpful in small amounts can create gas, bloating, constipation, food allergies, brain fog and a number of other symptoms when they are allowed to overpopulate in order to fill the void that the antibiotics left behind.

Even worse, overuse of antibiotics allows those resistant bacteria that survive to create mutant strains that we cannot kill – and overuse of antibiotics is rampant.  For instance, these days we “preventatively” feed antibiotics to the chickens, cows, and pigs we raise for food – which gives otherwise harmless bacteria greater opportunity to become antibiotic-resistant.

Overexposure to antibacterial products can also contribute to weakened immune function such as allergies and increased susceptibility to pathogens, especially in young children whose immune systems are still developing.

And just to drive it home: triclosan, the antibiotic most frequently used in antibacterial household products such as soap, can form toxic byproducts when combined with the chlorine in water, such as carcinogenic dioxins, and has been linked with disrupted thyroid function.  (I find this especially interesting, since hypothyroidism is rampant these days, and not always for obvious reasons.)

The Take-Home Message:

• Buy animal products without added antibiotics.  This will keep you and your family healthy, and will also discourage the industry from using antibiotics so indiscriminately.
• Use soap and household items without antibiotics, especially triclosan.  Regular soap works just as well.
• Practice good nutrition, health habits, and hygiene.  This will go a long way towards boosting your immune system and enabling you to fight off bacterial invaders naturally.
• If you’ve had multiple rounds of antibiotics in your lifetime, consider repopulating the good, symbiotic bacteria in your gut with fermented foods and/or probiotics.
• If you have lingering intestinal problems due to said antibiotics, consider seeing your naturopathic doctor to get you back in balance!

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. To receive her free e-book, “Ten Nutritional Supplements Everyone Should Have,” or to receive her monthly health and wellness newsletter, please sign up at www.drlaurendeville.com.  

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We live in a toxic world.  According to naturopathic theory, if you remove the obstacles to cure and give the body what it needs to heal itself, then within reason, it will.

Toxins of all kinds fall under the category of “obstacles to cure,” which means we’ve got to do two things: limit our ongoing exposure, and get rid of the toxins that have already accumulated in our tissues.

Heavy metals are getting more and more attention these days as obstacles to cure and even causes of certain illnesses.  Here’s a quick breakdown of the most common offenders.

Cadmium:

• Found in: mostly cigarette smoke.  Cadmium is also concentrated in the water, air, and soil especially in industrial areas where smelting and refining occurs – thus, it can be found in the food supply in those regions.  It is also used in the manufacture of batteries or plastics.
• Concentrates in: kidneys, liver, and pancreas, but easily absorbed through the lungs.
• What it Causes: carcinogenic (causes cancer), and can lead to kidney failure, gout, and loss of sense of smell.

Lead:

• Found in: Exposure can frequently be geographical or occupational (living near or working in a lead smelter or lead mine, welding, construction, and manufacture of certain products such as glass, vinyl mini-blinds, ceramic glaze).  It can also be found in paint (back when it was made with lead), old pipes leading to a contaminated water supply, some herbal remedies imported from overseas, and many others.
• Concentrates in: the bones. When bone begins to break down at an older age, or after menopause for women, symptoms can arise or worsen.
• What It Causes: In children, lead has been linked with learning and developmental disabilities including lower IQ, and ADD.  In general it is associated with other neurological problems such as depression and anxiety, Alzheimer’s, and Parkinson’s Disease.  It can also cause high blood pressure, often poorly or unresponsive to medication.

Mercury:

• Found in: farmed or Atlantic fish, and also in dental amalgams.  (If you have a mouth full of mercury fillings, you can let off enough mercury vapor every time you chew that your mouth will exceed OSHA standards for acceptable levels!)  Mercury used to be used as a preservative in vaccines (called thimerosol), but thimerosol has been eliminated from most vaccines now except for the influenza vaccine.  (It is possible to get flu vaccines without thimerosol, though.)
• Concentrates in: the nervous system
• What It Causes: Mercury eats up your body’s antioxidant reserves, leaving you vulnerable to oxidative damage.  This is probably why it has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.  It also inhibits your body’s ability to make ATP (the energy currency of the body).  For more on associated conditions and symptoms, see here.  (There’s a lot.)

Aluminum:

• Found in: pans for cooking, “tin” foil, aluminum-based antiperspirants, antacids and many other over-the-counter medications, and in processed foods using baking powder (not baking soda – these are different) and self-rising flour (those that don’t include yeast).  Examples include processed cheese and cheese products, cake mixes, pancake mixes, rising flours, and frozen dough.  Aluminum has also replaced mercury in most vaccines as a preservative.
• Concentrates in: the lungs, bones, and nervous system.
• What it Causes: There is some evidence that Aluminum may be correlated with the rise in autism.  (Disclaimer: I am not completely against vaccines, but that’s too big a topic to cover here.)  Aluminum has also been linked to breast cancer, kidney failure, dementia, Alzheimer’s, MS, ALS, and Parkinson’s disease.

Fluoride: this is not technically a metal, but since it is an element (fluorine), I figure it belongs on this list too.

• Found in: water supply, toothpaste
• Concentrates in: bones
• What it Causes: Fluorine is the most reactive element on the periodic table.  Because of this, too much of it can interrupt some of the body’s critical activities and act as a poison.  Too much fluorine can actually weaken teeth and bones, and has been linked with osteosarcoma, a very aggressive bone cancer.  Cosmetically, excessive fluoride can cause enamel fluorosis (mottling or white streaks across the teeth).

How do you minimize your heavy metal exposure?

• Stop smoking!  And limit your exposure to second-hand smoke if you can.
• Choose a fluoride-free toothpaste.  Other toothpastes plus the physical action of brushing will clean your teeth just fine.
• Buy your fish wild caught, not farmed, and not from the Atlantic.  Choose Alaskan salmon if you have the choice!   Fish to avoid, due to mercury content: tuna, orange roughy, swordfish, shark, halibut, and snapper.  Fish to consider instead: cod, whitefish, tilapia, ocean perch, shrimp, flounder, scallops, clams, and catfish.
• Choose non-aluminum based antiperspirants – or just choose a deodorant and not an antiperspirant at all, if you can handle it.  Certain natural deodorants work quite well when used in conjunction with a healthy, non-toxic lifestyle.  (Remember that sweat is one of the body’s mechanisms to eliminate toxins – the more toxic you are, the smellier you tend to be!)
• If you purchase herbal remedies imported from overseas, make sure you do so from a trusted brand that tests for heavy metals and certifies their products are uncontaminated.
• Avoid over-the-counter meds that contain aluminum.  Aluminum is sometimes listed as an active and sometimes as an inactive ingredient, so read your labels.  You shouldn’t need to be taking antacids regularly anyway.  If you are, you’re just treating the symptom, not the cause.  The same is true for continuous use of other over-the-counter meds.
• Avoid products containing baking powder in the ingredient list, unless specifically stated that it does not contain aluminum.  If they don’t say that it doesn’t, assume that it does.  Same goes for self-rising flour.  (Generally you shouldn’t be eating processed crap anyway, if I haven’t said that enough.)
• Consider having your mercury amalgams replaced, if it’s an option for you financially.  There are biological (or holistic) dentists that can do this for you.
• Replace your aluminum pans.  Cast iron or stainless steel are a good choice.  They’re harder to scrub clean, though.
• Make sure you’re getting your daily dose of antioxidants.  These will both counter the effects of some heavy metals, and improve your body’s natural detoxification mechanisms.
• Make sure you’re getting your daily dose of chlorophyll.  Translation: eat your greens, the darker the better!  This will also help you to eliminate toxins.
• Make sure you’re getting your daily dose of fiber.  Fiber helps to bind and eliminate toxins of all kinds.  Whole grains and veggies are a great source.
• Drink plenty of water!  This flushes out your cells, and helps to prevent constipation, which will clearly impede toxic elimination.

What if you’re already toxic?

Honestly, we’re all toxic.  It’s just a question of how much, and whether it’s causing symptoms.  Some of us are hearty enough that our bodies naturally eliminate toxic substances without any issues.  But some, due to an excessive toxic exposure, poor elimination mechanisms, or both, will have to be more intentional about getting rid of toxic offenders.

Heavy metal tests are available through your naturopathic physician.  When test results warrant a more comprehensive protocol, I tend to favor gentle (homeopathic, nutritional supplement, dietary, and cleansing) elimination techniques, while also avoiding ongoing exposure.  Other naturopathic doctors whom I highly respect use more aggressive methods such as oral or IV chelation, and this may be more appropriate in some cases.  I urge you to do your research, and find the doctor and the approach that is best for you!

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. To receive her free e-book, “Ten Nutritional Supplements Everyone Should Have,” or to receive her monthly health and wellness newsletter, please sign up at www.drlaurendeville.com.  

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First, let me say that I believe in conventional medicine, and I am grateful for it. The conventional system has done an excellent job at reducing the incidence of infectious disease, treating once-fatal infectious diseases when they occur, and saving lives in acute situations and trauma cases.  I have high respect for my conventional colleagues.

That said – for chronic disease (comprising around 72% of physician visits), there are a few key points that require attention.

1. The Need for Prevention.  Chronic Western diseases are (70-90%) related to lifestyle choices (which means they’re almost entirely preventable).  But the current system is not designed to prevent; it is designed to treat symptoms.  Insurance reimbursement is heavily based on what is “medically necessary” – i.e. symptoms that need immediate attention at the time of the visit, rather than preventative measures.
2. Adverse Drug Reactions.  According to this study, adverse drug events account for 4.5 million outpatient visits yearly – risk goes up with multiple medications, of course.
3. High Costs: the United States spends more per capita on health care than any other country in the world – a whopping $8,233 per person, or 17.6% of the economy – more than two and a half times more than most other developed countries.
4. Do We Actually Live Longer?  The United States is ranked 40th in the world for longevity – younger than citizens of most other first world countries, despite the fact that we spend more on health care than any other country in the world.  The National Research Council blames this on smoking primarily, followed by obesity and lack of exercise.  (Translation: lifestyle issues.)

How Naturopathic Medicine can answer these issues:

1. Naturopathic medicine reduces the need for medical intervention.  You’ve heard the saying, “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?”  This study shows that patients who use alternative medicine require 61% fewer drug prescriptions and 55% less conventional medical care.
2. Naturopathic Care (as it’s meant to be) is non-suppressive and free of side effects.  The naturopathic philosophy at its core is that the body is designed to heal itself, and will do so if obstacles to cure are removed and the appropriate conditions for health are made available.  (For more see here.)  It is certainly possible to use naturopathic medicine to treat symptoms, and in these cases natural therapies can also be suppressive and/or cause side effects, just like their conventional counterparts.  But this is not the core philosophy.
3. Naturopathic medicine is cheap.  It doesn’t always look this way to the patient at first, because most naturopathic visits are cash based, while conventional treatment is covered by insurance and therefore requires only a copay.  But if you look at the raw cost of treatment in both realms, this study shows that lifestyle intervention is about 77.5%-84.8% cheaper.  Another study shows that natural health interventions not only improve health outcomes, but are more cost effective than conventional treatment by 3.7-73%.
4. Naturopathic Interventions Improve Longevity.  This study shows that of a 20,000 sample, those patients who did not smoke, were physically active, only drank alcohol moderately and had at least 5 servings of fruits and veggies daily had a 4-fold lower risk of mortality than those with the highest health risk factors, and they also gained, essentially, 14 years of life!

So… perhaps it’s time for a paradigm shift?  (Just my $0.02.)

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. To receive her free e-book, “Ten Nutritional Supplements Everyone Should Have,” or to receive her monthly health and wellness newsletter, please sign up at www.drlaurendeville.com.  

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Causes for Decline

As men age, testosterone levels naturally decline.  There are several reasons for this, but one of them is an increase in something called SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin) – this binds testosterone and keeps it from being active.  (If you’ve ever had your testosterone levels tested, this is the difference between Total and Free Testosterone – the free number is the one to watch.)

Another reason involves the obesity epidemic.  (Men, if you need still more motivation to lose weight, here it is!)  Your fat cells (adipose tissue) contain an enzyme called aromitase.  Aromitase converts testosterone into its cousin steroid hormone: estrogen.  Not only does having a beer belly lower testosterone levels, then; it actually increases estrogen levels at the same time (which can also cause breast tissue to develop in men – the technical term for this is gynecomastia.)

Low Testosterone in Young Men

But these days, it’s not uncommon for even younger men to have low testosterone levels.  Controlling for age and other factors, testosterone levels have declined across the population over the past two decades by about 20%.  This means that a 50 year old man now will have 20% less testosterone than a similarly healthy 50 year old did in 1993.

There as been much speculation regarding the cause of this decline.  One of them involves environmental toxins.  Many commonly used chemicals have an endocrine-disrupting effect (i.e. they screw up your hormones), including phthalates, parabens, diethanolamine, triethanolamine, monoethanolamine, and toluene, to name a few.

Another possibility is the obsession with lowering cholesterol.  Testosterone is a cholesterol-based hormone; you must have sufficient cholesterol in order to make it.  Conventional wisdom tells us to avoid cholesterol, and very common cholesterol-lowering drugs (statins) stop the liver from producing cholesterol altogether, which means that everything downstream doesn’t get produced either.  This includes bile salts (which help us digest fat – where we also get our fat soluble vitamins), vitamin D (the darling of the nutritional world at the moment), healthy cell membranes (VITAL for your health), and steroid hormones (such as testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and DHEA, among others).  An estimated 32 million Americans are on statins - so this could certainly account for part of the testosterone decline.

There’s also a great deal of debate surrounding phytoestrogens, such as soy.  This is too big a topic to cover here – stay tuned for more info.  But the bottom line is, while there are numerous health benefits from the isoflavones in soy, probably everyone (not just men) should avoid GMO soy – which most of it is – just to be on the safe side.

What does testosterone do for you, anyway?  

The two most commonly known effects of testosterone are sexual virility and increased muscle mass – so this means that lower testosterone can also lead to sexual dysfunction and/or lowered muscle mass (with a corresponding increase in body fat).  But low testosterone can also manifest as depression, low bone mineral density, low energy, and anemia.

How do you increase testosterone levels?

There are some simple things you can do.  They’re the same things I try to get my patients to do for other reasons, but I’ve discovered that when I couch it in terms of testosterone levels, my male patients are a lot more likely to comply.

1. Get enough sleep.  If you read my article last week, sleep helps you lose weight (see #2), decreases your stress levels (see #6), and increases the secretion of testosterone as well as Growth Hormone, both of which help to build and repair muscle mass.
2. Lose Weight.  This doesn’t mean what you probably think it means though – losing weight does NOT mean eating a low fat diet, it means eating a low sugar diet.  (See here for more details on this.)  On the contrary: as a cholesterol-based hormone, eating animal products (where cholesterol is found) actually boosts your testosterone levels.  (Perhaps there’s a reason why men stereotypically love steak!  The caveat to this, though: make sure you’re eating clean, grass-fed meat when at all possible.  And increase your intake of healthy fats.)
3. Don’t eat crap.  This goes along with the previous point, but it’s a slightly different angle.  Your liver has several jobs, but the most important is to detoxify foreign chemicals.  If you eat a bunch of processed crap, your liver doesn’t recognize those chemicals any more than you do.  This means it’s too busy detoxing to perform its other jobs effectively – such as breaking down complex molecules (like estrogen) so they can be eliminated from your body, or breaking down fat (where aromitase is stored, converting testosterone to estrogen).  …Along these lines, it’s also important to eat your serving of veggies, especially cruciferous veggies: these are great for helping your liver perform more efficiently.
4. Stop smoking.  Nicotine and other additives in cigarettes actually decrease testosterone production.
5. EXERCISE!  Cardio is good, but resistance training (to build muscle) is better; training large muscles like your quadriceps and hamstrings is best of all for boosting testosterone.  IF you’re already in pretty good shape, you should focus on muscle building (as opposed to toning), which involves higher weight and lower repetitions.  If you’re not already in good shape, start where you are and go from there.
6. Chill out.  Stress (particularly feeling trapped or helpless) decreases your testosterone levels.  I suggest you check out this article, pick a few stress management techniques that appeal to you, and give them a try.
7. Avoid the toxins on the list above, especially in your toiletry items.  Anything that comes in contact with your skin will hit your bloodstream in about 28 seconds!

Still having trouble, or need more personalized guidance?  Some men may have lower testosterone for medical reasons, and these need a complete workup.  Click here for more information.

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. To receive her free e-book, “Ten Nutritional Supplements Everyone Should Have,” or to receive her monthly health and wellness newsletter, please sign up at www.drlaurendeville.com.  

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Let’s take it as a given that we all feel better when we get enough sleep.  But sometimes it’s hard to prioritize sleep when there are other things you’d rather accomplish, especially since science hasn’t really been able to give us a clear physiologic explanation for why sleep is necessary.

Although we still can’t fully answer this basic question, though, research has demonstrated a number of health benefits correlated, if not caused by, better sleep, and also health consequences of inadequate or poor sleep.

1. Sleep improves your memory.  Remember those commercials years ago, when Candace Bergen said that every time you learn something, it makes a new “wrinkle in your brain?”  This reorganization of the brain’s structure when both learning something new and consolidating that memory is known as brain plasticity, and sleep seems to be a necessary part of this process.  You may even practice your new skills in your dreams, which strengthens that new neural pathway and makes those same skills easier to perform in your waking hours.
2. Sleep helps you live longer.  The reasons for this are not entirely clear, but it may have to do with the hormone melatonin (the “sleep hormone”), which is a powerful antioxidant, among other things.  Insufficient sleep is also correlated with higher levels of inflammation, and therefore higher incidence of hypertension and cardiovascular disease.  Even in the short term, sleep deprivation is correlated with dramatically reduced immune function.
3. Sleep helps you lose weight.  Consistently getting less than 6 hours of sleep per night is correlated with a higher BMI (basal metabolic index) – which means, it’s harder to lose weight if you’re not sleeping enough.  This is because during sleep, your body secretes hormones that regulate appetite and blood sugar.  Insufficient sleep leads to an increase in the hormone ghrelin (think of your stomach growling – this is a hunger hormone), a decrease in leptin (the opposite of ghrelin), and an increase in cortisol, the stress hormone, which (among other things) increases your blood sugar.  Lack of sleep can therefore lead to obesity, poor blood sugar control, and even diabetes. (Conversely, 8 hours of sleep per night is correlated with a lower BMI.)
4. Sleep improves performance, at whatever you do – be it athletics, school, work, or creative endeavors.  This probably has to do with that feeling of drowsiness, which is at least partly due to the accumulation of adenosine, a by-product of neuronal activity which builds up during waking hours and leads to the feeling of being tired.  (For more on adenosine and how coffee counteracts it, see here.)
5. Sleep prevents accidents.  Probably also in part due to the accumulation of adenosine in the brain, driving under the effects of drowsiness is responsible for 20 percent of all car accidents, causing 8000 deaths yearly in the US.  In some cases it is considered even more dangerous than driving under the influence of alcohol.
6. Sleep helps to restore and rejuvenate tissues.  Many physiologic activities are reduced during sleep, but some are increased.  One such activity is the release of growth hormone (GH), which helps to repair muscles and tissues from the normal wear-and-tear of everyday living.  (For this reason, conditions like fibromyalgia, or chronic muscle pain, is correlated with insufficient sleep, and therefore insufficient GH to repair muscles.)

So now that you’re convinced more and better sleep is better for your health, what do you do about it if you have chronic sleep problems (like insomnia)?  For otherwise healthy individuals, many cases of waking up in the night, difficulty falling asleep, and early awakening can be fixed with a few simple tricks (see this article for more details).

Some cases are more complicated or stubborn, though.  Advancing age leads to lighter sleep, easier waking and earlier rising.  Night shift workers need to maintain as regular a schedule as possible to give their internal clocks a chance to adjust, and many of them may adjust faster if they sleep before going to work instead of after, or nap beforehand as well as after, in order to mimic the normal shift schedule of going to work shortly after rising.

More stubborn cases of insomnia may require individual neurotransmitter testing and supplementation based on lab results, hormone balancing, and/or individualized homeopathic prescriptions.  Click here for more information on how to get your sleep back on track this year.

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. To receive her free e-book, “Ten Nutritional Supplements Everyone Should Have,” or to receive her monthly health and wellness newsletter, please sign up at www.drlaurendeville.com.  

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Although genetics are important, for the most part it is your environment that determines which genes get turned on and off.  And your “environment” involves the basics: food, water, air, sun, sleep, and exercise.  Today’s spotlight is on clean air.

For all the pollutants in our environment, did you know that indoor air is typically two to five times more polluted than outdoor air?  This is due to things like Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from paint, furniture and flooring, as well as various toxic compounds in cleaning products, self-care products, dry cleaning products… you get the idea.  Therefore,

• Tip 1: Open a window.  This will at least dilute the polluted inside air.

The bathroom air is even more polluted than the rest of the house, typically, because of the frequent use of cleaning products and self-care products in an enclosed space.  Now, I certainly recommend instead choosing non-toxic self-care products (i.e. avoiding these chemicals), and healthy cleaning products (check out the list) whenever possible.  But since it’s unlikely that you’ll be able to do this perfectly,

• Tip 2: Your bathroom should have an exhaust fan, and you should use it.  If it has a window, so much the better – and you should definitely be running the fan and/or opening a window if you must use toxic cleaning products!

You spend about a third of your life in your bedroom (unless you’re sleep deprived, and that’s another issue).  Since indoor air is more polluted than outdoor air, but it’s too cold even in Tucson to open a window at night (or at least I think it is!), then you might consider:

• Tip 3: Getting an air filter for your bedroom.  High-Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters should be able to filter air up to 15 times per hour.

Just a few simple changes can dramatically improve the quality of the air in your home!

If you’re fascinated by this topic, check out “The Healthy Home” by Dave Wentz and Dr Myron Wentz.

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. To receive her free e-book, “Ten Nutritional Supplements Everyone Should Have,” or to receive her monthly health and wellness newsletter, please sign up at www.drlaurendeville.com.  

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If your New Years’ Resolutions include getting healthier in general, you may want to consider my Health and Wellness Program for healthy nutrition and exercise.  (Okay, shameless plug over.)  But once you’ve done that, you may also consider incorporating the following suggestions into your 2013 routine.

Disclaimer: this information is somewhat new to me, and rather disheartening (because honestly, what isn’t toxic these days?!)  I believe in balance, and I have no intention of trading toxic chemicals for toxic fear (which is at least as dangerous, in my opinion, if not more so).  Nevertheless, I’m passing it along anyway because I think you should have the information, and you can do with it what you like!

1) Whenever possible, use natural fabrics, such as cotton, linen, wool, cashmere, silk, and hemp, and avoid synthetic fabrics, such as acrylic, polyester, acetate, nylon, or anything labeled static or wrinkle resistant.

• Fabrics that are stain or wrinkle resistant usually have added PFCs (perfluorochemicals).  Your body cannot eliminate these easily, and they have been linked to reproductive and developmental toxicity, and cancers of the liver and bladder.
• Synthetic fibers are quite flammable, which requires additional chemical treatments  (such halogenated flame retardants, or HFRs) to meet fire standards.  HFRs have been linked to thyroid disruption, reproductive and developmental problems, immune suppression, and cancer.
• The manufacture of dyes often involves heavy use of metals such as cadmium, cobalt, and antimony.
• Cotton is one of the top five crops to be sprayed with pesticides.  Especially for things like pajamas (since you spend so much time in them), it may be worth it to track down organic cotton.

2) Limit your use of perfume/cologne.

• About 95% of the chemicals used to make fragrances are derived from petroleum or benzene (the latter is very carcinogenic), and many of these are known toxins.  They are linked to many allergic, contact dermatitis, and migraine cases, and patients who are chemically sensitive often cannot handle them at all.
• Fragrances are hard to avoid – they’re added to most of the personal care products you purchase.  But at least you can avoid them when you have the choice.

3) Avoid dry cleaning… or if you must, hang the clothes in the garage to air out before bringing them inside.

• Perchloroethylene, a volatile organic compound (VOC), is the most common dry cleaning agent.  It absorbs into the clothing and does not wash out, and can enter the body through the lungs and skin.  Long term exposure can cause liver and kidney damage, and causes cancer in animals.
• Eco-friendly dry cleaners use wet-cleaning technology and biodegradable detergents.  If you can find one, they’re a good alternative.
• You may consider hand-washing some dry clean only items – often with natural fabrics, dry cleaning is not necessary, or may not be necessary after the first cleaning.
• If you must wear dry clean only clothing, consider wearing undergarments that limit contact with your skin.

4) Choose non-constrictive fabrics.

• Constrictive fabrics limit lymphatic circulation (essentially recycled blood plasma).  It is necessary for the immune system to remove waste, toxins, pathogens, and cancer cells.
• If circulation is inadequate, you can end up with fluid buildup in the tissues (edema), and also limit the above necessary functions.

Stay tuned for similarly depressing information in the weeks to come.

If you’re fascinated by this topic, check out “The Healthy Home” by Dave Wentz and Dr Myron Wentz.

Dr Lauren Deville is board-certified to practice Naturopathic Medicine. To receive her free e-book, “Ten Nutritional Supplements Everyone Should Have,” or to receive her monthly health and wellness newsletter, please sign up at www.drlaurendeville.com.  

Like DrLauren Deville on Facebook to receive daily nutritional tips on your newsfeed!