Intestinal Intrigue

Our intestines do some amazing things for our bodies. We obviously think first about nutrition, but our guts are more involved with our bodies than just nutritional support. The intestines influence every area in our bodies.

Did you know that your guts produce about ¾ of the neurotransmitters in your body? Most people think the neurotransmitters are just in the brain or the nervous system, but this is not so. Our intestines contain over 2/3 of the body’s immune system. There is more than 10 times the number of cells in our intestines than in the parts of our bodies. The gut even has greater metabolic activity than the liver.

If you were to completely flatten out the intestines, they would cover an area roughly the size of a tennis court. The small intestines reabsorb about 7.5L of water a day and the large intestine reabsorbs about 1.4L of water a day.

Science is continually discovering amazing things about our guts. The average person has about 4 pounds of bacteria in their intestines. These bacteria are actually communicating with our intestinal cells DNA. They use different messengers to turn certain genes on and off. There has even been research that links depression to the bacteria in our intestines.

We actually have more bacteria in our bodies than we have cells in our bodies. It makes you wonder who the host really is.

Life is usually about finding balance, and it is no different with our guts. When we have a good balance of different healthy bacteria, our intestines function much better. When we experience an unbalanced flora of our intestines (dysbiosis), we can experience a multitude of symptoms ranging from mild problems such as heartburn to severe life-threatening infections.

One good way to ensure that you maintain a healthy balance of bacteria is to consume a diet high in fiber and various healthy carbohydrates. Try to eat different colors of vegetables. The wide variety of foods helps maintain a healthy gut microbiome.

Consuming a diet high in processed foods and high glycemic carbohydrates can lead to dysbiosis.  The standard American diet (SAD) frequently leads to dysbiosis. Many Americans are suffering gastrointestinal-related symptoms that are secondary to the food they consume. Probiotics can help dysbiosis.

Probiotics are bacteria that are considered normal and healthy for the intestines. Many people benefit from taking probiotics. If you have chronic GI symptoms, first consider your diet, but also consider a trial of probiotics. I also recommend probiotics anytime you are taking antibiotics.

Our intestines are really amazing when you start to understand all the things they do for our bodies. Remember that we literally become what we eat, so choose a diet that is full of a variety of vegetables and consider supplementing this diet with probiotics.

Stress: Learn to Control Your Thought Life

Everybody has stress. If you are alive, you have stress in your life.

Not a day goes by in my clinic that I do not treat someone with stress. It can come disguised as many things.

Fatigue is often secondary to stress. Insomnia almost always has something to do with anxiety. Headaches are often related to stress. Many conditions are also exacerbated by stress.  A diabetic’s blood sugars are elevated when they are stressed.

Depression and anxiety are usually related to stress. In broad terms, depression occurs when people dwell too much on the past. Anxiety is being too overly concerned about the future. However, these are generalizations and are not true for everyone.

Depression and anxiety are like a coin. One side is tails and the other is heads. I rarely see anyone that is completely depressed or totally anxious. People are usually either more depressed or more anxious, but they rarely have one without the other.

If you do not learn to deal with your stress, it will often lead to anxiety or depression. This will also affect your physical health as well. I have seen people worry themselves into having ulcers and heart attacks. One thing I know for sure: too much stress makes it very difficult for weight loss.

One of the keys to dealing with your stress is learning what to really stress over! Most people worry about things that are completely out of their control. When people are stressed, they tend to spend about 80 to 90 percent of their thought life on things they have no control over. They will ruminate on an issue for hours, and they cannot control the outcome.

One of the first things to do when you are feeling stressed and having repetitive thoughts is to ask yourself this: “Do I have any influence over the thought?” Can you change the outcome if you allow yourself to think through the thought? If the answer is no, try not to think about it. If yes, then allow yourself time to think through your options.

The research is fairly clear. When you get a thought, you have about one minute to deal with it. After a minute, if you have not dealt with the thought, you will tend to dwell on the thought.

It is human nature to take a thought and go to the darkest corner. This in one reason solitary confinement is the worst punishment for prisoners. They are left alone with their thoughts.

One of the keys then to dealing with your stress is learning to control your thought life. We tend to think about the things we see or hear. If you are under more stress than usual, limit your exposure to things you may find stressful. I find watching the news to be usually depressing, because all they do is show the dark side of humanity. Reading scary books or watching intense movies are probably not going to help you deal with your stress either.

Philippians 4:8 encourages us to dwell on whatever is noble, true, just, pure, and lovely. I have found this very helpful for calming my mind and my spirit.

When I am having repetitive and stressful thoughts, I imagine that I have an “outbox” in my mind. If I am having a repetitive thought I have no control over, I will put that thought into my imaginary outbox. (I know this sounds like psychobabble, but it works for me!) My outbox is God’s inbox. I will pray several times during the day—just a quick prayer. “God, you promised not to put anything on me I could not handle and you promised you would help me. I need your help on this.”

I often play ping-pong with these thoughts, but I keep on saying a quick prayer. Eventually, the thought will typically leave my mind. Sometimes answers come or the situation changes.

I try not to spend too much mental or emotional energy on things I cannot change. Every thought we have has an emotion tied to it. Some are negative, some are positive. Some thoughts are fairly neutral, but these tend to lean toward the negative. At the end of the day, we are the sum of our thought life. If we have a bunch of negative, depressing thoughts, we tend to be depressed. If we have had more happy and pleasing thoughts, we tend to be happy. Control your thought life.

Everyone has stress. Learn to handle your stress. Learn to control your thought life. Your body will appreciate it!

Wishing you an amazing life.

Health Benefits of Common Foods: The Letter C

We literally become what we eat! If you do not feel good, consider it might be what you are eating. The following is a brief discussion of the health benefits of some common foods. Sticking with the letter C today. 

Cherries 

Cherries are known for anti-inflammatory and antioxidant benefits. Many believe that they are helpful in preventing diseases such as diabetes and Alzheimer’s.

Chili peppers

Chili peppers contain capsaicin, which has been shown to have anti-cancer properties and helps control pain. Chili peppers can also suppress your appetite.

Chives 

Chives are rich in sulfur compounds. Sulfur compounds have anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Cilantro 

Cilantro has several health benefits. It has been known to have positive effects on liver health, cholesterol reduction, and acts as an antimicrobial. It also has anti-cancer and antioxidant benefits.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon is known for its anti-inflammatory properties and diabetes prevention. It is also used for digestive support and pain relief.

Coconut

Coconut is rich in magnesium. It is also a good source of lauric acid that the body can turn into antiviral and antibacterial compounds. Coconut also has anti-inflammatory properties. 

Cranberries

Cranberries are probably best known for helping fight urinary tract infections. They are rich in proanthocyanidins, which prevent bacteria from attaching to the bladder wall. These compounds reduce inflammation in the mouth and gums.

Cumin 

Cumin is believed to have anti-cancer properties and helps with inflammation. It is also known to stimulate appetite. Cumin can relieve pain when taken orally or applied topically.

Wishing you and amazing life.

3 Fueling Tips for Endurance Events

Marathon and half-marathon events are becoming more popular and are one of the fastest growing events in the USA. Oklahoma City hosts a premier event in April. The OKC Memorial Marathon was voted one of the 12 must-run marathons in the world by Runner’s World magazine. If you have never attended this event, I want to encourage you to take a trip to downtown OKC on April 26. 

The following tips mainly apply to endurance events but are also applicable for routine workouts. These are general guidelines for hydration and fueling.

TIP #1

Do not drink too much water. One of the worst problems that can occur in an endurance event is hyponatremia (low sodium). This can have catastrophic consequences. It occurs when a runner drinks too much water and not enough electrolytes. (See tip #2.)

Your body can only absorb about 20–25 ounces of fluid an hour when you are exercising. If you drink too much, it can cause nausea, bloating, diarrhea, and other problems. Remember the 20–25 ounce rule. This is about the size of an average water bottle.

TIP #2

Replenish your electrolytes with a full spectrum, balanced, rapidly assimilated source. Electrolytes are the minerals your body needs to help with muscle contraction and a variety of other biological functions. A good source should contain adequate supplies of sodium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and manganese. Salt tablets only provide sodium and chloride. Your body needs much more than just salt.

I use a product from Hammer Nutrition called Endurolytes. It has the full spectrum of electrolytes that you will need during your event. If you sweat heavily, these can keep you from cramping. They also have a drink that I prefer called Heed. I like it better than other commercial products because of the low sugar content and Heed uses maltodextrin as its energy source. This is easy on your digestive tract and is rapidly absorbed.

TIP #3

Fuel your body with an appropriate energy source.  Do not use candy bars to fuel your body during an endurance event. I am always amazed at how many people I see eating chocolate or a Snickers bar for fuel. It is a great way to crash or bonk. Look for a fuel that has a complex carbohydrate as its main energy source. Many runners and bikers will use gel packs. I have found them to be convenient and easy on the gut.

You can overdo this as well. You should try to limit your caloric consumption to about 150–200 calories an hour while exercising. If you consume more than this, it can lead to GI distress and your performance can be hampered. Most athletes can only absorb around 150–200 calories an hour while exercising.

 BONUS TIP

Try not to eat a meal before an event unless you have about 3 hours to digest it before the start. If you do not have enough time for a meal before the event, try consuming low fiber complex carbohydrates. I prefer eating a banana or using a gel pack. The idea is to maximize the glycogen in your liver.

Check out the OKC Memorial Marathon. It is a spectacular event. It is not too late to get a team together and run the course.

Wishing you an amazing life.

Raise Your Ebenezer Stone

There are lots of reasons why people try to lose weight and trim down. Looking good and feeling good are some of the most common reasons people want to lose weight. Many just want to improve their health and hopefully extend their lives. I want to challenge you to think about this from a different perspective.

I believe that we all have a spiritual part to our existence, that we are spiritual beings. When people think of me, they have some mental picture of my face and body; but that is not the real me. If you were to open up my chest and see my heart, you would still not see the real me. 

I think the real me is my spirit or my soul.

I use my body as a conduit, which lets my spirit interact with the physical world. It is how I relate to my physical existence. But my body really isn’t the “real” me. It is a tool that God has given me to relate to the physical world.

I think we have a spiritual obligation to take care of our bodies. The one thing that God gave you, the thing that he did not give to anyone else in the entire history of our human existence, is you. It is a one-of-a-kind wonder. Even identical twins have differences that can be seen.

In the book of Matthew 25:14–30, Jesus teaches on the parable of the talents. Many of you are very familiar with this parable. If you have never heard about this story in the Bible, I would encourage you to read it today. This story is about a master who leaves his servants with various amounts of talents (money). He goes away to a far country and when he returns, he wants to see what his servants did with the talents.

Some of the servants did well and multiplied the talents. The master gave them a reward. One servant, however, did not do so well. He took his talent and buried it. The master had him punished, and Jesus said that he was a wicked servant.

Romans 12:1 encourages us to make our bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. It is our spiritual duty to take care of our bodies daily.

I believe that we will be held accountable for how we use our bodies. I think we should think of our bodies as a “talent” that is loaned to us by our Master. We will have to do some explaining someday for how we treated or even abused our bodies. Fortunately, God is a God of grace, but there will be some explaining to do.

In 1 Samuel 7:12, Samuel took a large stone and raised it up, calling it the Ebenezer stone. Ebenezer means "stone of help." It symbolized to the nation of Israel that they were returning to the ways of the Lord.

They had just won a great victory under the leadership of Samuel and were essentially getting a fresh start with serving the Living God. The stone marked a turning point for the people of Israel. They were no longer going to live under the fear of their enemies. They were victorious.

You may not have been doing so well with taking care of the body that has been loaned to you. There is great hope for your future. Today you can start a new lifestyle, one of health and wellness. Raise your Ebenezer stone today and determine that you will be a good steward of your body. You have a spiritual obligation to do so.

Now if taking care of your body is a spiritual obligation, then we should expect some spiritual help. I believe that God does want us to have healthy bodies and he wants us to treat and fuel them with an eye toward being good stewards.

A simple prayer I would ask you to consider before you eat anything is to ask God to help you glorify Him by the way you fuel your body. (I always feel a little funny asking God to bless the unhealthy food I am about to over-consume.) I believe God will help us, but we need to educate ourselves on how to take care of our bodies. I have found God will not do for me what I should do for myself.

I believe we have a spiritual obligation to take care of our bodies and that He will help us on our journey.

Telomeres: The Tips of the DNA Strands

When I was in medical school, I was taught that we only use about 20% of our DNA and that the rest of it was left over from our evolutionary days. I never really believed those guys and thought that their relatives may have swung from trees, but mine surely did not!         

Now we know what the other 80% of our DNA is doing. The tips of the DNA were once thought to be dormant, but now are known to be very active and important to cellular health. The tips of our DNA are called telomeres. They act like the aglet on the tips of our shoestrings and keep the DNA from unraveling. They dictate to our cells when it is time to divide and how often to divide. With each division of the cell, the telomeres shorten. Eventually, the telomeres become too short and the cell dies.

The length of telomeres is set at birth. The length of your telomeres is passed on to you from your parents. In general, the longer the telomere, the longer the cell lives.

Several things can affect telomere health. On the negative side, any chronic disease can shorten the length of your telomeres.  Diabetes and hypertension are harmful for your telomeres. Smoking has been noted to be one of the worst offenders to telomere health. Depression can be detrimental as well. Obesity and lack of exercise are also associated with shortened telomeres.

On the positive side, we have some things that are helpful. Exercise seems to enhance your telomere length and can translate into longer cellular life and health.

The most amazing thing to me that can keep your telomeres healthy and long is having purpose and passion for life! Keeping a positive attitude is associated with telomere health. Understanding who you are and what you were created to do is actually good for your health. I believe that there is a strong spiritual connection that can be seen in our genetic expression. He knows the number of our days (Job 14:5) and the length of our telomeres!

3 Supplements for Everyone to Consider

 

Supplements use in the USA are up dramatically. It is estimated that over 70% of Americans are using supplements. There are so many to choose from and so many opinions. It is a multibillion-dollar market and there is a lot of confusion and even fraud. It is hard to know what to believe and whom to trust. In this blog post, I want to discuss three supplements that I think most people can benefit from taking. Please discuss with your healthcare provider before starting any supplements.

Multivitamins

Multivitamins are by far the most common supplements used today. There are many to choose from and many excellent products. I think of multivitamins kind of like insurance. I am not sure when I will need my insurance or how much of it I will need. The way we grow and consume our foods today increase the chances that we are not getting the basic vitamins and minerals from our diet. By taking a multivitamin, I think I am covering the basics.

One of the first things to consider when thinking about multivitamins is iron. If you are low on iron or tend to be borderline low, take one with iron. If you have iron deficient anemia, take iron. Most women who are having regular periods would benefit from a MVI with iron. Iron can be constipating and some people have GI sensitivity with iron. If you are sensitive to iron, you may want to try to eat more leafy green vegetables.

There are also different vitamins recommended for different stages of life. You can find vitamins for men over forty that can help with prostate issues. There are multivitamins for menopausal women. There are vitamins for children. There are also vitamins that are designed to support eye health.

It can become confusing to know which vitamins are best for you. For most healthy people, you can pick a good basic multivitamin and be satisfied that you are covering the basics. I have found Thorne.com to be a good resource for information and for products. I take one of their products for men over forty called Al’s Formula.

There are several one-a-day vitamins on the market. I do not believe that you can adequately supplement with just one pill a day. There are so many micronutrients, minerals, and vitamins that we know are beneficial. There is simply no way to combine them into one pill. It would be difficult to swallow that size of a pill.

The bottom line is that there are many good multivitamins on the market. Find one that you like and one that meets your basic needs based off your age and life situation. 

Fish Oil

Fish oil is another common and popular supplement. Recently there has been some negative press on fish oil. I believe that fish oil is still an important supplement with many positive benefits.

Fish oils are compromised of the essential fatty acids eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexanoic (DHA). These are classified as Omega 3 fatty acids.

With most things in life, you get what you pay for. The higher the quality of fish oil, the fewer side effects, the more it costs. In general, the higher the levels of EPA and DHA, the better the fish oil. Look for around 200mg of DHA and 1,300mg of EPA in your fish oil. The main reason most people stop fish oil is secondary to burping. If you get a high-quality product, it should decrease the burping.

The beneficial effects of fish oil have been studied for over 20 years. Fish oil has a positive effect on triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Fish oil also has a positive effect on platelet aggregation. These effects are believed to improve your cardiovascular health.

Fish oil also may help with other problems. Our brains and our joints are bathed or lubricated with omega-3 fatty acids. In my experience, about 30–40% percent of people get some form of arthritis relief. There is also some evidence that fish oil may help with depression and even Alzheimer’s diseases. I do not think the effects are very dramatic, but any help is appreciated.

There are studies that suggest EPA and DHA help the body in suppressing cancer cells and improve insulin sensitivity for prevention of diabetes.

I would recommend that you start with 2 grams of fish oil daily for a high-quality source. There are lab tests that can be done to measure your omega-3 for more precise dosing. These can get somewhat expensive, and insurance does not always cover it. Eating a good cold water fish a couple of times a week is also a good way to get some added omega-3 into your diet. 

Probiotics

Probiotics are bacteria that are good for your intestinal tract. Our intestinal tracts are full of bacteria. They can become overpopulated with bad bacteria, and this can lead to several problems. Supplementing with probiotics helps keep the balance of healthy bacteria in place and helps prevent an overgrowth of bad bacteria.

Probiotics can help maintain the delicate balance of the gastrointestinal tract and the immune system. When the balance is disrupted, disease and inflammation can break out. Normal beneficial bacteria competitively inhibit inflammation and over stimulation of our immune system by pathogenic bacteria.

Probiotics are supportive in the treatment of many medical problems including irritable bowel syndrome, inflammatory bowel disease, diarrhea, eczema, and maldigestion, to name a few. 

Probiotics can also help support weight loss. I recently reviewed a weight loss study of 300 patients all on the same program. The only difference was half took a probiotic and half did not. At the end of the six-week study, the group that took the probiotic had lost 4.6% more weight.

Conclusion

I hope you have found this quick review on 3 supplements that everyone should consider to be helpful. If you have any questions, please drop me an e-mail and I will try to answer as quickly as I can. Wishing you an amazing life.

Food Is Medicine

“Food is medicine." This is a quote from Hippocrates. What was true hundreds of years ago is still true today, but our culture has seemingly forgotten this basic principle.

Many of our medical problems are brought on or at least exacerbated by our diet. The standard American diet (SAD) is sad! Everyone knows that obesity and diabetes are becoming a bigger problem (pardon the pun) for our society. The cost of treating these preventable problems is in the billions of dollars and this does not even account for the individual suffering. The dramatic rise in diabetes and obesity can be directly linked to our poor dietary choices.

Dr. Mark Hyman coined the term diabesity. There is a direct link to obesity and diabetes. He has written a book on this called The Blood Sugar Solution. I highly recommend this book for everyone to read.

There is a genetic link to diabetes and obesity, and many of us are born with a genetic loaded gun. Our family history is full of problems, including diabetes, hypertension, coronary artery disease, hypercholesterolemia, and dementia, to name a few.

Just because you are born with a genetic loaded gun does not mean you have to pull the trigger. The trigger is the nutritional choices you make.

The standard American diet is what pulls the trigger to your genetic loaded gun. A diet full of high glycemic carbohydrates will exacerbate many medical problems. High glycemic carbs that are common in the SAD are breads, potatoes, rice, pasta, and sugar. These foods can trigger genetic responses that either cause or exacerbate many medical conditions.

Begin your journey to an amazing life by considering your nutrition. Try to eliminate these food groups as much as is reasonable. Life is too short not to celebrate and enjoy these on occasion, but try to decrease the amount of high glycemic carbs that you consume on a regular basis. Remember: food is medicine.

Enjoy the journey to an amazing life.

Attitude Determines Altitude

Attitude is everything. Attitude dictates your altitude. Your mind is a powerful tool for you to have an amazing life.

Clarence was an elderly patient of mine. He has since passed away, but he was an amazing man who lived to an old age. He was vibrant and had a never-give-up attitude. He had a big impact with those he came into contact and taught me many things, but the main lesson I remember is his attitude.

He suffered from severe arthritis in almost every joint in his body. He had a concoction of things that he would mix up and rub on his joints. One of the ingredients was Old Spice. He must have used a lot of it. I did not have to look at my schedule to know when he was in my office. The smell of the “Clarence concoction” would permeate the atmosphere of our office upon his arrival.

During one of our frequent encounters, I asked him about exercise. Now this was extremely difficult for him because he was wheelchair bound. In all of my years of seeing him, I never saw him out of his wheelchair. I was trying to encourage him to improve his upper body strength so that he could assist better with his transfers. During our conversation, he told me that he got on his treadmill every day. He would spend five to fifteen minutes, two to three times a day. Mind you, I had never seen him walk. I was amazed and confused. How could he walk on a treadmill? His family finally made the connection for me.

He would start the treadmill and then roll his chair to the end. He would then place his feet on the treadmill, while sitting in his chair, and pick up his feet as the treadmill turned! He never gave up. He did what he could and made the most of his circumstances. He taught me “motion is lotion.” The more you move, the better you feel.

Clarence’s attitude kept him alive and vibrant in spite of a failing body. He squeezed all of the life he could out of the body he had. He had an amazing attitude that led to an amazing life. His attitude led to correct actions and he lived high above his circumstances. He learned to accept the things he could not change and to work on the things he could.

Is your attitude about your circumstance holding you back? Remember motion is lotion. Remember Clarence. Work on the things that you can change and accept the things that you cannot.

Enjoy your journey to an amazing life!

Risk: Don't Play It So Safe

Vera was in her eighties when I first met her. She suffered a stroke that left her mostly wheelchair bound. My wife was her physical therapist who worked with her in her stroke rehab. There was something special about this lady, and she really took an interest in my wife and ultimately our family.

Her husband was a loving, caring, wise, gentle soul. They essentially adopted us into their tribe. They loved to take us to dinner and their favorite place to go was Luby’s. They had great home-cooked food (buffet-style), and we always enjoyed the food and the company.

I learned a lot from just watching them interact. I watched as he would patiently push her through the line and help her with her tray. I watched as he helped her in and out of the car. I saw the twinkle in their eyes when they spoke kindly of one another. They were constantly bragging on the other. Their faith was important to them and they really lived it. The love they had for each other and for their family and friends was self-evident.

It was at one of these many dinners that I asked Vera what she would do differently if she could relive her life. She did not hesitate and with an intensity you could not only see but feel, she said,

“Take more risk in life. Don’t play it so safe.”

Those words have stuck in my head. Many times I have wanted to take the safe road and did. But there were times when I did take a risk, a chance. Vera’s advice has always encouraged me. I have not always experienced the success I wanted, but I have yet to regret taking a chance. Even in my failures, I have learned something about myself or the process of getting better.

What is keeping you back? Keeping you from taking a risk? Most often for me, it is definitely fear of failure, fear of looking stupid, of being found out. Fear.

Fear will dictate your boundaries and can be a good thing. But it can be paralyzing. Fear of failure keeps many from even trying.

I am not suggesting that you take every chance that comes your way, but do take some chances, take some risks. Do not always play it safe. Remember what someone whom has lived nine decades of life would tell you. Take a chance!

Enjoy your journey to an amazing life.