As a naturopathic doctor and nutritionist by trade, I am, at the core, always striving to get patients to realize how important lifestyle choices are in their long term health.  The wealth of information available to the consumer is overwhelming to say the least, and nothing is more at the forefront than the arena of weight loss/management.  With an obesity rate of over 20% in 49 states (Colorado - from where I write this very entry-is slightly under), its seems education is continueing to fail the average population from improving their health.

It's obvious that our fast food, stressed out, sleep deprived, and addicted population can not sustain this for long without serious consequences.  Diabetes is fastly taking over the number one cause of death in the United States and it is in every case (some exeptions) completely avoidable by what we put in our mouth and what we do with our bodies.

Health is about a lifetime plan, and one that will not only influence your genetics, but the genetics of your generations to come. (Read more about this- Epigenetics of Nutrition).  Fortunately in my profession I tend to meet people that have made the shift to a healthier way of thinking and they want help in making the next step.  It's all about coaching and creating a plan that is a lifestyle, not a diet, a fad, or a quick fix.  Motivation and endurance are required for making significant changes, and I believe this, on top of not having the correct coaching, is the reason many people are not able to finish- there are no quick fixes in weight loss and lifestyle improvement- it's a paced run, not a sprint. 

Recently in my practice I have been implementing a program ( Evolve ) that I was introduced to by my trainer, Nathan Detracy from Bellevue, WA.  My story ( ) began with realizing I myself needed a coach to transform my health after years of stress, fatigue, and sleep deprivation.  Nathan's program completely motivated me in a such a way that I hadn't had before, because I saw AND felt results, and it brought together everything I already knew while adding in aspects of body composition training that are vital to long term success.  The 24 Day Challenge is the beginning of the Evolve program, and it's where the metabolic shift starts.

When I realized that I could implement this with weight loss in my patients,  I had no idea how it was going to absolutely transform their lives.  Below is a testimonial from Ali, who even with diet and exercise, struggled with weight loss. She wrote this for me to share with you, so that others who are stuggling can see that if there is a will there is a way.  The story is amazing, but a picture is worth a thousand words.  She has forever changed her future, and I hope she may inspire you to change yours. Say yes to yourself and get ready to see what is possible!

My 24 Day Challenge Story

Before the 24 Day Challenge I had given up hope trying to lose the extra weight I have been carrying around for years.   I've been playing roller derby for 5 years and consider myself very active but the weight just wouldn't come off and my performance on the track had been a constant struggle with fatigue, lack of endurance and my energy level just wouldn't last.  I tried everything I could to break through that wall by changing my diet and exercise routine and nothing worked.  Naturally, being "older" I had it in my head that I will forever be stuck this way.  Needless to say I had given up!

Then I was introduced to the 24 Day Challenge.  I was a bit skeptical but thought why not give it a shot, it's only 24 days out of my entire existence, nothing to lose right?

I was shocked and filled with excitement with my results after the 24 Day Challenge.  I dropped 12 lbs, 4" around my waist, 2" off each arm, 1.5" off each leg and I am down 4 pant sizes!  In addition, I have increased energy, stamina and endurance.

 Ever since I was a wee one, "Carbohydrate Addict" was my middle name.  Now I have zero cravings for potatoes and pasta, never would have imagined that could be possible.  The 24 Day Challenge has taught me how to successfully fuel my body with proper nutrition.  I feel stronger, more energetic, a lot healthier and much happier than I have felt in a long time.  As cheesy as it sounds, losing weight, and keeping it off, doesn't happen by going on a "diet".  It's about changing your lifestyle, changing the way you eat, and staying committed.

 The 24 Day Challenge has literally changed my life for the better, forever!!!

 The New and Improved, 

Ali V., Oak Harbor, WA

“What you eat today, walks and talks tomorrow.”

-Babe the Pig 

This is from the movie "Babe" my daughters favorite movie at the current time, and even though you could interpret it a number of different ways, there is no doubt that what you eat controls each and every cell in your body. Since eating is something we all do, it seems like a good idea to put the conversation forward: Are your genetics influenced by the foods you eat, and even more importantly, do you have the power to control how your genes are turned on or off through nutrition?

 The answer is: YES.  The new future of medicine is known as Epigenetics- looking at how the genetic code is affected by environmental influences, and how we have the real ability to turn wellness or illness genes on or off through the foods we chose to put in our bodies. If you were to hear someone say, "it's all in my genes" it's true, but what you don't hear people say is, "but I have the power to control them."  Now I'm not talking about hair color, eye color, skin color etc, these things are in the genetic code and make up your physical appearance.  But lets say someone is meant to be 6 foot 5, but they were fed a horrible diet as a child- malnourished and under exercised.  It's likely they wouldn't make it to that height due to the genetic code being altered by deficiency states.

It's the same with many of today's epidemic diseases in the modern world like heart disease, diabetes, cancers, and obesity.  In a family where both parents have diabetes type 2, some will argue there is a genetic link for their child to get diabetes type 2 when they are older.  In truth, if the child was fed a healthy diet devoid of simple carbohydrates and bad fats, and full of vegetables, whole grains, healthy fats, and lean proteins (with adequate exercise) it is very unlikely that this grown adult will get diabetes, for if the gene existed, it wouldn't be turned on.  However in today's world we see children getting type 2 diabetes, a sure sign that if we continue to eat (and stay sedentary) the way we do, gene destruction will happen at an alarming rate.  

The bright side to all this is that you have the power over what you put in your body and even though you don't know every "bad" gene in your body, you do have the say in what your genes can do.  Many will disagree with me here, but I have seen all to many times that when people improve their nutritional status, their bodies become efficient, leaner, and free of disease, while their minds are calmed and bright.  Even those who are what we considered "diseased, can benefit from a clean whole foods diet, sometimes even reversing their conditions and/or optimizing their current states. Take this month to educate yourself and others about the importance of healthy food, and remember you aren't helpless to your genes.

Each day in my practice I am confronted with the frustration that many parents feel is their lack of options for their child with ADHD/ADD. Shuttled around from doctor to doctor, many children are given nothing but diagnoses, medications, counseling, physciatric evaluations, and in many cases no help at all. Parents who find themselves exhausted, worried, fearful, and in many cases battling with ADHD themselves, lose hope that their child will ever be "normal". As a Naturopathic Physician who specializes in Neurological conditions, I strive to give power back to who so rightly deserves it, the parents AND the child.

During my clinical training at Bastyr University I was lucky to be chosen to see patients on the ADHD Research Shift (it is a hard shift to get on). There I saw and treated children and adults along the entire Attention Deficit /Autistic spectrum with homeopathy, dietary changes, detoxification, and structural work, and even though it was one of my most emotional and heartbreaking shifts, it was one of my most rewarding.
If you are an adult with ADHD or a parent of a child with this condition please take into consideration the following "alternative" options that could give you back your POWER!

1. Many people self-diagnose and are afraid of seeing a medical professional for this condition because they do not want conventional medications pushed on them. Naturopathic doctors cannot prescribe the amphetamine medications commonly prescribed and thus work on more holistic levels. Getting help is the first step to recodvery. Medications are not evil, but the wrong medication can cause more problems. Addictions tend to be high in this population due to self medicating. Read more about this below related to BRAIN SPECT.
2. If your child is medicated and it IS working, then supplementing with other lifestyle factors is a must. Many of the stimulating effects of the medications cause side effects that could over the long run be hard on other organs and create adrenal fatigue. Nutritional and herbal support can help to counteract these side effects.
3. Tests that should be run but AREN'T by many conventional doctors:
   • Organic acids- these show how well the energy pathways of the body are working.
   • Neurotransmitter levels- these are chemicals that create communication between the brain and the rest of body, and deficiencies or excess in one or many can have great effect on brain chemistry. Done alone or with brain SPECT, results can be amazing!
   • Food allergies and Toxins- almost every child with ADHD I have tested has a food allergy that is significant. The gut is essential for proper nutrient assimilation and must be addressed. These individuals also show a moderate to severe toxic exposure from chemicals, heavy metals, flame retardents, and plastics.
   • Brain SPECT- imaging of the brain can show what the brain is really doing, its an amazing way to look at the prefrontal cortex, the part of brain that differentiates of us from animals. Many ADHD children are conflict driven, meaning they need conflict, they like the excitement, and this is because their prefrontal cortex is not working properly. Improving brain health makes these children more predictable and less likely to become a teenager or adult with dangerous behavior. This can also help to determine which type of medication would be the best instead of doing trial and error.
4. Improve your nutritional status and your child's. Hot dogs, pizza, ice cream, and all the food additives in them create hyper, over active brains. Read "What Are We Feeding Our Children?" If you do one thing, do this, and GET HELP, nutrition is hard but well worth it!
5. Homeopathy can do wonders, especially for children! Case in point - I treated a 21 year old woman who had cyclic anger ADHD x 10 years with nutrition and homeopathy- within 4 weeks she felt that we had saved her life and she was able to wean off her Clonazepam within 3 months. 
6. Do a detoxification. Body burden of chemicals is highest in children, and these can be endocrine and nervous system disruptors- these levels can be checked in blood (heavy metals, plastics, styrene, household allergens) or urine.
7. Improve structural health. I specialize in NCR, a therapy that can help decrease some of the signs of ADHD by improving cerebral blood flow, cerebral spinal fluid flow, and decrease pain. Also, birth trauma and/or head injury has been shown to be a common predecessor in childhood diagnosis of ADHD, read my blog for the current study done in Britain on head injury and ADHD. If you do anything make sure your child wears a helmet doing dangerous sporting activities and discourage activities that head injury is a possibility.
8. Exercise!!! Research shows that the best thing you can do for your brain is exercise regularly- children need exercise to burn off stress, calories, and hyperactive brain activity- and so do adults! 
9. Sound and Light Therapy. In our office I am using a device that uses pulsed electromagnetic fields along with Sound and Light Therapy to calm down overstimulation of the brain. The light and sound patterns that ADHD patients see and hear would be too stimulating for most people, but just like the stimulant meds used to treat this condition, this stimulation calms them down! Its safe, fast, effective, and the research is extensive!
10. Ask for help if you need it, and don't give in that there isn't hope, because I know there is. It may be hard work, but what I've learned from these patients- their not scared of hard work, and regaining health has been the reward!

Recently the British Medical Journal published a retrospective cohort study that followed just over 62,000 children from birth to age 10 to explore a hypothesis that medically attended head injury in children before age 2 may be causal in developing ADHD by age 10. Children that received burns before age 2 were also studied, and both groups were compared to children who before age 2 had neither a burn or head injury. The findings were somewhat compelling:

1. Of the 62,088 children studied, 2782 (4.5%) suffered head injury and 1116 (1.8%) suffered burn injury before age
2. Males had higher rates of injury in these cases
3. The injured children were of greater deprivation, or lower socioeconomic class.
4. The children who had already sustained a head injury/burn prior to age 2 had a higher percentage of head injuries after age 2.
5. Children with a head injury before age 2 were TWICE as likely to be diagnosed as having ADHD as the comparison group, but not more likely that the burn group. Basically both head injury and burns doubled ADHD diagnosis before 10.
6. In all 3 groups the risk of ADHD diagnosis increased among children who had a head injury AFTER age 2.

So what were the researchers conclusions? That head injury itself does not seem to be causal in the development of ADHD, rather that head injury prior to age 2 may be due to the increased risk behavior of those children with ADHD and can only be used as a marker, not a cause. Interestingly enough they also state that children with ADHD are more vulnerable to post-concussive syndrome with a mild traumatic brain injury.

Most of my practice deals with those who have sustained a traumatic injury of some kind, whether head, body, or emotional (likely all three). Many of the adults that I treat started having problems in childhood as a result of an UNTREATED head injury, and many of the children that I see have the ADHD diagnosis or would easily fit into the criteria. I am excited that the mainstream is looking at the correlation of these factors, but now the question is HOW ARE MILD HEAD INJURIES TREATED?

NCR has given me a whole new aspect of treating these patients by allowing me to remove the obstacle to cure and possibly save a child a lifetime of this diagnosis. Many parents who are reluctant to have their children treated after an injury state that they want to wait until the child is older, more mature, etc, but after looking at this study I must ask the question...WHY WAIT? Perhaps we can stop the negative sequeli of head injury now and spare the diagnosis of ADHD in the future.