Dramatically Reduce Recovery Time

In the movies we see the hero jump from trains, crash cars, go over cliffs, get banged and bruised from head to toe and somehow he keeps going. When it comes to injuries we could all use a little Hollywood magic.
Of course, when we are young we can fall or bounce, get “really” hurt but, in many cases, the next day we’re back to normal. As we age however, if we sustain an injury, it seems to take longer to recover.

Why are adults less resilient?

One reason is that we have localized proteolytic enzymes in our tissues; and as we
age, those enzymes tend to become depleted. The localized enzymes act like “Pac-Men” and
digest the inflammatory debris caused by the injury, allowing better circulation, which speeds repair.
Current medical studies show dramatic reduction in injury healing time with proteolytic enzymes. One author after reviewing 14 different studies using over 1,500 subjects said the
length of recovery time was cut in half by using proteolytic enzymes. Proteolytic enzymes are indicated for edema, swelling, and acute injury. They have also been used as digestive
aids, for low back pain, disc herniation, reduction of food allergy symptoms, acute and
chronic sinusitis, increasing the effectiveness of antibiotics, post surgical trauma/recovery,
and as a natural vermifuge.

But the study that really says it all, in terms of reducing healing time, comes from a book by Dr. Anthony Cichoke “Enzymes and Enzyme therapy.” Although he doesn’t give dosages and it centers around an unusually aggressive sport “karate,” it represents what I have seen with myself and my patients over the last 7 years. Ten karate fighters of both sexes were given enzymes before the event. The second group of ten was given a placebo. All 20 athletes had
comparable injuries. Here are the impressive results. Hematomas disappeared in the treated
athletes in 6.6 days where placebo athletes took 15.6 days to heal. The swelling in the
enzyme group disappeared in 4.3 days vs. 9.8 days in the control group. Restrictions in
movement as a result of pain and injury disappeared in 5.0 days vs. 12.6 days for the placebo
group. When the injuries suffered in the karate competition became inflamed it took 3.6 days
to subside vs. 10.6 for the control group.
For the people who were injured and were unfit for work, the enzyme group was able to
return to work in 2 days whereas the placebo group was unable to return to work for 5.3
days. Although this is a small study, it is consistent with all the other studies which show
injuries heal faster, recovery time being reduced to 50% in many cases.

So before you try them let’s go over a few points. First all enzymes are not alike. Sometimes
the life or activity of the enzymes has expired before it gets ingested. I will never forget Dr. Kim Christensen discussed how a formula he designed for a major nutraceutical company caused a big stir during manufacturing. The plant manager called to tell him that the product was so good it was actually warm as it was bottled. It was so hot that the workers had to wear gloves to handle the tablets. Later Dr. Kim learned from the research team at Biotics that if the tablets were warm, they were spending their enzymatic potential on the raw materials in the tablet. They were actually digesting the tablet. When the product was assayed for enzyme activity, there was little to no activity in the tablet six months later.
Contrast that to one of Biotics Research’s flagship products, Intenzyme Forte, which met label claims eight years after the expiration date. You see enzymes are a whole field unto themselves and certain precautions have to be taken to make sure they are active when the patient takes them. That’s one of the wonderful things about working with Biotics Research.
Their enzymes meet or exceed label claim every time. So one reason patients might not get results is poor manufacturing.
Another reason is when enzymes are taken with food. Enzymes are catalysts and can have major effects on natural healing but if you take them with food, they will act as digestive enzymes. Another positive side effect of proteolytic enzymes is that they will lessen the effects of food allergy symptoms. So for best results to reduce inflammation or take advantage of their systemic benefits is to take them 30 minutes before a meal or 2 hours after eating. The third reason is
people don’t take enough. Always take a loading dose of 10 tablets, take more if your patient is large and you have experience with the product. Then take 5-7 tablets 3 or 4 times per day between meals.
In high school I had many football ankle injuries, so I know how painful a twisted ankle can be. Several years ago I was excited and ran down the stairs only to miss one of the middle steps. I fell about 6
feet, landed on my ankle, and twisted it just like I had done in High School. I saw stars.
When I got my bearings, I crawled on my hands and knees to a chair and promptly took 15 Intenzyme Forte from Biotics Research.
Then I asked for my wife to find some ice. I proceeded to take 5 tablets every 3 hours that I was awake and whenever I could take them between meals. The next day I was not only walking, but I was totally pain free. It was amazing.
Since then I have used them for any type of injury or accident, running, tennis, and any type of weekend warrior experience that leaves me tender. If you
haven’t used proteolytic enzymes for yourself
or your patients, give Intenzyme Forte
a try. You’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Medication vs. Natural Health Care for Pain

Here is some of the research about pain and the use of natural health care. A common misconception that many patients have about treating pain is that the drugs they are taking are actually doing some good. Pain medication does not heal or repair a problem—it only offers temporary relief. That relief comes at a price. Pain medication causes problems.
Arthritis patients take NSAIDs regularly without realizing that they actually interfere with cartilage repair. These drugs are linked to high blood pressure, kidney failure, heart failure, ulceration of the GI tract, and some drugs even interfere with bone repair.
According to research appearing in the American Journal of Medicine, “Conservative calculations estimate that approximately 107,000 patients are hospitalized annually for nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)-related gastrointestinal (GI) complications and at least 16,500 NSAID-related deaths occur each year among arthritis patients alone. The figures for all NSAID users would be overwhelming, yet the scope of this problem is generally under appreciated”
The drugs have side effects and some would even say that they are dangerous, but what are we to do? Many people have pain, and relief is a priority for them. Chronic pain is the most costly health problem in America, with an estimated annual cost of about $90 billion per year. This cost includes lost productivity, legal costs, doctors’ visits and medication; 80% of all visits to the doctor are pain related. An estimated 40 million Americans have arthritis or other rheumatic condition. That number is expected to climb to 59.4 million, or 18.2% of the population, by the year 2020, according to a new report published as a collaborative effort between the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the Arthritis Foundation, and the American College of Rheumatology. Approximately 12% of all Americans suffer from migraine headaches. Nine out of 10 migraine sufferers report they can’t “function normally” during days in which a migraine strikes. Three out of 10 migraine sufferers require bed rest when suffering from a migraine.
In 2001, over 13 million people saw a physician for the treatment of back pain. According to the NIH, 65 to 80% of all people have back pain at some time in their life. Half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year. Back pain costs an estimated $50 billion each year.
Our politics and the FDA seem to favor drug therapies. For example, there is a product made from a patented extract of skullcap that would have been worth mentioning in this article. The manufacturer is worried about any claims being made about the product—because it may cause problems with the FDA.
It has outperformed COX-2 inhibitors in clinical studies, but the manufacturer can’t compare the product head-to-head with drugs. It has improved WOMAC scores on arthritis patients, but the manufacturer can’t say that the product treats joint pain. They can say that the WOMAC score is improved, but can’t say what WOMAC is—because it contains the word “arthritis” (it is a pain-rating scale).
In the mean time, products that are linked to high blood pressure, kidney failure, heart failure, and death can make claims. Maybe the reason so many older Americans take so many drugs is because they start young—with pain medication (that help to destroy joints—making sure that they continue to need them) and safe alternative products are not allowed to make claims.

Insulin Insensitivity

This issue is high on the list because it is so common—and it responds very well to nutritional therapy. It encompasses three conditions: metabolic syndrome (sometimes called syndrome X), adult onset diabetes and people who are insulin insensitive, but have not developed these conditions yet. Insulin has a lot to do with weight gain and so many other common health problems you see in your office. Sugar and insulin are involved with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, type 2 diabetes, menstrual problems, heart disease, pain, inflammation, depression and even polycystic ovaries. With simple lifestyle changes and some good nutritional products you can help people to easily lose weight and help them with a lot of other health problems. This is easy and it works.
Symptoms of insulin resistance include fatigue, weight gain, brain fog, carbohydrate craving, and periods of hypoglycemia after a high carbohydrate meal (often needing a nap after eating). Approximately 50% of your hypertensive patients are insulin insensitive. Approximately 30% of American adults are insulin insensitive and 25% have Syndrome X. The Journal of the American Medical Association states that if a patient has three or more of the following symptoms then Syndrome X is present.: waist measurement greater than 40” in men (35” in women); triglycerides greater than 150 mg/dl; HDL lower than 40 mg/dl; blood pressure greater than 135/85; or fasting glucose of 110 mg/dl.
Problems with sugar and insulin cause weight gain, along with a variety of other health problems. In general, these patients will have a BMI greater than 30. They carry weight around their abdominal area and crave sugar and starch. Getting insulin production under control is the key to weight loss—and there are some products that will help you to do this.
Dietary changes are, of course, necessary. Patients need to go on a low glycemic diet—avoiding high glycemic foods like refined carbohydrates. Have them follow a low glycemic diet; avoid refined foods, hydrogenated oils and additives. They should eat a large breakfast—with protein. They should eat a lot of fresh produce. You may have some problems with compliance—sugar is addictive. The supplementation should help with cravings. If patients have compliance issues, be patient but be firm in telling them that they need to change their habits. One of the keys to this is getting them to control when they eat (see the next paragraph). They should eat slowly and eat until they are full. They should only eat three meals per day.
Patients need to exercise regularly. They also need to stop snacking. The snacking issue is a tough one; many of these patients are labeled as hypoglycemic. Some feel weak or shaky if meals are delayed or feel the need to snack every two hours (or have been told to do so). You need to wean them from this by increasing the time between snacks. When you first eat, you produce insulin which helps to store the calories of the meal. As time goes on, you produce glucagon, which helps to burn the stored calories. The first three hours after eating, insulin is dominant; after three hours glucagon becomes dominant. You cannot lose weight if you keep producing insulin and snacking makes you produce insulin. It is especially important not to eat between dinner and bedtime.

The dietary changes are difficult, but necessary. Fortunately there are products that help to bring insulin under control and to help with cravings.

A multivitamin (designed for glycemic control): Many of the companies who sell to chiropractors sell a product that has a lot of chromium, B vitamins, magnesium and other nutrients to help the patient will glycemic control.
Fish oil: One of the many good things that fish oil does is to help with glycemic control; it also helps to lower cholesterol.
Phosphatidyl choline Works like a fat detergent; it also helps with adrenal issues. Many of your patients needing to lose weight have high cortisol production. Interesting side note—this is good for exercise-induced asthma (as is fish oil).
Phosphorus: Insulin insensitivity is an acidic condition; phosphates help to buffer. Phosphorus also helps with bone loss (a lot of osteoporotic women love their carbs). Sugar upsets the balance between calcium and phosphorus.
Magnesium: Magnesium is also nature’s muscle relaxer, so give it to patients with tight muscles. A woman who is magnesium deficient often will have tender breasts and mood swings related to her cycle. Magnesium causes the stools to soften, so if the patient gets diarrhea, lower the dosage.
Beta TCP or Betafood: Biotics and Standard Process are the only companies (I know of) that make a product like this. It is an extract from beets; it thins bile. Think of it as a detergent for fat (people with Syndrome X tend to get fatty liver).

Cooked vs raw food: it's Alive!

Try This For Breakfast... Its Alive!

One of the toughest meals of the day is breakfast.I mean really, what are the options for the average person? We have been brainwashed by the food giants and their commercials to limit ourselves to: cold or hot cereal, eggs, pancakes,waffles, toast or bagels. Any of these carb laden foods complimented with processed breakfast meats like bacon, ham, sausage links is a surefire recipe for inflammation and fatigue.

The problem is there just aren't a lot of good breakfast food alternatives that promote a non-inflammatory life style.Most people are shocked to learn that the average fast food sausage and egg breakfast sandwich increases NF-Kappa B by 150% and it's elevated for 3-4 hours. It’s amazing that simple breakfast sandwich can increase inflammation in your body by 150%. It’s no wonder people are tired and in chronic pain. NF-Kappa B is present in the cytosol of every cell and when its inhibitors are disrupted by stress, diet, injury, or a host of other factors it migrates to the mitochondria where it literally affects genes and sets up a cascade of genetically induced inflammation. The word picture that best describes NF-Kappa B would be that of an amplifier. It can ramp up or down existing levels of inflammation just like an amplifier can amplify existing voice or music levels.NF-Kappa B is one of the hottest topics in biomedical research right now, and pharmaceutical companies are racing to capitalize on it.

Today we're talking “BREAKFAST”So what are our options? Before I go into that I want to share with you some research done by Francis Pottenger between 1930 and 1950 on over 900 cats.He was evaluating the effects of adrenal extract on the cats and as a result his team did over 600autopsies and extensive data collection. He found that when he would give raw food (either raw milk or raw meat) to the cats, they would be vibrant, reproduce easily, have strong bones,engage in play, and in short exhibit health on whatever parameter was evaluated.“In older cats inflammation and diseases of the gums was seldom seen. The calcium and phosphorous content of their femurs remained consistent and internal organs showed full development and normal function. Over their life spans these raw food fed cats proved resistant to infections, fleas, and various other parasites,and showed no signs of allergies.When the cats were fed cooked food, their health declined. The longer they were on cooked food the longer it took to recover. As cats raised on cooked food progressed through 2or 3 generations, their health declined proportionally. Dr. Pottenger said in the third generation cooked food fed cats, some of the bones become as soft as rubber. The cats developed heart problems, nearsightedness and farsightedness.They had under activity of the thyroid gland, infections of the kidney, liver, testes,ovaries and the bladder.These cooked food fed cats had arthritis and inflammation of the joints and nervous system,as well as paralysis and meningitis. Cooked food fed cats showed much more irritability.Some females were even dangerous to handle. The males on the other hand were more docile,often to the point of being un-aggressive and their sex interest was slack or perverted. Such sexual deviations were not observed among the raw food cats. The cooked food fed cats also displayed vermin and intestinal parasites, skin lesions and allergies appear frequently and are progressively worse from one generation to the next. Abortion was common running about 25% In the first generation to about 70% in the second generation, and the average weight of kittens of cooked meat was 19 grams less than the raw meat nurtured kittens. He discussed several other animals and their genetic diets. Cows had healthier adrenal glands. Chickens were stronger and had healthier eggs. Guinea Pigs had less skin and GI problems.So here’s the point. We need to get more raw food in our diet. Raw foods have bio-available vitamins and minerals. Raw foods have enzymes in them to help digest our foods and enzymes that we need to sustain life. And…..it’s ALIVE. There are essences in raw foods that science will probably NEVER understand.