21 minute read
UNDERSTANDING THE
Understanding the Powerful Connection between Gut, Metabolic and Immune Health
by Dr. Laura Korman, DC, DACBN
Advertisement
Our immune systems have evolved to adapt to the ever-fluctuating environment in which we live, protecting us from foreign invaders that could harm us. This complex, highly organized immune system is unique to every person. It is built, molded and shaped by the specific influences of the world around us including our current global health crisis.
A healthy immune system starts with a healthy gut, and can be strengthened over time. Yet the most influential time for developing a healthy gut starts in the womb and in the first few months of life. A mother’s diet, lifestyle, exposure to toxins, infections, drugs, as well as the infant’s birth experience and whether breast feeding is provided, determine the unique variety and quantity of a baby’s gut microbiome (beneficial and protective bacteria).
Breastfed babies have fewer colds and less ear, respiratory or intestinal infections than formula fed babies. Perhaps even more remarkable, according to Dr. Joe Mercola, when a newborn has been exposed to a germ while breastfeeding, the baby will transfer those germs to mom. She will then produce antibodies to those germs and send the antibodies back to her child during the next feeding.
What an awesome symbiotic, immune boosting relationship that works both ways! Since the diversity of our microbiota is determined early in life, the sooner we can build and nourish this vital and protective bacteria, the stronger our immune resilience will be—not only in childhood, but throughout all of adulthood too.
Some dietary choices that negatively impact gut and immune health include the consumption of foods or beverages with sugars or processed grains and carbohydrates, all of which cause inflammation. Genetically modified foods (GMO’s) including most corn and soybean products, as well as the artificial sweetener Sucralose, have been known to disrupt healthy gut bacteria also.
In addition, stress is intimately connected to gut health, and if not managed, can slow the production of digestive enzymes which are normally produced by the body when we eat food. If we are deficient in these enzymes, we are unable to break down food into small fragments needed before they can be absorbed. This will often make us feel bloated or even experience heart burn and acid re-flux symptoms. In an attempt to decrease these signs of indigestion, many people take medications like Tums, Nexium, Prilosec or Omeprazole. But these pharmaceuticals are not without their side-effects.
While medications could provide temporary relief of discomfort, they fail to address the root cause of why these symptoms occur. They decrease the necessary production of stomach acid, and they also block the absorption of essential nutrients like calcium, magnesium, iron and B12. Long-term use can cause deficiencies and other related health problems. Antibiotics are commonly over-prescribed in the United States, but can eliminate healthy gut bacteria, as well as the potentially dangerous bacteria they are intended to kill.
The other influence that affects our bodies’ ability to fight infection is the state of our metabolic health which is defined as having ideal levels of blood sugar, insulin, lipids, blood pressure and waist circumference, without the use of drugs. Poor metabolic health leads to chronic illness including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. These same chronic illnesses will increase our risk for complications or even death due to viral or bacterial infections.
The World Health Organization states that at least 80% of all chronic diseases are lifestyle induced. The positive news here is that chronic illness can also be managed or reversed through lifestyle choices. Below are a few simple, practical and accessible strategies to improve metabolic and immune health.
Avoid the intake of non-nutritive, sugar filled foods and beverages. Eat real food—preferably organic, locally grown and raised—instead of processed, packaged and fast foods. Drink pure water. Take your body weight in pounds, divide in half, and this will be the minimum number, in ounces, of water that you should drink daily. Move your body including 20-30
minutes of aerobic activity, four to five times per week, and weight resistance training, two to three times per week. Allow yourself around seven or eight hours of uninterrupted, quality sleep, aiming between 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Manage stress through prayer, yoga, meditation or deep breathing techniques. Expose yourself to the sun—just be careful not to burn. 80% of people are deficient in Vitamin D, and sunshine is primarily how to absorb this vital nutrient which keeps your immune system in check. Limit toxic EMF radiation. Cell phones, computer screens, microwaves, Wi-fi, Bluetooth and the new 5G all have powerful disruptive effects on the body, interfering with immune function. These technologies are useful—and sometimes necessary—but we need to limit their use, especially around children. Consider high-quality supplementation. Non-toxic, bioavailable supplements are important because you want to avoid vitamins full of binders and artificial colors. Some preferences for supporting a healthy immune system are Vitamin D3 and K2, buffered Vitamin C, zinc, probiotics and a foundational daily multivitamin.
Our immune systems’ health is directly influenced by the state of the gut and metabolic health, and that is something we have control over through the modification of both diet and lifestyle. That ultimately puts us in the driver’s seat of our own health destiny. In a time of fear and uncertainty, this information should be comforting and empowering. No matter where you find your current state of health, the time to be healthier is before you get sick—or sicker—and that is now more than ever!
Dr. Korman has a post-doctorate degree in nutrition, and is board-certified through the American Clinical Board of Nutrition. She has been in practice for over 30 years, and has a health and wellness clinic in Port Charlotte. For more information, call 941- 629-6700 or visit DrLauraKorman.com.
Don’t Sweat It
Eco-Friendly Home-Cooling Tips Summer is here, prompting homekeep from transferring heat into living owners to crank up their air condispaces. The sun’s effect intensifies as tioner, but that can bump up electricity it radiates through windows. Shutters, bills and strain the environment. Here awnings and external blinds will are some eco-friendly tips to stay cool keep unwanted heat outside, as can at home with minimal or zero use of strategically placed trees and shrubs the AC. that shade east- and west-facing windows. Reflective or sun-control Fans to the Rescue film on windows reduces solar heat During daylight hours when outside and keeps out ultraviolet rays. Close temperatures are highest, close all curtains (preferably with white backs) windows to seal out the humidity and in any room that gets direct sunlight. heat. Open them at night to expel hot air and welcome the night’s fresh Too Hot for Summer breezes. To speed up ventilation, Replace heat-generating items place a window fan on the east side around the house with cooler alternaof the house blowing in to pull in tives. Choose eco-friendly LED lights cooler night air, and another window instead of traditional, hot-to-thefan on the west side blowing out to touch lightbulbs. Hang-dry clothes in expel warm air. the sun rather than running the dryer.
Ceiling fans are great, but techniGrab the slow-cooker, Instant Pot or cally, they cool people, not the house, outdoor barbecue and give the oven a so there’s no need to run them in break. Ditch the dishwasher’s heated empty rooms. Set the rotation coundrying option; choose the air-dry terclockwise to push air down and at cycle instead. the fastest setting for maximum relief. Fan blades collect dust; regular wipAC TLC ing is recommended to maintain good On a scorching day, the air conitioner air quality. Blade size and angles matmay be the only option. Replace an ter—choose those big enough for the old unit with a newer, high-efficiency room, set at 12-to-15-degree angles. model and invest in a smart thermostat that can be programmed based Sun Blockers on daily schedules and weather White reflects heat and black absorbs conditions. Dirty filters use much more it. Paint the roof white or another light energy than clean ones, so replace or shade and insulate attic floors to clean them regularly. August 2020 25
New Location, Expanded Services, Same Commitment to Mental Health: Q&A with The Brain Wave Center
by Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer
If you have experienced a surge in mental duress over the course of 2020, you are not alone—nor must you bear the weight of this tension alone either. Stress, anxiety, depression, trauma and other psychological issues can leave deep-rooted imprints on both your brain function and quality of life, but those effects do not have to be permanent.
The brain is a complex organ that can be rewired through the formation of healthier and stronger neural pathways which, in turn, leads to more resilience, focus, stress management, recall, mood state, emotional intelligence and ability to cope. But how do you harness these positive changes exactly? The Brain Wave Center has you covered.
In the following Q&A discussion, I pick the brain (pun intended!) of Gregg Sledziewski, Executive Director of The Brain Wave Center to learn why this process of retraining the brain is so beneficial, which cognitive issues it can address, and what The Brain Wave Center has in store for Southwest Florida residents as these erratic times continue to unfold.
Natural Awakenings: What new advancements can our local community expect from The Brain Wave Center in these coming months? Gregg Sledziewski: The Brain Wave Center is thrilled to announce that we are moving to a brand new location, still close to downtown Sarasota. Our new address will be at 640 South Washington Boulevard, and we will officially see clients there as of August 10.
This new, easily accessible location has extensive free parking, and will be more special needs friendly than our previous location. In addition to following both the local and CDC safety mandates for COVID-19—masks, temperature readings, hand sanitizer and social distancing—we have taken other precautions too such as adding ozone and UVC light to our HVAC system, installing premium air filters and making sure the office environment is always clean.
With this move, our clients can anticipate a continued expansion of the core programs we offer which include neurofeedback, psychotherapy, nutrition counseling and hypnotherapy, among others. We also plan to launch a medical division in order to create new platforms that can detect, evaluate and treat a full spectrum of brain-borne issues. Finally, we are in the process of establishing a center for the research and treatment of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), and we will partner with local clinicians and organizations to build a world-class center for holistic rejuvenation and healing that delivers “whole person” care.
NA: Now could you elaborate further on some of these partnerships you have formed and the work you will be involved in as a result?
Sledziewski: Integral to The Brain Wave Center is our continued mission to ensure that as many children as possible can access our services. With the help of our charity partners, if a family desires to utilize our treatment modalities but cannot pay the full expense, we are able to cover the additional costs beyond what this family can afford.
Our charity partnerships are with The Child Protection Center, EasterSeals of Southwest Florida, The Haven, TideWell Hospice and Crystal Rischer, Licensed Master Social Worker. Below are direct quotes from these local partners which I share with their permission.
“The Child Protection Center has utilized The Brain Wave Center’s services during the past six months for its leadership staff, and we have experienced remarkable results across our organization.” — Doug Stanley, Executive Director, The Child Protection Center
“EasterSeals of Southwest Florida is thankful to The Brain Wave Center for providing neurofeedback to children and families on the [autism] spectrum and with other learning challenges. The Brain Wave Center goes the extra mile, so that our children can improve their memories, focus, mental clarity and overall mood which helps them be more independent. We are honored to partner with The Brain Wave Center and offer neurofeedback to our clientele—from preschoolers all the way to adults living with disabilities.” —Tom Waters, CEO, EasterSeals of Southwest Florida
“Neurofeedback therapy has been a crucial addition The Haven’s programs. Our partnership with The Brain Wave Center has allowed our clients to experience a new form of therapy that focuses on the needs of each individual. After our preschool students with development disabilities participated in neurofeedback, they showed an increase in their attention levels. Our older students with Downs Syndrome were able to work on improving both memory and focus
with neurofeedback too. The beauty of neurofeedback is that it can be utilized by people throughout their lifespans. The Haven is grateful for these services The Brain Wave Center continues to offer the disabilities community.” —Brad Jones, President & CEO, The Haven
“We are so excited to be able to offer this resource to some of the grieving children we work with at TideWell Hospice. I know it will be a much-needed addition to their treatment.” —Danielle Visone, Family Grief Program Specialist, TideWell Hospice
“For some of my clients, the Brain Map was the ‘key’ to awareness of the problems they were facing. Neurofeedback created a ‘new door,’ and the talk therapy allowed them to walk out of their old ways of doing life.” —Crystal Rischer, MSW, LCSW
NA: Incredible, thank you for sharing! One final question: How can your treatment modalities be useful to address the particular challenges of COVID-19? Sledziewski:For more than seven years, we have offered non-invasive and drug-free treatment options for a number of brain and mental health issues such as anxiety, depression, ADD/ADHD, autism, and trauma or PTSD. Our central modality is called qEEG Brain Map Guided Neurofeedback, and our main goal is to help our clients overcome their mental blocks in order to enjoy life. Not to mention, during this time of COVID-19, many of us need an extra push to defeat those anxieties and traumas which have come to the surface.
To this end, we will introduce many exciting opportunities at The Brain Wave Center such as advanced testing for anxiety, ADD/ADHD and autism, as well as more comprehensive ways to treat these issues. We also have some research projects in the works including a study on the results of neurofeedback as a trauma intervention and the use of Microbaric oxygen for clients with ASD. In addition, we are collaborating with recent clients of ours who have finished their neurofeedback training on a project to ascertain how the pandemic has affected them since their last Brain Map session.
The brain is connected to everything we do as humans, from exercising our bodies to driving a car to performing our jobs to studying a textbook. In fact, it even informs our emotions— whether we feel peace, joy, anger, fear, love or anything else in between. The brain is our most important organ, so we need it to function optimally, both in normal routines and times of high stress like the current reality we find ourselves in now.
The Brain Wave Center’s forthcoming new location will be at 640 S Washington Blvd., Sarasota. To learn more about the treatment modalities and services offered, call 941-552-4500 or visit BrainWaveCenters.com.
Mary-Elizabeth Schurrer is the Managing Editor of Natural Awakenings Sarasota–Manatee. She also works as a freelance writer, blogger and social media marketer. Her personal blog HealthBeAHippie.Wordpress.com features tips for embracing an active, nutritious, balanced and empowered lifestyle.
For more information contact the restaurant at 941.412.4334.
Café Evergreen - Healthy Food, Healthy Life 801 Tamiani Trail S. • Nokomis, Fl 34275 www.cafeevergreen.net • 941.412.4334
Sandhill Healing Center, Inc.
• Sandhill Medical Thermography • Serving Charlotte County since 1992 • Non-Invasive • Experience the Difference!
Medical Thermography
NO Compression • NO Radiation • NO Pain Med-Hot Thermal Imaging Systems is a unique technology that measures and records skin temperature patterns and variations emitted from the human body. It helps illustrate a body’s physiology by showing patterns of active inflammation along with an increased blood supply feeding an existing disease pattern.
In recent years, a variety of studies have called into question the safety of cumulative exposure to radiation. Medical
Thermography emits nothing: it only takes an image. It is a useful tool for frequent screening with NO chance of danger. OUR Services Include: • Experienced, Professional, Certified Clinical Thermographers • Highest quality Medical High-Definition Camera provides finest images for precise interpretation • All images analyzed by specially trained and certified MD’s with written report •
Report discussed and given to you with copies of your images, patient education • A new look at the inflammatory process and functionality of the body • Affordable Imaging Packages
Acupuncture • Detox • Chiropractic • EEG Biofeedback • Medical Thermography 24901 Sandhill Blvd. Ste 8 at Deep Creek Commons, Port Charlotte 941 235-8929 SHH.ABMP.COM
WHOLE-BODY DENTISTRY Biological Dentists Get to the Root Causes
by Linda Sechrist
While the majority of individuals als used in oral health procedures. Their may consider oral health as individualized methodology and systemic separate from overall health, the health method of addressing the root causes mouth and body are very much connected. frequently includes nutrition and lifestyle, Until the late 1970s, this was rarely acknowlproviding patients with a less-toxic and safe edged outside a circle of dental professionals, experience for their overall health. physicians and allied researchers involved An important newcomer to this area in organizations such as the International is the myofunctional treatment system Academy of Biological Dentistry and Mediused in orthodontics for children 5 to 15 cine, The International Academy of Oral years old. Research in this field now points Medicine and Toxicology (IAOMT) and the to the real causes for crooked teeth and inHolistic Dental Association. correct jaw development—mouth breath
Dentists associated with these groups ing, tongue thrusting, reverse swallowing favor the use of preventive measures, a and thumb sucking (known as incorrect minimally invasive approach to dentistry myofunctional habits), in addition to allerand biocompatibility testing for all materigies, asthma and an open-mouth posture.
Early interventions beyond conventional solutions
Jean Marie Nordin, DDS, co-owner of Groton Wellness, in Groton, Massachusetts, added pediatric orthodontics to her practice after learning about early innovative interventions from her mentor, James Bronson, DDS, of Bronson Family Dentistry, in McLean, Virginia. “Our program for children involves a comprehensive evaluation on the first visit. We look at breathing habits, the way their tongue swallows and the function of the muscles. In medicine, we believe that form follows function; therefore, we observe what muscles around the mouth actually do when the individual swallows. It is really the way you breathe and swallow, as well as how the muscles work, that plays a significant role in where teeth end up and line up,” explains Nordin, who identifies problems in patients between 2 and 5 years old.
“We can start them on a removable Myobrace mouthpiece that can be worn at night and an hour during the day. The mouthpiece begins to change the way the tongue works, waking it up and strengthening it. If a child is born with the physiological problem of a tongue-tie that can’t swallow properly or get up onto the palate, that tongue will never expand the palate like it’s supposed to,” she clarifies.
For chronic mouth-breathers, the face grows long and narrow, which in the long term can cause cardiovascular disease. In the short term, it can cause anxiety, because the nitric oxide receptors located in the nose signal arteries and veins to relax. “A cardiologist knows about this phenomenon,” says Nordin, who notes that the dysfunction can be unwound before a child turns 9.
While early interceptive myofunctional orthodontic treatment methods such as Myobrace appliances have proven effective for children, there’s also good news for adults that suffer from breathing problems which cause sleep apnea, says
Nordin, who employs a myofunctional therapist. Orofacial myofunctional therapy is neuromuscular reeducation of the oral facial muscles via a series of exercises that work with the muscles of the lips, tongue, cheeks and other parts of the face.
Early intervention and role modeling
“Parents can begin playing a pivotal role in how their children care for their teeth, as well as how they feel and behave in the dentist’s office, as early as age 1. I encourage every mother to bring their child to an appointment. They can hold the child in their lap so they can watch me caring for mom’s teeth. Generally, by the time they are alone in my chair, they aren’t frightened,” advises Pentti Nupponen, a doctor of dental medicine and owner of the Halifax Center for Holistic & Cosmetic Dentistry, in Halifax, Pennsylvania.
Chris Kammer, a doctor of dental surgery and owner of Gums of Steel Oral Hygiene Transformation, in Middleton, Wisconsin, also suggests early interceptive treatments for young children. “Early treatments with removable appliances which expand the arch in the roof dome, influence bone growth and make room for incoming teeth can be performed by general dentists,” says Kammer, who notes that a proper diet may help prevent crowding of teeth, as well as malocclusion, or misalignment, of upper and lower teeth.
Gum and heart disease
Doctors practicing functional medicine are more likely to refer patients to biological and holistic dentists. Cardiologists are particularly aware of a 2014 American Journal of Preventive Medicine study in which researchers looked at individuals with gum and heart disease. Individuals that received adequate care for gum disease had 10 to 40 percent lower cardiovascular care costs than those who didn’t get proper oral care. Another study revealed that gum disease increases an individual’s risk of heart disease by approximately 20 percent. Given such evidence, the American Dental Association and American Heart Association have acknowledged the relationship between the two diseases.
By neglecting important ongoing research regarding new and old dental practices, as well as orthodontics, mainstream media has largely left the public in the dark regarding problems associated with root canals, mercury amalgam fillings and some dental implants.
Root canals, tooth extractions and gum disease
Iveta Iontcheva-Barehmi, owner of Boston Dental Wellness, in Brookline, Massachusetts, takes a holistic and biological approach to dentistry founded on the philosophy that everything within the whole body is connected. “Teeth are related to organs, tissues and glands along the body’s meridians, energy channels through which the life force flows,” says the integrative periodontist, who prefers extracting teeth when necessary and using zirconium implants rather than performing a root canal.
Iontcheva-Barehmi explains, “It’s logical that the connection between the meridians and teeth can indicate an individual’s overall health and wellness. Tooth extractions protect patients from toothrelated disease and systemic infections that can be harmful to overall health. A failing root canal is a chronic abscess around the root of the tooth. It has a direct connection with the bloodstream and disseminates infection through the whole body. This is the reason why holistic dentists recommend extractions.” She believes the best research on this was done by Weston Price, a Canadian dentist and pioneering nutritionist.
Treating gum disease
To treat gum disease, Amparo David, DMD, owner of Dentistry by Dr. David and the founder of the TMJ & Sleep Therapy Center of New England, in Bolton, Massachusetts, refers patients to the periodontist she keeps on staff. “I can tell that a patient has internal inflammation by looking at the gums and tongue. Gum disease has been linked to health problems such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke and premature births or low-birth weight babies,” says David, whose preventive and healing suggestions for healthy gums includes chewable oral probiotics, daily coconut oil pulling, consisting of swishing a tablespoon of oil in the mouth for 15 to 20 minutes to reduce harmful bacteria there and on the teeth. She also recommends flossing with an electric toothbrush and a Waterpik. “I suggest adding one or two drops of tea tree oil and iodine to the water in the pick,” notes David, who urges patients to eat less sugar and carbohydrates and more vegetables, proteins and fruits.
“We treat gums with ozone after a deep cleaning because it kills bacteria on contact. Patients maintain healthier gums using ozonated oils twice a day and by using a good toothpaste with no glycerine or fluoride,” says David, who notes that temporomandibular mandibular joint (TMJ) problems are tied to sleep disorders. “Many adolescents have TMJ problems, and sometimes experience this after extraction or retraction orthodontics.”
Despite the slow trickle of related information to the public and the lack of acknowledgement by the majority of dental professionals, these new philosophies and biological dental protocols are definitely improving overall health and wellness. According to the IAOMT, a dentist that chooses to put biocompatibility testing first can look forward to practicing effective dentistry while knowing that patients are being provided with the safest experience for their overall health.
Linda Sechrist is a senior staff writer for Natural Awakenings.
