There is certainly a difference between hypo- and hyperglycemia. But regardless of which end of the spectrum a person lies, surges of insulin can accompany both. Insulin is the hormone that helps transport sugar (or glucose) out of the bloodstream and into the cells of the body. Because of insulin’s action, it is generally more elevated in those with chronically high blood sugar, but can also surge if a person is hypoglycemic and experiences wide fluctuations in blood sugar.

The complications regarding insulin and the sex hormones estrogen and testosterone can be seen very straightforward. As you know, both males and females have estrogen and testosterone although women have higher levels of the former, whereas men have high higher levels of the latter. It’s important for this hormonal balance to be maintained for a number of reasons beyond the scope of this article.

Essentially, when females experience elevated insulin levels, there is an enzyme known as 17,20 lyase that gets up-regulated and then converts (some of) their estrogen into testosterone. In males, elevated insulin levels will increase the enzyme aromatase which will cause (some of) their testosterone to be converted into estrogen. This scenario may not sound terrible, but it’s important to realize that it’s a serious problem. Estrogen and testosterone are in certain amounts in males and females for a reason. And there’s even evidence that shows the two hormones can actually work differently males and females.  Estrogen (when balanced properly) is protective and beneficial for women, as testosterone is for men. However, an excessive of testosterone in women and an excess of estrogen in men is harmful. Again, the mechanisms are beyond the scope of this article although I will share some of the signs and symptomatology when this occurs.

When women have an excess of testosterone they can experience the following: acne; hair growth on the face, chest or back; male-pattern hair loss; aggressiveness; a deepening of the voice; loss of breast tissue; menstrual irregularities; infertility; hypothyroidism and more.

Men with an excess of estrogen can experience the following: gynecomastia (or the growth of breasts); infertility; erectile dysfunction; increased risk of heart disease and stroke; increased risk of prostate cancer; low libido; loss of muscle tone; excess belly fat; depression and more.

This type of situation can sometimes be seen in lab work, with low estrogen and high testosterone in females and the opposite in males. And all too often the doctor (and/or patient) goes straight for bio-identical hormone replacement therapy to “correct” the situation. Unfortunately, this may help raise the lowered hormone levels, but it doesn’t address the underlying problem and the complications that accompany the elevated hormone levels. The scenario I’ve outlined here needs to be dealt with via regulating blood sugar levels. This can be done through diet, exercise, stress management, and supplements in mild to moderate cases of blood sugar imbalance.

Please keep in mind that even though you may not be experiencing these signs or symptoms outright, it’s still possible that this phenomenon is occurring and causing health problems that you are unaware of.

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

As mentioned in previous parts of this series, an elimination diet is extremely important to determine which foods you are sensitive to that may be driving your stress hormones out of balance and contributing to blood sugar imbalances while also adversely affecting your detoxification abilities. However, some people need to go beyond an elimination diet in order to achieve optimal results. Very often an underlying infection (bacterial, viral, protozoal, and/or fungal) in the GI tract will lead to the same metabolic dysfunction that food sensitivities will lead to. That is, they can drive inflammation, affecting the adrenal glands and blood sugar negatively. And keep in mind, patients won’t always have overt GI symptoms even when a GI infection is present and causing them harm. Although, if you did have symptoms, and then embarked on the elimination diet and still have symptoms, chances are that you have an underlying infection that needs to be addressed.

In addition to a GI infection contributing to overall inflammation along with adrenal and blood sugar stress, an imbalance in the GI tract’s bacterial balance will affect thyroid hormone function. This is because about 20% of your thyroid hormone gets activated in the GI tract, and it relies on healthy gut flora in order to do that. Obviously the thyroid is a huge player when it comes to weight loss and detox because the thyroid determines the metabolic rate of every cell in the body. When the metabolic rate slows, we will either gain weight, or at least not lose weight. And if the metabolic rate of the cells in the liver and other detox organs slow, toxin elimination will be certainly be compromised. In addition to (~20% of) thyroid hormone activation being dependent on healthy gut flora, hormone detoxification and elimination is also dependent on healthy gut flora. And if there is an accumulation of estrogen from this mechanism, thyroid function will again be compromised. Thyroid dysfunction is a major contributor to the inability to lose weight. I covered a few reasons for thyroid imbalance above, but there are many more that are beyond the scope of this series.

This concludes the series on weight loss and detox. Obviously there are many reasons that a person may be unable to lose weight or detox efficiently, but this certainly covers the basics of what I see with patients. It’s always good to start with the basics, and if that doesn’t work, look a little deeper. Good luck in your journey!

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

If you’ve just completed the elimination diet and immediately realize that you lost 5-10lbs already, inflammation is one of your biggest problems. Inflammation is probably the most destructive process that occurs in the body, and is essentially everyone’s problem regarding any health challenge. And even though inflammation serves a very important purpose, when it’s constant, it can (and will) wreak havoc on every system in the body. When there’s inflammation in the digestive tract from constant consumption of food sensitivities, it will usually cause systemic inflammation. So what’s the problem with inflammation you ask? As mentioned earlier in this series, inflammation will contribute to blood sugar imbalances by interfering with cortisol (causing it to spike). This will result in insulin spikes as well. After this takes place over a period time from stress and poor eating habits, inflammation and the resultant spikes in insulin will interfere with the way insulin works at the cellular level. [By the way, imbalances in blood sugar will also lead to inflammation - so it works both ways.]

Cortisol is a hormone that helps break down stores of glycogen (stored starch) in order to raise blood sugar during times of physical and mental/emotional stress; and insulin is a hormone that deals with glucose (or sugar) transport and storage. Essentially, the constant insulin spikes and inflammatory chemicals known as cytokines that result from blood sugar imbalances will help promote insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a condition which prevents cells from taking up glucose from the blood, because the cells no longer respond to insulin’s message. And when this happens, the body converts the excess glucose (which the cells can’t take up) to fatty acids, that are then stored as fat.

In addition to contributing to insulin resistance, inflammation and blood sugar imbalances (along with the insulin and cortisol spikes) will eventually lead to leptin resistance. Leptin is a hormone whose purpose is to let the brain know that you are full or satiated. When you become resistant to this hormone (again, meaning that cells do not respond to the hormone’s message sufficiently), you’ll wind up overeating. This can obviously lead to weight gain.

So how do we reverse insulin resistance and cortisol spikes? Again, the answer is in your diet (and certainly avoiding mental/emotional stress). You need to avoid the foods you are sensitive to and maintain even-keeled blood sugar by avoiding sugar and limiting starches. And now what about leptin resistance? In order to help reverse this, you need to eat small meals throughout the day and eat slowly so that you can realize that you’ve eaten enough and then simply stop. It may take some time, but the rewards will eventually pay off.

Good luck and check back for more information on weight loss and detox.

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

One concept to keep in mind about any detox or diet is that time is definitely a factor. You can’t expect to detox years of indiscretions or shed years of excess pounds in one week. I mention the concept of time because the same goes for an elimination diet. To achieve the full benefits of this type of program, you’ll need to invest at least two weeks of your time and effort. Now remember, that’s only for the elimination diet. You’ll certainly need to invest more time after the initial two weeks if you’re looking to lose weight (and keep it off) and you’d be wise to continue eating well if detox is your goal also. I discussed the importance of eliminating foods you are sensitive to in part 2 of this series. Here, I’ll discuss one way to go about incorporating an elimination diet to get you started on your path.

Before I begin with the exact plan, it’s important to note that it would be wise to obtain a hypoallergenic (rice or pea based) protein powder/supplement before embarking on this diet plan. The reason for this is because at some point, you’ll be avoiding the main protein-containing foods (e.g. animal foods). In order to keep your protein intake up and your blood sugar stable, you’ll need a protein supplement during this phase. Also, you can use one that is designed for detox if you choose.

Alright, here’s the plan:

Foods to avoid:
• anything you know you’re allergic to (of course)
• all dairy (including butter), margarine and shortening
• eggs
• all gluten (wheat, rye, barley, spelt, oats, and kamut)
• corn
• soy and texturized vegetable protein
• nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, and peppers)
• alcohol and caffeine
• peanuts – also considering avoiding other types of nuts or seeds if you consume them on a regular basis
• beef that is not grass-fed, pork products, hot dogs, canned meat, sausage, and “fake” meats (usu. made from soy or gluten)

Foods to eat:
• at least 10 glasses of clean water (i.e.: not tap or poorly filtered water)
• vegetable juices (not fruit juices) and herbal teas are acceptable, but should not replace pure water
• hypoallergenic grains like rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat (without added wheat), or tapioca are acceptable – be careful of eating too many carbohydrates however
• all vegetables (except nightshades), low-sugar fruits, and beans – again being careful of consuming too many carbs
• fish, chicken, turkey, and lamb (organic, free-range, clean animal foods are best)
• olive and/or coconut oil

For days 1 and 2 – take one serving of protein powder before breakfast
For days 3 and 4 – take one serving of protein powder before breakfast and dinner
During these four days, follow the guidelines for foods to eat and avoid as outlined above.

For days 5 through 10 – take one serving of protein powder before breakfast, lunch, and dinner AND in addition to avoiding the foods from the “Foods to avoid” list, also avoid eating any animal products (including fish, chicken, turkey and lamb).

For days 11 and 12 – take two servings of protein powder before breakfast and dinner AND you can (and should) now eat the allowable animal products (fish, chicken, turkey, and lamb).

For days 13 and 14 – take one serving of protein powder before breakfast and follow the food lists.

After day 14, introduce one food that you’ve avoided for the last two weeks. It is of extreme importance that you only introduce one food from the list of suspected sensitivities every 3 days. If you add more than one food within 72 hours, you won’t be able to discern which food is suspect if you have any symptoms. So from now on, you can introduce one new food to your diet every three days and look for any symptoms that may point to you being sensitive to that food. Any symptoms can occur, with the most common being those mentioned in part 2: fatigue, joint pain, digestive disturbances (of any kind), sinus and lung congestion, skin rashes (including acne and eczema), canker sores, headaches, anxiousness, irritability and moodiness. Don’t limit your symptoms to this list only, any symptom can arise from a food intolerance. Also, don’t assume that you’ll get a digestive symptom. Not all food sensitivities will cause digestive symptoms.

Once you find the foods that you are sensitive to, you need to avoid them completely! If you find wheat is a problem, you cannot simply have a small bite of a cracker and assume that such a small amount won’t have an effect. It will set off a cascade of inflammatory immune biochemicals that will affect your entire system and thwart all the excellent efforts you put in. You won’t necessarily have to avoid that food for life. It’s quite possible that after you heal your system and get your body functioning optimally again, you’ll be able to reintroduce that food without any detrimental consequences.

I’ll discuss how to heal your system in future articles.

Good luck!

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

Source: one of my mentor’s protocols, Dr. Datis Kharrazian

In my practice, sticking to the basics is all that is needed most (about 80%) of the time. When it comes to food sensitivities, the basics include avoiding wheat (really all gluten), corn, dairy, egg, soy, and yeast as they are the most common culprits. Of course, a person can be intolerant of any food, and often it’s a food that is consumed often. Another fairly common sensitivity would be tree nuts. A simple way to determine what foods you may be sensitive to is to go on an elimination diet, or simply avoid a particular food and then reintroduce it. The problem with avoiding only one food however, is that you may be having a similar reaction/symptom to a different food that you are still eating. Therefore, you may not notice any relief of symptom(s) and falsely conclude that there is no problem with the food you avoided. So again, a complete elimination diet is recommended. Symptoms that may arise from eating foods you are sensitive to include but are not limited to: fatigue, joint pain, digestive disturbances (of any kind), sinus and lung congestion, skin rashes (including acne and eczema), headaches, anxiousness, irritability and moodiness.

So what’s the connection between food sensitivities and weight gain and/or detox? The problem lies in the immune system. When the immune system gets called into action, as it does after eating “problem” foods, inflammatory chemicals are produced which can interfere with insulin metabolism. This can cause blood sugar to be elevated and signal the body to store more fat as opposed to break it down. Secondly, there is research that has showed people crave the foods they are sensitive to and therefore wind up overeating. So essentially, these foods can cause a biologically-based (as opposed to only psychologically-based) addictive response and cause a person to overeat. Obviously overeating will result in weight gain for most people.

As far as detoxification, eliminating food sensitivities will give your liver a break from having to clear out the inflammatory mediators produced after ingesting those foods. This will allow the liver more of a chance to deal with the burden of toxins it already has. Also, it will spare nutrients that are necessary to detox those mediators (and other toxins), in addition to nutrients needed to detox any stress hormones that will also be produced from consuming foods you are sensitive to.

I hope you now have more of an understanding and appreciation for avoiding certain foods. It may not be easy or fun to avoid those foods, but it should pay off in the end when you drop a few sizes!

In the next article, I’ll outline how to go about following an elimination diet.

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Diplomate of the International Board of Applied Kinesiology

As mentioned, the most important factor in attaining your health goal of weight loss or detox is what you are eating. [I don’t mean to mitigate the emotional component of weight loss (if in fact there is one for you).]

When it comes to eating, it’s more important to eliminate the “bad” foods rather than simply include “good” foods. On the list of foods that need to be eliminated, sugar is by far number one. This doesn’t simply mean table sugar that is added to food or drinks, it means all sugar-containing foods such as: pies, cakes, cookies, candy, soda, doughnuts, ice cream, brownies, etc.. Additionally, the so-called healthy alternatives of these foods that don’t use refined white sugar as a sweetener are also on the list of foods to avoid. I’m referring to ice cream flavored with agave nectar, or cookies sweetened with white grape juice concentrate, and anything in between. About the only thing you may be able to “get away with” that’s concentrated and sweet is a small amount of raw, unfiltered honey in tea, or a smoothie. It’s best to avoid sweeteners like brown rice syrup, agave nectar, maple syrup, date sugar, and all other alternatives to white sugar. Stevia is sometimes acceptable, but not for everyone, as I’ve found it can negatively affect pancreatic function. However, if you must, it seems the best alternative.

Second on the list of foods to avoid for weight loss and detoxification is all forms of starch. This includes bread (even whole- and multi-grain), pasta (even whole-grain), rice (even brown rice), and potatoes. In fact, if you really want to lose weight, you should consider avoiding all grains. This would include foods like oatmeal, quinoa, corn (a grain, not a vegetable), etc.. It may seem way too restrictive and low-carb for many people, but it’s what I see work. I’ll write more articles in the future on the mechanism(s) of why restricting sugar, starch and high carbohydrate foods can help with weight loss, and why detox can help weight loss, but for now I just want to get the basics out regarding diet.

An exception to the “extreme” restriction in starch (not sugar, as sugar should be avoided by everyone) is an individual who wants to detox, but is not looking to, or can’t “afford” to lose weight. Generally, grains like brown rice and starchy vegetables can be OK in a situation like this.

After sugar and starch, if you’re attempting to lose weight you’ll need to cut out all alcohol. Alcohol is one of the simplest forms of sugar and can certainly thwart any efforts on shedding pounds, even if you’ve already cut out sugar and starch. A glass of wine a night may seem harmless, and even healthy, but in reality it will affect metabolism in a way that may keep you from your weight loss goals. And alcohol is obviously a “no-no” for anyone on a detox.

Lastly, it’s best to limit or completely eliminate fruit from the diet. Even though fruit is natural, the sugar in it can negatively affect blood sugar levels and lead to hormonal shifts that can prevent weight loss. Typically, fruit only needs to be avoided during the first one to three months of a weight loss regimen, and the ability to tolerate it can be assessed thereafter.

One key reason people seeking to lose weight and detox need to avoid sugar and starch is because of its effect on blood sugar levels/fluctuations and the resultant hormonal shifts that take place. Again, this is a topic for another article. But I need to make another point regarding blood sugar fluctuations and eating. It’s not simply what you eat that will affect your blood sugar, but “how” you eat.

There are basically two issues when it comes to blood sugar imbalances. A person is generally more hypoglycemic (tending toward low blood sugar) or hyperglycemic (tending toward high blood sugar). Very often however a person simply shifts between the two extremes of high and low blood sugar. Regardless of where on the spectrum you lie, your eating schedule should basically be the same. Also, because people often shift from high to low blood sugar throughout the day, it can’t always be picked up on a blood test.

As far as “how” to eat, it is imperative to eat (protein-containing foods) within one hour of waking in the morning. And it’s imperative to eat something every few hours to avoid a significant drop in blood sugar. This usually means that people need to snack on something every 2-3 hours. Several signs that your blood sugar is too low and that you need to eat (or really that you should have eaten already to avoid these symptoms) are: feeling irritable or light-headed between meals; eating relieves fatigue; craving sweets; dependence on stimulants like caffeine to function “well”; and/or get shaky, jittery, or nervous between meals. Several signs that your blood sugar is generally too high and that you tend toward insulin resistance are: craving sweets throughout the day; craving sweets after eating; eating sweets doesn’t satisfy your “sweet tooth”; feeling tired after eating; increased thirst and appetite; fat deposits around the mid-section or “belly fat”; and difficulty losing weight.

Sometimes it’s OK if you choose to exercise within an hour of waking up, instead of eating first. If that seems to work and you don’t have any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you should be fine. However, you should eat (protein-containing foods) within at least 15-20 minutes after your morning workout.

Keep in mind that there are many reasons that a person may have trouble losing weight and diet alone might not give you the results you are looking for. Other areas of consideration include thyroid, adrenal, digestive, brain, pancreatic health, etc.. Specific measures for correcting imbalances in any impaired organs/glands/systems is usually also necessary to achieve weight loss and detox goals. But you must start with what you are eating (and not eating) and how and when you eat, or your efforts will most likely be fruitless.

Start with the dietary recommendations mentioned above and you should be well on your way to achieving your goal of weight loss and/or detox.

Also, please see my article my article titled “Daily protein requirements” for more specific information on the importance of eating protein.

Check back for more on weight loss and detox!

Happy New Year!

Dr. Rob D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiology

This set of blood markers is often the most scrutinized because of all the hype around cholesterol and fats these days. Most Americans appear to be pressured and confronted with having to be concerned with matters of heart disease and whether or not to take medication to lower cholesterol. This is obviously a concern, however cholesterol levels alone don’t show a big enough picture to determine a person’s cardiovascular (or general) health and/or risks. Regardless, here are the markers:

Total Cholesterol
This is self-explanatory and includes LDL, HDL, and vLDL.

HDL Cholesterol
Also known as “good” cholesterol because of its function in transporting cholesterol away from the tissues (especially arteries) to the liver

Non-HDL Cholesterol
Again, self-explanatory – made up of the sum of LDL and vLDL cholesterol

LDL Calculated
Also known as “bad” cholesterol because of its ability to help deposit cholesterol in arteries and other tissues

Triglycerides
These are fats in the blood that can come from diet or triglyceride production by the liver. And if more calories are consumed than can be used by the cells immediately – the body will convert the excess into triglycerides to be stored. Typically triglycerides are in excess because of too much sugar, caffeine, or alcohol; essentially with blood sugar imbalances.

For more in-depth information of cholesterol, see my article titled: “Understanding Cholesterol“.

Over the years, the ability to assess cardiovascular disease (CVD) has been improved. One good type of testing includes testing the particle size of both LDL and HDL cholesterol. Essentially, it’s better to have LDL cholesterol particles that are large (or “Pattern A”). When the particles are large, it implies less surface area for that cholesterol to be oxidized (which is when cholesterol really becomes problematic and contributes to CVD). When the particles of LDL are small (or “Pattern B”), there is more surface area that can be oxidized, thus compounding the problem.

The exact opposite is true of HDL. HDL is best when the particle size is small.

In conclusion, it should be noted that most of the time when I see cholesterol and triglycerides elevated, it is due to insulin resistance or other issues with blood sugar management. This is basically the result of imbalances in other systems typically due to diet and stress hormone levels. Another possibility is low thyroid function. This will decrease metabolism in every cell of the body, and slow the metabolism of cholesterol leading to a higher level. Lastly, microbial imbalances in the intestinal tract can contribute to high cholesterol due to bile salt analogue production (a topic for another article).

High cholesterol is not usually the most pertinent issue I see in my practice. That just has to do with the patients that walk through the door. And when I do see (functional) high cholesterol on a patient, I don’t simply give natural cholesterol “blockers” like red rice yeast. I see high cholesterol as a symptom, not a primary disease process. Keep in mind that some people do truly have genetically-based high cholesterol, but I don’t find that to be the norm. If genetically-high cholesterol is something that is suspected (because of extremely high levels or levels that are non-responsive to care), a lipid electrophoresis can be run to determine if in fact a genetic lipid disorder exists known as hyperlipoproteinemia.

There are even more cholesterol markers that can be run nowadays, for example oxidized cholesterol and apolipoprotein studies. Again, I don’t often see this, but will deal with it when necessary. I often see more issues with low cholesterol in my practice. Yes, a person can have too little an amount of cholesterol. Cholesterol is a necessary ingredient in every cell in the body.

Dr. Robert D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiology

First things first. I feel that (organic) vegetable juicing is by far one of the most health-giving ways that we can support our body and mind. Drinking fresh, live vegetable juice offers the most efficient way I know of getting an enormous amount of natural vitamins, minerals, enzymes and phytonutrients into our body. The healthiest way to go is with “green” juices, as they contain the most chlorophyll, calcium, magnesium, and other supportive and detoxifying nutrients and antioxidants. Therefore, they’ll help build blood, bone, and other important tissues in addition to helping detoxify and regenerate the liver, colon, kidneys, and just about all the organs and cells of the body. So as far as drinking vegetable juice – I’m ALL for it! What about juice cleansing though?

Juice cleanses will obviously offer the body all of the great nutrients and benefits mentioned above. However, there can certainly be (and more likely will be) a drawback for most people. The problem often arises when we consume ONLY juice in a single (or several) day(s). That problem mainly relates to the lack of other macronutrients, with the primary one being a lack of protein. The effects of going without protein for days (or even a single day) can be very detrimental. How (if at all) detrimental it is will certainly depend on the individual and his or her state of health, and also how the cleanse is actually done. The other issue that arises is when a person attempts to detoxify while their organs of elimination (liver, kidneys, intestines, lungs, skin, and lymphatic system) are not “up to par”.

Several problems of going without protein include severe blood sugar fluctuations and resultant spikes in insulin and stress hormones. See my articles on insulin resistance and blood sugar regulation to get more specific information on this. Additionally, without eating protein, your body will begin to break down muscle in order to get the protein it needs to survive. Blood sugar fluctuations or imbalances and/or a lack of protein and muscle mass are the cause of many people’s symptoms and disease to begin with. Therefore a juice cleanse can make a person even more imbalanced and unhealthy. And let’s not forget that protein is absolutely necessary in order for the body and especially the liver to properly detoxify in the first place. I’m not saying the answer solely lies in protein intake, because you may also need other supportive nutrients to support the organs of elimination while detoxing.

That said, here’s my take on some of the comments in the NY Times article. Here’s the first comment in the article that I’d like to touch upon: “As Mr. Glickman explains on his Web site, if you experience symptoms like cravings, fatigue, irritability, headaches, pains, nausea, vomiting, hot bowel movements (!) … congratulations! That means you were supertoxic, and the cleanse is working.” OK – this statement may be true, as those symptoms can definitely result from going on a juice cleanse. HOWEVER, if a person does in fact experience these symptoms, I would not say “congratulations”. These symptoms are actually the result of faulty detoxification pathways. Many people might call this a “healing crisis” and say “the cleanse is working. The reality is that the toxins are being released from the cells and tissues, but in fact NOT being released from the body. This is a classic example someone who needs support for their detoxification organs, as the organs can not keep up with amount of toxins that are being released. In a case like this, I’d support a patient with supplements (usu. herbal or homeopathic) that would help to actually get the toxins completely out of their body. Without support to help the drainage of these organs, people that undergo this type of reaction are most definitely simply transposing the toxins to another area of their body. And if they have a “leaky” blood-brain barrier, they can cause some serious harm by allowing chemicals/toxins to be deposited in the brain. In a sense this type of reaction is diagnostic that the detox organs aren’t up to par. Well, you say, isn’t that why we are detoxing, because the detox organs aren’t up to par? Sure, but if the above mentioned symptoms occur, without specific support to the detox organs (which would prevent those symptoms), you are likely doing more harm than good. So it may be OK to go ahead with the cleanse, but the appropriate support/drainage remedies need to be taken as well.

The next comment I’d like to make is in regards to these statements by the author: “By the third day I felt great in the way I’m told that the imminently drowning feel great right before they give up and inhale that last mouthful of water. My juice-aficionado friend Gilly told me I was on an endorphin high”. If you’ve ever been on an “endorphin high” you’d know that it doesn’t feel like “giving up” and inhaling a mouthful of water before your ultimate death. It may feel like you’re floating a bit, perhaps related to lightheadedness or dizziness, but not like you’re about to drown. The feeling the author is describing sounds more like both, a severe blood sugar imbalance with concomitant stress hormone and adrenaline (stress neurotransmitter) release, while the body is freeing up toxins into the bloodstream but not able to get rid of them. Adrenaline and stress hormones are catabolic, meaning they actually assist in breaking down the body, instead of building it up. That said, I wholeheartedly agree with the following comments made in the article by Dr. David Colbert: “That giddy feeling you get is what diabetics get when your body runs out of sugar and starts using other products for energy“.

Lastly, I respectfully disagree with these comments made from Dr. Colbert: “You have to ask yourself this question: With a juice cleanse, what are you really cleaning? Really, nothing. The bowel self-cleans. It’s evolved over millions of years to do this.” Here’s my response to that. The bowel will self-clean but more often than not, it does need a cleanse or specific dietary changes and/or supplements in order to do so well. To elaborate, consider these points. The entire body is meant to detoxify chemicals, metals, etc.. However, day in and day out I see patients whose complaints are directly related to an inability to detoxify these substances – therefore, some of us have “lost” this capability. The body was meant to produce a proper amount of thyroid hormone, but in many cases it doesn’t (for many reasons); and hypothyroidism is rampant despite our evolution. The female hormonal system is meant to self-regulate through feedback loops as well, but PMS and a grueling, symptomatic shift into menopause for many woman seems to be the norm. The body is designed to “self-defend” via the immune system, but so many people are afflicted with acute and chronic bacterial, viral, fungal, parasitic, etc. infections. So even though the body is designed to function a certain way, that doesn’t mean it will. And even though the bowel “self-cleans” as Dr. Colbert points out, that doesn’t mean it will efficiently and effectively. The body doesn’t always work the way it was designed to. Believe me, I wouldn’t have a practice if it did. If the body did everything it was “supposed” to do, we wouldn’t have such a huge health crisis with rampant degenerative disease and illness.

In conclusion, juice cleanses can be done safely, and you don’t necessarily need to avoid consuming food while attempting to detoxify. Your best option is to find a practitioner that can monitor your progress in order to make sure it’s going safely and you achieve the benefits you set out for.

Dr. Robert D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiology

This (i.e.: “How much protein per day do I need?”) is a question that I do NOT get asked often enough from patients. Of course everyone’s needs are different, so there is no magic number for everybody. When it comes to protein (and other nutrients), it depends on weight, along with stress and activity levels. In wanting to stay up to date on the best information, I recently came across a spectacular article that talks all about protein requirements.

Before I summarize the article, I thought it would be interesting to point out the etymology of “protein”. The English word “protein” is derived from the Greek word “proteios”, meaning “chief rank”, “first place”, or “primary” depending on where you look. I feel that alone is enough to express the importance of getting ample amounts of protein everyday. That said, let’s now see why.

The author, Donald K. Layman makes four basic points about the importance of protein.
The key concepts are as follows:
1) “Protein is a critical part of the adult diet”
2) “Protein needs are proportional to body weight; NOT energy intake”
3) “Adult protein utilization is a function of intake at individual meals”
4) “Most adults benefit from protein intakes above the minimum RDA”

Let’s look at these points in more detail.

Number 1 – Well, this is generally obvious so I won’t expand on this point. You can read my other articles linked above if you’re not sure why it’s “critical”.

Number 2 – When a person asks me (or I determine) how much protein they need; I base it on body weight and physical activity as mentioned above. Layman says specifically, “protein needs are proportional to body weight;  NOT energy intake”. This means that you and I need to consume a certain number of grams of protein per day based on how much we weigh and NOT simply on a percentage of total caloric intake per day. So it wouldn’t be wise to say, “I eat  a 2,000 calorie per day diet, follow a strict 40-30-30 diet (carbs, protein, fat respectively) and therefore I’ll eat “x” number of grams of protein per day”. Depending on how much you weigh, you could be shorting yourself with a formula like this. Since protein requirements are based on body weight, you’d actually need to increase the percentage of protein in your diet if you restricted your total caloric intake (as one might if attempting to lose weight).

What’s the magic number you ask? Well, the minimum RDA (recommended daily allowance) is 0.8 g/kg of body weight. The minimum number of grams per day can therefore be determined by dividing your weight in pounds by 2.2 and then multiplying that number by 0.8. So a 150lb. person would need a minimum of about 55 grams per day (150/2.2 = 68 x 0.8 = 54.4). Remember now, this is the minimum! RDA is intended to be “the average daily dietary intake level that is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirements of nearly all (approximately 98 percent) healthy individuals”. I’ll  get to more specific numbers soon, let me move on to point number 3.

Number 3 – Again, the third point reads: “Adult protein utilization is a function of intake at individual meals”. Note the term “protein utilization”. This is certainly worth looking into because after all, what good is protein intake if it’s not being utilized. Layman goes on to say that current guidelines focused on the RDA minimize the importance of having protein at every meal. When it comes to children and young adults, this point isn’t as critical; because “uneven meal distribution of protein appears not to adversely affect growth” in that age group. However, in adults (because of changes in metabolism) this is a very critical point. Layman’s research says: “Adults require a minimum of 15 grams of essential amino acids or at least 30 grams of total protein to fully stimulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis”. [italics and underlining added by me] In adults, diets that contain adequate protein at only one meal produce this beneficial effect only after that meal. So getting most of your days intake by eating say a steak or other significant source of protein at dinner alone will not cut it. Also, he cites two studies after saying “most adults consume less than 10 grams of protein at breakfast”.

Number 4 – This reads: “Most adults benefit from protein intakes above the minimum RDA”.
Bear in mind this last critical point because protein is not only beneficial for muscle and tissue growth. To quote Layman again, he says: “During the last decade a growing body of research reveals that dietary protein intakes above the RDA are beneficial in maintaining muscle function and mobility and in the treatment of diseases including obesity, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, heart disease, and sarcopenia”. Even further health benefits include satiety (essentially feeling full and not wanting to eat more), thermogenesis (basically increasing the rate that the body burns stored fat allowing for the release of energy), and my personal favorite glycemic (or blood sugar) control.

I can’t think of a single patient who is ever fat- or carbohydrate-deficient, but protein-deficient, absolutely!

Last and not at all least, the utilization of your protein intake won’t occur very well if you’re not digesting it; and one of the most important reasons people don’t digest protein well is because of a lack of hydrochloric (stomach) acid.

Hope this helps!

Sources:
http://www.nutritionandmetabolism.com/content/6/1/12
http://www.dietandfitnesstoday.com/rda.php

Dr. Robert D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiology

Interestingly, pain doesn’t occur where you “feel” it or believe it to exist. In fact, pain really isn’t a “thing”. Pain is a perception triggered by the activation of certain areas in the brain. These “pain centers” (the neurology can get quite complex, so I’ll keep it simple) in the brain receive signals from specific nerves that have pain receptors (nociceptors) on them. So in the case of low back pain, for instance, the nociceptors harbored in the spinal joints, muscles, etc. get stimulated which then send nerve transmissions to be interpreted by the brain as pain. It’s because of this reason that “nerve blocks” work; basically blocking the signal to the brain. Now, what do we do about pain (other than a nerve block)?

Well, that of course depends on the type of pain you’re talking about. You see, nociceptors can get stimulated in different ways. Specifically, they respond to mechanical forces, inflammatory chemicals, and temperature changes.

As far as mechanical forces go; compression or stretching of a nerve(s) causes the stimulation of nociceptors, and results in the perception of pain. This can be caused by any number of structural imbalances, whether acute or chronic. The treatment for this type of “pain” stimulation is to balance muscle and joint function in order to eliminate the compression or stretching of the nociceptor. Furthermore, balancing muscle and joint function results in the stimulation of nerves that harbor mechanoreceptors (sensitive to light touch, vibration, position-sense, etc.) which actually act to: a) directly block the transmission of nociceptor signals to the brain, and b) travel faster to the brain in order to allow for the perception of something other than pain. By the way, “a” and “b” are the reason we rub an area of pain in order to relieve it.

Chemical pain, on the other hand, results from the stimulation of nociceptors via various inflammatory mediators/chemicals. So why do inflammatory mediators get released? Simple, because of tissue damage. This can certainly result from a structural abnormality that causes damage; in addition to a “chemical assault” that results in inflammation such as a food allergen or sensitivity, infection, toxin, or nutritional deficiency. All of the above can (and usually do) cause an inflammatory reaction. The chemicals involved include the likes of histamine, prostaglandins, thromboxanes, leukotrienes, etc.. As a result, these chemicals need to be kept at bay in order to prevent pain from being perceived. This is the reason why you may still sometimes feel pain after a chiropractic treatment. The treatment is designed to balance the structural components of dysfunction, however if there are still inflammatory chemicals circulating in response to tissue damage, the pain will persist. Once the healing begins, the pain should diminish and ultimately resolve. Chemical mediators of pain can be controlled by balancing muscle and joint function in order to prevent further damage, in addition to being controlled by nutritional substances that assist in healing and reducing inflammation.

Thermal or temperature-related pain… To relieve this…take your hand off the stove and don’t play with matches!

This idea of mechanical and chemical-mediated pain can be of extreme importance in diagnosis. Let me explain. If the pain experienced can be fully relieved by holding your body in a certain position, then your pain is solely caused by mechanical insults. However, if there is no position you can get into that relieves the pain, your problem most definitely has an inflammatory chemical component to it. And of course, if a certain position relieves some of the pain but not all of it, then there is both a mechanical and chemical component involved (this is most often the case). Whenever there is a chemical component to the pain, your doctor needs to have methods that can easily determine why you are inflamed. Remember, this can be the result of the normal repair process from structural damage, a chemical toxin, a food allergen or sensitivity, and/or a nutritional deficiency.

Several decades ago, it was found out that the mind cannot be separated from the body (through the field of psychoneuroimmunology). Now, if we were to dismiss the chemical component of pain, we’d basically be trying to separate the body from the body. Hopefully this helps to explain why your doctor may ask you to avoid certain foods, change your diet altogether, and take supplements even though your primary complaint is “physical” pain.

Dr. Robert D’Aquila – NYC Chiropractor – Applied Kinesiology

some information in this article was sourced from: Chris Astill-Smith, DO, DIBAK – metabolics.com