Click on a the Medical Condition below to learn more.

 Like many of my patients, Sally came to my office with medical problems that had propelled her on a long journey in the medical world looking for answers, but finding few.  She was a thin, healthy appearing women in her 70’s who complained of an aching headache, a “foggy feeling” in her mind, “numbness in her right leg and arm”, as well a “rushing pressure feeling” in her chest. She also had a “burning” feeling in her stomach.  All of these problems were occurring with increasing frequency over the past five years.

She had seen a neurologist and was told that everything was normal.  She was hospitalized twice for the numbness in her extremities and chest pressure.  Again all of her tests were normal and she was reassured that her heart was okay and there was no evidence of stroke. An E.N.T. specialist had diagnosed gastroesophageal reflux disease and she was given an acid blocking medication. None of these treatments helped and she said that for the first time in her life she started to feel depressed and hopeless.

After listening to Sally’s story as well as her family history, I suspected gluten intolerance right away. 

I confirmed the diagnosis with a fecal anti-gliaden antibody test and then started her on a gluten free diet along with the elimination of dairy, sweets and fruit.  I also gave her some nutritional supplements to improve digestion, provide mineral and antioxidant support to her body, along with Omega-3 fatty acids.

In two weeks, Sally returned to my office excited to report that she felt “dramatically better”: her “foggy” feeling was gone, she had no more chest pressure, and her numbness and tingling sensations were much improved.  Over the following nine months her health returned to normal.

Gluten sensitivity is a genetic inability to digest gliaden, the primary protein found in gluten. Gluten is a protein found in many grains which combines with water and creates the doughy consistency of breads and baked goods so loved in our society.

Quite often symptoms of gluten sensitivity develop after a stress of some kind, such as an infection, or an emotional trauma.  Many, but not all, patients have digestive symptoms, such as abdominal bloating or pain, diarrhea, constipation, or nausea.  Acid reflux in the esophagus, or heartburn, is common, but there are other causes of heartburn as well. Other symptoms include fatigue, joint pains, mouth ulcers, bone pain, abnormal menses in women, and infertility.

When people with gliaden intolerance eat foods containing gluten, their immune system responds by infiltrating the small intestine with lymphocytes, which create inflammation that can damage and eventually destroy the villi (tiny, fingerlike protrusions lining the small intestine, much like a shag carpet).  Celiac disease is the term for the intestinal damage which causes diarrhea and poor absorption of nutrients. Eventually, people become malnourished often leading to widespread nutrient deficiency and subsequent disease (i.e. iron deficiency anemia, osteoporosis, weight loss, folate and vitamin B12 deficiency).

Gluten intolerance also contributes to inflammation in other parts of the body and can contribute to muscle and joint pain, neuropathy, anxiety, depression, attention deficit disorder, cardiac rhythm disturbances, seizure disorder and more.  Celiac disease increases the risk for thyroid disease, diabetes, and autoimmune disorders such as rheumatoid arthritis and lupus.

Many doctors rely on a blood test to diagnose celiac disease, which is falsely negative about 40% of the time.   As an integrative physician, I often have the good fortune of knowing what the patient doesn’t have based on their prior, and often extensive, medical evaluations, and, I can focus on the primary tenet of mindbody medicine – promoting health in all systems.  The wisdom of the body is a symphony of complex systems working together and for good music you need all parts of the orchestra playing together especially healthy digestion.

Fibromyalgia is a chronic disease affecting 10 million people worldwide.  Women between the ages of 25 and 45 experience this painful disorder 20 times for often than men.  Pain and fatigue are the most common symptoms, but FMS patients also complain of disturbed sleep, digestive problems, allergies, joint pain, headaches and more.  Perplexed by this array of symptoms, conventional doctors most often recommend anti-depressants and other symptomatic medications, thus providing some symptom relieve but no lasting cure.

 Alternative physicians, aiming to restore the natural wisdom and balance of the body, have focused on a variety of common components of fibromyalgia:

• hormone deficiencies, including DHEA, thyroid, cortisol, growth hormone and testosterone
• nutrient deficiencies, especially magnesium, which is low in 75% of all people, regardless of their health status,
• digestive disorders such as IgG mediated food allergy and chronic intestinal overgrowth of yeast organisms such as Candida albicans,
• sleep disturbance, which is thought to be due to the chronic pain and/or serotonin deficiency,
• low blood pressure, which often reflects weakened adrenal gland function,
• immune system weakness reflected in numerous tests of immune imbalance,
• chronic infections, especially with stealth pathogens such as mycoplasma,
• stress is a component of all illness, especially chronic ones; mindbody healing needs to be a part of any serious treatment program.

 Many holistic doctors have found that treating one or more of these common features of FMS usually provides some relief, but again the symptoms tend to recur over time and the problem is not completely resolved. This holistic approach seems to put together a lot of the pieces of the puzzle, but there still seems to be some essential missing pieces.

Professor Garth Nicoloson at the Institute for Molecular Medicine in Huntington Beach, California has done extensive research into the role of chronic infections in numerous medical conditions.  He has found that people afflicted with chronic fatigue syndrome, fibromyalgia, Gulf War syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, as well as some respiratory, cardiac, and gastrointestinal diseases show evidence of chronic systemic infection.  Using a sophisticated molecular diagnostic approach called polymerase chain reaction (PCR), he has found various species of mycoplasma bacteria in a majority of these patients.  According to his research on 200 chronically ill patients, mycoplasma species were found in 70% of fibromyalgia patients, 60% of chronic fatigue patients and 50% of those with Gulf War Syndrome.

Mycoplasma species are tiny, simple bacteria that unlike other types of bacteria lack a rigid cell wall.  These strange life forms do not cause typical infections like other bacteria such as streptococcus and staphylococcus.  Sometimes they are found in the mouth and urinary tract of people with no evidence of disease and yet they are implicated in the pathogenesis of serious illness such as FMS, CFS and even cancer.  To make matters even more complex, they are not easy to diagnose as simple antibody tests are often negative, and even PCR testing seems to be falsely negative sometimes.

Finally, if the diagnosis of mycoplasma species is made, they do not always respond to antibiotic therapy because they seem to hide in the body.  Nonetheless, mycoplasma forms can seriously disturb the immune system.  Sometimes they activate the immune system as with inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, and sometimes they can suppress the immune system.  Consequently, the diagnosis and treatment for these stealth pathogens has been conflicting and generally disappointing.

However, another important piece to the puzzle has recently been discovered.   David Berg at Hemex Laboratories in Phoenix, Arizona, and other researchers have found that infection with mycoplasma and other stealth pathogens such as chlamydia, as well as some species of viruses such as EBV, CMV, HHV6 and possibly even fungi like Candida, can activate the immune and blood coagulation systems so as to produce increased levels of blood coagulation.  The blood becomes viscous or thicker, thereby reducing blood flow and oxygen delivery to the tissues of the body.  With less blood flow and oxygen to support normal metabolism, many cells in the organs of the body begin to function at reduced levels, thereby offering an explanation for the numerous symptoms seen in patients with illnesses like fibromyalgia.

David Berg calls this newly discovered syndrome Immune System Activation of Coagulation, or ISAC. According to his research, ISAC causes a thin layer of fibrin (blood clotting material) to be layered along the inner lining of the blood vessels, which not only reduces blood flow to tissues but also seems to hide stealth pathogens, like mycoplasma, which can live in the cells of the blood vessels.  This may account for the difficulty in diagnosing stealth infections. In a pilot study on 20 patients with CFS/FMS, 90% of them had evidence of increased blood coagulation, or ISAC.

Once the ISAC syndrome is identified, then anti-coagulant therapy will dissolve the fibrin coating on the inner lining of the blood vessels, thereby allowing more blood flow and elimination of many symptoms throughout the body. Not only does anti-coagulant therapy often relieve chronic FMS symptoms, it also may cause the stealth pathogens to be exposed in the body, thereby allowing for diagnosis and treatment of the underlying infection.

Chronic infections can be treated with a combination of herbal and nutrient activation of the immune system, high dose intravenous vitamin C, and ultraviolet blood irradiation.  These therapies are effective for a wide range of infectious viruses and bacteria, thus reducing the need for traditional antibiotic and anti-viral medications.

Finally, all of the pieces to the FMS puzzle may be coming together.  Treatments can be designed, which are based on a holistic viewpoint, with consideration of common hormonal, digestive, nutrient and other imbalances mentioned earlier in this article as well as the newer considerations of ISAC and stealth pathogen infection.  It is too early to say the puzzle is complete for FMS therapy, but so far our results have been extremely encouraging. 

 Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a unique and perplexing long-term, disabling illness that affects up to 10 million people in the United States.  CFS is found in both males and females of all races and socioeconomic levels, but seems to appear more often in middle-aged women. There are a wide variety of symptoms, arising from both the body and the mind, including fatigue (100%), low-grade fever, muscle pain, sleep disturbance, impaired mental function, depression, headache, allergies, sore throat, anxiety, muscle weakness, stiffness, visual blurring, joint pain, dizziness, diarrhea, cough, night sweats and painful lymph nodes.  Since there are no laboratory tests that make the diagnosis, CFS is determined based on a variety of signs and symptoms that persist over six months when no other cause can be found.

CFS is an illness of modern life, birthed from a convergence of genetics, brain abnormalities, immune weakness, inflammatory tendencies, viral or other stealth pathogen infection, all precipitated by chronic stress and emotional challenges.  It arises from a complex array of mindbody disturbances, and therefore improves with mindbody healing, i.e. promoting health by restoring the body wisdom and accessing the healing power of the mind. 

Conventional doctors often consider the disease as incurable and recommend rest, lifestyle modifications, occasionally psychotherapy, and few symptomatic drugs such as anti-depressants and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications. 

Research shows that most patients have various types of long term stress prior to the onset of fatigue and other symptoms.  Stress up-regulates the sympathetic nervous system releasing epinephrine and other hormones of acute stress.  Also, the adrenal glands increase production of cortisol, the hormone of chronic stress. The body is in chronic “danger” and long term projects governed by the parasympathetic nervous system, such as digestion, hormone production and immunity are reduced in order to insure survival.  As Dr Sapolsky says in his book, “you don’t paint the garage when a hurricane is headed toward the house”.

Adrenaline and cortisol are designed for short-term survival action, not continuous release.  Over time these potent hormones weaken the immune system, reducing its power to fight viruses, bacteria, fungi and other microbes, while allergies to environmental proteins, foods, and inhalants increases.  This is called a Th1 to Th2 shift and sets the stage for chronic infections such as Epstein-Barr virus or HHV-6. Later on as the disease progresses, the stress system begins to fail and cortisol levels fall, further weakening the immune system and reducing energy throughout the mind and body.

CFS patients have a common pattern of immune disturbances: low levels of natural killer cells, increased antibodies to a variety of viruses, increased levels of circulating immune complexes, increased levels of certain cytokines, especially interleukin-6, reduced interferon gamma production, and altered helper/suppressor ratios. In addition, 2-5A synthetase is an enzyme, which induces the production of interferon in response to viral infection, is often elevated.  This effect reduces interferon levels and the ability of the immune system to defend against viral infection. 

Indeed, immune weakness and the inability to respond to chronic infection appear to be an essential feature of CFS. Dr. Garth Nicholson has shown that 60% of CFS patients have mycoplasma infections.  Mycoplasma species seem to hide in the body and are often difficult to diagnose.  In addition they do not always respond to antibiotic therapy.  Dr. Joseph Brewer is an infectious disease specialist with a lot of experience with CFS patients.  He has found that the immune profile for people infected with human herpes virus 6 (HHV-6) is very similar to patients with CFS.  HHV-6 infection is also difficult to diagnose and drugs that are used to treat the infection often have significant side effects. Recently, he has been using certain forms of transfer factor to treat HHV-6 infections in CFS patients.  Transfer factor therapy usually produces a significant reduction in symptoms, as well as increased levels of natural killer cells, but the treatment must be continued indefinitely or relapse may occur.

Brain imaging studies, such as SPECT scans show reduced blood flow to certain parts of the brain, which reflects hormonal imbalances, inflammatory cytokines and autonomic nervous system disturbances.  These brain effects contribute to fatigue, poor concentration, altered memory, sleep problems and more.

Mindbody healing focuses on restoring the natural wisdom and balance of the body using vitamins, minerals, herbs and other natural therapies, such as the following:

• hormone deficiencies, including cortisol, DHEA and thyroid,
• nutrient deficiencies, such as magnesium, B vitamins, especially B12, amino acids, vitamin C, folic acid, fatty acids such as EPA, minerals like zinc and CoEnzyme Q10,
• digestive problems, including delayed onset IgG mediated food allergies, intestinal overgrowth of Candida and other yeast species, and increased gut permeability,
• chronic infections with viruses, bacteria and fungi,
• liver detoxification impairments,
• increased body burden of chemical toxins (for example pesticides and solvents) and heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium and arsenic,
• deficiencies in the essential detoxification enzyme glutathione, which is low in 50% of CFS patients,
• disordered fat metabolism with low levels of acylcarnitine, which reduces fat as a mitochondrial fuel, thereby causing patients to crave carbohydrates and gain weight,
• mitochondrial dysfunction with reduced levels of the cellular energy molecule, ATP.
• hypoxemia, or low levels of blood oxygen,

Another important piece to the CFS puzzle has recently been discovered.   Doctors at Hemex Laboratories in Phoenix, Arizona, and other researchers have found that infection with mycoplasma and other stealth pathogens such as chlamydia, as well as some species of viruses such as EBV, CMV, HHV6 and possibly even fungi like Candida, can activate the immune and blood coagulation systems so as to produce increased levels of blood coagulation.  The blood becomes viscous or thicker, thereby reducing blood flow and oxygen delivery to the tissues of the body.  With less blood flow and oxygen to support normal metabolism, many cells in the organs of the body begin to function at reduced levels, thereby offering an explanation for the numerous symptoms seen in patients with illnesses like CFS.

This newly discovered syndrome is called Immune System Activation of Coagulation, or ISAC, and it causes a thin layer of fibrin (blood clotting material) to be layered along the inner lining of the blood vessels, which not only reduces blood flow to tissues but also seems to hide stealth pathogens, like mycoplasma, which can live in the cells of the blood vessels.  This may account for the difficulty in diagnosing stealth infections. In a pilot study on 20 patients with CFS/FMS, 90% of them had evidence of increased blood coagulation, or ISAC.

Once the ISAC syndrome is identified, then anti-coagulant therapy will dissolve the fibrin coating on the inner lining of the blood vessels, thereby allowing more blood flow and elimination of many symptoms throughout the body. Anti-coagulant therapy not only relieves chronic CFS symptoms, it also may cause the stealth pathogens to be exposed in the body, thereby allowing for diagnosis and treatment of the underlying infection.

As patients begin to feel better physically, the next step is to continue the healing process into the realm of consciousness. This is where many people, including physicians, get a little uncomfortable, as they still believe that the body and the mind are separate; you treat one or the other.  The future of medicine is based on the recognition of the unity of mind and body.  All illnesses are psychosomatic as conscious and unconscious factors are involved in every aspect of body function. Any treatment program that ignores precipitating psychological factors is incomplete. CFS is a classic mindbody disorder and demands deeper levels of healing.

Dysfunctional beliefs, suppressed emotions, chronic stresses, depression, anxiety, impaired concentration and memory, are woven into the symptoms of CFS.  Heart Rate Variability testing is an objective measure of stress in the body and allows them to gradually improve parasympathetic activity and reduce sympathetic arousal as they progress in mindbody healing.  Counseling, emotional release, inner child writing, meditation, exercise are some of the tools available for the most important aspect of healing: improved self-knowledge, spiritual understanding and the experience of peace and happiness.  Thus illness has served its purpose, which is healing.

 According to the medical establishment, Hepatitis C is a chronic viral infection of the liver that can gradually progress over the course of 20 to 30 years to produce liver cirrhosis and failure. In 1975, physicians recognized a form of hepatitis, which was not due to hepatitis A or B viruses and they called it "non-A, non-B".  Then in 1987, research scientists using an extremely sensitive method called PCR, isolated a genetic fragment from "non-A, non-B" hepatitis patients, which they called the hepatitis C virus.  Subsequently, antibody tests were developed, which could confirm the diagnosis of hepatitis C.

According to recent estimates, there are 4 million people in the United States who have hepatitis C and as much as 400 million are infected worldwide.  About 15% of infected people develop symptoms of acute hepatitis, but recover completely without treatment.  The majority of the other 85%, however, develop a chronic infection.  Of these, about 20% may develop liver cirrhosis and failure over the next two or three decades, and 6 to 8 % may develop liver cancer.  Curiously, there are some people with hepatitis C who seem to be carriers and show no signs of illness.

The illness can be contracted from exposure to blood, such as sharing drug needles, transfusions, blood workers, hemodialysis and sexual intercourse with "many partners".  Probably the majority of patients are surprised to find out that they have hepatitis C, as it is often diagnosed at a doctor's visit after a period of vague flu-like symptoms, or fatigue, usually in association with minor elevations in liver enzymes (e.g, SGOT and SGPT).

The standard medical treatment for hepatitis C is alpha interferon, a powerful component of the body's natural defense against viral infection, along with the anti-viral drug ribavirin.  When interferon is given at high dose there can be serious side effects, including flu-like symptoms, depression, apathy, anxiety, confusion, irritability, suicidal tendencies, sleep disturbance, hair loss, fatigue, and nausea. Because of these problems only a certain number of infected people are recommended for the therapy. And, interferon and ribavirin therapy provides long-lasting benefits to fewer than 20% of patients who receive it.  Recently, an improved form of interferon has been introduced - peginterferon alpha-2a.  This form of interferon has been altered biochemically so that it stays in the body longer and fewer of the potentially toxic treatments are needed.  Also, ribavirin has serious side effects as well, including birth defects and miscarriages.

Combination therapy with interferon and ribavirin is now considered to be the treatment of choice for chronic hepatitis C by conventional doctors, but there are limitations to this approach.  In addition to frequent and serious side effects, more than half of patients will continue to have viremia (virus particles in the blood) after treatment has stopped.  Therefore, according to an article published in the New England Journal of Medicine in December 2000, liver specialists are adopting the language of oncologists and are looking for a "response" instead of a "cure".  A favorable "response" to combination therapy is determined by reduced levels of virus in the blood, along with improved liver enzymes tests and liver biopsy results. Clearly, the standard medical treatment for hepatitis C has significant limitations.

 Now, let us consider hepatitis C from the perspective of the alternative, nutritionally oriented physician.  Unlike conventional doctors, who focus on killing the virus, complimentary physicians focus on promoting health to the body in general as well as reducing the viral load.  Using vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other natural biochemical factors they aim to restore the natural wisdom and healing power of the body.  They provide treatments that improve digestion and assimilation, enhance immune function, balance hormones, support liver detoxification, and reduce the body burden of chemical toxins and heavy metals. In addition to enhancing the body's defenses against viral infection, they use a variety of anti-viral therapies, such as intravenous vitamin C, selenium, mushroom extracts and more.

In 1977, Dr. Berkson randomly selected three patients from a group of 50 chronic hepatitis C patients with cirrhosis, portal hypertension and esophageal varices that were waiting for liver transplant surgery.  He then provided the three patients with "triple antioxidant therapy", which consisted of alpha lipoic acid, silymarin, and selenium.  These three supplements were chosen because of their antioxidant, anti-viral and immune boosting qualities.  According to Dr. Berkson, the three patients "recovered quickly" with improved liver enzyme studies.  Furthermore, they did not need liver transplantation, and they all went back to work, carrying out their normal activities and feeling healthy.  Dr. Berkson published the results of his study in Med Klin 1999 Oct 15;94, Supple 3:83-90.

Dr. Darryl See is an infectious disease specialist who reported a similar experience while he was part of a liver transplant team at a major American hospital.  Dr. See was following hepatitis C patients with severe liver disease while they waited for liver transplant surgery.  Since it takes a long time to find a donor and arrange the complicated surgical procedure, Dr. See decided to see what he could do for his patients in the meantime.  He selected a few of the transplant candidates and gave them high dose intravenous vitamin C, which is known for its ability to quench free radicals, detoxify chemicals in the body, boost immunity and support the body's anti-viral defense.  Once again, the patients felt better, improved their liver enzyme studies and liver biopsy results and were pulled off the liver transplant waiting list.

At the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine in 1999, Dr. Fred Pescatore presented dramatic results from hepatitis C patients.  He treated three patients with a combination of mushroom extracts and all three were able to reduce their viral loads by 89%, 28% and 80%.  Two of the three patients no longer tested positive for hepatitis C.

Also, there is significant medical research that shows that the medical community over estimates the dangers of hepatitis C.  In a study published in the New England Journal of Medicine in 1992 (volume 327, No. 27, pages 1906-1911), doctors followed transfusion related non-A, non-B hepatitis patients for 18 years and compared them a control group of patients who had received transfusions but did not evidence of hepatitis.  The study concluded that those believed to have hepatitis C lived as long as those with no infection and severe complications seem to be uncommon.

In another study published by Dr. Seef in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2000, the blood of U.S. Army soldiers that had been frozen 45 years ago was studied for the effects of hepatitis C.  The study concluded that over 45 years there are practically no differences between liver disease of hepatitis C positive men and those that were hepatitis C negative.

Most hepatitis C positive patients do not have any symptoms of the disease.  I have followed a few patients who are positive for the virus and yet have no abnormalities in liver enzymes.  It is becoming increasingly apparent that serious liver damage occurs primarily in hepatitis C positive people who have consumed alcohol and drugs in the past. Is it the drugs and alcohol that is damaging the liver, or the virus?

Dr. Dennin, a German researcher, has found the genetic sequences that are called hepatitis C virus in human DNA from healthy hepatitis C negative people, thus raising the possibility that hepatitis C positive blood tests may simply reflect liver damage from drugs, chemicals or alcohol.  This would explain the high correlation between hepatitis C positivity and alcohol and drug use. 

Hepatitis C virus has never been isolated, grown in cultures and then injected into animals to produce hepatitis.  In other words, hepatitis C has never been documented according to the Standards of Virology. Instead, a tiny genetic sequence has been determined to be a virus and the subsequent antibody test has been used to include millions of people in the "epidemic" of hepatitis C.

I am not saying that hepatitis C does not exist.  I am simply presenting medical evidence that a positive hepatitis C blood test may not mean that serious liver disease is always going to occur in the following decades.  Instead, a positive antibody test and PCR evidence of virus in the blood are good reasons to embark on a vigorous health enhancement program, which focuses on improving liver detoxification and better immune function.

At New Hope Medical Center we offer hepatitis C patients some combination of the following services:

Liver and total body detoxification using nutrients, herbal therapies, far infrared sauna, and ozone steam baths,

Gastrointestinal evaluation and treatment to improve digestion and assimilation with special emphasis on the correction of immune weakening conditions such as yeast overgrowth, food allergies and parasites,

Evaluation and elimination of chemical toxins (e.g. pesticides) and heavy metals (e.g. mercury),

Immune system enhancement with special focus on nutrients and botanicals that support the body's viral defense,

Anti-viral therapies such as intravenous vitamin C, ultraviolet blood irradiation and mushroom extracts,

Stress management therapies that enhance overall health, especially the immune system,

Each patient seen at the Center is evaluated with appropriate lab tests and then an individualized treatment program is designed.  We have excellent results in treating hepatitis C and look forward to assisting people in their journey towards health.

The fight or flight human stress system has insured human survival on earth for tens of thousands of years; yet in modern times this powerful system is killing us through stress related diseases.  Our hunter/gatherer ancestors ran from danger with the help of cortisol and adrenaline, while we modern “hunters” worry about an endless stream of imaginary dangers while sitting on the sofa or driving the car.  All the while cortisol is doing its job of preparing us to run or fight, even though neither is appropriate for our modern “dangers”.

For us, “fight or flight” has become “anger or fear”, or, more commonly, worry, anxiety, apprehension, frustration, guilt (anger at self) and resentment.  Unless you can stop worrying about money, the kids, work problems, or, feeling frustrated about traffic and busy schedules, you need to understand the effects of cortisol and why it is considered by some to be the death hormone.

Since the purpose of cortisol is to prepare you to run from your “danger”, the following things happen in your body with acute stress:

• sugar, protein and fat are released into your blood to provide fuel for your muscles as you flee,
• heart rate, blood pressure and brea thing increase to deliver these energy nutrients and oxygen to all parts of your body,
• your body stops long term projects, such as immunity, digestion and hormone production, in favor of short term survival.  As Dr. Sapolsky aptly states in his book Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, “you don’t paint the garage when there is a tornado coming down your street”.   In other words, digestion is inhibited, sex hormone production is reduced and your immune system declines.

I have talked to thousands of patients over the years and most of them cannot imagine living without worry.  We live in the Age of Stress and our bodies are not designed for it.  Cortisol is the molecular messenger that tells every cell in your body you are in danger. Research has shown that cortisol levels in the blood steadily increase as we get older.  The average 50 year old has 17 times as much cortisol in his or her blood at bedtime as the average teenager.  It is difficult to sleep when you are in danger.

Unless you live in Bagdad, Somalia, or the ghettos of an American city, the vast majority of your stress comes from your mind – what you think about day after day.   As Eckhart Tolle writes in his remarkable book, The Power of Now, we are all afflicted with “thinking disease”.  We worry about what may go wrong in the future, or, we feel resentment, guilt or frustration about what did go wrong in the past.  Your body cannot distinguish the difference between a man pointing a gun at you in a dark alley, and your worried thoughts about financial problems.  So it is important for you to understand what excessive cortisol is doing to your body. Consider the following effects of high cortisol over time:

• Increased appetite and food cravings
• Increased body fat, especially in the abdomen
• Decreased muscle mass
• Decreased bone density, or, osteoporosis
• Increased cholesterol and triglycerides
• Increased depression
• Increased anxiety
• Mood swings
• Decreased sex drive and sexual performance
• Weakened immunity and increased infections
• Memory and learning impairment
• Increased symptoms of PMS
• Increased menopausal side effects such as hot flashes and night sweats

It is easy to see how these powerful and recurrent changes in the body can contribute over time to a range of diseases, including:

• Obesity
• Coronary artery disease – angina and heart attack
• High blood pressure
• Insulin resistance and eventually diabetes
• Depression and anxiety
• Alzheimer’s disease due to shrinkage, or, atrophy of brain cells
• Osteoporosis due to accelerated bone breakdown
• Erectile dysfunction and loss of libido, or sex drive
• Recurrent infections due to impaired immunity
• Mild cognitive impairment with poor focus, concentration and memory
• Cancer

The epidemic of chronic disease in our society is in great part due to the enormous stress that we create for ourselves day after day.  There is no magic bullet from the drug companies that will take it away.   We often delete exercise from our busy schedules.  Then add in the effects our high carbohydrate, mineral depleted, processed and refined diet and our risk for disease goes higher. It is up to you to heed the messages from your body and make the changes needed to be healthy in the long run. 

Research has shown that the following three blood tests correlate with long term health and well being:

• Fasting blood glucose
• Cortisol levels (8 am)
• DHEA

You need to know these test results and do what is needed to bring them into optimal levels. In doing so you are more likely to stay health, or treat your disease, in the future.

Heart Rate Variability testing is another important tool for understanding the impact of stress on your mind and body.  It is the only objective measure of stress in the body.  HRV changes also predict the development of chronic diseases.