Autoimmune Disease with Dr. Arland Hill: Rational Wellness Episode 006

Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Autoimmune Disease with Dr. Arland Hill: Rational Wellness Episode 006
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Dr. Arland Hill is a Functional Medicine Clinician for fifteen years and Author of “Platform Food, Function, Freedom.com.” has an in depth conversation with Dr. Ben Weitz about Autoimmune Diseases.

Dr. Arland Hill explains the primary reasons why there has been an increase in the rate of autoimmune diseases in the United States. The mass food production has significantly altered what is now classified as food as compared to that prior to the 1940’s. The combination drastic changes in our diet and increased toxin exposure in a post-industrialized society has contributed to the rise in autoimmune disease.

An important variant is the effect of stress.  Stress breaks down the body’s systems, which can create dysregulation in the immune system. This opens the door for leaky gut syndrome and can manifest in autoimmune issues. Environmental and food toxins coupled with increased stress levels can be the perfect breeding ground for autoimmune diseases to develop. However it is important to note that each of these individual factors can cause autoimmune disease to manifest on their own.

Western medical doctors treat diseases by providing medications that suppress the immune system such as corticosteroids, chemotherapy agents and newer injectables.  TNF alpha blocking agents like Humira and Remicade block the immune system, which is needed to maintain homeostasis, fight off and prevent the disease processes from beginning.  These drugs have very serious side effects that include depressing the immune system and worsening the effects of infections and cancer.

The Functional Medicine approach treats autoimmune diseases by looking at the underlying factors that lead to the immune system being deregulated. These factors can include disease processes such as leaky gut, food sensitivities, toxins, mold, heavy metals, nutritional deficiencies, infections, etc.  Functional Medicine looks at the best strategies for correcting this by identifying the cause and catalyst of those agents.

Once you identify the cause and remove the factors that negatively affect the G.I. and immune system, a strategy to intervene can be formed. A nutritional strategy to repair and restore the gut is recommended. By reestablishing the mucosa tolerance and re-balancing the bacterial landscape, gut health is rebuilt and the immune system can function and respond unimpaired.

The podcast will cover these topics in more depth and detail. You will learn more about how toxins behave. For example, how BPA and heavy metals found in plastics insert itself in the metabolic pathway and disrupt it by misplacing nutrients. You will also learn how to test for autoimmune disease and learn the role infections play in increasing our risk. More importantly, you will learn how to improve your health and nutritional deficiencies.

 

Dr. Arland Hill’s Chiropractic and Functional Nutrition practice is still accepting new patients, so go to his website:

http://www.completecarewellnesscenter.com/

or call his office to schedule an appointment  281-557-7200.

Dr. Ben Weitz is also available for nutrition consultation by calling his office at 310-395-3111.

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Allergies with Dr. Susanne Bennett: Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 005

Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Allergies with Dr. Susanne Bennett: Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 005



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Dr. Susanne Bennett discusses a natural approach to Allergies with Dr. Ben Weitz. Dr. Bennett is a Chiropractor and Functional Medicine doctor with over 27 years of experience and author of such notable publications as Mighty Mito and The Seven Day Allergy Makeover. In addition to her practice and her books, Dr. Bennett, hosts a weekly podcast, “Wellness for Life” on Radio M.D. and I Heart Radio.

Allergies are a particularly timely discussion, Dr. Bennett asserts, as we transition from winter, known as the mold allergy season, to spring, the pollen allergy season. A large portion of our population is experiencing sinus congestion, coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes. These are the typical symptoms of allergic reactions that send patients running to the doctor’s office. There, patients are prescribed over the counter conventional drugs such as Zyrtec, Allegra and Claritin. If the symptoms continue to persist, antibiotics are prescribed. These medications, while effective in treating the symptoms of allergic reactions, do not treat the underlying cause.

Functional Medicine doctors, like Dr. Bennett, try to determine the triggers and underlying causes of allergies in each patient. In, “Seven Day Allergy Makeover”, Dr. Bennett defines allergies as “the reaction that occurs when an allergen is inhaled, ingested or comes into contact with the skin and stimulates an immune reaction by the body.” These reactions are often subtle and delayed. Mold, pollen, dust, foods, heavy metals, chemicals and toxins are often found to be the cause. Common inhalants known to cause allergic reactions include; pollen, trees, grass, weeds and flowers. Chemicals pollutants as well as, perfumes, smog, car exhaust, paint, furniture and the formaldehyde in new cars are all allergy-causing irritants.

The most common allergies are food allergies. Food sensitivities and intolerances can have a 24-hour postprandial delay. This delay often leads to undiagnosed food allergies. Symptoms exhibited include; headaches, bowel issues and or skin rashes. For patients exhibiting severe reactions avoidance and or elimination of allergy triggering food from diet is recommended. Fixing gut allergies first helps alleviate nasal and skin allergies as well as addresses hidden issues like reflux and joint pain. Neglecting the gut can lead to malabsorption of the nutrients needed for health. In this in depth discussion Dr. Bennett discusses the seven most common food allergies she treats in her patients, and how they benefited, when those foods were removed.

Diary and gluten are the first two primary allergens Dr. Bennett addresses. Humans by the age of five, particularly in the US, stop producing the enzyme lactase needed to properly digest the lactose found in dairy products. The continued ingestion of dairy without this enzyme causes a lactose intolerance or allergy. Gluten causes inflammation of the gut and disrupts the gut lining triggering allergies that can eventually lead to leaky gut syndrome.

Sugar is a big problem because it increases the overgrowth of bacteria and yeast in the gut. If you have an overgrowth of bacteria and yeast the sugar feeds off of them causing systemic inflammation. Special sugars, called fermentable carbohydrates, are inflammatory foods. Because we lack the enzymes to digest them, we become sugar intolerant.

Moldy foods are another common cause of allergies, explains Dr. Bennett. Cheese, packaged fruits and vegetables that aren’t washed well will grow mold. She explains that some people think they have developed a strawberry or nut allergy when many times it’s the mold that’s growing on them that’s the catalyst.

Alcohol is another allergen at the root of these gut issues. When you have a dysbiosis of the gut combined with too much sugar or too much fruit, containing mold, you can brew your own alcohol. It’s called auto-brewing, which creates ethanol.

Peanuts and cashews are very problematic to gut health. Peanuts and cashews are made from pods, which makes them wet, this combined with the manufacturing process they undergo, at high heat, create the perfect breeding ground for mold. Almonds, pecans and walnuts have thick shells and do not share that issue.

In the “Seven Day Allergy Makeover”, Dr. Bennett provides a comprehensive food checklist as well as additional tips on gut allergies which can be found on her website. Dr. Bennett discusses her use of a comprehensive intake and diagnostic system that allows her to help her patients in the alleviation of allergies and their associated symptoms. Initial testing and diagnostics include:

  • Muscle Testing
  • Elimination/ Anti-Inflammatory Diet
  • Cyrex Testing

In this podcast you will learn her strategic ways of eliminating allergens from your home and good tips for creating a healthier environment in your child’s bedroom.  For additional information please refer to the full length and in depth pod-cast discussion where she tackles this important issue.

If you would like more information about Dr. Susanne Bennett or would like to schedule an appointment with her, please access her website, http://drsusanne.com/

Here is the link to her podcast/radio show: http://drsusanne.com/radio/

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Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 004: Acid Reflux with Jeanette Ryan

Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 004: Acid Reflux with Jeanette Ryan



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Dr. Ben Weitz and Dr. Jeanette Ryan discuss Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder and digestive health and treatments using herbal and nutritional strategies.  Dr. Ryan sees quite a number of patients with some GERD symptoms such as spasmotic cough, frequent clearing of the throat, belching, and usually there is fatigue involved.  Fatigue occurs, according to Dr. Ryan because if you don’t secrete enough hydrochloric acid to break down proteins, then you don’t have enough amino acids to repair all of your organs and you don’t absorb iron and B12 enough to make hemoglobin.  She will usually place such a patient on a stomach healing protocol, which consists of a temporary avoidance of histamine containing foods, including avoiding red wine, chocolate cheese, tomato, mango, and pineapple.  These foods tend to stimulate the secretion of histamine, which irritates the stomach lining.  Then she will recommend some stomach healing herbs and neutraceuticals, including diglycerized licorice. One of her favorite combination products is Gastric Comfort by Ness, which contains some herbs and digestive enzymes. 

Dr. Ryan also explained that frequently there are microbes in the stomach like helicobacter pylori and campylobacter that affect the parietal cells that form hydrochloric acid and they suppress the acid formation. You have to clear these microbes out and Dr. Ryan said that antibiotics tend not to be very effective. She said that some argue that you need these bacteria for the health of the stomach, but she hasn’t found this to be the case. She likes to use Interphase by Klaire labs to clear these microbes by dissolving the biofilms in combination with zinc carnosine that is cytotoxic to these bacteria. Dr. Ryan said it takes about three weeks to heal a stomach properly. 

Dr. Jeanette Ryan is available for nutritional consultations with clients and can be contacted by her website   https://www.drjeanetteryan.com  or 310-395-3653   Dr. Weitz is also available for nutritional consultations to help you with Acid Reflux and other digestive disorders  310-395-3111.

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Liver Detoxification with Dr. Robert Silverman: Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 003

Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Liver Detoxification with Dr. Robert Silverman: Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 003



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Dr. Robert Silverman discusses toxins and how to rid them from your body using a science based metabolic detoxification formula with Dr. Ben Weitz.  Dr. Silverman is a Doctor of Chiropractic in White Plains, New York, and his website is Westchester Integrative Health. 

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Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 002: Fertility with Denise Wiesner, LAc



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Denise Wiesner, LAc discusses Fertility with Dr. Ben Weitz.

[If you enjoy this podcast, please give us a rating and review on Itunes, so more people will find The Rational Wellness Podcast. Also check out the video version on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/user/weitzchiro/]

 

Podcast Highlights

 

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Preventing Heart Disease with Dr. Howard Elkin: Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 001

Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Weitz Sports Chiropractic and Nutrition
Preventing Heart Disease with Dr. Howard Elkin: Rational Wellness Podcast Episode 001



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Dr. Howard Elkin, Integrative Cardiologist, discusses how to reduce heart disease with Dr. Ben Weitz.

Dr. Elkin’s website is Heartwise.com.  His main office is in Whittier, California and has has a concierge practice in Santa Monica, California and his office number is 562-945-3753.

 

What You’ll Hear In This Episode:

02:40    A Functional Medicine approach looks at why the body would lay down plaque as a rational response to coat the artery wall against inflammation or oxidation or glycation reactions.
06:08    I asked Dr. Elkin what his view is on cholesterol and he mentioned that half of patients who have heart attacks have normal cholesterol
08:09    Dr. Elkin discusses the benefits of the Boston Heart Lab and other advanced lipid profiles for better assessing true CVD risk
09:36    Howard explains how small, dense particles are more likely to be oxidized and incorporated into arterial plaques
10:50     I explained how larger HDL particles perform reverse cholesterol transport to remove potentially harmful LDL particles from the blood stream
11:02     I asked how Dr. Elkin treats patients who have small, dense LDL particles and he explained that he gets his patients to change their lifestyle and he uses certain nutritional supplements such as niacin before he puts them on medications.
13:10     I asked Howard what are some of the most important dietary factors to change to lower cardiovascular risk in such a patient?  He said it’s not about cutting our eggs and saturated fat, like we used to think.  Howard’s way of thinking is that sugar not fat is the main villian, since it is pro-inflammatory.
16:57    I asked Dr. Elkin about one of his recent blog articles where he wrote about the new PCSK-9 inhibitor medications for cholesterol. Dr. Elkin explained these may be effective, but they showed that they could bring LDL cholesterol levels down to 36 and this is actually not a good thing, since you need cholesterol for hormones, vitamin D production, and brain function.   Also, these drugs cost $14,000 per year.
20:30   Howard explained that when he does places patients on statins, he always puts them on CoQ10 to prevent muscle problems. He usually uses 100-200 mg to start with.  With patients who have heart failure he will use very high dosages, along with magnesium, L-Carnitine, and D-Ribose.
24:22   Dr. Elkin discusses what nutritional supplements he will use to raise HDL levels: 2 tablespoons daily of Extra Virgin Olive oil,  coconut oil, low carb diet, exercise, weight reduction, and niacin.
27:52    I asked Howard how to lower Lp(a). He said that this fragment of LDL is extremely atherogenic and is highly likely to get oxidized. Niacin, estrogen, and fish oil can help. I mentioned that I also found that berberine and tocotrienols were also helpful.
30:30   We discussed what to do about patients with elevated CRP (indicative of inflammation). Dr. Elkin mentioned that this test should be done routinely on all patients, but it is often not measured.  There is a link between obesity and CRP and also between oral cavity problems and sinusitis and even poor sleep. He likes fish oil, turmeric, ginger, and boswellia to reduce inflammation.
 
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