Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Food Sensitivities -Your Guide to Eliminating Chronic Fatigue (Part 3 of 10) By Michal Cooling, CNTP At The Healing Center Denver we have a holistic, whole-person view as well as molecular view, with tools and testing to evaluate the biochemistry of cells, tissues, and organs. We seek to find the exact imbalance in your body, the underlying cause for that imbalance, and the individualized solution. With this approach, we view fatigue differently than traditional medicine, and usually find there is a network of things contributing towards this fatigue and other related symptoms. Our Top Ten Strategies for Eliminating Chronic Fatigue These are the top ten most common causes of chronic fatigue that we see, which are often not addressed by conventional or even holistic practitioners: Auto-Immunity Gut Function / Nutrient Imbalances / Poor Absorption Hidden Food Sensitivities Hidden Infections Brain Imbalance Emotional / Stress/ Post-Trauma Sleep Issues and Their Underlying Causes Hormone Imbalances (Thyroid, Adrenal, Sex) Toxicity Detoxification and Metabolism Impairment Food Sensitivities Food Sensitivities can also contribute to Chronic Fatigue. Delayed Reaction Food Sensitivities are common and most people don’t know they have them. Unlike the scary Food Allergies we all hear about, they usually don’t result in a quick rash or trouble breathing or outward sign that sends someone to the Emergency Room for life saving treatment. They can just cause a low grade inflammation that may only be felt 5 days later as fatigue. The resulting gastrointestinal inflammation can decrease absorption in the GI tract, resulting in many deficiencies we have already discussed. Many people are just tired, overweight, retain water, have redness to the face,...
Is Sugar Robbing You of Your Immunity? Hi, I’m Dr. Marie Starling At The Healing Center Denver, we help people like you reach their full potential. I specialize in adjunctive care for internal disorders, autoimmune conditions, IBS, thyroid symptoms, diabetes, and other complex health issues. By LuCinda Miller As we embark on cold and flu season, it’s a good time to consider introducing immune boosting strategies to protect your health. One common practice is to reach for extra vitamin C at the sign of the first sniffle, but is this an effective strategy? It can be if you cut out the sugar. Your Immune System at Work When exposed to bacteria, viruses and other foreign invaders, your body goes on attack. The white blood cells (WBC’s) of your immune system are called into action to gobble up these invaders. This is called phagocytosis. If your immune system is strong, your WBC’s will get their job done and the pathogen will never take hold, keeping you from getting sick! The Vitamin C Connection to Immunity It has been known since the 1970’s that vitamin C is critical to the function of our WBC’s through the work of Linus Pauling. Through his research he discovered that WBC’s must contain 50 times the concentration of vitamin C on the inside of the cell than the outside. Therefore it is critical for WBC’s to accumulate vitamin C to maintain their phagocytic function. The Problem with Sugar Here is where the problem with sugar arises. Sugar (glucose) and vitamin C have a similar chemical structure. They also share the same receptor sites for entry into the cells. This puts...
Flip Your Energy Switch - Stay Awake and Focused By LuCinda Miller “I can’t keep my eyes open.” “I can’t seem to focus.” “I can’t concentrate.” Most of us have experienced these feelings even when we have had plenty of sleep and most of us can attest to these feelings coming at the most inopportune times, such as right before a big test or right in the middle of a meeting. Sometimes it makes sense, you were up late the night before or you just completed a big project or assignment that required a lot of mental energy. And then there are the times you did get a good night’s sleep and work has been light. How do you get through that test, how do you get through that meeting? Today we will introduce you to an energy switch that can do just that. Our bodies are amazing at adapting and responding to our environment. In an effort to maintain balance, we have a built in mechanism that essentially forces us to slow down, conserve energy, and prevent exhaustion. When this mechanism is engaged, the body’s energy flow is running in reverse. You will feel sluggish and find it difficult to move forward and get things done. This is your body’s alarm telling you to rest and slow down so it can repair itself and reset. For instances when we can’t stop what we are doing and recharge, we can override this mechanism and simply flip the energy switch to get through the task at hand and keep you awake and focused. It is important to note that there may come a time in...
Abdominal Pain, Fatigue, Constipation, Diarrhea: Could your symptoms be from Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO)? Written By Jessica Yoches, CNTP The importance of healthy digestion is known to be a crucial component for overall health, as is the balance of microbes in the gut between good, gut friendly bacteria and “bad” or pathogenic bacteria. Large amounts of gut friendly bacteria reside in the large intestine carrying out vital functions such as synthesizing vitamins; stimulating growth of the gut lining and immune system; and improving muscular activity. In a healthy digestive system however, minimal amounts of bacteria reside in the small intestine so problems arise when bacteria begins to colonize there. Small intestine bacteria overgrowth (SIBO) is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other gut issues such as IBS, and it often gets overlooked. Let’s explore what SIBO is, the causes, common symptoms, and how to diagnose and treat it. What is SIBO? SIBO is defined as the “presence of abnormally high bacteria in the small intestine.” The surfaces of the cells lining the small intestinal tract are normally free from colonized clusters of bacteria, and are separated from the inner lining by a layer of mucus. Bacteria entering the digestive tract from the mouth get attacked first by hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach, and then again in the small intestine via enzymes and immunoglobulin secretions. 70% of the immune system resides in the gut, meaning the integrity of the gut’s immune system is crucial in fighting off viruses, bacteria, and parasites entering the small intestine. Intestinal motility is also important for preventing SIBO. The muscularis layer of the gut wall contains...
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