Myintegrativehealth Blog – Adrenal Fatigue – Natural Hormone Therapy – Thyroid Dysfunction – Pain Relief – Digestive Health

So often people begrudge initiating change because of perceived obstacles such as travel or holidays.  I’ve learned that it is really not that hard to stay healthy on the road!

Thriving on the go:  3 Key Steps
Ok, you’re taking care of yourself and getting healthier.  You’ve worked out some good habits and healthy routines in your daily life.  You’ve probably learned that it is easy to lose momentum and drift back to unhealthy habits.  Whether you’re going across the globe, or over the river and through the woods, don’t let travel do this to you!

Think of your health as drawing energy from 3 main sources:  your sleep, your exercise and your diet.  If you can keep these sources working for you, you’ll be OK.

Sleeping on the go.  Nothing ruins your memory of a good trip like the lingering bronchitis you picked up on the flight home.  What is the main reason this happens?  Your immunity was down from lack of sleep.  When you’re traveling, you want to take it all in and you have time zone changes to deal with.  Put these factors together and our bodies really need as much or more sleep than normal, not less.

• Start scheduling the week before traveling; shift your sleep schedule towards your new schedule as much as possible.  This works best when you are moving your sleep schedule forward.
• Avoid sleep at your destination until it is your bedtime in local time.
• Avoid alcohol and caffeine the day of travel.
• Adults can use 2-3mg of time-released melatonin at bedtime during short trips and the first few days back home.  This resets your internal clock.

Exercise on the go.  How do you workout when you can’t get to the gym?  Easiest answer is do lots of walking.  Fortunately this is easy whether you’re going to an amusement park, beach or most other parts of the world.  You can also get an good workout with simple body weight exercises.  Here is a great link to a page with 20 amazing exercises you can do anytime and anywhere.  P.S.  If you’re a climber, you can always find a place for pull ups : )

Eating on the go.  OK, so far so good, but how about food?  When traveling, think about food in terms of fuel, protein and produce.  Your fuel needs are minimal when you’re on a plane, car or boat, so don’t worry about it then.  I love using meal replacements like MediClear when traveling.  I’ll make up single servings in snack size baggies and mix them up in a water bottle.  Have 2-3 servings per day while en route.  This way you get a nutritionally complete low calorie meal and your body gets to rest and detox.  You’ll also drop a few pounds which may help you break even by the time you get home.  When you arrive, focus on soups as an easy way to get produce and protein without lots of fat or the risk food-borne illness.

The best defense being a good offense holds true for more than just football. A healthy diet full of cancer-fighting foods is a great offensive move to avoid cancer. I counsel patients to create an environment where cancer cannot grow by making these healthy food choices.

Fruits and vegetables

Brightly colored fruits and vegetables – Carotenoids have been shown in one study to reduce your risk of breast cancer by up to 50% in women with dense breast tissue. Dense breast tissue is one of the strongest risk factors associated with breast cancer.   Papaya contains the carotenoid beta-cryptoxanthin. Yellow and orange vegetables are high in beta-carotene, one of the most abundant carotenoids in our diet. Research illustrates that people who eat the most fruits and vegetables have the lowest breast cancer risk.

Cruciferous vegetables – Broccoli and cauliflower contain indole-3-carbinol, which promotes healthy estrogen metabolism. When estrogen leaves your body through unhealthy pathways, your risk of breast and other estrogen-fed cancers increases.

Good Fats

Walnuts – The journal Nutrition and Cancer recently published a study that shows walnuts slow the growth of breast cancer and may prevent its development. Rich in omega 3 fatty acids, these nuts have been shown to cause destruction (apoptosis) of cancer cells. Try walnut oil on your salads.

Fish – Good fatty fish like salmon is also rich in omega 3s. Studies suggest that women with higher levels of omega 3s in their diets have lower rates of breast cancer.

Olive oil – like walnuts, EVO oil is also high in omega 3s.

Get some flavor in your diet

Herbs and spices – According to the National Cancer Institute, a French study found a statistically significant reduction in breast cancer risk in women who consumed a lot of garlic. Oregano and thyme have antioxidant properties that inhibit tumor growth. Curcumin suppresses cancer cell growth.

Green tea – Buy quality stuff, not all green teas are created equal and you want to make sure that you are getting a good dose of the cancer-fighting compound EGCG.

Dark chocolate – Yum! Although dark chocolate does have sugar, it is also rich in antioxidants that reduce inflammation and suppress cancer cell growth. Please note that I am not referring to Hershey’s type dark chocolate, but to high quality organic varieties.

Things to avoid

Sugar – No cell in your body will consume sugar faster than a cancer cell. Sugar is very inflammatory and cancer thrives in an inflamed environment. Aside from the fact that sugar taste addictingly good, it has no redeeming value. This is one of the first things to remove from your diet, and once you do so, liking the taste disappears.

When my mother went through chemotherapy, she craved Coke and McDonald’s french fries. This stunned my brother and me because we did not grow up as a family that ate McDonald’s. Looking back I now realize the cravings were a die-off reaction from the cancer cells. As the chemotherapy weakened and destroyed them, the cancer cells caused my mom to crave the sugar and simple carbohydrates that were their primary fuel source.

Alcohol – According to a January 2011 study in the British Medical Journal, 5% of female breast cancer can be attributed to alcohol consumption. The upper limit for women is one drink, which contains about 12g of alcohol. The more alcohol consumed in excess of this limit, the greater your risk of breast cancer. If you are drinking red wine for the cancer-fighting properties of resveratrol, please take a pill or drink concord grape juice instead.

Charred meat – If you like your meat well-done or blackened, think again. The black is full of carcinogens and has been linked to many types of cancer. Lower your cancer risk by cooking meat enough to sufficiently kill bacteria without excess charring. If you do accidentally burn the meat, cut off the charred portion.

Check out these resources

Eattodefeat.org – The Angiogenesis Foundation has launched the Eat to Defeat Cancer campaign. The focus of this campaign is to eat foods that reduce the blood vessels that feed tumors. By depriving them of a fuel source, the tumor cannot grow. This website has teamed up with some top chefs to create recipes that contain cancer-fighting ingredients.

AICR – the American Institute for Cancer Research is a charity research organization that focuses on nutrition and exercise to reduce cancer risk. This group funded the study that showed walnuts help prevent breast cancer. Sign up for their newsletter to receive weekly healthy recipes.

“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” – Hippocrates

If there is one thing women fear, it is breast cancer. Perhaps it is the fact that breasts are such a feminine attribute, strongly associated with attractiveness and fertility, that women associate breast cancer with a loss of sexuality and even a loss of self. Some women are afraid of the various treatment modalities such as surgery, chemotherapy and radiation. These treatments may cause pain, sickness, or physical changes such as hair loss and even breast loss. I have had many patients state they feel that the treatment is worse than the disease.

Everyone knows someone who has had it – family, friends, or coworkers. According to BreastCancer.org, 1 out of every 8 women will develop invasive breast cancer in their lifetime. And our risk of getting breast cancer increases as we age.

Many women do not go in for regular screening because they do not want to hear bad news. The idea is that “no news is good news.” But nothing could be further from the truth. Breast cancer, like most cancers, is completely treatable if caught early. Regular screening and follow up with your doctor is extremely important, but what can we do to prevent breast cancer?

Research shows that the way our bodies break down estrogen can increase our risk of breast cancer. Estrogen is metabolized in the liver and the metabolites, or byproducts of metabolism, are a key to developing breast cancer. There are six metabolites that we look at – four metabolites are considered “bad” and only two are considered “good”. And although all six metabolites may be present, it is the ratios of these metabolites to one another that are important. One of the most reviewed ratios is commonly called the 2:16 ratio. If this ratio is less than 2, meaning that you have too much of the bad estrogen (16) and not enough of the good estrogen (2), studies show that you are at an increased risk of breast cancer, as well as other estrogen driven cancers such as cervical cancer and ovarian cancer.

How can you find out how your liver is breaking down estrogen? A simple morning urine sample can be sent to the lab for evaluation to determine your estrogen metabolism ratios. Once we have that information, we can assess your risk and take steps to mitigate that risk. This test can also be used to monitor current treatment plans to reduce breast cancer risk, as well as to monitor hormone replacement therapy. It is a great test to determine a woman’s osteoporosis risk as well.

What can affect the balance of this ratio? Diet and exercise have a strong impact on the 2:16 ratio. Adding flax seeds, cruciferous vegetables, and soy products into your diet can increase this ratio. Likewise obesity and alcohol consumption can have a negative impact. Definitely kidney function and fluid consumption can affect this ratio so I recommend a basic CBC and CMP with the estrogen metabolism test. Your doctor will be able to interpret your labs, determine how you metabolize estrogen, and create a plan to shift your metabolism to a different pathway if necessary.

Mention the phrase “food allergies” and most of us imagine those poor kiddos who get near a peanut butter sandwich only to have massive swelling around the eyes and throat, followed by difficulty breathing and hives.  The constellation of these symptoms make up what’s known as an anaphylactic reaction which, unfortunately, has become more and more frequent in the general population over recent years.  In fact, some newer studies suggest that approximately 3-8% of Americans run the risk of anaphylaxis when exposed to any number of foods, although tree nuts, milk and shellfish are at the top of the anaphylactic list.

Even more, we are seeing a less severe variation of these dangerous food allergies, called “allergy sensitivities” that don’t typically cause life-threatening symptoms, but can still be quite uncomfortable nonetheless.  If you have symptoms like indigestion, gastritis, eczema, asthma, celiac disease, arthritis, and even depression, anxiety, and chronic fatigue, it could be a result of a “food sensitivity.”  Additional reports suggest that at least 60% of Americans suffer from symptoms due to adverse food reactions as a result of food sensitivities.

Food allergies/sensitivities may be a reaction to a protein, a starch, a contaminant found in the food (e.g., pesticide residues) or a food additive (e.g., colorings, preservatives, flavor enhancers, etc).  Once the body decides it’s uneasy with a food, a complex cascade of events takes place that can result in either a life-threatening situation (anaphylaxis) or simply the aforementioned unpleasant symptoms.

Driving this reaction is the immune system’s production of multiple types of antibodies.  For example, during an anaphylaxis response, IgE antibodies are produced within two hours of exposure.  These antibodies then bind to specific cells called mast cells and basophils which release their inner contents–histamine.  This is why an anti-histamine, like Benadryl or Quercetin, is often prescribed for allergies.

Yet, it’s the more delayed allergic response found in food sensitivities, one that can take up to 72-hours after exposure, that causes the aforementioned “uncomfortable” symptoms.  This response is usually driven by IgG antibodies and although it can stimulate the release of some histamine, it usually recruits many more players of the immune system, further complicating the reaction in the body.

Studies suggest that dairy, wheat and eggs are the three biggest sources of food sensitivities in people.  How is this determined?  In the past, the skin prick test was used where small amounts of foods were injected into the skin either on the back or forearm.  Now a simple blood test does away with this antiquated test.  These blood tests can measure for both IgG and IgE antibodies and help guide you and your provider in a direction for food avoidance, which is the mainstay of treatment.

So if you suffer from indigestion, asthma, eczema, etc., simply avoiding problematic foods could be your ticket to feeling well.  In addition to elimination, I recommend rotation of food families (e.g., veggies, fruits, meats, etc.) along with assisting the body with its normal digestive processes through the use of pancreatic and stomach enzymes.  Probiotics can be quite helpful as well.

Living in fear of foods because of their potential to make us sick is unnecessary when you recognize there are easy ways to identify possible sources of food allergies/sensitivities.  Combined with practical and realistic interventions you can take to calm the reaction and subsequent symptoms, you can alleviate a multitude of health conditions.

On the way in to the office this morning I dropped off my daughter at middle school and my son at elementary school.  Over the course of the drive I saw children, adolescents, teens, parents, cyclists, and workers all drinking what I call the ‘new soda’ – Gatorade.

There is a scary new disease identified as ‘Orthorexia Nervosa’.  It is a somewhat tongue-in-cheek attack on the elaborate web of food rules we find ourselves trapped in.  ‘Ortho’ refers to right or correct.  The ‘rexia’ is of course taken from anorexia, meaning suppressed appetite.  Interestingly the origin of anorexia is the same origin as the term rack, meaning to straighten.  We straighten our arms when we reach, therefore reaching became tied to appetite as in reaching for food.

Over the years I’ve heard so many versions of what to avoid.  If I avoided every food that I’ve ever been told to I would literally have nothing left except perhaps a few types of lettuce.  Oh, wait, the Chinese medical texts do recommend against raw vegetables.  OK, so cooked romaine.  That would get old fast.   We have to eat something.

Many current researchers and public health experts are realizing that telling someone not to eat something bad may be less productive than encouraging them to eat something good.  The best things to go out of our way to eat are the foods that give us the greatest benefits (number of important nutrients) for the least harm (calories).

Several authors have embraced the term ‘superfoods’ to describe certain foods that are especially high in nutrients and low in calories.  Although there is no formal list, some of the superfoods are tastier and more readily available than others.

Variety is certainly important in the diet, but with modern foods the idea of variety is misleading.  Rotating your morning Pop Tarts between cinnamon and cherry does not count as variety.  If you are talking about foods as great as the superfoods, don’t be afraid to find a few favorites and eat them everyday!

So why don’t we eat well?  The biggest concern I hear is that people don’t have time.  Between my family, practicing medicine, training and writing, believe me, I understand about time constraints.

The problem is that many have an idea of shopping daily and making every dish from scratch.  Mind you it’s a blast to spend a few hours puttering around in the kitchen, but that is not realistic for our workdays.  Bear in mind that anything you eat from wherever you get it will take some time.  If all of your meals are drive throughs, heaven forbid, you’ll still be spending at least 15 minutes per day just waiting in line.

Below are my top 20 easy to find superfoods.  Stay with me and I’ll show you how you can get most of these in a day with under 15 minutes of work, I promise!

1. Spinach
2. Broccoli
3. Blueberries
4. Carrots
5. Edamame
6. Black beans
7. Tomatoes
8. Turmeric
9. Grass-fed beef
10. Salmon
11. Mushrooms
12. Celery
13. Walnuts
14. Almonds
15. Greek yogurt
16. Avocado
17. Green tea
18. Pomegranate
19. Steel cut oats
20. Brown rice

When you wake up, make a 5 a day drink.  If you haven’t tried it yet, here’s the

videoon how to do it.    So far we’ve invested 3 minutes.

For breakfast, warm some pre-cooked steel cut oats from Sprouts or Whole Foods, just 1/4 cup if you’re watching your weight, add a dollop of non-fat plain Greek yogurt, some blueberries and a few almonds.  Now is also a good time for a cup of green or white tea.

So, 2 minutes to warm oatmeal and assemble, our tally is at 5 minutes.

Before you leave for work, pour together a nice salad.  Shop right and you’ll have zero prep work to do.

Mix into a large bowl:

• Washed spinach leaves
• 2-3 ounces smoked salmon
• Sliced mushrooms
• Prepped pomegranate seeds (you can now buy these already cleaned and separated!)
• Broccoli florets
• Black beans, canned – rinsed
• Walnuts, small handful
• 1 – 2 tbsp natural guacamole

The guacamole also works as a ‘dressing’ and flavoring for the salad.  This whole process should not take more than 2 minutes so we’re at 7 minutes.

For dinner, sauté some lean grass fed ground beef, add in Thai curry paste (Turmeric and lots of great flavor).  Stir in your favorite frozen mixed vegetable blend and serve over pre-cooked brown rice.  Have 1/4 cup of rice only if you’re watching your weight.  Allow 5 minutes for this and we’re at 12 minutes of cooking for the whole day and we ate every single superfood!  How awesome is that!

You might not have noticed, but the summer months are starting to creep up on us again.  This year, however, I’m not too worried.  This time around I’m going to scoff at the 110+-degree temperatures because there are two new activities available that I think are going to make this year’s summer much more enjoyable.  The first involves my 2 1/2 year old daughter, Anna, a hockey rink and myself.  Right here at the Scottsdale Ice Den there is a class offered once a week to parents and “pups” to teach 2.5- to 5-year-olds how to ice skate.  It’s a great weay to get some exercise, keep cool and spend some quality time together away from the Arizona heat.  Be sure to bring your mittens!

I’m also really excited about the second option that we’re going to offer right here at Integrative Health.  It will be only one of two units available to the public in the United States but has been used for years in Europe with impressive results.  I’m particularly interested in its ability to improve weight loss efficiency by streamlining the body’s metabolism.  It’s called “whole body cryotherapy” or “cryosauna.”

The idea of using cold temperatures applied to aching, injured and weak bodies is not new.  The historical record talks of Egyptians, Greeks and Romans using cold water to treat various ailments and even to this day, you can’t watch any sporting event without seeing an injured player sitting on the bench with an ice pack wrapped around a damaged joint.  When I was a kid I thought my mom was a genius (although I still think she’s pretty smart now!) when she used a bag of frozen veggies on my twisted ankle to relieve the swelling–the bag conforms to any sore spot amazingly well.  With cryosauna, however, we have the ability to address many other health issues besides pain, although it’s very good at that too.

As I mentioned, I’m excited by the ability of cryosauna to speed weight loss.  Too frequently in the clinic I hear folks mention a slow 2-5 pound weight gain every year, “without really changing anything in my diet or exercise regimen.”  It turns out, however, that it’s actually really easy to add 5 pounds of weight a year because you only need to consume 168 extra calories a week (I did the math), which is only 16 M&Ms or a 1/4 cup of almonds or 4 M&Ms with almonds.  It’s all too easy to get excess calories in our diets and this is the source of slow weight gain every year.  This is where cryosauna comes in because in addition to limiting calories, cryosauna can burn up to 800 calories per treatment.  How is this possible?

The physics behind cryosauna is brilliant and beautiful, but also complicated.  Basically, it uses Newton’s Law of Cooling to remove the natural heat produced in the body by cooling the external skin temperature from a normal 90.5 degrees down to 30-32 degrees for 1-3 minutes through the use of naturally cool nitrogen.  Nitrogen is a safe gas readily found in the air we breathe, but by compressing it in a cryosauna we can cool it down to an amazing minus 202-degrees.  With your head unaffected, the rest of your body is exposed to this cooled air for 1-3 minutes and there is a subsequent rebound effect of your body’s thermostat to raise the skin temperature back to 90.5-degrees.  During this compensation, the skin temperature actually raises back to 95-degrees for a minute or so which tightens the skin but also boosts your metabolism.  This whole process uses a large amount of energy which explains the 800 calories burned during each treatment.  For reference, running a full marathon burns around 2600 calories (obviously that’s only three cryosauna sessions to achieve a similar effect).

Finally, as an aid to weight loss, most of us think that when we have a hard, sweaty workout where our body temperature rises we think we’re burning a lot of calories.  As the science has told us, however, this doesn’t seem to be the case as those who work out in colder environments and keep the core temperature lower will actually burn more calories. Think of swimmers doing their laps in a cooled swimming pool.

As physicians we’re always excited when we discover new therapies for our patients that are both effective and safe.  The addition of cryosauna at Integrative Health is a natural fit, and I’m sure you’ll be pleased with its effects.

Hi everybody, Dr. CJ is a dear friend who invited me to appear on her radio show last week. I enjoy listening to her show and was happy to participate.

Here’s the link to the episode I was in: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hellodrcj/2010/10/22/weight-loss-myths-facts-dr-alan-christianson-on-he?&utm_source=remail&utm_medium=listener

Her show is great – here’s her main site to check out other episodes: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/hellodrcj

Wishing you all a wonderful weekend!

In good health,
Dr. C