The Center for Disease Prevention & Reversal Blog

While I am not into fad diets or dieting, I do support creating the right diet for individual metabolic needs.

Over the years I have used virgin coconut oil in patients with everything from seizure disorder to metabolic syndrome and cancer. The benefits of virgin coconut oil are many: production of ketones due to the medium chain triglyceride (MCT) content, improved brain fuel, reduced insulin needs, improved immune function, catharsis (a laxative effect), reduced hunger, improved brain function, increased sex drive and more.

There has been a big misconception regarding coconut oil and its effects on the lipid
profile. The negative information was borne out of studies performed decades ago where coconut oil had been hydrogenated for export. Virgin coconut oil (VCO)is not detrimental to the lipid profile. In fact, using the oil regularly can lead to lowered insulin levels and hence larger, healthier LDL particles.

Another misconception is that eating lots of fish oil is great. While omega 3 oils are beneficial on the lipid profile, they leave the body's fatty acids vulnerable to lipid peroxidation or oxidative damage and free radicals. Coconut oil provides some protection against this process.

The word ketones often scare folks as ketones in diabetics can lead to something called acidosis and this is not a good thing. However, in those that are not diabetic, this does not happen and a bit of ketone production can be great for brain fuel, weight loss, and reduced insulin needs.

I have many patients who have successfully lost and kept weight off, improved libido, improved brain function and reduced or eliminated their seizures by eating a diet with VCO or MCT oil along with a low carbohydrate diet. One should not eliminate the essential fatty acids of omega 3 and omega 6, nor should one eliminate the other beneficial oils, 9 and 12. A diet with well rounded fatty acids while being low but adequate in carbohydrates (enough for individual needs, can vary depending upon how active one is) and in protein (approx 1gm per kilo of body weight) is best for most.

A favorite spread containing VCO is taking coconut butter (found online or at natural foods markets) and mixing some of this with either walnut, hemp or chia oil in a double boiler just allowing the oils to slightly warm for mixing purposes. once cooled, the butter is now spreadable. Coconut butter without mixing is quite hard at room temperature and doesn't contain essential fatty acids. The combinations allows for an easily spreadable yummy nut butter that contains MCT and omega 3 oils.

Many of my patients complain of having "no interest". While a small percentage of the population identify as "asexual", the majority of us do not and losing one's sex drive altogether can be disquieting. Sex drive often wanes as we age but it should not disappear completely.

There are physical and psychological reasons for a diminished sex drive and or response.
Among the physical contributors are chronic inflammation, not enough exercise, excessive exercise, prescriptions medications, poor dietary patterns, and fatigue. These contributing factors can all be easily reversed.

Low cholesterol can lead to a decrease in DHEA and sex hormones, especially testosterone as cholesterol is necessary for the production of stress and sex hormones. Chronic stress can also lead to low DHEA and sex hormones as stress utilizes all the precursor hormone (pregnanolone) made from cholesterol to produce the stress hormones. DHEA or pregnanolone supplementation can be helpful but so is turning off the stress response. Reflex biofeedback can do this almost immediately.

Psychological factors that contribute to diminished libido include anxiety, chronic stress, depression, guilt, grief and shock. While therapy is helpful and often necessary, it may not restore libido if the autonomic nervous system is stuck with high sympathetic (fight and flight) tone. Sometimes people find themselves not being able to "turn of" and reflex biofeedback is a very quick way of bringing up the parasympathetic (rest and relaxation) arm of the autonomic nervous system. Other treatments that work are acupuncture, homeopathy, breath work, yoga, meditation, massage and so on. I have found that the RITM SCENAR, a reflex biofeedback device, works the quickest and has the longest lasting results.

A combination of exercise, eating a non-inflammatory diet, adequate sleep and meditation can achieve the balance desired for a healthy libido and sexual response. Sexual response is two-fold and involves both arms of the autonomic system; the parasympathetic system controls the arousal phase and the sympathetic controls the orgasmic phase.

I recommend staying "active" as it helps with balancing the autonomic nervous system. Whether my patients are in a relationship or not, I might recommend equipment. Just like having special equipment in order to enhance one's experience cooking in the kitchen, or in a sport, equipment in the bedroom can enhance the experience whether one is alone or partnered in the endeavor. For incredibly engineered and designed equipment, I recommend shopping at Lelo.com. Lelo is a swedish company (how surprising) that takes its' products seriously and has some the best designed products on the market.

I introduced readers to Zonulin a few entries back. To recap, Zonulin is a protein made by our bodies that creates loosening of tight junctions such as those in the gut, brain and testicles. The tight junctions control transportation of molecules across junctions.

An example is the prevention of food particles in the lumen of the gut from crossing over into the blood vessels. The food is broken down and nutrients extrapolated so as not to present foreign proteins to your own system. This is why we don't make antigens to everything we eat.

However, some people do seem to produce antibodies to many foods and eventually, some of those with this issue produce antibodies to parts of themselves. This is what autoimmunity is. Some examples of autoimmune diseases are rheumatoid arthritis, thyroid disease, MS, psoriasis and even some forms of dementia. There are too many autoimmune disorders to list.

We now know one of the proteins involved with loosening the tight junctions is identified as Zonulin. Zonulin is increased by gluten intake irregardless of genetic makeup. We also know that toght junctions are loosened by metals, heavy metals and nano particulates like the aluminums added to almost all vaccines as adjuvants.

Studies have shown nano aluminum particles to cause neurodegenerative disorders and dimentia

It seems obvious that anyone with an autoimmune disease should avoid gluten and vaccines for that matter. What about the rest of us? I think minimizing exposure to known stimulants of zonulin and to known neurotoxins might just be a good choice for all.

We are bombarded by commercials about statins to lower cholesterol levels. We're made to believe that cholesterol is a bad thing and needs to be reduced as much as possible.

Numerous studies show the benefit of a healthy cholesterol profile. In fact, a recent study looking at muscle mass gain from exercise, showed that those with higher circulating cholesterol gained more muscle mass than those with lower cholesterol or on cholesterol lowering medications.

Low cholesterol levels are increasingly associated with increased risks for depression, anxiety, cancer, infection suicidal ideation and low libido.

There are numerous studies showing this link but the authors are all hesitant to say stop taking your statins as most patients are diagnosed as having statin deficiencies by their physicians.

If we look at studies and healthy physiology carefully, we can find that healthy people (people who are still insulin sensitive) have large bouyant LDL particles. As people become more insulin resistant and therefore closer to being a diabetic, they develop smaller LDL particles that are dense. Small, dense LDL particles are atherogenic, meaning they can lead to plaque in the vessels.

The biggest risk factor for a sudden cardiac event or MI, is small dense LDL and elevated levels of C reactive Protein, not high levels of LDL. Yet, the majority of physicians do not even test for these things. The reason being high levels can be lowered with statins. The treatment for an elevated C reactive protein( or CRP) and dense LDL are not treated with a single pharmaceutical. And, since the pharmaceutical industry has spent billions "educating" physicians how to handle cholesterol issues, they focused on the single issue they had a drug for.

LDL levels can be affected by particle size which is actually more important than the number. Low cholesterol is often associated with small dense LDL. Particle size is dependent upon a few things, one of them being insulin resistance or IR.
IR is related to how much insulin is needed to handle a specific amount of carbohydrate or sugar. The more needed, for a certain amount due to resistance or attenuation, the greater the risk of triglyceride and VLDL formation and hence small dense LDL.

In my Chicago area office, I always use a Lipid subfraction test on my patients. A standard lipid profile is missing vital information.

I treat small dense LDL and elevated CRP levels with a combination of dietary and lifestyle changes. If the LDL is very small and dense, I might recommend a liver cleanse
as the IR occurs at the liver..

If you have not had a lipid subfraction test, you don't know your real cardiac profile or risks.

Over the last decade, we have seen acid blockers go from requiring a prescription to over the counter. The commercials for them depict them as benign in side effect and beneficial
as taking a vitamin C drink for the common cold.

While the packaging inserts for this classification of drug is enough to scare your socks off, no one is paying attention, especially the doctors who recommend them like they do drinking more water.

The normal PH of our stomach is highly acidic. This is to allow enzymes form our pancreas to work efficiently in breaking down proteins and for absorption of minerals that would otherwise not be absorbed. Another function of our stomach acid is to kill the normal bacteria that live in our mouths or that we might ingest.
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Stomach acid is also necessary for the absorption of vitamin B12, an extremely important vitamin. Deficiency of which leads to anemia and a whole host of diseases.

The small intestine, relative to the colon, is supposed to be almost bacteria free. The colon is home to billions of beneficial bacteria. The small intestine remains low on bacteria in large part due to the acidity of the stomach.

When an acid blocker is taken with any regularity, proteins are not digested, minerals are not absorbed and bacteria enter and flourish in the small intestines. One of the possible side effects of proteins being poorly absorbed is an increase in food allergies. One of the definite side effects of protein malabsorption is a decrease in muscle mass and therefore bone mass. Studies have shown that women who take acid blockers during pregnancy have babies with a 5 times greater risk for asthma.

When minerals are not absorbed, again we see a decrease in bone mass and strength.

When excessive bacteria in introduced into the small bowel, we see bacterial overgrowth with foul breath, gas and bloating as obvious and not so pretty side effects.

When the stomach has a decrease in acid on a regular basis, the bacteria H. Pylori is allowed to flourish. H. Pylori has been implicated as a trigger for stomach cancer.

While the pharmaceutical companies would have you believe that it is a normal daily function to take acid blockers, it is anything but. In addition, the acid blockers do not stop the reflux, in fact, they increase reflux do to the slower gastric digestion when acid is removed form the picture.

The blockers just remover the acid and hence the sensation of burning form the picture.

There are numerous reasons why people have acid reflux and there are many ways to determine the cause(s) and very simple treatments. I have successfully treated many patients with reflux in my Chicago area office and continue to do so.

What is most surprising is this went form being a common scenario in my adult patients, but in the last few years, I have seen this with increasing frequency in pediatric patients.

What I hope to see less of in the future is patients with osteoporosis, allergies, fatigue,
muscle waisting, gluten intolerance and H. Pylori associated stomach cancer because of this foolish and misguided daily practice.

Here is a link to one of my recent lectures on cooking, food preparation and avoiding toxic compounds formed from high heat cooking.

This lecture delves in toxic compounds that are created by cooking at high heat and explains where AGE s come from and how they affect blood vessels and organs.

The lecture also talks about diet induced inflammation but does not mention zonulin which is the topic of my previous blog entry. Please read it to get another look at how food, stress and environmental toxins such as heavy metals and possibly Splenda can trigger zonulin production and therefore inflammation and auto-immunity.

Lots of good information but takes some time to watch.

Enjoy!

One of the many advantages to being a mature doctor is the vast experience one acquires along the way. In my Evanston medical office, I have repeatedly seen a link between lowered sexual function or drive, and impaired autonomic nervous system function.

Often this is the case of a woman going through menopause. The chief complaint might be weight gain, hot flashes, wrinkling skin or insomnia but low libido or sexual response often accompanies these symptoms.

I also see men who complain of poor sexual function or lowered libido and discover they actually have some other complaints concurrently that seem to be associated with autonomic nervous system dysfunction or ANSD.

Once the ANSD is addressed and treated, the sexual function improves enormously and the patient feels relieved to have a part of their self back that had seemed lost.

ANSD can be acquired from longterm stress, acute stress or trauma, physically or psychologically. Typically an increase in sympathetic (the fight and flight arm of the system) tone is noted, especially in men. In women, often the fight and flight or sympathetic arm is shut down and the patient feels depressed and fatigued.

In either case, the employment of a reflex biofeedback device such as SCENAR to assess and treat the sympathetic tone can be an essential ingredient in returning balance, calmness and libido.

In my work in post quake Haiti, I treated dozens if not hundreds of patients suffering from post traumatic stress disorder including many of the responders. I discovered improved mood and emotional function once the autonomic nervous system was balanced.

Both the parasympathetic and the sympathetic systems are needed for sexual arousal and orgasm and they must work together. If one is stuck in an on or off mode, the response is limited or non-existant.

in addition to a tempered response, the adrenals are often affected which can then lead to weight gain, anxiety and fatigue.

Scenar, acupuncture, and meditation are all fabulous adjuncts to nutritional therapies and exercise that can improve the relationship between the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems.

The use of great diagnostic tools and treatment plans make for a speedy recovery and the return of a healthy sexual response.

The latest fad in dieting has been the HCG diet. In addition to taking or injecting HCG, patients eat a 500 calorie a day diet. The biggest problem with this is it's a DIET!

According to the American Obesity Association,the failure rate for dieters is well over 95%.
This is based upon research they published in 1959 but also concurs with ore recent surveys.

When patients in my Evanston Illinois area office express a wish to lose weight, I do not give them a diet to go on for a prescribed period of time. I work with them to change their diet, their attitudes about food and eating and about exercise and meditation.

My Patients lose weight slowly but more importantly, they keep it off and have better energy and moods. Often the health issues that brought them to my office improves without any other changes or medications.

I do see many obese patients who want lipodissolve, but this is inappropriate for them as lipodissolve is a spot fat removal process not a weight loss process. Unless the fat is in the chin, neck, dowagers hump or a lipoma, I wait until the obese patient loses enough weight from lifestyle changes before I would consider performing lipodissolve on their bodies.

Patients who opt for diets, always put their weight back on because nothing has really changed. This is akin to smokers who tell you they've quit numerous times. Unless one examines the reasons behind the addiction ( and, yes, obesity is due to an addiction), they fail.

One of the many techniques for tackling the physical obstacles to addiction recovery is altering the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) pathway via reflex biofeedback. This technique works wonders and is being utilized for recovery from all kinds of addictions.

Altering the signals to eat once and for all is the only way to deal with obesity.

Peyronies is a disorder of the connective tissue of the penis. It affects at least 5% of the male population, is disfiguring and can be painful or desensitizing in some cases.

I am writing about it in my blog as it pertains to aesthetics and lifestyle changes as well as overall health and wellbeing.

I have had male patients walk into my chicago area office complaining of many things they want to address, but one of the more difficult things for them to speak about are issues regarding sexuality and their genitalia.

It has been common for men to come in for lipodissolve for fatty breast tissue or love handles. And it has been common for men to come in complaining of low libido but only recently have I been seeing more and more men with a diagnosis of Peyronies.

As it turns out, the reflex-biofeedback that I have mastered is incredible for tackling this horrible disorder. Not only does it address pain or de-sensitivity, it appears to address the abnormal connective tissue problem immediately.

The reflex biofeedback I'm speaking about is Russian in origin and has been around for over 25 years. It is FDA approved as a prescription device for pain management. However, it is commonly used "off-label" for all kinds of problems and has research backing much of the "off-label" use.

I would not have known it was useful for Peyronies if one of my patients hadn't suggested trying it on him after I successfully treated a shoulder and hip injury of his.

To our amazement, he had a 90% improvement after only one treatment. The rest is history.

Most patients would be happy with just the aesthetic component of this disorder improved, however, having function and size improved is an added bonus that can not be overlooked.

The traditional "treatments" for Peyronies are painful and in almost all cases, a waste of time.

Information regarding SCENAR or INTERX can be found on my medical website at
www.disease-reversal.com
the link to SCENAR is in the top left corner of the home page.

I am in the process of setting up research with reflex-biofeedback in a neurobiology lab in Boston with returning veterans and different disabilities. I look forward to sharing the research with my readers.

Many patients that walk into my Chicago area clinic want to go on a cleanse. While it can be very beneficial to go on a cleanse, what you do after you've finished, is more predictive of the longterm gains you'll have made from doing it in the first place.

We all know someone who is a "yo-yo" dieter. There are "yo-yo" health eaters as well.

"Diets" in general do not work, no matter what the reason. It is imperative to learn to eat in a way that is the most beneficial to you. So if you need to shrink your shadow, this requires a change in your habits. Likewise, if you want to improve your health status and reduce toxins, this also requires lifestyle changes and not just a month of raw fooding or cleansing.

I highly recommend adding a low glycemic protein drink with great prebiotics such as inulin while starting to make lifestyle and dietary changes. The reason is that these drinks help you feel satisfied and if they contain inulin and low sugars, they can actually alter your bowel flora (the beneficial gut bacteria).

Recent research in obesity has revealed that many obese individuals harbor different bowel flora than thin individuals. The flora of obese individuals actually breakdown what is otherwise undigestible cellulose and obtain sugars and calories from it. And, rats fed a high sugar and fried food diet, actually change their bowel flora to those of obese individuals. This means, if you a eat high sugar, high bad fat diet, you are slammed with a double whammy as the bowel bacteria will be altered to grab even more calories from your food than if you didn't eat this way.

We all know that once we get on a carbohydrate binge, it is very difficult to stop the inertia. The best way I have found to stop the inertia is with a high quality low glycemic index protein drink. Occasionally, I'll add some herbs to help quell intense cravings.

Once a patient is off the carbohydrate merry-go-round, I find it is easier for them to make permanent changes in their eating habits.

Many patients come to my Evanston office expecting me to perform repeated sessions of lipodissolve for their weight problem. I won't and I don't. Lipodissolve is a localized fat loss procedure, not a weight loss procedure and is inappropriate as a treatment for obesity.

The exceptions are that I will treat a buffalo hump, double chin, or droopy jowls on an obese person, I just won't treat the body.

In these instances, I have the patient return for a one to two hour medical and nutritional evaluation. I examine closely the patients behaviors around food and choices. For patients with eating addiction, I recommend attending overeaters anonymous (OA). for patients making bad choices, I teach them how to reduce insulin levels.

Historically, we were all told that in order to lose weight, calories in had to be less than calories expended. and vice versa. now we know that not all calories are created equal.

When we eat something that turns to glucose quickly, we produce insulin. and if we don't utilize the glucose, we create storage fat via the insulin. the more carbs we eat, the more insulin we need. over time we become resistant to insulin and keep requiring more to deal with our glucose. This process creates more and more storage fat, or triglycerides.

If we eat half an avocado vs half of a bagel, we have no insulin stimulation although we've eaten the same amount of calories that the bagel might have. Over time, when we make smart choices, we become less insulin resistant, or more insulin sensitive. This enables us to feel more stable, less starved prior to meals and our triglyceride production is greatly reduced.

So remember, it's not the calories that ruin us, but our hormonal response to the calories.