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Food, Energy, Fatigue • Supplements • Muscle Problems
Weight Gain/Loss • Miscellaneous

Food, Energy, Fatigue

Q: "I just finished your book, Internal Cleansing and I appreciate the wealth of information you have provided.

I have one question, please. I am a vegetarian, so I eat a LOT of fruits and vegetables. I cannot afford to buy all organic produce, and read that a small amount of bleach is a great way to clean pesticides from them. That does not seem like a good idea, and the cleaner you can buy would be too costly for the amount of produce I would have to clean.

Do you have any suggestions for something natural that would do a good job of cleaning produce?"

A: If you eat only 25% of your fruits and vegetables as organic you are still ahead of the game. In my book, Internal Cleansing, I talk about a Danish study in which scientists examined the sperm counts in workers who ate only 25% of organic fruits and vegetables and their sperm count was 50% higher than those who did not eat any. The sperm count of course doesn't apply to you, but it is a measure of a healthier body nonetheless.

Dilute bleach isn't a bad idea for cleaning your produce, but you could try a product called Citricidal produced by the company Bio-chem. Its available in health food stores at half strength of what you could find in a doctors office.

Best of luck. Remember to eat protein. As a vegetarian the protein efficiency ratio or quality of protein you eat is not as good as that from animal sources. If you are going to conceive a child, it would be better for them if you would at least include healthy dairy and eggs in your diet so that you can get pre-formed Vitamin A. That's different from two beta carotene segments joined together to create a Vitamin A analogue which is the best you could hope for with a vegan diet. As you are aware, pre-formed Vitamin A is essential for immune system health.

Q: "I was on a bulk fiber colon cleanser -- such as 100% psyllium -- and that was pretty much all I had that day. How would four glasses of wine effect me? Would the wine go into the system normally or after the fiber started to move? I know this sounds like a really odd question. I am a 230 pound male, and after 4 glasses of wine, in four hours, I got a DUI. I am wondering if the colon cleanser could have kept the wine from hitting my system until I finally ate that night. It seems like after researching the numbers I blew that I would have to have drunk 6 glasses in a very short amount of time. If you could answer this that would be great."

A: Alcohol is a digestive priority. It gets handled right away because it's toxic to the nervous system. Alcohol is a solvent, and your nervous system is protected by and largely made up of fats dissolved by solvents. The fiber would have no effect on delaying the processing of alcohol.

More likely, your genetics cause you to have a lowered amount of the enzyme, alcohol dehydrogenase, that metabolizes alcohol. Persons of Irish, Scottish, Welsh, American Indian, and Asian background have a deficiency of this enzyme so are more susceptible to the effects of alcohol.

As a general note, its safest for your liver to drink alcohol at supper time in conjunction with food. Drinking it earlier and/or later has more damaging effects.

It would be to your benefit to keep this in mind when drinking in the future. It appears that alcohol has a more significant effect on your body than the averages represented on the DUI charts.

Q: "I never seem to enjoy food anymore. Whenever I eat I get a burning sensation in my chest. I'm, addicted to Tums. What can I do?"

A: Slow down! The leading cause of intestinal upset is eating food too fast. You've seen it. Lunch gone in a matter of seconds with the minimum of mouthfuls. Try this: take a deep breath before you eat. Really feel your belly stretch out and fill up with air. Put your fork or spoon down between mouthfuls. This will give you the chance to chew your food to a liquid before you swallow. Check the label on your Tums. Avoid taking anything that has aluminum in it. Eat smaller meals more frequently. Don't lie down after eating and leave a minimum of 4 hours between finishing dinner and bedtime. A high quality digestive enzyme may help. Consult your health care practitioner, if you don't improve. This could be a sign of a serious health challenge.

Q: "I really need to get sugar out of my system. That's all I crave and it's really doing a number on my skin and on my entire body. Do you ever get down to the Anaheim, California area or can we do any long distance sessions. Perhaps you know someone in my area that does your kind of work? Thank you in advance for any information you may have. I really need the help!!! "

A: I do long distance sessions via telephone with either prepayment or credit card. The charge is $50 for each 15 minutes.

It's good you are motivated to get off of sugar. Two cans of soda depress your immune system's ability to defend your body against pathogenic microbes (bad bugs) by 95% and 6 oz of sherbet by more than 80%. That does no one any good.

In the San Diego area there is an acupuncturist named Stephen Steitler who can help you. Otherwise, you might try calling Health Coach at 800-463-2701 to find someone in your area, or you may consult with me via telephone - whatever serves your needs best. Please let me know if I may be of further assistance in supporting your health.

Q: "Can you give me any information on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome being helped by chiropractic care?"

A: There are no formal studies that I know of that document chiropractic's effectiveness in helping those with Chronic Fatigue. However, there is what is called anecdotal evidence. I have patients with chronic fatigue who say they benefit from my care. It seems to help them detoxify, feel better musculoskeletally, rest better, be more alert and energetic during the day, etc. Most people with this challenge use a multi-practitioner approach, choosing to get adjunctive therapies such as acupuncture, massage, nutritional support, etc., as well. Best of luck.

Q: "There are so many things on the market for Energy, Memory and Calcium that I get confused. Can you recommend a brand name that I can take? I need all the above plus something to stop hair loss. I look forward to your answer."

A: Getting healthy is not always a matter of what supplement to take.

Are you drinking at least 2 quarts per day of pure water? If not, you are not providing the foundation for getting healthy.
Are you eating at least 5 servings a day of fruits and vegetables? Same as #1.
Are you decreasing your toxic load? Eliminate or drastically reduce refined carbohydrates and sugar from your diet plus artificial colors, flavors, etc. You get the picture.
Are you getting any exercise? Mild to moderate would be best to start. A simple walking program of 20 minutes a day would be a great way to start.
Are you taking time to connect with the divine, feel grateful or relax every day? Baths in 1 cup Epsom salt with 1 cup baking soda are great ways relax, and reduce the stress and toxic load in your body. Two or three times a week would help.

All of these recommendations will help you to increase energy and memory. Gingko biloba has good research behind it in terms of increasing both long and short term memory.

As far as calcium goes, try Ethical Nutrients brand of microcrystalline hydroxyapatite (it will not increase your appetite). Take the maximum dose recommended on the bottle. If you can't find that, try to find a calcium citrate mixed with equal parts of magnesium or the magnesium can be half the dose of the calcium. Increasing the calcium in the body will help to reverse hair loss. Also try Dr Shen's FoTi formula for hair loss.

You may need to balance your hormones. Consider a saliva or 24 hr urine test and normalize aberrant hormone levels with natural hormones, not synthetic. Those need to be prescribed by an NP, MD or DO. In some states, a naturopathic physician can prescribe hormones, and natural progesterone cream is widely available in health food stores.

Sorry the solution is not simple.

Q: "I'm tired all the time. What can I do?"

A: If you wake up tired you may be allergic to your bedroom. Close the bathroom door so mold spores exploding during the night don't irritate your immune system and wake you up. Check with your health care provider to see if you have a sensitivity to the pillows or blankets you sleep with. Or your diet may be the problem. Eat small protein, carbohydrate, and fat balanced meals five times a day vs. three big square meals. Get off the sugar and caffeine! That drives your energy up but later it comes crashing down. Get more steady, not exhausting, exercise, even if it means doing things like marching in place while you listen to your messages after lunch.

Supplements

Q: "Recently I found an article about animal parts and tissue in food supplements. Personally I don't care if the supplement contains poop, if it is safe to ingest and if it will cure or help me with the problem that I might have. Are they safe to take?"

A: Maybe, maybe not. Some reputable companies use animal glands and organs in their supplements to promote the health of our organs and glands. I don't believe poop would be beneficial in a nutritional product from any source. There is also a scare about the prions that cause Mad Cow disease (Jacobs Kreutzfield Disease), which can kill a human being, getting into nutritional products that contain animal products. Use products from reputable companies only that will provide you with laboratory analysis of the purity and quality of their products. Some things to think about.

Q: "I have some Nutri-West products that are about 4 years old. I need to know if these are still safe and effective. I have Manganese-S, Trace Min Plus, and Cop-Out-S. The bottles have been opened. Are these safe to take?"

A: I don't know if what you mentioned are unsafe, but most likely they are no longer effective. I would recommend throwing them out. It is also a good idea to get checked re: the right nutrients for you to take at this time since your system has changed over the last 4 years. By the way, old supplements are great additions to compost piles in your garden!

Q: "How do I find out which vitamin /mineral manufacturing companies are reputable?"

A: One way to find out if a company is reputable is to ask them to provide you with independent laboratory assays of their products. Find out where they get their herbs from. Who selects them? Are they gathered with sound ecological practices from the wild or grown organically? Do they do toxicity testing on their fish oils, herbs, and other raw materials? If so, ask them for the laboratories analysis. I have not found one multilevel marketing company that is willing to do that. Each one says the supplier won't let them release that information. Why not? Do you want to buy products from such a company? Metagenics and their health food store brand Ethical Nutrients supplies this information. So does Yerba Prima. I hope this helps.

Muscle Problems

Q: "Lately I have been experiencing a lot of moving muscles in my body. Seems like my muscles constantly jump a lot, and it feels pretty weird. Is this something that I should be worried about?"

A: Yes, this is something to be concerned about. Most likely you are suffering from a B vitamin deficiency. Try a full spectrum, high dose, B complex tablet 2 times a day with breakfast and lunch. You are also probably deficient in essential fatty acids, most Americans are. If you do not eat fish at least 3 times per week (best kinds are wild Alaskan salmon, cod, halibut, sardines and herring), you may want to supplement your diet with a tablespoon or more of flax seed oil (e.g., as an ingredient in salad dressing) each day. If the condition is not improved in one to two weeks, I recommend a visit to a health care provider who is nutritionally savvy.

Q:"I have had quite a loss of muscle in my body and especially in my legs. I had a tough job that required carrying and walking quickly a lot. I lost the ability to bend the legs 180ƒ . I lost weight to 103 lbs, but now am 138, where I was before. I have quit the job due to difficulty walking and stairs. It started with shin splints, then knee pain, now in hamstrings for 5 months. The pain started 1 year and 4 months ago. It seems mostly in the belly muscle, but somewhat in the tendon area. I have tried rest, stretching, icing, exercising, more protein. Now all I do is lay in bed or sit mostly. Any ideas appreciated."

A: You may have a serious health problem. Have you consulted your health care provider? You may have an inability to process toxins adequately because of mitochondrial deficiency. The mitochondria are the part of the cell that is responsible for energy production. Without energy, your cells cannot get rid of toxins that accumulate from the excessive exercise that you were getting during your job.

Magnesium is always deficient in cells with this condition. You can take magnesium supplements (I recommend Magnesium Glycinate Metagenics), get magnesium infusions from an MD who does chelation therapy, or take Epsom salts baths. According to a friend who needed magnesium, the baths were more effective than the IV infusions. Metagenics also makes a product called Mitochondrial Resuscitate which bolsters the mitochondria's ability to do its job of pumping toxins out of your cells.

Your legs may have begun to have problems because of your feet. You may need orthotics to correct for foot problems such as fallen arches. See a podiatrist or a chiropractor who can fit you for custom made orthodotics.

One of the fastest and best ways to overcome serious health problems such as yours is with detoxification. My book,Internal Cleansing is a guide to help you understand the process of detoxification, has several self scoring questionnaires to pinpoint your personal needs, plus guidelines on how to detoxify your environment as well as your body. I wish you the best of luck in your road back to health.

Q: "I have hypoglycemia, fibromyalgia and MCS, and spinal stenosis/degeneration. I have a very good chiropractor and the only way I can know if foods/supplements etc. weaken me vs. helping me is to be tested with muscle testing or kinesiology. My question is: How do you know if a patient will have a reaction to the cleansing program if testing is not done on sensitive patients such as myself?"

A: Even muscle testing is not a guarantee that a patient will not have a reaction to a supplement. Jerry Morantz, DC, who is a very well known Applied Kinesiology doctor has had patients go into anaphylactic shock in his office after ingesting supplements that had tested strong. We all do the best we can. Muscle testing is certainly a helpful tool to add to other diagnostic procedures if done correctly and without the ego of the tester interrupting. The cleansing products in Chapter 9 of my book, Internal Cleansing, are so safe they are available in health food stores. Other products are meant to be used only with a health care provider's supervision.

Q: "I fell on my outstretched arm. I can't raise my arm all the way up or outwards, unless I put my other hand under my armpit and lift up my shoulder. Then I can get full range of motion in my arm. It seems like it's caught on something. I loose full range of motion when my shoulder is not raised up. WHY? What makes this happen? Can muscle testing show me if I have a torn muscle or torn tendon?"

A: Muscle testing can tell us if there are muscles that aren't working right. We can also check tendons and ligaments. Standard orthopedic and neurologic tests done in any doctors office will help to define just what was injured. But the best way to tell if anything is torn is to get an MRI of your shoulder.

What you have would probably be diagnosed as a frozen shoulder. The primary muscle culprit in this condition is the subscapularis muscles which lies under the shoulder blade. I would recommend working with a chiropractor who does muscle work like an Applied Kinesiologist. A physical therapist may also be able to help. Or you could consult with a sports orthopedist. Best of luck with your recovery.

Weight Gain/Loss

Q: "I am waiting on your book I ordered on the internet and I am extremely excited. I am curious if it will help me in reaching my ideal weight. I am 5'4" and 180 lbs. This is the biggest I have ever weighedand I am taking Zoloft for the depression I am experiencing with my appearance changes and self esteem. But my main question is should I continue to take the medication or will the cleansing help my emotions also. The main reason I want to try the internal cleansing is for weight. Is this okay or is cleansing for some other purpose?"

A: We know exercise is as effective at handling even severe depression as medication. It seems that exercise would be a more sensible approach for you since it would serve the dual purpose of controlling depression and increasing metabolism while burning excess calories. You must make the decision to go off the meds with your prescribing MD, however. It is not within the scope of my license to recommend that you take meds or that you go off of them. Any antidepressant needs to be tapered off. Again, you must do that in conjunction with your prescribing MD. Going off those type of meds too quickly can have dire consequences -- move cautiously.

Cleansing can be very helpful in loosing weight, depending on the program that you choose. There is a lot of information in my book. If you want to take baby steps choose one thing that makes the most sense to you and start there. Build upon your successes and don't expect to get thin in one month. Or you can do a number of steps all at once. It just depends on your energy, motivation, community support, time and budget.

You have undertaken a lifelong project -- taking good care of your health. Please let me know if I can support you further with a personal phone appointment. You may set that up with my assistants at 510-526-6657 if you would like to work with me as a coach to accelerate your progress.

Q: "I am trying to lose weight. Do you recommend the use of the artificial sweeteners?"

A: No. There are many problems with using artificial sweeteners. First they continue to arouse your desire for sweets. And when no artificially sweetened products are around then it's just back to the sugar again isn't it? I often see people in restaurants order a meal loaded with refined carbohydrates, animal fat and fried food then request a diet drink. Who are they kidding? Certainly not their body. Better to eat whole, healthy foods like fruits, vegetables, clean protein (avoiding commercially grown animals fed drugs and hormones) and whole grains then to fool around with artificial sweeteners that may cause seizures or cancer. Please check out the following web sites for more information: HolisticMed.com

Q: "I'm a Indian male. I just turned 16 a couple months ago. I am currently about 5'9-5'10. I was only about 5'4 two years ago. I just want to know if there is still more growing left in me. I am extremely active and play many sports however, I'm quite skinny (118 lbs). My dad is about 5'8 and my mom is about 5'2. Also I was just wondering what I could do to gain weight and muscle. A more sturdy frame would certainly help me as I play competitive tennis. I've tried eating more but it doesn't seem to help. Hopefully you will be able to answer my questions."

A: You may have parasites that are preventing you from gaining weight. That has to be checked with either a urine organic acid test that costs about $200 or with a stool test that costs about $100. You may be able to get these tests done locally with your medical doctor or health care practioner.

Also you may have a problem with absorption. There is a cookbook called Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon that teaches the reader to make their food easier to digest and more nourishing. Perhaps your mother could purchase this cookbook and start making some of the recipes to help you gain weight. I especially recommend the recipe for "Beet Chives" on page 608. As far as your height, men can continue to grow into their early 20's. But you have developed most of your height by now, considering how tall your parents are.

Q: "When I was in my early 30's I had a problem with acne - not severe but bad enough to really bother me. I was seeing a chiropractor at the time who gave me a test and determined that "Energenics" would help me. It helped so much that I really got into nutrition after that point. Well I do not take it anymore and through time and nutrition no longer have the problem. I was so impressed with the product then that I thought I'd ask you about a problem I'm having now. I have been getting cellulite on the front and back of my legs and a small amount everywhere else on my body. I am considered to be somewhat thin - I weigh 135 and am 5'9" tall. I eat healthy - minimal meat or poultry mostly fish and vegetarian with soy products and whole grains. I drink about 2 quarts of water per day. I do kick boxing for 45 min. 3 times per week. I have a 2 year old little girl also. Do you know what I can do to get rid of this problem. It's really embarrassing to me. I do have some fat on my legs but it doesn't seem to go away. Would chromium or garcinia cambogia or gotu kola help?"

A: Gosh, it doesn't sound like you could be doing anything better for yourself. You might try the blood type diet recommended by Dr D'Adamo in his book Eat Right For Your Type. Many are healed by following this routine. Chromium is used to increase lean muscle mass while decreasing fat. That might be useful. Gotu kola is good for circulation that might be good as well. I don't know what effects the garcinia might have, except to decrease your appetite and speed you up, which would be undesirable.

Miscellaneous

Q: "I am a 6th grader and want to do a report on the effects of carrying heavy books in elementary school. Can you help?"

A: Certainly. The effect is not good. The spine is not fully developed until kids reach middle or high school. Carrying heavy books, especially in a back pack slung over one shoulder, may contribute to deformities in the spine and possibly lead to the development of chronic pain. Some suggestions to relieve this problem are:

Carry your back pack on both shoulders.
Decrease the load as much as possible.
Use a luggage cart with wheels in which to move your books around.
Ask your teachers to minimize homework from heavy books or make copies of the specific pages you need to complete your assignments.
Do homework requiring heavy books in school.
Write to book publishers and ask them to convert heavy books into multiple volume sets to decrease the weight of any one book.
Do stretching and strengthening exercises to condition your muscles to help carry the load more easily.
Eat plenty of fruits, vegetables and dairy products if you don't have a dairy sensitivity to make sure your bones grow strong and straight.
Keep good posture during the day to avoid extra stress on your spine.
Get and give back rubs to family and friends to relieve tension brought on by carrying heavy books.
Consult with your local chiropractor who is an expert in helping to keep your spine healthy.

Q: "I'm doing a 2 month cleanse and taking the Great Plains bentonite. I also purchased what appears to be a good flax oil from the refrigerated section of my nearby co-op healthfood store. How should I take it? From the spoon, straight? With a juice or soymilk? On salad? Heat will destroy the nutritive value I understand? Any recommendations? By the way, I just finished "Internal Cleansing" it was very informative and interesting."

A: You can take flaxseed oil in any of the ways you have mentioned. Some who want to disguise the taste mask it as a salad dressing with garlic and lemon for example. Others like the flavor and eat it right off the spoon. You can also put it on a baked potato or popcorn after cooking/popping. Mixing it in liquid to drink may be weird because it will separate on the surface.

Yes, heating flax oil excessively will destroy the omega 3 oils. Baking with it may not cause damage according to Clara Felix of the Felix newsletters' research.

If you have no objection to using clean fish oil, that's a better source of omega 3 than flax oil. Best case, you need 12 times more flax oil than fish oil to have the same effect. Nordic Naturals is probably the best brand of fish oil you can get in health food stores.

Q: "I'm a man in my 50's and though I've been married a long time I didn't expect my libido to fail me this young. What can I do to keep my sex life alive?"

A: Think circulation. You can try Viagra at $10 a pill. But if you smoke cigarettes, there's the culprit! Smoking cuts off blood flow, especially to you know where. Save your money on the meds and avoid other unpleasant side effects of smoking, like cancer and heart disease. Reduce alcohol, too. It may increase desire, but can cause equipment failure. And don't be afraid to try some Wild oats. No lie! That herbal preparation may stoke the fires of passion. Other nutritional support products that may help are arginine and nitric oxide (not the nitrous you get from the dentist). And on the hormone front, get your free testosterone levels checked. "Free testosterone" means the level of active testosterone in your body. You might also investigate tantric classes with your wife. Or check out Mantak Chia's book, The Multi Orgasmic Man to rejuvenate sexual passion and performance.

Q: "My dog seems to be limping. Is chiropractic good for dogs too?"

A: Yes! But the chiropractor must have the permission of your vet to adjust your dog or they may be accused of practicing veterinary medicine without a license. Because of people's allergies, your chiropractor may need to make a trip to your car to adjust your pet. You might try nutritional supplements like vitamin C and glucosamine sulphate, to help with the limping.

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