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23/Mar/2017

Yes! You want to take a probiotic.  The most common misconception is that a probiotic will make the antibiotic less effective.  Completely untrue.  Think of your gut like a lawn.  An antibiotic is going to be not just a weed killer but grass killer too.  It will mess up your GI.  So, you want to plant good grass seed so that other weeds do not grow back first.  Will the antibiotic lower the ability of the probiotic? Yes, of course.

I recommend a multi-strain probiotic of at least 25 billion per capsule as a general rule.  One I particularly like is here: https://akdoc.com/shop/nondairy-probiotic-50/

Take one at night during your antibiotic regime and once you finish then you can boost to 1 capsule 2 times per day.


17/Jun/2015

How to Gain Weight? HuaHinScallops
After recently returning from another trip around the world, there is one fact that is quite evident: Americans are fat! Greece, Russia, Italy, Thailand, Korea in 2 weeks… and only saw a very few morbidly obese people… and significantly more thin people than overweight people as well. Those who were overweight were likely Americans or Westerners touring, too.
So where does the topic for this post come from? Upon returning to the USA, I visited a fantastic Chinese massage therapist who actually has a problem with the other side of the spectrum, gaining weight! There really is not a lot of good, simple information on how to gain weight out there so I figured I would share my response to my colleague. Obviously, plenty of opinions exist on how to lose weight.
Gain weight goal basics:
The goal is to gain healthy weight—not just fat. Surely eating daily at the awful American fast food chains could help someone gain weight, or drinking gallons of alcohol could, too. In this post, however, we are looking at health and quality weight gain only.
There is much truth to the concept of “calories in versus calories out” but I would like to add some important nuances.
The modern dietitian’s way of assuming every “calorie in” affects the body the same is categorically untrue. Just because food enters our mouths does not mean it gets utilized properly. A person’s needing “X” number of calories to meet the recommended daily allowance also is based on purely mathematical observations such as the official RDA minimums, but individuals rarely function according to pure math. Additionally, the standard BMI is inaccurate for athletes. I have seen plenty of patients eat less than their dietary requirement without losing any weight, while others eat huge quantities and stay slim.
Plan of Action:
We want to see what you are eating now. Doing a daily diet diary of the foods you eat and fluids you drink (along with the times of consumption) is extremely beneficial. Usually 1-2 week journal is adequate to discover problem items easily.
We want to rule out any health condition that are affecting your metabolism. This could be digestive problems, parasites, and thyroid or hormonal imbalances as common possibilities.
If you work quite physically hard in your job, question whether you are just burning up calories with activity and you are too busy to eat at reasonable meal intervals or quantities.
After the above items are considered, the next step is quite simple. Remedy any above issue and then increase your healthy calories. It is quite easy to increase healthy calories! The only decision is whether to increase calories across the board or to alter the ratio of your Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats.
To increase protein: Eat larger portions of quality meats and protein sources. Adding protein shakes or protein bars is another option. The issue for many people here is typically a digestive enzyme is additionally needed when increasing protein intake.
To increase fat: Add high quality oils to meals. Toss raw vegetables with oil or toss after cooking them. Add fats into protein shakes. Adding seeds is usually better than adding more nuts, but walnuts and raw almonds are good. Coconut oil and avocados other great sources of good fats.
To increase carbohydrates: Eat more fruits and more veggies. Low weight people can typically eat more starches and dense carbohydrates, too. However, I always prefer a diet free of gluten or in moderation especially in the USA. Rice, rice noodles, egg noodles, etc. are easy ways to get much higher amounts of carbohydrates.
Another important concept to remember is “Patience is a virtue.” Just like losing weight quickly can be bad, you do not want to bulk up quickly either. It is best to alter the diet, modify the lifestyle, and adjust as necessary. Plan on months not weeks to make lasting changes.
Taking measurements is also beneficial so you can monitor where the weight is being put on. Muscle weighs more than fat so bulking up with some strength and conditioning is also a good thing to consider.

Thai Breakfast

Keywords: #gainweight, #underweight, #nutrition, #diet, #appliedkinesiology, #AKDoc #health


06/Mar/2014

First off, the mainstream everything continues to use the term gluten so I will as well.  However, gliadin is actually a type of gluten but not all of them.  Therefore the correct term would be to say you are gliadin free.  But alas, i digress.  The answer to this question is YES.  The statement should not be are you gluten sensitive rather “how much” gluten sensitive you are.  Two very good books are out right now that go into good depth on how big of a problem Gluten is, why it is, and what all it is doing to people.  The key is not to just remove gliadin from the diet.  You will just replace it with other refined products and likely more sugar/carbs.  It needs a total shift in diet away from the style of foods that are made with Gliadin.

Why Isn’t My Brain Working?: A Revolutionary Understanding of Brain Decline and Effective Strategies to Recover Your Brain’s Health

Grain Brain: The Surprising Truth about Wheat, Carbs, and Sugar–Your Brain’s Silent Killers


30/Aug/2013

Should I take supplements if my budget is tight?

SupplementsSo many people are struggling financially and in attempt to save costs they stop taking supplements or switch to generic/mass brands. Products like your everyday multi are garbage! They are a complete WASTE of money. If the budget is extremely tight, it is better to take lower doses of high end products than think you are saving money on store brands. Think of this: The most expensive supplements are ones that do nothing for you, not the ones that help you keep a healthy brain and body.

 

What is your opinion about Quick Weight-loss and Weight Watcher Programs?

Both have come a long way in the past few years. They have moved towards recognizing that Carbs are not all the same. Whole Veggies, meats, whole fruits are the way to go. A Paleolithic diet is the best thing so using a system including that is perfectly fine. Don’t buy their supplements and Food Packages products though! They are very low quality and a waste of money. There are much higher quality options available.

Can I take my vitamins once per day?

Unfortunately while it is convenient, the answer is NO. Some vitamins like fish oil or vitamin D can be taken once, as they have long half lives (don’t break down quickly) and could even be taken further apart. However things like Folic Acid, Lipoic Acid, B-12 etc.. burn up quickly or are excreted. This is why it is best to take your B vitamins etc at least 2x/day and multi’s usually best 1 cap 3x/day. This is assuming you are taking a high quality vitamin like Thorne’s Basic series.

Is Vitamin D really that big of a deal?

Yes, Yes and Yes! Vitamin D has been linked to helping blood sugar, hormone balancing, bone strength, autoimmune conditions, allergies, and more… In fact I am coming to realize most people should take a separate Vitamin D. But D is not all equal. Most prescription D’s are Vit D2 ergocalciferol which is not desirable. Vitamin D3 cholecalciferol is the one you want. I primarily use 3 brands in the office. Important to note: You can get too much Vitamin D, it needs to be tested every so often to determine how sensitive you are and learn your proper dose.

Should I buy orthodics?

It depends. If you have reasonably good feet, getting your feet and arches balanced through PAK treatments is all you should need. However bad genetic feet and people who spend their days on hard surfaces (ex: retail positions) probably do benefit from wearing orthodics in those shoes. DON’T get hard plastic orthodics. Orthodics should have some flex for 90% of people. I like custom made foot levelers over most brands since I can get them at significant savings for you (typically 50-65% off retail)

How much should I walk?

Various sources say 10,000 steps a day is optimal. This equates to around 4-5 miles per day. Since most people walk just under 20 minutes per mile, a good place to start is to try and walk for 1 hour total per day NOT including your normal daily activities. You will feel better. Get the family out morning or night for a daily stroll.

My doctor wants to prescribe me fish oil, should I take it?

Lovaza is a prescription pharmaceutical fish oil! DON’T take it. Natural fish oil can be gotten in close concentration without having been synthetically altered with unknown consequences. Natural fish oil is MUCH cheaper too!’

Are whole food supplements better than other ones?

– This is tricky to answer. Good quality whole food is always a great way to get your nutrition. However “whole food” supplements are usually just whole food based and then contain synthetics and other fillers. It comes down to the specifics in them and the price. Taking a high quality supplement with food seems to be the best way to go. Research seems to show that blended products get the best results too. A true whole food product would be something like Greens first.


05/May/2009

When travelling and lecturing around the world I commonly get this question:  “How do I find a good doctor?”  The answer is quite simple but finding one can be difficult.

While I do have patients that fly hundreds of miles to see me, most can usually get great care closer to home.  This blog covers finding any doctor too, not just Applied Kinesiologists or holistic doctors.

1) Pick a doctor that you believe in.  If you dont respect your doctors ability, it is time to find someone new.

2) A good doctor is not a popularity contest, however you need to agree with his professional vision and advice for the body.

3) Doctors hate to say they “dont know”.  Be wary of a doctor that you find dismisses therapies when in fact they dont know what on earth they are talking about!  I am still amazed at how many patients we help resolve neck pain issues through chiropractic who spent months with orthopedists and neurologists who said: “whatever you do, dont see a chiropractor”.  Note to all docs: if you are not helping your patient, then they need something else!  A good doctor knows their limits and is open to new things.

4) I have a big pet peeve with doctors who are all about the business.  You want a doctor that cares about you and your health!  Not just until your health insurance runs out.  Be very wary of a doctor that wants to sell you long term packages with hundreds of visits.  If he is good, why would you need so many visits?  I used to tell people, if we cant significantly help your problem in 3 visits we are wasting our time.  I am being completely honest when I say there are very few times that ever happened in 12 years.  (that doesn’t mean people can return to health in 3 visits, but by then you usually have a good idea of what is the issue and a plan to help it)

5) In holistic health-care we always say, non-invasive first, then drugs then surgery.  Be wary of the doctor that wants to drug first, then surgery, THEN something natural.  I can not tell you how many people have had carpal tunnel surgery that was not necessary.  Their problem came from a neck or shoulder problem that was very easy to correct without cutting and causing permanent problems.  Yes, there are cases that need surgery, but I would guess 5% of those performed.

6) Medical Doctors specialize in medicine.  Let them help from that direction.  Be careful of holistic MD’s merely from their statements.  Just because they know one thing does not make them qualified in natural medicine.  I find so many women problematic from their OB/Gyn’s pushing Calcium.  They take a ton of low quality calcium and then end up with terrible Magnesium deficiencies causing even more issues.  There are some good holistic MD’s, just dont trust

Now regarding AK (Applied Kinesiology) Doctors specifically.

1) Anyone can say they are an AK Doctor, make sure they really are a doctor!

2) Many doctors say they do AK when in fact they use much more basic muscle testing methods.  While some may still be good, we are trying to give basic advice here.

3) In the USA, looking for someone who is a PAK (Professional Applied Kinesiologist) is a better chance to find someone who really cares about continuing education and is up to date on methods.  The term PAK is trademarked so not anyone can actually use it.

4) A real AK doctor can usually do a good job at explaining why things are happening and how to treat it.  Do not just trust that you need $800/month of nutrition unless you really do!  (you dont by the way!)


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