Health and Healing Blog

Lyme disease is a bacteria infection caused by a spiral-shaped bacteria called Borrelia burgdorferi.  Lyme disease is named after the Connecticut town of Lyme where it was first recognized in 1977.  Lyme infection is usually transmitted by, though not limited to, three species of tick:

•    The black-legged tick (deer tick) on the East Coast and in the Midwest.
•    The western black-legged tick ( western deer tick) in the Western U.S.
•    The lone star tick located within a rectangle encompassing Texas, Florida, Rhode Island, and Iowa.

Early signs of Lyme disease include flu-like symptoms (headache, fever, muscle aches, joint pain, and fatigue) and a Lyme rash.  It has been estimated that as many as 20% of Lyme patients suffer from persistent and chronic symptoms.

One scientific research study indicates that Lyme bacteria are microaerophilic, or debilitated in high oxygen environments.  Dr. William Fife of Texas A&M university is credited with developing the protocols which utilize hyperbaric oxygen therapy to treat chronic Lyme infections.  In his initial study, ninety-one patients completed a total of 1,995 hyperbaric oxygen treatments and 84.8% of those treated showed significant improvement by a decrease or elimination of symptoms.  Only 12 subjects (13.1%) claimed no apparent benefits.  In addition, HBO therapy and antibiotic therapy are thought to work in a synergistic manner such that the use of both results in a greater effect than either alone.

In summary, Lyme disease is an infection transmitted by ticks and is both difficult to accurately diagnose and treat.  Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, the delivery of 100% oxygen at pressures greater than one atmosphere, has shown great promise in the treatment of chronic Lyme infection.

Heavy metals (a.k.a. toxic metals) are a scourge of modern living. Most of us who live in “civilized” societies are continuously exposed to high concentrations of them. Unfortunately, these toxic contaminants have become an integral part of our industrialized culture. Metals like aluminum, cadmium, lead and mercury are commonly found in thousands of different food products, household products, personal products and untold numbers of industrial products and chemicals.

The really bad news is that soon after we’re exposed to them, the heavy metals are rapidly removed from blood circulation and shunted away to tissue storage sites in vital tissues where they disrupt our biological systems and wreak havoc on our health.

The presence of toxic metals in our systems is highly significant for they are capable of causing serious health problems through interfering with normal biological functioning. Although they can be found in high concentrations in the body, a number of these heavy metals (aluminum, beryllium, cadmium, lead and mercury) have no known biological function. Others (arsenic, copper, iron and nickel) are thought to be essential at low concentrations, but are toxic at high levels. Generally speaking, heavy metals disrupt metabolic function in two basic ways:

First, they accumulate and thereby disrupt function in vital organs and glands such as the heart, brain, kidneys, bone, liver, etc.

Second, they displace vital nutritional minerals from where they should be in the body to provide biological function. For example, enzymes are catalysts for virtually every biochemical reaction in all life-sustaining processes of metabolism. But instead of calcium being present in an enzyme reaction, lead or cadmium may be there in its place. Toxic metals can’t fulfill the same role as the nutritional minerals, thus their presence becomes critically disruptive to enzyme activity.

Because their impact is at such a foundational level, heavy metals can be causal factors in literally any health problem. This is graphically illustrated in the chart below, which summarizes the sources of each of the heavy metals as well as their adverse effects on the body.

If your job or living circumstances expose you to heavy metals, you would do well to minimize or eliminate your exposure as much as possible. Be aware that there are many ways these toxins can be absorbed into your body–through foods and beverages, skin exposure, and via the air you breathe. So, whenever possible, wear gloves, use protective breathing apparatuses, and be sure to obtain fresh air ventilation.

Insulin Resistance is an underlying cause of weight gain and obesity and there are many factors that contribute to its presence in the body. In essence, our environment and lifestyles have evolved too rapidly for our bodies to keep pace. We are still genetically “wired” to thrive on the entrenched habits of our ancestors, who consumed different, nutrient-rich foods and a diet low in carbohydrates, as well as sustaining greater levels of movement and exercise. Some people may also have a genetic predisposition to Insulin Resistance, while others develop the condition through high stress and unhealthy lifestyles. INSULIN RESISTANCE NEGATIVELY AFFECTS GLUCOSE AND INSULIN LEVELS Over time, the above factors have damaged the complex ability of the body’s cells to properly utilize insulin to convert glucose to energy. This process creates Insulin Resistance, which can cause excess weight and obesity in two distinct ways. First, Insulin Resistance vastly reduces the number of insulin receptor sites or “doorways” on the walls of your cells. The average healthy person has some 20,000 receptor sites per cell, while the average overweight individual can have as few as 5,000. If you have too few receptor sites, glucose bounces off the cell wall, instead of passing through the insulin “door” to be burned as energy. With the cell “door” almost closed to it, glucose remains in the blood stream, causing elevated levels of blood sugar, which are sent to the liver. Once there, the sugar is converted into fat and stored via the blood stream throughout the body. This process can lead to excess weight gain and obesity. The second way that Insulin Resistance causes excess weight and obesity is by raising insulin levels in the blood stream. Unhealthy lifestyles and genetic conditions cause the pancreas to overproduce insulin. The cell is, in turn, overwhelmed by this surplus of insulin and protects itself by reducing the number of its insulin receptor sites. This process leaves too few sites for insulin to carry out its normal function, which is to attach itself to the cell wall and act as “a key in a lock” allowing glucose to pass through the cell wall and be converted into energy. The vastly-reduced number of receptor sites in Insulin Resistant people causes an excess of insulin “rejected” by the cell to free-float in the blood stream, creating conditions that can damage your cardiovascular system, leading to a heart attack or stroke.

Here is a blow by blow on how your hormones work. Cortisol is a steroid hormone made in the adrenal glands. Cortisol’s important function in the body includes roles in the regulation of blood pressure and cardiovascular function as well as regulation of the body’s use of proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. Cortisol secretion increases in response to any stress in the body, whether physical (such as illness, trauma, surgery or temperature extremes) or psychological pressures, (such as poor marriage, unemployment, etc.).

When cortisol is secreted, it causes a breakdown of muscle protein, leading to release of amino acids into the bloodstream. These amino acids are then used by the liver to synthesize glucose for energy, in a process called gluconeogenesis. Cortisol also leads to the release of energy source from fat cells, for use by the muscles. Taken together, these energy directing processes prepare the individual to deal with stressors and insure that the brain receives adequate energy sources.

The body possesses an elaborate feed back system for controlling cortisol secretion and regulating the amount of cortisol in the bloodstream. The pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain makes and secretes a hormone known as adrenocorticotropic hormone, or ACTH. Secretion of ACTH signals the adrenal glands to increase cortisol production and secretion. The pituitary, in turn, receives signals from the hypothalamus of the brain in the form of the hormone CRH, or corticotrophin- releasing hormone, which signals the pituitary to release ACTH. Almost immediately after a stressful event, the levels of the regulatory hormones ACTH and CRH increase, causing an immediate rise in cortisol levels. When cortisol is present in adequate, or excess amounts, a negative feedback system operates on the pituitary gland and hypothalamus, which alerts these areas to reduce the output of ACTH and CRH, respectively, in order to reduce cortisol secretion when adequate levels are present.

DHEA (dehydroepiandrosterone) is the most abundant hormone found in the bloodstream. When the adrenal glands are chronically stressed, your production of DHEA can be greatly reduced. DHEA in an important regulator of the thyroid and pituitary glands. Though the adrenal glands produce most of the body’s supply of DHEA, the gonads (ovaries, testes) can also manufacture DHEA when the adrenals are overworked. DHEA exerts powerful effects throughout the body. Most cells possess DHEA receptors on their membranes. DHEA is vital to health. DHEA also regulates many other hormones; however it can be easily converted to estradiol and/or testosterone and therefore needs to be monitored by testing levels of estradiol and testosterone. DHEA is a good stress barometer, because when stress levels go up, DHEA levels go down. Generally, DHEA levels tend to decrease with age. DHEA peaks at age 25 then declines at a rate of about 2% per year.

In our late 30’s or early 40’s we will start to feel the effect of these hormonal chain reactions. In women that are pre-menopausal it manifests in fatigue, irregular cylces, mood swings, and various PMS symptoms. In menopausal women it manifests in fatigue, low libido, hot flashes, weight gain, and mood swings. In men it can be much more suttle, exhibiting itself more in their energy level, their sex drives, and their enthusiasm for life. It’s usually when erectile dysfunction becomes an issue that men sit up and take notice.
Often patients feel like something happened to them overnight but in reality their current symptoms are the result of years of hormone imbalances that have finally resulted in symptoms that can no longer be ignored.

Is Candida the hidden link between what you eat and how you feel?

Common foods such as bread, cheese, alcohol and sugar can cause a host of physical, mental and emotional problems if you suffer from Candidiasis.

Even when you are healthy, bacteria and yeasts, including Candida albicans, are present on your skin and in your mouth, nose and digestive tract. Normally, these micro-organisms exist on and in you without causing any harm. In fact, the micro-organisms present in the lower digestive tract are highly beneficial in assisting in the digestion of food and in synthesizing vitamins which are essential to your good health.

Under certain conditions, Candida albicans can increase and upset the balance of your bacteria. This usually results in an infection known as Polysystemic Chronic Candidiasis (PCC) and can occur in men, women and children.

What are the symptoms?
PCC can manifest as multiple symptoms affecting different parts of the body.

Physical symptoms can include:
• Digestive: cravings for sugar or breads, chronic bloating, cramps.
• Emotional: depression, irritability, inability to concentrate, frequent mood swings.
• Muscles/Joints: aching joints and muscles, feeling weak or tired.
• Weight: binge eating, excessive weight gain, water retention.
• Urogenital: frequent infections, itching, discharge.
• Other: premenstrual syndrome, headaches, rashes, delayed food allergies.

What causes Candida?
There are several factors which can allow Candida albicans to overgrow in the lower intestinal tract. Frequent courses of steroidal drugs and antibiotics can depress the intestinal bacterial population which permits the overgrowth of yeast. The hormonal changes which occur when oral contraceptives are used or which can accompany pregnancies, have been implicated in increasing susceptibility to PCC in women.

Diets high in nutrients on which yeast thrive (i.e. sugars and other refined simple carbohydrates) encourage yeast overgrowth. Factors which depress immune function allow the opportunistic yeast Candida albicans to grow and multiply, causing PCC.

We use the ELISA Microtiter plate, a unique test for the early detection of Candidiasis.

What is the solution?
The Candida albicans Assay detects Candida albicans and assists in diagnosing PCC. Two blood tests are performed on each specimen submitted for Candida albicans testing.

The Immunodiffusion test is an FDA approved procedure that will confirm late stage Candidiasis with significantly high antibody levels.

The Candida albicans Assay, has the advantage of detecting intermediate levels of Candida. The high sensitivity and specificity of the ELISA test, which detects the earlier stages of Candidiasis, will allow your physician to initiate therapy much sooner in the disease cycle.

Many people who have PCC also experience food allergies. To achieve the most complete recovery, it is recommended that you have your delayed food allergies identified. This can be done with a simple blood test also.

A diet, which eliminates IgG reactive foods, is free from yeast and sugars and is limited in carbohydrate content has proven effective for many patients in controlling PCC. Many people start to experience relief from their symptoms within two weeks of initiating their dietary modifications.

25 year ongoing study reveals that 95% of the population has what is known as a “type two” toxic reaction (IgG response) to common everyday foods that you eat regularly. Unfortunately the foods that cause this toxic shock vary widely according to your individual system. And “type two” reactions are delayed reactions so they are very difficult to detect on your own.

More than 75 symptoms are associated with food toxicities. Perfectly healthy foods can be virtual poison to your particular system.

There are two types of toxic reactions:

TYPE ONE toxic reactions (IgE reactions) are obvious. You know when you have one because your body suffers a notable and almost instant reaction (some people can die from strawberries or crab meat).

TYPE TWO, this report covers type two reactions. These are not immediate, making them almost impossible to detect without sophisticated testing.

Different foods break down at different speeds, causing different toxic reactions depending upon the food and your personal body chemistry. Therefore, without scientific testing, it is very difficult to judge which foods cause which reactions and when.

Sometimes people find that while they may only have a few food toxicities, these make up foods that they eat regularly. Therefore, if you are allergic to pasta and you eat it four or five times per week, you could be poisoning yourself four or five times per week.

The most notable point to make here is how much better you’ll feel. Some people rid themselves of lifelong chronic conditions like migraines (this is almost always caused by a food toxicity). Some people feel a tremendous boost in energy, sex drive and a general increase in mental acuity. Others notice that their constant irritability is gone (yes, foods can dramatically effect your moods). Our ongoing support includes diet advice, food counseling, even recipe ideas to keep your meals tasty (and now healthier than ever before for your particular system).

A Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA) article revealed that more than 75% of the money spent on health care is spent on chronic conditions. Our research indicates that a great deal of these chronic conditions are the direct result of food toxicities; easily treatable by simply removing the foods from your diet. Over 43 million people suffer from arthritis. Arthritic pain is often the result of food toxicity. Ear infections cause parents to take their children in for more than 20 million doctor visits - a symptom caused or aggravated by food toxicity. More than 50 million Americans suffer from irritable bowel syndrome (abdominal cramps, bloating, gas, constipation, diarrhea, etc.)

In our experience, this is almost always directly caused by food toxicities. Remove the foods and the symptoms go away. If they don’t, the lab will refund your test fee.

We are asked daily about exercise and is it important. The answer is YES! Exercise is crucial to heart health, blood sugar stabilization, normal hormone function, etc. We as humans are not intended to be so sedentary. Sitting all day in our chairs, under our artificial lights, eating are packaged meals of various chemicals. We are hunters and gatherers. Our bodies want to move! If we are moving out in the sunshine, all the better. I’m personally a big fan of Dr. Al Sears program called “Pace”. It’s simply interval training with very specific guidelines. I love my work out only being 20 minutes and the results in my body are superior to what I had experienced with my grueling hour routine. Get out there and get moving folks. You won’t regret it. Dr. Beim

We are seeing a dramatic increase in the severity of the food allergies in our pediatric patients. We have children that are showing up at our office covered in rashes and/or hives. These are of course the more extreme examples of how food allergies present. Parents need to know that your child does not have to be covered in a rash to have a food issue. Most children actually have more chronic problems like stomach aches, ear infections, eczema, headaches, runny noses, etc.  A wonderful book we highly recommend for any parent who has an allergy child is “The Unhealthy Truth”. Great book that does a truly wonderful job of educating people on this dramatic increase in food allergies and sensitivities (not only our children but also in the adult population).

Well we are happy to report that hcg does indeed re-set your metabolism. I’m in my second month of maintenance and never vary more than 6 ounces from my ending weight. What is amazing to me is that I’m on a very normal diet. I still watch my intake but I haven’t found anything to be off limit. I am able to have a piece of cake at a party or a drink with friends on a Friday night and my weight stays the same. I very much believe in this program.

The staff has all now inished our hcg diet with wonderful results! It’s so great to have to dig through to the back of the closet to find your old “skinny” jeans that you thought you would never get into again. A really big thrill is when you realize they are now too big! Yah! We are onto the stabilization period now which entails tripling your calories but still watching the sugar and carbs. Stay tuned!

Staff is finishing up the program. Everyone has done wonderfully. We are all very pleased with the re-sculpting effect of hCG! One staff member has lost 4″ in their waist so far and still has a week to go!

Most people don’t realize they are suffering from adrenal fatigue because they do not really know what the symptoms are. The most common symptom is fatigue, simply put you wake up tired and you go to bed tired. We often hear comments like “no matter how much I sleep I’m still exhausted”. This makes life very difficult indeed. Especially when the other hormones start declining also. The best way to diagnose an adrenal issue is to do a comprehensive test utilizing saliva that shows the levels of cortisol in a patient’s body over a 24 hour period. Once the issue is identified it is simply a matter of getting the person on the right protocol to support and rebuild the system.

The program is going very well. The staff is still in the midst of it and they are indeed averaging 1/2 to a full pound a day! This diet seems to work very well for menopausal women!

Staff is all doing the hCG program. We are all averaging a pound a day. All of us are across the board in terms of weight, age, health issues, etc. It’s great that it works the same for all of us despite those differences.

It’s pretty much proven now that without enough vitamin D on board, there will be bone loss. Vitamin D is a steriod hormone and is absolutely essential for bone retention. In our experience over 90% of the people out there are vitamin D deficient. Ask your doctor for a test on your very next visit. It’s a very simple, inexpensive blood test.

We are seeing an alarming number of children with some very troubling symptoms; hives, rashes, GERD, headaches, stomach pain, etc. Children should not have these issues, they are not normal nor are they a benign part of childhood. Symptoms are the bodies way of telling us that something is wrong. We are encouraging parents to get their children tested while school is out. This is the best gift you could ever give your child.

In our experience over 90% of GERD is triggered by allergen foods. We are seeing a lot of this in children and younger people. It just takes a simple blood test to find out what foods you are reactive to. You then remove the foods from your diet and watch the symptoms resolve themselves. 

The Hcg program is designed for those people that have tried everything and can’t lose the weight. It’s preferred that a person has at least 20 pounds to lose. Our program is medically supervised and you will have to undergo a physical and blood work before you are allowed to participate in the program. The basics of the program are a very low calorie diet coupled with daily use of a Hcg compound.

Body detoxification refers to cleansing the organs that are involved in filtering chemicals and toxins from the body, including lungs, bowels, liver, kidneys and blood. The liver acts as a filter to remove waste, the kidneys filter waste into the urine and the lungs expel gases from the body. Toxins and wastes are removed by the body’s vital organs and excreted as urine, sweat, feces or expelled as air from the lungs.

In order for the organs in the body to effectively remove waste, they must be healthy and functioning properly. Detoxification programs vary widely and many only focus on one area, for instance, cleaning the bowels or helping the kidneys. When detox programs are combined, the effectiveness of all organs and their general functioning is restored.

By eliminating toxins from the body, overall health is improved, energy levels are increased and the individual feels and looks younger. Although different programs approach detoxification differently, any proper detox program will enhance overall health and wellness. A variety of factors should be considered in an effective total detox programs. These factors include nutrition, water, rest, exercise, fresh air and sunshine.

Detoxification is necessary for optimal health, but there is a price to pay. A phenomenon known as Herxheimer Reaction can result in headaches, nausea, vomiting and malaise in response to the release of the toxins. Proceeding too fast can cause, and worsen, this reaction. If symptoms occur, the individual should back off the program and take it slower.

When detoxifying the body, it is crucial to prime the body for elimination of toxins. This way organs are prepared to remove the toxins dumped into circulation during the detox program. The body is quite capable of doing this, organs eliminate toxins on a daily basis, otherwise, we would not survive.

We take in many toxins on a daily basis. However, we can function without being overly affected by it; the natural body detoxification process affords this opportunity. Detoxification is not just a one time program, but a change in lifestyle. When the individual consumes a healthy and organic diet, exercises and lives naturally, the process is much easier.

We have a non surgical alternative for bypass surgery, angioplasty and stent placement. It’s a form of therapy called Chelation therapy which is a series of intravenous infusion treatments using EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra-acetic acid), a synthetic amino acid which has the ability to “bond” or “hook onto” molecules of calcium, lead, cadmium, mercury and some of the trace minerals. When the EDTA combines with these minerals in your circulatory system, they are filtered out through the kidneys and eliminated from the body in the urine. Arteriosclerosis, a medical condition caused by chronic changes in the arterial walls, eventually produces obstructions to the blood flow. The mechanism of action of chealtion treatments is still debated as is frequently true in all medical treatments, but nonetheless there clinically is an increase in the oxygenated blood supply to every cell and tissue in the body.

Anti aging deals with optimizing the body’s basic functions by replenishing depleted hormones, minerals, and vitamins. It also involves learning how to manage chronic stress, improving the immune system’s function, and detoxifying the body through Chelation Therapy.

Adrenal adaptation begins with the adrenal’s attempt to increase production of the stress hormones. The adrenals enlarge and increase their output. The adrenals cannot maintain a high output indefinitely. Therefore they begin to reduce their production and all the functions of the endocrine system begins to slow down. Finally, adrenal exhaustion is the final phase before adrenal failure, when all systems fail and life is threatened. The following are some of the symptoms of adrenal dysfunction: · Digestive problems · Increased serum cholesterol · Severe weight gain or loss · Diarrhea or Constipation · Menstrual problems · Sleep disturbances · Decrease in sexual arousal · Impotence · Hair loss · Increased urination · Chronic nonspecific pain · Sensitivity to smells, light or sound · Hypoglycemic Symptoms · Dark Circles under the eyes · Dizziness upon standing · Poor immune modulation · Brittle hair & nails · Exhaustion · Inability to calm down · Panic attacks or anxiety · Depression · Mental frustration · Memory loss or inability to think · Irritability - rapid mood swings · Chronic fatigue · Bloating & Fluid retention · Bone loss · Low back or sciatica pain · Heart arrhythmia · Inflammation, joint pain · Poor toleration for exercise · Catch colds easily · Sensitive to bright light · Feeling weak and shaky · Poor circulation · Allergies To determine if a person is suffering from adrenal fatigue, we recommend a 24 hour circadian panel (hormone test). This test will check the function of your cortisols over a 24 hour period. Low function can be easily addressed through a custom compounded adrenal cream or a combination of natural supplements that are designed to support the adrenals.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a biological, brain based condition that is characterized by poor attention and distractibility and/or hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. It is one of the most common mental disorders that develop in children. If left untreated, ADHD can lead to poor school/work performance, poor social relationships and a general feeling of low self esteem. ADD or Attention Deficit Disorder is a general term frequently used to describe individuals that have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder without the hyperactive and impulsive behaviors. The terms are often used interchangeably for both those who do and those who do not have symptoms of hyperactivity and impulsiveness. We believe that many nutritional deficiencies contribute to this issue. Our focus is on identifying and improving these deficiencies.

Insomnia can cause problems during the day, such as excessive sleepiness, fatigue, trouble thinking clearly or staying focused, or feeling depressed or irritable. It is not defined by the number of hours you sleep every night. Although the amount of sleep a person needs varies, most people need between 7 and 8 hours of sleep a night. It has become a prevalent problem in our society and not one easily addressed since the reasons can be as wide and varied as the individuals themselves.

Candida testing can be done with either stool or blood.

Homeopathy (also homœopathy or homoeopathy; from the Greek ὅμοιος, hómoios, “similar” + πάθος, páthos, “suffering” or “disease”) is a form of alternative medicine based upon principles first defined by Samuel Hahnemann in 1796.[1] A central thesis of homeopathy is that an ill person can be treated using a substance that can produce, in a healthy person, symptoms similar to those of the illness. Practitioners select treatments according to a patient consultation that explores the physical and psychological state[2][3] of the patient, both of which are considered important to selecting the remedy.[3] According to Hahnemann, serial dilution, with shaking between each dilution, removes the toxic effects of the substance, while the essential qualities are retained by the diluent (water, sugar, or alcohol).

Natural Medicine is a complementary and alternative medicine which emphasizes the body’s intrinsic ability to heal and maintain itself. Natural healthcare practitioners prefer to use natural remedies such as herbs, supplements and foods rather than surgery or synthetic drugs. Natural health practitioners use many different treatment modalities and use various forms of testing utilizng stool, saliva and blood.  A natural healthcare practitioner will emphasize a holistic approach to patient care, although they may recommend patients use conventional medicine alongside their treatments, they prefer to focus on the underlying cause of a patients health issue instead of just covering up the symptoms.