Health Basics

Breathe Easier

2011-03-11T19:13:00.000-08:00

Defend yourself naturally against pollen,

seasonal allergies & other immune stresses.

Specialized cells of the immune system release histamine when challenged by substances such as pollen, dust, dander, etc. – things we can breathe, eat, or touch.

But histamine is not the root of the body’s response. Histamine may cause the outward responses you see and feel – but the problem stems from a shift in the body’s defense systems. Building up these defenses helps keep histamine at acceptable levels.

Histamine’s effects on the Body

Many body systems are affected when histamine levels go unchecked. These include the immune and respiratory systems, liver, and adrenal glands.

Immune System – When the body comes in contact with an intruder, it begins to manufacture antibodies (IgE). After these antibodies encounter the invader, a large amount of histamine is released. This causes the surrounding blood vessels to dilate, which allows fluid and cells to migrate to the site of the insult. The body can overreact to these intruders, causing stress on the immune system.

Allerplex – with the help of vitamin A and C complexes, supports the body’s immune response to seasonal, environmental, and dietary stressors. Also formulated to maintain healthy liver function – the body’s natural cleansing system.

Cal-Amo – provides chlorides (calcium and ammonium) for maintaining proper pH balance, which helps support immune system efficiency and enhance respiratory function.

Respiratory System – Histamine causes muscle constriction in the lung’s bronchial tubes, which may affect normal breathing.

Fen-Gre – maintains the body’s natural function of supporting healthy levels of mucous and phlegm in the lungs and bronchial tubes.

Liver – When bombarded with histamine, the liver becomes weakened and its ability to remove toxins is compromised, which slows down the release of invaders from the body.

Antronex – supports the liver and the body’s natural antihistamine function. Can be combined with Cal-Amo for more immediate support.

Adrenal Glands – If the body is under stress, these glands secrete cortisol to regulate histamine levels and assist with the body’s natural anti-inflammatory response – helping to combat the symptoms experienced with pollen, seasonal, and other stresses.

Drenamin – helps body maintain its natural anti-inflammatory response.

Plan ahead for Seasonal Challenges – the earlier you start preparing your body, the better.

Ask us how these natural whole food products can build your body’s defenses and help you breath easier to return you to an active lifestyle indoors and out.

Glenn Nicholas, D.C. (208)743-4567

www.WholeBasics.com www.wholebasics.blogspot.com

Not Just the Quarterback!

2011-02-05T16:30:00.000-08:00

Who are the players that make your favorite Super Bowl quarterback great?

Does it matter? History remembers football’s big name quarterbacks- like Joe Montana and Tom Brady- but the rest of the players on the team get little press or remembrance. But where would the big name players be without the blockers to protect them and someone to catch their passes or run with the ball they hand to them to score touch downs. Or, what about the defense that keeps the other team from scoring more points than the QB’s team? Obviously, if it weren’t for the rest of the team skillfully executing their duties the QB would be a loser. Did you know the same is true in the nutrition world? It is! You have heard of the big name highly paid popular vitamins- A, B, C, D, E, and K. The big name vitamins are the ones found listed on the nutritional products you buy at the store with names like beta-carotene, thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, ascorbic acid, alpha tocopherol, etc. The typical store bought product typically has the quarterback in doses much larger than needed or that is safe for the body and there are no team members present to assure the success of the vitamin team. So who are the other team mates? Can you name one or even name the positions they play? They are called vitamers and they are similar molecules each having their own specific shape and role to play just like the other players on a football team. Without them the team(body) is not equipped to win and keep the body in optimum health. This is why taking the quarterback type vitamins often don’t seem to make much difference in your health.

Let’s look at one of the whole vitamin complexes as an example. This will help you understand how things really work and why whole food complex vitamins are the only right way to go. Let’s use Vitamin D. Its vitamers include Vitamin D2 (Ergocalciferol), Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), Dihydrotachysterol, 25-0H-Cholecalciferol, 1,25 (OH)2-Cholecalciferol, and 1alpha-OH-Cholecalciferol. Typical store-bought supplements usually include Vitamin D2 or D3, but our bodies need all of them and not just the QB. You won’t find all of them in a typical vitamin product, nor will you find all of them added back into your favorite processed or fortified food. You will find all of them in many animal and dairy food products. The point is real whole foods are the only source for all complete vitamin complexes needed for normal good health.

In our office we sell nutritional supplements made from whole food complexes like carrots, pea vine juice, Brussels sprouts, kale, mushroom, oats, etc. raised on the Standard Process organic farm in Wisconsin. The reason for this is straight forward. Only in nature’s foods do we find nutrients in the right amounts and combinations perfectly provided for the health of our bodies. Obviously, there are no vitamin A, B, or C bushes or trees to be found anywhere on earth. So these quarterback vitamin parts without the whole team complement have been synthesized or isolated into their single molecular parts in a lab and then sold by the barrel-full to vitamin manufacturers (really). It may say natural on the bottle but does that sound natural to you? I heartily recommend you put the whole vitamin team on your nutritional playing field for your best health. Our choice as the premier whole food multi-vitamin product is called Catalyn. It also contains the RDA for Vitamin D! Give your body Whole Team Support - Call us today!

Click Here to learn more about nutrient rich Catalyn.

Meanwhile, go Packers, er… Steelers!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Glenn Nicholas

www.WholeBasics.com

http://www.wholebasics.blogspot.com

Healthy Holiday Eating Tips

2010-12-04T08:33:00.000-08:00

Don’t let eating at social events, parties and restaurants side-track your health.

Social events can put you in situations that can compromise your health goals by offering few items to eat that are good for your health. High sugar and salty foods, dips ladened with trans-fats and who know what else can be the normal fare when socializing.

But here are a few tips to help preserve your good health:

Eat an apple before the affair
Pick the healthy snacks such as nuts and the vegetable tray- avoid the rest.
Eat something healthy (vegetables) before and after the chocolate or cake. When you consume refined sugars and carbohydrates, potassium is lost, raising sodium. Wherever sodium goes, water goes. To counter the loss of potassium, you should consume high-potassium foods – leafy greens.
When you eat the junk food, don’t stuff yourself - overeating refined carbohydrates severely increases insulin. Choose a small taste of the junk food and fill up on healthier foods.

The worst restaurants to go to on this program are Chinese restaurants because most have hidden sources of monosodium glutamate (MSG). MSG causes water retention and swelling because of massive amounts of sodium. Even if they tell you they add no extra MSG, it’s still in the pre-made sauces.

Italian restaurants have lots of pasta and breaded foods. Skip the bread on the table and order some fish or steak and salad. Often the steaks come in 12 and 16 ounces, which is too much to digest comfortably. Eat only 5 to 6 ounces and take the rest home or share it with your dinner companion.

At Mexican restaurants, order a burrito bowl (which is chicken, salsa, lettuce, cheese and sour cream) without the tortilla, refried beans or taco shell.

When eating a potato, add more real butter or sour cream to buffer the insulin response. If you eat some popcorn, add more butter to slow the insulin response. Adding fat helps slow the process. Don’t overdo the butter and sour cream, though.

Tell the server to bring you a burger without the bun or French fries. Add a salad instead, and in place of ketchup use mayonnaise and mustard. Ketchup contains high-fructose corn syrup.

Realize when eating out you are consuming many different chemicals in the sauces, breading, gravy, dips, etc. Try to eat whole foods, such as fish and vegetables, meat and salad. Skip the dessert; especially if you are eating meat, as together they affect stress hormones negatively.

Adding a sugary dessert or alcohol to the meal puts a strain on digestion, which severely affects insulin. You don’t have to be a social outcast when eating smart, plus you’ll feel better several hours later and your friends and family will wish they had done the same. Keep focused on the consequences (your future!).

Check out our previous blog post "Eating When Stressed".

We are here to help you have a healthier future.

Contact our office to begin today.

Dr. Glenn Nicholas - www.WholeBasics.com

Eating When Stressed

2010-12-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

When you are stressed, the adrenal glands overproduce adrenalin and it becomes difficult to think clearly. You might look for comfort in food. This means you should eat certain things to support your adrenals. These are primarily fats, such as butter, cream cheese, Brie cheese with apples, chicken noodle soup, coconut butter and avocados. These foods greatly stabilize your blood sugar. The worst thing to do is skip a meal and not eat. Hunger is stress to the body. Overeating and stuffing yourself also stress the body. Eating sugar puts stress on the body.

The other thing to do is take calming minerals – potassium, magnesium and calcium. Make sure you do not take the calcium carbonate version, since limestone is not absorbed too well.

When you or your kids consume refined sugar, large quantities of lactic acid builds up, which is a byproduct of the sugar. Lactic acid makes people restless because it lowers oxygen in the tissues. This is behind restless leg syndrome and hyperactivity in children. Various B vitamins also get depleted when refined sugars and refined grains are eaten. That is why food manufacturing companies enrich grain products with synthetic B vitamins. However, this doesn’t work because of the type of vitamin – synthetic made from petroleum material. One of the best sources of B vitamins is nutritional yeast. Put a little in some plain yogurt each day to supply your B vitamins, as lots of mental stress depletes B vitamins.

Also, organize your life so you have healthy foods available. Don’t keep sweets at home or at work, since they will always be a temptation. You’ll need to purchase some Tupperware and a cooler so you can prepare foods and snacks for the day. Make sure you always have raw nuts, celery, apples, carrots and low-fat plain yogurt in the cooler as well. By keeping your blood sugars level, it will be easier.

We are here to help you have a healthier future.

Contact our office to begin today.

Dr. Glenn Nicholas - www.WholeBasics.com

~Nutrients~

2010-11-01T22:26:00.000-07:00

It's all about nutrients!

Optimal health and vitality demands daily intake of the natural nutrients that only real food provides. Each meal provides the opportunity to take in the nutrients the body needs for a healthy life and to feel great. But that is not as easy as it sounds. Data compiled by our government during the past decades show that today's farm grown foods are seriously depleted. This includes vegetables, fruits, and grains grown in our farm land soils. They are lacking the natural occurring nutrients including vitamins, minerals, and trace minerals as compared to those grown only a few decades ago.

Nutrient Stats: UK and US government statistics indicate that levels of trace minerals in fruit and vegetables fell by up to 76% between 1940 and 1991. (This means 4 times as many vegetables need to be eaten each today in order to have as the same amount of vital dietary trace minerals that people had for to support good health 60 years ago.)

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Plants do not make minerals; they draw them up out of the soil. Less minerals in the soils means less minerals in the plants which results in less minerals, etc. in the daily diet. Can you see why daily nutrient supplementation is recommended by natural health doctors? But there is another problem...

Synthetic vitamins: Unfortunately most vitamins sold in stores are made synthetically. This means they do not come from actual food, but are made from chemicals and petroleum products. In nature, vitamins are in chemical complexes composed of many parts, never as isolated high potency parts of vitamins (eg. 1,000 mg Vit. C., 400 IU of vitamin E).

The above picture shows an actual photograph of the difference between complete and natural vitamin C vs. an isolated Ascorbic Acid typically referred to vitamin C. Which one looks more life giving to you? If you choose the Natural Vitamin C you are correct. It contains the natural life giving co-factors in proper proportions to safely nourish your body. The isolated ascorbic acid (made in a lab from a chemical that isn't vitamin C to begin with) does not. The body is designed to recognize and utilize nutrients in their whole form. If you eat incomplete foods (or high potency vitamin fractions) all the factors that are missing have to be scavenged from body tissue reserves in order to make the partial food usable. Sooner or later, depending on your health and past eating habits, there will be a deficiency of those nutrients, causing what's referred to as a "reversal of symptoms." This means there is a recurrence of the same symptoms, which were causing the problem in the first place, often to a more serious degree. So high potency vitamins can cause the masking of deficiency symptoms, which will eventually create worse future problems. Dr. Lee used to say that using high potency vitamins was like whipping a tired horse; he would be stimulated to run faster but sooner or later he collapses because you never fed him.

In our office, for our family and ourselves we utilize Standard Process whole food nutritional supplements. Established by Dr. Royal Lee in 1929, it has formulated nutritional supplements from plants grown on their organic Wisconsin farm.

Contact our office today for your nutrient review –

We want you feeling your best!

Dr. Glenn Nicholas ~ www.WholeBasics.com ~ (208)743-4567

Information Tidbit:

The Standard Process Heritage

The history of Standard Process is not as simple as you may expect the history of a supplement manufacturer to be. The company was started during the Great Depression, the "worst" economic downfall in the history of the United States, and endured seven decades of hardship, tribulation, and growth. No matter what has happened since 1929, producing high-quality products has always remained top priority.

Dr. Royal Lee dedicated his life to finding solutions for all sorts of challenges, but his greatest passion was improving the nation's health by providing high-quality, whole food supplements and educating others about them. He devoted the majority of his life to spreading the truth about nutrition.

~Food Cravings~

2010-10-24T21:33:00.000-07:00

Do you have food cravings?

Craving sweets, chocolate, bread, and ice are often indicators warning that your body has a specific nutrient deficiency.

Sweet/sugar cravings are potassium deficiencies, chocolate is magnesium, bread is vitamin B1 and continual ice chewing is iron. Making sure your daily diet includes all the nutrients your body needs to be healthy will keep you from cravings.

If increasing foods containing the nutrients indicated by your cravings does not alleviate your craving symptoms within a few weeks contact me and I will see that you get the right whole food supplement product to get you back in healthy balance.
FYI- Most multi-vitamin products are not complete even if they claim otherwise. Nutrients come from real foods and most multi-vitamin products are made from synthesized crystalline vitamin fractions. We will discuss this in more depth in our next blog.

Here is a short list of foods to eat for each deficiency.

Potassium Rich Foods: RDA for Potassium is 4700mg/day
Honeydew Melon 1/2 = 1881mg, Avocado 1 = 1097mg
Banana 1 = 440mg, Broccoli 1cup = 868mg, Cucumber 1lg = 481
Magnesium Rich Foods:
Artichoke = 101mg, Almonds 20z=156mg, Black Beans 1C=120mg
Spinach 1C=157mg, Pumpkin Seeds 1oz=151
Vitamin B1 Rich Foods:
Brewers Yeast, Legumes (beans, lentils), Peanuts, Oatmeal, Cabbage

Iron Rich Foods:

Clams, Pork Liver, Oysters, Chicken Liver, Mussels, Beef Liver

Beans & Lentils, Pumpkin Seeds, Blackstrap Molasses

Look for our next blog message where we will discuss more about the importance of nutrients. Until then we remain

Yours in Health!

Bones Of Extinction

2010-04-02T09:16:00.000-07:00

Laurel & I had the recent pleasure of taking our 'kid friendly' motorhome (for sale by the way) on it's first outing of the season to the John Day Fossil Beds National Park in Oregon. They have a fine visitor center packed with fossils they have found in the area "dating back millions of years".

We thought you might enjoy a few of the trip photos.

Here we are at the Fossil visitor center. Glenn has determined a possible reason for the dinosaur extinction... "They Failed To Adjust!" Make sure you don't make their mistake. Correct spinal alignment is your best Strategy for Survival!

The Vitamin Scam

2010-03-17T17:57:00.000-07:00

From this month’s Reader’s Digest…

The Vitamin Scam

But is it really?

In my opinion the answer is yes. The author of the article wrote in the second paragraph, “Oh, it is painful when another myth gets shattered. Recent research suggests that a daily multi is a waste of money for most people- and there is growing evidence that other old standbys may even hurt your health.” On the magazine’s cover the report’s title is accompanied by a picture of typical vitamins today. They look almost drug-like- clear and purified as if they were produced in a laboratory, and no doubt, they were. This is a problem- the big problem. In nature, vitamin complexes are the products of plants and animals grown in and raised on the earth’s soil. They are marvelous complex chemical compounds. Unfortunately, the medico-science interests did what they do and undertook to try and isolate which singular chemical molecule(s) is the “most important” of the hundreds that exist in any given fruit or vegetable and call it vitamin A, B, C, D, etc. Then the FDA is influenced to accept the narrow sighted premise and a new industry is born. Now the stuff can is sold to consumers. In a nutshell that is the history of modern nutritional supplements.

There has not been much research in recent years that has found taking today’s popular vitamin products have much positive effect on a person’s health. Many studies have increasingly shown otherwise. In fact, the popular practice of taking high dose anti-oxidants has been shown to increase risks of cancer and heart disease in certain populations and should not be taken in several large studies.

Perhaps you are wondering how all this lines up with why I recommend and sell nutritional supplements to your patients. According to my Webster’s Dictionary, “...vitamins are essential in small amounts for regulation of the metabolism and normal growth and functioning of the body. That definition is not very specific but it says it all. Vitamins are essential in the body to maintain normal health and vitality. So the simple answer is that real vitamin complexes, minerals, trace minerals, and micro minerals that should be abundant in the foods we eat are essential for life, and that is what my nutrition practice is all about. Why else would vitamins occur naturally in foods? Without complete nutrients any body gets sick and dies. The disease will have a name (heart disease, arthritis, etc), but the underlying cause is deficiency of the necessary nutrients for the organ or system to maintain normal optimal health. On the surface this seems to fly in the face of the previous paragraph. Just try living without complete vitamins as they are found in real foods. You wind up going to the doctor with a disease for which they have a drug to recommend to you. (Note- I do not recommend high dose synthesized supplements.)

There are no vitamin A trees or vitamin E bushes in the plant kingdom. NEVER will you find a plant or animal that contains singular vitamin concentrations high enough to cause a toxic or drug-like effect. They come in small amounts surrounded by a myriad of other chemical compounds that serve as synergists to safely bolster the vitamin’s intended natural effect. Vitamin A taken by itself is proven potentially harmful- but you can eat virtually all the whole carrots you want, a rich source of vitamin A, without fear of toxicity. The apple is another example. Apples typically contain around 15 mg. of vitamin C which is not much compared to the 1,000 mg. strength found on the One-a-Day bottle. But due to the other chemical synergists naturally occurring in an apple its vitamin C effect is equivalent to about 1,500 mg of vitamin C. The important point is this- Vitamins as they occur in nature are the best and the safe choice rather than those produced in a laboratory.

In my office I recommend a product called Catalyn. The name is taken from the word catalyst which is a primary function of vitamins in the body. Catalyn is a multi but not like the ones at the store. It is a multi-food supplement. It contains organically grown in the earth foods that have been concentrated and formed into tablets. From the planting of the seeds to making the tablets takes over 280 days. Frankly, they are not clear, made in a pharmaceutical laboratory looking capsules. They actually look and taste just like what they are- ground up earthy real food. They fit perfectly the definition we took from Webster- “…vitamins are essential in small amounts for regulation of the metabolism and normal growth and functioning of the body.”

In today’s world I believe every person should be taking Catalyn daily. I recommend Catalyn for every patient and person. Often it is all they need. It contains a little bit of a broad assay of needed nutrients in a safe and complete natural form- even my dog loves them. (try that with your store bought One-A-Day vitamin!)

Call me or drop me an e-mail if you would like more information on making Catalyn a valuable part of your good health regimen.

Glenn Nicholas, D.C.

www.wholebasics.com

If you know of someone who may benefit from this information please consider forwarding it to them. Thank you.

Purification Program Graduation Day!

2010-02-03T22:12:00.000-08:00

Graduation day arrived! For the past 21 days the 4 souls in our house have undergone the 21 Day Purification Program. We are finding that we kind of hate to see it end. Collectively we have lost several inches of body mass and many unneeded pounds. Those are the numbers most folks focus on and we enjoyed good success by those metrics. But more importantly we all are enjoying the fact that we are generally just feeling better every day. It is as if we have more life within. That is even better than being 2 inches smaller around the waist and 15 pounds lighter. This leads to an important point. Extra pounds are commonly a result of being unhealthy. Most people need to get healthy and they automatically lose their extra pounds in the process. This program can make that change for a person.

For 21 days we have been undergoing a subtle change in how we relate to what we eat. The first week was challenging, the second was getting into the groove of the Program’s routine, and the last week was a breeze. By week 3 we were all feeling much better and were trimmer. On our graduation day we considered going out for dinner to celebrate. We decided against it after considering how it would make us feel afterward and tomorrow. Instead, we ate at home. We enjoyed some organically raised hamburger patties (1/4 lb each) with some really hot horse radish for zing, a nice big mixed greens salad with some carrots and cucumbers added, and some sautéed onions, red peppers, and mushrooms. For dessert we enjoyed a little plain yogurt mixed with some blue berries and a few almonds. It was quick to fix, it was food our bodies easily digest, high in nutrition and low in calories, and low stress because it all was very low in anything toxic our bodies would need to deal with. The next morning we woke up feeling very good, again.

I know this report resonates with many of you. We all share many similar habits and lifestyles. These habits and lifestyles are intimate factors in determining our level of health and vitality. TV ads continually claim the reason people don’t feel good is somehow an unknowable mystery, but can be alleviated by a toxic substance that will cover it up. Which do you think is true?

If you are interested and motivated to make the changes that will put you on a healthy track the 21 Day Program may be for you. I would be happy to help you along the way.

Yours in health,

Dr. Glenn Nicholas

208-743-4567

Drglenn@wholebasics.com

www.wholebasics.blogspot.com

21 Day Purification Update-Week 1

2010-01-19T20:32:00.000-08:00

It has been a week since we began the 21 Day Purification Program. So far, so good! Actually, in my experience the first 3 days of the program are usually the most challenging. After that you kind of get into a groove and the routine is easy. 3 of our group have shed significant extra pounds already. One of our members had a tough start because of fighting off flu symptoms. We are now ready for week two. This week we will begin introducing small portions of animal protein back into our diet. I think we are all looking forward to that. I have not come across many people who can maintain a vegetarian diet and remain healthy very long which may be contrary to what you might assume. We have finished with the cleansing supplement that triggered the release of stored toxins and waste from fat cells. Now we begin a whole food supplement support of the detoxifications systems- especially the liver, kidneys, and intestines. We will do this with whole food concentrates containing organic cruciferous vegetables and continuing to eat a lot of vegetables and fruits. This week we also begin daily exercising to promote sweating and increased breathing.

A few benefits we have noted already include cessation of craving sweets and carbohydrates, an increase in energy level, sleeping better, and I have found my joints to be less stiff and I can stretch further without restriction and pain (like I could when I was younger). I am anticipating our energy levels will noticeably improve as this is what I have experienced before when undergoing this program.

If you would like to learn more about this powerful health renewal don’t hesitate to ask. Contact me at 208.743.4567 or by email at DrGlenn@wholebasics.com.

PS. We have all enjoyed new culinary delights. Who knew vegetables could be SO good!

Time To Get With The Program

2010-01-12T07:29:00.000-08:00

As many of you know we recommend a health renewing 21 Day Purification Program in our office. Many of you have undergone the experience. I think it might be of interest to those of you who have not yet done a program and those who have that I am doing the Program again for the 4^th time beginning today. Actually, I am beginning the Program along with my youngest son, his new bride, and my wife, so there are four of us undergoing this process. Every time I do the Program it is a unique experience. It will be a different dynamic this time doing the program with a group of four. With all the support we should have great results.

The 21 Day Purification Program is designed to be a health renewal for the body. Especially after the holidays, our bodies are often overwhelmed and stressed with the excesses that come from over eating and eating highly processed foods. The extra calories have been converted into fat and is now stored in fat cells increasing body weight and size. The excess “toxic stuff and waste” from eating processed foods (coloring, preservatives, flavor enhancers, etc) that are not really food at all has been dealt with by the body’s detoxification systems. The body is equipped to eliminate these toxic wastes and does. However, the detoxification systems can be overwhelmed when there has been too much dietary excess. That means the waste and toxins that are not immediately eliminated wind up being stored in fat cells, also. Besides adding weight to fat cells and causing a feeling of general sluggishness this also disrupts normal cell functions and interferes with needed biological activities vital for good health. This phenomenon is the cause of many symptoms people suffer from including head-ache, depression, allergies, mind-fog, indigestion, fatigue, and constipation. Ironically, a person will then take a drug to counter the symptom which results in adding more toxicity into the already over-burdened body systems. It is much healthier to restore normal health in the body through purification than medicating the symptoms of being over burdened with waste and toxins.

Today all four of us are weighed in so we can keep track of our weight-loss goals and have begun the Program regimen. We will be eating only fresh fruit, vegetables, and avoiding certain other foods. A key ingredient to this Program is a special shake drink to assist the body during the purification process and taking specific supplements to trigger the release of stored wastes and toxins. This program differs from others in that it not only stimulates cleansing of wastes and toxins but it also supports and rebuilds the body’s detoxification systems. When you have completed the Program you are cleansed and renewed. Other detox programs are harsh and leave the body depleted.

I hope to send an update to you a few times during the next 21 days to let you know how things are coming along. If you have any questions about the Program please feel free to call me at 208-743-4567, or email me at dr.glenn@wholebasics.com.

Yours in health,

Dr. Glenn

(208)743-4567

wholebasics.blogspot.com

Colds & Flu? What do you do?

2009-11-17T21:39:00.001-08:00

With the onset of the Fall season many folks dread the inevitable affliction of coming down with a cold, the flu, or maybe bouts of both. This year the fear is heightened with the promotion of swine flu.

There are numerous remedies for these seasonal blights ranging from chicken soup, Echinacea, high–dose ascorbic acid (vitamin C), anti-biotics, colloidal silver, garlic capsules to name of few. What do you do?

In recent years, science researchers have found what the early nutritionists observed decades ago that people who have low calcium levels in the blood stream are ill-equipped (pun) to effectively combat the Fall season’s bacterial and viral infections. Actually, only about one percent of the body’s total calcium is circulating in the blood stream and is in the form of calcium bicarbonate, but it is this one percent that is critical for effective immunity and combating infections. In practice I have used a calcium based supplementation protocol successfully with illnesses ranging from colds and respiratory infections to shingles and pox.

The calcium mechanism is termed the calcium wave. It has been observed using special high-speed micro-cinematography[1]. The body recognizes the infectious organism as a danger and signals calcium to be sent to that site where it plays a vital part in destroying the offending organisms. It is almost too amazing to see and believe. But this is the inborn natural immunity mechanism our bodies use to combat infection every moment of our lives. Furthermore, It is thought fever occurs when the body is scavenging for more calcium from other body sites for infection fighting. Thus, calcium bicarbonate is referred to as anti-fever and spiking a fever is indicating an immediate need for appropriate calcium supplementation.

*Note- Do not confuse calcium bicarbonate with calcium carbonate. Taking the latter in hopes of creating the former is not efficient. I recommend calcium lactate or calcium citrate.

Today we hear about the miracles of vitamin D as being a new cancer fighter and health bolstering miracle. It is not new. It has always been that way. Guess what vitamin D has to do with calcium in the bloodstream? It plays a vital role in transporting calcium out of the gut and into the bloodstream. In other words it helps get dietary calcium digested as food into the blood where it is needed. There is another vital helper, too. Some researchers regard this nutrient as the fundamental key to the body’s immunity. It is essential fatty acids, or certain essential dietary fats. These fats play a key role getting calcium out of the bloodstream and into the tissue(s) where an infection is taking place. If you suffer from fat-phobia you are compromising your immunity. Perhaps it is the fat in chicken soup that has resulted in its reputation for being an effective flu and cold remedy. I recommend eating healthy fats daily as a vital part of a healthy lifestyle.

Other helps-

· Echinacea: proven effective for up-regulating the immune response to infections

· Vitamin C complex: plays an important role in the orchestration of immunity functions in the body. Vitamin C is a whole complex of factors and not merely ascorbic acid. Foods rich in the vitamin C complex or a nutritional supplement containing a whole food source(s) of vitamin C is the real deal.

If you have any questions about the calcium protocol for this Fall season you can call me at 208-743-4567, or email me at dr.glenn@wholebasics.com.

Yours in health,

Dr. Glenn Nicholas

[1] High-speed Images Show How Cells Mobilize For Immune Response : Howard R. Petty, Ph.D., professor and biophysicist at the University of Michigan Health System's Kellogg Eye Center, has dazzled his colleagues with movies of fluorescent-lit calcium waves that pulse through the cell, issuing an intracellular call-to-arms to attack the pathogens within. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2003/04/030417075843.htm

Disclaimer: This article is not intended for diagnostic or treatment of any condition. It is provided for informational purposes only.

Health Au Naturale!

2009-10-31T22:42:00.000-07:00

Our title may evoke a mental image of eating a mango on a Caribbean beach in your birthday suit but in fact it is the gist of a comment frequently heard in my natural health office. It goes something like this, “I don’t want to take a drug if there is something else I can do that is natural”. There is always something one can do that is natural. Before we examine one big difference between choosing natural versus un-natural/medical it is important to clarify and understand just what the patient is really asking. There are basically 2 possibilities. Is the patient wanting to work with their body’s inborn nature to restore and maintain its normal healthy state, or is he/she looking for a natural alternative to a drug therapy without the litany of potential adverse side effects? Using a drug or a natural alternative to a drug does not make the treatment natural. Natural means working with the body’s nature. Un-natural means intervening to manipulate the body’s natural ability to regulate and manage its own health systems. Using a therapy to do something un-natural with a drug or even “natural” substance is not natural. The possibility is not treating to restore the body to health so much as it is treating or managing the disease and symptoms. Often this alleviates the disease or symptoms temporarily but does not correct the underlying toxicity, nutritional deficiency, or nerve deficit issues that may have caused the problem.

The following quote offers an insight to the significance of the choice made between natural and un-natural health care. One of medicine’s most famous doctors, Albert Schweitzer, put it this way many years ago (he did humanitarian work in Africa)…. "The witch doctor succeeds for the same reason all the rest of us succeed. Each patient carries his own doctor inside himself or herself. They come to us not knowing that cure. We are at our best when we give the doctor who resides within each patient a chance to go to work. " ~Albert Schweitzer, M.D.(1875-1965). Think carefully about what he is observing because he has realized the doctor who resides in each patient is the best doctor in the long run. The doctor inside is the one each person is born with and is a powerful force. Dr. Schweitzer’s comment is consistent with natural health care. Today we would be hard pressed to find many medical doctors practicing in agreement with Dr. Schweitzer’s words. Dr. Schweitzer’s point states a self-evident and unchanging fact.

Natural health care supports and works with the doctor inside or, put another way, it supports and works with the body’s innate ability to restore and maintain its own health. Each person depends on their body’s innate ability to keep every body system and part working correctly every moment of every day for an entire life; without it we die. Un-natural health care takes the approach of intervening to manage and regulate the doctor inside. A person can live without the un-natural doctor most of the time, but cannot live a minute without the innate doctor inside. The public is beginning to appreciate and understand more that working with the nature of the body is a good choice when it comes to health matters.

To provide an example we could consider any health condition such as high cholesterol, allergies, osteoporosis, infections, etc. In my September blog is a case study that should work fine. It is about acid indigestion and you can click here to read it. In that blog I wrote that supplementing HCl digestive acid with the meal works with the body’s normal digestive processes to improve digestion - and it does. Understand that the human stomach is designed to produce and secrete HCl and is able to tolerate its high acidity in the stomach during digestion. HCl is absolutely vital for normal digestion and health. It is not something to arbitrarily turn off. Using antacids or proton pump inhibiting drugs result in an un-natural event and counters normal body physiological function. Albeit it often relieves the symptoms of acid indigestion but it does nothing to help the doctor inside restore or maintain normal digestion that good health requires and, in fact, it gets in its way. This is one reason why using such therapies will often result in secondary complications down the road. The natural health care discipline seeks to work with the body’s physiology helping to restore normal functioning. It is one where the function of digestion is not regulated or tuned off but is supported or restored to do what it is designed to do - namely digest food and prevent food born pathology. A person with healthy and normal digestion doesn’t suffer from acid indigestion. In natural health we look to restoring the brain’s controlling neural communication with the stomach if it has been interrupted - usually in the middle back area or upper neck. Pain or stiffness in these spinal areas may indicate nerve interference that is interrupting normal stomach functions. We also will look to external or internal environmental issues. For example, stress, coffee, alcohol consumption, or maybe a prescription medication is impeding normal stomach function. This is a side effect of some of today’s popular drugs. Lastly, the stomach requires specific nutrients in order to make HCl. The goal of natural treatment is to provide what the body needs or removing what it doesn’t so it will again function as it is designed to do.

I know that you have been brought up and schooled to believe and trust in what doctors know and do. But similar to politicians they will have different points of view. It is important for each patient to consider why and what their doctor believes about how health works. It begins with a doctor’s training and results in his/her deeply held beliefs. These beliefs determine what treatment he/she will recommend for a patient - namely you. So your choice of doctor determines the type of treatment that is recommended to you.

Will it be Health au Naturale? Or will it be Health un Naturale? Sometimes it needs to be both.

Contact me at WholeBasics.com if you would like to know more about natural health care and you.

Yours in Health,
Glenn Nicholas, D.C.

Toxicity & Your Body

2009-10-15T21:32:00.000-07:00

TOXICITY FROM YOUR BODY’S POINT OF VIEW

A physician is obligated to consider more than a diseased organ, more even than the whole man; he must view the man in his world.-

Harvey Cushing (1869-1939), American neurosurgeon

From a functional viewpoint let’s explore what toxicity is and how it manifests itself in our lives. To begin, here are a few examples of toxicity: dirt on a DVD that causes it to not play properly, a juice or wine that has an unpleasant off flavor due to a contaminant, chemical waste discharged into a river with resulting mutations and death of normal and natural river life, food poisoning resulting in vomiting and sometimes death, a lie that distorts the truth, a drug that has side effects that may result in a liver or kidney disease or death, air pollution that causes breathing problems and prevents outdoor athletic activities, anger or bitterness overwhelming a mind and eating away of the soul, pornography distorting the mind and soul, methamphetamines destroying a life and lives of others. By now you get the idea. I purposely included in this list things tangible and intangible and yet real. Toxicity occurs in the external environment, the inner environment within our bodies, in the mind, in the soul, and even in sub-prime mortgages! In each example above a toxin is the thing or substance that is where it doesn’t belong and where it causes disruption and damage in the things tangible and intangible.

Protecting and purifying oneself from the damaging influence of toxins is important for good health in every aspect of life. By so doing it keeps vital body systems and functions operating without disruption and decay while maintaining optimal health. We learn the value of guarding our minds and souls and of not polluting the air and oceans. This same precept applies to our bodies as well. How wondrous it is that innate within our bodies and in the outside world natural processes already exist to purify the toxicities that can cause harm. Our bodies have several systems that keep us healthy by constantly detoxifying and purifying hazardous toxins. We witness the same principles when the wind blows, rain falls, and ocean tides and currents dilute and carry away environmental toxicities. But what happens when the capacity to detoxify is overburdened and unable to keep up with a toxic load? What happens when a river or the air or soil is overcome by some sort of toxic waste? What happens in our bodies? The simple answer is they no longer can support normal healthy life.

Turning more specifically to our health given this discussion how can we use this concept to improve and maintain good health? First it is important to understand that a toxin is something foreign to the environment within the body- blood, lung, liver, bone, etc. It might be a chemical in a processed food, drug, vapor, liquid, or whatever else it may be. The body recognizes the substance and determines either to use or eliminate what ever is swallowed or breathed in. When a naturally occurring food such as a carrot, plum, or chicken thigh is eaten the body sees and uses it as nourishment. The multitude of nutrients in the carrot, plum, and chicken thigh occurs naturally in perfect balance and will be safely and effectively utilized providing the body with necessary and life sustaining nutrition. There is no fear of toxicity with untreated (pesticide, herbicide, antibiotic, etc) real food.

On the other hand, any foreign substance including all drugs/medications are toxic in the human body. The substance is not something that occurs in nature so our bodies see it as foreign and work to detoxify and eliminate it from the body. There is not a drug or toxin that I am aware of that the human body will use as a protein, fatty acid, carbohydrate, vitamin, or mineral nutrient to build new cells and tissue. But drugs are not made for that purpose and this is how they work. This is one reason why the FDA studies new medications/drugs before they are released for sale on the market. They need to understand the potential harm from the drug’s toxicity to try and protect the consumer. It is interesting to me that when listening to drug ads on TV that the side effects are many and they are all much the same. Most all are toxicity issues that result in subsequent problems such as allergies or liver problems and death. To learn more about how to cleanse your body of harmful toxins visit our website and see the 21 Day Purification Program.

One other area to be savvy about is processed foods. Reading labels will tell you what is in the product. I suggest you consider whether, or not, all of the ingredients are actually food and are useful to your body as nutrition and will contribute to your good health. If not, and you want to be healthy why would you eat it? They can add to the toxic burden in the body.

Think about what we have covered. It could add life to your years. If you have any questions concerning whether a 21 Day Purification Program might be for you please let me know. Until next time...

Yours in health,

Glenn Nicholas, D.C.

Acid Indigestion Explained

2009-09-16T11:13:00.000-07:00

Understanding Acid Indigestion

Acid Indigestion – I find most people already understand indigestion. The term describes discomfort, bloating, burning(heart burn), and/or reflux(GERD) in the stomach that can occur during or right after eating a meal.

But to understand acid indigestion requires understanding the “acid” part of the term. I find most people are a little fuzzy on what acid has to due with digestion, or indigestion. To grasp what is going on with acid indigestion all we need to know is there are two different acid types to be reckoned with. There is a good acid, and there are bad acids. The good acid is the one that specialized cells in a healthy stomach lining normally produce. It is an inorganic acid called Hydrochloric acid, or HCl. Its purpose is to perform digestion, or breaking down, of the food in the stomach preparing it for absorption in the small intestine and it kills harmful pathogenic bacteria protecting the body from food poisoning- it is the good acid in the stomach. It does not cause the various symptoms of acid indigestion. The problem in acid indigestion is when not enough HCl (hypochlorhydria) is being produced by the stomach to adequately digest the food eaten. This is a common problem. With insufficient HCL the food is not adequately digested and subsequently won’t pass into the small intestine until it is. Otherwise, the indigested food would be absorbed into the bloodstream as poison and allergens. Instead it stays in the stomach where it immediately begins to rot. The rotting food produces toxic organic acids. To get a sense of these problem acids think spoiled meat, rancid milk, and rotten oranges. These are toxic acids in the stomach and are harmful poisons to the entire body. These acids are the bad ones responsible for the symptoms of acid indigestion.

There are essentially 2 solutions used for acid indigestion and its symptoms. One is taking antacids or digestion altering drugs that neutralize acids thereby relieving the symptoms of indigestion and allowing the undigested food and poisonous acids to pass into the intestines for absorption into the bloodstream. This is not healthy. In natural health care we look at symptoms as signs of an underlying problem. In my estimation it is far better to correct the problem than to cover up the symptoms. The other solution is to correct the problem of HCl deficiency. This solution is non-toxic, quite easy, inexpensive, and non-prescription. In our office we use an excellent HCL containing supplement to take along with the meal so that additional HCL will be in the stomach at the right time to help digest the food completely. This not only works wonderfully in alleviating the symptoms of poor digestion, but it also helps prevent the poisonous acids of rotting food from ever forming in your digestive tract, and it supports better nutrition for the good health of your body. Because the body can only use nutrients found in real food to replace and rebuild old or damaged tissues you can see how indigestion can lead to serious problems for one’s health. In fact, when a person has had a problem with digestion for awhile it is often the first place to begin in treating other health conditions that may have developed. Healthy digestion is key to proper nutrition as part of the Whole Basics required for good health.

Please contact me for more information regarding natural digestive assistance and direct any questions or comments to me through my web site www.WholeBasics.com.

Important terms:

Digestion- the process of breaking down ingested foods for absorption into the bloodstream.
Indigestion- incomplete or inadequate digestion of ingested foods.
Hydrochloric acid (HCL)- the inorganic acid a healthy stomach naturally makes for the very critical purpose of adequately breaking down foods before they pass from the stomach into the intestines.
Organic acids- those acids created as a by-product of foods rotting in the stomach because the foods have not been adequately acted upon and broken down.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended for diagnostic or treatment of any condition. It is provided for informational purposes only.

Our Purpose and Program

2009-07-26T21:00:00.001-07:00

Whole Basics is designed to help you take control of your health in the most natural and basic way possible.
Our program is designed to help you harness your body’s healing power naturally. The Whole Basics philosophy uses a 3 pronged approach to support the Above-Down- Inside-Out optimum health that every body depends on.

Brain and nerve system integrity without interference
Real food nutrition and the highest quality, medical-grade supplements
Purification and detoxification reducing symptomatic toxic burdens

It is my hope that through this blog you will:

learn important usable health facts
gain a natural perspective on your pressing health issues
learn about treatment options that work with the nature of your body
share us with your friends and loved ones