Blog
How I Get My Veggies
People often ask me how I incorporate veggies into my daily food, so here are a few pictures
to show you 
Even When The Tests Indicate a Gluten Issue Some Still Find It Hard to See
A few weeks ago in the New York Times there was a “Think Like a Doctor” challenge from
Lisa Sanders, MD, where she outlines a case and asks readers to respond with further testing
they would perform and possible theories on a diagnosis.
There were almost 450 posts and very few pursued a gluten issue or Celiac Disease, which
is what the case turned out to be, even though previous testing did indicate elevated antibodies
to gluten. The issue that seemed to throw people off was that it was stated that the patient had
tried a gluten free diet and did not experience any improvement. This is where a detailed intake
and not rushing through a history can be so important.
This patient did try removing some gluten foods from her diet, but perhaps did not understand
the various sources of gluten, nor the hidden sources. Additionally, many people with Celiac Disease
or gluten sensitivity are also sensitive to other grains that are often used as substitutes for gluten
containing grains. If these “non-gluten” grains do react (even to a lesser degree), the patient may
not experience the improvement expected and gluten will be ruled out.
Wheat in the United States has been dramatically modified over the past 5 or so decades and is not
the ancient grain it used to be. The way wheat is stored and processed also contributes to why more
people are experiencing symptoms when consuming wheat products.
Symptoms can be extremely varied, leading to an increased complexity in diagnosis. Common symptoms
include: headache, stomach pain, bloating, gas, belching, brain fog, mental sluggishness, acne, obesity,
diarrhea, constipation, skin rash, neurological dysfunction, depression, anxiety, moodiness, muscle pain,
poor digestion, nutrient deficiencies, seizures, migraines, thyroid and sex hormone dysfunction, PMS, the
list is virtually endless.
Just because you have been tested (in the NYT case the patient had an upper endoscopy – thought to be the
gold standard in medicine), and the results come back negative, it does not really mean that you don’t have
a gluten issue or possibly even Celiac Disease. There are many reason why antibody levels may not be elevated,
why biopsies may not be accurate, or even why the results were misinterpreted. There are many more false negatives
with gluten or Celiac testing than false positives.
If you continue to have symptoms that do not resolve, or your doctors begin to tell you it’s “in your head”, visit with
another professional who can help you understand the complexities of gluten sensitivity and Celiac Disease.
Dr. Slavin is an adviser to the Eagle County Gluten Free and Celiac Disease Support Group. She has extensive training
in gluten sensitivity and other bowel dysfunction. If you are experiencing digestive problems, call Functional Wellness
today to talk with Dr. Slavin.
The details of the case: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/26/think-like-a-doctor-ordering-the-right-test/
The case solved: http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/27/think-like-a-doctor-the-right-test-solved/
LESS Disease in UN-vaccinated Children
2011 German study of 8,000 unvaccinated children, (and three other studies with similar results) – LESS disease…
Many of you know one issue that can get me fired-up faster than Sarah Palin, is vaccination. While I am not against
all vaccination, I believe feel it is important is to understand the dosage schedule and your options.
Immediate reactions to vaccines tend to be the only data reported to the CDC and available in the VAERS (Vaccine
Adverse Event Reporting System), however long term reactions are not. Many health care professionals even dismiss
the possible correlation due to poor reporting records.
While vaccinations have often been devilishly implicated in Autism, I do not feel it is the single CAUSE for severe disorders
associated with vaccination. Understanding the patient’s family history, physiology, gestational environment, medical history,
diet, nutrition and lifestyle, all play important factors in determining possible reactions to vaccinations.
If you would like to investigate options for vaccinating your child, or yourself with a safer protocol, please contact Functional
Wellness for more information.
For full results and details of the study with diagrams
Additional information
http://healthfreedoms.org/2011/10/14/big-study-vaccinated-kids-2-5-more-diseases-than-unvaccinated/
This new documentary looks behind the fear, hype and politics that have polarized the vaccine debate in America today.
The film re-frames the emotionally charged issue and offers, for the first time, the opportunity for a rational and scientific
discussion on how to create a safer and more effective vaccine program.
Vitamins are bad for us?
Shame on the AMA for morphing the results of their unscientific study to show that magnesium can kill you!
Really! I had a 20 year old patient call me in tears as I had just recommended magnesium to her the previous
week for constipation, stress, anxiety, muscle pain, difficulty sleeping, and headaches. She felt better within
3 days, but after learning about this study broadcast on local news stations, emblazoned on newspaper front
pages and all over the internet, she stopped taking the supplement.
This study has MANY flaws in the data, as well as manipulation of the numbers that makes it ridiculous that
major news carriers wanted to cover it. Details of the untruths and shoddy data gathering can be found here:
http://www.anh-usa.org/shame-on-ama-archives-of-internal-medicine/
and here:
http://www.anh-usa.org/shame-on-ama-part-two/
http://drdavidbrownstein.blogspot.com/2011/11/vitamin-study-flawed.html
CDC Recommends HPV Vaccine for Boys Ages 11 and 12
A sad day for the effort against unnecessary vaccines. CDC now recommends HPV vaccine for boys age 11 and 12!
Regardless of the poor clinical trials and adverse reactions to the vaccine, most cervical dysplasia (which the vaccine claims to prevent)
has actually been linked to nutrient deficiencies caused by birth control. This article even goes so far as to say that there is increased risk
of heart disease in women with HPV. As we know correlation does not imply causation – PERHAPS the heart disease is also related to the
nutrient deficiencies.
There are other options for HPV “vaccination” and simple steps you can take to address nutrient depletion from birth control and many
other common medications. Call Functional Wellness today to learn more.