Tag Archives: birth control

The Super Mineral Zinc and Copper Overload in the Body…

ADHD, autism, birth control, copper zinc, digestion, methylation, pyroluria, pyrrole

The Super Mineral Zinc and Copper Overload in the Body…

Hey Warriors!

We know a lot from nutrition that minerals are SO key for many of our biochemical functions. Minerals in our body need to be in balance with one another, and the mineral zinc needs to be in a healthy ratio with copper for proper regulation.

We as practitioners often find in our society is that zinc is extremely low, and copper is too high because of improper detoxification mechanisms causing a myriad of symptoms and problems, in adults and children.

What are symptoms of zinc deficiency?

decreased appetite, or food tastes different
picky eating
yeast/fungal/parasitic issues
mental health issues- mood swings, difficulty learning/paying attention
Sick often, immune deficiencies
decreased brain function- cognitive
gut issues – low stomach acid
if low when mom is pregnant –> higher risk for autism
gene expression, protein synthesis, enzymatic reactions decreased, decreased ability to transport heavy metals out of the body
wound healing
DNA synthesis
Delayed growth and development
Hypogonadism skin disorders
Anorexia
Hair loss
Changes in nails
Feeling irritable
Eye problems
Weakness and fatigue
Poor wound healing
Skin rashes or dermatitis
Diarrhea
Impaired vision

What are signs of high copper?

– Fatigue
– Blood sugar issues
– Digestive problems
-Anxiety, agitation, anger, panic attacks, fear, depression, suicidal tendencies
-hormone imbalances – men (libido and sperm health), women- painful period and excess bleeding, PCOS
-light sensitivity
-increased risk for cervical / uterine cancer ( ONE HUGE PROBLEM WITH COPPER IUD and BIRTH CONTROL they throw off the copper/zinc balance and create copper toxicity in the body)
-Estrogen intolerance
-The onset of depression at puberty
-History of childhood hyperactivity
-Intolerance of birth control pills
-History of postpartum depression
-The onset of depression at menopause
-Sleep disorder
-Skin sensitivity to rough fabrics
-Intolerance to chocolate
-Severe depression after hormone therapy
-Fibromyalgia

Copper is all around us, and is a conductor. It attaches to molecules to do what is needed, but if more copper is unbound in its elemental form it can attach to things it shouldn’t. In other words, it can increase oxidative stress in the body.

Copper is found in the pipes that carry water, and the pots and pans we use, and copper is widely present in plants, with many plant-based foods and crops containing significant amounts of it. So many people that go gluten and dairy free, then move to nut/seed based products, flours and milks which have loads of copper.

Additionally, women use devices made from copper for birth control that cause sever zinc imbalance.

People can be born with the condition known as copper overload which means they have an inability to effectively eliminate excess copper from their bodies. It’s important to mention though that copper overload is not the same as Wilson’s Disease, which is a rare genetic disorder where copper accumulates in
vital organs and glands.

However, copper overload can have a profound effect on every system in the body, especially the reproductive, nervous, and glandular systems, and it can have a devastating impact on mental health.

There’s another important component… —> methylation. There can be certain genetic variations such as in the enzyme GAD that make it harder to break down copper in the body. As an example, in pregnancy copper is supposed to flow to the baby, and then dump the excess copper when a woman gives birth. However with methylation issues the woman might not be able to accomplish this, which can then cause post natal depression.

And Secondly, there are biochemical impairments called a pyrrole disorder that also makes a person deficient in zinc and vitamin B6. Pyrrole are a bi-product of hemoglobin, which we do not want a bunch floating around because they have an affinity for zinc and B6. In this disorder the individual can experience anxiety, rage, addictions, awake at night, and wake up with nausea. Some individuals will get tested for this disorder but the testing shows negative because the pyrrole are hidden when zinc is low. This is an important note, that when zinc is then increased in the body to test again and see if they are present. Many get false negative test results. For this condition, stress and sleep is a huge component. Everyone has pyrroles released when they are stressed, but a pyrrole disorder, the levels don’t go down, and they need zinc and B6 to get it down. I’ve found this in my methylation testing in many patients especially with high anxiety and digestion issues.

_____

Testing:

You can take a Zinc taste test, which is an easy way to tell if you are low in zinc. In order to lab test these levels it can be very tricky and complicated as these levels can change from minute to minute. Additionally a normal blood range your doctor may take is not the same as an optimal range, which is usually a bit higher. Generally for a child aged 0-10 the level should be over 100. It’s important to make sure the blood test is plasma sample using trace elements tubes so they won’t be contaminated with metals and to stop taking supplements 24 hours before a test. The ideal copper to zinc ratio is 0.8-1-1. Another lab test that can help is ceruloplasmin, which transports copper. This should be about 5-15%.

—>Since minerals can change pretty quickly, this is why i love using kinesiology testing. The zinc taste test is another great quick tool.

How do we fix it?

Treating copper overload is again individualized. Many think that a multivitamin (even a super expensive one) will help them, not knowing that you can create high copper and low zinc. Additionally vitamins for hair have a lot of copper in them. It is crucial to proceed cautiously to avoid a sudden release of copper, which may temporarily
worsen depression and anxiety symptoms, known as copper dumping. Symptoms of copper dumping include anxiety, panic, severe mood swings, rage, impulsivity, and occasionally manic behavior.

Dietary changes are often the safest way to begin, as just taking zinc can be the wrong way. Zinc adds up slowly, while copper dumps quickly. I would recommend working with a healthcare professional who is knowledgeable in this and methylation support. Additionally, it is essential to avoid dietary sources of copper in your diet, as well as copper-containing supplements, and ladies: birth control. Stress-reducing activities, such as exercise and meditation, can also be beneficial, as stress can exacerbate copper overload symptoms.

High copper foods:
Oysters
Lobsters
Beef liver
Dark chocolate
Mushrooms
Spirulina
Beans
Potatoes
Kale
Quinoa
Cashews
Chickpeas
Lentils
Hazelnuts
Avocado
Sesame seeds
Turnip greens
Almonds
Kale
Chia seeds
almond milk, nut flours

Zinc rich foods:
Beef
Lamb
Chicken
Pork
Seafood
Whole grains
Some vegetables (Radishes, mushrooms, peas)
Nuts and seeds (pumpkin, sesame, Cashew)
Legumes
Eggs
Dairy

A low copper diet and a customized, advanced nutrient therapy protocol are essential to
healing. We’re all unique, and zinc and copper levels are unique to us all!

I find that zinc/copper ratio is a key component for many of my cases, especially children on the spectrum, digestion problems, autoimmune, and neurologic cases.

That is all for now.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy week!

This one’s for the ladies… syncing your cycle with exercise/food

birth control, cycle syncing, estrogen, hormones, progesterone

This one’s for the ladies…

Sorry men, this blog is dedicated to the ladies… BUT what I would say, is that if you are married or in a relationship this could be really helpful to you to understand certain things they may need or be expressing at certain times, so don’t completely throw it out!

This blog is going to be a quick review of a few things for the ladies, to help them understand their cycles, what happens with their hormones, and why they crave certain things or feel a certain way during hormonal changes to help them balance their cycles naturally. Keep in mind this is just general information, if there are other things going on like improper elimination, toxins, bugs or other stressors these are also big hormone disruptions, just cycle syncing won’t be enough.

Additionally, I will be creating a fertility course very soon that I’m working on, as the miscarriage and infertility rates continue to skyrocket. So, this will just be scratching the surface, as I don’t want to reveal it all in one blog.

Okay, lets get into it…

First off, many women are never taught what actually happens during the month with hormones.

So here’s an image (NOT MINE), that shows what a normal cycle (28 days) should look like:

There are 5 hormones that govern your menstrual cycle: estrogen, progesterone, follicle stimulation hormone, luteinizing hormone and testosterone. How much your body is releasing during the month changes about 4 times during your cycle. That is why it is broken down into 4 phases: follicular, ovulatory, luteal and menstrual. These phases don’t just guide your reproductive abilities, but also how you feel physically and emotionally. By being able to sync what these specific hormones are doing, you can actually create structure in your hormones. This goes back to the principle of using your body as a tool, to perform better and smarter every single day.

I’m going to go through each of these 4 phases, what is happening and give tips of how you typically feel and best lifestyle recommendations to help optimize each phase. Additionally when we talk about days 1-28, day one is the first day of bleeding for reference.

What if you are on birth control? These recommendations are for those not on birth control, as birth control has actually many detrimental health effects for women. With birth control you don’t have a follicular phase and you don’t ovulate. These hormones trick the brain to think you’re pregnant. You can still try to sync with being on birth control, but it will look different. When you finish the last day of your period, the next day is your follicular phase for 7 days. The next is the first day of your ovulatory phase (4 days), the next luteal(12) and then menstrual (5).

ONE- FOLLICULAR PHASE- lasts 7-10 days

Hormonally: The hypothalamus in your brain signals your pituitary gland in your brain to send FSH to your ovaries, telling them to get ready to release another egg. Several egg follicles start to swell to prepare. Estrogen increases to thicken the lining of your uterus so that it can be able to take care of the egg.

Bodily: Typically through this phase your energy may increase, and you sometimes feel restless. Initially you don’t have vaginal secretions, but it starts to increase here: usually white in color and tacky or sticky in texture.

Optimizing: Creativity and new beginnings usually happen within this phase. This is usually a time when directing your energy into stimulating projects is more successful. Your brain’s creativity at this time is higher, so problem solving or brainstorming is easier during this phase.

Emotionally: You feel more outgoing, energized, upbeat, great to schedule in new experience activities during this time.

Foods: Fresh and light foods usually make you feel more energized during this time when hormone levels are at their lowest. As you know i’m a big fan of customization, but i’d say many women can crave lighter meals during this part like a salad, chicken and eggs, and sometimes grains. Avocados are known to improve follicular ovulatory transition, so lots of good healthy grass fed meats and avocados.

Exercise: Trying a new exercise routine is often successful here. Doing a new exercise will seem easy in this phase, and you’ll also be forming new neural connections, which means it’s a bit easier to step out of your comfort zone exercising and doing something new. New activities are also likely to stick more when started during this time.

TWO- OVULATORY PHASE lasts 3-4 days

Hormonally: A sharp rise in FSH followed by LH, stimulates a follicle in the ovary to swell and burst, releasing an egg into one of the fallopian tubes, which then travels to the uterus. Estrogen levels increase, thickening the lining of the uterus, and also supports immune cells in the uterus. Testosterone surges and then drops right around ovulation.

Bodily:Vaginal discharge increases, and is clear, wet, slippery, or stretchy on your day of peak fertility. Sometimes you may feel a little twinge with the release of the egg as well as a surge of energy OR a sense of cravings or headache(if not balanced).

Optimizing: Community connection is strong here. A great time to have important conversations, as your communication skills are heightened here. Maybe ask for a raise during this period..

Foods: Lots of energy here, and mood is usually good because of all the estrogen, so go easy on grain carbohydrates here, and stick to things like quinoa or carbs from fruits and veggies. Fiber helps to aid in elimination of excess estrogen, so fruit and veggies are helpful here. Steaming those veggies is also pretty important. Lamb and grass fed meat is a good option here. Foods here are meant to promote vascular and antioxidant well being for your ovaries to create the best eggs.

Exercise: Typically high impact workouts and group settings work well here. Energy levels are high, so more strenuous exercise is easier here like weightlifting, plyometrics.

THREE- LUTEAL PHASE lasts 10-14 days

Hormonal: The follicle in which the egg bursted out of has something called a corpus luteum which produces progesterone. This rise in progesterone tells the body to keep the uterus lining strong, and tells the brain to stop sending out FSH and LH, so only one egg is released. If the egg isn’t fertilized the corpus luteum is reabsorbed by the body (pretty cool right?), progesterone goes back down, and this triggers your period.

Bodily: physical energy goes down, if hormones are unbalanced, may experience bloating, irritability, headache, mood swings and cravings.

Optimizing: Comfort is higher here. You’ll notice you want to nest more like cleaning your home, reorganizing, laundry, grocery shopping etc, or maybe even saving all those activities for just this week. The ratio of progesterone and estrogen may make you realize things you didn’t before, and your brain prioritizes things. Many women also prioritize self care during this phase, and less social engagements.

Foods: Foods rich in B vitamins, calcium, magnesium, and fiber are great here which promote progesterone production as well as minerals helping to mitigate the fluid retention and fiber helps flush out excess estrogen through the bowels. Natural sugar like honey and fruit, or roasting veggies helps with the huge dip in estrogen that occurs in the second half, which can make you feel irritable. B vitamins are best bioavailable in organ meats and grass fed/finished meats.

Exercise: The first half your energy may still be high, so more strenuous activities are great like in ovulation. During the final days less strenuous is better like walking/hiking, pilates…

FOUR- MENSTRUAL CYCLE lasts 3-7 days

Hormonally: progesterone is at the lowers, which makes the uterus to start shedding the lining- AKA bleeding. Estrogen dropping stimulates the brain to prepare another cycle of ovulation.

Bodily: brown spotting and red bleeding happens here. Sometimes women experience a sense of relaxation and relief as your estrogen peak passes. Imbalance here results in pelvic cramping, low back pain, fatigue and cravings.

Brown stains? You may have lower progesterone, which mean your cycle doesn’t start on time.
Dark red or black clots? low progesterone, too high estrogen, and congestion.
Heavy Bleeding? can be a sign of fibroids or polyps and it’s important to get evaluated. Eat plenty of grass fed meats for iron, organs and beets.
Short bleeding? low estrogen and progesterone, which are nutritional deficiencies and adrenal burnout. Get your nutritional markers tested.
Frequent bleeds? Sluggish thyroid, so might want to get a full thyroid panel.

****Also, it best to NOT use tampons as much as possible. They create carbon monoxide, which also makes women cramp and bloat. Try menstrual cups or chemical free pads (don’t want to add in more toxins to a sensitive area).

Optimizing: Self analysis and course correction happen here. During this phase the communication between left and right brain is more powerful. Check in here, you may feel stronger pushes of intuition. If you come up with the same fears, thoughts or issues every month it is usually here, and it’s meant to allow you to push into what it is that needs to be changed/healed. You’re not just “emotional”.

Foods: An intense process is happening during this phase, so low glycemic foods, and water rich fruits and veggies are great. Seafood and grass fed meats help remineralize your body with iron and zinc, which you lose during menstruation. Soups and stews are helpful here, as warmth heals the uterus.

Exercise: Rest and recovery. Walking or stretching during the first two days, and towards the end you’ll be able to ramp up your activity again.

Notice, that exercise is so different during each phase… Meaning that doing things or workouts like running everyday, or high intensity workouts every day, or weight training everyday is not really ideal for how our body’s as women work. In fact, it can stress these hormones out even more… Thats why its important to sync up and listen to the cues… If you’re exhausted, don’t go do a high intensity workout and if you feel energy, try something a bit more challenging.

By learning about these phases and not pushing beyond your means you’ll also be able to balance your stress hormones more and your blood sugar levels. This will take a big paradigm shift in the relationship you may have with your body. However, the lack of relationship is what got the cycle so dysfunctional in the first place. Don’t push against your hormones.

There’s more than goes into this, but I hope it was a helpful tool for you, and that you can share to many women all over!!

If you’ve enjoyed my book Freedom Brain, I ask that you PLEASE write a review on amazon! I truly would appreciate it, it helps us get the word out about it:)

That is all for now.

Wishing you all a happy and healthy week!

Hormonally Charged Skin

acne, birth control, chiropractic, detox, hormones, skin, teenagers

Happy Monday Everyone! We’ve covered a lot this month all regarding the skin! The brain connection, liver, gut… Before we close out the Month of February (Time Flies), there’s one last topic we have yet to cover and that is hormones!

Now, I will say.. All of the above topics mentioned all need to be addressed when looking into the hormonal portion, and all I would look into FIRST since they are all inter-related.

But, once you’ve addressed these, and there are still skin issues persisting, regulating the hormones is the next step.

—-

When we think of hormones and their relationship to the skin, we often think about a certain age when this is pretty visible. The teenage years? Am I right? Throughout adolescence there is a big shift in our hormones and many ups and downs that take take place until we reach an age of maturity in this system.

For instance, for females did you know that the female hormones cycle does not completely mature until around the age of 25?! That means there will be a lot of fluctuations in this system as maturation is occurring. Now, we know from our previous talks there there are also A LOT of hormones within our environment, products and food that can completely disrupt our hormonal systems, so we need to do as previously mentioned and clean out the liver.

But, who uses those smelly products, lotions and potions the most? Who also is exposed to sugar, processed foods and hormone foods more? Yep teenagers. They are exposed A LOT to hormones in their environment, and in the midst of trying to calibrate their own hormonal system in the process is difficult.

So, first and foremost if you want to start balancing the hormones you got to do the above and get rid of hormones in the environment and clean up their diet.

It’s also ‘normal” in the US for girls to start their period between 6 to 8 years old! WHAT?! Yes… it keeps getting younger and younger because of hormones in the environment.

But also, many teenage girls are given other options for literally any symptom they have with their cycles. Cramps, moodiness, acne, heavy bleeding, bloating, headaches. All given the magic pill, birth control…. Well.. i mentioned it takes a WHILE to actually mature the hormone cycle. So does birth control really help it along? I’m sure you know the answer is NO.

Rather than give exogenous hormones, which they are already exposed too much to, what these girls really need is support to help as they mature through this phase of their life… Did you know cramping, bloating, mood swings, ect. are NOT normal? Yep, these aren’t “normal” variants, despite what we’ve been told from generations down the line.

When women, and let’s start with teens get these symptoms these are signs that the system is not balanced. For teens again it takes many years, and they need support going through those fluctuations so these symptoms are less harsh or non existant.

For adult women, you need some serious balancing. Clean out the liver, clean out the exogenous hormones and support the female organs.

Birth control sets you up for failure. …..

If birth control is taken for the sole purpose to try and balance a menstrual cycle which is the majority of cases, it sets women up for future failure with their hormone regulation. The longer you are on it, the more damaging it becomes. But, especially for our young girls, it is very damaging for their brains to confuse it with hormones.

Birth control has created a HUGE problem for fertility. The pill hides problems that we don’t want to deal with. And when you take hormones, the actual organs that were producing the hormones go on vacation, because they no longer have to produce them. The longer you’re on birth control the harder it will be to conceive.

With our teens, it really short wires the brain giving birth control, and causes them to grow into that bad brain signaling pattern. It also depletes the body of B vitamins and lowers the immune system. A lack of these, you will also have skin problems.

So, if there are symptoms in a female because of hormone issues like acne (since we are talking about the skin), DON’T give them birth control, support the brain as its maturing to handle the ups and downs instead.

Many skin related hormonal issues can he helped a ton through brain support, liver support, taking out all the sugar and giving craniopathy care.

Now, this isn’t for just teens. Ladies if you have skin problems associated with your hormones, you need to clean out your body and start regulating that brain signal. Patterns can be changed, epigenetics can be changed, and you can change those hormonal patterns even in your children. Genetics do play a role in the clearing of the estrogen load we place our bodies in, but they can be helped and changed.

For men…
Yes hormonal changes are not just for women. In fact, you can actually transfer hormones through the skin. So if your women is taking birth control and you nuzzle up to her, you can become estrogen dominant as well. All hormones transfer through the skin. Women, if your man is taking testosterone supplementation, that means you’ll get more than you need as well.

If you have skin related problems, the same goes for you. You need to clean out the estrogen and toxins, and help support the male hormone pathways through specific nutrients needed. For instance, men need a good amount of Zinc for sperm production and other hormonal balancing. But most men are depleted in it. Stop spraying the axe body sprays and deodorants. You’re messing up your hormones and your future kids hormones. Also your skin will be no bueno.

When you balance the liver, gut, brain and hormones, you will have to choice but to have radiant skin! But remember, always look to the sources. Giving things to cover symptoms will help for awhile but can cause further problems later on such as fertility, low libido and others, not to mention increased aging in your skin.

Good hormone balancing means great supple flawless skin!

Oil of the WEEK.

The oil of the week this week is Immortelle.Powerfully renewing, this proprietary blend combines rare essential oils that have been use throughout history for their beautifying benefits. Immortelle Anti-Aging Blend is formulated to support and nourish the skin while helping to reduce contributing factors to the appearance of aging skin. These unique essential oils were expertly selected to help sustain smoother, more radiant, and youthful-looking skin. Immortelle easily absorbs into the skin and can be used on the face, neck, and décolletage to reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and aging skin.

Uses

Apply a thin layer of Immortelle to the face, neck, and decolletage, then repeat application to targeted areas. Follow with the doTERRA moisturizer of your choice.

Apply to reduce the appearance of blemishes.

Thats all for now..

Have a happy and healthy week!

Dr. Hamel

Supercharging Fertility Through Nutrition

babies, birth control, chemicals, chiropractic, detoxing, estrogen, fertility, hormones, ketogenic, mothers, nutrition

Continuing on this month all about Fertility! Last week we chatted about how the nervous system is #1 in my fertility program, because if there’s no signaling= no fertility!

#2 in my fertility protocol is nutrition. So, this week we will briefly chat about how to supercharge your fertility through nutrition.

If you need more information about nutrition and fertility I highly recommend the book: Woman Code! I use tips from this book in today’s blog as well as other information from other sources and evidence based nutrition sources.

There are usually 3 things that women/men experience with endocrine problems:

1. Menstrual Problems
2. Fertility Trouble
3. Low Libido

Let’s start with number 1…..

Menstrual Problems. Did you know that the women’s cycle doesn’t fully mature till the age of 25?! So, there will be fluctuations within the cycle up until that age, that are normal. However, genetics and nutritional factors determine how are bodies react to the mountain of estrogen we are bombarded with daily.

In some families they adapt to this estrogen load by presenting as PCOS, others: fibroids, others: endometriosis, PMS (PMD).

“You actually were PRIMED to develop your own unique issue before you were born, or had your first period. “

This is why it’s crucial to do something about endocrine function now! You can actually change your epigenetics to set future generations of women down your family line up for pain free and healthy periods!

And you will also feel so much better. Did you know you are supposed to just wake up and realize you started your period? THIS IS NORMAL..
NOT.
The symptoms handed down from generations, cramping, bloating, pain, acne, PMS……

Number 2…..

Fertility Trouble. Our bodies as women are very fine tuned, and require a very specific ratio of progesterone to estrogen in order for conception to be successful!

Estrogen levels can become elevated by:
Poor blood sugar regulation, adrenal fatigue, congested pathways of elimination (food and product sources), birth control.

When it’s elevated, progesterone becomes insufficient. And when progesterone is insufficient, ovulation is not regular, which means no baby….
OR.. you will get pregnant, but your chance of miscarriage is very high because you can’t produce enough progesterone to maintain it.

PCOS prevents ovulation, which is of course essential for allowing an egg to be available for conception. Fibroids and endometriosis also cause fertility problems by creating actual blockages within the uterus or ovaries.

But, it’s easy right.. just take a pill to regulate these mentrual issues.! Right?!
So so wrong.

Pills or injections will temporarily lower symptoms I’ll give you that, but estrogen levels managed improperly for too long, and these symptoms will always come back, AND your chances of having a baby when you are ready will go way way down….

View your fertility in the long term! By fixing these three pathways mentioned above which cause estrogen elevation.

** also important to note, if you’ve had the SUPER toxic gardasil vaccine, your fertility will also be compromised. It has been shown in research to make young girls infertile, and also increases cervical cancer risk. I’ve had many patients with vaccine injuries from this terrible and corrupt vaccine. Please please say no for our young girls. **

Number 3…

Low libido… Well, you could be riding blood sugar highs and lows, stressed out from work, chasing kids around, deadlines approaching… So, getting some love from your husband/wife is safe to say not on your mind.
You probably don’t have much energy at the end of the day to do much other than eat that chocolate or treat and collapse on the couch.

For women AND men. Blood sugar irregulation and chronic stress = low libido.

If this cycle remains, your body will become really confused, and tell you to eat more carbs although you’ve already eaten too much.. Hypoglycemia…This then dampens the production of DHEA as cortisol is being pumped out excessively. Which DHEA turns into testosterone (supports sex drive).

Carbs/Sugar and stress= exhausting your body= no energy for love stuff!

So..
Enhancing Fertility through nutrition is quite simple when you think of it.

It involves these principles:

1. Stabilizing the blood sugar.
This is done through customized eating plans for you. It’s not about dieting. Dieting DOES NOT work. It’s just NOT sustainable. Eating pre-packaged foods, or limiting what you can eat so much you end up eating a whole carton of ice cream in one sitting and just say heck with it!.
Yep.. been there.

Its about reconditioning what you are eating. I want you eating, and actually eating quite a lot to stabilize the blood sugar, but I want you feeding your fertility instead of inhibiting it.

This is all explained in my 120 day fertility program, but includes more of a ketogenic whole food plan, Organic and non GMO foods, high fat, limited grains and dairy. This is of course customized for each patient depending on their needs.

Eating regularly and increasing good fats stabilizes the blood sugar amazingly. In fact, when stabilized, most people are able to do intermittent fasting as well, which is so healing for the body and fertility.

2. Supporting the Adrenal Glands ( Stress Glands)
Also included in the 120 program. Some individuals are in super high stress environments, and they need supplementation in order to get things back on track. This involves customized herbs and whole food nutritional recommendations as well as specific NET ( a stress technique I do in my office) and stress related work to help create healthy habits.

Some individuals will need to change things within their pattern to decrease adrenal fatigue. Whether its changing things with your job, decreasing the amount of things you are doing, working out less (yes there are many women and men who work out too much and deplete their adrenal glands), asking for help, ect.

Remember it’s a lifestyle.

3. Clearing out the estrogen and pathways of elimination .
This means first getting rid of that birth control pill or shot. It’s harming you short and long term. Detoxifying the body through specific herbs and whole food nutrients and going on safer birth control methods (if needed). Birth control completely depletes all your B vitamins, so this is something that has to be added in. It also decreases your immune system, so often immune system support is needed.

Cleaning out your food sources that aren’t organic (hormones and chemicals), beauty products that aren’t organic (hormones and chemicals), plastic wear ( all estrogen), decreasing microwave use (estrogen), non natural cleaning products (toxic chemicals), cleaning up your water source, and other exogenous exposures.

I know it sounds like a lot, but these are REALLY big hormone disruptors. And over time, these wreak havoc not only on fertility but many systems and cause cancer and other illnesses as well.

Then we move onto cleaning out the main pathways of detoxification such as the Liver and large intestine, skin & lymphatic system.
This is through nutrition and chiropractic care.

Sometimes, it takes more detoxification means as well such as incorporating saunas, colon hydrotherapy, cleaning out toxic heavy metals in the mouth and body ( food sources, vaccines, passed down).

I also, always always include CBT, craniobiotic technique which helps clear out hidden infections in the body, and also desensitizes against allergens. Both can be HUGE in being the tipping point for successful fertility.

4. Supporting the sex organs.

This is done through specific whole food nutrition supporting these organs with nutrition and what are called protomorphogens. If you’ve taken birth control these organs will need support as they haven’t been producing the hormones because you’ve been taking fake ones.

5. Supporting the brain glands which signal the hormones

Also done through specific whole food protomorphogens and herbals targeting to help with the signaling process. This is also AMAZING for teenagers to help with that fluctuation I was talking about in the beginning. PMS, bloating, heavy bleeding, acne. If you have a teen girl you will THANK ME for this one.

One herbal I use… chaste tree ( depends on quality!), is amazing for regulating the brain signaling. If you’ve ever taken birth control this signal is damaged and needs support.

That’s it!! haha. I know seems like a lot, but really EVERY person is different, and your path will look different from the next. You may need some or all of these steps, but the fact of the matter is all hormone dys-regulation CAN be helped naturally. I see it everyday!

Don’t forget about the men too!!

They also need sperm support, detoxification, stress and blood sugar support! Remember you can actually CHANGE your epigenetics, which can change your child’s and their child’s genes to be strong and more efficient!

Often times infertility is a mix of the man and the woman. So, most of my program’s require BOTH to be involved in the process.

Next week.

We’ll talk about Exercise and Mindset in Fertility.
Stay tuned! And please please SHARE THIS!

All About the F word… Fertility That is..

allergies, birth control, chiropractic, fertility, hormones, IVF, nutrition, pregnancy, toxins

Happy Monday Everyone! I hope you all had a great 4th of July weekend, and are surviving the heat! Whew!

This month will be all about Fertility, facts about fertility, myths, tips, natural options and success stories through chiropractic and nutritional care.

Sorry men, this month might not pertain to you, but….. If you know someone going through fertility issues, is planning to have a family, or you are planning to have a family one day, I HIGHLY suggest you still keep these emails or share them to those in need, as fertility involves BOTH individuals.

Lets start with some facts:

In the US, we rank 61 in the world for maternal health. You are better off giving birth in Iraq, than in the US…. It seems for most health conditions the US is far behind, even though our “healthcare” is the highest costing.

1 in 6 couples struggle with infertility!
“infertility” is usually the inability to conceive after 1 year of unprotected sex, or 6 months after the age of 35

40% of infertility is based on a “medical issue” with the women, 30% the man, and 20% both man and woman, 10% they just “don’t know”

If women are “infertile”, then IVF is usually the route. The average cost of a medication-only cycle is $1,182, while the cost of one cycle of IVF is about $24,373. IVF with donor eggs cost even more, averaging $38,015. When looking at the cost of “successful” fertility treatments, the number grew higher. The average cost of successful medication-only treatment was $5,894 and $61,377 for IVF. Again, the cost of successful donor egg IVF was even higher, at $72,642. Women who chose cycle-based treatment received an average of 3.6 treatments!!!

The success rate of IVF? Live birth IVF success rate for women under 35 who start an IVF cycle is 40 percent. However, women over age 42 have a 4 percent success rate.

In the US, it is “normal” to not have a period, it’s normal to NOT ovulate. This we know is NOT true.
A healthy cycle which on average is about 28 days with about 50 mls of blood loss. No cramps, lots of clotting, acne, mood swings, these aren’t “normal”!
The normal amount of blood to lose per cycle is 50 mls, that’s it. (regular tampons hold 5 mls, supers about 10mls). Any more than that, there’s possible anemia. A normal, regular cycle is a healthy woman!

It’s also ‘normal” in the US for girls to start their period between 6 to 8 years old! WHAT?! Yes… it keeps getting younger and younger because of hormones

It takes about 120 days for eggs to mature. This means if you’ve had a really “whacky” period, look back three months from that period. Is it diet, or stress? it reflects three months ago.( This is also GOOD NEWS) You should be able to see changes in cycle, hormones and fertility within this 120 days when you add in natural interventions:)

IVF, IUI and fertility drugs don’t address fertility issues which are often due to nutritional deficiencies, stress, toxins, nervous system involvement, ect…..
Lab work only looks at what is happening in that exact moment. Thats why blood work isn’t a good measure for hormones. There are some other markers that are acceptable to look at in the blood, but for hormones, this testing is very poor. The majority of hormones are in our tissues.

So, now that we know some facts, and we know that IVF and fertility drugs don’t actually address the actual issues, what causes infertility and how do we change it naturally?

Well how come it doesn’t address the issues?

Fertility drugs and treatments main focus is on creating more eggs. Giving more and more hormones to produce more eggs. The problem is almost all infertility problems are due to an inhabitable environment. And fertility treatments cannot address this issue.

As I always tell my patients, if you are having trouble conceiving, there is always a reason! Your body knows that the environment is not healthy to be able to grow and sustain a healthy baby.

So, what do we do??

We CREATE a healthy environment! … Unless their is anatomical problems with infertility in the uterus or fallopian tubes. I can’t do much for this…. But this is rare in comparison to hormonal issues.

What disrupts the environment??

Most women that have fertility issues most likely had menstrual issues to begin with. Things like cramping, mood swings, irregular periods, acne, heavy bleeding… ect. These are not “normal” womanly symptoms. In fact, you should not really have many symptoms with a normal cycle other than minor fluctuations. But, we have accepted that all these are normal, and to use things to just mask the symptoms. It is also normal to have fluctuations in your period until the age of 25 when it fully matures. So teens going on birth control for symptoms are really damaging the signal processes and ability to conceive later on, when there are natural options to help with the fluctuations that wont harm your fertility.

Birth control has created a HUGE problem for fertility. The pill hides problems that we don’t want to deal with. And when you take hormones, the actual organs that were producing the hormones go on vacation, because they no longer have to produce them. The longer you’re on birth control the harder it will be to conceive. ( more on this subject in a subsequent blog)

Hormones are everywhere. Not only birth control but food, plastic, even store receipts. This causes imbalance over time.
Sleep imbalances. Yes sleep and uninterrupted restful sleep. This is how our body heals and replenishes.

Toxins are also everywhere which creates an unhealthy environment. That’s why it’s important to check toxin levels, heavy metals, teeth health.

Stress causes so many hormone imbalances within the adrenal and thyroid.

We are all iodine deficient which causes thyroid dysfunction.

Allergies are now so common and create inflammation within the entire body. Inflammation = not good environment.

THE NERVES that get to the hormone producing organs…. are they functioning well? if not, there wont be strong signals to the organs. (chiropractic and Cranial ) Hormones are signaled from the BRAIN. I’ve had hormone issues correct just from proper cranial work.

Over the next month we will be going over topics from these points on how to increase your fertility through chiropractic care, nutrition, stress/emotional and exercise.

I will also be going over my 120 fertility program. This not only works for fertility but also other hormone dys-regulation problems, post partum and other conditions. That’s because you can change and get new cells and eggs in 120 days, and you can change hormone and environments in 120 days ( some might take longer depending on levels of toxins, ect.)

In 120 Days care includes:

1. Craniopathy Chiropractic care
2. 21 Day Detox program ( all about environment!)
3. prenatal vitamin ( whole food only)
4. omegas, fish oils ( whole food only)
5. Proper Sleep
6. Exercise
7. Acupuncture
8. Vitamin D
9. Proper hydration
10. immune support
11. iodine
12. adrenal support
13. healthy mindset

If you do decide to do IVF, this protocol can also enhance it’s success, because again we are changing the environment. Which would mean the eggs would harvest better.