Depke Wellness take on Breast Cancer

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

Instead of breast cancer awareness month I would love to have a breast cancer prevention month. Thinking about this further, I would actually like to think of breast cancer prevention every month, right?

The challenge with breast cancer awareness is that most, if not all, of the money collected, is going to the development of drugs and not toward the single biggest impact we can actually have on breast cancer, which is prevention. Prevention is the key and the focus of this article.

Let's first look at how conventional medicine defines "survival" of breast cancer, which is living 5 years or more after diagnosis. With this said, if a woman is diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 58 and lives to the age of 63, she is considered a survivor. Even if she dies of complications from breast cancer or chemotherapy at the age of 65, she is still a breast cancer survivor. Honestly, the chance of being a "survivor" then are very good, due to the fact that breast cancer is typically diagnosed much earlier these days.

So really, do you just want to "survive?"

I think not, and that is why the issue of  prevention is the key to "thrival" not "survival." Yes this is my made up word, but don't you truly want to thrive rather than survive? Of course!

The good news is that you can!

Here at Depke Wellness, we have seen many clients with breast cancer and continue to today. Our approach is very different though and this starts with the first comment made to these clients. That comment is "we do not assist women in fighting cancer, we assist women in living in harmony with cancer." After all, that's what the rest of us are doing. We are in a constant state of living in harmony with cancer. Even as I sit here writing this article, I have cancer cells in my body. Thankfully I trust that these cells are being dealt with properly via the immune system function and a process referred to as apoptosis.

So what are the keys prevention?

• Support immune function
• Balance adrenal function
• Assess food sensitivities
• Support the system of apoptosis
• Reduce or eliminate inflammation
• Normalize estrogen levels
• Address the over production of aromatase
• Release emotional suppression
• Find "your" space

Let me pick a few of these areas to discuss.

The first is the process of apoptosis. We can refer to apoptosis as cellular suicide. Understand that when a cell becomes "broken" it is actually designed to die. Yes, "broken" cells in your body should commit suicide. The problem though is the for so many women, this process had been significantly reduced or shut off by chronic inflammation. Ulitmately when you are living with chronic inflammation, this creates an immune system dysregulation and this dysregulation can and does turn off apoptosis. 

So what happens when apoptosis is turned off? Simple. One broken cell becomes another broken cell and so on and so on. In the end, this ends up being diagnosed as cancer. So with this said, is the cancer the issue or is the inflammation the issue? Take this one step further, is the inflammation the issue or whatever causes inflammation the issue?

Of course it is the triggers of inflammation that is the deepest issue. Here is a list of the most common triggers for an inflammatory response in the body.

• Food sensitivity
• Standard American diet (SAD)
• Chronic mental/emotional stress
• Chronic infection
• Injury
• Obesity
• Chemotherapy
• Addiction

Getting to the core of your inflammatory triggers plays major role in prevention! 

The other area to discuss is the elevated estrogen. While this can be caused by estrogen in our environment and/or food sources, the biggest issue is when overproducing an enzyme referred to as aromatase. Did you know that high levels of aromatase can and will convert testosterone to estrogen? Too high of estrogen is a risk factor for what...breast cancer. So is the high estrogen the cause or the overproduction of armomatase? Take this a step further, recognizing that a diet high in sugar and processed foods raises insulin and leads to an overproduction of aromatase, perhaps the high sugar and processed foods is the issue? You decide...

In our clinic we regularly use a collection of Chinese herbs from Chi Enterprise referred to as

Cherry Angiomas

Myomin. Referring to a study with 60 postmenopausal women with fibroids/cysts, after only 10 days there was almost a 50% reduction of estradiol. Every time a woman's hormonal panel comes back into our office showing elevated estrogen, the use of Myomin assist the body in lowering these dangerous levels very quickly. I would note that completing a comprehensive adrenal panel is always recommended prior to use unless of course high estrogen have already been confirmed by your personal practitioner. One clue you can use to recognize high estrogen is the recognition of cherry angiomas on the trunk of your body along with white spots on your nails. These two together show a strong likelihood of estrogen dominance. Also take a look at your tongue. If there are red dots in the back to middle of your tongue, this could also show a possible hormone

White Spot on Nails

imbalance. Recognizing these signs should lead you to complete a saliva hormone test. From there it is much easier to recommend what would assist your body in finding its hormonal balance.

Thankfully there are ways to address all of this. 

• Address what's causing your inflammation
• Reduce or eliminate the inflammation
• Turn the apoptosis back on
• Address your dietary intake
• Use an aromatase inhibitor 

Now if you find yourself already diagnosed with breast cancer, don't simply fall into the fear and doom and I get it, easier said than done sometimes. We have seen many women walk away from breast cancer and living happy health lives based on finding their own personal balance and as mentioned earlier, learning to live in harmony with cancer as do most of us. This is a tough concept for many but very true. 

Finding your balance includes everything mentioned above and more but it is absolutely achievable. One addition that is made for women already diagnosed is Angiostop. Recognize that cancer requires a high energy intake and a significant blood flow. The Angiostop as a strong effect on inhibiting new blood vessel formation, thus cutting off nutrient and blood supply to a tumor. This also inhibits fibroblast, platelet-derived and epidermal for broad spectrum inhibitory effects. With the use of thermography, I have seen the results of angiogenesis that are remarkable with the Angiostop. Angiostop does not directly cure cancer but it does help cut off its life support.

I also wanted to briefly discuss thermography. Medical or Clinical Thermography is a completely SAFE, no radiation, no contact, no compression body scanning procedure that is approved by the FDA, and many other leading health care Councils, Associations and Academy’s.

Clinical Thermal Imaging is the same (DITI) technology used by the military, building engineers to detect leaks and weather forecasting. It’s a very reliable tool. It records what it sees, in “real time.” It does not specifically diagnose any disease but does identify the symptom, a physiological response of your body’s own defense to protect itself.

This imaging technique provides valuable information about your current health. The DITI (Digital Infrared Thermal Imaging) camera scans the thermal patterns of your skin’s heat patterns and converts them into an image. Color spectrums and grayscale pallets are used to identify the range from heat to cold, light to dark which reflects each person’s unique thermal blue print.

Our bodies are designed symmetrically, so by comparing and measuring the thermal patterns, it can identify signs of potential disease, especially inflammation, nerve damage and even pain. This test can provide multiple clues to the health conditions currently within your body. It can detect early on, the precursors to many types of cancers, years before the cancer reaches a stage that becomes more serious to treat.

Clinical Thermography is an invaluable tool to help identify and track physiological changes as you begin to work on improving your health or are challenged with a condition you want to focus on and optimally manage.   

So in the end, let's remember that there truly is not a lack of awareness on breast cancer but there is a significant lack of awareness on prevention and also holisitic protocols that can be effectively utilized. Also understand that you can easily integrate your conventional care with holistic care when dealing with breast cancer. This is not an us and them scenario. 

After all, it's all about your personal health and happiness, isn't it?

The Hormone Trilogy

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

The Adrenal Summit

You've heard me discuss estrogen dominance in the past but today we need to dive deep into this health issue for both men and women. Yes, I did say men and women.

Most often it is thought that estrogen dominance is a female issue. While it is true that many women in my practice are challenged with estrogen dominance for a variety of reasons, it is equally as challenging for men in my practice.

First off let's look at the primary causes for estrogen dominance. For both men and women I feel that the main issue is an overproduction of an enzyme aromatase. Too much aromatase in the body will convert testosterone into estrogen type hormones and leave both men and women with low testosterone and high estrogen hormones. High estrogen is a risk factor for breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men, both of which are a significant concern for each gender. The other issue is tied into the health challenges due to low testosterone. Testosterone influences mood, memory, metabolism, bone density, energy, and ability to burn fat and build muscle. In women, a small amount of testosterone is produced in the ovaries while most is produced in the adrenal glands. Testosterone binds to receptors inside the body’s cells where it exerts its effects.

As an example, I had a male client that came to see me due to symptoms of hormone imbalance. He had seen another practitioner in the past that tested his testosterone due to symptoms shared. Low energy, lack of motivation, lack of sex drive and weight gain. When his testosterone testing came back, this did show low testosterone. At this time, this practitioner suggested the implants of "rods" under the skin that would slowly release testosterone over the next year to help this person achieve optimal testosterone levels. By the time this client came to Depke Wellness and we reviewed a comprehensive adrenal panel, he not only showed very little improvement but this estradiol specifically was at 16. This was for a man that should have an estradiol level of 1-3. Yikes! I knew this gentleman personally and I joked that he was becoming a woman, except it really was not a joke. When I shared this he mentioned that his breast tissue was increasing and his moods were changing dramatically. Basically what was happening is that the increased testosterone due to supplementation was being converted into estrogen hormones. That is not what we're looking for.

Obviously with this example, the low testosterone was not the issue but rather the conversion of testosterone into estrogen hormones. This is not just a male issue though, I see this in women with regularity also.

From here there are two different focal points. Number one, if you do have elevated estrogen hormones, this should be addressed ASAP because as mentioned above, this is a risk factor for breast cancer in women and prostate cancer in men. When I do find this estrogen dominance, I recommend Myomin, which is a collection of Chinese herbs that assist the body in lowering the aromatase. Remember, this is the enzyme that converts the testosterone into estrogen hormones.

But let's not stop there. I feel that it is important to get to the bottom of why the aromatase is high in the first place. This is where the insulin comes in. When we are consuming foods that are high glycemic foods or if we are chronically stressed, this will leave us with high blood sugar levels. This high blood sugar will require an increase in insulin to assist in removing the sugar from the blood. In the end, the high insulin will lead to an increase in aromatase, thus the conversion of testosterone into estrogen hormones.

Hopefully you can see the necessary steps already. First, when you are looking at hormones, look at all of them and not single hormones. At Depke Wellness, we do this with a comprehensive adrenal test kit. You really want the full picture of what is going on in your adrenal glands as well as ovaries and testicles. Once you recognize estrogen dominance, address this ASAP with Myomin and also be sure to focus on your nutrition and stress to get to the core of your challenge.

There is one more disturbing challenge for estrogen dominance that I have to share. I often see women estrogen dominant due to the use of estrogen creams. I do not want to say that other practitioners do it wrong and Depke Wellness does it right, I am just going to say that we do it different. At Depke Wellness, we never recommend estrogen creams because these vascular creams tend to build up in the fat tissue with very little making it into the blood, which is where it needs to be actually. This build up in the fat tissue will often leave women estrogen dominant, and we see this so often in our clinic.

The other challenge with using estrogen creams is that this is simply a symptom care because you are working with a "end result" hormone. If you are tested with low estrogen hormones, we recommend that you focus on balancing your adrenal gland function and get to the bottom of what is triggering this. That's dealing with your estrogen issues where it's really off.

So in the end, be sure to understand that your potential low testosterone, estrogen dominance and insulin are creating a trilogy that is less than enjoyable for you.

Thankfully, this can all be balanced when tested and addressed properly.

Please leave a post below if you have a comment or question about this article or visit us at The Adrenal Summit Facebook page for ongoing discussions on similar topics.

What the heck is a cherry angioma?

By Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

I was trained by Dr Chi years ago in to use the tool of fingernail and tongue assessment and I cannot share the level of assistance this has provided for my clients throughout the years. While I often use other testing such as adrenal saliva testing, stool collection, urine analysis and blood testing for food sensitivity, the use of the body provides another holistic benefit for all.

Dr Chi has agreed to come to our clinic for 3 days in June to work with our clients personally and this is truly a gift because there is nobody better at fingernail and tongue assessment than this man. He is internationally renowned for his skills, years of work in this field and his uncanny ability to get right to the point of your health issues.

While I would suggest that everyone comes in during those three days, this is not realistic. First off, there are only 105 available appointments, so there is no possible way that everyone that follows Depke Wellness could get in. Second, there are many people that follow our newsletter that either are not in the Southern California area or do not have the ability to travel on these specific dates. 

Since most of you will miss the opportunity to see Dr Chi personally, I am going to share some of the assessment tools over the next few weeks, so you can enjoy some of these "gifts" personally. I will also share that when we reach out in upcoming emails, you will not only have an opportunity to see Dr Chi, but we will also offer Dr Chi's books on fingernail and tongue assessment as well as his herbal treatment book. 

Look for this coming out soon!

So let's get into the question, what the heck is a cherry angioma?

Have you ever notice cherry or red-colored moles or dots on your forehead or chest? These are called cherry angiomas and often signify estrogen dominance. They are a manifestation that excess estrogen attacks peripheral blood vessels, causing an aneurysm, which creates that cherry color. 

The location of the cherry angiomas is helpful in determining what may be the problem.

CHERRY ANGIOMAS ON THE ABDOMEN/CHEST

Cherry angiomas located on the abdomen, or the chest, may either be because of a liver or hormone problem, or both.

Liver - In both men and women, cherry angiomas in the abdomen can signify a liver problem, most likely liver cirrhosis.

Hormone - If there is no liver issue, then excess estrogen may be the cause. This is typically related to problems with the reproductive organs, such as prostate or testicular issues in men and ovarian cysts, uterine fibroids, breast tumors, endometriosis, etc, in women. If there are over 10 to 15 large cherry angiomas, it can signal prostate cancer risk in men and breast cancer risk in women. 

J.P., DC from Montana, has a 34-year-old female patient with cherry angiomas on the abdomen and red dots on the tongue, indicating a risk for estrogen-related conditions. She said that she did have an ovarian cyst but did not treat it. A year after that, she found that her CA.125 (ovarian cancer marker) was 16 (normal is below 3) and was diagnosed with ovarian cancer.

CHERRY ANGIOMAS ON THE FOREHEAD

Cherry angiomas on the forehead or hairline can indicate a stroke or aneurysm risk. Again, this is also tied to hormones, particularly estrogen. Many studies have linked excess estrogen (and low testosterone in men) to an increased risk for cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis, stroke, myocardial infarction and congestive heart failure.

S.M. from Florida has cherry angiomas on the forehead and abdomen, making her at risk for aneurysm or stroke. She reveals that five years prior to that, she had a stroke. Her estrogen level is also elevated, which is already affecting her breast and liver.

R.L, a 58-year-old male from Minnesota has more than 50 cherry angiomas on his abdomen and more than 10 on his face and head. When he learned that the cherry angiomas are related to hormones and heart issues, he revealed that he already had a stroke twice before.

With this information, you can potentially understand your own health issues a bit deeper and provide areas to investigate. As an example in my practice, if I see cherry angiomas on the torso, I will test adrenal function along with estradiol and estriol. This will help me understand if this is a liver or an estrogen dominance issue. These tools are invaluable if used properly.

Look for other tools of assessment over the next couple of weeks. This can assist you in moving forward in your journey to health and happiness.