Daily Aches and Pains?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

So many of our Depke Wellness clients begin their journey living with varied levels of aches and pains. While for some, this may seem manageable, to others this is truly excruciating and life altering. Regardless of what level you may find yourself in, their is hope for escaping these aches and pains.

To understand how to alleviate pain it is most important to understand its origination which is inflammation. You see, inflammation will lead to a production of a neurotransmitter called bradykinin and this neurotransmitter leads to pain hypersensitivity. So "getting" this deeply is the understanding that the inflammation is the problem and not the pain itself, right?

Not so fast...

Actually the deeper issue here is the triggers for inflammation and the feedback loops for chronic inflammatory states. We'll look at the main triggers first.

• Food sensitivity - Whether this is a gluten sensitivity, cross reactive sensitivity or most often both, the first response of a food sensitivity is to lead to inflammation in the gut. Over time, when we continue to consume these foods, the inflammation becomes chronic and systemic.
• Standard American diet (SAD) - A diet high in sugar and processed foods, which easily break down into sugar, is another major trigger for inflammation.
• Chronic infection - When we are living with chronic infection we are living with chronic inflammation as the bodies protective response. It is essential to recognize these infections and address accordingly.
• Chronic stress - This is the one area that most do not understand as an inflammatory trigger but honestly, I see this all the time with our clients. This is why it is so important to learn healthy way of perceiving and dealing with our stressors.
• Obesity - An increase in fat cells and eventual obesity is an inflammatory trigger. The conundrum with this is that inflammation is not only caused by obesity but also leads to obesity.

Recognizing which triggers are influencing your chronic inflammation and addressing these properly is an important first step in addressing your aches and pains.

I did say "important first step" but there is more. We also have to understand that one you are living with chronic inflammation, there are feedback loops the continue this inflammatory state even after you recognize and eliminate your triggers. Once you have developed chronic inflammation, the inflammation itself potentially creates four different feedback loops as described below.

Feedback loop one:

• —  Increase in fat cell production
• —  Insulin resistance
• —  Insulin surges
• —  More inflammation

The PAIN of Inflammation Program

Feedback loop two:

• —  Tight junction breakdown
• —  Leaky gut—  
•   Immune activation
• —  More inflammation

Feedback loop three:

• —  Suppression of cytochrome P450
• —  Hepatic (liver) biotransformation
• —  Activated liver end products
• —  Add environmental triggers
• —  More inflammation

Feedback loop four:

• —  Immune cell activation
• —  Cytokine release
• —  Self-amplifying loop
• —  More inflammation

I know that between the triggers and feedback loops, it may seem daunting to reduce or eliminate your pain, but I see this all the time with our clients. Here are some testimonials that I can share of clients that have either worked with us in the office or have completed online anti-inflammatory programs.

“Here is a list of things that have improved or disappeared while doing this program. My blood pressure is more regulated, I've only had one migraine (which I used to have almost daily), my aches and pains are much more improved, I can go to sleep at a decent hour, stay asleep throughout the night, and wake up an hour before my alarm goes off, I am no longer incontinent of urine, and my fatigue has all but vanished."

- Dara

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Glen Depke's program has been a big turning point for me. It allowed me to finally get a sense of control over my health. In the program, I learned about the gut-brain connection, the absolute importance of having a nutritionally sound diet and what makes a diet nutritionally sound. Virtually all of my "less than healthy conditions" that I identified at the beginning of the program, simply disappeared or greatly diminished. The group dynamics really helped as well as the webinars and blog site. I've been able to carry forward most of the healthy practices since the program ended. I highly recommend this program to anyone who is interested in excellent health and living life to the fullest." 

- Katherine

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"I was one of the fortunate ones that got to participate in Glen Depke's program. Glen had previously done the program and had reported amazing results! I was excited when he decided to do the program again and invite those of us who were interested. Years of self- medicating my adrenal fatigue with sugar and caffeine were going to be a challenge to break away from. At this point...I really felt my life depended on it.

The diet restrictions involved in the program are do-able!! The supplements become a routine. The first few days I did experience some mild withdrawal symptoms from the caffeine. But, after that I felt great!!

My favorite part of the program was the 24/7 blog we had access to. Here we could share our triumphs and mishaps. Ask any questions we may have. Share recipe ideas. I'm such a creature of habit it was nice to read about others more adventurous in trying new things. If I needed encouragement someone was always there to offer a word of advice. If someone else was struggling, I could provide support. We could offer motivation to those who needed it and share, together, as we all made amazing progress throughout the program. Glen was ever present with his knowledge, advice, insight, positive attitude and guidance. The weekly information webinars were educational and helped to keep us focused and motivated throughout the program.

By the end of the 6 weeks I couldn't believe the changes that I had experienced! I lost 12 lbs! My acid reflux was gone! I was able to wean off all hormone supplements and sleep aides! With the improvement of my sleep...my energy level increased. And most important to me, the joint and back pain I had been experiencing was gone!!

Would I recommend this program...HECK YES!!! No matter where you are with your health and weight...you will benefit. This program was definitely much more than I had hoped it could be!!! Thank you Glen for putting this wonderful program together for us!" - Kit 


I can even share my personal experience. When I was 17 years old I hurt my knee playing football. Over the next 30 years, I had developed severe degeneration in my medial knee joint and moderate degeneration in the rest of my knee. With this degeneration and accompanying inflammation, I would feel chronic pain and discomfort with even the smallest use of my right knee. I was seriously resigned to the "fact" that I would have to live with this knee pain for the rest of my life. Shockingly though, when I focused on my own chronic inflammation, triggers and feedback loops, my knee pain was all but eliminated. Understand that nothing changed in my knee functionally except for the reduction in inflammation.

So in the end recognize that if you live with daily aches and pains, there is hope for you.

If you would like to learn more about "The PAIN of Inflammation" program, visit this link.

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to post these below and we will address these personally for you.

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?

What does a gut/brain issue look like?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

Most individuals that have a gut/brain connection issue would not recognize the symptoms that tie into this disruptive imbalance. Typical symptoms of a gut/brain connection imbalance are listed below.

• Difficulty digesting your food
• Constipation or irregular bowel movements
• Increased bloating or gas
• Distended stomach after eating
• Challenges breaking down protein, fat or starches
• Stomach discomfort after eating meals

To understand this connection, let's first look at a simple fact. 90% of your brain function is based on automatic function, while 10% is based on your motor system in which you have voluntary control. The 90% autonomic function does not involve any voluntary control. This 90% autonomic function travels from the brain, to the brainstem and eventually to the vagus nerve. This vagus nerve, which can be defined as the "wandering nerve" communicates with the enteric nervous system of your digestive system.

If the output through this pathway is insufficient this can lead to a host of digestive and other issues. This can include but not limited to:

• Poor motility or movement of your food through the digestive system
• Constipation
• Lose of bowel or bladder control
• Low stomach acid
• Poor pancreatic enzyme production
• Insufficient release of bile from the gall bladder to break down fat
• Leaky gut
• Chronic yeast issues
• Chronic pathogen infections
• Inflamed gut
• Food sensitivities
• Insufficient blood flow to the intestines, hindering function and regeneration

While all that is mentioned above is an issue in itself, leaky gut can lead to many other challenges. First let's define leaky gut as the development of intestinal permeability. When healthy, the lining of your small intestines form a barrier know as "tight junctions" which form an impermeable barrier to protect your blood stream from the contents of your gut. These tight junctions should allow low molecular weight particles into your blood, such as properly digested macro-nutrients, micro-nutrients, enzymes, co-enzymes and such. When this barrier is "leaky" this will allow larger molecules into your blood stream such as poorly digested proteins, bacteria, fungus and other pathogens. This will eventually lead to malabsorption, inflammation, brain challenges and chronic disease states.

Poor brain health, brain trauma or brain degeneration often plays a role in the development in leaky gut. Leaky gut creates inflammation, which in turn leads to further progression and worsening of leaky gut. This is a viscous cycle that so many enter and seemingly cannot escape.

This is one of the reasons that I offer "The PAIN of Inflammation" program to my clients and followers of Depke Wellness.

Also understand that leaky gut can also lead to an autoimmune condition that attacks the brain. This is because the chronic inflammation excites the immune system into a constant state of high alert. This often leaves our immune system confused in recognizing actually intruders and our own bodies tissue. This can actually leave the brain and many other areas of the body open to this constant attack.

While we can see here that poor function of this pathway from the brain, brain stem, vagus nerve into the enteric system can have a major impact on your gut health, it is also essential to recognize that this is a two way street. Poor gut health has been shown to also lead to recognized brain issues such as depression, mood disorders, schizophrenia, Parkinson's disease, brain fog and memory loss, just to name a few.

Many that are reading this today, will likely recognize that a gut/brain connection issue is likely a problem. Let's take some simple steps to reestablish your vagus nerve activity to assist this connection. Just like you muscles, your neurons need constant stimulation for optimal health. Without activity they will simply lose function. Remember, we mentioned earlier that 90% of your brain's output goes through the brainstem, into the vagus nerve and eventually into the nervous system within the gut.

Here are some simple exercises that you can use to stimulate the function of your vagus nerve.

• Gargle with water several times per day. This will activate the muscles in the back of the throat, activating the vagus nerve and stimulate your gut. Three times per day, drink a glass of water, while gargling each sip long enough for this to seem to be a challenge. The longer you gargle, the better the stimulation.
• Singing loudly can also stimulate the vagus nerve, so when you are driving in your car or taking your shower, let it rip. Sing out your favorite songs and enjoy improved gut/brain health.
• You can also stimulate your gag reflex by using tongue blades. Simply place the tongue blade on the back of your tongue and push down to activate this reflex. The gag reflex is like push-ups for your vagus nerve. Just like push-ups to build your chest and triceps, you have to create some consistency here to make a difference, so do this several times per week.

To get deeper into the inflammatory response of the gut/brain connection challenges, I will be reviewing "The PAIN of Inflammation" program for you shortly. This will involve addressing the underlying causes of infection as well as the feedback loops that continue to cycle inflammation as shared with leaky gut in this article above.

In the end, recognize that your gut and brain functions as one system and not two different systems. Focusing your attention this gut/brain system can change your life!

If you have any questions or comments on this article, feel free to post below for us to respond personally.

Who has a brain disorder?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

Brain disorders are definitely on the rise. It is now recognized that 1 in 8 senior citizens will develop Alzheimer's but this is not just and aging issue because 1 in 8 children are also diagnosed with brain development disorders such as autism, ADD and ADHD. Estimates share that people living with incidents of dementia have been estimated to be as high as 24 million people with the number predicted to double every 20 years until at least 2040.

Add to this that anxiety disorders, obsessive/compulsive disorders, learning disabilities and depression are extremely common these days. On top of this, sleep disorders, poor mental clarity mild depression and moodiness are actually very common.

With all this said, it is no surprise the antidepressants are the most prescribed drugs in the United States. Brain disorders have now become what we would consider commonplace.

Since I witnessed both my mother and grandmother deteriorate with severe dementia before their deaths, I can share that you want to do everything you can to prevent this and other brain disorders.

Over the next few newsletters, we are going to discuss some of the common factors leading to brain disorders. Pay close attention to those areas where you think, "that sounds like me."

Did you know that the extreme mood swings associated with premenstrual syndrome, perimenopause and menopause are most often hormone driven brain imbalances and brain inflammation? Unfortunately in our culture most women are taught that this is actually normal, when it is anything but normal.

OK guys, before you start thinking "whew, I don't have to worry about that" your not out of the woods. This is the same for men as they drop into andropause, also referred to as male menopause. When a man's hormone function is in disarray this can lead a lack of motivation, weight gain, the typically "grumpy old man" syndrome or what has been come to be known as the "mid-life crisis."

Both menopause and andropause create and environment for early brain degeneration that is most often preceeded by a poor functioning brain. And round and round we go...

Another hormonal area to understand in regard to brain function is the thyroid. Did you know that an estimated 27 million Americans are living with thyroid dysfunction and that this can profoundly impact brain health? This combination can lead to brain fog, depression, anxiety and other brain based challenges. This can often accelerate brain degeneration and even coexist with brain autoimmunity.

With this understanding of hormone driven brain chemistry imbalances, it is always important to get to the bottom of the hormone imbalances. Most hormone imbalances originate as adrenal insufficiency.

Over my career we have reviewed approximately 4,500 adrenal test kits and have only seen 5 come back normal. Yes, ONLY 5!

In fairness, at Depke Wellness, we work with health challenged individuals but this tells us that if you have a health issue, there is only about 1/10 of one percent chance that you have healthy adrenal function. Based on what we have discussed earlier in this article in regard to brain function, menopause, andropause and thyroid dysfunction, take a guess at what affects all of these areas.

If you guessed adrenal function, you are right on!

While your adrenal function plays a role in so many areas of your body, this will directly affect thyroid function, ovary function, inflammatory states and neural connectivity. So when we are looking hormone drive brain based disorders, it is essential to understand your personal adrenal function.

Based on years of this focus here at Depke Wellness we always recommend adrenal saliva testing so you can understand adrenal function throughout the day. We would look at cortisol production at four times during the day, a total cortisol and a DHEA average but that's not all. We also look at estradiol, estriol, progesterone, testosterone and melatonin. This provides us the necessary information to make recommendations to assist your body in balancing adrenal function. With proper adrenal function, you can begin to enjoy further balance with the thyroid, ovaries, inflammatory states and brain function.

While adrenal function may not be the "end all" for your brain disorder, it is the most significant starting point for hormone related brain disorders. So call our office today at (949)954-6226 and request a #205 adrenal saliva test kit and move forward with your goals of health and happiness. 

If you have any comments or questions, please post these below for us to address personally.

Nothing taste as good as...

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

...as feeling good feels!

Just in case you missed me putting together the title of this article with the first line, let me repeat.

Nothing taste as good as feeling good feels!

While you may have heard this in the past and though, yeah right, I have a recent story to share with you that will help you understand this comment.

For those that have been following Depke Wellness for some time, you already know that I am not shy at all about sharing when I have a health issue personally. You may remember when I first tested for gluten cross reactive sensitivity in February of 2013.

To refresh your memory, a cross reaction test will assess your potential sensitivity to proteins that are similar to the proteins in gluten. This  potential sensitivity is to the food choices listed below.

• Rye, Barley, Spelt, Polish Wheat
• Cow's Milk
• Casein
• Casomorphin
• Milk Butyrophilin
• Whey Protein
• Milk Chocolate
• Oats
• Yeast
• Coffee
• Sesame
• Buckwheat
• Sorghum
• Millet
• Hemp
• Amaranth
• Quinoa
• Tapioca
• Teff
• Soy
• Egg
• Corn
• Rice
• Potato

Well, out of this list I was personally sensitive to the foods listed below.

• Casomorphin
• Milk Butyrophilin
• Whey Protein
• Yeast
• Coffee
• Sorghum
• Millet
• Hemp
• Amaranth
• Tapioca
• Teff
• Soy
• Egg
• Corn
• Rice

If it seems as though I was repeating the list, that is because out of a possible 24 different cross reactive foods, I was personally sensitive to 15 of these.

As I discuss with all of my clients, once you have a recognized gluten cross reactive food sensitivity, you should eliminate this for anywhere from 12 to 18 months prior to reintroducing. I say this because it takes this time period for you gut to reestablish itself on a cellular level. Yes that's right, in about 1 year to 1 1/2 years, you will have a brand new gut. 

So what's next?

At this point, you can go on a rotation type of diet to add in the foods that you have originally eliminated while watching for symptoms and preparing for a retest. Well, here I am 18 months out and a have been rotating these foods in over the past 3 weeks. I have to say, I originally was very excited about this! After all, it has been more than 1 1/2 years since I have had cheese, butter, corn tortillas, eggs and rice, all of which I had missed on some level.

I started by adding back eggs and rice both of which did not seem to create any issues for me, but I did recognize that I had put on about 2-3 pounds at this time. I figured this could have been due to some other life event and didn't think much about it. 

Well than dairy came up next. Yikes! I had dairy along with my favorite birthday treat, which is a gluten free chocolate cake with a homemade whipped cream frosting. First of all, I was shocked by how much this simply tasted like cow. I know this may sound funny but that is the only way I can explain it. That was not the scary part though, since what happened after was the "yikes." After eating this I put on about 3 inches of girth around my waist and I felt like this ripped me up. All from the butter in the cake and the whipped cream frosting.

That was nothing though compared to the corn added in this past weekend. I originally was very excited about this because I have always enjoyed corn and have missed some corn products over the past 1 1/2. The though of having a taco on a corn tortilla sounded amazing and I always enjoyed an occasion treat of some corn chips with salsa and guacamole. This past weekend's trip to Mexico was the perfect place to add some corn in and "holy cow." Not only did I gain almost 10 pounds over the weekend but the amount of pain and discomfort I felt from this was truly not worth it. My whole body felt inflamed. I could not comfortably fit into my cloths, my gut was extremely bloated and I felt aches and pains in both my knees and ankles. Heck, somebody even asked me what I did to my ankle since it looked so inflamed. I laughed and told him that I ate corn and dairy.

So even though I was very excited about adding back in these foods again, it truly was not worth it. While off these foods my health has hit new heights, my weight reached levels that I have not seen in almost two decades and aches and pains that I have had for some years have almost completely diminished. But within three weeks I put on a bunch of weight, gain many inches in my gut and have reestablished some levels of pain and discomfort.

So do you get what I am saying when I shared, "nothing taste as good as feeling good feels!"

Thankfully my reintroduction period is over and I will retest to see what I am still sensitive to. Obviously I already know that both corn and dairy are still out and to be honest with you, if I do not get any of these foods back into my diet this would not be a concern at all, I simply love feeling health and happy. That's what is most important!

Please use my experience to look deeper at your food choices and how this can be affecting you. Most do not understand that eating foods that you are sensitive to will most often lead to:

• Inflammation
• Weight gain
• Inches gained
• Aches and pains
• Detoxification issues
• Immune system dysregulation
• Leaky gut
• Adrenal insufficiency
• And more....

There are three ways that we assist our clients at Depke Wellness in understanding food sensitivity. We either recommend a Cyrex Labs (array #4) gluten cross reactive blood test or an Immunolab Bloodprint154 blood test. For those that do not have the available finances to complete these blood tests, I always recommend a book "The Plan" by Lyn-Genet Recitas. This is one of the most comprehensive books I have seen to walk you through the process of discovering food sensitivity.

Remember, nothing taste as good as feeling good feels!

If you have any comments or questions in regard to this email, feel free to post below for us to respond to personally.

Something Illegal?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

On  a recent trip back to the Chicago area to visit my father, I just happened to be listening to a sports talk radio show as a I was driving. The shows host were talking about LeBron James and some other well known athletes that have seemingly overnight, become very lean as compared to the past. Now they did not insinuate that they had done anything illegal but they did mention that in professional sports, it is hard to not question the use of some type of illegal drug when witnessing a quick change in somebody's body. Heck, I get it, as we recently witnessed the "steroid era" in baseball as well as so many other recent "questionable" acts by professional sports icons.

So I guess the question may be, can these athletes become so lean seemingly overnight without the use of any illegal substances? The answer to this question is a resounding YES! 

It is first important to understand that for many of us, of our weight or "puffy" issue is really not an issue with too much fat on our body, but rather an inflammatory issue. I will share that when people address their personal triggers for inflammation and actually follow a rather simple, yet effective, anti-inflammatory protocol, the inflammation can fall off extremely quickly. This can leave you with a lean, healthy body in a short time frame and honestly, shock most people that witness this shift. I have seen this many times with programs that I have used with clients in my office as well as those that I have worked with online via programs that are delivered within webinar series.

Actually, such a program will be released soon referred to as "The PAIN of Inflammation." In this program we address the triggers for inflammation, the inflammation itself and the feedback loops that recycle inflammation.

What are the triggers?

The most common triggers for inflammation would be the SAD or standard American diet, high in processed foods and sugar, food sensitivity, infection and chronic stress. These are the most common but we could also include obesity, addiction and the use of chemotherapy as secondary triggers. Understanding and addressing your triggers are a key because following an anti-inflammatory protocol without getting to the core cause of this is futile.

Addressing the inflammation is not as easy as simply taking an anti-inflammatory supplement either. Yes, using a powerful anti-inflammatory protocol is important but you to create a high level of success quickly you also have to support other areas that play a role in inflammation such as your immune function, gut health, gut/brain connection and detoxification. When you pull all this together, it provides optimal support in assisting your body in the anti-inflammatory process.

It is also essential to address the missing piece of the puzzle for most anti-inflammatory programs which is the recycling of inflammation in your body. Understand that even once you remove your triggers, there are feedback loops that can continue your chronic inflammatory response. Here are four feedback loops that cannot be ignored.

• Inflammation - rise in cytokine production - autoimmunity - more inflammation
• Inflammation - breakdown in the tight junctures of the gut - leaky gut - autoimmunity - more inflammation
• Inflammation - poor liver biotransformation - inadequate phase I & phase II liver detoxification - more inflammation
• Inflammation - increase in fat cell production - insulin resistance - insulin surges - more inflammation

So you see, addressing inflammation is more than just taking your omega 3 fatty acids and when inflammation is not taken care of properly, this can leave us in a very challenging space. This is due to the fact that chronic inflammation is not just about looking "puffy" or being overweight, chronic inflammation is actually at the core of almost every chronic illness known to man.

This PAIN of inflammation can show it ugly head in many ways such as:

• Obesity
• Chronic aches and pains
• Mental/emotional disorders
• Chronic disease states
• And so much more...

With this information provided today, I truly hope you understand that chronic inflammation is a significant issue for almost everyone with a health issue. More importantly, these inflammatory challenges can be overcome and much quicker that most would be led to believe. When using these programs in the past, I have seen people lose more than 30 pounds in 6 weeks and often 10 pounds or more in just the first 7 to 10 days. So when you see recent pictures of LeBron James or other athletes that have achieved that "lean" look very quickly, recognize that any one of you can achieve this naturally also. Of course this does not mean we are all going to look like LeBron James, but we can tap into the athlete within us that is much leaner, much happier and much healthier.

Look for the upcoming "The PAIN of Inflammation" coming out soon and until then at least make sure you begin by cutting back on processed foods and sugar and assess the most common food sensitivity which is gluten sensitivity. Get your complimentary gluten assessment by visiting www.DepkeWellness.com and visiting the Gluten Intolerance page. Here you will find a complimentary gluten sensitivity assessment to gain a simple understanding of your personal challenges with gluten.

If you have any comments or questions about this article, please feel free to leave a post below for us to answer personally.

An AMAZING Discovery!

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

Last week I wrote and article "One of our BIGGEST Challenges" in which we discussed the issues created by food sensitivity and how to properly test to discover your underlying nutritional issues. While I do recommend the BloodPrint154 from Immunolabs as discussed last week, I also wanted to provide further opportunities for you in regard to food sensitivity. After all, not everyone has the ability to afford proper testing, but we do not want finances to get in the way of your health and happiness.

Actually, I have to thank my wife for sharing a book with me that not only changed my life but the lives of so many others also. This book is called "The Plan" written by Lyn-Genet Recitas and it is AMAZING! Lyn-Genet has spent decades working with individuals nutritional and has developed a protocol to understand what foods are most likely to be issues for you. This is done by following a regimented way of eating for 20 days while weighing yourself daily to understand the effect of food on your body based on and inflammatory response.

Remember how many times you have heard me mention that food sensitivity will lead to inflammation in your body?

My wife had originally followed this program with great success, recognizing weight loss, decrease in inflammation and even noticed and improvement in hormone balance. After she had this success, of course I had to give it a try and honestly, it was the last missing piece of my food sensitivity puzzle for me. Personally this helped me achieve a much deeper understanding of food combinations that while didn't have an effect on their own, showed as inflammatory challenges when eaten together.

One of the enjoyable aspects of Lyn-Genet's process is that she actually adds some "fun" foods relatively early in the process. You'll test wine and chocolate soon in the program because she recognizes, as do I, that it is not about a rigid nutritional program. We actually need to enjoy our food choices but also be sure that we are not making choices that are creating deeper issues overall.

I was so impressed with Lyn-Genet's book, her plan and honestly, who she is as a person, that I have agreed to create a bit of a partnership with her. Lyn-Genet had asked me to jump on her Facebook page to discuss adrenal function with her followers twice weekly as well as assisting her clients with personal adrenal care, which shows me the type of person that she is. Lyn-Genet is the "community" focused individual that truly cares about everyone that she touches and wants to offer the best care available. 

First and foremost, I would recommend that you purchase Lyn-Genet's book "The Plan" and not only read through this gift of information but more importantly, follow her program and make some discoveries in your life that may assist you in finding a deeper level of health and happiness.

Most clients or followers of Depke Wellness would also benefit from Team Planning. These are individual groups that are formed the assist in walking your through the process of the plan with professional guidance and creating a true community experience for you all.

I will provide this information for you below. Even if you are working with me one on one, this will still be amazing experience for you.

OATMEAL. SALMON. GREEK YOGURT. STRAWBERRIES. ASPARAGUS.

Think these foods are healthy? Think again!

Surprisingly, it’s not the carbs, calories or fat that sabotages your weight; it’s that they cause an inflammatory response, which is the basis for premature aging, disease and weight gain. Discover which foods do and don’t work for your unique chemistry!

The Plan improves weight loss, thyroid function, and digestive function, skin conditions, sleep patterns, energy levels and well-being.

The Plan is not about deprivation, in fact Planners consume 2,000 calories a day and wine, cheese and chocolate are part of the regimen!

        Sign up for The Lyn-Genet Team Plan*

A special three-week weight loss program with the support of a Health Coach, Lyn-Genet and your peers.  During this program, you’ll receive:

·         Access to Lyn-Genet via a kick off webinar

·         Access to a Health Coach who you will guide you during our 20 day menu, under the direct supervision of Lyn-Genet

·         Daily email check-ins with your Health Coach for the 20 days, M-F

·         Access to our private Facebook group

·         Menu planning guidance for future success

August upcoming kick-off meetings include Wednesday, July 30th at noon EDT. The fee for the program is $275. To enroll, please email info@lyngenet.com. Please put your preferred program date in the subject line of the email and include your full name, address and phone number within the email.  Space is limited for up to 10 participants per Team.

What Team Planners are saying:

“I learn so much from LG and the other people on Team Plan. Folks ask great questions. I started planning "on and off" since LG was on Dr. Oz. Doing The Plan "on and off" I have lost 20 lbs and have 10 more to go. It is amazing having access to LG…PRICELESS!”

“Could I do this on my own? Yes, maybe, but participating in the Team Plan makes me accountable and gives me a support group that I find helpful. I'm just a week into my restart, but down a few pounds and noticeably up in my energy and enthusiasm, so I'm certainly motivated to continue.”

* Weight loss results vary with each individual.

 

If you have any comments or questions about Lyn-Genet, "The Plan" or food sensitivity, please leave these below and I will address them personally.