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.

The Death of a Woman

by Glen Depke

It is recognized that during the life transition known as menopause, there is a significant decrease in the health and wellness for most women in our culture. This is due to the fact that most women move into menopausal years in a state of adrenal exhaustion. There are many different factors that tie into adrenal exhaustion, which is a subject in and by itself. If the adrenals are not in adequate function moving into this life transition, this leads to the possibility of increase of cardiovascular disease, stroke, osteoporosis, dementia, Alzheimer's disease, arthritis, and autoimmune disease. The typical symptoms initially felt for women that move into menopuase are listed below.

• Hot flashes
• Vaginal dryness
• Changes in skin tone
• Depression
• Poor concentration and memory
• Irregular periods
• Hair loss and thinning
• Pain and inflammation
• Weight gain
• Decreased cognitive function 
• Blood sugar imbalance

When I refer to the drop in health and wellness for women at this time, it is recognized that during a woman's life span, there will generally be a very slow and gradual decline in health known as the natural aging process. But when women enter the transition of menopause without healthy adrenal function, there is a very steep and dramatic drop in the health of a woman during the period of this transition. So there are two ways to address this. Either get your adrenals into optimal health prior to menopause or put out the fire of your symptoms and take the necessary steps balance this neuroendocrine, immunology dysfunction. 

As a woman, if you can move into this transition with a balance of your fundamentals of health and healthy adrenals this can potentially make all the difference in the world. You can continue the slow and steady aging process rather then the steep and dramatic drop off or this "death."

Understanding that once you are in the midst of these symptoms and health challenges created at this time, it is not only a hormonal issue. It truly is a brain, hormone, immune, gut, and adrenal issue. When address properly, you can find your balance once again and live a life of health and happiness.

If you would like to learn more about the Depke Wellness protocols on this subject, feel free to leave a post below for my personal response or call my office (949)954-6226 to set up a COMPLIMENTARY 20 minute phone session.

Putting Out the Fire!

by Glen Depke

If you have followed our newsletter for some time you recognize the focus that we often have on women’s health and hormones. Today we are going to take this a step further for women with premenopausal or menopausal symptoms to assist in taking the necessary steps to put out the fire of your symptom challenges.

Let’s first understand that these symptoms are not linear. Premenopause or menopause is not only an endocrine dysfunction, even though it is often treated as one by conventional and alternative medicine alike. 

These symptoms are a Neuroendocrine Immunological Disorder and need to be treated as such.

During premenopause and menopause years, there is a very steep and dramatic drop in the level of women’s health almost across the board.  During this time, challenges such as cardiovascular disease, stroke, osteoporosis, dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, arthritis and autoimmune disease are significantly increased. Many of the symptoms that are initially recognized will be hot flashes, vaginal dryness, changes in skin tone, depression, poor concentration, poor memory, irregular periods, hair loss or thinning, pain, inflammation, weight gain, decreased cognitive function and dysglycemia.

What really irks me is the fact that this does not need to happen, yet it continues! 

As many of you that have read my posts in the past, the key to moving through this period with ease is the health of your adrenal function as well as your focus on the fundamentals of health.

If you are already in the midst of these symptoms; I want you to recognize that it is not too late.

If you have already moved into this period of your life with poor adrenal function, you will begin to experience estrogen fluctuations which often lead to hot flashes as well as the other symptoms mentioned above. Due to the loss of hormonal balance, your immune system “winds up” and causes a cytokine rise. This rise leads to inflammation, further immune challenges and eventual neurodegeneration. 

Long term, this can lead to further inflammation, increased cytokine production, a breakdown in the blood/brain barrier, glia cell up regulation in the brain, further fluctuations in hormones, increased HPA axis activity, limbic system imbalances that often lead to anger and rage, and further immune system challenges. I know that some of this may get a bit technical, but get that this is creating challenges with your hormones, immune system and brain function collectively.

Also remember that estrogen deficiency has been shown to enhance the responsiveness of cells towards inflammatory cytokine receptor number and messengers which amplifies the inflammatory effects.

Enough said; it is time to put out the fire!

There is a big question though, “how do you put this fire out?”

The best way to address this is to use a combination of 3 supplements which includes Nitric Balance, Ultra D and Glutathione Recycler. Together these will assist in balancing the immune system function, shift you out of the inflammatory states, increasing blood flow, increasing brain function, stimulating cellular energy production as well as providing the necessary antioxidant properties needed. This along with addressing any gut challenges as well as proper nutrition can and typically does put out this fire so you can continue creating balance as needed.

For women severely challenged with hot flashes, I also recommend a supplement called Estrovite to balance the estrogen fluctuations that lead to these hot flashes. Remember that it is the fluctuation of estrogen that creates the hot flashes. This is why women will often continue to suffer with hot flashes even though they have introduced bio-identical hormones.

Also understand that this can be a roller coaster ride but as you continue to put out the fire and get a deeper understanding of the triggers that lead to your symptoms, you can eventually get your health back and move into your state of balance and happiness desired.

To learn more about the protocols used by Depke Wellness at Impact Health & Wellness, I welcome you to register here for a FREE 20 minute phone consultation to discuss this with me personally.

If you have any comments or questions to this article, feel free to leave them below for me to address personally.

Upcoming Tele-Lecture on PMS, Menopause & Infertility

Hope for PMS, Menopause & Infertility

* Are you a part of the 90% of women suffering with symptoms of PMS?
* Are you one of the 70% of women dealing with symptoms of menopause?
* Are you one of the 5 million plus women challenged with infertility?
* Did you know that you have the ability to walk away from these challenges?

With this short tele-lecture we will address these challenges at the core.

Thursday 12/9 at 6:00PM Pacific Time

Click on this link to register for this life altering information.

Menopause is NOT a Disease

by Glen Depke

Let me start with this question, “Do you really thing the women were created or evolved to suffer for 5 to 10 years during their mid-forties to mid-fifties? Of course this is not the case, yet this pain and suffering is truly to an epidemic proportion.

Menopause is typically defined in this way; menopause is the transition period in a woman's life when her ovaries stop producing eggs, her body produces less estrogen and progesterone, and menstruation becomes less frequent, eventually stopping altogether.

In some women, menstrual flow comes to a sudden halt. More commonly, it slowly stops over time. During this time, the menstrual periods generally become either more closely or more widely spaced. This irregularity may last for 1 - 3 years before menstruation finally ends completely. Before this the cycle length may shorten to as little as every 3 weeks.

Common symptoms of menopause include:

• Heart pounding or racing
• Hot flashes
• Night sweats
• Skin flushing
• Sleeping problems (insomnia)

Other symptoms of menopause may include:

• Decreased interest in sex, possibly decreased response to sexual stimulation
• Forgetfulness (in some women)
• Irregular menstrual periods
• Mood swings including irritability, depression, and anxiety
• Urine leakage
• Vaginal dryness and painful sexual intercourse
• Vaginal infections
• Joint aches and pains
• Irregular heartbeat (palpitations)

I want to let you know right now that these symptoms listed above are NOT a normal part of menopause. The transition of menopause could be and should be symptom free!

In indigenous cultures around the world women did not and do not suffer from these symptoms and are actually honored and worshiped for this transition, while holding higher levels of stature within their community due to their recognized strength and wisdom. When is the last time you heard a women share that she cannot wait to make the transition into menopause, so she can be honored in her community?

There may be some women out there that are thinking at this point, “Why would I listen to a man about menopause?” I can share that I have never and will never experience menopause in the way that a woman will. With this said, I can also share that the higher percentage of my client base over the years is female and from the ages of 35 to 55, so I regularly work with women suffering the pain and discomfort of menopause or other hormonal challenges such as PMS and infertility. With this base of clients, I have been able to understand the core aspects that lead to this pain and suffering and will share that it does not have to be. Many of my clients are quickly able to enjoy a positive shift in their symptom challenges by addressing the core of the issue. They actually enjoy balancing their body and walking away from their symptoms.

The other positive aspect of being a male while looking at the challenges with menopausal symptoms; I have never “bought into” the horrific stories of menopause. I am able to look at menopausal symptoms for what they are; a basic fundamental imbalance that can be understood and addressed.

If you would like more information on the core issues that lead to menopausal symptoms visit this link provided.