Why haven't I heard off adrenals?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

To complete that question as asked by a client of mine, " Why haven't I heard of adrenals from anyone else?"

Understanding this situation a bit further, it is important to know that this was a client that had already spent tens of thousands of dollars with many other conventional and holistic practitioners. Even after spending the time, money and effort she still felt hopelessly lost in her chronic fatigue and overall chronic health issues.

Interestingly enough, this client was referred to me by a friend of hers and she was very resistant to evening coming in to visit Depke Wellness. Thankfully her friend insisted that she visit me but I can share that she came in 'kicking and screaming." I completely understand though because when you are dealing with such low energy and chronic health issues, while already putting a huge strain on your pocket book with little to no results, this is not an uncommon response.

As I went through the parameters of the protocols used at Depke Wellness, we discussed adrenal function. Recognizing that the adrenals tie into the thyroid, pancreas and ovary function, metabolism of fat and protein, regulation of body weight, mucosal tissue integrity, detoxification processes, immune system function, pro and anti-inflammatory states, cellular energy, glucose balance, bone and connective tissue turnover, muscular integrity, quality of sleep and mood, ability to memorize and learn and overall neural connectivity. I know, it sounds like a lot but this is so completely factual and so unbelievably misunderstood. I also explained to her that based on my past clients, I find that less than 1/10th of 1% of my new clients actually have balanced adrenal function. 

In fairness, I work health challenged individuals as people are not walking off the street telling me that they are in the best of health yet the want to be better. People come into Depke Wellness because the have health challenges.

I explained to my client as I do with all new clients that due to the fact that it is an almost 100% likelihood of adrenal insufficiency, it is essential that we begin our work together by looking at adrenal function as well as the imbalanced fundamentals of health that are actually leading to this adrenal insufficiency. 

If you are following other protocols and/or supplement programs and they are not working for you, it is very likely that you simply did not get your adrenals into a state of balance which is hindering progress across the board. This is why this client asked me, " Why haven't I heard of adrenals from anyone else?"

I cannot speak for other practitioners in regard to why they do or do not look at adrenal function. I understand that from a conventional standpoint, this is not a focus because there is not a prescription alternative to adrenal insufficiency. A simple understanding that medicine is medicine and without this, there are little if any options. Another aspect to consider from a conventional perspective is the fact that most conventional doctors look at blood testing. When you use blood testing for cortisol as an example, this only gives you a total cortisol level. This is often not a complete picture because you want to see cortisol levels through the day to make a comprehensive assessment of this function. Often I have clients come into Depke Wellness after their naturally minded conventional doctor completes a blood test for adrenal function, only to say that everything is fine. Many of these people end up as clients in Depke Wellness only to find that their adrenal function truly is not fine, based on more comprehensive saliva testing throughout a full day.  From a more holistic perspective, perhaps some practitioners have yet to learn the importance of adrenal function and refer out clients that do not progress with their particular programs. The focus or lack thereof with other practitioners in regard to adrenal gland function is likely multifaceted and not worth our time and effort to figure out the why or why not, but simply find someone to look at your adrenal function.

I want to be very clear with everyone that your adrenal function is not the sole challenge for your overall health issue but I would almost guarantee that it is a significant aspect of why your health is an challenge for you. This will be potentially different from one client to the next. I have some clients that feel much better the first day they are on their adrenal protocol, some that feel significantly better within a couple of weeks while some will have to get deeper into gut/brain challenges, infection and/or inflammation before they feel the benefits of our work together.

In the end for the client that asked me, "Why haven't I heard of adrenals from anyone else?", she ended up with a significant shift in her energy and health within only a couple of weeks and for this women, it was a boarder line miracle. 

Could you be next?  

Really, What Kind of Fat?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

It used to be that we would simply worry about being fat or not but it is not that easy any more. We hear of terms such as body fat, brown fat, white fat, visceral fat, skinny fat and the list goes on. While fat has a bad reputation, it is essential for optimal health and wellness. We just want the right kind of fat and in the best amounts of each of us individually. So "get" that you do not have to agonize over this or try to exercise it all away. Just have a healthy relationship with your fat. 

Fat is intriguing and becoming more so every day. We are just beginning to understand fat and honestly, this is a very fascinating subject. Fat plays a huge role in brain health and did you know that you produce much more energy breaking down fat rather than carbohydrates. So much for the carb loading we all focused on in the 80's.

First off, fat has two main functions, one being the storage of excess calories and the other is the release hormones that control metabolism. This is just the tip of the iceberg though as we look deeper at the different types of fat in the body.

First we'll look at brown fat. Brown fat has gotten a lot of buzz recently, with the discovery that it's not the worthless fat scientists had originally thought.

In recent studies, scientists have found that lean people tend to have more brown fat than overweight or obese people and that when stimulated it can burn calories. 

It's known that children have more brown fat than adults, and it's what helps them keep warm. Brown fat stores decline in adults but still help with warmth. Brown fat is now thought to be more like muscle than like white fat. When activated, brown fat burns white fat.

Although leaner adults have more brown fat than heavier people, even their brown fat cells are greatly outnumbered by white fat cells. As an example a 150 pound person may have 20 to 30 pounds of fat but only about 2 to 3 ounces of this may be brown fat. But that 2 ounces if maximally stimulated, could burn off enough calories in a day to lose up to a pound in a week.
 
Understand that white fat is much more plentiful than brown. The job of white fat is to store energy and produce hormones that are then secreted into the bloodstream.

Small fat cells produce a "good guy" hormone called adiponectin, which makes the liver and muscles sensitive to the hormone insulin, in the process making us less susceptible to diabetes and heart disease. When people become fat, the production of adiponectin slows down or shuts down, setting them up for disease.

Subcutaneous fat is found directly under the skin. It's the fat that's measured using skin-fold calipers to estimate your total body fat. In terms of overall health, subcutaneous fat in the thighs and buttocks, for instance, may not be as bad and may have some potential benefits compared to a much more dangerous fat such as visceral fat. Subcutaneous fat cells on the belly may be another story as there's emerging evidence that the danger of big bellies lies not only in the deep visceral fat but also the subcutaneous fat.

Visceral fat, which is the most dangerous fat, wraps around the inner organs and is a leading cause of chronic illness. Visceral fat drives up your risk for diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and even dementia. Visceral fat is thought to play a larger role in insulin resistance, which increases the risk of diabetes more than other fat. It's not exactly clear why, but it could explain or partially explain why visceral fat is a health risk. The link between visceral fat and dementia has been studied and the results are likely not surprising. Those with the biggest bellies and specifically visceral fat had a higher risk of dementia than those with smaller bellies and less visceral fat. The link was true even for people with excess belly fat but overall of normal weight.

This does not explain why belly fat and dementia are linked, but speculates that substances such as leptin, a hormone released by the belly fat, may have some adverse effect on the brain. Leptin plays a role in appetite regulation but also in learning and memory.

Belly fat has gotten a mostly deserved reputation as an unhealthy fat. Understand that belly fat is both visceral and subcutaneous. So if you've got an oversize belly, figuring out how much is visceral and how much is subcutaneous isn't as important as recognizing a big belly is unhealthy, she says. How big is too big? Women with a waist circumference more than 35 inches and men with a waist circumference more than 40 inches are at increased disease risk but recognize that this is not individualized. In our clinic, we measure the visceral fat with every new client to recognize any potential health risk right away.

Abdominal fat is viewed as a bigger health risk than hip or thigh fat and that could mean having a worse effect on insulin resistance, boosting the risk of diabetes, and a worse effect on blood lipids, boosting heart and stroke risk.

While men tend to accumulate fat in the belly, it's no secret that women, especially if pear-shaped, accumulate it in their thighs and buttocks.

Unsightliness aside, emerging evidence suggests that pear-shaped women are protected from metabolic disease compared to big-bellied people. Thigh fat and butt fat might be good, referring to that area's stores of subcutaneous fat. But the benefit of women being pear shaped may stop at menopause, when women tend to deposit more fat in the abdomen.

So when you lose weight, what kind or kinds of fat do you shed? You're losing white fat and people tend to lose evenly all over. The results change a bit, however, if you add workouts to your nutritional plan as exercise plus diet you will tend to lose slightly more visceral fat from your belly.

So in the end, understand that body fat is a good thing as long as it is under control and the right type. To learn more about getting control of your fat and dropping the "bad" fat visit, Unleash Your Thin.

It Happened to Me...

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

....so by all means, it can happen to you also.

Glen Depke

So what the heck and I talking about?

Let me set this up for you first. As you may have heard me share in the past, I typically sleep very well, wake up before the alarm ever goes off and am rocked and ready to go. That is until a few months ago. I recognized that I was now waking to my alarm and getting out of bed was, uggg, almost painful.

Now most of you know that I walk my talk, so what do you think was the first thing I did when this new (ugly) pattern was recognized? I did an adrenal saliva kit of course. If you are a client of mine, you probably already guessed this.

So what showed up in my adrenal results?

I actually found more than one challenge. First of all, I was in a stage II adrenal insufficiency and a late stage II at that. I also had very low DHEA levels and low melatonin. I was actually happy to get these results because this explained the reason behind my new and not so improved sleeping pattern. 

What did not make sense though, is why the heck was I in a stage II adrenal insufficiency. After all, I am definitely balanced emotionally, I do not eat gluten or cross reactive foods and I have been through 2 substantial cleanses this year already. While this did not make sense to me there was a little red flag in my adrenal results. Understand that cortisol levels and melatonin should be exact opposites of each other. My night time cortisol levels were fine but my night time melatonin was low. This would tell me that my low melatonin level is not a hormonal issue, this would then be a digestive issue. 

As a side note, if melatonin is low, what do I never recommend for my clients? If you guessed melatonin, you are correct. Let me tell you why.

Once you have eliminated the hormonal tie into low melatonin, the next major area to address is digestion and here's why. Follow this list below on the sleep cycle for clarity.

1. It first starts with proper digestion
2. Next comes the need for regular protein consmumption
3. With proper protein and digestion, your body will be able to pull out the necessary levels of L-tryptophan
4. Only about 1% of this L-tryptophan will be needed for this sleep cycle while the rest is needed for B vitamin production and other bodily processes
5. With the L-typtophan the body can then produce 5-HTP
6. From 5-HTP the body will produce setotonin
7. Finally from serotonin, the body will produce melatonin

Knowing this you can probable deduce on your own the simply taking melatonin does not truly resolve the issue. It might help with my sleeping pattern a bit but it would still leave so many other deficiencies. 

Remember I mentioned that there was a red flag that I had a digestive issue causing the low melatonin? Knowing that I am not stressed out and I do not consumed foods that I am intolerant to, what would the cause be? If you guessed pathogens, that is exactly what I was thinking.

With the suspect of pathogens, my next step was to complete a 4 day comprehensive stool collection. I waited impatiently to get these results, and there it was. I was not only dealing with a pathogen, I was dealing with two pathogens. Somewhere in my last 2 years, I had picked up a detrimental bacteria called klebsiella and an amoeba called endolimax nana cyst. You might be thinking "YIKES" but honestly I was happy to get this. It explained my digestive issues as well as my sleep and adrenal challenges. It is also good news to have this awareness because both of these can be dealt with with relative ease now, rather than waiting for future challenges to develop. 

Long term, klebsiella that is not addressed can lead to pneumonia, urinary tract infections, septicemia, and soft tissue infections. Klebsiella species have also been implicated in the pathogenesis of ankylosing spondylitis which is an inflammatory/autoimmune condition that primarily affects the joints of the spine. The endolimax nana cyst often leads to chronic or intermittent diarrhea, which was also becoming an issue for me.

Now does it make sense that I was happy to see these reports?

So why am I sharing all this?

I am sharing this because if this can happen to me with all the positive focus I have on my own health and wellness, this can definitely happen to you. So the next time you recognize that your sleep is a little off or your energy is a bit low, don't simply reach for some melatonin to help your sleep and caffeine to boost your energy. Look deeper and find the real issues so you do not have to live with chronic ailments later in life.

Remember, it happened to me...it can happen to you.

Glad You Finally Jumped on Board!

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

 

Jump on board for what you may ask?

What I am referring to is something we have been talking about at Depke Wellness for some time not...

The gut/brain connection!  

Here is an excerpt from a past article on the gut/brain connection from Depke Wellness.

"So you think your brain is all in your head? Well, think again. Obviously it starts in your head but your brain extends into the brain stem, from there this leads to the Vagus nerve which then extends throughout the gastrointestinal system. Yes that same nerve tissue that is within your brain extends into the gut and oh, what a connection!"

If you would like to read the entire article on the Gut/Brain Connection, click here.

Finally conventional thought is catching up and that is so exciting for all of us. For decades natural health pioneers have been sharing information on the need for beneficial bacteria in the gut, recognizing that this is not just a gut issue but also a brain issue.

The "groundbreaking" news from the UCLA Health website has recently shared:

"UCLA researchers now have the first evidence that bacteria ingested in food can affect brain function in humans. In an early proof-of-concept study of healthy women, they found that women who regularly consumed beneficial bacteria known as probiotics through yogurt showed altered brain function, both while in a resting state and in response to an emotion-recognition task."

If you would like to read the article in its entirety, visit this link. I would truly recommend this article for all our readers.

They mentioned:

"The discovery that changing the bacterial environment, or microbiota, in the gut can affect the brain carries significant implications for future research that could point the way toward dietary or drug interventions to improve brain function, the researchers said."

While I am happy to see that conventional medicine is on board with this information, it would make sense that instead of discussing this as a desire to create further drug interventions, how about taking probiotics or naturally fermented foods? 

I can share that personally, I take 2 capsules of the Depke Wellness Prebiotic/Probiotic Formula every morning when I wake up. Thanks to some work my wife does for our home we also enjoy naturally fermented drinks such as coconut water kefir and kombucha on a regular basis to also kick up our healthy bacteria. There are so many health options to maintain a healthy gut/brain connection that are often not put into use. 

Here is a list of naturally fermented products for your personal use.

*As a special note, when these foods below are "rushed" and put through a chemical fermentation process they do not enjoy the same beneficial bacteria gift. Many of these are now chemically fermented but finding these in their true naturally fermented state is invaluable. Many of these can still be found in these healthy states of fermentation.

• Sourdough Bread - Sourdough bread is fermented with the help of wild yeasts that are unique to a region, climate, or even kitchen. Mixing wild yeast culture into flour and water to make bread will create bubbles that cause the bread to rise, and give the bread a characteristic sour taste.
• Cheese - Cheese is really milk gone bad (in a controlled way) All cheese consists of milk, culture, and sometimes coagulant. Different cheeses began with different cheese cultures, some of which have been handed down for generations.
• Cultured Butter - Cultured butter is butter made from soured (again in a controlled way) cream that is then whipped or churned to separate the whey from the butterfat. This extra step is what makes cultured butter more expensive than regular butter.
• Crème fraîche - One of the most versatile dairy products around, crème fraîche is soured cream, the precursor of cultured butter, and one of the easiest and most foolproof cultured dairy products to make at home.
• Yogurt - Yogurt is milk that has been cultured with two very specific strains of bacteria: streptoccus thermophilus and lactobacillus bulgaricus. Most yogurts in the grocery store are filled with artificial additives, colors, and sweeteners. When shopping, look for plain yogurt containing nothing but cultures and milk. Or make your own.
• Kefir - Also known as drinkable yogurt, kefir is a cultured dairy product similar to yogurt, but it contains more strains of friendly bacteria than yogurt.
• Salami - Salami and other cured meats made the traditional (slow) way are actually fermented. The meat is mixed with salt and spices, inoculated with a special culture, and then allowed to cure naturally, without additives. That’s why, when you bite into a really fine artisanal salami, you can usually detect a slight tang. That’s the fermentation.
• Wine -To make wine, the grapes are mixed with yeast and allowed to ferment before aging.
• Beer - Beer is made from fermented mashed grains like hops and wheat. Differences in flavor and body come from manipulating the ratio of ingredients and adding other flavors.
• Sauerkraut - Sauerkraut is another very simple home fermenting project. You can ferment cabbage easily with just salt, or you can use a lacto-fermentation method by adding a little yogurt whey. Try it here.
• Pickles - Traditionally, dill pickles were made through fermentation. Now they are most often made with vinegar. The traditional types are making a resurgence, however, and can be found in specialty stores carrying local products. Or you can make them yourself.
• Kimchi - There are more varieties of kimchi than cars, but all have a delicious funk in common, and that funk comes from fermentation. Kimchi is made like sauerkraut but may contain different types of vegetables and seasonings, sugar, and often some type of dried or fermented fish product.
• Kombucha - This popular drink, like yogurt, and unlike wild fermented items like sauerkraut, is the product of a very specific culture. The culture is a spongy, slightly slimy disc that is sometimes called mother and sometimes called a skoby. The culture ferments a mixture of black tea and sugar into a tart, slighty fizzy drink that some people insist is a cure-all for many ailments. Making Kombucha video.
• Fish Sauce - Where does the dipping sauce in Thai and Vietnamese restaurants get its pungency? From the fish sauce, which is made of mashed up whole fish, packed in salt and fermented. But beware. Not all fish sauce is created equally. Some brands are produced through a chemical process, not a natural fermentation process.
• Vinegar - Vinegar is made by fermenting wine with a “mother,” which is a stringy mass of bacteria found in unpasteurized vinegar. It’s easy to make vinegar at home from leftover wine and culture, either purchased or obtained from another vinegar.
• Miso - The salty paste used in Japanese cooking is made with a special koji culture, rice or barley, and soybeans. Many people think it’s the key to Japanese longevity.
• Tempeh - This meaty tasting soybean cake, popular in Indonesian cuisine is a product of fermenting cooked soybeans with a special mold. If the tempeh sometimes appears moldy, that’s because it is. But rest assured, it’s like the mold in blue cheese and ok to eat. Here’s a great recipe for pan-fried tempeh

Enjoying these naturally fermented foods when available while taking your daily probiotic goes a long way in not only helping your gut but also your brain. Now it's not just us health geeks talking about it, conventional medicine in now on board. For that, we are thankful!

Yes, I Ate The Sausage!

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

This is a real life event that occurred for me. I was at a breakfast business meeting recently simply enjoying my breakfast and someone walked up to me and asked this question, "You're eating the sausage?" In fairness, this person knows that I am a Traditional Naturopath and was shocked that I actually ate a breakfast sausage. 

So my response to this question was, "Did you think I was a vegan?" 

So often the general public will have a misconception that I am a vegan or vegetarian or that I consume this ultra rigid diet all the time. To be completely honest, I only know 5 people that eat "perfectly" all the time and here's a little secret. All 5 of these people are "off" somewhere else in their lives. The thought of eating "perfect" all the time is actually a rigid energy and you know the saying "how you do anything is how you do everything." With that said, this rigidity tends to leak into every other area of life and create many other issues. If you are one of those 5 people reading this, you know who you are an off course, nothing personal.

Does this mean I consume a regular diet of breakfast sausage? That's is actually a funny thought but of course not. For that particular meal I had to make my best choice available. Since I am personally intolerant to more than a few foods, eggs and muffins were not an option for me. This left a choice of potato, strawberries and the dreaded breakfast sausage. Knowing that I am a Protein Type, I knew that choosing the potato and strawberries only would leave me with poor energy physically, mentally, emotionally and dealing with cravings. This is why I ate the sausage. So while this was not optimal, this was the best available choice at that time.

So often I see clients that are truly "freaked out" about food. Based on what is going on with our food sources very often people won't even go out to eat and if they end up at an event such as I did, they'll have such and emotional reaction to their nutritional choices. While I respect those that maintain a high level of nutritional integrity, if this focus is creating a significant emotional response in your life, is this still healthy for you? That is the question to ask yourself.

It is most important is to understand your food intolerance and Nutritional ID. Once you know these factors, you'll understand your wiggle room. For intolerance testing I use a company called Cyrex Labs with my clients and order an Array #4 Gluten-Associated Cross-Reactive Foods and Foods Sensitivity. If you need information on this, feel free to contact Depke Wellness at (949)954-6226.

There's also another rule that I follow and teach on a regular basis and that is the rule of 10%. What this means is that 90% of the time you follow your Nutritional ID meal plan while the other 10% of the time, you simply eat what you want. There is on stipulation here though. If you have a food intolerance, this has to be completely eliminated. Due to the fact that Americanized dairy and egg are both intolerant foods for me, this is why the egg and muffin were not choices in the breakfast meeting. When you put this rule of 10% into practice, with the understanding of 3 meals per day and 7 day per week, this means what within the week you will consume 19 very healthy meals according to your Nutritional ID from the best possible sources at your disposal and 2 meals per week, you simply eat what you want. Remember though that intolerant foods are still not included. One of your 10% meals can be a hot fudge sundae and a cocktail (I know that this is too an extreme) but if that is what you are dieing for, have fun!

Now by living by this rule, you create two experiences. The first is that you feel free! The rigidity of never eating this or that is lifted for you. One more reminder, no intolerant foods please. The other benefit of this is on a deeper level though. When you consume 19 meals, right for your Nutritional ID as well as eliminate your intolerant foods and you feel awesome physically, mentally and emotionally this makes it easier to continue this path. Often what occurs is the other 2 meals that you consume that potentially imbalance you, your own internal guidance will shift your cravings for you. I see this all the time with clients as they shift their nutritional integrity and follow the rule of 10%.

So if you see me eating a breakfast sausage, know that this is simply my best choice or perhaps a part of my own 10%. I would suggest that if you treat your nutrition in this way, you may find a way to be in nutritional integrity without rigidity. Isn't that what we're looking for anyway?

Somebody's Going to be Upset...

by Glen Depke

The somebody that is going to be upset may actually be your own natural health practitioner. The reason for this upset is due to the fact that many natural health care practitioners are still practicing under an antiquated model of toxicity.

The old model of toxicity was based on the idea that small amounts of any particular toxin were "OK" for you and that a problem would arise when the build up of this toxin became too great for you personally. The steps typically taken were to take a blood, urine, or hair analysis to assess levels of toxicity. The next step was to assist the body in releasing this toxicity via chelation or some form of aggressive detoxification. Far too often this would lead to an increase of symptoms which would then be pawned off as detoxification symptoms. 

Common challenges with the old model of toxicity:

• Increased toxicity in your brain
• Increase in symptom challenges
• Mineral deficiencies
• Unhealthy demand on liver function as well as other systems of detoxification and elimination

If you have either witnessed this yourself or have experienced this yourself, let me expose you to something "different" today. I don't like to say right or wrong, just "different."

First of all there are 3 factors that tie into toxicity as listed below.

• Dose dependent
• Build up of toxicity
• Immunological imbalance

Any of or all three of these can lead to a loss of your personal chemical tolerance. Once your body loses chemical tolerance this can be expressed in many ways listed below.

• Chronic illness
• Autoimmunity
• Degeneration
• Fatigue
• Inflammation

If you've been reading my articles in the past you will also understand that these challenges can lead to a host of other complications in your body, but we'll stick with the main issues above.

Now the reason the above challenges arise is based on the fact that when you lose your chemical tolerance, there are certain factors that are leading to this issue. These factors are listed below for you.

• Depleted glutathione recycling
• T cell failure
• Barrier system breakdown
• Cytokine dysregulation

Let's understand each of these a bit further.

Glutathione is a sulfur-containing, water-soluble, endogenous tripeptide composed of 3 amino acids. Glutathione, simply put, is your body’s master antioxidant. Existing in every cell of your body, Glutathione is produced within each cell to cleanse and protect your body at the cellular level by detoxifying, removing heavy metals, and fighting free radicals.This is the body's main protecting antioxidant for the cellular mitochondria. For those that are not familiar with mitochondria, this is the little engine that drives every cell in your body. Sounds slightly important, right? Anyway, glutathione exist in a reduced form (GSH), which is the potent antioxidant and the oxidized form (GSSG) which is the post form of protection to quench your free radical activity and inflammatory states. At the end of this article I will provide much more information on glutathione and its benefits.

T cells originate in the bone marrow and mature in the thymus. In the thymus, T cells multiply and differentiate into helper, regulatory, or cytotoxic T cells or become memory T cells. They are then sent to peripheral tissues or circulate in the blood or lymphatic system. Once stimulated by the appropriate antigen, helper T cells secrete chemical messengers called cytokines, which stimulate the differentiation of B cells into plasma cells (antibody-producing cells). Regulatory T cells act to control immune reactions, hence their name. Cytotoxic T cells, which are activated by various cytokines, bind to and kill infected cells and cancer cells. Let's also recognize that T cell failure is synonyms with glutathione deficiency.

Your barrier systems are going to include the gut, lung and blood brain barrier. The gut barrier speaks of the tight junctions, which represent the major barrier within the pathway between intestinal epithelial cells that line the digestion tract. The blood–brain barrier is a separation of circulating blood from the brain extracellular fluid in the central nervous system. It occurs along all capillaries and consists of tight junctions around the capillaries that do not exist in normal circulation. Basically this blood/brain barrier protects your brain from toxins moving from your blood into your brain where they will ultimately create challenges in your body on many levels.

Cytokines are proteins that are produced by cells. Cytokines interact with cells of the immune system in order to regulate the body's response to disease and infection. Cytokines also mediate normal cellular processes in the body. Overproduction or inappropriate production of certain cytokines by the body can result in disease. With this said, you can see the dysregulation of cytokines can be a huge health issue on so many levels.

Now we can look at a "different" model for detoxification.

First of all a blood test is absolutely ridiculous unless there is an acute exposure and will have zero representation of toxicity that is long term. When I mention an acute exposure, this would be defined as a 48 hour period or less. I also do not recommend hair or conventional urine testing as both these tests can be very inaccurate. I always use a urine
porphyrins profile. Porphyrins are proteins produced in your body that will react in very specific ways based on heavy metals in your body.

We also want to address the true factors into the toxicity.

1. Initiation of the lose of chemical tolerance
2. Triggers or the chemicals that trigger and immune system response
3. This then lead to challenges such as asthma, fibromyalgia, depression, chronic fatigue, autoimmunity and magraines
4. This will also lead to further challenges with allergies, food intolerance and chemical sensitivity

 What do you do now?

• Increase glutathione levels: I personally use and recommend A/C Glutathione and Super Oxi-Cell to my clients and often recommend a Glutathione Recycler for some cases. Short of an IV, this is the best way to increase your own bodies glutathione and recycling of glutathione. 
• Understand that glutathione will create a natural chelating affect, bind to heavy metals in your body, and bind to metal ions making them less toxic to your body.
• Increase blood flow to the brain: Typically in my practice I recommend either VeinLite or Nitric Balance to assist on this level.
• Address some of the underlying causes such as:
• Gluten intolerance
• Cross reactive intolerance
• Chronic stress
• Alcoholism or over-consumption of alcohol
• Poor dietary choices
• *Once you have supported these levels and addressed other levels of your health and wellness you may be able to use some standard levels of detoxification 

This is will get you started in reestablishing your barrier systems, T cell relation as well as glutathione recycling and assist in regulating your cytokine production.

*When addressing the supplements mentioned above, work with a qualified natural health practitioner that understands this immune-toxicity pattern. Taking these supplements without direction can make a significant difference in your results.

I would like to make one other side note for my athletes out there that are focusing on nitric oxide. Very often those with athletic aspirations look to increase nitric oxide by using L-arginine. While there are two forms of nitric oxide that are beneficial such as neural endothelial function and dialated blood vessels, the use of L-arginine to increase nitric oxide can also increase what is referred to as iNOS which is an inflammatory/autoimmune response. This would not be recommended.

If you are not a client of Depke Wellness, you are welcome to call our office at (949)954-6226 to see how our team can assist you with your health challenges by setting up a complimentary 20 minute phone consultation. No commitment but some time.


More information on Glutathione.

Glutathione
Also known as: GSH; Reduced Glutathione

Description
Glutathione is a Sulfur-containing, water-soluble, endogenous Tripeptide composed of 3 Amino Acids.
 
Health Benefits of Glutathione
Aging & Life Extension
Increasing the body's production of Glutathione may inhibit the progression of the Aging 
Process (old Cells contain 20 - 30% less Glutathione compared to young Cells). 
Glutathione possesses Life Extension potential.

Cardiovascular System
Atherosclerosis patients generally exhibit reduced endogenous Glutathione levels (indicating that supplemental Glutathione or supplements that increase endogenous 
Glutathione levels may be beneficial for the treatment of Atherosclerosis). 
Glutathione improves the structural integrity of Red Blood Cells and helps to prevent Free Radicals from damaging Red Blood Cells. research
Glutathione improves the chances of surviving a Stroke (people with low Glutathione levels who experience a Stroke have less chance of survival compared to people with high Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) levels of Glutathione).

Cells 
If Glutathione levels become depleted to less than 25% of normal levels, Cell death can occur.

Digestive System 
Crohn’s Disease patients are generally found to have very low Glutathione levels and some researchers speculate that supplemental Glutathione (or its precursors) may improve the condition of Crohn’s Disease patients. 
Glutathione helps to prevent Gastric Ulcers caused by Stress, Aspirin and Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs). 
Glutathione concentrates in the Pancreas.

Excretory System 
Glutathione concentrates in the Kidneys.

Eyes/Vision 
Optimal Glutathione levels help to prevent Cataracts.
Glutathione concentrates in the Cornea research and Lens research of the Eye and accelerates recovery from Eye surgery.

Hair
Glutathione exerts Antioxidant effects that protect Hair Follicles from Free Radicals damage (inactive Hair Follicles (that occur during the progression of Male Pattern Baldness) tend to be deficient in Glutathione).

Immune System
Persons infected with the HIV Virus and/or affected by Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) usually exhibit depressed Glutathione levels (many researchers believe that this Glutathione deficiency plays a major role in the pathogenesis of HIV and the eventual development of full-blown AIDS): 
Further studies have shown that Glutathione suppresses the expression of the HIV virus.
Glutathione inhibits the excessive production of Cytokines that are implicated in Autoimmune Diseases.
Glutathione protects against Cancer via a similar mechanism to Beta-Carotene:
Glutathione can possibly cure Liver Cancer.
Hepatitis C causes severe depletion of Glutathione (and supplemental Glutathione helps to counteract this depletion).
Glutathione facilitates the transport of essential nutrients to Lymphocytes and Phagocytes.
Glutathione protects against the damage caused by Radiation Therapy.
Glutathione concentrates in the Spleen.

Metabolism
The Sulfhydryl Group of Glutathione interacts with Aldehydes and prevent them from initiating Cross-Linking.
Glutathione is a powerful endogenous Antioxidant (via its incorporation into the Glutathione Peroxidase and Glutathione Reductase enzymes):
Glutathione combats many of the Free-Radicals that cause Allergies:
Glutathione is involved in the destruction of Peroxide Free-Radicals (including Hydrogen Peroxide).
Optimal endogenous Glutathione levels help to prevent Cirrhosis (depletion of endogenous Glutathione is one of the biochemical consequences of Cirrhosis). Glutathione also helps to repair the Liver damage caused by Cirrhosis.
Glutathione repairs the Liver damage caused by Hepatitis.
Glutathione enhances the general function of the Liver and helps to prevent Liver damage.

Nervous System
Alzheimer’s Disease patients generally exhibit reduced endogenous Glutathione levels (indicating that supplemental Glutathione or supplements that increase endogenous Glutathione levels may be beneficial for the treatment of Alzheimer’s Disease).
Glutathione protects against the toxic effects of excessive production of Endorphins.
Manic Depression patients are generally found to have low endogenous production of Glutathione.
Parkinson’s Disease patients generally exhibit reduced endogenous Glutathione levels (indicating that supplemental Glutathione or supplements that increase endogenous Glutathione levels may be beneficial for the treatment of Parkinson’s Disease).
Schizophrenia patients are generally found to have low endogenous production of Glutathione.

Glutathione Enhances the Function of these Substances
Amino Acids
Glutathione is a transport vehicle for Cysteine.

Enzymes
Glutathione is an essential component of Glutathione Peroxidase.

Minerals
Glutathione facilitates the absorption of essential Minerals.

Vitamins
Glutathione recycles Dehydroascorbic Acid back to Vitamin C.
Glutathione can recycle Tocopheryl Quinone (oxidized Vitamin E) back to fresh Vitamin E.
Glutathione Counteracts these Potentially Toxic Substances
Glutathione detoxifies many toxic Chemicals.

Pharmaceutical Drugs
Glutathione inhibits the ability of Aspirin to damage the Gastric Mucosa and to cause Gastric Ulcers.
Glutathione inhibits the ability of Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs (NSAIDs) to damage the Gastric Mucosa and to cause Gastric Ulcers.

Recreational Drugs
Glutathione counteracts the toxic effects of excessive consumption of Alcohol (Ethanol).
Glutathione counteracts many of the toxic effects of Tobacco smoking.

Minerals
Glutathione detoxifies most toxic Heavy Metals from the body:     
-     Aluminium
-     Arsenic
-     Cadmium
-     Glutathione increases the urinary excretion of Lead.
-     Mercury 

Proteins
Glutathione inhibits the activation of Nuclear Factor-Kappa B (NF-Kappa B).

These Substances Enhance the Function of Glutathione
Amino Acids
Cysteine is an essential precursor for the endogenous production of Glutathione:    
However, only a very small quantity of supplemental L-Cysteine is utilized in the endogenous manufacture of Glutathione (due to the rapid oxidation of L-Cysteine to Cystine).
Alternatively, the majority of exogenous N-Acetyl-Cysteine (NAC) is converted to Glutathione (the NAC form of Cysteine, unlike L-Cysteine, is not oxidized to Cystine.
Of the several precursors for Glutathione, Cysteine is believed to be the most important as the other precursors (Glycine and Glutamic Acid) are generally not deficient. This means that Cysteine is generally the rate-limiting factor in Glutathione production.
Glutamine is integral to the production of Glutathione within the body (Glutamic Acid is extracted from Glutamine's chemical structure within the Liver for incorporation into the Glutathione molecule).
Glycine is an essential component of Glutathione.
Methionine facilitates the production of Glutathione (and prevents the decline in Glutathione levels that are associated with the progression of the Aging Process).
S-Adenosylmethionine (SAM) is essential for the endogenous production of Glutathione.

Antioxidants (Synthetic)
Butylated Hydroxytoluene (BHT) increases the body’s Glutathione levels.

Auxins (Plant Hormones)
Indole-3-Carbinol stimulates the endogenous production of Glutathione by Liver Cells (hepatocytes).

Enzymes
Glutathione Reductase helps to maintain Glutathione in its active state.
Glutathione-S-Transferase enhances the function of Glutathione - it catalyzes the reaction of Glutathione with acceptor molecules of various toxins, thereby functioning as a key enzyme in the detoxification of various substances.
Glutathione Synthetase catalyzes the production of Glutathione, Adenosine Diphosphate (ADP) and Orthophosphate from Gamma Glutamyl Cysteine, Adenosine Triphosphate (ATP) and Glycine.

Hormones
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) stimulates the endogenous production of Glutathione by Liver Cells (hepatocytes).
Melatonin increases the endogenous production of Glutathione:
Melatonin inhibits the depletion of Glutathione in the Liver that is caused by Cadmium accumulation.

Minerals
Germanium increases the body's Glutathione levels.
Magnesium facilitates the endogenous synthesis of Glutathione and Magnesium deficiency often results in low serum Glutathione levels.
Selenium facilitates the endogenous production of Glutathione:
Sodium Selenite (form of Selenium) stimulates the endogenous production of Glutathione by Liver Cells (hepatocytes).
Sulfur is an essential component of Glutathione.
Zinc facilitates the endogenous production of Glutathione and Zinc deficiency results in lowered plasma Glutathione levels.

Phenolic Acids
Ellagic Acid stimulates the endogenous manufacture of Glutathione.

Polyphenols
Curcumin stimulates the endogenous production of Glutathione by Liver Cells (hepatocytes).
Silymarin inhibits the depletion of Glutathione in the Liver and can increase Liver Glutathione levels by up to 35%.

Proteins
Whey Protein (when correctly processed) causes sustained increases in the body’s Glutathione levels.

Vitamins
Lipoic Acid increases intracellular Glutathione levels by 30 - 70%.
Lipoic Acid (1% cream/lotion applied topically) increases the Glutathione content of the Skin.
Vitamin B2 recycles oxidized, degraded Glutathione into fresh active Glutathione:
Vitamin B2 increases Glutathione levels in Sickle Cell Anemia patients.
Vitamin B6 enhances the function of Glutathione.
Vitamin C increases Glutathione levels.
Vitamin E enhances the function of Glutathione.

These Foods Enhance the Function of Glutathione
Vegetables
Garlic increases the body’s levels of Glutathione and reduces levels of oxidized Glutathione.
Globe Artichoke prevents the destruction of the Liver’s Glutathione content by various oxidative agents.

Dietary Sources of Glutathione
(mg of Glutathione per 100 grams)
Note that Cooking destroys ALL Glutathione present in these dietary sources.

Fruits:           Apples           Avocado   
            Grapefruit     70           
Herbs:           Purslane
research                 
Vegetables:           Broccoli           Carrots     75
            Tomatoes     169     Spinach     166

 

Cranky and Bloated...

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

The title tells you exactly what my day was like yesterday...yikes!

Those that are clients of DepkeWellness would find it hard to believe that I could be cranky. Now while most would not have recognized this, I felt like I was living yesterday with a little demon inside of me. Not only was that little demon wreaking havoc over my mood, emotions and non-physical energy, I would have sworn it was living in my stomach due to the extra girth I put on over night. Even using all my tools to address my emotional state, I could not get out of it.

So how many times has this happened to you?

I am sure more than once. 

So what the heck was this? 

Thankfully I figured this out and you may or may not be surprised.

I purchased some food out on the evening before and ordered a chili. While the chili was actually very tasty, this was the fuel for cranky and bloated. I really put all the responsibility on myself because I am usually very good at confirming what is in my food, especially when I eat out. Well, it turns out that gluten was in my chili. It was likely used as a thickening agent, but little did they know that it was actually a cranky and bloated agent instead. 

Thankfully I was able to take a powerful natural anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant and some liquid emulsified vitamin D in a high dose and I woke up this morning myself again. Yay!!!

For those that do not know this, I am a definite proponent of living a gluten free lifestyle, if gluten is an issue for you. Just and FYI, this is most of you reading this article. I have been gluten free for some time and every once in a while some mistakenly finds its way into my diet and obviously I can recognize this exposure. Interesting enough, my body did not want to hold onto the gluten and I vomited this up later in my evening. Sadly, the damage was already done. This led to some immediate inflammation in my gut and due to the direct link between the gut and the brain, this lead to the little cranky demon mentioned above. Thankfully I was able to recognize my state and simply keep my mouth shut whenever I could. I did not want the little cranky demon escape to create any damage to those around me.

I wanted to bring this up because so many people have this type of an issue with gluten and they never connect the dots. Gluten is not only a gut issue, this can be a brain issue (mood) as well as an inflammatory, immune and adrenal issue.

Scary right? Well, it should be!

Here's another example.

I have a client that went off gluten for more than 30 days. Lost a bunch of weight (20 lbs.), lived into more energy and enjoyed and improved mood. Now this client is back on gluten, only occasionally, but his significant other has noticed that moodiness and cranky has should up big time. Now is my client thinking that gluten is the issue? Of course not. Likely the mood is being blamed on others or the moodiness or crankiness is not even recognized. That is until I was able to be a part of this communication.

So how many of you are eating gluten and feel regular states of anxiety, crankiness or depression? 

And out of those the regularly struggle with this, do you even think gluten is a possible factor in your mood? 

Recognize some simple stats. There are approximately 330 million Americans. Out of this,

approximately 90 million are undiagnosed gluten intolerant. Now that does not count those that are either living with Celiac disease or those that already know gluten is an issue for themselves, myself included in that group. Approximately 30% of the US population have the genetic marker to makes them predisposed to Celiac and there's more. There are many that do not have the genetic marker, such as myself, but are completely intolerant to "Americanized" wheat. This is the hybridized and hydrolyzed wheat that we get in the US and Canada. Somebody like myself can go to Italy and eat all the bread and pasta we want but watch out when you get home. Our "Americanized" wheat will come out and bite you in the "you know what."

One more not to make is the fact that most people will not respond in the way I did. It is thought that approximately 86% of those challenged are actually asymptomatic when they consume gluten. This means, you are damaging your body without any knowledge of this. Or you may have symptoms that you simply do not tie into the food you eat, such as my crankiness expressed earlier.

So let this article be an eye opener for you. Click on this link and take the complimentary gluten assessment for not only yourself but for those around you. While I know you don't want to visit your cranky, nobody else does either.

If you find that you are somewhat likely to likely gluten intolerant due to the complimentary assessment, the next step is to eliminate gluten from you diet for at least 60 days. To assist with this you can also print out another complimentary form from the link above for your gluten foods in categories. This will help separate gluten and non-gluten choices for you. Also understand that being gluten lite does not work. It does take a full elimination of gluten to get the benefits of living gluten free. This is due the fact that all you need is gluten once per month to continue the inflammation, immune disruption and adrenal dysfunction for yourself.

As someone that has been gluten free for almost 7 years, except for a few mishaps such as this, living gluten free is much easier that most would think. I will also share that the benefits are also much higher than you may think.

Once you have eliminated gluten completely for 60 days, you have two choices. Choice number one is that due to the health benefits you have received, make the choice to stay away from gluten with the confidence of knowing that this is creating a happier and healthier you. The second choice is to add gluten back in to see how you respond after being off gluten for 60 days. 

There is a very specific way to add this back in though. 

To add gluten back in, eat a small amount of gluten with each meal for up to 3 days. This may look like a half an English muffin with breakfast, an open face sandwich on one piece of bread for lunch and a very small bowl of pasta with dinner. During the 3 days and for 2 days after, look for a response. This could be:

• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Constipation
• Bloating
• Flatulence
• Belching
• Noticeable states of anxiety, depression of overall moodiness

If you happen to notice any of these or any other brain or gut distress over the 5 day period, gluten is an issue for you and needs to be eliminated. The reason for the 3 days on and the following 2 days off is due to the fact that it can take up to 5 days after reintroducing gluten to actually feel the symptoms. So yes, gluten you ate on Monday can affect you on Friday.

All my best to your gluten free lifestyle choices!