Podcast 28: The Human Microbiome. Probiotics and reinoculating the gut.
The 2007 NIH Human Microbiome Project launched a study to look at the correlation between the microbes that live on us and our overall health and wellness. The research has been amazing that shows the positive correlation between supporting these microbes and health. Research shows that there is an increase in weight for individuals that have been on long-term or broad spectrum antibiotics.
We are made up of 10 trillion human cells but we have about 100 trillion microbes on our body. This includes about 10,000 species. It is important to live in symbiosis with these microbes because they help us.
Probiotics are the microbes that are in the gut. The balance of them is important for overall gut health and immune support. I recommend that you take different probiotics with billions of microbes in them. You are going to want to switch them up. It is also important to eat fermented foods and prebiotics to support the overall health of your gut and body.
Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices
Podcast 27: Estrogen dominance and estrogen cleanse
Estrogen dominance can occur because of a high estrogen level or low progesterone level in comparison to each other. Here are the signs and symptoms of estrogen dominance:
It is important when you look at hormone health that you make sure the following are under control:
· Gut health and GI health
· Weight maintenance. Increased fat leads to the aromatization of testosterone to estrogen, increased hormone chaos from stored hormones and increased insulin pushes more testosterone. This is why increased weight leads to men being more feminine and women being more masculine. Not fair, but true
· Diet. Make sure that your diet is not leading to more hormonal problems. Phytoestrogens and concentrated GMO based soy foods cause a problem.
· Drinking because of its effects on the liver. The liver is responsible for breaking down hormones and a toxic liver causes hormonal problems.
· Stress. Increased cortisol pushes the progesterone into cortisol. This leads to what we call a cortisol steal where instead of balancing progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone, we push into cortisol. Manage your stress, manage your hormones.
· Limit xenoestrogens (foreign estrogens) in your life. Reduce the use of plastics, BPA, synthetic hormones, and estrogens in your diet.
If you want more information on hormones, check out our hormonal health course on www.btbha.com. It goes much more in depth about hormone health.
Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices
Podcast 026: Coffee Has Many Health Benefits
Pure coffee has many health benefits. The benefits of coffee are also increased by the nutrients and their affect at decreasing the negative effects of caffeine. The positive phytochemicals that are found in coffee are:
The benefits of coffee come from small amounts each day of organic, pure coffee. Coffee should not be a means of taking in more sugar and dairy. It is also not beneficial for the following people:
· High levels of stress that use the caffeine to stimulate the adrenals and cortisol levels
· Electrolyte imbalances because this would be affected by the diuretic effect of coffee
· Sensitive to coffee
There is now a lot of research that shows the benefits of coffee. It protects the brain and shows a decrease in Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. It also shows a decrease in Type 2 Diabetes. Also, because of its antioxidant effects, it shows a decrease in certain cancers.
We recommend that you drink 1 cup of coffee a day of organic, dark roasted coffee from a glass or ceramic travel mug.
Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices.
Podcast 025: Stress
Thanks Super Fan Nicole for the great question about stress and the impacts it has on health.
Stress can be physical, emotional, or chemical in nature. One thing to remember is that our body is geared to tolerate and want stress for short periods of time. The problem is the effect that stress has over long-term exposure.
CAFFEINE USE DURING STRESS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA. Repeated doses of caffeine in a short period of time or over a single day result in markedly increased cortisol levels, regardless of the stressor involved or the sex of the individual. Although the extent of the link has not been fully elucidated, a positive relationship clearly exists between caffeine intake and cortisol release, and this relationship is exacerbated when other stressors are introduced. It also triggers the body to sleep less and people tend to go from one caffeinated drink to another.
SHUTS DOWN THE IMMUNE SYSTEM, SHUTS DOWN THE CELL MEMBRANES, AND CAUSES WEIGHT GAIN. During periods of increased stress, “the immune cells are being bathed in molecules which are essentially telling them to stop fighting,” according to Dr. Esther Sternberg. These molecules, namely cortisol (a natural steroid), suppress the immune system and inflammatory pathways, rendering the body more susceptible to disease.
Women are more prone to stress, Women are not fight or flight wired in brain. They are wired to negioate and feel. The higher level of estrogen has more of an effect on their health when it comes to stress.
Great books that talk about the effects of stress on the body are:
“Biology of Belief” by Bruce Lipton
“Molecules of Emotion” by Candace Pert
Gratitude is the emotion that has the most healing effects on the body. It is important to remember to surround yourself by gratitude and appreciation. It is also important to make sure to take time for yourself during the day and manage the source of stress.
Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices.
Podcast 024: STOP SODA POP
Wellness Mama is a great website and blog with lots of great information. On www.wellnessmama.com there is a great list of 10 reasons to avoid soda. Soda contains the equivalent of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This sugar along with artificial sugar leads to increase in carb cravings and increased intake in sugar and carbs. It is interesting to see that soft drink companies are the largest user of sugar in the country.
Soda contains both phosphoric acid and citric acid that leads to a more acidic environment in the body. This leads to the body having to neutralize the acidity and alkalinize the body. It does this by pulling calcium out of storage in the bones and teeth. This leads to softening of the bones. On top of that, you can say goodbye to the pearly whites. Research published in General Dentistry shows that mouths of cocaine-users, methamphetamine-user, and a habitual diet-soda drinker, found the same level of tooth erosion due to citric acid eroding the enamel over time. One diet soda a day leads to a 36% increased risk for metabolic syndrome and Type 2 Diabetes.
Diet soda uses artificial sweeteners to make a calorie-free drink. This can lead to calorie confusion and weight gain. It still triggers insulin that can push the body to store fat.
Diet sodas are a chemically altered, multiple sodium and aspartame containing product that might make you crave carbs. These drinks provide no nutritional value to your diet. Aspartame has been linked to almost a hundred different health problems including seizures, multiple sclerosis, brain tumors, diabetes, and emotional disorders. Researchers from the University of Texas found that over the course of about 10 years, diet soda drinkers had a 70% greater increase in waist circumference compared with non-drinkers. And participants who drank 2 or more sodas experienced a 500% greater increase.. University of Miami and Columbia University research showed that soda drinkers were 43% more likely to experience a vascular event. Therefore, soda drinkers are more at risk for stroke, heart attack, or vascular disease. American Academy of Neurology showed that over the course of 10 years people who drank more than four cups of soda a day were 30% were more likely to develop depression.
Sodas containing high fructose corn syrup. Most of this corn has been genetically modified, and there are no long term sturdies showing the safety of these genetically modified foods. Also, interesting to note that high fructose corn syrup has mercury.
Northern Kentucky University showed that low-calorie cocktail mixers get you drunk faster than sugar-based beverages. Had a higher breath alcohol concentration possibly because they are absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly.
When aspartame gets above 86 degrees Fahrenheit the wood alcohol in aspartame converts to formaldehyde and then to formic acid. This leads to metabolic acidosis. Formaldehyde is a severe toxin to the body and formic acid is an irritant (found in fire ants). This is stored in the fat of humans.
If you are interested in knowing the whole story about the history of aspartame, it can be found at this link: http://www.rense.com/general50/KILLER.HTM
Thanks for listening. Remember to be kind to others, take care of yourself and make good choices
023: The trouble with diagnosing Lyme disease with Patrick Plum
Wendy and Dr. Meaghan welcome Patrick Plum to the BTBHA podcast studio. He has been battling with Lyme Disease since 2012. He tells his story about visiting 36 different doctors and the difficulty with both getting a diagnosis and treatment options.
If you are someone that has been struggling to find an answer regarding medical concerns, you will totally relate to this podcast. His story shows how important it is to be your own advocate at times. He talks also about the difficulty with diagnosing and treating chronic Lyme disease because it is not recommended by the CDC (Center for Disease Control).
He also talks about the severe Jarisch-Herxheimer effects (also known as "herxing") that he has experienced from treatments. We talk about why these happen with Lyme. He also currently uses a Rife machine and Kangen water for additional support. Also, touches on utilizing the Gerson therapy with treatment.
This podcast is full of great information not only for Lyme patients but also anybody dealing with ongoing health concerns. Thanks Patrick Plum so much for sharing your story. If you would like to connect with him on facebook, you can find him as Patrick Plum and he has a Lyme warrior logo for his picture.
Podcast 022: Sugar! Yes, Please… Or, No Thank You!!!
On www.npr.org and possible FDA regulation of sugar on food labels. We talk about why the FDA would be interested in labeling sugar percentage on the labels.
A 20 oz bottle of Coca-Cola Classic has 65 grams of sugar. Same as FIVE Little Hostess Cupcakes
15.5 oz of apple juice has the equivalent of 10 Oreos
16 oz Monster has equivalent of 3.5 cups of frosted flakes. 5 servings of frosted flakes!
Need to read labels and have mindful eating.
Wendy and Dr. Meaghan would love to hear what your thoughts are on sugar regulation and the effect that sugar has on health. Please either send us private comments and questions to info@btbha.com or post a comment on our Facebook page under this podcast post. We would love to hear from you!
Be Kind to others, Take care of yourself & Make good choices
Podcast 021: Paleo and Primal Blueprint with Tim Popp
Tim Popp joins us to discuss lifestyle changes that he has made incorporating both Paleo diet and the Primal Blueprint into his life. The Primal Blueprint by Mark Sisson is a great book about reprogramming your genes through diet. Tim shares with us some of the research and information about the benefits of taking out grains and sugar in your diet and finding the diet that works best for you.
He also discussed one of the side effects of eating grains is the phytic acid that is in grains. This binds up the vitamin and minerals in our body and limits all the physiological reactions.
Another important fact that he shared is the importance of good fats for energy. We are conditioned to think that a larger percentage of carbs are needed for energy but fat is a more efficient energy source for our body. Large amounts of carbs and starches push insulin production that triggers your body to store fat. Blood sugar regulation is such an important part of health, wellness, and appetite.
Thanks so much Tim for sharing all your information with us.
Be Kind to others, Take care of yourself & Make good choices
Podcast 020: Real Talk about Detoxification
Let’s talk real about detoxification and what you can expect during one. Scott, our producer and husband to Wendy, has never detoxed before and he started two weeks ago. He is now going through some crazy effects. We talk about what he has been experiencing and what this means. We are currently offering a 28-day Detoxification Transformation through www.btbha.com. Therefore, we wanted to discuss what you can expect and what to do if you experience any of these effects. In this podcast, we discuss what the side effects you might see, why do to it for 28 days, and the purpose of detoxification.
Be Kind to others, Take care of yourself & Make good choices
Podcast 019: Trends in Cancer Care
Dr. Meaghan and Wendy welcome to the BTBHA podcast studio, Dr. Ron Kirschling, MD. Besides being an amazing father to Meaghan, Dr. Ron Kirschling is a medical oncologist for the past 30+ years. He currently is working in Wisconsin Rapids as a community oncologist. He talks about trends that he has seen traditional cancer therapy including more focused care. He provides great insight into cancer therapies and components of care that need to be addressed. He discusses the importance of patient care being collaborative and holistic.
Big thank you to Dr. Kirschling for coming on and sharing information with our listeners.
Be Kind to others, Take care of yourself & Make good choices
Podcast 018: Eat Local Field Trip
Dr. Meaghan and Wendy discuss what they learned as they visited three local farms this weekend. They visited:
1. 1. Garden of Eagan
2. 2. Shepherd’s Way Farm
3. Thousand Hills Cattle Company
Grass-fed means that the cows are fed grass which is a more natural diet. But a cow can also be fed grains unless it states “100% grass-fed.” Therefore, it is important to know the difference. Grass-fed beef is higher in Omega-3 essential fatty acids and other vitamins such as B vitamins and beta carotene. Organic is a certification process that is costly and timely. Therefore, some 100% grass-fed might not be organic but it still is rich in nutrients and vitamins. It is important to make sure that your food comes from a good source.