Category Archives: NEPT Clinical Pearls

Book Reviews – February 22nd, 2019

February 25, 2019   NEPT Clinical Pearls

 

Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl

February 22nd, 2019

Book Reviews

I’ve done 3 Facebook Live interviews with good friends who have new books.

Check out the interviews and order the books if they call to you.

  • The 31-Day Food Revolution by Ocean Robbins. This is a great book to introduce clients to clean food and the impact of food on health and the environment. The interview was disrupted by Zoom issues – so it’s in 3 parts. We’ll post the link when it’s edited.
  • The Essential Oil Hormone Solution by Dr. Mariza Snyder. This book is a super reference guide to using essential oils to balance hormones. There are lots of “recipes” and reference material. The Facebook interview is here.
  • The Hormone Fix by Dr. Anna Cabeca. Written by a board certified OB/GYN, this book dispels the myth of menopause as a “disorder”, and provides you with food and lifestyle plans you can use with your clients. Dr. Anna combines the wisdom of alkaline diet with Keto and is getting great results. The Facebook interview is here.

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To Believe or Not to Believe (In Studies) – February 16th, 2019

February 18, 2019   NEPT Clinical Pearls

 

Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl

February 16th, 2019

To Believe or Not to Believe (In Studies)

I quote lots of studies in these Clinical Pearls – and frankly, I can find a study to support whatever point I want to make.

Take for example, these two opposite statements:

1. Ketones are the best brain fuel.

2. Ketones are the worst brain fuel.

Whichever one I want to prove, I can find support.

Here are two examples of articles that quote studies to support their opposite stands:

Which study do you believe?

Probably whichever one most closely matches your pre-existing paradigm.

So should we not use studies to help us determine how to best work with our clients?

Of course not.

But should we use them exclusively?

Of course not.

I believe we need to base our decisions about our own health, and that of our patients, on a combination of factors.

  • The knowledge of “how things work” – i.e. the biochemistry and physiology (that’s why our modules go into so much depth here)
  • Clinical experience – yours or that of others
  • Well designed studies, without bias (who funded it?)
  • Studies that truly compare what they set out to compare

In reviewing a study here are a few questions to ask:

  • Who funded it?
  • Were the researchers unbiased (check their other work)
  • Were the study parameters valid – i.e. in articles that come to the conclusion low fat diets are “bad” or “low fat diets are good,” what did they compare to? A low fat diet could be compared to a high fat diet that’s rich in processed oils and commercial animal products and the low carb diets in question could be the ones that are composed of lots of butter, bacon, and oil.

Post to the Facebook group your thoughts and observations about this topic. I look forward to hearing seeing your take on it.

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Cortisol and Cortisone Metabolism – February, 9th, 2019

February 11, 2019   NEPT Clinical Pearls

 

Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl

February, 9th, 2019

Cortisol and Cortisone Metabolism

In researching an unusual pattern on the DUTCH test, I came across this article explaining the enzymatic regulation of cortisol to cortisone, and vice versa.

The pattern I was looking into had to do with a post-menopausal female with low total free cortisol, and high normal metabolized cortisol and cortisone.

I was wondering if there was a connection with hypertension, and started researching.

Here are the articles I found. I will post my conclusions on another Clinical Pearl.

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HeartMath- February 1st, 2019

February 1, 2019   NEPT Clinical Pearls

 

Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl

February 1st, 2019

Revisit HeartMath as an amazing resource for your clients.

https://www.heartmath.com/

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EMFs and Health – January 25th, 2019

January 25, 2019   NEPT Clinical Pearls

 

Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl

January 25th, 2019

EMFs and Health

I got into a surprising discussion with 2 people about EMFs and their impact on health. Both are “scientists,” and one is a Naturopath.

They claim that based on the way the waves interact with the human body (or don’t), that there is no validation for the statement that EMFs can be dangerous.

What’s your opinion? What evidence do you have to support it?

I admit to not being a “physics” person, and not really jumping in and understanding the science from a physics perspective. I do have a “sense” that it can’t be good, and I’ve seen clinically how people‘s health can get disrupted. They attribute that to the “Nocebo” effect – meaning they react poorly because they expect to.

That may be the case for some, but all too often, we see clients who don’t even know anything about the effect of having the cell phone by the head at night, and are having disrupted sleep, moods, digestion blood sugar, and more – and when we can convince them to remove the EMF sources in the bedroom, they feel better.

I’d love to discuss this on a call or in the Facebook group, or both. Please post any studies or articles you find compelling. Thanks so much.

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Book Review: Dr. Tom O’Bryan’s “You Can Fix Your Brain” – January 11th, 2019

January 11, 2019   NEPT Clinical Pearls

 

Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl
January 11th, 2019

I do a lot of reading – only I don’t actually read, I listen. I find audio books are a great way to learn while exercising, cleaning, driving, and other activities that don’t require mental focus.

I’m currently ‘reading’ Dr. Tom O’Bryan’s “You Can Fix Your Brain,” and finding it very well written and interesting. He does a good job of making the science understandable, while using metaphors that make it easy to remember.

I think it would be a good resource for fun metaphors and explanations for your clients. I don’t know about you, but I see lots of people with neurological issues. Many can’t sleep, have tons of cognitive decline and memory problems, and experience a fair amount of depression and anxiety.

He lays out a 30-day program that includes much of what we teach here, like how to heal the gut, clean up environment, movement, food, and nutrients.

A couple of quick things that stood out for me:

  • bleeding gums, say with flossing or irrigation, can be a sign of leaky gut and leaky brain
  • excessive exercise (like marathon running) can have a negative impact on the microbiome

The BrainTime site I mentioned above is a good resource to add to the suggestions in this book.

Dr. Tom’s book is on Amazon and in other bookstores.

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Does Salt Cause Hypertension or Help Reverse It? – November 30th, 2018

November 30, 2018   NEPT Clinical Pearls

 

Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl
November 30th, 2018

Does Salt Cause Hypertension or Help Reverse It?

It’s long been taught that you need to eliminate added salt, and watch the sodium content of foods, if you have high blood pressure, right?

Recent research is actually putting that notion into question.

I recently read (listened to) the book, The Salt Fix, by Dr. James J. DiNicolantonio, a cardiovascular research scientist, doctor of pharmacy, the associate editor of British Medical Journal’s (BMJ) Open Heart, and the author or coauthor of approximately 200 publications in medical literature.

Dr. DiNicolantonio contends that, and shows research that supports, too little salt in the diet can shift the body into semi-starvation mode and cause insulin resistance. This may even cause people to absorb twice as much fat for every gram consumed. He also cites research that concludes that too little salt in certain populations can actually increase blood pressure and resting heart rate.

In The Salt Fix, Dr. DiNicolantonio says we should be demonizing sugar, not salt, in the etiology of chronic disease.

I don’t always agree with his diet recommendations, but I find the research fascinating.

Let’s discuss on the Facebook group.

Check out the book here: https://www.amazon.com/Salt-Fix-Experts-Wrong-Eating/dp/0451496965/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1543498350&sr=8-1&keywords=the+salt+fix

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Do multivitamins improve heart health? – November 16th, 2018

November 27, 2018   NEPT Clinical Pearls

 

Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl
November 16th, 2018

 

Do multivitamins improve heart health?

In a Pub Med review paper, a total of 18 studies that evaluated the association of multivitamin/mineral supplementation on cardiovascular outcomes, such as stroke and heart attack, were reviewed. The studies spanned an unusually large time frame – from 1970 to 2016.

Although the scope of this review was huge — with over 2 million participants across all 18 studies — there were some important details missing. For example, only 5 of the 18 reviewed studies actually specified the dose and type of supplement studied. This means that the majority of the studies had no actual data on how much, or even what type, of vitamin or mineral was taken.

I feel that this review paper is too broad for a conclusion. It’s not surprising that the review authors came to the conclusion that multivitamins do not improve cardiovascular health. I think it is too short-sighted in not further researching how different nutrients could affect heart health.

If you review the Micro-nutrients Module, you understand more about how nutrients work. This might be the better conclusion: that a general multivitamin may not be the best for those with cardiovascular issues.

To me, this reinforces even more the idea that you need to understand the actual micro-nutrient deficiencies in those with heart health issues – or any health problems. Then you can target supplementation, along with food and herbs, that will more likely improve the health of your clients.

(Circulation, Cardiovascular Quality and Outcomes, July 2018)

ABSTRACT Association of Multivitamin and Mineral Supplementation and Risk of Cardiovascular Disease: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

 

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Using Genetic Reports for Personalizing Nutrition and Lifestyle Plans – October 27th, 2018

October 27, 2018   NEPT Clinical Pearls

Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl
October 27th, 2018

 

Using Genetic Reports for Personalizing Nutrition and Lifestyle Plans

I found a book on my Kindle app this week that I’d forgotten I’d downloaded.

It’s called “Genetic Testing: Defining Your Path to a Personalized Health Plan: An Integrative Approach to Optimizing Health,” by Christy L. Sutton, DC.

It has a very detailed explanation of major SNPs and a report that can be ordered based on 23andMe raw data.

I ordered the report and will be discussing it, along with many others, at S.H.I.N.E.

It’s DEFINITELY nicely laid out and I recommend getting a copy.

The hard cover is pricey at around $35, but the Kindle version is lower. I bought both.

You can check out the report here.

 

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The importance of understanding biochemical pathways – October 19th, 2018

October 19, 2018   NEPT Clinical Pearls

 

Nutritional Endocrinology Practitioner Training (NEPT)
Clinical Pearl
October 19th, 2018

The importance of understanding biochemical pathways

Last week’s calls got me thinking a lot about what sets us apart at INE, even amongst functional medicine practitioners.

I hear of so many people seeing functional medicine doctors and walking out with long lists of supplements to take and very little understanding of why. And also, very little discussion of the diet, lifestyle, and mindset activities and blocks at the heart of their imbalance.

If you’re one of our ERC coaches and missed last weekend’s ERC Lab Retreat call, I suggest you watch replays for ideas on how I integrate lab findings with meaningful baby steps.

When you understand how things work, you get to dig into confounding lab findings, and explore with your clients the role of stress, past trauma, and so much more.

Listen to the replay of our INE Office Hours last week and Thursday’s Open Office Hours, too.

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