Dr. Don Davis

What to Do About Spinal Pain

February 7, 2015 by Dr. Don Davis Leave a Comment

We ask a lot of our back. It’s supposed to bend, lift, twist, and support all of our organs without pain or discomfort and in the case of athletic endeavors, it all should be done with gusto. It’s not supposed to age either. Most of us have felt the effects of a malfunctioning back and we know instinctively that we could do more to optimize its performance.

Many doctors define spinal health as the absence of disease or fracture, but that’s like describing the perfect marriage as the absence of divorce. I’m talking a whole different animal. True spinal health is the ability to perform the motions of daily life with minimal discomfort—including motion associated with exercise, strenuous work, just after waking up and even after sitting in a cubicle all day.

I’m sure you know someone who suffers from back pain, after all, one half of Americans (women more than men) experience back pain each year. Other than colds or flu, it’s the major reason they go to the doctor. Considering its impact, it’s surprising that all we really get from the media or medical doctors are vague truisms suggesting that we exercise more and lift correctly—as if we hadn’t thought of that before!

The most popular medical approach is to drug our spines into submission, but there is no drug that can actually improve joint function. Anti-inflammatory drugs may temporarily decrease inflammation and pain, but do nothing to repair damage. In fact, these drugs decrease blood flow and SLOW the healing time of muscles, tendons, bones and cartilage up to fifty percent. And when you get back to working out, they slow muscle growth. Add to that the predictable intestinal damage and we can safely say this is not the way to go.

What To Do?

What can you do to actually improve function and healing? Well… treat the cause! Spinal injuries are problems with biological structures that have a mechanical function. Joints are malleable, plastic-like structures containing a very slippery substance (four times slipperier than anything man-made) called Lubricin, that may need help to be healthy, even with light exercising or prolonged computer work. Even stress can slow healing.

Motion, as it happens, is the secret here. That’s why saying “Sitting is the New Smoking” (last month’s article) makes sense when we have pain without a specific injury. Without correct and frequent motion the spine will degrade in short order. If we don’t move enough after a back strain or injury, scarring and adhesions will occur that make a full recovery impossible. Too much physical work or exercise after injury will increase the damage. Therefore, proper motion (corrected with Chiropractic) is required to direct the healing of the joint structures in such a way as to strengthen the joint and allow normal function.

When the spine is injured, the nerves associated with the area of injury (and the brain) change in a way that can disrupt the function of parts of your body that are far away from the location of the injury. For instance, scientific studies show that neck problems can lead to elbow motion restriction, and chiropractic adjustments to the neck will return the elbow to normal. This is an example of a new field of research that studies neurological (sensory-motor) relationships. These findings help to clarify the mechanisms we’ve observed over and over again—relief of pain and increased physical performance following spinal manipulation. Recent studies also show that spinal adjustments can decrease blood pressure, soothe the effects of stress hormones and help boost immunity.

At our clinic, we know that the best way to help those with back pain is to use as many scientific, cutting-edge techniques as possible to decrease pain, speed healing and increase performance; whether it’s to clean out your sock drawer or landing a snowboard “Rusty Trombone” on the slopes. Our incredible doctors have years of experience and look forward to serving you and your family.

Dr. Davis and Dr. Linzey in Walnut Creek have been serving individuals with chronic pain for 30 years. For information about how you can get a free consultation, call (925) 279-4324 (HEAL). Visit us at WalnutCreekHealth.com

Sitting is the new SMOKING!

January 9, 2015 by Dr. Don Davis Leave a Comment

I don’t know how you feel about it, but from what I can tell, sitting is getting way too popular. We sit to work, sit to eat, sit to think, and sit when we get home to relax from all of that….sitting. Clearly, sitting has crept into our daily lives, disguised as a work requirement, or a relaxing moment or as an actual goal – “sitting in the lap of luxury.” In fact I’m sitting as I write this, but a treadmill desk is in my very near future!

Although sitting can be relaxing, there is strong evidence showing that sitting is an aggressive, unhealthy activity. Our bodies were designed to move, but sitting has been making inroads into our lives for generations, first as a show of wealth (kings, queens and my Uncle Ned), and then with the invention of the chair, the Barco Lounger, the corner office and the dreaded cubicle. But in the last 10 years, sitting has really grabbed us by the rear. In America today, 60% of people spend six or more hours of the day sitting. This can’t be too surprising–after all, television, computers and commuting require people to spend hours sitting down. But how bad is that? Well, it’s a big deal—bigger than the derrière you’ll get from all that inactivity.

Before you think that this doesn’t apply to you, take an honest look at your average day. Most people wake up and sit at the table or the computer with a cup of coffee for 30 minutes, then commute for 30-40 minutes, then sit for most of the workday, another six hours. When the work is done, it’s time to sit to eat, and finally, a chance to relax in front of the TV or read or knit or play the guitar—another four hours. That adds up to almost 12 hours of sitting!

Recent research from Australia’s Baker Heart and Diabetes Institute shows that prolonged sitting is responsible for increased colon, breast, lung and prostate cancers. It also doubles your chance of getting Type II diabetes. But the news gets worse. Exercise doesn’t compensate for this. That’s right, sitting is its own risk factor that can’t be tamed by a run in the afternoon. In fact, the University of Texas Southwest Medical Center has developed a formula showing that if you do one hour of moderate exercise, the health gained, will be totally reversed if you sit for six hours. That would make you an “active couch potato.”

SITTING HAS BECOME THE SMOKING OF OUR GENERATION.

Adding even more evidence that sitting is bad news is the discovery that it suppresses a key gene (lipid phosphate phospatase-1) that helps prevent inflammation and blood clotting. This puts sitting squarely in the “scary” category. Sounds a lot like smoking, and that is exactly what many scientists are implying.

THE FACTS ABOUT SITTING

1. Your metabolism shuts down when sitting and the enzymes that breakdown fat decrease 90%.
2. Sitting over 5 hours a day will shave 3.5 years off your life even if you exercise regularly.
4. A sedentary job results in twice the chance of getting colon and rectal cancer.
5. Obese people sit 2.5 hours more per day then normal weight people.
6. Within 5 days of shifting to a sedentary lifestyle triglycerides,cholesterol and insulin levels increase This increases weight and inflammation.
7. Heavy exercisers tend to sit more than average people on their exercise days.
8. Prolonged sitting decreases the “feel good” hormones and increases depression.
9. Increased pressure from sitting generates increased fat in the buttocks.

There are things you can do to decrease sitting time and I’m sure you don’t need me tell you to stand more at work or home, but even so, try standing during phone calls, practice your balance when watching TV or just fidget at your desk. Standing breaks as short as one minute can be a game changer.

If you sit a lot and are beginning to feel effects like back pain, headaches, fatigue and difficulty sleeping, take the first step at regaining your health and schedule a consultation at our office.

Dr. Davis is a BOARD CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST in Walnut Creek. He has been serving individuals with chronic pain for 30 years. For information about how you can get a free consultation with Dr. Davis, call (925) 279-4324 (HEAL). Visit us at WalnutCreekHealth.com

Much Ado About Memory, Part II: 8 Ways to Increase Your Memory

December 8, 2014 by Dr. Don Davis Leave a Comment

Last month I discussed some of the theories of memory and why we need to be free from the chains of inflammation and stress to have a healthy functioning brain. Now we’ll talk about how we can improve and optimize our memory.

First of all, the brain is so complex that known facts like “there are 800 miles of wires in one half inch of brain tissue” are hard to comprehend. Yet these wires and connections are not sufficient to remember everything and so your brain prioritizes certain memories and downgrades others. Placing importance, especially emotional importance, on a thought is the best way to make sure that a memory becomes long lasting. This is the reason “bad” or “wonderful” memories last much longer than “ordinary” ones.

Even if you can concentrate and “connect” to an item, life events can get in the way of memory. Stress, for instance, can disturb the formation of memories and chronic stress is even more detrimental to memory formation.

STRESS AFFECTS MEMORY– Here’s how it works.

When stress increases, whether from pain, personal problems or lack of sleep, cortisol from the adrenal gland increases. Increased cortisol then lowers the metabolic rate (BMR) and decreases the available energy that the brain needs to form memories. The decreased BMR then leads to increased belly fat, brain fog, pre-diabetes and further brain degeneration, which, in turn, leads to more stress and inflammation.

What To Do: If you are noticing memory challenges, you should take a serious look at making some immediate lifestyle changes to limit cell damage because memory loss is the first sign of brain degeneration. But don’t fret yet—the good news is that the brain is very resistant and can add neurons and connections (neuroplasticity) that increase your memory and other brain functions.

1) Control blood sugar surges: When blood sugar raises so does insulin, which is inflammatory, so limiting carbohydrates (sugar) can decrease inflammation, a major memory drag. Intermittent fasting can also help by teaching your body to burn fat instead of sugar.

2) Sleep: Lack of proper sleep can lead to increased toxins which causes actual brain shrinkage. On a positive note, proper sleep (slow wave and REM) actually helps consolidate long-term memory.

3) Exercise: Exercise produces a protein called BDNF (Brain Derived Neurotrophic Factor) that protects and repairs the memory neurons and acts like a reset switch. That’s one reason you feel at ease and “clearer” after working out. At the same time, endorphins lower your cortisol levels, enhancing memory. In fact, it’s been shown that people who exercise have less overall brain shrinkage over time.

4) Caffeine: A cup of Joe enhances long-term memory by improving memory consolidation. One cup of coffee works well, but not three cups (300mg). The side effects of high amounts of coffee, namely increased cortisol, will then impair memory.

5) Thyroid function: Even though the thyroid has more of a general function to activate the brain, memory problems are a hallmark of low thyroid function. This can be best regulated by diet andtargeted nutritional supplementation.

6) Cortisol From the Adrenal Gland: Cortisol, the hormone released in response to stress, makes your brain lose brain-connections and therefore memory. This can be regulated by diet and supplementation such as fish oil and phosphatidyl serine.

7) B6, Folate and B12: Studies show that decreased levels of these nutrients are related to brain shrinkage in the areas that are responsible for memory. Unfortunately, as you age, B12 levels usually decrease, requiring supplementation.

8) Vitamin D: Researchers have found Vitamin D receptors that increase nerve growth in the memory areas of the brain. Optimal levels of Vitamin D help ensure this growth.

Let us help you improve your memory and your overall brain function by providing you with a treatment program based on blood/hormone tests that provide a clear path to and effective solution. An added benefit is that this approach improves concentration, mood, energy levels, libido, and overall health–all at the same time.

Dr. Don Davis, D.C., DACNB is a BOARD CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST in Walnut Creek. He has been serving individuals with memory problems for 30 years. For information about how you can get a free consultation with Dr. Davis, call (925) 279-4324 (HEAL). Visit us at WalnutCreekThyroidInstitute.com

Much Ado about Memory (Part I)

November 6, 2014 by Dr. Don Davis Leave a Comment

Other than consciousness, which is arguably the most important aspect of being human, memory is what provides the mental structure for a meaningful life. After all, without memory, all of our thoughts would be in isolation, separated from the past without context. It would be a constant stream of thought generated from our immediate surroundings, or would simply percolate up from our subconscious— of which we have no control. We couldn’t understand jokes, drive a car or recognize a friend.

We take our memory for granted, but when it starts to fail we know that it’s a problem—a big problem. It’s very much a disability, but just not as evident or as obvious as a limp or a tremor. You know it’s happening; you’ve gone into the bedroom to get something and then forgotten why you went in there, or you are reminded of an important conversation with a friend that you can’t fully recall, or you can’t remember a paragraph you read right after you’ve just finished reading it. “It’s not a silly little moment,” as the John Mayer song goes, it’s as substantial and life changing as it gets.

When memory is mentioned in the media, it’s typically associated with a disease like Alzheimer’s or Senile Dementia. Most of what we know about memory has accumulated only in the last five years. Before then, the brain was thought to be “set,” in other words, non-changeable, which colored our view about its processes, and especially about memory. Since we didn’t know how memory was formed or where it was stored in the brain, strategies to improve it were based on conjecture and hope. This is not a good recipe for success.

With the progress of neuroscience came a clearer formulation of memory science. I can’t cover the neuro-chemistry of memory in depth in this short article, but I’d like to discuss some of the concepts of how memory works and talk about a few therapies that have worked in my office to improve brain function and restore memory.

Early theories thought of memory as a time-related progression, moving from sensory memory (1 sec.) to short term or working memory (up to 1 min), and then to long-term memories. A more recent theory suggests that it’s actually the depth of mental processing that creates long term memory. We have all experienced the effectiveness of giving an idea special meaning by associating it with something else. Having the brain take a more in-depth look at an idea requires neurons to fire in a particular pattern which forms a neuron “circuit” that actually alters brain tissue. When this happens your brain is never the same again.

A part of the brain called the hippocampus, along with the prefrontal cortex, is believed to be the transition point to long-term memory. If the hippocampus is functioning too low, memories simply peter away. This area of the brain also controls the adrenal glands that produce cortisol (the stress hormone), which, if is too high or too low, will decrease long-term memory. It should be said that memory is actually stored in many areas of the brain and so, to some extent, a healthy brain leads to a good memory. The prefrontal cortex is important because that is where the organization of memory occurs.

Next month, I’ll go over the approach I take for increasing overall brain health and improved memory, but for now remember that any improvement in nutrition, like decreasing carbohydrates (grains), fast food, increased omega 3s, and exercise will go a long way to making you remember the date of your partner’s birthday and where you put your keys. To really get into the specifics of your individual memory/brain issues, a full assessment of your biochemistry with blood and hormone tests (and possibly others) is needed so we can find the specific cause of your problem and issues that have developed over time.

Dr. Don Davis, D.C., DACNB is a BOARD CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST in Walnut Creek. He has been serving individuals with chronic pain for 30 years. For information about how you can get a free consultation with Dr. Davis, call (925) 279-4324 (HEAL).

Fructose: The Carb That Makes You Sick

October 9, 2014 by Dr. Don Davis Leave a Comment

Life always seems to be better in hindsight. I’m thinking of 25 years ago when the music was better and so was the traffic. Not only that, but as a nation, we each weighed an average of 25 pounds less. A lot of very competent people have tried to figure out why, but they stop thinking when they see that we are eating from 200 to 400 more calories per day now than we did then. The assumption is that this is just a calorie issue, but nothing could be further from the truth — the source of the calories matters. We now know that the additional weight doesn’t come from eating extra fat or from protein. It comes from eating carbohydrates, pure and simple.

You’ve heard about the formula for weight loss of “calories in equals calories out,” right? Well, that formula is wrong. We have biochemical processes that burn or store energy and some of us store much more than others, making that equation far too simplistic.

The formula I use is:

Calories in (-) Fat storage = Calories out (feel good energy)

Since we all store or burn different levels of fat, our food intake will need to be different in order to live the same happy, energy-filled life. In some ways the drive to overeat is really a drive to increase our energy because our storage is just too efficient, leaving us feeling like we need to eat more.

It turns out that much of our increased carbohydrate intake over the last 25 years is in the form of soda and fruit drinks, (you might have heard that drinking one can of soda per day will equal 15 ½ pounds of fat gain in one year.) It turns out that the carbohydrate contained in these drinks, and many other foods we commonly eat, is FRUCTOSE. This empty, non-nutrient sugar is in the form of high fructose corn syrup (sucrose). It is incredibly cheap and is in everything from pretzels to catsup – essentially every processed food.

Here are the big problems with Fructose:

• Fructose is 7 times more reactive than glucose with advanced glycosolated end products, which is another way of saying that it ages the insides of your arteries and causes heart disease.

• 30% of our intake of fructose will become fat.

• Fructose does not suppress the hunger hormone (Ghrelin), so you will eat in spite being full.

• Fructose does not stimulate insulin or leptin, the hormone that tells your brain that you are getting fatter, and so you eat more.

• Fructose is metabolized in the liver and one result is an increase of uric acid that causes gout and also results in high blood pressure by blocking an enzyme for nitric oxide.

• Fructose increases insulin resistance and triglycerides and non-alcoholic fatter liver.

• Fructose changes the way the brain perceives your energy reserves. Essentially, you may think you are starving, so you eat more.

• Chronic use of fructose causes high blood pressure, obesity, cardiovascular disease, lipid problems and type II diabetes.

What to Do

• Get rid of sugared liquids- there is no such thing as a good sugar beverage
• Eat carbohydrates with fiber-an essential nutrient
• Wait 20 min for second portions – to get the “I feel full” signal

The good news!

There is an antidote to fructose. In nature, fructose is always accompanied with fiber, like in the case of sugar cane. That is why fruit with meals is usually OK because it limits the fructose you can take in, unlike fruit juice, and is accompanied with fiber, a nutrient that helps gut bacteria and slows the surge of the sugar rush.

Getting a grip on fructose is only one facet of a total health program, one that encompasses life style habits, diet and your individual chemistry. With appropriate blood and adrenal testing, natural treatments for weight gain are very effective.

Dr. Don Davis, D.C., DACNB is a BOARD CERTIFIED CHIROPRACTIC NEUROLOGIST in Walnut Creek. He has been serving individuals with insomnia for 30 years. For information about how you can get a free consultation with Dr. Davis, call (925) 279-4324 (HEAL). Visit us at WalnutCreekThyroidInstitute.com

The Secret Life of a Fat Cell

September 14, 2014 by Dr. Don Davis Leave a Comment

Fat is an unusual substance. It’s the stuff that dimples thighs, thickens waists and enlarges derriers. We typically want it gone, or to at least have it stay in place. We curse it, fight it, try to hide it, and offer to give some away to our skinny friends. Unwanted, under-appreciated, and very much misunderstood–it’s the substance we “love to hate”.

Fat comprises about 5 to 30 percent of your body depending on what kind of shape you are in. The average, normal weight adult has around 30 million fat cells. Rather than just increasing our size and taking up space, we now know that fat cells have many physiologic functions that affect overall health –so much so that fat is now considered a major organ, like the thyroid or adrenal glands. It is becoming increasingly known that fat cells or adipocytes are wildly functional. Like the other organs in the body, fat cells can function in both healthy and unhealthy ways. This makes weight maintenance and nutrition management absolutely essential in order to become and stay healthy.

Fat cells produce adipokines- proteins and hormones that regulate everything from metabolism to weight control to inflammation. Recent studies found 347 proteins that are produced by the fat cell (with some studies showing up to 600), many of which are produced only in overweight people. These included unhealthy proteins that contribute to major diseases. Some unhealthy examples are Resistin (Type II diabetes and heart disease), TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-8 (inflammation), angiotensinogen (high blood pressure) and adipocyte-derived fibroblasts (cancer). Fat cells produce estrogen in both men and women. The excess estrogen effects sex drive, energy level, mood and the ability to make muscle.

Fat can be white or brown, beige or pink. Like different types of muscle or blood cells, different types of fat cells perform different functions. The average person has 30 billion WHITE fat cells. These white fat cells store fat as triglyceride and cholesterol, and they produce and secrete many proteins. BROWN fat cells store fat as well but have many mitochondria (the energy making organ of the cell) and produce heat by burning fat. Clearly it’s better to have more brown fat cells than white ones.

The American diet is largely made of up way too many grains, starches and sugars that will ultimately turn in to white fat. We are a nation that is unknowingly killing ourselves one bit at a time. Smoking is the only other factor that contributes to chronic, life-shortening illnesses more than excess fat.

WHAT TO DO?

This all sounds a bit scary and it could be if you didn’t have a plan to turn things around. One of the best approaches is to convert your white fat storing cells into brown fat energy burning cells. Sounds easy right? Well, in a way it is. This is done in your body by increasing the hormone called irisin and the easiest way to do that is aerobic exercise. Irisin also appears to help prevent or overcome cellular changes that lead to type 2 diabetes. This is a really remarkable and significant discovery. So, if you exercise you will, over time, convert your white fat cells to brown fat cells, slowly making it easier to maintain a lower ideal weight. The effect lingers, since brown fat cells keep burning fat even after you’ve stopped exercising.

Weight gain is commonly present with fatigue and depression. This is not only caused by the increased fat cells but by decreased cortisol (adrenal gland) presence, thyroid gland dysfunction, iron storage problems, raging inflammation. If these issues are things you are wrestling with, consider coming to us for help. Through evaluation of lifestye and specific lab testing, we can determine what the problems are. Remember there is always a cause to these metabolic difficulties, and you don’t have to settle for an unhealthy, unfulfilling life.

Healthy Gut = Smart Brain: Is Your Gut Holding Your Brain Hostage?

August 10, 2014 by Dr. Don Davis Leave a Comment

Is your gut health preventing your brain from functioning at its best? That is the question many scientists are trying to answer today. A while back, in the April issue of Alive, I wrote an article discussing the “The Second Brain” in the gut. The article talked about the enormous number of nerve cells that control the GI tract and how those nerve cells interact with the brain. In this article, we’ll focus on how an unhealthy gut can result in unhealthy brain function.

Most people are comfortable with the concept of our brain and emotional stress affecting the function of our stomachs and intestines, i.e. “nervous stomach,” nausea or diarrhea. The concept of gut function affecting the brain is less known. For many, many years it was thought that the brain completely controlled the gut, and almost every malady has been blamed on our over stressed brain. I agree that stress is a big factor when dealing with many issues including fatigue, hormonal imbalance, and premature aging but much of the time the stress we feel is actually caused or at least increased by inflammation, poor gut function and bacteria imbalance.

Recently there has been a great deal of scientific work outlining the relationship between the brain and our guts. As an example, neurologist David Perlmutter, M.D, wrote a recent book called Grain-Brain, where he discusses in detail how eating gluten (wheat and grain foods) leads to generalized inflammation in the brain by damaging the gut. This damage causes protein leakage through the gut wall, leading to a severe immune reaction. This “supercharging” of the inflammatory response causes brain degeneration, which could lead to Alzheimer’s Disease.

We now know that problems in the gut directly impact our body, especially the brain, causing depression, anxiety, memory loss, and sleeping problems. Because our central nervous system is made of exactly the same cells as our gut nervous system (enteric nervous system) they can and do communicate in an important way. In fact, the two are connected by a large nerve—the Vagus nerve—that takes all the information on motility, inflammation, and permeability from the gut and sends that to the brain. As a matter of fact, it turns out that 90% of the information in the Vagus nerve goes to the brain, not the other way around.

Recent research on probiotics has confirmed this pattern. In 2011 the Journal of Neurogastroenterology reported that the bacteria in our guts, known as Bifidobacterium (“good” bacteria), will normalize anxiety in rats with colitis. In a separate study, a probiotic, Lactobacillus rhamnosus decreased depression and anxiety by increasing GABA, a neurotransmitter that calms the brain.

Research has also shown that fish oil (DHA and EPA) can control the bad bacteria in our gut, decreasing inflammation and improving symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). That’s important not only because of gut discomfort, but they have also found that people suffering with irritable bowel have a lower verbal IQ. Those bad bacteria in IBS patients also inhibit the normal and healthy production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin. Surprisingly, 95% of the body’s serotonin is in the gut. In fact, research psychiatrists can diagnose major depression, pain syndromes, anxiety, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome by testing for toxins produced by pathogenic bad bacteria in the gut.

The clear message here is that we must do everything we can to maintain our gut health in order to have healthy brain function. Things like antibiotics, gluten, grains, and even some of the medicines you are given by your trusted doctor can damage the gut wall and lead to brain degeneration. Caring for this delicate part of our immune system is vitally important in order to have a healthy brain. To accomplish this task, get the help of a practitioner who is knowledgeable in the techniques of improving gut health with appropriate lab testing, treatment and lifestyle changes that put you on the path of improved brain function.

Weight Loss – Fast and Healthy – The Ketogenic Diet

July 6, 2014 by Dr. Don Davis Leave a Comment

One of the most difficult issues people wrestle with, are confused about, and have a history with is what to do about excess weight. This is understandable as body weight is regulated by so many different body systems, organs and brain areas. Getting some sort of focus on the direction you might like to take is a lesson in multi-factorial decision making. This can stagnate your ability to move forward out of the inertia of a sedentary lifestyle, or even make it impossible to decide what to make for breakfast.

One option is to latch on to a popular quotation like, “Never order food in excess of your body weight.” – Emma Bombeck. But as you might guess, that has it’s drawbacks. But then, asking your physician can be problematic because you may get the exact same answer. Recent scientific research has redefined the approach to weight control, but because of pressures from the food industry, insurance and drug companies, or simple disinterest, that information probably won’t trickle down to your doctor for years if not decades.

Understanding weight loss can be complicated but actually losing weight can be very straight forward. That’s where the Ketogenic diet comes in.

So what is the Ketogenic diet? It is an eating pattern that limits carbohydrates to about 50 grams per day and increases saturated fats and protein. The goal of a Ketogenic diet plan is to achieve ketosis, which is a normal metabolic process in which body cells burn fragments of fats called ketones instead of glucose for fuel. To give some perspective, a Starbucks mocha latte has about 60 grams of carbohydrate. You can see that the Ketogenic diet limits carbs but there are great rewards around the corner.

First, your body begins to burn fat instead of sugar—a major upside, and there are other advantages as well. Compared to other weight loss options, the low carb approach decreases cholesterol levels and decreases inflammation. It is particularly good at decreasing blood sugar and this affects conditions like diabetes, obesity, heart disease and peripheral neuropathy. That’s great, but it also turns out that people on the Ketogenic diet spontaneously eat less because the protein and fat leads to better hunger satisfaction. This diet can also increase memory in people at risk for Alzheimer’s, stabilize mood in bipolar disorders and even help some behavioral and social deficits in autism. Research (and my patients) shows that the Ketogenic diet is easily the most effective, healthy approach to rapid weight loss.

To make ketosis work for you, track your carb intake each day and limit them to about 50 grams per day. Increase your protein moderately, and the rest of your calories will come from fat. Your daily percent of calories from fat will be about 70-75%, from protein 20-25% and 5-10% from carbohydrates. Usually you don’t have to count calories because the diet decreases hunger significantly. Increasing your coconut oil intake (medium chain fatty acids) and leucine (an amino acid) can also make it easier to get into the ketogenic state and lose weight.

The most important thing here is to not focus on weight; focus on staying in ketosis (you can measure this be using a product called Ketostix). Your brain will begin working much better, your mood will improve and you will be losing weight without the desire for additional food.

This diet can be a huge help, but like most life changes, it would be even better to get the help from a professional who fully understands your special issues and can fully review your lab tests. We have had many patients who have successfully used this approach, and along with the targeted treatment regimes for other issues like fatigue, thyroid problems, sleep disturbance, anxiety, etc, have been able to make significant changes that have given them their lives back.

Melatonin: The Sleep Hormone – It’s what you’re missing!

June 7, 2014 by Dr. Don Davis 1 Comment

A good laugh and a long sleep are the two best cures for anything.

— Irish proverb

We all know that sleep is important, but few of us realize just how damaging loss of sleep can be. Not getting the required 7-9 hours of sleep per night can increase your stress, increase the risk of many chronic diseases and falls, reduce brain functions like memory and cognition, and significantly increase weight gain. I always ask my patients about their sleep. Even after stating that they get 8 or so hours of sleep per night, they will often admit that their sleep is unrestful or not very deep. One recent study stated that 63% of Americans say their sleep needs are not being met during the week. This certainly moves sleep problems into the forefront of medical conditions.

Great sleep is regulated by several factors like cortisol (from the adrenal gland), blood sugar surge control, cell energy function (mitochondrial injury), and brain neurotransmitter and hormone production. All of these can be helped with our metabolic treatment protocols, but in this article we’ll focus on Melatonin.

Melatonin is one of those substances that gets a lot of “air time.” It is mentioned everywhere in articles that are discussing insomnia, inflammation, chronic pain, weight gain, stress control, jet lag, falls in the elderly and dementia. That’s because it is implicated in many of the complex pathways that control sleep.

Melatonin is a hormone that is produced in the pineal gland (in the center of the brain) and plays a major role in the control of day/night cycles (along with the suprachiasmatic nuclei (SCN)) in response to darkness. The pineal doesn’t receive the light information directly; instead the SCN receives the light stimulated nerves from the retina in the eye. In fact, the neurons go to the upper neck where they can be affected by neck injury. That is why after whiplash injuries, sleep cycles can be disturbed. The SCN then sends information back to modulate body temperature and production of cortisol (the stress hormone) and melatonin.

Natural melatonin levels slowly drop with age, with some older adults making very small amounts  or none at all. Melatonin levels decrease dramatically with exposure to blue light. Artificial light can drop levels by 60%. Until recently, humans were only exposed to blue light a few hours during winter daylight. Unfortunately, several modern conveniences like fluorescent fixtures and especially smart phones, iPads and computers produce the wrong light frequencies (blue) that inhibit melatonin production. As you can imagine, a rural/agrarian lifestyle would be helpful here because the days and evenings spent outside would let your brain know when it’s light or dark.

HOW CAN WE INCREASE MELATONIN LEVELS

1) Glasses that block blue light (orange lenses) can increase melatonin during sessions with electronic devices. Read with an orange light on the iPad and use blue blockers at home 3 hours before bed.

2) Supplementing with melatonin can be effective, but it must be the sub-lingual form (dissolved under the tongue) because 90% of the melatonin is removed by the liver if it is swallowed. Melatonin supplements need to be taken at the same time every evening, ideally an hour before bedtime.

3) Have your levels of melatonin, cortisol and inflammatory markers tested by a doctor knowledgeable in the natural treatment of sleep disorders.

4) Limit exposure to unnatural light sources (computers, TV, videos, fluorescent lights) after 8:30 PM, and increase exposure to natural light at mid day.

Because of the far reaching effects on our entire body, melatonin levels and improving sleep should be a high priority when outlining one’s health plan. If this makes sense to you, let me know if I can help.

Thyroid Problems? How Did This Happen To Me?

May 8, 2014 by Dr. Don Davis Leave a Comment

On Christmas morning Leslie M., 9 months pregnant, began having contractions with her 3rd child. The pregnancy up to that point, had been uneventful except for a bit of recent increased blood sugar that her doctor felt was “borderline” and should settle down once the baby came. She delivered a beautiful baby girl that night and everything was wonderful, but within weeks, her body began to tell a different story. She had spells of imbalance, heart palpitations, and fatigue that began to restrict her normally very active life. Her brain felt like it was working in a fog of anxiety and her children were beginning to be a source of drudgery instead of pleasure. Eventually, she gained weight and depression set in.

Her symptoms were explained away by her doctor as “postpartum blues,” but Leslie knew something else was going on. She realized that her problems were entirely different from anything she had experienced before and began to worry that this would be a permanent condition. The fact that her doctor was dismissive made her feel totally alone.
When hearing Leslie’s story, many of us may think that she was simply frightened or depressed about the increased responsibility of caring for a larger family, or that she was not getting enough sleep, or enough time for herself. But little known to her, the physical, emotional, and physiological stress of pregnancy caused changes in her DNA—that’s right, a gene (or two) turned from off to on—leading to a condition called Hashimoto’s thyroiditis.

Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) is a common autoimmune disease affecting the thyroid. The prevalence of the disease has been increasing in recent years, and in many cases, it clusters in families. The affected genes make the immune system susceptible to hyper-function. This leads to a kind of immune hyper-vigilance that attacks the thyroid, causing initial thyroid inflammation. This inflammation increases the production of thyroid hormone, and in Leslie’s case, anxiety, heart palpitations and fatigue. This initial stage of dysfunction may last a few months, but in time, the thyroid is slowly and permanently damaged, resulting in eventual low thyroid function. This is when I usually end up seeing the patient—when their symptoms are severe fatigue, depression, brain fog, thinning hair, GI issues and weight gain.

Not all thyroid problems are caused by Hashimoto’s Disease, but it is estimated that 70-90% of the women who have low-thyroid function actually have Hashimoto’s, making it the most common autoimmune disease. Other causes of low thyroid function are inadequate iodine intake and surgical or medical treatment of a hyper-thyroid gland. You can see that if you have a low thyroid condition (other than low iodine), it probably began with some kind of physical or mental stress that caused a change in your particular susceptible genes, turning a genetic switch that lead to your symptoms. The important point is that this is an immune and inflammatory condition, is not strictly a thyroid problem.

The good news is that this overactive immune condition can be markedly improved using a specific, natural, non-medical approach. That’s what happened with Leslie. We found that she had a specific kind of altered immune response involving Th1 cytokines. Once this was discovered, we were able to stabilize her immune system and her thyroid function with targeted nutritional supplements and an anti-inflammatory diet. She lost weight, her brain fog went away and she was able to exercise like she wanted. Best of all, she began to experience her children as the incredible blessings they always had been.