Welcome to 2010 from everyone at TIFM

Welcome to 2010 from everyone at TIFM. The general trend we are seeing is that more people want a functional medicine view on their disorders. The average number of physicians that our patients have seen with their chronic illnesses and disorders is approximately 6 before they find us. Functional medicine takes a practical body/event view of disorders and in most cases we can discover what leads to an illness or disorder and then correct it. We now have other physicians who send us there tough cases.

Other patients want to look and feel great. The combination of Functional Medicine and cosmetic surgery does it! Many do one before the other but eventually do both and end up looking AND feeling great.

We have introduced many new cosmetic surgery procedures such as the Brazilian Butt Lift, fat transfers and soon labiaplasty. For a list of procedures we perform and for many before and after pictures, please visit: TIFM

Some of the top subjects that we are hearing our patients request are: Hormones, weight, sleep and especially hair loss!

My hair is falling out! Quick, do something, Quick!

This is probably the biggest concern of women that we see, and instant results are simply not available, but there is a functional approach as to why the hair is not growing as it used to.

The number one concern by patients at TIFM

Hair is important to all of us and especially to women in peri and post menopause as so many things can go wrong during this time. I will attempt to address this issue by addressing what is going on and what can be done.

Facts:

1. Hair has several phases of its life:


1. The normal cycle of hair growth lasts for 2 to 3 years. Each hair grows approximately 1 centimeter per month during this phase. About 90 percent of the hair on your scalp is growing at any one time. About 10 percent of the hair on your scalp, at any one time, is in a resting phase. After 3 to 4 months, the resting hair falls out and new hair starts to grow in its place.
   
   It is normal to shed some hair each day as part of this cycle. However, some people may experience excessive (more than normal) hair loss. Hair loss of this type can affect men, women and children.


2. A great site for full info is http://www.follicle.com/


2. There are 539 listed causes of hair loss but we can normally narrow down to a handful.


1. Some of the leading causes of hair loss in women according to traditional medicine are:


1. thyroid or liver disease


2. hepatic or renal failure


3. anesthesia


4. childbirth


5. starting or stopping birth control pills


6. very high fever


7. severe stress


8. anemia (sometimes seen in runners)


9. hypothyroidism or hyperthyroidism


10. essential fatty acid deficiency


11. zinc deficiency


12. any condition that upsets the ovarian, adrenal, or pituitary axis


13. protein deficiency (common with vegetarian diets)


14. anorexia or bulimia


15. too much vitamin A


16. local viral, fungal, or protozoan infection


17. drug toxicity


18. antimitotics - such as those used for chemotherapy


19. bromocriptine - used to inhibit lactation


20. beta blockers


21. ACE inhibitors


22. amphetamines


23. anticholesterol agents


3. What we commonly see in the women coming to see us who are peri or post menopausal:


1. Testosterone imbalances


1. If lessening libido, this goes along with thinning hair. This can easily be corrected.


2. If thyroid imbalances are an issue, in most cases after menopause, the woman needs some amount of thyroid, especially if over 40 and two children. However, the thyroid labs your insurance pays for does not measure the proper hormones. The majority of women coming here say their doctor said, "Nothing is wrong with your thyroid," yet we find major problems that are easily corrected and the hair starts growing again.


3. Heavy metals-If you are post menopausal and have a mouthful of silver fillings, plan on having scanty hair growth. Only our Heavy Metal Challenge IV can make that determination though as we have had women with no amalgams but who eat lots of tuna and salmon and they are mercury toxic. This too can be fixed!


4. Genetics-It is automatically assumed that if your mother went bald that you will too! Not so! Something has to trigger that faulty gene. Call us to see what that is.


5. Nutritional imbalances-we can nail this simply with our EAV testing and symptomology as we excel at the chemistry of nutrition.


6. Inflammation-So easily overlooked as most inflammations starts in the gut, and when certain conditions are right-bingo the inflammation markers are high and the hair growth is low. We know what causes this and this can be fixed.


7. Also a much overlooked nutrient is Iron or lack of it which stops hair growth in its tracks. We test for this so if you live on salads in an attempt to lose weight just know that your hair doesn’t like you!


8. Recently we have seen dental disorders as the underlying cause of hair disorders. Inflammation that often occurs when you have had lots of work done (posts, crowns, root canals and gum surgery). We can easily determine if this is this cause. A recent addition of 3D digital pics of mouth is helping tremendously.


4. Goldman-Sachs estimates 38 BILLION is spent yearly in hair care products with a large amount spent on stopping hair loss and stimulating hair growth. So before you buy that magic potion to grow hair, know that it WON’T!


5. We have some fabulously advanced products but won’t sell unless all of the above are addressed. They can be used during any therapy.

Call us if this is your major concern as we can determine what the cause is and fix it! There is nothing magical about hair loss! Call Beverly Osborn at 972-239-6317 Ext. 134 for more information.

Telomere Cream

This is the most exciting and technologically advanced anti-aging cream we have had and everyone loves it!

ApotheCure has been tapped by leading skin cosmeceutical manufactures to formulate new lines, and together with our manufacturer; we have created many new anti-aging compounds of which Telomere Cream is one. It has been formulated with the knowledge that comes from anti-aging research. Because ApothéCure has international connections, we can get anti-aging substances that may appear months or years later from the big companies.

The product we have produced has demonstrated a reversal of the skin aging process. Clinical evaluations on a panel of women showed the following results:

• Sun spots and skin moisture improved in 100% of the panelists!


• Redness and pore size reduced in over 90% of the panelists.


• Skin roughness, fine lines and barrier function improved in at least 75% of the panelists.


• Skin firmness, tone and elasticity increased in 75% of the panelists.


• Lines and wrinkles were reduced.


• Overall texture of the skin improved and restored to a more youthful state.

Ingredients:

Purified Water, Squalane, Hyaluronic Acid, Caprilic/Capric Triglyceride, Teprenone, Polyacrylate 13, Polyisobutene, Polysorbate 20, Xylityglucoside, Anhydroxylitol, Xylitol, Phenoxyethanol, Ethylhexlglyercin.

1 Ounce Jar : $175

Telomere can be used in conjunction with other products/compounds.

“Aging Begins At the Cellular Level within the DNA”

WHAT IS DNA?

DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid is the hereditary material in humans and almost all other organisms. Practically every cell in the human body has the identical DNA. Most DNA is located in the nucleus of the cell and a small amount can be found in the mitochondria.

Mitochondria are small complex structures which exist in every cell (except red blood cells) and are considered to be the powerhouse of the cell because they produce most of the energy we require to live and grow.

The information in DNA is stored in a code which is comprised of four chemical bases: adenine (A), guanine (G), cytosine (C), and thymine (T). Human DNA consists of approximately three billion bases and more than 99% of those bases are the same in all humans. The order or sequence of these bases determines the information for building and maintaining an organism. This sequence can be compared to letters of the alphabet which must appear in a particular order to form words which make up sentences. The previously mentioned bases pair with one another to form units called base pairs. Each base is also attached to a sugar molecule and a phosphate molecule. Together, a base, sugar and phosphate are called a nucleotide. Nucleotides are arranged in two long strands that form a spiral called a double helix. The structure of the double helix resembles a ladder, with the base pairs forming the ladders rungs and the sugar and phosphate molecules forming the vertical sidepieces of the ladder.

DNA can replicate or make copies of itself. Each strand of DNA in the double helix can serve as a pattern for duplicating the sequence of bases. When cells divide, this replication process is critical as each new cell needs to have an exact copy of the DNA present in the old cell.

AGING BEGINS AT THE CELLULAR LEVEL WITHIN THE DNA TELOMERES

In the nucleus of the cell, the DNA molecule is packaged into thread-like structures called, chromosomes. A chromosome is a structure of DNA and protein found in the cell nucleus. Each chromosome contains hundreds of thousands of the genes that form our hereditary blueprint. Humans have 23 pairs of chromosomes (each parent contributes one chromosome in each pair) containing a total of 50,000 to 100,000 genes from each parent. Our genes carry the inherited blueprint that makes us what we are. Why is this relevant, you might be wondering? At the end of a chromosome are stretches of DNA called telomeres, which protect our genetic data, and make it possible for cells to divide. These tiny structures, telomeres, contain some of the mysteries as to how we age and how some of us get cancer. We can compare telomeres to the plastic tips on the end of shoelaces, because they prevent the chromosome from fraying and sticking to each other, which would scramble an organism’s genetic information resulting in cancer, other diseases, or death. We do know that each time a cell divides, the telomeres get shorter. When they get too short, the cell can no longer divide and becomes inactive or “senescent” or dies. We associate this process with aging (the cell has a limited amount of time for division), as well as cancer, and a higher risk of death. Some researchers believe that telomeres are the key to life extension.

Without telomeres, the main part of the chromosome (the part that contains genes essential for life) would get shorter every time a cell divides. Telomeres enable cells to divide without losing genes. We need cell division to make new blood, bone, other cells when needed and NEW SKIN.

TELOMERES AND SKIN

You have just learned that aging begins at the cellular level within the DNA. Telomeres, which are a part of the DNA structure, grow shorter as cells divide and replicate (reproduce themselves). As the telomeres shorten, cells begin to enter a state called, senescence. The outward appearance of senescence is what you see in the mirror as your face, neck; décolleté (and the rest of your body) looks older. What you are really seeing in your reflection is wrinkled, sagging, dull skin as the skin is the largest organ in the body and reflects either youth or old age.

Telomere Cream helps to maintain telomere length, and therefore the lifespan of cells, by promoting the skin’s natural protection and repair factors involved in detoxification, anti-stress, telomere maintenance and DNA repair. If we increase the lifespan of the cell, cell function is enhanced, tissue quality is improved and skin’s youth span is extended, thereby reducing all visible signs of aging - even beyond mere wrinkling.

Breast Health

Tremendous advances are being made in other countries in the treatment of breast cancer, but how do you know you have anything wrong is the major issue.

Breast Health in U.S.

This is always a big issue with our patients, but as usual, most research and fund raising efforts are directed toward doing something after the fact and usually involve either Big Pharma or surgery. TIFM focuses more on the functional part of breast health and keeping the breast healthy. The importance of getting a Mammogram changed tremendously last December when the Fed’s backed off on frequency under pressure from public groups stated that Mammograms actually cause cancer and that they didn’t actually WORK in showing up cancers!

The following is an excerpt from Dr Campbell Douglas II, a personal friend and great advocate for functional medicine.

I recently saw a bumper sticker that said, "Save the Ta- tas." Believe me... I'm all about "saving the ta-tas" – which is exactly why I've been telling women for years to STAY AWAY from those breast-squashing cancer machines called mammograms.

I've given you plenty of reasons why – and here's another to add to the list...

After just five mammograms, women who are at high risk for breast cancer are 2.5 times more likely to get the disease than those who skipped out on the tests. Women who get mammograms before they turn 20 are also at a higher risk.

I shake my head at the irony. These "high-risk" women, of course, are the same patients who've been told they need MORE screenings because of their supposed risk. And when they DO develop breast cancer, no one thinks to blame the "solution." In fact, they sing the mammogram's praises for catching it early!

The researchers who presented this analysis at a recent meeting of the Radiological Society of North America say more study is needed to confirm the link. At least they're predictable.

Truth is, we don't need to waste another minute – or another research dollar – on this.

This is just the latest in a series of reports and studies to confirm the obvious: Mammograms have harmed far more women than they've ever saved. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recently advised against mammograms for most women under 50, a huge leap in the right direction.

But already plenty of "experts" are trying to water down the facts with the medical equivalent of gibberish. These doctors are doing everything they can to keep women in fear – not because they're interested in saving lives, but because they're worried about what will happen to their bank accounts when women realize that they've been had.

Don't listen to a word they're saying. They don't have a scientific leg to stand on.

Ladies, the bottom line on this is to stay far from mammograms, no matter what you hear on TV.

TIFM, since its conception, has promoted breast thermal imaging, including the face and neck, to look at possible causes of breast illness. Our new approach is to always do a Thermal Imaging test, and if anything abnormal is seen, Dr. Light will immediately do a breast exam, and if anything suspicious shows up, will write a prescription for a breast MRI (the best and safest method of locating possible disorders). Breast MRI facilities are springing up all over the place and in most cases, your insurance pays. See end of this document for a list.

What Dr Joe Mercola has to say about TI: (he has 4th largest health web site)

Gary’s recommendations:

1. Get 30 minutes a day of sunshine! Yes, even sunbathing can be healthy, but do not burn and do not use sunscreens! The sun promotes your own Vitamin D protection which is being found to be critical in preventing breast disorders. If you don’t have time, then take our oral Vitamin D drops (Forte) 5 drops every morning.


2. Fish oil! Very important in breast diseases prevention but we DO NOT recommend fish oil (possible heavy metals) but KRILL oil, which is powerful with no bad burps. We use NKO caps.


3. At least do a monthly breast exam as it is often found to be more accurate than a mammogram. The Best instructional site I have found!


4. Dental Health- This is a must! As we see many or most breast disorders originating with infection or inflammation in the mouth. The new digital X-rays are very low in radiation and I consider safer in relation to knowing what is going on in your mouth especially if you have had:


• Dry sockets from wisdom teeth extractions even if years ago


• Root canals-always go bad and you can’t feel it as no nerve but we can SMELL it.


• Dental Implants are usually very good dental procedures but can go bad. You have pockets where that last chicken dinner always sticks and this can cause gum infections.


5. Brush and FLOSS often!! I know it is easy to forget but I have found a neat little device that is easy to use that will keep lodged food from between the teeth but actual flossing is still recommended. GUM Soft pic.


6. Exercise!! Move!! Any exercise that involves up and down movement will help with lymph flow in the breast. The best or cleanest breasts I’ve seen were in active women and we even have an 85 year old lady who was a tap dancer! It takes up and down movement to keep lymph from blocking up in the lymph glands in the breasts. Horseback riding, walking with arms swinging, dancing, boxing, and more. If you find you don’t have the energy to at least do this 15 minutes a day then you need to have your hormones tested and in particular, thyroid and adrenal.


7. If you find any congestion, please use an oil we have found to aid in lymphatic drainage called Poke Root Oil.


8. Hormones!! This is the most important health function you can do for yourself. Balance your hormones and use only natural hormones. This is our specialty!! If you have a family history of breast cancer, consider getting a special gene disorder lab performed. Get at your regular physician’s office so insurance will pay but we offer also.

For more information, a phone consultation or to setup an appointment, please contact our Patient Care Coordinator, Beverly Brown-Osborn by email or by calling (972) 239-6317 x134.

Weight Loss

Ranks right up there with hair loss!

HcG or Human Chorionic Gonadotropin must be good with a name that long. I helped to develop this protocol nearly three years ago and at that time sterile injectable HcG was available to compound yet was too expensive and too hard to get. Being a world compounder I sourced out powdered HcG from China and found it at the time of the Chinese Olympics. It tested out perfectly and the rest is history, we were the first to offer topical HcG vs the injectable HcG. The problem was with the diet of 500 calories. At the clinic we changed this to 800-1000 calories of specific foods. Because we have ApothéCure next door, we have developed some very unique appetite suppressants that no one else has. We have several patients losing 3-5 pound a week and 15-20 pounds a month. Proper hormones help tremendously and other weight loss clinics do not have the hormone experience we do so why not do it correctly for complete success. Call Beverly at 972-239-6317 Ext 134.

Hormones Imposters

We are getting more and more patients who have gone to physicians who take insurance (and we understand with the recession) but they simply don’t do it right and although your insurance may pay for it, you are still miserable. If this sounds like you, call us, as we may be able to use some or all of your lab work, keeping costs to a minimum and getting you well. We have been addressing natural hormones longer than most in the US and definitely in Texas, so if you’re not happy with what is going on with your body, CALL US now.

Call us to see the new financing packages we have. 972-239-6317 Ext. 147

MRI Locations

Patients Comprehensive Cancer Center (Insurance)
McKinney Regional Cancer Center
4601 Medical Center Dr
McKinney, TX 75069
972-395-1010
(Across from Medical Center of McKinney South-West Corner of Hwy 75 and 121).

UT Southwestern Medical Center (Insurance)
5323 Harry Hines Blvd
Dallas, Texas 75390
214-648-3111

The Elizabeth Jekot, M.D. Breast Imaging Center (Insurance)
3301 E Renner Rd Ste 100
Richardson, TX 75082
214-442-7050

Baylor University Medical Center at Dallas (Insurance)
3500 Gaston
Dallas, TX 75246
214-820-2312

Baylor All Saints Medical Center (Insurance)
1400 8th Ave
Fort Worth, TX 76104
817-922-2530

Preferred MRI (Insurance)
5920 Forest Park Ste 560
Dallas, TX 75235
214-350-7149

Visit our website for more information, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

Breast Augmentation Recovery in 2009 - Faster

Breast augmentation now surpasses liposuction as the most common aesthetic surgery performed in the United States. This has prompted medical experts to devise techniques to allow patients to return to work (and normal life) quicker and easier.

Recovery from breast augmentation is generally a 2-4 week process of discomfort with an impaired range of motion affecting normal daily activities.


Newer, gentler methods used by surgeons at the operating table have been developed and incorporated at TIFM.


They involve meticulous pre-operative measuring of the chest to determine proper implant size (eliminating the extra step of inserting sizers into the surgical pocket); use of electro-cautery to divide tissue in a precise, near bloodless fashion; and avoiding all "blunt" (stretching and tearing) intra-operative maneuvers or any contact with the very sensitive ribs that is common with traditional augmentation procedures.


The result of this "extra care" is amazing. Most patients can shower and brush their hair within hours after surgery and can perform regular activities the very next day; which leads to a much less traumatic experience and a happier, satisfied patient overall!


Visit our website for more information, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

The Role of Environment in Making You Look Old!!

A recent study involving identical twins implies that, genetics aside, your environment can have a huge impact on your perceived age. Factors such as divorce, work stress and junk food diets are the real culprits adding years to your face.

An individual's genetic heritage will determine, initially, the way in which a person ages - but the rate at which they age can be significantly accelerated if they introduce certain negative factors into their lifestyles. In this study, they looked at identical twins because they are genetically programmed to age exactly the same, and in doing so the researchers essentially discovered that, when it comes to your face, it is possible to cheat your biological clock.


During the study, researchers obtained comprehensive questionnaires and digital images from 186 pairs of identical twins. The images were reviewed by an independent panel, which then recorded the perceived age difference between the siblings.


Results show that twins who had been divorced appeared nearly 2 years older than their siblings who were married, single, or widowed. Antidepressant use was also associated with a significantly older appearance. Researchers found that weight also played a role in apparent age. In those sets of twins who were less than 40 years old, the heavier twin was perceived as being older, while in those groups over 40 years old, the heavier twin appeared younger.


According to the researchers, the presence of stress could be one of the common denominators in those twins who appeared older while the continued relaxation of the facial muscles due to antidepressant use could account for sagging. Other factors such as smoking, excess alcohol consumption and lots of sun exposure have been indicted for contributing to an aged look.


Of course, asthetic surgery and anti-aging medicine can 'rescue' you from the jaws of the clock, but awareness is critical and it's far easier to avoid negative factors in your lifestyle in the first place.


Visit our website for more information on Aesthetic Medicine and Anti-Aging Medicine, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

Get the Lead Out

We see so much lead in the heavy metals challenges we do that it is a crime that everyone doesn't test for it. It is so easy to test for, so easy to remove and even FDA approves of it so how can that not be good!!! Even the American Heart Assc'n. states that lead is one of the leading causes of CVD.

Here is an excerpt from the well-known Dr Julian Whitaker and one of the early promoters of chelation therapy in the prestigious ACAM (American College for the Advancement of Medicine). I have updated some of the information.

From Whitaker Newsletter - Abundant, durable, malleable, resistant to corrosion: No wonder lead has been such a popular metal throughout human history. Ancient Romans found a multitude of uses for it, from lining water pipes and drinking vessels to sweetening wine. What they didn't realize were the detrimental health effects of this metal. It is now believed that lead poisoning was responsible for the bizarre behavior, mental incompetence, gout, stillbirths, and sterility that afflicted the Roman aristocracy- and quite possibly contributed to the decline of the Roman Empire.

Fast forward to 1921, when General Motors engineer Thomas Midgley, Jr., came up with another use for lead. As a gasoline additive, it reduced engine knock and improved performance. Of course, it was known to be toxic. Thomas Midgley himself was plagued with a "mysterious illness" while experimenting with it and, in 1924, 15 refinery workers died and 300 more became severely psychotic as a result of working with leaded gasoline.


But that didn't matter. Thanks to corporate greed and government complicity, lead's well-documented adverse effects were ignored, and for more than 60 years this potent toxin spewed into our environment. Leaded gas was finally phased out in 1986, and air levels of lead dropped dramatically. But even today, 20 years later, 7 million tons of lead remains in our soil, water, air- and bodies.


Bones Bear the Burden of Lead


More than 90 percent of your body's total burden of lead exists in your skeleton. And for those of us who grew up in the days when lead was also in paint, pipes, water tanks, cans, and a plethora of other consumer products, that's a lot of lead. In fact, we harbor a whopping 650 times more of this heavy metal in our bones than people did 100 years ago.


Lead is a neurotoxin that causes mental retardation and developmental delays in children and a multitude of cognitive problems in people of all ages. It also damages the endothelial cells lining the arteries and curbs production of nitric oxide, impairing circulation, raising blood pressure, and increasing risk of cardiovascular disease, kidney dysfunction, cancer, and premature death.


If lead would stay put in the bones, it might not be such a problem- but it doesn't. Along with other minerals, lead is released into the bloodstream and transported to tissues throughout the body. Generally, this release is slow, gradual, and unnoticed. But there are times when it picks up speed. During pregnancy, when extra calcium is needed for fetal bone development, blood lead levels rise, increasing risk of hypertension for women with high levels, and often causing low birth weight and physical and mental developmental delays for their children.


Lead is also mobilized during mid-life and old age. Women are especially vulnerable after menopause, when bone loss increases. It is estimated that blood lead levels go up 30 percent during the five years after menopause! Men also lose bone mass as they age, and the resultant increase in blood lead levels negatively affects them as well.


Chelate the Lead Out


As you can see, we all need to take steps to get the lead out, and the fastest way to do this is to undergo a course of intravenous (IV) EDTA chelation. EDTA is a synthetic amino acid that forms a tight chemical bond with lead and other minerals and carries them out of the body in the urine. ApothéCure was asked almost 6 years to develop a new chelating agent called CALCIUM EDTA by Dr Garry Gordon, well known developer of ACAM and many advanced therapies including oral detox. We have been using this in out clinic since then as the time required per IV is fractional compared to EDTA (3 hrs).


EDTA chelation has been the number one FDA-approved therapy for lead poisoning since 1948. After World War II, sailors suffering with lead toxicity acquired while painting battleships and docks with lead-based paint were treated with EDTA chelation, and their results were remarkable. Not only did these men have the expected restoration of memory, energy, vision, and hearing, but those who also had heart disease experienced unexpected improvements in angina and circulation.


That's how the broad benefits of chelation were serendipitously discovered. Astute physicians took heed and began using chelation for patients with cardiovascular disease and circulatory problems and, for a decade or so, its popularity mushroomed. Then the politics and economics of modern medicine intervened.


To make a long story short, this relatively inexpensive, office-based therapy had no chance against the Goliaths of cardiology (surgery and drugs). Chelation became embroiled in controversy, where it remains to this day. But a few thousand physicians refused to give up on it. I've been using EDTA chelation in my clinic for about 20 years, and I've seen it eliminate angina, improve exercise tolerance, lower blood pressure, increase circulation, and save limbs on the verge of amputation. The following story, from subscriber William Tessier from Cotuit, MA, is a perfect example.


"Chelation Saved My Life"


"Fourteen years ago, my doctor told me I needed angioplasty, and if I didn't have it, I wouldn't live more than two years. Something told me that I should not do it, so I lived with angina and blocked arteries, along with asthma, for the next 12 years. I was overweight, could not walk any distance without getting out of breath, and regularly experienced uncomfortable chest pain. I was taking 11 different drugs for all of my health problems."


"Through those years I had to care for a very sick wife who passed away over five years ago. I met a friend three years ago whom I had not seen for quite some time. She told me about vitamins, nutrition, and chelation therapy, which she learned about from your newsletter."


"After undergoing chelation treatment, exercising, and eating a low-fat diet, I am a new person. People cannot get over the change in me; some don't recognize me at all. I lost 80 pounds, my asthma is now a thing of the past, and my arteries are fine. I can walk greater distances and spend nearly an hour a day on a treadmill and other exercise machines. I am also rid of all those killer drugs."


"By the way, before I started chelation, I brought the information to my doctor, who had put me on all those drugs. He said, "You will be wasting your money." He is now retired from his practice because of heart-related problems. Chelation saved my life. I am 78 years old and the friend that I met up with is now my lovely wife. I thank God that she receives Dr. Julian Whitaker's Health & Healing newsletter."


What About Oral Chelation?


I am often asked if oral chelation is the same as IV chelation. Yes and no. All chelating agents bind to minerals and move them out of the body. However, no one can convince me that oral chelators have the same effect as IV chelation.


This doesn't mean I don't recommend oral chelation. Although giant strides have been made in eliminating lead, it lingers in our environment. Even if you scrupulously avoid all known sources of exposure, you still have to contend with the lead that's stored in, and being released from, your bones. And lead is only one of many environmental toxins out there. Therefore, I support any and all efforts to chip away at the body's toxic burden.


What is the best oral chelator? Dr. Garry Gordon and ApothéCure's co-development of CaEDTA, have found that daily intake of this oral chelator is very effective during and after IV chelation as we are exposed to lead everyday of our life. Oral intake of CaEDTA is absorbed between 5 and 15% so daily intake will actually be beneficial to keeping the lead down once it is chelated out. ApothéCure has several products for you to choose from.


Recommendations:


Although I most often recommend IV chelation for patients with heart disease or circulation problems, I believe it provides benefits for most everyone over age 50.

EDTA chelation is administered in a doctor's office via a 90-minute to three-hour IV infusion once or twice a week for a total of 25 to 30 treatments. Our new IV protocols take less than 1 hour and include new anti-aging substances for the inside of your veins. This is a minimal cost to insure the rest of your life. Call us at 972-239-6317 Ext 134 for more information.


Visit our website for more information, and then contact us online or call our Patient Care Coordinator at 972.239.6317 x134 for a FREE phone consultation and to setup an appointment.

Most Common Cause of Fatigue that is Missed or Misdiagnosed by Doctors

Originally Posted by: Dr. Mercola September 05 2009

Your adrenal glands are each no bigger than a walnut and weigh less than a grape, yet are responsible for one of the most important functions in your body: managing stress. “The adrenals are known as ‘the glands of stress,’” writes James Wilson in his book Adrenal Fatigue: The 21st Century Stress Syndrome. “It is their job to enable your body to deal with stress from every possible source, ranging from injury and disease to work and relationship problems. Your resiliency, energy, endurance and your very life all depend on their proper functioning.”

When your adrenal glands are fatigued, a condition known as adrenal fatigue or adrenal exhaustion, your entire body feels it and suffers from extreme exhaustion as well. It's estimated that up to 80 percent of adults experience adrenal fatigue during their lifetimes, yet it remains one of the most under-diagnosed illnesses in the United States.[2]


The Optimal Function of Your Adrenal Glands


Your body has two adrenal glands, located just above each of your kidneys. As part of your endocrine system, your adrenal glands secrete more than 50 hormones, many of which are essential for life and include:

1. Glucocorticoids. These hormones, which include cortisol, help your body convert food into energy, normalize blood sugar, respond to stress and maintain your immune system's inflammatory response.
2. Mineralocorticoids. These hormones, which include aldosterone, help keep your blood pressure and blood volume normal by maintaining a proper balance of sodium, potassium and water in your body.[3]
3. Adrenaline. This hormone increases your heart rate and controls blood flow to your muscles and brain, along with helping with the conversion of glycogen to glucose in your liver.

Together, these hormones and others produced by your adrenal glands control such body functions as:[4]

• Maintaining metabolic processes, such as managing blood sugar levels and regulating inflammation
• Regulating your body's balance of salt and water
• Controlling your "fight or flight" response to stress
• Maintaining pregnancy
• Initiating and controlling sexual maturation during childhood and puberty
• Producing sex steroids such as estrogen and testosterone

Ironically, although your adrenal glands are there, in large part, to help you cope with stress, too much of it is actually what causes their function to break down.


In other words, one of your adrenal glands most important tasks is to get your body ready for the "fight or flight" stress response, which means increasing adrenaline and other hormones.


As part of this response, your heart rate and blood pressure increase, your digestion slows, and your body becomes ready to face a potential threat or challenge.


While this response is necessary and good when it's needed, many of us are constantly faced with stressors (work, environmental toxins, not enough sleep, worry, relationship problems and more) and therefore are in this "fight or flight" mode for far too long -- much longer than was ever intended from a biological standpoint.


The result is that your adrenal glands, faced with excessive stress and burden, become overworked and fatigued. Some common factors that put excess stress on your adrenals are:[5]

• Anger, fear, anxiety, guilt, depression and other negative emotions
• Overwork, including physical or mental strain
• Excessive exercise
• Sleep deprivation
• Light-cycle disruption (such as working the night shift or often going to sleep late)
• Surgery, trauma or injury
• Chronic inflammation, infection, illness or pain
• Temperature extremes
• Toxic exposure
• Nutritional deficiencies and/or severe allergies

Signs and Symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue


When your adrenal glands become depleted, it leads to a decrease in certain hormone levels, particularly cortisol. The deficiencies in certain adrenal hormones will vary with each case, ranging from mild to severe.


In its most extreme form, this is referred to as Addison's disease, a condition that causes muscle weakness, weight loss, low blood pressure and low blood sugar, and can be life threatening.


Fortunately, only about four persons per 100,000 develop Addison's disease, which is due to autoimmune disease in most cases but can also develop after very severe stress.[6]


At the other end of the spectrum, as well as in between, lies adrenal fatigue (also known as hypoadrenia). Though the symptoms are less severe than in Addison's disease, symptoms of adrenal fatigue can be debilitating. As Wilson writes:

"Non-Addison's hypoadrenia (adrenal fatigue) is not usually severe enough to be
featured on TV or to be considered a medical emergency. In fact, modern medicine
does not even recognize it as a distinct syndrome. Nevertheless, it can wreak
havoc with your life. In the more serious cases of adrenal fatigue, the activity
of the adrenal glands is so diminished that the person may have difficulty
getting out of bed for more than a few hours per day. With each increment of
reduction in adrenal function, every organ and system in your body is more
profoundly affected."[7]

Classic signs and symptoms of adrenal fatigue include:

• Fatigue and weakness, especially in the morning and afternoon


• A suppressed immune system
• Increased allergies
• Muscle and bone loss and muscular weakness
• Depression
• Cravings for foods high in salt, sugar or fat
• Hormonal imbalance
• Skin problems
• Autoimmune disorders
• Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
• Low sex drive
• Lightheadedness when getting up from sitting or lying down
• Decreased ability to handle stress
• Trouble waking up in the morning, despite a full night's sleep
• Poor memory

Additionally, people with adrenal fatigue often get a burst of energy around 6 p.m., followed by sleepiness at 9 p.m. or 10 p.m., which is often resisted. A "second wind" at 11 p.m. is then common, which often may keep you from falling asleep until 1 a.m.[8]


Further, those with adrenal fatigue often also have abnormal blood sugar levels and mental disturbances, such as increased fears and anxiety, and rely on coffee, soda and other forms of caffeine to keep them going.


As the names implies, the most common symptom of adrenal fatigue is unrelenting fatigue, a feeling of being run down or not able to keep up with your daily demands. And because fatigue is such a common symptom, the syndrome is very often missed or misdiagnosed by physicians.


The Common Medical Test for Adrenal Function Cannot Diagnose Adrenal Fatigue


Adding to the problem of misdiagnosis is the fact that doctors typically use an ACTH (adrenocorticotropic hormone) test to check for problems with your adrenal glands.


However, the test only recognizes extreme underproduction or overproduction of hormone levels, as shown by the top and bottom 2 percent of a bell curve.


Symptoms of adrenal malfunction, meanwhile, occur after 15 percent of the mean on both sides of the curve. So your adrenal glands could be functioning 20 percent below the mean, and your body experiencing symptoms of adrenal fatigue, and the standard test won't recognize it.[9]


The test that will recognize adrenal fatigue, in all of its stages, is a salivary cortisol test. This is an inexpensive test you can purchase online and do at home, as no prescription is needed. However, if you suspect you have adrenal fatigue a knowledgeable natural health care provider can help you with diagnosis and treatment.


Natural, and Simple, Steps to Recover From Adrenal Fatigue


It takes time to burnout your adrenal glands, and as you might suspect it also takes some time to recover. You can expect:

• Six to nine months of recovery time for minor adrenal fatigue
• 12 to 18 months for moderate adrenal fatigue
• Up to 24 months for severe adrenal fatigue[10]

The good news is that natural treatments are very effective for this syndrome, and with time, patience, and the tips that follow it is possible to recover.

• Probably the single most important area is to have powerful tools and strategies to address the current and past emotional traumas in your life. Prayer, meditation and meridian tapping techniques can be very helpful here. If you were to focus only on one area it would be best to concentrate in this area as this really is the central key to restoring your adrenal health.
• Listen to your body and rest when you feel tired (this includes during the day by taking short naps or just laying down)
• Sleep in (until 9 a.m. if you feel like it)
• Exercise regularly using a comprehensive program of strength, aerobic, core, and interval training
• Eat a healthy nutrient-dense diet like the one described in my nutrition plan, according to your Nutritional Type
• Avoid stimulants like coffee and soda, as these can further exhaust your adrenal glands

Further, to maintain proper adrenal function it is imperative to control your blood sugar levels. If you are eating the right foods for your Nutritional Type, your blood sugar levels should balance out, and the following guidelines will also help:

• Eat a small meal or snack every three to four hours
• Eat within the first hour upon awakening
• Eat a small snack near bedtime
• Eat before becoming hungry. If hungry, you have already allowed yourself to run out of fuel (low blood sugar), which places additional stress on your adrenal glands

You may also want to see a physician well versed in bio-identical hormone replacement, and get tested to see if you could benefit from the use of DHEA. DHEA is a natural steroid and precursor hormone produced by the adrenals, and levels are often very low in people with adrenal fatigue. Keep in mind, of course, that DHEA is not a quick cure, and should not be used as a sole treatment.


Treating adrenal fatigue requires a whole-body approach, one that addresses the excess stress and unhealthy lifestyle habits that wore out your adrenals in the first place. Interestingly the very first step in normalizing sex hormones, either male or female, is to first address the adrenal hormone system. For example if you were to only measure female hormones and then replace them with bio-identical hormone therapy, you will virtually be guaranteed to fail because the weakened adrenals will never allow the hormones to equilibrate properly.


Because your adrenal health is so important to your overall health and well-being, I highly recommend you work with a knowledgeable natural health care practitioner to find out if you have adrenal fatigue and then remedy it.


The tips above are an excellent starting point, however, and can be used by nearly everyone to help give your adrenal glands a healthy boost.


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