Can mental and emotional stress impact metabolism? Absolutely! It’s a well known fact that your brain controls all of your bodily functions. 

Your autonomic nervous system, which works beyond conscious thought, is ultimately controlled by thoughts. Even though you don’t have to consciously think about breathing or making your heart beat, your system takes care of this for you.

Your autonomic nervous system responds to commands from your hypothalamus much like your heat pump responds to commands from the thermostat in your house. What you set your thermostat at, is what it attempts to maintain through your heat pump. It will attempt to maintain the environment you set it at.

Your hypothalamus is your body’s thermostat. It monitors and controls your blood sugar, pH, temperature, oxygen saturation, mineral balance, blood pressure, and many other critical functions of your body. 

Setting a thermostat in your house, sets up your home’s environment. Your thought patterns literally impact the setting of your hypothalamus, impacting the balance of both nerve and chemical secretions into your system.

Under appropriate and ideal conditions, this is a wonderfully protective mechanism which provides healthy changes any time there’s a threat to one’s life, allowing for physical abilities to match the challenge at hand. When there’s a continual perceived threat this system goes into a defense posture and holds the system there. Too long and too much can damage the system.

One person who’s maintained a hatred toward herself over a prolonged period of time, has experienced a continual emotional roller coaster. The hostility toward herself has initiated a degree of autoimmune activity because her brain is telling her immune system that she’s the enemy. With this, there’s been resultant immune attack on the pancreas, resulting in diabetes.  

To complicate matters, there’s an area of mental response where it’s all or nothing. All emotions are greatly exaggerated. As an emotional over responder, she has both nerve and chemical responses which can’t be controlled. Her thermostat gets adjusted through the full range of highs and lows. Her emotions change so dramatically that her endocrine system over responds. 

We’ve seen blood sugar skyrocket into the 300 range, then plummet to levels so low that she can end up almost comatose. This is a very dangerous issue as she will pass out or seem drunk, unable to stand up or take nourishment. The repeated emotional ups and downs have, over time, impacted pancreatic function by dumping far too much insulin into her system at any one time. These unmanageable blood sugar shifts are stumping all the endocrinologists and every other professional that’s tried to evaluate her condition or give her relief. 

Whenever there are physical complaints which can’t be explained by routine tests, always look to the control mechanism of these organs and see if there are underlying thoughts and emotions which could precipitate the present symptomatic pattern. As the scripture states, “As a man thinks in his heart, so is he.” Your mind state sets the stage for your physical existence.

Treating the human frame, requires that all aspects of existence be evaluated. As a young doctor, I felt that just focusing on nutrition and healthy lifestyle was sufficient enough. The longer I’ve been in practice, the more I realize how influential mindset is in regulating health, or in far too many cases, creating greater damage to the human frame. 

The realization of mind/body influence really hit home in 1993 at a seminar, which revealed underlying thought patterns and how to ‘reprogram’ the mind to function normally again. In that seminar, I got to be the Guinea pig. Had I not personally experienced the dramatic change, (which ultimately changed my whole life) I’d never have believed the depth of healing that can take place with correcting wrong thought patterns.

If you’ve found yourself stuck in negative thought patterns, consider letting us help you do some healthy reprograming. Healthy nourishment of the brain is important, but equally important is the program that’s running there. Those things that you meditate on, day and night, ultimately create new programs or reinforce those which are already in place. The place to initiate change is mindset! Change your mind, change your life! 

Naturopathic medicine is far more that just physical medicine.

Last week I discussed the need to maintain a healthy pH. In some diseases like diabetes, we commonly see increased systemic acidity. This is referred to as metabolic acidosis. In diabetes, it’s common to see a condition of fluid imbalance with excessive thirst, (polydipsia), and an excessive production of urine, (polyuria). Both are indicators of an excessively acidic system where the body is aggressively trying to compensate.
Over time, this constant activity of trying to balance the pH through excessive renal function can create damage to the kidneys. With the kidneys working overtime to attempt to compensate for the hyperacidity, any failure to correct puts a greater burden on the skeletal structure. Because of this, it’s not too far fetched to realize that in a state of diabetes, osteoporosis is one of the outcomes that can be expected.
When dealing with a disease like diabetes, not only is restriction of sugar in the diet important, the addition of alkaline vegetables helps reduce the excessive burden on the kidneys. Alkaline water units are available which can be purchased to create a water which imparts alkaline minerals into the body. Distilled water tends to be more acidic since minerals have been removed in the distillation process. 
Alkaline water units are available which can be purchased to create an alkaline water which can assist in reducing the acidic load in the body. Distilled water tends to be more acidic since the  minerals which impart alkalinity to the water have been removed. The process of distillation removes all minerals and leaves pure H2O, which is hungry for minerals and can actually pull minerals from your system. In isolated cases, this can be beneficial, as in the case of kidney stones and calcific plaques in the arteries. When using distilled water for these concerns, it’s critical that a diet high in mineral rich vegetables be consumed.
If you consider buying water, natural spring water is commonly superior to purified water due to the inherent mineral content commonly found in the spring water. Purified water is something you can make at home with any carbon block filtration system. This is far less expensive than purchasing plastic bottles of purified water, and can dramatically reduce the landfill waste problem. 
One major problem seen is that of water bottles left in the sun. If you’ve ever drank a bottle of water like this, you no doubt could taste the plastic from the bottle. This is highly toxic and is a major player in the reduction of testosterone in men. Glass is still the safest container for your water storage. 
Dehydration is to be avoided at all costs, and the practice of healthy water consumption has caught on for many people. Dehydration can set up increased systemic acidity. 
With summer here and temperatures that induce greater amounts of perspiration, there is increased loss of alkaline minerals from the system. It’s only natural that the time of year corresponds to an increase in garden growth with more of the green leafy veggies that can impart good alkaline minerals into the system. 
While riding through Minnesota last week on the Chariots of Light National Tour, the heat was intense at times, but traveling 70 miles an hour with the wind carrying away perspiration quickly on the back of a motorcycle, I required greater amounts of hydration to compensate. Besides being conscious of the need for alkaline water, when we stopped for food, I was the one ordering the big salad to aid in mineral replacement. At mealtime, I took note of those who ordered soda pop with the meal. Between the moisture evaporation and the addition of sugar and phosphoric acid in the soda, this further defeats the body’s attempts to restore healthy pH.
I know that I look like the health nut on these trips, but I am hoping that my example along with my vitality can help to lead others into healthier lifestyles as well. 
The best tips I can give you for the hot summer months is to leave the soda’s alone, focus on good organic, garden fresh vegetables, along with moderate amounts of fresh whole fruits (not fruit juices), and drink plenty of good clean, alkaline based water. 
Lastly, get out and enjoy the great outdoors!

The critical balance of our cellular structure is constantly under surveillance by every aspect of our being. We are mineral, chemical, electrical, and enzymatic in response to our environment. What we manifest in these areas can be very closely impacted by our environment and our response to that environment. 

Many are aware we need to maintain an alkaline pH in our system. Variations outside of 7.3 to 7.5 can create serious problems. A change of only 0.1 outside this range can create a 10 fold reduction in the enzymatic function within your body. 

Any excess in acidity contributes to disease, diarrhea, constipation, kidney and liver problems, as well as the fatigue which accompanies many health issues. With an excess in acidity, our body will actually “borrow” minerals from our bones to help stabilize cellular and blood pH. When these kinds of excess occur and we fail to replenish these minerals, the long term effects can result in osteoporosis, osteoarthritis, and a compromised immune system.

A shift in the opposite direction, creating over alkalinity doesn’t happen as often, but can have equally devastating effects. This kind of problem usually occurs when right intentions go too far. Information in this instance can be detrimental.

Minerals which buffer acidity are potassium, calcium, sodium, and magnesium. Calcium and sodium are the chief mineral buffers. Most of us, unknowingly have a slightly acidic body environment. Excess carbon dioxide and carbonic acid is created and accumulates in the blood through eating acid forming diets, stress, toxins, immune challenges, and the metabolic regulatory mechanisms which create acid by-products. 

To offset pH imbalances, it’s critical that our diet include foods which contain these buffering minerals to offset the internal acidic state caused simply by metabolism. Fruits and veggies are where we should put our focus to obtain these critical elements. 

The standard American diet contributes heavily to systemic acidity. One 12 ounce can of cola contains enough phosphoric acid to dramatically change your pH. With the cola pH being between 2.8 and 3.2, your kidneys can’t excrete enough acidic urine to protect the healthy systemic pH. Since urine cannot go more acidic than about 5.0, in order to dilute the acid load from that cola, you would have to produce around 33 liters of urine. Since this can’t be done, your skeleton comes under attack, having to give up minerals to neutralize this acid. 

Stress is an element which increases acidity in the body. The more stress you endure, the higher the acid levels, resulting in greater mineral loss. 

When you consider all of this, it’s no wonder drug companies are scrambling to find drugs that protect the skeleton. Unfortunately, these drugs don’t protect the skeleton, they just shift the load of mineral balance to other areas. 

If you were to evaluate the function of many of these minerals, you would find many body functions involved. Nerve transmission is subject to the electrolytes that are required to transmit the information from one area of the body to another. Brain function is highly dependent on minerals for memory and recall. Magnesium enters into a massive number of enzymatic functions of the liver. Remember what I said about enzyme activity being decreased ten fold when your pH is only 0.1 off from the 7.3 - 7.5 range?

Muscle function, cramps, and strength, are all mineral dependent. Just the tone of the muscles of your throat can be influenced by variances outside of normal. This can result in something as simple as snoring or even as big as sleep apnea.

Guarding against systemic acidity is something that should be addressed through a good and healthy diet, rich in fresh vegetable and fruits. Grains generally add to acidity as do most proteins. I do believe in healthy proteins in the diet, but the veggies must be there to offset the acids from the protein. 

Since stress is a major contributor to systemic acidity, maintaining a low stress diet is something I encourage to everyone. Fear, worry, and anger are all killers. Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Philippians 4:8

Let us help you change your lifestyle to prevent the results of the American diet.

So many times, when people discover I’m a doctor, they ask, “what kind?” When I reply “I’m a doctor of Naturopathic Medicine”, the response today is far different from when I first entered school in 1974 to become a naturopathic doctor like the one who delivered me in 1951. Back then they only understood “Quack.”

Dr Bastyr, (my doctor), was a rare breed back then. Because the AMA and medical establishment had the market to themselves, those who stepped outside the accepted lines of practice were considered quacks and many spent time in jail for practicing medicine without a license.

Because the mainstream medical establishment had strong lobbies, getting licensure for our profession was next to impossible. Even with excellent education, getting past the medical establishment is one of the toughest areas we still face. 

Currently, seventeen states, Puerto Rico, and five Canadian provinces license naturopathic physicians. Even now, doctors in those states without licensure face being arrested, and frequently operate under other licenses. 

California was one of those states. Many naturopaths got their acupuncture license so they could practice under that license. Recently they’ve joined other states who have legislated naturopathy into law. Several states are in the process of getting naturopathic laws in place. I’m blessed to live in one of the states with the oldest standing laws to practice naturopathic medicine. 

When asked, “what is a naturopathic doctor?” The answer is really quite complex. Here are the five principles of naturopathic medicine. 

1. The healing power of nature: Nature works powerfully through healing mechanisms in the body and mind to maintain and restore health. We work to restore and support these inherent healing systems when they’ve broken down, by using methods, medicines, and techniques which are in harmony with natural processes. 
2. First do no harm: We prefer non-invasive treatments which minimize risks of harmful side effects. We are trained to know which patients can be treated safely, and which ones need to be referred to other health care professionals. 
3. Find the cause: Every illness has an underlying cause, often in aspects of lifestyle, diet, or habits of the individual. We are trained to remove the underlying cause of a disease. 
4. Treat the whole person: Health or disease comes from a complex interaction of physical, emotional, dietary, environmental, genetic, lifestyle, and other factors. We treat the whole person, taking these factors into account. 
5. Preventive medicine: The naturopathic approach to health care can prevent minor illnesses from developing into more serious or chronic degenerative diseases. Patients are taught the principles with which to live a healthy life; by following these principles they can prevent major illnesses. So you see, we are all about changing the way you live, so you can live long and strong, and enjoy your life.

The naturopathic physician is defined by the U.S. Department of Labor as one who:

“diagnoses, treats, and cares for patients, using a system of practice that bases its treatment of all physiological functions and abnormal conditions on natural laws governing the body, utilizes physiological, psychological and mechanical methods, such as air, water, heat, earth, phytotherapy (treatment by use of plants), electrotherapy, physiotherapy, minor surgery, mechanotherapy, naturopathic corrections and manipulation, and all natural methods or modalities, together with natural medicines, natural processed foods, herbs, and natural remedies. Excludes major surgery, therapeutic use of x-ray and radium, and prescribing of drugs, except those substances containing elements or compounds which are compounds of body tissues and are physiologically compatible to body processes for maintenance of life."

So, as you can see, this practice of naturopathic medicine is extremely broad and encompasses areas of treatment frequently missed or ignored by many. The stigma of the doctor in a back room stirring a pot is one that’s been changing as more people seek us out in lieu of what I now to refer to as “alternative medicine”. Naturopathic medicine has been moving to the forefront of peoples awareness, and many use us as their primary care physicians.

Now when asked what kind of doctor I am, I frequently hear, “Alright, that’s the good kind.”