Old Saying Right Again

Remember when mom said, "Chew your food! Don't swallow it whole!" She was right, of course and now we have science to prove it. In fact, chewing your food seven times before swallowing (my mom's recommendation) would be even better.

Well, it looks like old wisdom is sometimes good wisdom. Remember when your grandparents and parents told you when you were small to chew your food more and that it was good for your. Well it appears that there is even more wisdom in the idea of taking a good whiff of your food before you even taste it.

New research appears to say that we stimulate more of our cerebral cortex when we smell our food and it adds to our sense of taste. What is interesting here is that there is also previous study which shows that with more mixing of the mouth contents with saliva, the chemical signature for the food is relayed to the brain where it is then translated into the appropriate environment in the stomach. Another words, the more we chew and mix our food in the mouth, the better prepared our stomachs are with enzymes to digest those same foods. For the guys out there, it might shed some new light on the idea of getting your a_ _ in the kitchen and helping your wife or girlfriend with the culinary duties. Of course not to be a male chauvinist, it could be you women joining your husband or boyfriend. You could feel even better about this help because you are also stimulating two areas, not just one, in your brain.

I remind my patients of this with their whole food supplements. If they chew them slightly then swallow them they will get better absorption in the gut. Of course it takes some courage to do this but the upside of it is that absorption goes up significantly.

Hope you have the opportunity for a nice meal with friends or family this weekend and that you SMELL AND TASTE all your food well before you swallow.

Breat Cancer and Tamoxifen

Once again, a pharmaceutical treatment that was approved by the FDA some ten years ago, is found to increase risk of breast cancer recurrence and other types of female cancers. This is a story that is so often repeated it can become tiring. Do you ever stop to just think about how many medications are recalled or banned after they have been used for years because they cause more damage than the original problem they were supposed to fix.

My question is: how come you never hear this about natural products ? Oh you hear the original loud banter about how this natural product is damaging

When do we start questioning modern psychiatry

I really can't say much about this. 25-30% of my patients now seem to be on some type of psychiatric or anti-depression medication. If I were to look at the patients that see a psychiatrist, the percentages would be much higher. My question is: "If you are going to the psychiatrist for some severe psychological condition or you are suicidal, does becoming more suicidal worsen your condition or is it a good thing ? The answer seems obvious but these drugs are being pushed with new vigor and strength by many in the psychiatric world. Please take a read, the article was a little troubling for me.

Mercury and Autism

This article is interesting but somewhat misleading. I don't think most educated people who believe there is a connection with autism and vaccines think that it is related to blood levels of mercury. Most I think would say that they believe that it is mercury's effects where it deposits itself in soft tissues (organs, brain, intestines etc.) Have a read but make sure you see the other side of the story on the internet about this issue.

Psychiatry is a modern nightmare

I think this may be enlightening for many. I will let you draw your own conclusions.

Flu Vaccine Craziness Continued

This is one of the craziest headlines I have seen in a long time. This would be like me telling my patients that they should take echinacea to strengthen their immune system even though it is completely ineffective for strengthening the immune system. I got a real chuckle out of this article and thought you should get one to. You will also notice that there are no statistics anywhere in the article that support the need for the flu shot in the first place. If you have a lead on some real statistical analysis of the flu vaccines and their effectiveness I would love to see them.

Medication only helps with severe depression

This article begs the question of why antidepressants are prescribed for everything under the sun seemingly, including even mild depression. Why do we keep using them if they don't work. Seems like considering other options might be a much better idea, rather than suffering the serious side effects that can occur. check out this web site if you get a chance (www.netmindbody.com). It may be the best way to get to the bottom of what appears like depression.

Spanking and Deviant Sex

This article is a hoot. If everyone who was ever spanked exhibited deviant sexual behavior our country would be in really bad shape. It was worth a good laugh, especially in light of its' complete lack of credible scientific support.

Could All Those Crazy Parents Be Wrong ?

Finally we have some confirmation from the ivory tower boys that vaccinations lead to autism. Many of us natural health practitioners have been seeing tens of hundreds of parents in our offices that have stated that their child's autism began days after a vaccination. The medical community has told these parents that they are mistaken and misguided in their associations for years. We have known this is not true but the medical and pharmaceutical machine is big and loaded with cash to deal with these assertions so the individual parents have been silenced. I think this current happening may blow the lid off the issue. We shall see but at least it is an interesting read

George Goodheart

George Goodheart, a man who revolutionized natural and chiropractic health care practice by developing the technique called Applied Kinesiology has passed. He will be looked back on as one of the greatest minds to ever exist in the health care arena and his presence in this world will be greatly missed by so many of us who loved him.

I owe a great debt to him for allowing me to practice in the way I do now and to have the wonderful profession and life that I have. He was a great man among greats and he will always be looked to by many as the father of modern natural medicine that is extremely effective and honors the bodies wisdom to heal itself.

Today is a sad day but a day of great honor for George Goodheart. Our prayers and love are with his family and all those whose lives he has touched.

Estrogen Dominance and Breast Cancer....What About Progesterone

Interesting article once again showing the effect that high estradiol levels have on previous breast cancer survivors. Is it possible that estrogen dominance could be shifted by reducing exposure and increasing the level of progesterone to counterbalance estrogen dominance. To avoid a long post here, if you want more information about how to deal naturally with this situation just email me at drclouthier@gmail.com.

Interesting Lecture on Brain Function

Take a look at this video of some very interesting thoughts regarding brain function and some of our uniquely human abilities. We are learning so much about our brain function right now by use of functional MRI's etc. I think even the lay person will find this lecture very impressive and understandable.

Chemotherapy and its effects

I don't agree with all the information in this article that references a journal study about chemotherapy. There seems to be a bias against certain foods which I don't agree with, however, the information on chemotherapy and its devastating effects is very accurate. Hope you find it interesting too.

Tips for Getting Better Sleep

This article gave a few really good ideas for getting better sleep. As a side note, if you are taking pharmaceutical sleep aides or aides for restless leg syndrome, you might want to comb both medical literature or natural health literature. I suggest that you consider looking at Standard Process' Magnesium Lactate. Magnesium is well documented in high doses to end restless leg syndrome and improve sleep patterns. However why get magnesium when you can pay more for a prescription medication and enjoy all the harmful side effects (me tongue in cheek). If you want more information, email me and I will get it to you.

I couldn't believe it .... but its true

I will not comment here other than to say this is major craziness.

Stroke of Insight

This post is for all of my readers and patients who have had a family member or friend that has suffered a stroke. It is an amazing video clip on someone explaining how a stroke affects the brain and its right and left hemisheric function. Jill Bolte is the presenter and neuroanatomist who suffered the stroke. It is a neat mix of science and experiental description of stroke and its affects.

Vaccinations or No Vaccinations That is the Question

The following post is no substitute for the advice of a licensed professional or for your own education. It is in no way intended to sway or direct a reader to make any particular choice regarding immunizations and vaccinations. The information contained here is for the purpose of education and is not in any way a conveyance of advice of specific treatment.

Link 1
Link 2
Link 3
Link 4

I have not included many pro vaccination links because this is the information that is regularly churned out by the medical associations and public health agencies. You can get lots of information on TV, Radio, and billboards if you would like it.

Finding Happiness Again

This link is helpful if you have lost your way with happiness in your life currently. Giving has always been a sort of "golden rule" for everyone. This article shows how to find this happiness again. Even giving as little as five dollars a day to someone seems to raise the "happiness qoutient". Check out the link and enjoy.

Ear infections in Children

I decided I have to post on this because of what I see as an ever increasing trend in my office. This is the trend of placing children on repeated antibiotic use over the course of the first 3-5 years of life. This pattern appears to start early in life with medical/pharmaceutical intervention and continues on a path of health decline over the next few years. Below I will describe the first five years of life that I see these young children experiencing. You might see your child or a friend or family members child in this same situation. My goal in practice is to reverse this trend so that children can live a happy drug free life that is full of activity and happiness.

Below is the first five year pattern in the child that is pharmaceutically or medically treated. This doesn't hold for all children but for many it does.

1. Child gets sick with virus or bacterial infection
2. Infection starts in the lungs but moves the oral and nasal passages and travels into the middle ear.
3. Child is taken to the pediatrician and given an antibiotic based on symptoms alone without culturing the sputum, saliva or ear discharge.
4. Antibiotic drugs kill off most or all bacterial and NO viral load in the child, also destroying the healthy gut flora in the process
5. The child apparently heals but really has a temporary suppression of symptoms
6. Now the childs gut flora is destroyed and their immune system is suppressed which allows a secondary or additional infection to occur. This lands the child back in the pediatricians office for the second round of anitbiotics.
7. Repeat Steps 1-7 at least three to 12 times within a calendar year.

Then after complete or partial destruction of the immune system the parent of the child is told that ear tubes are a necessity otherwise the child could lose their hearing. Or better yet, that we need to remove those darn adenoids and tonsils because they are causing all the problem. "Don't mind that God put those structures there for a purpose, I know better than God what should happen with your childs' body." Of course, the parent that wants to avoid this type of surgical intervention is challenged by the pediatrician and told that they could be responsible for causing their childs hearing loss or worse. However, the real causative culprit for the repeat ear infection and immune supression were the antibiotics that were prescribed by the pediatrician. Of course no liability is placed with the pediatrician but solely with the parent who is not once again using antibiotics that have proven not to work the previous 12 rounds etc.
As I say, "When all else fails, blame the patient or the parent, even if you were the cause of the problem."

8. Later in life this same child develops allergies and asthma as a complication of ongoing immune system suppression and everyone wonders why.

9. Then as an adult there is some thought that some chronic and degenerative diseases are more prevalent as a result.

This is a sad tale that is often repeated and doesn't need to be. If would like our help in finding a different solution than the one above, please email or call.

Low testosterone and diabetes

This was an interesting link between low testosterone levels and type 1 diabetes. Insulin resistance is so prevalent now and there appears to be so many ways to develop the resistance. I think you will find this article interesting.

Fasting and Chemotherapy Damage

This is an preliminary study on fasting and the effect it has on chemotherapy damage. I thought it was interesting that there was some admission here that chemotherapy is so damaging to the human organism. Sometimes the cure is worse than the condition and chemotherapy often fits this bill. You may have heard the old joke, "We cured the cancer but killed the patient." Well, for those of you who are in a situation where chemo is your choice or last resort this information may be good to read.

Weight Loss and Bioimpedance

Please take a look at this

The Amazing Autistic....Should we "cure" them

This is amazing. I hope you will be inspired and awed as I was when I watched this. There are some abilities of man that I still can't wrap my mind around but it makes you wonder how little of our brains we are actually using.

RJL Analysis and Weight Loss

This machine is used in our office for analysis and repeat analysis in patients who are wanting to lose weight naturally. It works great and is so much more valuable than other forms of fat/weight analysis. When you are in next time mentioned we will begin your road to weight loss and a better happier life.

Choline and Reduced Risk of Breast Cancer

Excerpted from NewsMax

Choline Reduces Risk of Breast Cancer

Choline, an essential nutrient found in foods such as eggs, is associated with a 24 percent reduced risk of breast cancer, according to a study supported by a grant from the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH), to be published in The FASEB Journal’s print issue in June.(1) This study adds to the growing body of evidence that links egg consumption to a decreased risk of breast cancer.

In this new case-control study of more than 3,000 adult women, the risk of developing breast cancer was 24 percent lower among women with the highest intake of choline compared to women with the lowest intake. Women with the highest intake of choline consumed a daily average of 455 mg of choline or more, getting most of it from coffee, eggs and skim milk. Women with the lowest intake consumed a daily average of 196 milligrams or less.

“Choline is needed for the normal functioning of cells, no matter your age or gender,” says Steven H. Zeisel, MD, PhD, University of North Carolina, who is an author of the study and a leading choline researcher. “Increasing evidence shows that it may be particularly important for women, particularly those of child-bearing age.”

Only ten percent of Americans currently meet the recommended intake for choline, identifying a need to increase choline intake across the population.(2) According to the Institute of Medicine, adequate choline intake is 550 milligrams per day for men and breastfeeding women, 425 milligrams per day for women, and 450 milligrams per day for pregnant women.(3) One egg contains 125.5 milligrams of choline, or roughly a quarter the recommended daily supply, making eggs an excellent source of this essential nutrient.(4) Choline is found exclusively in the egg’s yolk. Other top food sources of choline include liver, wheat germ and cauliflower.

“While choline is an essential nutrient to the human diet, most people haven’t even heard of it,” says Gerald Weissmann, MD, Editor in Chief of The FASEB Journal and research professor of medicine and director of the Biotechnology Study Center at the New York University School of Medicine. “Given that in the U.S. there is a real need to understand how much choline we require in our diet, we hope that research, education and awareness about choline will increase as a result of this study published in The FASEB Journal.”

Eggs and Decreased Risk of Breast Cancer:

Two previously published studies, supported by NIH grants, have shown that women who eat eggs have a lower risk of developing breast cancer:

* A study published in 2003 by researchers at Harvard University found that women who reported higher consumption of eggs, vegetable fat and fiber during adolescence had a smaller risk of developing breast cancer as adults. Specifically, eating one egg per day was associated with an 18 percent reduced risk of breast cancer.(5)
* A study of Chinese women published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention in 2005 showed that those who consumed the most fruit, vegetables and eggs were significantly less likely to have breast cancer. For those that reported eating at least six eggs per week, the risk of developing breast cancer was 44 percent lower than for those who ate two or less eggs per week.(6)

Other Benefits of Choline:

In addition to playing a role in the normal functioning of all cells, including brain and nerve function, liver metabolism and the transportation of nutrients throughout the body, choline has been shown to:

* Prevent Birth Defects: According to population-based research, infants from mothers whose diets were deficient in choline were four times more likely to have neural tube defects such as spina bifida. This increased risk was observed even when other nutrients that help prevent birth defects, such as folic acid, were in adequate supply.(7)
* Improve Memory: Research suggests that choline is essential for proper fetal and infant brain development. It appears that choline affects the areas of the brain responsible for memory function and life-long learning ability.(8)
* Reduce Heart Disease Risk: Choline, like folate, is involved in breaking down homocysteine, an amino acid in the blood that may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease. In fact, research shows that choline deficiency results in increased homocysteine levels.(9) This may help to explain why 30 years of research have shown that healthy adults can consume eggs without increasing their risk of heart disease.(10)

I believe that Standard Process has the best source of Choline and you can click the link above for help

Mumps Break Out in HIGHLY IMMUNIZED POPULATION

Much like the Pertussis outbreak in Washington, DC in the late 90's, we have another example of immunizations not doing there job. There are more stories just like this around, you just have to look for them. Don't just accept what your pediatrician or family says you should do with regard to immunizations. Make sure you educate yourself and make your own decisions.

Never Quitting.... On Anything

I know this is not quite health related and I have not posted in a while but this really caught my attention. I am not even a J.K. Rowling fan although I am reading the Harry Potter series as a bedtime story these days. I just thought her two points in this link about failure and imagination would be beneficial to anyone whether going through a health challenge or a severe life trial of some other sort. I hope you will find this encouraging and inspirational as I did.

Whole food labelling is not always what it seems

This is a great little primer on the difference between whole food and synthetic supplements. I am a whole food nutritionist for curing health conditions. I hope you will consider the significance of getting your nutritional support from whole food supplements versus synthetic vitamins that are not from a food source. If you have any questions about this difference please let me know.

Kids Count Data

This was a really interesting website I came across that can give you some interesting information about how we compare in Texas to National Averages in child demographics. We compare good in some areas and not so well in others.

Vitamin D

It appears once again Vitamin D is in the news. It appears once again that the bottom line is we are not getting enough Vitamin D and we are not activating it enough with sunlight. I suggest a whole food source of vitamin D called Cataplex D made by Standard Process Inc. This would be used if you don't have a clinical deficiency. If you have a severe deficiency you may have to start with something else first and then move to Cataplex D.

Dr. Mercola says it All About Soy

Please watch this you tube blast from Mercola on Soy. It will cure vegetarian fantasies about soy and almost all perceived benefits will be debunked. Please Please watch this video and pass it on to anyone you know, especially those who have children on formula. This is the best short informative clip on Soy that I have yet seen.

Atkins was right after all....too bad we let him know after he died

I think this article is worth a read. It proves that some of our current "popular" diets are actually pretty helpful at creating decreases in cholesterol and body weight. Looks like Atkins' plan works the best especially for men. It is unfortunate that he was vilified by the medical community and professionals while he was alive.

How fat are we in Texas ?

I just read this article which lists the percentage of adult obesity in each state. I don't know what happened to Texas. I thought we were always number 1 or 2 for fattest states in the Union. Maybe we Texans are getting our butts in shape.

Exercise and Weight Loss for Women

I have always recommended that exercise that nets results must occur four times a week for at least a half hour to forty five minutes. In this recent study it looks like we will all have to step it up a bit. Man, I thought I was doing a good job. Okay time to increase the intensity and pump it up.

Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food

Amazing. A study on a vitamin that shows promise. Of course it is very preliminary and needs years of further study before any conclusions can be drawn. I wonder why it doesn't take years to get medications, with all their nasty side effects, into the pipeline to be released to the general public. After all, either vitamin C has no effect and therefore should not be feared or it really is powerful and could have great effects and should warrant real study because it can replace medications. Big Pharma can't have it both ways like they have for so long.

It is interesting about the intravenous vitamin C forming hydrogen peroxide. I have heard before that some studies suggested that AIDS could be cured with intravenous application of hydrogen peroxide. Hum, interesting.

If I were going to apply high doses of vitamin C I would use a Standard Process whole food supplement called Cataplex C.

Infertility....let's try a more natural route

After reading this article i might suggest some alternatives. They are as follows:

1. Dietary changes
2. Saliva testing to assess hormonal balance
3. Acupuncture for fertility
4. Neuroemotional technique for emotional issues related to pregnancy and mothering
5. Clinical nutritional approaches that balance the bodies biochemistry

If you need any help in areas that seem to work a little better, let us know.

It is time to question any intervention for high cholesterol that is not natural

I will say it once again: Taking ANY cholesterol lowering medication is a risky scheme. How many times is it now that we have seen serious questions arise regarding the effects of cholesterol lowering medications ? This does not include the number of times that these medications have been removed from the pharmaceutical shelves. Then, these same damaging medications that were removed due to public danger, are replaced with a new medication that continues to cause physical damage and potential damage to human beings. I suggest looking at other factors with a very determined eye first:

1. Thyroid balance
2. Liver detoxification
3. Liver and gallbladder dysfunction
4. Diet and Exercise
5. Emotional balance related to anger and resentment

I would start with these things first and progress. I have had many patients in my office that have lowered their cholesterol 30-60 points in 60-90 days using the approach above and nutritional supports in our office. It is possible without pharmaceuticals.

Never give up

I am a sucker for athletics, Olympics and the triumph of the human spirit. This is not a promo for visa but a post to encourage anyone who reads it. No matter what your life challenge right now is sport is always a metaphor. Watch the short commercial and see how it applies to what you may be dealing with in your life. Whether it be a difficult health trial or some other challenge in your life, the goal is to finish the challenge with your head held high knowing you have done your best. Enjoy

In case you didn't have enough reasons to avoid fast food

In case an abundance of grease, trans-fats, and refined carbohydrates hasn't kept you away from fast food maybe this will. Check out the video on this page of the the "Burger King Bather". Maybe this will keep you away from the next Whopper sandwich.

Vytorin cancer link

Another reason not to use pharmaceuticals to lower cholesterol. Over the past few years more and more of these dire warnings are coming out. Please consider using natural means to lower cholesterol. If you don't know where to start email me at drclouthier@gmail.com and I will help.

Cancer Experience in America and Europe

Thought this article at Pajamas Media was very interesting. Some reasons to be thankful about cancer care in the US. This by no means is meant to endorse medical treatment for cancer since it cures nothing. I just thought you might be interested in the article.

Cancer as a Fungus

This is a little longer clip but well worth the watch. I have often times recommended that using a probiotic daily is one of the best things for your health. I use them regularly with patients at my office and they tend to improve almost all health conditions. This video is definitely worth watching. Pay note also to what is said about chemotherapy and radiation.

FDA becomes more transparent

This is a great link that will help you and your families evaluate the usefullness and risks of any drugs that you are on. Of course, being drug free is something to set as a goal, in order to reach your level of optimal health.

Depression and Heart Disease

From the N.E.T. chart the connection between the emotions of being lost and vulnerable is associated with the heart meridian. This research makes sense from a purely emotion/meridian perspective. Losing the emotions of feeling lost and vulnerable should help any and all who have heart related health issues.

Depressed...try something without damaging side effects

This study should turn heads. If you are depressed or tend towards depression you need to look at these facts and read the damaging side effects of the drugs you are taking. There are effects that Prozac has that are far reaching and severe in their consequence.

Certainty in uncertain times

I haven't posted in a long time and thought I would break the silence with a post to encourage any readers there still may be. There is a ton of bad news out there right now and if you haven't heard any of it just take your time the MSM will make sure you never forget the latest: the economy is shot, America is doomed, the banks will fail, etc etc. If you believe in the laws of attraction we are in trouble unless individually we change what we are focusing on and thinking about.

There will always be tough times but amidst difficult times there are always things to be positive and happy about. Take the time over the next few months and weeks to focus on what is great about our country, state, city, village, community, family and church or other social group. I am hoping if more of us do this we will be able to turn the tide of negativity that has gained hold in our society. Start today, and make your discussion and interaction with others loaded with happiness and positivity rather then fear and worry. We can do this people, let's get to it and change the world one person and one interaction at a time.

Culture of Negativity in The US

This current Swine flu hysteria has shown me a few trends in the consciousness of the American people that have me concerned.

1. We as a people seem to be obsessed with negatives. We see a media that is focused on reporting the most negative and depressing aspects of our society. Whether it be crime, social or health related news the picture is always negative and bleak. This consciousness is troublesome when we talk about the "Laws of Attraction". Those who hold to these tenets would say that the more we focus on violence, crime, illness, disease and natural disaster, the more of those things we get.

2. There seems to by a hysteria surrounding negative events that does not follow positive ones. When we have a huge medical or social breakthrough, the information is in the news/media for a day or two at most and then quickly falls out of public view. If there is a negative happening, such as the Swine Flu, it is spread, talked about, dissected and analyzed to the point of absurdity, all the while creating high levels of stress to those who buy into this culture.

3. We don't share the positive information anywhere near the level or frequency that we will share a negative piece of information. I think this is probably not unique to the US but to mankind in general due to are human nature.

Please evaluate your communication over the next few days and weeks and see if you are in some way contributing to a culture of negativity. If we can increase the number of people that are contributing positive information and energy into our society the effect will grow and spread exponentially and move our society to another place.

Socialized medicine won't solve healthcare problems

It's amazing that health care insurance companies are asking the government to review their practices and behaviors. There behaviors and costs have been escalating out of control for years with no check or balance. The only problem for me with the health care insurance companies asking for this is that they are doing it out of fear that they will no longer exist. Why have they not policed themselves and stopped the extreme abuses in premiums and elsewhere that have existed for years ? It's simple, because they have not had too. They have not had to answer to anyone for years of abuses to those who pay the premiums that keep these companies afloat.

Unfortunately, I would love to see private insurers get their hands slapped and slapped big time BUT, not if the solution is to spank our health care system into socialized medicine. Talk to anyone who lives in Canada and England and ask them how effective this socialized health care system is. They will tell you what I have heard from patients who have lived there. Simple physio for injuries can take months to be accepted into. Medical procedures are determined on a worst case scenario basis. What this means is that someone, whom you don't want to, is deciding who gets treatment first and who is on the wait list.

I have a simple suggestion for private insurance companies. Reduce premiums and gradually put yourselves out of business and allow the health care system to head toward fee for service. It will be a gradual winding down of your life cycle but not as painful as Obama's quick death plan.

Getting back to the basics of health

The longer I am in practice the more I realize that many have lost their way when it comes to their health. What was just part of our way of life in the 1930's and 1940's now seems so foreign to us. Grandma's old wisdom is now scoffed at to our own health demise. This will be a very short post as I return to blogging world again. If you are having trouble with your health, as with any other issues, go back to the basics:

1. More fresh clean water: 1 quart of water for every 50 lbs of body weight

2. Fresh Air: Open the windows in the house and get outside more in the fresh air

3. Exercise: Get moving again 30 minutes of exercise 4 times per week, (walking is fine)

4. Eat a balanced, whole food, organic diet (in smaller portions then you do now if you are overweight and on smaller plates)

5. Get more sleep: Many health conditions are fixed by getting proper sleep

6. Build community in your town, workplace, church and family.

New Year and New Adventures

Many of my patients and friends know that I began training for Triathlon exactly one year ago. I have learned quite a bit about training for the three disciplines of swim, bike and run. I have now run 2 half marathons, 1 marathon, 2 sprint triathlons, one half Ironman distance triathlon, a five mile race and a 5k or two. This will be the first of a weekly post that I will write as I train up to my first Full Ironman race in May of this year.

If you are new to triathlon I hope you will come back and read again. I will be posting things in my blog that will be helpful to beginner and expert triathletes. These postings will sometimes come from my personal learning's from my own training. Sometimes the blog posts will come from my experience of treating runners and triathletes for 12 years, from struggling adults and age groupers to professional triathletes/distance runners and elite high school and college 5 and 10ker's.

This post today will be about trusting your training plan.

Many of my friends and patients that are being trained by a coach, mentor or even themselves, often have questions or doubts that arise during the training or competition season about their training plan. I have even seen this myself with my occasional doubt about my training plan. I find that with most of that doubt or questioning, the underlying emotion is fear. Yes fear of whatever. Fear of failure, fear of injury, fear of over training/under training, fear of not progressing as fast as expectations, fear of others opinions about training plans, fears resulting from comparisons to others training plans etc etc etc.

In my line of work, when I work with endurance athletes, I work with them holistically. This piece falls squarely in the mental/emotional aspects of endurance training. I have found that when we experience and entertain any of the fears/worries that I mentioned, that energy/emotional drain does the following:

1. It reduces the disposable amount of energy that we have to put into our training plan or competition.
2. It keeps us, as athletes, from being fully present with what we are doing TODAY with our training etc.
3. Regular fear or worry taxes the adrenal glands and can lead to adrenal fatigue and increased cortisol levels. With the adrenals fatigued and cortisol levels high the body will retain systemic inflammation, excess weight and fat % and will break down easier under stress. Also recovery will be slowed because inflammation cannot be extinguished readily.
4. It decreases our trust in the person or people, whose sole goal is to help us accomplish our desired result during that training year.

There are many other things that could be listed above, but to me these are the most important. Now by writing what I have above, I am not advocating sticking your head in the sand and simply blindly following a training plan without discussing it with your coach or mentor. You and your selected coach or mentor are a team that experiences success together.

As you ramp up your training schedule consider staying more present, which in turn reduces worry and fear. If that doesn't do it alone there are many in office sports psychology tools we can use to get you there.

Post Marathon Recovery

Recovery is a word that the hard core triathlete and distance runner can often bristle at. It evokes concerns over time, aging, performance and preparation toward the next event. Working with all levels of accomplishment in running and triathlon gives me a window into seeing how recovery occurs for many athletes across a wide variety of ages and competitive levels. Below is a quick primer and some thoughts on recovery for your next race or athletic event.

1. Think about recovery before the race or event: Since recovery begins as soon as you cross the finish line of a race or as soon as the clock time expires, your plan for recovery has to be in place prior to your event.

2. When you finish a race or triathlon do not stop moving for at least 10 minutes. This can include walking, stretching, slow jogging etc. This gradual decrease of activity toward a rest state allows blood pressure and heart rate to normalize gradually and also allows the body to also begin the process of removing lactic acid and other "debris" of aerobic and anaerobic cellular function.

A liquid drink combining protein, carbohydrates, and electrolytes (including salt) should be consumed within the first 30 minutes post race. There is great debate on ratios of these components in the drink, but I will not deal with that here. For now the key is getting a drink in with these contents into the digestive system inside 30 after finish. Liquid is greatly preferred over solid intake because of transit time in digestion and speed at which it crosses the wall of small intestine.

3. Light stretching of the entire lower extremity and torso musculature within the first 60 minutes post race.

4. Continuing to move, anywhere from 10-15 minutes per hour for the rest of that waking day. Laying down, in complete immobility, for hours at a time will significantly impair inflammation reduction and recovery times.

5. Restore intracellular and extracellular hydration by taking a full mouthful of water every five minutes -10 minutes throughout next 2 days while monitoring urine clarity for indications of proper hydration.

6. Schedule massage and/or chiropractic visit on day 2-3 post race, unless injury was suffered, to balance and restore normal bio mechanical function. This helps athlete get back to training more quickly following intense physical stress. If an injury was suffered, scheduling sooner would be indicated. I don't believe that you have to do this but I see in the athletes that I treat that they recover faster with this pattern of care.

Flu Vaccine: Informational Post

I will include some links to current information regarding flu vaccines so that you can make an assessment as to what is right for you and your family: Current News:

Nutritional Deficiencies and The Birth Control Pill

This is an interesting journal article on the negative effects of the birth control pill on the nutritional status of women. We have known for a long time that there is an increase risk of stroke and liver toxicity. This article sheds light on some of the lesser known effects and it is worth the read. I hope that this will help you as you make educated decisions about types of birth control that you choose in your relationships.

Cough Medicine and Cold Medicines for Kids

Have you noticed that we are seeing more and more of this type of warning. It seems whenever we think we have found a great miracle cure in the pharmaceutical or medical industry we see quickly that it was too good to be true. Of course you will hear the occasional knock on natural remedies too. Many times when you try to find factual support for the arguments against the natural cures there is minimal substance. For instance, there were some claims two years ago that a specific herb had caused a basketball players heart to race and become irregular. This was splashed all over the national media outlets however it was never confirmed that the herb was the cause. With regard to say, cold and flu medications, there is actually injury or death in child cases on more than one occasion. Of course this is only the over the counter variety. My immediate question is: What about the prescription varieties ? These are brought up briefly in the news and are quickly buried with no thought as to responsibility for these injuries.

This is the reason that I use only natural and organic food supplements that are pharmaceutical grade. I never have to worry about someone eating too many whole organic beets for instance. Takes a big weight off my shoulders and lets me sleep easy knowing that I am not harming my patients now or in the future.

Maybe a Cure for Alzheimers

This is an interesting journal study that may herald a new day in Alzheimers Treatment. It appears that one of the main things we may be dealing with is Central Nervous System inflammation. Its reduction appears to potential reverse the effects although more in depth studies are needed.

Information to Save a Life

New research appears to support the fact that when doing CPR for a suddenly collapsed individual it may be better to only use chest compressions and forgo mouth to mouth resuscitation. It appears that some researchers in the study of this area have felt this way for years. It is a good read and something important for most of us to know.

Reflections from Mitch Albom

I thought this was a great article about honoring those who have gone before us. I think many times, due to our busyness and our personal issues with previous generations ,we can lose our honoring of those who have gone before. It is also a testament to how an idea spawned in genuine love and joy can bring forth such an effect and leave such an impression on so many. Enjoy the article

Is your lipstick full of lead ?

If you are reading this I suggest calling a local Arbonne International representative. They have a whole line of lead free and natural lipsticks and cosmetics.