Health Report! Your Monthly
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OCTOBER 2019
PATHOLOGICAL VS. FUNCTIONAL A WHOLE DIFFERENT APPROACH TO HEALING
For instance, according to Dr. Howard at the University of Alabama, patients’ risk of stroke goes up 33% with each blood pressure medicine they take. Hypertensive individuals on three or more blood pressure medications have a stroke risk 2.5 times higher. Dr. Howard says, “You’re in as much trouble by the time you are on three medications that achieve excellent control as you are when you have hypertension and it is untreated, which is amazing. We want to raise the issue that, despite great advances in a pharmaceutical approach, relying solely on [taking prescription drugs] is going to come at a dear price of people’s lives.” The way to curb the problem is to prevent hypertension in the first place (functional medicine). There are a number of proven approaches to prevent or greatly delay the development of hypertension, including the following: 1) taking part in moderate physical activity, 2) keeping weight in normal ranges, 3) reducing salt intake, and 4) eating a diet rich in fruits, vegetables, and low-fat dairy products and reduced in saturated and total fat. The same is true for back pain. VAX-D disc decompression and gentle chiropractic spinal care, both in the short and long term, out produce back surgery, which fails 63–90% of the time. Regenerative therapies like stem cells or platelet-rich plasma have an incredible success rate (in the mid-90% range) compared to joint replacement surgery and come without the risks, complications, and downtime of surgery. The same goes for neuropathy. Modern medicine, admittedly, has no answers, just pills. The functional approach has over a 90% success rate in relieving pain and improving function. “It’s everything we know we should be doing,” says Dr. Howard. Get it?
Hello and welcome!
I am so excited to share with you again this month! And we are excited to be helping so many people in our functional and regenerative medicine practice. When thinking about how to end your pain or fix a health problem, it is best to remember that only a very small percentage of disorders have reached a pathological state. The overwhelming majority of health issues are functional (things are just not working right), and the medical profession has zero training on how to handle these. What do I mean? A headache caused by a tumor is a pathology (which is possible, but very rare). More often, headaches are caused by increased muscle tension, vertebral misalignment in the neck, disc herniation in the neck, or the need for glasses, which are all functional, not pathological, issues. This is why modern medicine falls so miserably short (by its own admission), because medical physicians are trained to operate on pathologies (6% of health problems) and write prescriptions for everything else (the other 94%) but never to address the underlying cause. For example, someone might come in with a torn labrum (the lining inside the shoulder joint). Think of it like having a pin stuck inside your shoulder — is there any amount of physical therapy exercise you could do to stop the pain of having a pin stuck in your shoulder? No, there isn’t. Is there any amount of medicine or shots you could receive to solve the underlying problem causing the pain? No, there isn’t. The only thing that makes sense is to remove the pin and allow the body to heal (sometimes with a little help, once the cause of the problem has been addressed). That is functional medicine — to figure out what is causing the body to malfunction and to correct it, allowing the body to heal itself. This is a whole different approach than giving the pain or disease a name (or a diagnosis) and then just merely attempting to drug it without ever addressing the cause. It will always get worse with time, even if treatments make you feel better now.
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THE RESULTS ARE IN STUDY SUGGESTS DRINKING TEA IMPROVES BRAIN HEALTH
She demonstrated upward of 10.5 times as much damage present compared to someone with a healthy brain her age. Alzheimer’s is spreading across her brain. We have begun treating her brain with neurofeedback, cranial electrical stimulation, audio-visual brain wave entrainment, and pulsed electromagnetic field therapy to help the over- and under-active electrical parts of her brain function more fully and her gut. (About 80% of all the chemistry in your brain comes from your gut! This means you should eat much more fruits and vegetables and less animal products and processed food.) We love what we do and search all the corners of the globe to uncover what works best, sparing no expense to bring that knowledge, technology, training, and equipment to our office. Just this past month, we returned from trips to study and learn in Vietnam, Denver, Atlanta, Nevada, and Columbus to better help our patients get and stay well. The recent Singapore study recruited 36 adults over the age of 60 and gathered data about their health, lifestyle, and psychological well- being over the course of three years. Their cognitive performances were regularly analyzed, and MRI photographs were taken of their neural activity. Upon completion, the study found that participants who consumed green tea, oolong tea, or black tea at least four times a week had brain regions that were interconnected more efficiently than those who did not. Having efficiently interconnected neural pathways means the brain is more structured and information processing can be performed more dynamically and even quicker, in some cases. This inclines researchers to believe that the components of the mentioned teas aid in preventing disruption to interregional connections, although further study is needed to discover just how intricately the two are related. But what does this mean for those of us going about our everyday lives? It means drinking tea may be an easy but monumental step we can all take on a daily basis to preserve cognition during the aging process. More cognitive function means less opportunity for mishaps that can lead to injury and more awareness of bad bodily habits that might lead to pain and discomfort. It affords the possibility of a natural, healthy alternative to invasive procedures or medications with alarming side effects. Not to mention, it’s a great way to keep warm in the coming months.
If you’re a dedicated coffee drinker, now might be the time to consider making a switch to tea. A recent study conducted by researchers from the National University of Singapore revealed that regular tea drinkers have better-organized brain regions, which is associated with healthy cognitive function. When compared to coffee, tea regularly comes out on top as the healthier option for not only getting your caffeine fix but also for promoting hydration, stimulating weight loss, aiding digestion, and boosting your immune system. Different types of tea promote different wellness, but in general, it’s found to be one of the healthiest beverage options.
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It’s the same for metabolic issues like gout, arthritis, diabetes, high cholesterol, fatty liver, heart disease, etc. You can’t successfully drug your way out of a behavior or lifestyle problem; it won’t work. You will always have more issues down the road because the cause is still present. Functional medicine helps you have a healthier lifestyle in the short and the long run by addressing the cause. It is said that over 80% of heart disease and cancer is lifestyle driven. This includes Alzheimer’s and dementia. I heard again this morning how none of the Alzheimer’s drugs are working, yet UCLA just reversed 9 out of 9 cases of the disease with the same functional medicine approach we’ve been discussing. A recent QEEG brain scan we did this past week showed that the patient’s brain is stuck in the slow, sleepy, tuned-out, not-present frequencies, and it’s deficient in the higher, more-present, functional, thinking brain frequencies, which pretty much describes Alzheimer’s.
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Until next month,
-Dr. Vinton
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THINKING WITH YOUR GUT THE AMAZING CONNECTION BETWEEN YOUR STOMACH AND YOUR BRAIN While it may seem strange to think about, the human stomach is truly a thing of wonder. Most humans only acknowledge its digestive processes, but the gut plays a much more influential role in our day-to-day lives than simply breaking down food for nutrient production; it is closely connected to our emotional states, as well. Think about it. Have you ever felt butterflies before a date, intestinal pain during moments of stress, or nausea before an important presentation? Have you ever told someone to “follow their gut” before making a big decision? These physical symptoms are not a coincidence; they are known in the scientific world as the gut-brain axis . Your gut is connected to the limbic system, the part of the brain that processes emotions. The brain sends messages to all other organs in your body, so it’s not surprising it communicates with your stomach, too. What is surprising, however, is that the connection goes both ways. Just as your brain can relay information to your gut about excitement and anxiety, your gut can have a direct impact on the way you feel. According to a recent study published by the National Library of Medicine, when a person’s microbiome — the diverse population of good and bad bacteria living in the GI tract — becomes significantly altered or imbalanced, psychological or neurological issues can arise. In response to these emerging findings, dietary approaches and probiotics are being explored to see how well they can modulate a person’s microbiome and address symptoms. While research is still being conducted to determine the extent of the stomach’s influence over emotional and mental states, plenty of evidence proves the connection is real. Your stomach “talks” to you all the time, and, if you didn’t have enough reasons to pay attention to the food you eat, now you have one more thing to keep in mind. If you start thinking a bit more with your gut, your health will thank you for it!
This super easy and fun way to create homemade treats provides your kids with a healthier and more delicious alternative to packaged industrial candy. As a bonus, making it is an awesome Halloween activity for your family to enjoy. C hocolate -D ipped F ruit
ingredients • 1 package melting chocolate • Assorted dried fruit, including apricots and mangoes
1. In a large saucepan, bring 1 inch of water to a boil. 2. Place a large, heatproof mixing bowl on top of saucepan so that no steam can escape. Place melting chocolate in mixing bowl and double boil until melted. 3. Dip half of each piece of fruit in chocolate before transferring to a parchment-lined baking sheet to rest. 4. Let cool for 10 minutes until chocolate solidifies. 5. Place in school lunches, serve at parties, and indulge in a few for yourself. directions
Inspired by Food Network
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PRST STD US POSTAGE PAID BOISE, ID PERMIT 411
190 GEORGE JUNIOR RD. GROVE CITY, PA 16127
INSIDE A Whole Different Approach to Healing PAGE 1 Drinking Tea and Brain Health PAGE 2 Chocolate-Dipped Fruit PAGE 3 Learn About Your Gut-Brain Axis PAGE 3 Explore Wolf Creek Narrows PAGE 4
A WORLD UNTOUCHED VISITING WOLF CREEK NARROWS IS LIKE STEPPING BACK IN TIME
and hunting during certain seasons. It’s believed that the steep gorge of Wolf Creek Narrows formed when an ice-age cave eroded under a melting glacier, where a bubbling stream now meanders through the bottom of the cliffs. The natural processes of annual flooding and ice- scouring have resulted in diverse landscapes and wildlife habitats. With little human interference in the area, the land is much the same as when it formed. Park your car on the Miller Woods tract, then hike the 1.5-mile looped footpath with just a few challenging slopes. You’ll be rewarded along the way with the beauty of the deciduous trees displaying brilliant orange and red leaves as they prepare to shed for winter. Keep your eyes turned up as you bird-watch for kingfishers, Louisiana waterthrush, wood thrush, osprey, and bald eagles. If you wander down to the vernal pools, you might spot an array of amphibians, like spotted salamanders and wood frogs. This pristine forest is only accessible by foot, prohibits camping and campfires, and allows dogs on leash only. This has allowed Wolf Creek Narrows to remain virtually untouched by humans while still affording appreciative explorers access to its natural beauty.
Although Wolf Creek Narrows is particularly known for its display of wildflowers every spring, one of its best-kept secrets is that it’s a great place to see the seasons change from summer to fall. With over 200 acres of deciduous trees winding along the Wolf Creek flood plain and streambank, now is a great time to get some fresh air, stretch your legs, and explore this mystical little cutout of land during one of the most beautiful times of year.
Located just 15 minutes south of Grove City and in the Slippery Rock Township, this mature forest offers hiking, wildlife watching, fishing,
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