THE
OCTOBER 2017 LEDGER
13375 University Avenue, Suite 100, Clive, IA 50325|www.thelivewellclinic.com|515.279.9900
MY LONG ROAD TO FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE
During my premedical undergraduate studies, I was given the incredible opportunity to join a medical mission trip to the Central African Republic. Along with a team of other medical experts, I immersed myself completely in patient care in this completely new place, delivering babies, aiding in vital surgeries, and just essentially delivering the kind of care that we take for granted in the United States. Throughout the entire experience, busy with this brand-new field, treating individuals that just wouldn’t have had access to medical
with the tools to take care of our bodies and our health and prevent disease. So, when I saw these strung-out doctors neglecting the principles they were preaching, something didn’t add up.
In the midst of my graduate studies in immunology and biochemistry, I took another job at the ER, this time doing lab draws. I enjoyed the day-to-day of the work, but the environment began to take its toll. We were often the first people the patients would see when they
care otherwise, I had a constant sense of fulfillment and gratitude. It felt good to be doing what I felt was my true
came in, and so many of them would end up sticking around at the hospital, or passing away. “Now, I’m not a genius,” I thought to myself, “but this is a place where people go to be healed. Instead, families are slapped with massive insurance expenses and patients aren’t getting better at all. What’s going on here?”
calling: serving humanity in a concrete, meaningful way. Truly, it changed my life.
When I returned, I was filled with purpose, eager to get more involved in medicine back at home. So, I got a job at a local hospital doing ER coding, drawing blood, and performing various other tasks. I enjoyed the work a lot, but
During any rare moment of downtime, I was the weird guy sitting in the corner poring over piles of natural medicine textbooks, trying to find answers. I just couldn’t go into a field ostensibly about serving people when nothing was actually getting fixed. I wanted to turn people’s lives around, not just amputate an arm or let them stagnate in the hospital. So I went to chiropractic school, interested especially in the hundreds of required hours of total nutritional studies. I immediately began to devote everything to starting my own practice, one dedicated to actually healing people. The cash my peers were spending at the bars on the weekends, I was spending on informational conferences, trying to master every aspect of my field to better serve my patients. I’m proud to be able to say that The Livewell Clinic has evolved into the exact vision I had, all those years ago, for a healing-focused place for patients to go and change their lives for the better. I feel that I’ve finally gotten back to that initial spark I felt in the Central African Republic, that feeling of actually helping people. I’ve been able to turn my central driving passion into the very foundation of my career —who could ask for more than that?
“IT FELT GOOD TO BE DOING WHAT I FELTWAS MY TRUE
over time, I started to notice the problems with many of the doctors. Their eyes were hazy with fatigue as they rushed, without emotion, from patient to patient. Many were overweight or suffering from easily treatable health problems — the equivalent of seeing your doctor smoking in the parking lot. I grew up in a remarkably natural health-minded family. My mom had us going to the chiropractor regularly and always kept a cabinet stocked with every kind of medicinal herb you could imagine, dedicated to providing us CALLING: SERVING HUMANITY IN A CONCRETE, MEANINGFUL WAY.”
317-776-9942 515.2 9. 00 – Dr. Z a cha ry Watki ns
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For many kids, there’s nothing scarier than the unknown of a dark room. Luckily, there are ways to help your child overcome the terror they feel as soon as you turn out the light. You can chase the beasts away for good, just in time for the spooky Halloween season. The first step to curing a child’s fear of the dark is to find out exactly what they’re afraid of. Ask your child what scares them, using open- ended questions. Don’t belittle or dismiss their specific fears. As trivial as it may seem to you, it’s all too real to your kid. A simple statement like “I can see you’re really scared” can go a long way. Then, you need to ensure your child feels safe in the dark. Spend some time with them after the lights are off, calmly reassuring them that they’re safe in their bedroom. Show that there’s nothing to be afraid of, whether by shining a light into the closet or taking a look under the bed —with the child looking too — to prove there’s nothing to worry about. Empower them to banish their fears themselves. If they get frightened and run into your bedroom, escort them back to their own bed and help them relax. Their own bedroom must become a safe space. Only give your child healthy snacks before sending them to bed. Sugars and processed foods activate brain activity, putting your kid on high alert. Try vegetables, nuts, or string cheese. Of course, adding more light is always an option as well. Get a lamp with a dimmer that goes on their night stand or plug in a few fun night lights. Over the period of a few months, steadily decrease the amount of light in the room. Eventually, they’ll be fully acclimated. HOW TO HELP YOUR KIDS GET OVER THEIR FEAR OF THE DARK
GET THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF VITAMINS WITHIN MINUTES
As the autumn chill moves in and the hectic holiday season looms, many of us may be feeling like we need a little boost to perform at our best. Most people will turn to oral supplements and added vitamins to give them a kick in their step. And sure, oral supplements are great. They work reasonably well and are located right over the counter at your local
supermarket pharmacy. However, they’re actually overpriced for what you get, and much of that nutritional goodness is wasted during the digestion process. When your body is deprived of vital nutrients, you want to get them quick and ensure that you’re getting 100 percent of the benefits that you pay for. That’s why we offer IV vitamin therapy, the optimal way to deliver nutrients straight into your bloodstream, so you can start feeling the benefits immediately. The difference all comes down to the delivery system. To access the vitamins contained in oral supplements, your body has to do a lot of work to break them down and get them to where they need to go. Water-soluble vitamins — the type contained in every oral supplement — are large molecules that require assistance to pass from your intestinal tract into your blood. Not only that, but your body’s ability to transport these vitamins can depend largely on your lifestyle and health. With IV therapy, your body can skip all that extra work and waste and deliver the nutrients directly to where they belong: your blood. All it takes is an hour or so in the clinic, after which you’ll feel the effects within as little as 10 minutes! Best of all, the effects last longer than your typical multivitamin, with multiple days of benefit from a quick visit to our clinic. Don’t let a lack of vitamins get in the way of your health. Come on intoThe Livewell Clinic, and give IV therapy a try today! WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING “Thank you for the talks. Each one of them has made me think more about what and how I do things throughout my day.” - LORI M.
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5 OVERLOOKED CAUSES OF CHRONIC FATIGUE
If you go to a doctor and tell them you’ve been suffering from chronic fatigue, they’ll probably tell you one of three things: “You’re overstressed,” “You’re working too hard,” or “Everyone experiences abnormal fatigue from time to time.” And sure, everybody gets tired now and then. But persistent fatigue that you can’t shake is NOT normal. Here are five potential causes for debilitating fatigue that are often overlooked. SMALL INTESTINAL BACTERIAL OVERGROWTH (SIBO): If the bacteria in your small intestine grows beyond healthy levels, it can lead to all kinds of problems, including chronic fatigue. Approaching SIBO from a functional medicine perspective involves identifying the cause for overgrowth, eliminating the imbalanced bacteria, and modifying your diet to restore digestive health. ADRENAL FATIGUE: Adrenals regulate our body’s response to stress of all types. When we’ve been overly stressed for extended periods of time, the glands often begin to function poorly, leading to extreme exhaustion. Ordinary doctors don’t recognize adrenal fatigue as a symptom, but functional medicine recognizes it as a common cause of chronic fatigue. THYROID DISORDERS: Since the thyroid plays an important role in regulating energy levels, when thyroid hormones are not adequately
produced, chronic fatigue can ensue. Hyperthyroidism (an underactive thyroid) leads to not only chronic fatigue, but brain fog, weight gain, and dry skin. TOXINS: If you’re always tired and spend a lot of time in old buildings or buildings with water damage, mycotoxins might be to blame. Or, following exposure to dangerous amounts of heavy metals — from mercury-laden fish, mercury fillings in teeth, or occupational hazards — you may be suffering from heavy metal toxicity. FOOD SENSITIVITIES: Unlike allergies, which have sudden and potentially fatal reactions, food sensitivities can lead to inflammation throughout the body. Gluten, dairy, soy, and corn are the most common food sensitivities, and each can lead to a leaky gut. Functional medicine reveals these sensitivities through blood tests or elimination diets.
MEME CORNER SQUASH AND SAUSAGE SOUP
Ingredients • 2 acorn squash, halved • 1½ pounds pork sausage • 1 yellow onion, diced • 1 garlic clove, minced • ½ cup canned coconut milk • ½ cup vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon smoked paprika • ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper • Salt and pepper, to taste • 2 tablespoons fat of choice • Pepitas, to garnish
Directions
1. Preheat oven to 415 F. 2. Cut acorn squashes in half and place on a baking sheet, open side down. 3. Bake for 20–25 minutes until soft to the touch. 4. When acorn squash has about 10 minutes left to cook, place large skillet over mediumheat, with 2 tablespoons of fat, minced garlic, and diced onions. 5. Once onions become translucent, add pork sausage to pan and use wooden spoon to break into pieces and cook until completely cooked through. 6. When acorn squash is roasted and soft, scoop squash out of skin with spoon and place into food processor. 7. Add coconut milk and broth to food processor. Puree until smooth. 8. Add smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, salt and pepper, and puree until smooth. 9. Place pureed soup in a bowl, top with sausage, and sprinkle with pepitas.
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INSIDE 13375 University Avenue, Suite 100 Clive, IA 50325
Dr. Watkins’ Long Road to Functional Medicine
Cure Kids of Being Afraid of the Dark IV Therapy: Get the Benefits of Vitamins Within Minutes
5 Overlooked Causes of Chronic Fatigue Squash and Sausage Soup
5 Fascinating Facts About Fall
5 FASCINATING FACTS ABOUT FALL
The end of summer doesn’t have to signal an end to fun. How about sweater weather, Halloween parties, and football season? The list goes on and on. In fact, fall might be the most interesting season of them all. Here are five facts you probably didn’t know about the season. 1. It was originally called “harvest.” The reasons for that should be fairly obvious. In a world that was far more agricultural, the season was defined by the harvesting of crops. It’s also a reference to the harvest moon, which was essential to farmers during the season. The name “fall” is used almost exclusively in America. 2. Fall babies tend to be impressive. Not only does the world’s most common birthday, October 5, land in fall, but those babies have built an impressive resume. The British Department for Education found that they tend to do better in school and also tend to live longer. 3. Weight gain is most common in the fall . It’s not only the Halloween candy or Thanksgiving turkey. Researchers believe it’s primarily caused by lower levels of vitamin D. As the days shorten
and temperatures drop, we tend to get less sun. It’s another reason to be careful about diet and exercise this season.
4. Autumn is good for the economy. “Leaf peeping,” which is a slang term for fall foliage tourism, is more than just a funny name. It’s also a $3 billion industry in New England alone. So, if you thought winter and summer were the only seasons that brought along seasonal tourism spikes, you thought wrong. 5. People fall in love more in the fall. Men and women’s testosterone levels tend to spike in the autumn, which makes women even more attractive to men than in the summer months. A data study on Facebook also found that more people change their relationship status from “single” to “in a relationship” during the fall than any other season.
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