Why Going Gluten Free Can Be Unhealthy

Gluten free has gone mainstream. The multibillion dollar gluten-free food industry has exploded over the last few years, to the point that you now can go to just about any restaurant or grocery store and find a gluten-free alternative for whatever food you seek. From gluten-free breads, pastas and pastries to gluten-free shampoos and lotions, "gluten free" has become ubiquitous in our culture.

A recent survey from market research firm the NPD Group finds that America is cutting gluten in a big way. The survey estimated that around one third of US adults wanted to decrease or eliminate gluten from their diets, a record high. It's undeniable that for a growing number of the population, gluten-free foods are the best thing since sliced bread — so to speak.

Gluten, the protein that is found in grains such as wheat, rye, spelt and barley, can be highly inflammatory for a lot of people. Gluten exposure triggers a 70% increase in intestinal permeability (leaky gut syndrome), and spikes inflammation in the body for as long as six months.

Gluten affects people in extremely different ways. From the horrible autoimmune attacks of celiac disease and the allergic responses from a wheat allergy, to the estimated 1 in 20 Americans who have a gluten sensitivity, gluten is the center of a lot of research when it comes to chronic, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.

With that said, "gluten free" is not synonymous with healthy. The major problem, in my opinion, is that the gluten-free alternatives that millions are eating with good intentions are highly inflammatory themselves. For example:

Gluten-free grains: Gluten-free foods typically contain corn, oats and rice. The problem is that these grains can all have potentially damaging inflammatory effects on the body

Pseudo-grains: Quinoa and amaranth are two other ingredients used in gluten-free foods. These foods are high in saponins, which act as a defense mechanism for plants, and can cause gut inflammation and contribute to leaky gut syndrome.

To read the entire article, go on over to MindBodyGreen!

Helping People Reverse Disease, Regain Energy, Lose Stubborn Weight And Restore Health, In Pittsburgh & Across The World Through Our Virtual Functional Medicine Practice. Dr. Will Cole: Your Source For The Future Of Natural Health. www.drwillcole.com

5 Reasons Thyroid Medications Aren't Working For You

 

 

Millions of Americans struggle with low thyroid symptoms and are told at their doctor's office to take medication and return in three months. Welcome to the standard model of care. 

The problem is that many people still have persistent low thyroid symptoms, even when taking the thyroid medication. People live with debilitating symptoms like fatigue, depression, anxiety, hair loss, weight gain and skin problems, and receive very little help from mainstream care.

Thyroid medication normally comes in the form of a synthetic T4 thyroid hormone. T4 is the main thyroid hormone that your body produces naturally, but it needs to be converted into T3 for it to be used actively in the body. I wrote an article for MindBodyGreen that explains in detail the many different causes of low thyroid symptoms that aren't tested for in the standard model of care. Since that article was first published, I've been able to talk to hundreds of people all over the world who are on thyroid replacement hormones and are told they're “normal,” even though they still have symptoms. These people know that how they're feeling is anything but normal.

Because thyroid physiology is so complex, there is rarely, if ever, a “magic pill” that cures the problem. The overwhelming majority of people struggling with low thyroid symptoms are having some sort of autoimmune response. This means that their immune system mistakes the thyroid as an enemy and attacks it. This immune dysregulation can cause systemic inflammation in the body. Inflammation is a normal response to an injury, but when the source of the inflammation, in this case an autoimmune response, isn't addressed, the vicious cycle of systemic inflammation is never broken.

The underlying issues of an autoimmune pattern and inflammation have to be addressed to restore the patient’s health. It's only when you deal with underlying issues like these that you can allow the thyroid hormone to be effectively used in the body. 

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With that in mind, let’s go over five reasons why your thyroid medication may not be working over at MindBodyGreen.

 

 

Helping People Reverse Disease, Regain Energy, Lose Stubborn Weight And Restore Health, In Pittsburgh & Across The World Through Our Virtual Functional Medicine Practice. Dr. Will Cole: Your Source For The Future Of Natural Health. www.drwillcole.com

 

 

The 6 Best Ways To Heal Your Gut & Restore Your Health

In part 1 of this series I explained what leaky gut syndrome was how it can wreak havoc throughout your body. In part 2, I went over different causes of leaky gut syndrome. If you haven't already, take a look at those articles first.

 

If you have leaky gut syndrome, what do you do now? Here are six of my favorite healing tools to repair a leaky gut:

 

1. L-Glutamine

This amino acid has been shown to bring healing to damaged gut lining. This healing tool may help repair the gut and reverse the effects of leaky gut syndrome.

 

2. Bone broth 

This ancient superfood can do wonders for your gut health. Bone broth is abundant in fat-soluble vitamins and minerals to boost your overall immune health and digestion. Bone broth is also rich in gelatin, which can heal your gut from the inside out. Bones should be from grass-fed cattle or organic chickens.

 

3. Herbal remedies

There are several herbs that can help heal gut lining damage. Slippery elm, marshmallow root and Deglycyrrhizinated licorice are some remedies that have been used for hundreds of years to repair the protective lining of your gut.

 

4. Fermented foods 

Your gut is home to around 100 trillion microorganisms. Fermented foods such as kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, and kombucha provide your gut with trillions of beneficial bacteria. This will help rebuild and balance healthy bacteria levels that are destroyed with leaky gut syndrome.

 

5. Coconut oil

This is another superfood no one should be without. The healthy saturated fats are an integral part to healing your gut. Lauric, capric and caprylic acids in coconut oil have antimicrobial, anti-fungal and antiviral properties. This is a real food medicine way to gently clean your GI system. Coconut oil should be organic, extra virgin and cold pressed.

 

6. Intermittent fasting 

Giving your body a little break from digesting food can be very healing. Intermittent fasting is not a full fast, but limiting your daily caloric intake to 500 or 600 a day. This restriction for a few days will allow your body to repair the gut's lining. The healing foods listed above are perfect choices to eat during intermittent fasting.

 

Customized Health Solutions

 

What works for one person may not be right for the next. A health program should be customized based on the patients health history and labs. This tailored and individualized approach is what I do for people all around the world through my virtual Functional Medicine practice. 

Helping People Reverse Disease, Regain Energy, Lose Stubborn Weight And Restore Health, In Pittsburgh & Across The World Through Our Virtual Functional Medicine Practice. Dr. Will Cole: Your Source For The Future Of Natural Health. www.drwillcole.com

5 Common Culprits That Are Damaging Your Gut Health

In my previous article, I showed why and how increased permeability in your intestinal system — known as leaky gut syndrome — is linked to many chronic diseases. I also showed which four tests need to be run to see if a leaky gut is a factor in your case. If you haven't already, I would read that article first to gain understanding of leaky gut syndrome.

Your gut health is intertwined with every other system in your body. When the lining of that wall is damaged, it can cause systemic inflammation and trigger an autoimmune response in any of those systems in your body. In this article I want to go over five culprits that can play a part in damaging your gut.

1. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)

NSAIDs such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen relieve pain and inflammation by blocking an enzyme called cyclo-oxygenase. The problem is that this enzyme also performs important functions, such as protecting the stomach from the corrosive effects of its own acid, which strengthens the activity of the immune system. Because of this, they can cause intestinal inflammation, damaging the lining of the intestine and causing intestinal permeability. This process can turn on an autoimmune response in the body. Among people who chronically use NSAIDs, research estimates that 65% will develop intestinal inflammation and up to 30% will develop ulcers.             

2. Antibiotics

Frequent use of antibiotics can decrease your beneficial, protective gut bacteria. With your body's natural defenses down, this will make your body more prone to damaging to your gut's lining. What's worse is that your body's unique diversity of trillions of beneficial bacteria won't automatically be recovered after it's lost, without some healthy intervention.

To see the other 3 Culprits will wreak havoc on your gut and your health, go on over to MindBodyGreen for the complete article

Helping People Reverse Disease, Regain Energy, Lose Stubborn Weight And Restore Health, In Pittsburgh & Across The World Through Our Virtual Functional Medicine Practice. Dr. Will Cole: Your Source For The Future Of Natural Health. www.drwillcole.com

10 Disgusting Facts About Fast Food

After reading this I don’t think you will want to eat at a fast “food” restaurant again, these incredible though true facts are enough to make me avoid these places for good. Here we give you 10 disgusting facts about fast food.

1. McDonald’s Milk Shake uses a ridiculous concoction of 50 chemicals, such as ethyl acetate, phenethyl alcohol and solvent, to “imitate” the flavor of a real strawberry.

2. Chicken? More like a disgusting sludge of pink paste, through a chemical process, causing excessive bacteria, so it is washed in ammonia and then re-flavored with more chemicals and dyed. Next time, think twice before ordering some “nuggets.”

3. The average fast food patron eats 12 pubic hairs in a given year.

4. Apparently it is approved by the FDA an average of 30 insect fragments, including rodent hair per 100 grams of peanut butter.

5. Shellac is used to improve the shine of wood and furniture but you can also find it in your delicious jelly beans, it is used to improve the shine of food.

6. The FDA approved the use of bacteriophages on processed food such as lunch meat and hot dogs.

7. Each can of coke contains 10 teaspoons of sugar, more than what your body needs daily, it is thanks to another additive called phosphoric acid, that cuts the levels of sugar, that you don’t vomit automatically after drinking a can.

8. Fast Food’s “healthiest” choice is a salad packed of antifreeze’s chemical compound, Propylene Glycerol, which causes eye and skin irritation.

9. Many fast food chicken items contain beef additives, listed as extract or essence, used to enhance flavor and change health stats.

10. Any cheese product labeled as processed is packed with additives, chemicals and flavorings, it is actually 49% of the product itself, half of the product has nothing to do with cheese.

Source: positivemed

Helping People Reverse Disease, Regain Energy, Lose Stubborn Weight And Restore Health, In Pittsburgh & Across The World Through Our Virtual Functional Medicine Practice. Dr. Will Cole: Your Source For The Future Of Natural Health.

3 Easy Ways To Lose Weight, Look Younger & Boost Health

The world we live in today — with its chemicals, toxins and processed foods — is taking a toll on our health and how we look. In the last 50 years we've seen the rise of genetically modified foods and toxins, our soil depleted of its nutrients, and the degradation of the standard American diet. These factors have created a perfect storm, increasing free radical production and systemic inflammation, which leads to accelerated aging and chronic disease.

There's no reason why we can not live 80 to 100 disease-free, healthy years! The Okinawa Study, for example, showed that older Okinawans are living 100 or more years practically disease free. Interestingly, the younger generations are developing the same chronic Western diseases that we see in our culture because they're adopting a lifestyle similar to our own.

Another study, called the Danish Twin Study, found that longevity is only moderately heritable — that is, determined by our genes. The major factor in how long we live is dictated by the lifestyle choices we choose to make.

Here are three things you will want to do to live the long, healthy, abundant life you were meant to live!

1. Start burst training.

Burst training, or high-intensity interval training (HIIT), naturally increases human growth hormone (HGH), which has strong anti-aging and fat-burning effects on the body!

There are different ways to do burst training, but here's the technique that I use:

Step 1: Warm up for 3-5 minutes.

Step 2: Run, bike, or swim 90 percent of your capacity for 30-60 seconds.

Step 3: Rest by slow jogging for 1-2 minutes.

Step 4: Repeat the sprint and rest between 3-7 times.

Do burst training every other day, because your anti-aging and fat-burning hormones are doing their work through the next day!

To boost your fat burning and anti-aging hormones to the highest level possible, consume foods that are high in complex carbohydrates and protein after your workout. Studies show waiting to eat 1 to 2 hours after workout enhances HGH naturally! Burst Training is quick, easy and it beats spending hours in the gym! 

To see the other 2 health tips, read the entire article at MindBodyGreen!

Helping People Reverse Disease, Regain Energy, Lose Stubborn Weight And Restore Health, In Pittsburgh & Across The World Through Our Virtual Functional Medicine Practice. Dr. Will Cole: Your Source For The Future Of Natural Health.

FutureHealth February Newsletter

Hello everyone! Check out the latest FutureHealth Monthly! Where we send you once a month a special Healthy Recipe, Giveaway and Functional Medicine Article! Learn how we are transforming peoples health in Pittsburgh and across the nation via our virtual health practice! Read the FutureHealth Monthly Here!

Reverse Fibromyalgia: Break The Cycle!

I help people all around the country break the Fibromyalgia Cycle. By clinically investigating why someone is going through Fibromyalgia symptoms and tailoring a health program that is unique to them we can reverse Fibromyalgia once and for all! Check Video Out Below:

Are You Aging Prematurely? Free Radical Inflammation Test

The foundation of Functional Medicine is comprehensive diagnostic testing. One of the initial tests we run shows us how much free radical inflammation your body has. This simple test takes only a few minutes but gives us a lot of information about your health. How much free radical damage is going on in your body? Watch Video Below:

8 Natural Diabetes Fighters

Helping people reverse their disease and become as healthy as they can be is a passion of mine.

Check out my article on 8 Natural Diabetes Fighters over at MindBodyGreen.com:
http://www.mindbodygreen.com/0-6671/8-Natural-Diabetes-Fighters.html

IBS, Leaky Gut, Autoimmune, Metabolic, Hormonal Testing

Using the latest technology in diagnostic labs, we are able to uncover missing links in a patient's diagnosis. 75 percent of our immune system resides in our gut. Taking a comprehensive look into this highly complex system, allows us to further clinically investigate and give patients true solutions to their health problems.