Ki Center Blog

Old school is sometimes the best school for achieving results. If anything can be said about the work I do in the clinic it would have to be that we are results driven. I have been doing natural health care now for 11 years and the best and most valuable tool I have is Kinesthetic body analysis. Also known as Applied Kinesiology, or contact reflex analysis, it is a way for me to determine the imbalances that are present in your body at this time. It is highly accurate and using the body's own innate intelligence, can and will find things that even western medicine with all their technology can't find or just plain miss. And mis-diagnosis is a real problem with allopathic medicine.

It works simply by measuring the energy in the body through and indicator muscle as a "circuit breaker" that will trip when there is an imbalance that the body recognizes as detrimental. It will not tell me what the problem is but where the problem or cause is. As an example, the muscle testing will tell me there is a problem with the liver but not exactly what the problem is. But again using the advanced techniques of applied kinesiology, I can then test with specific clinical nutritional products to find what will fix the problem. I may have five different products that will alter the liver function but only one of them may be the exact fit for your particular problem. It takes the guess work out of knowing what specifically will help you. Be it herb or phytonutrient, your body will tell me exactly what it needs to repair.

Not only will the kinesthetic body analysis be able to determine cause and need from a chemical standpoint, but it is perfect for determining structural problems whether they be skeletal or soft tissue related. There have been many examples of people coming to me for a structural problem that has not been helped through chiropractic care or any other care for that matter, that through kinesthetic analysis, determined the specific muscle involvement that may have not been any where near the site of pain.

Old school or technology based diagnostics? Both are appropriate and can be helpful. But what happens if the technology based diagnostics are not available? How will practitioners determine treatment if all they know is blood work, MRI's, CT scans and the like? Ask the body, as it (your body) is the smartest doctor for you there is.

Let me take a moment to say thanks to the East County Gazette for allowing me the opportunity to contribute to their publication. In the articles to follow I hope to surprise you, raise questions and possibly even make you angry. Above all what you will get is pertinent, accurate information designed to make you think and hopefully encourage you to check out information for yourself. I will never tell you what to think. You have enough of that already. You are in charge of your health care; do not let anyone convince you otherwise. What you need is good information to make informed decisions. Lets get started.

The Wrong Information

I get so angry at the established medical community scaring their patients senseless with incomplete information about their cholesterol levels. Thousands of unsuspecting intelligent people have been convinced to take liver damaging drugs to artificially reduce their cholesterol numbers. Maybe you remember some 20 years ago that the medical profession informed the public that if your cholesterol was 180-200 then you were sick and needed a pill to correct this life threatening disease. Then a new line of Statin drugs came out which could lower the numbers even more. More recently the number has dropped to even lower levels because of, you guessed it, newer drugs. When you take into account that these drugs gobble up vitamins such as Coenzyme Q-10, Folic Acid, Vitamins B-12, K, D, E and Iron you have a recipe for disaster.

The Facts

Let me give you some facts to help you decide for yourself what you need. Cholesterol is essential for life. Just as the banana peel protects the fruit from damage and oxidation, your cholesterol protects your cells from damage and oxidation. It’s quite a bit like a bullet proof vest for the cell. People have been duped into believing that the lower their cholesterol is the healthier they are. This is not true and frankly the opposite is true. If your total cholesterol numbers get to 125 and lower you are sick and in danger of serious disease and illness. Did you know that when you have damage to a blood vessel or any damage for that matter your body uses cholesterol as a bandage to repair the area? Weaknesses in the blood vessels are patched with cholesterol. So a question remains; is the cholesterol building up in your veins because of fat or repair of weak areas?  If your total cholesterol gets too low the cells can be damaged by free radicals, toxins and drug interactions. Cholesterol protects these cells from damage.

Practically every organ in the body manufactures cholesterol. If your eating habits, exercise and life style are relatively good the cholesterol in your system will regulate itself. If you have adequate fat in your diet, and I am talking about good fat, omega 3 and 6, you won’t have the elevated levels that are truly a problem. If your numbers are 280 and above then yes we need to make some changes to allow the body to bring these levels back into balance. Let me say that this is possible without drugs. I have seen it in my clients reductions of 50 points in 30 days or less just by giving the body the tools it needs to regulate the process. And a real shocker for them is when I tell them to increase their intake of dietary fat. Well that just flies in the face of conventional drug profit wisdom doesn't it? Heaven help us all if we start to get healthy without medications!

In fact the older we get the higher the cholesterol numbers should be up to a point. If the body is in balance, in other words if the ratio to HDL and LDL are good, your triglycerides are in normal range and you eat relatively well and get exercise, then a number like 230-245 (if your in your 50s and older) is great! You want that protection around your cells to keep the degeneration and break down of tissues as we get older from running rampant. Cholesterol lowering drugs damage your liver, period. Just because someone has said that you're sick if you have cholesterol above 150 doesn't make it true, especially if that someone has a profit motive for you to buy their drug.

Case History

Medications can be a life saver when needed. But it just makes more sense to try something less invasive and easier on your system first. By the way that client I have that reduced her cholesterol by 50 points; she went from total cholesterol of 295 to 215 in 45 days without drugs. You know what her doctor said? Thats a good start but I think you still need to be on this drug. You decide.

There seems to be a fair amount of confusion about fat and its importance in the diet. We hear about omega-3, omega-6 fats, but what does it all really mean?

Whats Good

These are defined as essential fatty acids. This means that they are necessary for normal bodily function. But what is most important, is the ratio of these essential fatty acids to each other.

Omega-3 fats are those which can be found in fish oil and flax oil. By far, the most important fat you need for good health is omega-3. Besides being critical to normal hormone production, these fats are brain food. Your brain is composed of 60% fat and without a good intake of omega-3 fats, you could see a decrease in brain function. Everything from mild memory loss to other more serious neurodegenerative diseases can be attributed to this type of nutritional deficiency. Fish oil from salmon, cod, mackerel and other deep cold water fish, are the healthiest and the most potent of the omega-3 fats. Flax oil is a good source as well, however, it is from a plant, and lacks the same potency as compared to fish. It has been estimated that it takes 10 times the flax oil to equal the same benefit from fish oil.

Omega-6 fats are those found in corn, safflower, sunflower, peanut, soy and canola oils. You can find these types of fats in many of the processed foods we eat. Dietary experts have stated that the average American diet consumes 50 times the amount of omega-6 fats as they should. Excess amounts of this fat can cause inflammation in the brain, which is the main culprit of all neuro-degenerative diseases such as Alzheimers, Parkinsons and ALS. An essential fatty acid, and important to good health, omega-6 should be consumed in moderation, as too much can lead to problems.

Another type of omega-6 fat, one that is more beneficial, can be found in many types of plants in minute amounts but the most prevalent source is evening primrose oil, borage, and black currant seed oil. This is a specialized form of fatty acid high in GLA, (gamma-linoleic-acid), essential for female hormone balance.

Balance of Fats

A healthy and balanced diet will contain more omega-3 than 6. Almost everyone I test during their evaluation is low on essential fatty acids. This will show up as an imbalance and can be the culprit behind many symptoms. I can supplement with fish oil capsules or flax oil to increase the amounts of omega-3. A reduction in the type of fats in many of the cooking oils and processed foods will usually be in order as well.

It should be mentioned that if your gallbladder is not working properly, or you routinely have problems eating fat of any type, we will need to clear that up as well. You can take the best supplements in the world, but if your body cannot metabolize what you take in, then it's a waste of money and will have very little benefit.

Dietary Considerations

Generally speaking, whenever I see someone on a low fat diet, I suspect that it will be synonymous with low nutrition. If they are on a low fat, high protein diet, then I know we will have some work to do in regaining good nutritional balance. What I would like to see is a moderate protein, low carbohydrate and adequate amounts of good fat diet!

Fat (the good kind) is essential for good health. Too much omega-6 fats as found in the oils mentioned earlier, is bad for you. Animal fats from bacon, and marbled meat, and dairy are fine in moderation. At least these are real fats that your body can use and will metabolize. I use real butter and no margarine of any type. Frankly, in my opinion, I don't feel margarine should even be considered as food. If you do not eat fish on a regular basis then I would highly recommend a good fish oil supplement. Standard Process Labs produces an excellent product called Tuna Omega-3, which we carry at the clinic. If you cannot tolerate the fish oil or just can't stand the taste of fish, then I recommend you add flax oil to your diet, 1 tablespoon a day. There are several good brands that I can recommend.

Just remember that good fat is essential to your health. If you have been on a low fat diet and you really haven't seen any improvement, or you feel worse, it may be time for a change to an eating plan that makes sense.

Every journey begins with the first step. If you could make positive life style changes for just thirty days, and reap benefits from that investment for the rest of your life, then that would be an investment worth making, don;t you think?

Dietary Mis-information

There is so much hogwash about health and nutrition out there today that finding correct information—not just the current fad diet or wonder product with a wonderful marketing plan, can be an exercise in frustration. Who do you believe? What study is correct? One week we hear that a particular product is toxic, then, the following week we hear it;s beneficial. It;s enough to make your head spin.

Self Repair

There are a few facts I want you to know about your health. First, the body is designed genetically to heal and renew itself constantly. As long as the body has the right tools to work, it will repair itself every second of every day. When we cut our finger, the area heals, new skin is formed and the new skin is perfect. If a bone is broken, new bone forms that is stronger then the old bone, all without pills or drugs.

Secondly, people who eat a Western diet of sugar laden, chemically-altered non-foods suffer high rates of diseases such as diabetes, obesity, coronary artery disease, joint problems, osteoporosis and cancers of all types. In fact, most degenerative diseases, which eat up approximately eighty percent of the annual 4.5 trillion dollar bill spent on health care, can be attributed to this Western diet.

Another interesting and true fact is that people who eat real food, traditional diet, whether it is high fat, high protein or high carbohydrate, will generally not have these health problems. The difference is that they eat real foods instead of overly-processed, chemical concoctions produced by a Western food industry.

So we have a body designed for perfection, and what we do is feed it junk. Unable to heal properly without proper nutrition, it's no wonder our bodies suffer so many maladies. And on top of that, we have an industry designed to make money by convincing you that you are sick and need this drug or that program to feel better. All it takes is money and blind obedience to the experts that want to relieve you of that money and your long term health.

The Western diet is not the cause of our problems, we are. It is our decisions that produce the consequences we suffer from. Instead of choosing real foods in moderation, exercise and a healthy life style, we choose to eat non-foods and take pills to counter the results, all at the expense of our own health.

Your Body is the Key

I am in the business of helping people to heal themselves. I've seen this miracle of genetic engineering produce amazing results in a short period of time. If you can give me thirty days to make changes in your lifestyle, nutritional (chemical) balance, emotional and structural health, I know that you can see dramatic positive results that will be life changing.

I am not a miracle worker or some self-proclaimed healer extraordinaire. I simply understand what balance can do to heal your body. The tools I use are made from organic phyto-nutrients (food). They work quickly and have no side effects. When you combine these tools with understanding of how the body works, and have a method of accessing the innate wisdom of your own body to find the cause of the imbalance, you have a very powerful weapon against illness and disease. The beautiful thing about all of this is your own ability to heal. It;s automatic! Give your body what it needs and it does the work.

I strongly believe that we are in a battle with an industry designed to convince you that you are sick-- there are trillions of dollars at stake, after all. Most of the foods we eat (in a Western diet) are produced cheaply and cause health problems. Furthermore, and in my opinion, the medical industry has a vested interest in having more sick people around to keep the money flowing.

If they (the food and drug industry) are so concerned about our health and prevention, then let’s see some action toward that end. Allow people to use their insurance dollars to see alternative professionals and get second opinions from a holistic perspective. And by all means, give real nutritional and health education to our kids instead of the party line from food and drug industrialists.