Would health be your first wish if you caught a Leprechaun? According to Irish folklore, Leprechauns have the power to grant three magical wishes in exchange for their release. Catching Leprechauns might be easier than helping people solve their many health-related problems!
When asked how I treat diseases, people are surprised to hear that actually I don’t treat them. I explain that I consider their history – their diets and their activities – and look for interference’s in their nervous systems to see how these problems may have begun. Next, I help them understand how they can start making changes to start reversing the disease process.
Conditions such as high blood pressure, diabetes, obesity, loss of feeling in the extremities, high cholesterol, high triglycerides, stroke, and heart attacks can all be addressed through nutrition and lifestyle. Sometimes it takes a hospital visit to remind people how important it is to start making healthy changes. Just recently I received a call from an MD regarding one of my patients. I see this patient about four times a year and was surprised to hear that his blood pressure was in the range of 200+/100+. Following HIPAA compliance procedures before discussing his case provided me an opportunity to ask my patient whether he had been following the nutritional protocol I had recommended – which should have been helping in preventing hypertension. My patient admitted that he had stopped following his protocol several months ago and was still smoking. My first impulse was to chastise him, but then I realized that just being in the hospital was punishment enough. On a more serious note, I took a moment to think about how difficult it is to keep healthy resolutions – especially considering the world we live in.
Just think about what we are faced with when it comes to so many of the popular holiday traditions–St. Paddies Day for example. Have you noticed the bellies on Leprechauns? Do you think they are from drinking wheat-based green beer?
And what did you do on Fat Tuesday? Many people are seduced by a special food to be eaten before Lent. Called the paczki, it is a 600-800 calorie donut-like delight that appears to have what it takes to keep hunger away until Easter.
Whether it takes a hospital visit or some other health crisis, what matters is that you find the incentive to start getting serious about your health. The sooner the better – and the best way is to only eat “real” food, which includes fresh, unprocessed, non-GMO, and organic food. To help you navigate the food aisles and determine which items you should purchase organic, which foods are cleaner, and which to avoid because of pesticides and chemicals, check out Environmental Working Group www.ewg.org for a list of the Dirty Dozen and the Clean Fifteen.
For most people, health improves when they reduce the amount of carbohydrates in their diet, especially when those carbohydrates come from wheat based grains containing gluten and gliadin. Grains turn into sugars and excess sugars will kill you in a slow and painful way. Good books that address these issues include the Wheat Belly books by William Davis, MD and Life Without Bread by Christian B. Allan, PhD and Wolfgang Lutz, MD. Now don’t get fooled by all the hype for gluten free foods. In place of the wheat, many of these foods substitute corn, rice, and other high sugar ingredients.
A healthy diet consists mostly of colorful vegetables, quality protein, and some fruit. Berries are the most
nutritious of the fruits and are anti-inflammatory which is very, very important. Remember to steam or parboil your cruciferous vegetables, such as cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and kale to break down the goitrogenic compounds that interfere with thyroid function. Be sure to include a high quality source of omega-3 oils, and consider blending your fruits and veggies to make them more accessible to your digestive system. And while you’re at it, you may want to add a
few nutritional supplements to your blended drink.
Many health issues respond to the addition of Magnesium Lactate, B complex vitamins (real ones, not derived from coal tar), Vitamin D3, Alpha Lipoic Acid, real Vitamin C, and Vitamin E. I also recommend the spices curcumin, quercetin, and turmeric, along with raw, organic coconut oil.
We have three systems that help us determine which nutrients are specifically needed. People have different needs based on their body’s ability to absorb nutrients. These include the ZYTO Bio-communication technology, blood tests, and muscle response testing, also called Applied Kinesiology. Used together or separately as appropriate, these tests help us customize a health plan tailored to each of our patient’s specific needs.
The last step in dealing with many health issues is beginning an exercise program. In my office, we teach a specific stretching program to help patients avoid injury. This is an important step before starting to lift weights. I teach a system similar to the one described in The Slow Burn Fitness Revolution in my advanced classes but it’s important for everyone. These exercises burn up excess sugars, lowering them like nothing else, and you’ll feel great! By the way, DO NOT start a program without getting checked out so you can do it safely.
I love hearing from all of you, my patients and readers, especially about your progress. However, if you are having trouble solving your health problems, don’t be afraid to call and tell me. Either way, we will pick up and start again. The end of March means we are three months into New Year’s resolutions. By this time, most people have given up on their healthy resolutions…but we are not most people!
~ Don’t count on catching a Leprechaun to magically grant your wishes… Get started on your own health, fitness, and nutrition program so that you can make all of your wishes for health come true!
Dr. William H. Karl, D.C.
