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  • Daniel

    Member
    April 7, 2023 at 9:24 pm in reply to: Stomach Flu

    Hey ,

    I know a lot of people recommend it – especially in the blogosphere. There are studies that confirm that regular use of saunas can increase white blood cells in healthy adults (according to this study for example)

    I believe having saunas can be really beneficial, but you should consider it like the effect of a workout. It is a stressor to which the body adapts positively.

    The direct benefit of a sauna is that it can release heat shock proteins. Heat shock proteins can directly stimulate innate immune responses, such as the maturation and activation of dendritic cells and the activation of natural killer cells

    But it is also a stressor. We see studies mentioning that a sauna can increase cortisol and catecholamines like adrenaline and noradrenaline (Just like workouts!). And although taking regularly a sauna can increase white blood cells, having a sauna while being sick isn’t being investigated well.

    So what does this all mean?
    Based on what I have read I would recommend letting you guide by how you feel. If you’re too sick (especially when you have a fever), I would recommend staying in bed. There is a risk of fainting. If you feel like a sauna, I wouldn’t use too high temperatures or stay in too long.

    The rule of thumb would be to feel warm, but not so warm that my body needs to fight off the urge to go outside. This is the moment that your body wants to go into a fight-or-flight state. A reason for me to stay out would be if I’m dehydrated because of a fever for example – or having diarrhea.

    One last thing: I would also make sure I’m the only one in the sauna since I wouldn’t like to contaminate others.

    I hope this makes sense!

  • Daniel

    Member
    April 6, 2023 at 9:36 pm in reply to: Hair fall & stress

    Hey ,

    Did you send them an email? Perhaps they could provide you with a solution!

  • Daniel

    Member
    April 6, 2023 at 9:34 pm in reply to: Nightshade Foods?

    Hey ,

    I have to disagree with you there. In the time you did your anti-inflammatory diet, symptoms became less! Which to me means, you were able to reduce inflammation.

    One of the core beliefs in the world of functional medicine is that everyone is unique. Two persons with the same disease might have different root causes and might need 2 different approaches.

    Reducing inflammation might be the perfect example to explain this to you. Of course, there are recommendations that help the majority of people: getting vitamin D up and taking omega 3’s are two such examples. Reducing fast digestible carbs, sugars and processed foods are examples that often reduce inflammation as well.

    When it comes to reactions to specific foods the area becomes much more ‘grey’. With rheumatoid arthritis removing nightshades might help. It just doesn’t help everyone. The same goes for avoiding lectins. They are in a way nothing more than educated guesses.

    Maybe you are thinking: but why is it there so much variation from person to person?

    We often see in autoimmune diseases that the gut for some reason suffered some damage or is more ‘leaky’ and lets in undigested foods. The immune system sees undigested foods as possible invaders and starts to clean up the mess. The reaction of the immune system causes inflammation. And although there are rules of thumb (like nightshades with rheumatoid arthritis), many reactions to food are also really personal. I for example had a food sensitivity to fish, which is considered anti-inflammatory.

    There are 2 reasons why I’m explaining this. Often the most inflammatory choices aren’t about choosing between bell peppers and broccoli, but about choosing to sleep 8 hours, reduce emotional stress/trauma and reduce the number of processed foods.

    If guess what I try to tell you is that you probably did more right then you thought! If you like to learn and read more about anti-inflammatory foods I could recommend you the book Digestive Wellness: Strengthen the Immune System and Prevent Disease Through Healthy Digestion. It’s written by Elizabeth Lipski. 
    The second reason why I explained the relationship between the gut and how the immune system can be triggered by undigested foods is that even when you follow the best anti-inflammatory diet in the world, when the gut lining is leaky (which we see a lot in auto-immune diseased) you need to reduce the leakiness. You might not have focussed on this step the last time, but here are some steps to reduce a leaky gut:
    • Remove gluten-containing grains. Breakdown products of gluten will open the doors (also called tight junctions) between the cells of the gut lining.
    • Remove dairy.
    • Vitamin D is necessary to close the tight junctions. A low serum vitamin D needs to be addressed in my opinion
    • Focus on gut-healing foods – watch this movie about gut-healing therapies.

    Of course, I could recommend more, but have you watched the Gut Health Masterclass already? It might be something that could help you in your healing journey!

     

  • Daniel

    Member
    April 6, 2023 at 3:29 pm in reply to: Nightshade Foods?

    Hey ,

    It can be a little tougher to get enough protein in your diet, but it is still possible. Legumes like beans for example are rich in protein. They are a source of lectins though and some research shows that lectins aren’t helpful with rheumatoid arthritis. I’m mentioning this, because ankylosing spondylitis is also a rheumatic disease.

    Cooking does however destroy almost all lectins, so make sure you cook your beans well. Other sources of lectins are for example other legumes like soybeans, peas and peanuts. If you like to consume a low lectin diet, you should also cook them well.

    Nuts can be a great source of protein as well. But some other nuts like walnuts, almonds, and sunflower seeds contain some lectin as well. The next nuts are low in lectin and fit in a low lectin diet if you choose to follow this route: pecans, pistachios, pine nuts, flax seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds, and Brazil nuts.

    Plant based protein powders can also be a solution. In this case I would recommend hemp based protein powders.

    I hope this helps!

  • Daniel

    Member
    April 5, 2023 at 10:03 pm in reply to: Stomach Flu

    Hey ,

    The handout Bernadette mentioned is wonderful and full of tips!

    I would also like to add that being sick, although it definitely isn’t fun, might also have an upside.

    When you are sick, your immune system is very active. You could also see it as a way to ‘clean’ your body from possible other pathogens that aren’t causing a problem but still are a burden for the body.

    Just provide the healing possibilities for your body! Make sure you rest and give in to it if that’s possible so your immune system can do its job effectively.

    I have a rule of thumb: once you can vacuum clean your house, you could consider yourself better! If it is an option, don’t go back to work too soon since your body is still busy removing waste products afterwards.

    Get well soon!

  • Daniel

    Member
    April 5, 2023 at 9:51 pm in reply to: Nightshade Foods?

    Hey ,

    Nightshades are a group of plants that can protect themselves from insects and bugs by producing certain chemicals. These chemicals are nature’s variation of insecticides.

    Solanine for example is such a compound that you can find in nightshades like potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, goji berries and peppers (Bell peppers, chilli peppers, cayenne, etc)

    While nightshades are completely healthy for most people, they are a common (but not always) food sensitivity in those with joint pain, IBD, Rheumatoid Arthritis, and other inflammatory autoimmune diseases.

    Ankylosing spondylitis is a form of arthritis that causes chronic spine inflammation. Avoiding nightshades can be something you could consider.

    That being said, the supplements I recommended earlier can also be used with Ankylosing spondylitis. Following an anti-inflammatory lifestyle is definitely something that could help. I know your husband followed an anti-inflammatory diet which helped. Other things that can help the healing process are having a focus on good quality sleep and avoiding stress.

    If you are unsure if your husband sleeps well, just ask him the question if he feels he has enough energy for the day when he wakes up.

    If you like some more detailed tips around those topics, let me know!

  • Daniel

    Member
    April 4, 2023 at 9:19 pm in reply to: Mediator Release Test

    Hey ,

    Personally, I have no experience with this test, so I can’t speak to that. It looks to me like a special kind of food sensitivity test.

    The test does this by looking at changes in the volumes of white blood cells. The idea is that once white blood cells have released their mediators, they shrink in size. In this way, they test how your white blood cells react to different foods.

    Compared to the KBMO food sensitivity test (which you can find here), they use a different approach. I only know that KBMO has been used much more in the functional medicine world and has built trust with its results.

    You could try the MRT test if you would like. The advantage is that histamine is also mediated by white blood cells. I only can’t speak about my experience with this test.

    Did you ever consider finding help from an osteopath? A big factor why you might still be experiencing acid reflux might also be caused by the position in which your stomach is. Perhaps an osteopath can be of help here.

  • Daniel

    Member
    April 4, 2023 at 11:11 am in reply to: Hair fall & stress

    Hey ,

    Three years of stress is a long time to be stressed… I hope there is some pressure relief possible for you in the near future!

    Stress can influence health for sure. The way stress influences your health is unique to you and your circumstances though. Both the frequency you need to go to the toilet and hair loss can be caused by stress, but still in different ways. Here are some things to consider:

    Stress can influence nutrient absorption
    Nutrient deficiencies like iron and zinc can cause hair loss. These minerals need to be sufficient in your diet of course, but for absorption, these minerals also need strong stomach acid. Testing iron can be done by your doctor as well. An iron deficiency can also cause anemia. Other symptoms of anemia are looking pale, feeling fatigued, shortness of breath, mouth ulcers, an inflamed tongue, brittle nails or even the desire to eat ice or other non-food things.

    The HCl dosing challenge can give you a clue as to if you are deficient in stomach acid. Just remember that this challenge isn’t a diagnostic tool.

    Other nutrients that play a role
    Proteins, Selenium, B vitamins, vitamin A and vitamin D play a role as well. How much vitamin D are you supplementing with? And do you know your current serum levels? All these nutrients are also needed for a healthy thyroid hormone balance. In fact, a slow thyroid can also cause hair loss, which brings me to the next topic.

    Stress and thyroid function
    If you are sensitive to cold, feeling fatigued, depressed, constipated or have unexplained weight gains, these are all extra symptoms that could point to having a slow thyroid.

    Stress raises reverse T3 and blocks the action of the metabolic active T3. If you aren’t sure how this all works, I recommend you watch this explanation.

    I have attached here a handout that will dive into details of what nutrients you should be focusing on.

    If you recognize more symptoms I would recommend you watch the full Thyroid Balance course, but as a bare minimum, this video will explain to you how to test your thyroid.

    Hair loss & hormones
    Elevations in androgens can also cause hair loss. If you experience hormonal imbalances in sex hormones, this might be worth exploring.

    Stress, hair loss & auto-immune issues
    In some auto-immune diseases the immune system attacks the hair follicle. Just asking: do you have any that you know of?

    Stress & Urination
    Ongoing stress can lead to frequent urination. Making sure you get enough electrolytes (for example by making sole) could help you. But basically your body, in a parasympathetic dominant state, will lose water. The long-term solution will be addressing stress.

    Another possible reason why you might lose water is the fasting process which you are going through. If the body gets depleted from glycogen (the cells storage form of glucose) your cells will lose water.

    This is actually normal and might not be something you should worry about too much.

    If you experience these symptoms also when you’re not fasting, this might be more related to a parasympathetic state. If your stress is emotional in nature or caused by for example work-related seeking out somebody who can give you another perspective on your personal situation can be really valuable. Here you can find recommendations that might be helpful to you!

    If you like to test your stress hormones I would really recommend the Dutch test.

    Last but definitely not least: we have a full course that talks about stress hormones called Adrenal Balance. If you haven’t seen this course, I would really recommend you watch it!

    Let me know what resonates with you!

  • Daniel

    Member
    April 3, 2023 at 9:59 pm in reply to: Blood work report

    Hey ,

    I think your husband is lucky to have you! There are some interesting patterns on them. Some things might be low-hanging fruits. Others might need a deeper dive. Unfortunately, labs without symptoms are a little hard to interpret. Perhaps you could give us some insights into his top 5 symptoms, diet, sleep and stress levels.

    For now, I will do the best I can with these lab results. Let’s start with the low-hanging fruits first:

    His vitamin D is really low. This can lead to several symptoms like fatigue (and yet not sleeping well), less resilience to fight of infections, weakness in the muscles, feeling depressed,  and a low vitamin D that can even result in back and joint pain. Since you know his serum vitamin D levels, I recommend you look at one of my favourite documents on the platform: The vitamin D handout. It will provide you with a protocol for the dosages.

    His B12 levels are also clinically low. Symptoms that a low B12 can cause are fatigue as well. A vitamin B12 deficiency like this probably will cause in time anemia. It doesn’t show up in his labs yet, but if a deficiency like this isn’t addressed it is my experience that it is just a matter of time.

    A B12 deficiency can be caused by several reasons. It might not be in his diet (is he on a plant-based diet?). It can be caused by hypochlorhydria (low stomach acid) as well. If your husband is willing to explore these options, I recommend he at the very least watch these 3 movies:
    Signs of hypochlorhydria
    Causes of Hypochlorhydria
    Stomach Acid Support

    His cholesterol is elevated. This might be caused by insulin resistance or the imbalance in the thyroid hormones that show up in his lab report.

    Let’s break this down:

    Insulin resistance
    His HbA1c is elevated. This is caused by sugar molecules sticking to hemoglobin and is often caused by dysregulated blood sugar levels. Perhaps he can recognize himself in the next set of symptoms: strong cravings for sweets or caffeine, fatigue (again!), tingling sensations in the body, ravenous hunger, weight gain, difficulty concentrating, feeling jittery or shaky between his meals and even a blurred vision can be a symptom.

    If he is on a carb-rich diet, temporarily lowering the carbs will help him address this. The blood sugar regulation course might be interesting for him. If he is only interested in what he should alter in his diet, he can watch this video:
    Dietary Guidelines & Sample Daily Meal Plan

    If he likes a deeper dive, these videos are also important for him. Especially with more advanced stages of insulin resistance, we can see thyroid hormones be unbalanced as well and therefore it would be good for him to understand the differences between the phases since the recommendations are also slightly different.

    I grouped the videos together for you right here:
    The Phases of Dysfunction: Phase 1 & 2 Signs & Symptoms
    Insulin Resistance & Phase 3 to 5 Signs & Symptoms
    Supplement & Lifestyle Considerations: Phase 2
    Supplement & Lifestyle Considerations: Phase 3 to 5

    Thyroid Disbalance
    On his labs his TSH is suboptimally elevated. His free T4 is also elevated, but his metabolic most active thyroid hormone is in range. Since there are a few scenarios possible, I would like to know a bit more about his symptoms first.

    While his metabolic health and vitamin D might contribute to fatigue and his TSH is suboptimally high (like the brain is feeling it needs more energy) he seems to produce thyroid hormones in the upper half of the reference range.

    If he despite the high thyroid hormones feels fatigued, he might on a cellular level not accept the hormones.

    Here are some reasons why a slow thyroid might be considered:
    • A slow thyroid can contribute to elevations in cholesterol.
    • A slow thyroid can contribute to a decrease in SHBG (Sex Hormone Binding Globulin)
    • Alkaline phosphatase is suboptimally low which could be caused by a zinc deficiency. A zinc deficiency can cause a slow thyroid and influence the immune system as well.
    • Vitamin D is really low, which can also contribute to slow thyroid symptoms.

    With his set of labs, he could also feel normal: the fatigue caused by the vitamin D deficiency and the insulin resistance might be compensated by the elevations in thyroid hormones.

    With these labs, symptoms of a fast thyroid are also an option. An overactive thyroid gland can cause heart palpitations, sensitivity to heat, and nervousness, anxiety and irritability.

    If you like to dive deeper into what is at play, I really recommend a full thyroid panel (just click here for the video).

    I hope you have some starting points to help your husband here. Good luck!

  • Daniel

    Member
    April 1, 2023 at 6:34 pm in reply to: Hi Bernadette,

    Hey ,

    What you can do in the meanwhile might depend on the root cause. Do you know your current blood pressure? If it is on the low side without changing the dose of your medication, you could discuss lowering the medication with your GP.

    Magnesium is not in your supplement stack might help you to lower blood pressure as well. A magnesium deficiency can also contribute to higher blood pressure levels.

    Making sure you have enough nutrients to support thyroid function can be something you could focus on as well. The library has a great document for that right here.

    Assessing stress levels can also be a game changer. Think big on this topic! Work pressure, and emotional stress from relationships, friends or families are only part of that. Think also about other stuff like loneliness (yes, also if you are in a relationship!), spiritual fulfilment, resentment, sadness, setting the bar high for yourself (or others), shame, blame… all these things are examples you could consider.

    If insulin resistance is at play, lowering blood sugar can help. Smoothies can be a great source of nutrients, however, they can be a source of fast digestible sugars. Feeling fatigued after drinking a smoothy can be a sign that your body doesn’t deal well with the amount of sugar in them.

    The tingling sensation in your fingers can be caused by slow thyroid, insulin resistance and anemia. The low hemoglobin is an anemia usually caused by an iron deficiency. But a B12, folate and B6 deficiency can also cause another type of anemia.

    If you consume enough iron, you might want to try the hydrochloric acid dosage challenge. I have attached the protocol below. Stomach acid is needed for iron absorption, but it heavily influences the amount of B12 absorption as well.[Hydrochloric acid supplement recommended dosage challenge (1).pdf]

  • Daniel

    Member
    March 31, 2023 at 8:54 pm in reply to: Hi Bernadette,

    Hey ,

    You can do pull-ups? Be proud! Very proud!!

    What stands out to me at the moment is the low fT4. It is in the lower half of the reference range. Do you experience symptoms of a slow thyroid (feeling fatigued, perhaps easy cold, hair loss, trouble concentrating, or just watch this video)?

    It would be worthwhile doing a full thyroid panel. In the thyroid course we have a video here that explains what a full thyroid panel looks like. A slow thyroid can cause slower processing of cholesterol, which can contribute to elevations in cholesterol.

    The HbA1c from 2022 was indicative of some insulin resistance and it dropped which can be indicative of improvements in insulin sensitivity. It is a good sign but only a fasting insulin test will provide you with the knowledge of how much insulin resistance is actually going on. As I mentioned earlier: insulin resistance can contribute to elevations in blood pressure. It can also contribute to elevations in cholesterol.

    Your diet looks really nutritious! I do have some follow-up questions though. Is there stuff you crave? Sweets? Do you feel saturated? Do you consume dinner? And how much juice do you consume daily?

    Concerning your question about pure encapsulations – I’m not exactly sure if it is really true and what it means for supplement quality, but I will come back to you on this question!

  • Daniel

    Member
    March 31, 2023 at 8:24 pm in reply to: URGENT HELP NEEDED

    , I’m not based in Dubai (although I would love to!), so I don’t know exactly how fast the order will go. Fullscript only delivers in the US, so you will need to use a company like Boxit4Me or Shop&Ship to redirect your order. These mail forwarding companies provide local addresses worldwide. You will need to use their US mailing address when placing your order with Fullscript.

    If I order, it will take me about 2 weeks.

    By grain-free, I just mean a normal diet without grains (minus the food sensitivities!). An anti-inflammatory diet can be a good starting point if it worked before. Here are some tips you might want to add:
    • Make sure your anti-inflammatory diet has protein sources. They can be plant-based!
    • Food sensitivities can develop to all foods, especially to foods you consume regularly. Working on gut healing simultaneously can reduce the chance of developing new food sensitivities.
    • Chances are big some gut healing needs to be done. I would recommend watching the full gut health masterclass!

    Here are some brands I trust on GLA and Omega 3 supplements:
    • OmegAvail Hi-Po from Designs for Health (800mg of EPA + 800 mg of DHA in triglyceride form. It is also molecularly distilled)
    • OmegaGenics® EPA-DHA 1000 from Metagenics (710 mg of EPA and 210 mg of DHA)
    • Take it with food.

    GLA:
    • GLA 240mg from Designs for Health
    • OmegaGenics® GLA 240 from Metagenics

    Collagen is a good supplement. It can help with gut healing. And you are right, collagen can also help with joint health. But it is important to understand why the joint pain is there first. I can only do an educated guess, but this is a reason that occurs on regular bases:

    Sometimes immune complexes (for example: the complexes that are formed after the immune system dealt with undigested food molecules) can accumulate in joints. This can in time lead to these types of symptoms.

    Proteolytic enzymes taken on an empty stomach could help to break down immune complexes, especially to counter the joint pain. You could for example try this one:
    • Intenzyme Forte by Biotics Research

  • Daniel

    Member
    March 30, 2023 at 8:57 pm in reply to: Hi Bernadette,

    Hey ,

    I was just looking at your earlier posts. I saw you were also taking Enalapril for your high blood pressure. Longer use of Enalapril can in some cases also cause an iron deficiency.

    Enalapril is an ACE inhibitor (a common type of medication used to treat high blood pressure). Which is good of course! The downside however is that ACE inhibitors can bind to zinc. This nutrient is also necessary to produce white blood cells.

    Although measuring zinc can be quite difficult this study showed that 6 months of Enalapril use, lowered zinc in a type of white blood cell called monocytes. Zinc is also an important nutrient for making the white blood cells function. If you aren’t using zinc, you might want to consider it.

    Since you were diagnosed with high blood pressure, it makes me wonder about earlier lab results as well. Insulin resistance can cause high blood pressure as well. Your blood glucose looked fine, but it doesn’t rule out insulin resistance 100%. I would consider checking fasting insulin to determine if insulin resistance is at play.

    A magnesium deficiency can also elevate blood pressure, just like stress.

    If you like we could help you dive deeper into different lifestyle causes of high blood pressure.

    Are you taking calcium supplements? If so, make sure your vitamin D levels are optimal and you have enough vitamin K2 that transports calcium out of the blood. Otherwise clacium supplements can also contribute to elevations in blood pressure.

    An impaired Nitric Oxide production can also cause hypertension. Focusing on foods with nitrates can be beneficial. Think of foods like beets, garlic, dark chocolate, leafy greens, nuts and seeds and watermelon.

    Let us know if you would like to know more!

  • Daniel

    Member
    March 29, 2023 at 9:12 pm in reply to: Activating Detox pathways / heavy metals

     With supplements I usually don’t differentiate. But some lifestyle factors can stimulate phase 1 detoxification:
     
    • Coffee
    • Alcohol and aldehyde dehydrogenases (enzymes that that catalyse the oxidation of aldehydes)
    • Smoking (this effect is caused by flavin monooxygenases in sigarette smoke)
    • Stress (the enzyme monoamine oxidase is also goes through liver detoxification)
    • half of all pharmaceutical drugs are metabolized via just five CYP enzymes: CYP1A2, CYP2D6, CYP2C9, CYP2C19, CYP3A4. I’m not saying stopping medications by the way, but if phase 1 goes faster as phase 2, free radicals tend to build up.
    • There are genetic factors involved as well
    • Some supplements influence phase 1. St. John’s Wort induces CYP2C9. 
    • Detoxification should also be done from a place of strength in your life. If you are for example struggling with inflammation, disease or stress, this can cause strong reactions of the body.
    • Charred meat can upregulate phase 1
    • High insulin…

    I know the list is long (and perhaps a bit late), but perhaps you can pick out some stuff you can use!

  • Daniel

    Member
    March 29, 2023 at 8:43 pm in reply to: starting exercise program

    Hey ,

    How are you doing? Do you feel more confident with your routine? What are the changes you made?

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