I am Seeing a Trend

Trends come and go.  Every year there is a new diet that promises to be the best thing since being a caveman/woman.  The holidays are sure to “release” a new weight loss gadget that “guarantees to help you lose 125 lbs while sipping your Starbuck’s pumpkin spice latte”!

I say, GO AWAY you horrible trends…I can see through you!

Although, there is one trend that I see picking up steam…you may have heard of it due to great marketing from companies like 23andme.com and Ancestry.com…genetic testing.

However, I am speaking of a little different genetic testing.  While knowing your ancestral history and chances of having a baby with blues is really cool, I am referring to learning about your genetic mutations.

Your genetic mutations, in my opinion, are going to dictate how you respond to LIFE!

Are you more predisposed to developing an autoimmune condition, such as Celiac Disease?  Should you eat that piece of genetically modified sliced bread?  Is developing a thyroid disease in your future?  Can you detox the junk your body is exposed to every single day?  If you are on birth control, can your body clear the excess hormones being released into your blood stream?

These are all questions you can find answers to by looking at genetic mutations.

What does having a genetic mutation mean?

The layman’s definition of a gene is: a unit of heredity which is transferred from a parent to offspring and is held to determine some characteristic of the offspring.

This means that our parents pass down genes that determine who we are.  The color of our hair, how tall we may be, and even our personalities.

Many times, and in all of us, these genes are not perfect.  They can be broken, or mutated.

If I know what those mutated genes are and understand the role the genes play in your body, I can figure out why you may have an autoimmune condition, or why you have ovarian cysts, or why you have low testosterone.

Back to this trend…

More and more patients are reaching out to me to run their genetic markers to get to the root cause of their health condition.

Quick story…I have a patient that I helped many years ago.  Back in those days, I didn’t utilize or understand genetic testing because not many people were discussing it.

I was able to help this patient reach her goals!  She was a hairstylist at the time.  Hairstylists tend to be some of the sickest patients I encounter.  Why you ask?  Think about what you smell when walking into most salons.  Think about what the stylists are putting on their clients’ hair/scalps.  Heavy duty chemicals are routinely used.  Although, more and more salons are beginning to switch to more natural products.  Awesome!!!

Even though I was able to help this patient years ago, she slowly began battling symptoms that were taking their toll on her health as years went by.

She knew I have been running genetic testing on patients and reached out a few months ago requesting to test her mutations.  Specifically, I ran mutations looking at detoxification pathways, how she clears hormones, and her neurotransmitters (how she feels emotionally).

Today, she requested I order the same genetic tests for her daughter and son (albeit, male hormone mutations).  Why?  Because after seeing her mutations, I was able to put together a healing plan addressing what we learned about her genes.

Guess what?  Her hot flashes have gone away.  The “sludge” she had on the layer of her stomach has disappeared and she is seeing results.  Wooohoooo!!!  Genetic testing saves the day, again!

How Do You Test Genetic Mutations?

Super simple!  You collect saliva and send the sample to the lab.  I use a lab called GX Sciences (www.gxsciences.com).  Not all labs are created equal, and for this reason I put my trust in these fellas.

The lab sends your results to me and I began playing detective, combining the genetic results with blood testing, and other specialized lab tests.

Gathering many pieces of the puzzle will help me help you!  The more I see and understand about you, the better game plan I can create to help you reach your goals.

This Trend Will Change Healthcare!

I firmly believe the more we can get to the root cause of people’s health conditions, the healthier they can become. 

More and more people are realizing the medical model’s Band-Aid approach to chronic disease is not working for them.  They are not healing and living life as they did in the past.  It is for this reason more patients are reaching out to me asking for more in-depth testing to get to the bottom of their issues.

Are you still having a difficult time reaching your health goals?  If so, consider running some genetic tests to figure out why.  Getting a sample of saliva is a heck of a lot easier than struggling with health symptoms for 10 or 15 years.  Plus, there is no needle!!!

Could Genetics be Your Answer for Healing?

How many times have you heard people say, “I have XYZ condition and it runs in my family”?

Before studying genetics, I thought that answer was an excuse the patient would give for not maintaining a healthy body.

The more I studied genetics, I thought, “some of these patients may be right!”

Whether We Want Them or Not!

Genes get passed down to each of us from our parents.  That is out of our control.  What is in our control is the environment that we live in, and we can only control this to a certain extent.

What do I mean by environment?

We are all exposed to environmental toxins, which we can’t control.  We breathe in toxins in our air, no matter where we live.  If you live in LA, you breathe in more compared to living out in the country in Kansas. 

However, we can control HOW we live in our environment!

We can control what eat, our stress levels, our exercise routines, our sleep habits, the people we are around…

We can control A LOT…BUT, with genetic mutations this “control” of ours may not be enough.

What Size is Your Bucket?

What do I mean by that?  

This is an analogy I use to describe why we become sick.  All of us have different size buckets that fill up with toxins throughout or life.  Our genetics will dictate the size of that bucket.  

For example, Natasha and I were living in a home with mold.  Natasha became extremely sick, but I did not.  WHY?  Our buckets are different sizes.  Her bucket filled up and start over-flowing = she became sick.  Natasha has more genetic mutations than I do.  I didn’t get as sick as she did because I have still have plenty of room in my bucket to collect more toxins.

Also, she is a slow detoxifier.  How do we know?  We looked at her genetic mutations that impact her body’s ability to detoxify.  If you can’t detoxify, your bucket is filling up, and you can get rid of those toxins on your own = bucket overflows = you become sick!

Watch the Video Below!

Now that I have taught you a little about genetics, the video below will dive a little deeper for you.

I hope you enjoy!

Free Genetic Sample Report Below…

Would you like to receive a sample genetic report?  Feel free to download it below.  Starting on page 11, you will find the definitions of each gene that is tested, and you will learn more about why that gene is important!

Happy 2018

How is the new year treating you?  Are you living up to all those New Year’s resolutions?  Achieved any goals, yet?  Did you set goals for this year?  I sure hope so!!!

I know, it has been some time since my last email.  The end of 2017/beginning of 2018 was quite crazy for us (almost a 1-1/2 weeks in the oncology department…UGH) and I needed to take some “me” time and re-energize my mind and body. 

Now, it is time to rock ‘n roll and focus on our goals, while helping you achieve yours!

Social Media Takeover!

My first goal started at the end of 2017, and it was to begin getting “acquainted” with social media.  Well…

I did it, I gave in, and jumped right into the deep end!  Yes, I become one of the people with a Facebook, Instagram and YouTube Channel…might as well throw Pinterest in there while you are at it.

I have completely given in to social media. Never did I think that by joining/creating communities, of like-minded people, would my excitement for improving others’ lives sky-rocket.

Now, I look forward to talking to members/friends on social media about their health problems.   Maybe, I have finally given in to technology and how we interact using it.  But sometimes, I do miss the days of no cell phones 🙂

Dr. King’s Thyroid Support Group

Some of you may know, but towards the end of last year I started a Thyroid Support Group on Facebook.  Just this week we were sharing some of our goals for 2018!  If you are not a member, you can join (free) and read what myself and others have been sharing these last couple of weeks.

I started the support group as a way to encourage patients to keep searching for answers for their health.  I feel that education brings knowledge, and knowledge brings healing.  If I can teach a patient one thing that helps to improve the quality of their life, then I have succeeded at being a healthcare professional.

I am striving to educate patients a little more regarding their thyroid condition, along with helping them with ideas on eating healthier (recipes get shared…YES!), supplementation, medication, and answering any health questions they may have.

You are more than welcome to join our community!!! CLICK HERE!!!

4-Week New Recipe Challenge

Would you like to participate in our recipe challenge?  The goal is to challenge ourselves to cook, and post, one new recipe for the next four weeks.  We are just getting started, so make sure to join in.

My recipe for tonight is one specifically prepared for GALLBLADDER patients.  Whether you still have yours, you have gallstones, or even gallbladder “flare-ups”…you may want to take a look at this recipe.  SUPER SIMPLE to prepare…because, I did it! LOL  Trust me, I don’t like complicated recipes.

Instagram

Instagram is certianly fun for posting pictures of food, and in my case…food, hiking, traveling, contests and videos!

Yep…we have some good fun on our IG page.

What to expect from following Ask Dr. King?

• Food posts…with recipes!
• Videos
• Contest announcements
• Inspirational photos/quotes

Make sure to follow by CLICKING HERE!

YouTube Channel

I know…ANOTHER ONE!!!  AGGGGHHHHH!!!

This channel was created towards the end of last year as well.  But check this out…I can essentially teach seminars, AGAIN.  Bonus: now, you can rewind (no fast forward…LOL) and/or pause to take notes! 

Plus, I can share a lot easier, and longer, on YouTube.  AND…the cool part, is now people from all over the world watch and learn, along with being able to ask questions.

Come join in on some of the social media fun!  You never know what you may learn, or what you may WIN!!!  Talk to you soon!

Let’s make 2018 an AMAZING YEAR!!!

Do You Have Expensive Urine?

Did you know that many patients I consult with have very expensive urine?  These patients are taking amazing supplements, but their body is urinating them out!  Why? 

They are not absorbing the nutrients from the products, and the nutrients are simply going down the toilet!  Before I go any further, if you have been following my blog posts and social media, I bet you can tell me why? 

Leaky Gut Syndrome

A few blog posts ago, I discussed LGS and what it is, the causes, and how to fix it. 

CLICK HERE to read that article

Well, if you have LGS, not only are you creating inflammation within your body, you are not absorbing your vitamins and minerals.

10-30 Different Supplements

I kid you not, I have had patients show me grocery bags, full of supplements.  The record…36 supplements!!!  This patient was taking 36 different supplements, daily, and she had been doing that for years.

Let’s just say that the average supplement costs $13.00 (yes, I realize most are much more expensive than that), that is almost $500/mo of supplements she was ingesting!!!  And guess what?  She had LGS!!! 

Do you think she reaped the benefits of those supplements?  I bet not!  I, jokingly, told her to bottle her urine and sell it!  I know…I know…

Let’s rewind some to what LGS is.  LGS is where your gastro-intestinal lining has been breached (infections, medications, food sensitivities, and hormones can be the causes) and now undigested foods, medicine, and/or supplements are slipping past the gut barrier and causing inflammation.

Not only that, but your body wont absorb the healing nutrients from your food, not to mention your supplements. 

Binders and Fillers

Be careful with what products you buy and take.  A lot of supplement companies do NOT have stringent quality control systems in place.  The ingredients that some companies use may be sourced from sub-standard 3^rd parties. 

Some products may contain lots of binders and fillers.  Binders and fillers are used to help package the tablets/capsules.  Some of these binders/fillers are inflammatory to the body, especially, autoimmune patients.

Here are some key binders and fillers to keep an eye out for:

• Magnesium stearate (unless the label specifically says, vegetable)
• Silicon dioxide – this is essentially beach sand, and likes to clog up the liver
• Artificial flavors or coloring – if you see a number, preceded by a color (ie. Red 40), stay far away
• Corn oil
• Soybean oil
• Corn starch
• Modified corn starch
• Ingredients that you can’t pronounce
• Or…a laundry list of ingredients. The fewer the better!

What Companies to Trust?

Here are some of my favorites:

• Apex Energetics – I LOVE their quality control
• Premier Research Labs – The quality control is great, and so are their ethics
• Standard Process – Known for being “whole foods”, these products are easily absorbable
• Neurobiologix – No other company, that I know of, dives into genetic mutations the way these guys/gals do
• Nordic Naturals – High quality Omegas…I use these myself
• Biotics Research – I love their thyroid supplements, and Pea protein.

This is not an exhaustive list, by any means, but these are the companies I cherry-pick from.  I am not married to one supplement company, by any means.  Some companies are great at producing thyroid support, while others are fantastic at making liver support.  Each company has wonderful products, and over the years, I have formed my opinion on which product works best for certain conditions.

How Do You Know Supplements Work?

Testing, testing, and more testing!  Remember, lab tests do not lie (as long as you know how to read them correctly)!  There are companies, like Great Plains Laboratory, who check, what seems like hundreds of vitamins and minerals, to see what you may be deficient in. 
You can do before and after testing (I use to do this with every patient when I started working with chronic health conditions), which can be a little expensive, but at least you KNOW, for certain, the changes that have taken place. 

Plus, I use, along with my family members, a lot of the companies listed above, daily!  I only want the best, purest, cleanest product going into my body, and I feel the same for you patients.

Do I have to Take Them Forever?

I hear this question, quite a bit.  I understand why people think this way.  Heck, I use to think this way.  Let’s explain it this way…if you are sick (your body has broken down), you will need more supplements, more frequently, to help heal your body than someone who is NOT sick.

Once you are healed, I don’t expect a patient to need the same amounts of supplements as they did in the beginning. 

At a certain point in time, I would expect to level out the amounts and frequency of the products you are using.

Can’t I Just Eat Healthy?

Sure, and you should!  However, the quality of foods now-a-days is poor.  Not to mention, very few people eat enough veggies throughout the day (where we get most of our amino acids from).  Heck, most patients don’t even drink enough water (hint: increase your water intake to half your body weight in ounces…your body will LOVE me for telling you that).

This means, we need to rely on supplements to pack some of the vitamins and minerals in.  For example, Vitamin D…almost 60% of Southern California residents are Vitamin D deficient!  I have analyzed blood work from patients that spent most of their day outside, in the sun, and they were still low on this critical vitamin (it is actually a hormone, but I am getting side tracked).

Back to the Expensive Urine

With all this being said, I highly recommend that you work with a doctor that understands gut health and LGS (remember, I had this growing up).  If you are tired of trying to get your doctor to listen to you, contact me, I can help! 

We will schedule a complimentary phone consultation to discuss what is ailing you.  If I feel, I may be of help to you, then we will go to the next step, which may be some blood testing. 

Your life is too important for you to be sick and struggling with a health condition.  Call now: (866) 375-4641!

CLICK BELOW TO DOWNLOAD A LIST OF THE 67-MARKERS I RUN ON EACH AND EVERY PATIENT.  THIS IS MY BASIC SCREENING TEST TO DETERMINE IF ANY SPECIALIZED TESTING IS REQUIRED.

Stress Can Kill You!

Did you know that stress can kill us, literally?  Well, maybe I am taking that a bit far, but stress causes inflammation to increase inside of the body, and that inflammation affects the gut lining, brain tissue, arteries, the heart, muscles and joints.

Now, let me re-word what I said.  Stress can be the trigger for what causes our bodies to begin breaking down, prematurely.  What does that mean?  Eventually, the body can have a heart attack, develop a chronic health condition (autoimmune disease), or develop cancer.

That Dang Stress

One thing almost all patients tell me is this, “Dr. King, I have had a very stressful life!” It doesn’t matter if you have Hashimoto’s Disease, Diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, or just feel worn out…stress will make these health conditions worse.

We can’t avoid stress, that would be impossible.  So, what do we do?

You need to eliminate any physiological stressors that could be causing your stress glands, the adrenals, to overwork. 

Like what, Dr. King?

Here is a short list of what triggers I look for that drive the adrenal glands to kick out more inflammatory hormones:

• Blood sugar fluctuations
• Infections
• Lack of sleep
• Dehydration
• Food sensitivities
• Autoimmune conditions

If those are occurring, the body will not heal, AND…your body will be under more stress causing more inflammatory hormones to be released. 

How Do You Know How Well the Adrenals Are Working?

There can be a few ways of knowing if the adrenals are not working properly:

• Adrenal Stress Index test – this test measures your cortisol levels and maps them out throughout the day
• Basic blood tests
• Simple questions on intake forms

Also, if you can’t stay asleep, it is a good bet that the adrenal glands are not working properly throughout the day. 

Check this out…

Have you, or someone you known, complained of getting up in the middle of the night to urinate? 

Do you think that is normal?  Not at all (unless you have a majorly inflamed prostate gland).  So, why does this happen and what does urinating have to do with the adrenal glands?

During the day, if the adrenal glands are always pumping out cortisol, then at night the “proper levels” of cortisol can’t be secreted.  This makes the body revert to the backup hormones, with adrenaline being one of those hormones.

Now, imagine you are on a safari, in Africa (pretty cool, eh).  And you are lounging around your tent and all of a sudden, a HUGE, ferocious lion approaches you.

What does your body do?  The heart starts to pump more blood to help the muscles get ready to run away, you get that “feeling” in the pit of your stomach (adrenaline), and you may have the urge to urinate.  Why urinate?  Because your body will do anything it can to get you the heck out there, and it doesn’t need the urine in your bladder to run.  So, it will want to get rid of it.

Adrenaline at Night

If you get a spike of adrenaline at night, similar physiological functions kick in:

• Nervous system gets activated (like when the lion approached) – you wake up
• Your heart can be racing – patients tell me that sometimes they feel as if their heart is pounding and that is why they are waking up
• You will need to urinate

Long way to prove a point, but…hopefully, you now know that if you wake up to urinate at night, the adrenal glands need to be looked at.

Gaining Weight

A lot of people know that if the adrenal glands are not working well, they gain weight. 

Cortisol = Weight Gain

This can be an accumulation of adipose tissue (fat) or water weight.  Either way, when people are under more stress, you typically see weight gain (I assuming that over-eating is not a problem).

80% of the Immune System

Ok, what does urinating at night and gaining weight have to do with breaking down the body?

I am glad you asked!!!

High amounts of cortisol will eat away at the gastrointestinal lining, causing Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS). A healthy GI system is EXTREMELY important for a healthy immune system (the GI tract makes up for 80% of the immune system).

If your GI lining is breaking down, then the immune system becomes weaker and weaker.

On top of that, now the LGS is causing major inflammation in the blood, and the heart has to pump this “bad” blood (breaking the heart tissue down, along with the arteries).

Not the Brain!

We, also, know cortisol in excessive amounts will pass your blood brain barrier. You have a barrier that surrounds the brain protecting it from large foreign particles. Alcohol, medications, and hormones are some of the chemicals that will pass the blood brain barrier.

You know what happens when alcohol passes the barrier! When cortisol passes the barrier, it destroys neurons! Specifically, it targets the hippocampus, which when destroyed will cause dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (I watched my grandfather struggle with this the last five years of his life due in part to Type II Diabetes).

Now, you have the heart, arteries, gut lining, and brain, all breaking down!  On top of that, you may be gaining weight, have horrible GI symptoms, brain fog, and your hormones are thrown off.

All because of stress and your body’s ability to handle it (or, not handle it).

If you are having some of those symptoms, reach out to me, and let’s get you healthy!  You can click this LINK, to schedule a complimentary, 15-minute phone conversation.

DOWNLOAD THE 67-MARKERS YOUR DOCTOR MUST RUN

Do You Suffer Pain, Caused by the Medical Merry-Go-Round?

Close your eyes for just a moment and imagine this…imagine breaking 35 bones in your body, ranging from collarbones, to your hips, to arms, legs, feet, and your hands! 

Do you think that breaking that many bones would cause some pain?  I hope you said, YES! 

Now, you are probably thinking, “who would break 35 bones in their body, besides Evil Knievel?”

Well…that person would be, yours truly!  I have broken 35 major bones, and had 11 surgeries to fix some of injuries.  Let me tell you, pain is not fun!

However, my pain was only temporary (except for some residual ankle pain from a surgery gone bad), while many patients’ pain is chronic and seems never ending.

Some patients, live in a continuous state of pain, WITHOUT breaking bones.  A lot of times, this gets labeled as Fibromyalgia if you are struggling with muscle pain, or early arthritis if you are having joint pains.

Fibromyalgia, which I dislike saying as I am not a fan of the label, is mainly an adrenal gland disorder, with a deep-rooted connection to autoimmune disease. 

NOT LYRICA

Most fibromyalgia patients that I have worked with were prescribed Lyrica at some point in time.  Check this link out: https://www.lyrica.com/fibromyalgia

Look at some the side effects of the medication, including suicidal thoughts or behavior.  Lyrica was originally developed for treatment of seizures, NOT muscle pain.  But, if a medication can calm the brain down and prevent it from seizing, it can also make your body numb to the pain it is having.

If the medication “numbs” the pain, does that mean the true cause of the pain has been fixed?  I hope you said, NO! 

Our Medical Model

Why, then, are so many patients on this medication, for years?  Why are the causes not being looked for?

Let’s ignore the fact there is a pill you can take if you have muscle pain.  Imagine, those pills never existed.  If medication for Fibromyalgia, let’s just call it muscle pain from here on out, didn’t exist, what would you do?

Think of it this way…if your car was dripping oil onto your drive way, to the point where oil was pooling under your vehicle, what would you do?  Hopefully, you would take the vehicle to a mechanic to FIX the problem. 

If the mechanic slapped some duct tape on the oil pan, to stop the leak, would you be happy?  Probably, not.  More than likely, you would end up returning the vehicle and demanding for the leak to be FIXED.

Why then, do so many patients settle for “slapping” some medication onto a symptom? 

We Have A “Duct Tape” Crisis in Our Country!!!

Muscle pain, without injury or over-use, is typically caused by inflammatory hormones.  The big culprit, cortisol!  Cortisol is released from the adrenal glands in states of stress (chemical, physical, and emotional). 

Let me ask you a question, have you ever heard of peoples’ pain getting worse under stress?  You have?  Great!  I just described what causes debilitating muscle pain, barring a major injury.

Stress?  Yes!  But, that stress can be caused by many triggers: bacterial infections, blood sugar fluctuations, reactions to toxins, viruses, food sensitivities…and the list can go on.

Would it be beneficial to begin looking for some of these triggers that drive the adrenal glands to release too much cortisol, therefore causing more pain in the muscles?  You bet it would!

Do most doctors do that?  Some, but not a majority of them.  How do I know?  Because, this story has been told to me by hundreds of patients in the past 10+ years.

If you are having unexplained muscle pain, you must start looking to see what could be making your adrenal glands work over time.

Early Arthritis

Hearing this has always boggled my mind.  Let’s take, Susan, a stay at home mom of two beautiful children, who has an amazing husband, Steve, and they are living an incredible life: great job for Steve, beautiful home for the family, wonderful friends and relatives…but, Susan has recently been diagnosed with early arthritis.

A few months back, Susan noticed she was having some knee and ankle pain, bilaterally (on both sides).  She ignored the symptoms for a couple of weeks until she couldn’t live with the pain anymore. 

Against her better judgement, she began taking some Tylenol/Advil/Motrin (take your pick), and noticed the pain went away.  GREAT!  But…the pain kept coming back. 

Eventually, she becomes concerned and visits her family doctor, Dr. A(rthritis).  As Dr. A asks Susan about her past history, he learns that Susan was NEVER an athlete.  She didn’t play sports growing up and has never had an injury to those body parts.

Even though she was not an athlete, and never suffered trauma to her knees/ankles, Dr. A tells her she has early arthritis and to take some pain pills and try to avoid any type of impact exercise.

Susan leaves Dr. A’s office still feeling lost.  She didn’t get an answer, and was told to do what she was already doing. 

What does Susan do?  She listens to the doctor and keeps taking the pain pills.

What Do You Think?

What would you begin to analyze about Susan in order to determine why she was having pain?  Would you think to run some blood work looking to see if her body was inflamed?  You would?  Awesome!!!  Great idea.

Let’s say you took the time to run blood work.  The blood work comes back with very high levels of ferritin, CRP, and homocysteine (those are all inflammatory markers).  So, it appears that Susan has lots of inflammation.

Did you know that the leading cause of joint destruction is inflammation?  Yep, inflammation DESTROYS!  In some cases, the inflammation destroys areas of the body, one at a time, or it goes after multiple areas at the same time.  The knee and ankle for example. 

Dr. A told her she was having early arthritis and to take pain pills.  You, the smart doctor you are, discovered her body is very inflamed.  And…you know that inflammation causes pain. 

So, smart doctor, you decide to dig deeper to figure out what is causing the inflammation.  Great idea by the way!

Medical Merry-Go-Round

What I just described is how patients get labeled with a health condition, but the cause is never truly uncovered, therefore never addressed.

In this case, Susan would keep doing what Dr. A told her to do, and would never know what is truly causing her pain.  Her body is inflamed, but why? 

If you can figure out why, then you can put an end to Susan’s joint pain (the “early arthritis”) and you can begin to help heal the joints as the inflammation is decreasing.

How awesome is that???

Hang Tight, This Was a Long Blog

While these are not the ONLY reasons for muscle/joint, they are the BIG culprits in most patients. 

If you are struggling with chronic pain, reach out to me, let me run some blood tests to begin uncovering the CAUSE of the situation. 

Remember, you wouldn’t settle for slapping some duct tape onto the oil pan to fix the leaking oil.  Don’t settle for medications for a chronic health problem!

Below you can download the 67-blood markers I run on every single patient, and compare these markers to what your doctors have been running!

Infections: Triggers that drive an Autoimmune Condition

Patients ask me a lot, “Dr. King, what causes an autoimmune condition?”  While that question is not easily answered, I will say that infections are triggers, or driving forces behind autoimmune conditions.

Here is a short video of me explaining infections...

5 Secrets to Improving Your Energy

Energy loss is one of the most common symptoms I hear from patients.  We all could use more energy at some point during the day.  Heck, if you told me I could improve my energy by 20-25%, I would do whatever it took to acquire the boost.

After consulting with thousands of patients over the last 12-years, the number one cause of energy loss I have seen is due to autoimmune conditions.

Guess what?  Autoimmune conditions are on the rise!  Drastically, on the rise.  For example, there are over 20 million hypothyroid patients in the US.  90% of these patients are misdiagnosed and suffer from an autoimmune condition called Hashimoto’s Disease.  Energy loss is one of the most common symptoms in these thyroid patients. 

That is about 18,000,000 patients struggling with energy loss…and this is only one autoimmune condition.  There are over 80 types of autoimmune disease, that we know of. 

According to the American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), there are over 50 million Americans struggling with autoimmune conditions.

Autoimmune is Autoimmune, and this means Energy Loss!

While I focus a lot of my attention on thyroid patients (my fiancé, step-father, mother-in-law and sister-in-law all have Hashimoto’s Disease), I continue to work with and consult patients with Multiple Sclerosis, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Lupus, and Type 1 Diabetes, to name a few.

When I begin evaluating patients with energy loss, I start by looking at 5 aspects of each patient’s health.  I like to call them the 5 pieces of the health puzzle.

People with low energy, will typically have one, if not more than one, of the following:

1. Leaky Gut Syndrome – This is when the gut lining is inflamed, broken down, and not absorbing vitamins and minerals

2. Infections – Doctors miss infections, a lot. Parasitic infections are the most common type of infection I see in patients.  On top of parasitic infections, there are hidden bacterial infections and even viruses that start to break the body down.

3. Food sensitivities – YES, YES, and YES!!! Many people suffer from food sensitivities and may not even know it.  Autoimmune patients ALL have some type of sensitivity, or multiple food sensitivities, that are affecting their health condition.

4. Blood sugar stability – Blood sugar fluctuations will affect the adrenal glands, a couple of very important organs that regulate hormones in the body. If blood sugar is up and down, so is your energy.

5. Liver health – Your liver plays a vital role in detoxification and hormone regulation. If your liver is not working well, energy loss is sure to occur.

BONUS…I also look at antibody markers to determine if someone is suffering from an autoimmune condition.  Patients routinely say, “My doctor told me my lab tests are normal, but I still don’t feel well”.  That is a sign that there is an underlining issue and someone needs to dig deeper.

Healing the Gut Lining

80% of your immune system is dependent upon a healthy functioning gut.  Once the gut lining breaks down, then all bets are off.  Most of the time this leads to an autoimmune condition.

Why does the gut lining break down?

• Food allergens: this is one of the most common reasons why people’s gut lining breaks down, causing Leaky Gut Syndrome/Intestinal Permeability.
• Adrenal gland stress: the adrenal glands are the STRESS GLANDS! Stress is one of the driving forces for autoimmune conditions and cancer, as they release hormones that can cause lots of destruction.  Show me a chronically sick patient, and I will show you someone with dysfunction of their adrenal glands.
• Infections:infections destroy the gut lining.
• Medications:antibiotics not only kill the bad guys, but they kill the good guys that help to absorb your vitamins and minerals, your gut flora.

Hidden Infections/Critters

Hidden infections are a HUGE culprit that cause energy loss.  As I mentioned above, parasitic infections are the most common infection I find in my patients, even after the patient has been to their “traditional doctor”.

Why do doctors miss these infections?  Simple, most basic blood tests are not sensitive enough to find deep rooted, hidden infections. 

Parasites (critters, as I like to refer to them) can be undetectable in basic blood work, and more in-depth stool testing is required (note: not all stool tests are created equal, either).

Bacterial infections, especially H. Pylori, wreak havoc on the stomach and the GI lining, affecting energy, and causing acid reflux/indigestion.

Viral infections are another MAJOR cause of energy loss.  A lot of people have heard of Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV), commonly seen in athletes. 

After working with a ton of professional athletes that suffered from EBV, and having a fiancé that struggled with it, I can tell you that EBV is one of the worst viruses you can develop; sapping you of your energy to the point where you can’t even get out of bed, or walk up a flight of stairs. 

Don’t Eat That Food!!!

Be careful with what you are eating now-a-days.  The nutritional quality of food in the United States is poor.  Yes, we see more and more organic foods in the grocery stores, but there are companies out there (we won’t name names) that are only interested in one thing,  MONEY!

When money is the only driving force behind people’s motives, they will do anything it takes to make more, including putting poison on/in our food.

Don’t forget to note, that our foods have been genetically modified in order to increase supply, but our bodies don’t recognize these genetically modified foods, as food, anymore.

What happens when you put a foreign substance into your body that your body doesn’t recognize?  Your body attacks it and destroys it!  When the genetically modified grain is destroyed, inflammation is created which causes destruction o the GI lining. 

Anytime, someone reports a loss of energy, I always look at what they are eating.

Control Your Sugar!

Did you notice I didn’t say stop eating sugar?  That should be obvious, but many people eat a TON of sugar, and some don’t realize it.  Diabetics (Type II) are guilty of this, as lot of them eat an enormous amount of sugar, in the form of fruit.

What I said was, control your sugar!  Meaning, you need to stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day.  This means, eating frequently enough that you do not let your blood sugar (glucose) get low.  When it gets low, cortisol gets released, and large amounts of cortisol cause lots of inflammation.

Certain foods contribute to spikes in blood sugar as well, which is not ideal.  How someone eats, and when, is extremely important to their health.

Clean Out the Filter

Your body has a filter that gets clogged up, much like the lint filter in a dryer.  That filter is called, your liver.  If your liver, which helps to detoxify your blood and utilize hormones, gets clogged up, you will suffer B vitamin deficiency, emotional distress and even thyroid gland dysfunction.

Cleansing the liver is one thing almost every patient of mine goes through.  There are many different liver cleanses out there, so make sure to choose one that is doctor guided.

Lots to Think About

You probably thought I was going to tell you to eat a newly discovered berry and drink this special organic, fermented drink. 

Well, while those may help give a healthy person a boost of energy, they won’t help heal someone’s body that is suffering from some of the what we discussed.

If you, or someone you know, is struggling with energy loss, make sure they have a doctor that is looking at the 5 pieces of the puzzle above.

If you would like to read more about autoimmune conditions, download healthy recipes, or ask me any questions, head over to www.askdrking.com.

Type II Diabetes is COMPLETELY Reversible

I write a lot about thyroid gland disorders, but I have been getting more and more patients requesting help who are suffering from Type II Diabetes.  Did YOU know that Type II Diabetes is reversible?  I mean, completely reversible!!! 

How freaking cool is that!?  Why?  Because, if you reverse diabetes, or at least get it under control, you can help to prevent Alzheimer’s Disease! 

Statistics are showing that Alzheimer’s Disease is on the rise, to the point that it will be right up there with cardiovascular disease and cancer in the next 20 years.

The sad part is that many doctors do NOT know how to “prevent” or “treat” Alzheimer’s Disease.

Finally, the medical model has publicly made a correlation between Alzheimer’s Disease and Diabetes: Alzheimer’s Disease is being called Type III Diabetes!

Blood Sugar is Key!

Check this out, and this may surprise MANY of you…

Question:

Besides insulin and other diabetic medications, what else do most diabetics get prescribed? 

Answer:

Statins

Why?

Most diabetics have high cholesterol.  What do most medical doctors do when a patient has high cholesterol?  They put them on a statin. 

Statins lower cholesterol.  They do!  However, but they also lower the good cholesterol: HDLs.  Cholesterol, in general, makes up the membranes (walls) of your neurons (brain cells).  What happens if you lower cholesterol (some doctors are now wanting it below 150!!!)?  You start to degrade the neuronal membranes = neurons die off = pre-disposes the patient to memory loss, dementia, and Alzheimer’s Disease!!!

HOLY CRAP, BATMAN!!!

Read that paragraph again, please!  What I just told you is the cause of a TON of brain dysfunction in many, many, many diabetics.

Don’t get me wrong, not all diabetics develop Alzheimer’s Disease.  Not all diabetics get put on statins, but A LOT do!

You may be thinking, “the medical doctors, they…they, want us sick!!!”  I will let you be the judge of that one, as that gets into a big philosophical debate.

Controlling Blood Sugar

Many patients learn they are diabetic, or pre-diabetic, and try to control it through food.  Sometimes that works, but in a majority of the cases, the insulin receptors are fighting against them.

Visualize a blue circle, and on this blue circle are two little doors that are open.  Those doors represent what are called insulin receptors.  Most of you have heard of insulin, for those that have not, insulin is what carries glucose into the cell (in this case, the blue circle) to produce energy and keep you alive.

As long as insulin can carry glucose into the cell, everything is working great.  However, if those doors (insulin receptors) begin to shut, the insulin can’t get in.  Therefore, the glucose can’t get in!  This can happen for a variety of reasons, but the number one reason: eating infrequently and then bombarding the receptors with a TON of glucose and insulin at once when you scarf down that huge meal at Applebees!

When this happens, the body will convert your insulin to triglycerides!!!  This process, by itself is extremely inflammatory.  Now, if the insulin can’t get into your cells, your triglycerides begin to show high on a blood test, and along with triglycerides, your glucose will begin to show high on the blood test.

Sooner or later, your doctor diagnoses you with Type II Diabetes and prescribes you insulin/metformin/etc.

Welcome to PILL WORLD!

Open the Dang Doors, Please !

Ok, so you want to know how to open the insulin receptor sites again?  I use the following herbs:

• Alpha Lipoid Acid
• Choline
• Fu-Ling Extract
• L-Carnitine
• Iositol
• PABA
• Vanadium
• N- Acetyle L-Cysteine
• Gymnema Extract

Along with vitamin E, thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, pantothenic acid, magnesium, zinc, selenium, manganese and chromium, and some other goodies that if I told you what they were, I would have to…just kidding…but, there are many other herbs I use. 

Don’t worry, these are all rolled into ONE pill.

I play with the dosages to determine what is working well for the patient, and eventually titrate down on the amounts I am using. 

Some patients may stay on a small dosage, and some patients are able to completely come off of them all together, once their blood tests stabilize.

Let’s Prevent Diabetes, First!

Here is a secret…I would much rather help someone prevent diabetes, then help them reverse diabetes!  Why?  It is easier!!!  Preventing diabetes costs less money and creates less damage to the body.

Did you know that in males, erectile dysfunction is very common to see with diabetes?  Along with kidney failure and loss of vision, in both sexes.

Diabetes destroys and destroys, BIG TIME!  Let’s prevent the destruction before it begins.

Ok, are you ready for the “secret” to prevent diabetes?  Are you sure? 

Eat a healthy and balanced “diet” (I really hate the word diet, anyhoo…)!  Eat smaller meals throughout during the day.  Limit your carbs (unless you are burning them off through exercise), increase your veggies, decrease the amount of red meat you consume, and drink plenty of water!

I know, it sounds too easy.  However, many, many Americans eat horribly!  If people would clean up their eating, we would have a lot less chronically sick patients in this country.

If you have been following my Facebook posts (make sure you are following Ask Dr. King on Facebook), you know that Natasha and I recently started a 30-Day Vegan Challenge.

Don’t worry…I will not make you eat like a rabbit, if you don’t want to.  But, I can tell you…I feel great!  Several of you know that I am cycling fanatic.  I have been racing mountain bikes, road bikes, and triathlon for many years…and several of you have seen the injuries that accompany those fun activities (cough cough).

Anyhoo…since starting my Vegan challenge, my performance on the bike has sky rocketed.  I can recover quicker on the bike (if you are a cyclist, you know what I mean by that), and my sore muscles the next day are almost non-existent.

For example, yesterday, in the Texas heat, I cycled for 4-hours, climbing for almost 4,000 ft.  Today, I didn’t even notice I rode yesterday my body felt so good. 

Is that due to eating more plants?  Personally, I think so.  I feel I am not as inflamed due to cutting out meats.

We did celebrate our 30-Day Challenge by having some wild caught Halibut this past weekend.  And get this, Natasha had a very difficult time consuming the fish (not me, HA).  She actually looked forward to getting back on the vegan “diet”.

One thing with vegans, vegetarians, and all the other crazy “diets” lack, quality B vitamins and/or essential fatty acids.  We have found that by adding those in, eating this way, we are not missing a beet (did you catch the joke?  Beet!  Corny…yeah yeah). 

Spread the Word!

If you know of someone that is struggling with diabetes, and they are DETERMINED to clean up their lifestyle and re-gain their health, have them call me: (866) Drking-1. 

WARNING: not many diabetics are willing to do what it takes to heal.  Someone must be committed to get this condition under control, as lifestyle, sometimes drastic, are required.

I spoke to two new diabetics today!  They are extremely excited about getting this condition under control, because they are both care takers for a parent, who is struggling with their health.  After taking care of their parents, these patients are bound and determined to be as independent as possible!

Do you think being hooked up to a dialysis machine takes away your independence?  You better believe it!  What about losing your vision to diabetes?  Or, how about losing a limb from an amputation (yes, I have worked with those patients before)?

So, with that being said…let’s make today be a new day…focused on your health…and let’s kick some behind!

Call me, (866) Drking-1, and I will help you get on the right track.