Notes for AWESOME WEBINAR: Eating Clean

This Thursday at 7:00 PM CENTRAL, I will be teaching my first Livestream webinar on Facebook.  Many of you have asked for some notes to help guide you through the webinar.  Ask, and you shall receive!  Simply click on the highlighted text below for the PPT presentation.

EATING CLEAN PPT

I look forward to interacting with everyone tomorrow night!

Vegan to Pescatarian

For those of you who have been following my Facebook posts on Ask Dr. King, you know that about 2-months ago, Natasha and I, decided to eat like some of our Vegan friends.

Results?  We both felt AMAZING!  Downfall?  We both started losing hair, and lots of it.

Why the hair loss?  I firmly believe it was due to a lack of good fats, even though we were both taking EFAs.  So, we switched brands, which gave us a lot more good fats, while we added fish back into our eating lifestyle.

The crazy thing, neither one of us miss eating beef, bison, turkey or chicken…BUT, we really, really, really missed eating fish.  So, we are now Pescatarian!

Sunday night, Natasha’s mother came over for dinner (which she has Hashimoto’s Disease, Crohn’s Disease, and suffers from Stubbornness Disease) and we always try to feed her super healthy food because she will not do it herself.  So, we decided to have some of our favorite fish on the grill: trout and branzino!!!

For those that are unfamiliar with cooking fish, it is extremely easy to do (as long as you get the fish gutted from the market).

Here is how we prepared our dinner:

2 Trout and 1 Branzino…

• Tons of olive oil inside/outside of the skin of the fish
• Stuffed the fish with basil, rosemary, Thai basil, cilantro and sliced lemon.
• Lots of Pink Salt and black pepper on the skin.

We cooked the fish on the grill, bringing the grill to almost 600 degrees. Make sure, make sure you coat the grill with a LOT of olive oil.

We cooked the trout for 4-minutes on each side, and the branzino for 6-minutes on each side.

Easy peasy!

We served with cauliflower mashed potatoes and asparagus.

Is Eating Vegan Bad?

I don’t think so, at all.  As long as you can get adequate amounts of protein, EFAs/Omegas, and B Vitamins in you, you should be just fine.  Variety can be tough, and sometimes eating the same foods becomes rather monotonous.  However, the benefits of eating plant based were noticeable for me within the first 2-weeks.

I had been off my bike (for those that don’t know, I am a huge cycling enthusiast: road, mountain…anything with two wheels) for almost 6-months.  If any of you are cyclists, you know your cycling fitness goes down dramatically within a time frame such as 6-months, heck…even two weeks!

I started eating Vegan at the same time I was getting back to cycling.  OMGoodness…my fitness levels were coming back VERY, VERY quickly.  I recovered faster, even on the bike.  What that means is when you are pushing yourself to the max, you can only do that for so long (30-45 seconds for some, and 1-5 minutes for others) before you must drop back in the group and recover before pushing again.

I noticed that I was able to recover a lot faster than I did in the past, and then was able to move back to the front of the group and “do work”.  This is very much welcomed.  Even the cyclists that saw me on my first couple of group rides started to take notice.

My breathing cleared up, as I have always been congested on one side of my nose!  I would like to say I got better looking…LOLOL…but, that would be wishful thinking.  I did lose a couple of pounds, but that was to be expected.  Eating vegetables was actually a lot of fun.  We had to learn how to prepare them in different ways; i.e. cooking squash and zucchini using the Vegetable Spiralizer vs. grilling them.  I swear, cooking vegetables on the grill vs. on the stove, vs. baking them, will change the way you perceive that vegetable.

We jumped on Google and researched different recipes to help us during the 30 (50)-day challenge.

Feeling Tired

There were days where I would feel tired and run down.  However, those were also the days I was not good about taking my B-vitamins!!!  Make sure, make sure, make sure…that you are getting enough B vitamins and EFAs/Omegas if you decide to eat Vegan.

I firmly believe we could have kept eating that way, if it wasn’t for ME freaking out about losing hair.  I have NEVER had a hair loss problem, and no one in my family has either.  So, that was scaring the crap out of me.  We recently added in the fish, and I will provide an update in a couple weeks after our hair has stopped falling out! HA

There ya have it…my take on being Vegan.

Dr. King’s 1st Webinar…Are You Ready?

The date is quickly approaching: Thursday, 24th at 7:00 PM Central.

Topics to be discussed:

• Why eating “clean” is important to healing and surviving!
• Can a person overcome (heal) their autoimmune condition by changing their foods?
• How can I explain my lifestyle changes to my doctors without them thinking I am crazy?
• I am on a gluten free diet.  Is there any harm in having my “healthy” children eating the same way?
• What are the top 3-5 supplements we all should take to continue to ‘thrive and survive’?

Here is the cool part, the webinar will be on Facebook’s Livestream!  Why?  It is probably the easiest platform to use, for everyone.  Plus, most people all have Facebook accounts (if not, the webinar will be worth setting up an account 🙂  ).

How to Watch!

Super simple…just  Click Here  and you will be taken to my Fan Page, Ask Dr. King.  The video should be at the top of your screen (some people may have to scroll down just a little bit).

Now the fun part!  You can ask me live questions during the event.  If you can’t catch the live event, the videos will be saved for watching later…PLUS, you can even ask me questiond after the event when you are watching the saved video.

Pretty snazzy!

If you are not on my email list (which I send out reminders, recipes, etc.), notify me so you don’t miss out on all the great educational materials I have been pumping out.

I look forward to speaking with those attendees on Thursday night!

CLICK HERE TO JOIN WEBINAR

Food Sensitivities, Lifestyle Changes and Children Eating Healthy!

Earlier this week, I sent an email asking everyone to send in questions they would like me to cover on my first webinar.  I had an overwhelming response to that email, to the point I believe we will have a couple of webinars based off the questions that came in, ranging from: food sensitivities, lifestyle changes and children eating healthy.

It can be difficult for me to come up with topics that YOU may want to hear, or read about.  So, thank you for submitting your questions.

I Want to Answer Some Questions Now!

Question:  Can a person overcome autoimmune illness WITHOUT changing their diet?

Answer: I highly doubt it!  I will go as far as saying, absolutely NO WAY!  I will elaborate:

Autoimmune conditions are triggered, or turned on, for several reasons, and one of them is food sensitivities.   Through science, we know that certain foods have molecular structures that are similar to organ tissue.  A great example of this is thyroid tissue and gluten.  The molecular structure of gluten is very similar to thyroid tissue.  Autoimmune thyroid (Hashimoto’s Disease) patients will react to gluten, and when this happens, the body not only goes after destroying the gluten substance in the body, but the immune system also attacks the thyroid gland.

Some doctors call it mimicry, and it happens with other foods that are considered cross-reactive (i.e. rice, buckwheat, and quinoa, to name a few).

Question:  Can autoimmune conditions be managed without healing the gut?

Answer: Again, I highly doubt it.  Why?  80% of the immune system is located in the gastro-intestinal tract.  Once this gets broken down, autoimmune conditions, even cancer, can turn on.  If the GI lining is broken down, you must heal the lining in order for the immune system to stop attacking the body.

Keep in mind, in order to heal the GI lining, you must stop poisoning it.

“But Dr. King, I don’t drink poison!”  Cool, but foods and medications can be poison as well.

Almost everyone knows that antibiotics can destroy the stomach and the gut.  Too much Mortin will eat a hole into the stomach.  If you break down the stomach and gut lining, your body WILL NOT heal.

Question: How long do I have to stay away from inflammatory foods?

Answer:  I will be very honest, I have NEVER understood this question.  If you understand that inflammatory foods break the body down and cause inflammation, WHY would you want to add those foods back in?

I know, I know…because those foods taste good and they are easy to cook/buy.  But my goodness, why put poison back into your body that contributed to destroying the body in the first place?

I compare it to alcoholics (my uncle was an alcoholic and drank himself into a brain aneurysm, so this hits close to home).  Imagine this: an alcoholic destroys their liver to the point they need a new liver, and they are LUCKY enough to somehow get a liver transplant because they sobered up…but, they went back to drinking with the new liver.  Tis Tis!

You can probably see the correlation.

Diet = D.I.E.

No one sticks to diets, and I hate using that word.  I like to tell patients to focus on their lifestyle.  If you begin to change your habits, those habits will turn into long term changes within you.

Here is one example: Our culture seems preoccupied with instantaneous results.  For example, we can jump on the internet and find answers to most questions, without ever picking up a book and reading.  AND…this can be done on a phone!

Patience is a Virtue…and Not Many of us Have it!

Healing takes time!  The body didn’t break down over night, or over a period of a month, so don’t expect it to heal in that time frame.

Crazy story…I spoke with a patient today, and I asked her questions about her health history, and she tells me that she had been asking her doctor to look deeper into her thyroid condition for almost 10 YEARS!!!!  She had been struggling with weight loss for 10-years and she had a feeling her thyroid played a role.  Guess what?  She was right!  She has Hashimoto’s Disease.

Not only that, but when she was 21-years old, she had a partial hysterectomy due to cancer!  She is now in her mid-30’s, and I am going to help heal her body from damage that was created when she was in her teenage years!  Unbelievable!

The body doesn’t heal overnight!

Question: Is it problematic to put my healthy children on a gluten free diet?

Answer: I am not trying to be a smart-butt with this answer, but I don’t let my French Bulldogs eat gluten!  Heck, I could eat their dog food, it is that healthy.

Gluten, in our country, is genetically modified to the point that our body does not recognize it as normal “food” anymore, but a foreign invader.

Wheat has been hybridized (genetically modified) to keep pests/insects from destroying the crop, to produce a greater yield, due to supply and demand.  The herbicides and pesticides that are used on the wheat crops, to also help protect the crop, are toxic to our body.  Now imagine giving toxins to young children, who are still growing and developing.  How about just a little tiny amount, the size of a pen point?  No, not even the tiniest amount?  If you are letting your child eat wheat in the states, you are essentially doing this.

Remember, I grew up in the country and was surrounded by farmers’ fields…I know what goes on.  Heck, my father was a crop duster for years before he was in the military!  He was contributing to our very demise!

White Bread vs. Others…

I will make a deal with you, I can live with your children eating WHITE bread, not SPROUTED or 100% WHOLE GRAIN, as long as the bread’s expiration date is the same as it’s manufactured date.

I will say that a different way.  Your child can eat bread if it was cooked that same day, make sure it is sourdough.  Why?  Because of the process fresh bread goes through.  The rising, fermentation, of the bread helps to break down lectins in the wheat (what people react to), along with bacteria.  You will find certain bakeries open at 4:00 AM, preparing their day’s bread.  Once they are out, they are out.  Heck, some bakeries will not sell you day old bread because it is already spoiling.

Now that is some good bread.

Would I prefer your children stay away from bread all together?  Yes.  I would much rather you guys go to Italy and pig out on all the bread, croissants and pies (pizza) that you want.  Why?  Their wheat is substantially different than our wheat (healthier, and I know this first hand).

Hungry, yet? 

Where does this leave us…well…. hopefully, with a little more clarity than before.  However, I will go into more depth with these same questions on our webinar.

Don’t worry, I will send out links next week for the webinar, but it will be on Thursday evening at 7:00 Central (and it will be recorded for those that can’t make the live event).

25 spots available

For my first webinar, it is limited to 25 attendees!  Why, because these dang webinar companies charge an arm and a leg to host these gigs.  With that being said, if I have a huge demand, I will increase the number of attendees (more cost for me, free to you J).

For right now, it is open to the first 25 people to log on.  DON’T WORRY…I will send out more information next week.  The benefit of being on the webinar, you will be able to submit LIVE questions!

Keep an eye on your inbox early next week for the information on how to log on, LIVE, to…

Dr. King’s Life Changing Webinar Series

Cooking Okra, A New Way!

Growing up visiting my grandparents in Mississippi, they ALWAYS cooked a ton of vegetables!  I am talking, a massive amount.  My grandfather grew his own vegetables ranging from butter beans, corn, tomatoes, okra, squash, peppers, eggplant, etc.

I remember sitting with a big stainless-steel bowl, helping my grandmother shuck butter beans while we watched the Atlanta Braves play baseball.

Although I loved eating vegetables, the one vegetable I would NOT eat, was okra…unless, it was fried!  Mmmmmm…fried okra!  I could eat an entire bowl like it was popcorn.

My grandparents liked to boil their okra.  To me, that was like eating snot!  YUCK!  Fried = little pieces of heaven.

Baked/Broiled

The other day Natasha and I were walking through the grocery store and saw a container full of organic okra.  So, we decided to find a new way to prepare the okra (we aren’t frying our food anymore).

The fun aspect of eating lots of vegetables is preparing them in new/different ways.  Our “ah ha” moment…we would split them in half, bake them, and then broil for a few moments to give them that toasted/fried taste.

After a quick wash, splitting them down the middle (Natasha likes the stems left on, but not I), sprinkling with olive oil/pink salt/black pepper…they were thrown in the oven.

Roughly 15-20 minutes later, we had some amazing tasting okra.  I really liked the dichotomy of the crunchiness combined with the “sliminess”. 

Give it a go, and let me know what you think!  The following pictures are the other veggies we prepared to go with the okra: yellow squash, spaghetti squash, and portabella mushrooms/onions.

Yellow Squash and okra

Spaghetti Squash

Portobello Mushrooms/Vidalia Onions

If, Dr. Axe, Says Healing Leaky Gut Syndrome Is True, It Must Be True!

(Laughing hysterically)

Just last week, a spoke to a future patient that told me, “Dr. King, I listened to Dr. Axe talking about healing Leaky Gut Syndrome (LGS) for Hashimoto’s Disease, and I never believed you about the gut needing healing until I listened to him!”

I am not sure how long Dr. Axe has been around, but recently his marketing has taken him to another level (which is great, as more people are going to get helped), but I have been preaching to patients for almost 10-years about healing the gut.

Your Gut = Your Immune System

80% of your immune system is dependent upon a healthy functioning gut.  Once the gut lining breaks down, all HECK can break lose, and most of the time this leads to an autoimmune condition, such as Hashimoto’s Disease, turning on.  Think about this for a moment, if you have an autoimmune condition, your gut lining has been compromised.  Don’t you think it would be important to heal the Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Why would Leaky Gut Syndrome Begin?

1. Food allergens: this is one of the most common reasons why people’s gut lining breaks down, causing Leaky Gut Syndrome/Intestinal Permeability. Gluten, Dairy and Soy, are all inflammatory foods that begin to destroy the gut lining.  Do you think you can handle some eye-popping food information?  Watch What the Health! and What’s With Wheat!
2. Excess cortisol: many people have heard of cortisol before because it stores belly fat. Did you know that too much cortisol causes inflammation, affecting your gut lining, along with causing BRAIN FOG!  That is right, your brain fog could be caused by too much cortisol, that has caused Leaky Gut Syndrome.
   
3. Medications: yes, antibiotics will destroy the good gut flora.  I recently received an email from a potential patient that had been on multiple rounds of antibiotics, for a straight 10-months!
4. Pregnancy: did you know that during your third trimester, your immune system switches dominance (TH1 to Th2 and vice versa)? What this means to you is that sometimes you will develop an autoimmune disease due to pregnancy.
5. Adrenal gland stress: the adrenal glands release cortisol, normally, to help stabilize your glucose levels throughout the day/night. Your adrenal glands are also your STRESS GLANDS!  Emotional stress, such as moving, changing/losing your job, divorce/death in the family are some of the biggest emotional stressors we will ever experience.

         Most of the time, we get hit by multiple stressors at once, and we have seen after these stressors, an autoimmune condition turns on.

         This is exactly what happened to my better-half, Natasha, recently.  Her mother has Hashimoto’s Disease, along with her sister, but for the last 6-years Natasha’s                antibodies have been negative.

         Well, along with us moving to Texas, the black mold in our home in California, and a number of other “speed bumps” we have encountered since our move,                          Natasha’s antibodies turned positive = Hashimoto’s Disease.

How Do You Heal Leaky Gut Syndrome?

Many people and gurus are now creating their own LGS healing products.  I am sure they are great, but my favorite Leaky Gut healing product is from Apex Energetics, called Repairvite.  Why?  Research!  I have seen the research behind all of their formulations and know the quality control those products go through, and even the formulators of the products.

Now, no two patients are the same, and there are different variations of gut dysfunction and gut repairing products.

If you have ever been diagnosed with SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) then taking “regular” Repairvite would make you worse!  There are certain properties in Repairvite that can cause more irritation and inflammation.  This is why working with a doctor that understands the ends and outs of Leaky Gut healing is beneficial. 

Yes, some people will be helped by the products they are buying online, but the patients who have been suffering for years, bouncing back and forth between doctor after doctor, needs someone who can walk them through the steps of healing the GI-lining, without causing more aggravation. 

90-120 Days!

Normally, healing the GI-lining takes 90-120 days!  That is ONLY 3-4 months!  It took me almost 2-years to do the same thing.  Why?  When I discovered I had Leaky Gut Syndrome/Intestinal Permeability (LGS/IP), not many people knew about it or understood how to heal it. 

I made it my mission to figure out how to heal my gut!  I did, but…it took right at 2-years to do.  Now, I have it down to roughly 90-120 days.  Pretty cool, huh?

Infections

Yes, infections can cause Leaky Gut Syndrome.  I like to call them, “critters”!  If you have critters, they will eat away at your gut lining, creating inflammation, causing LGS/IP.  The critters must go!

Quick story, a patient emailed me last week and told me “I have TAPEWORMS”!!!  Needless to say, she was freaking out a little bit.  I sent her some of my favorite critter killers and today she emailed me saying “there is a massacre” going on inside of her body!  LOL  

She was being a little funny and animated, but what she was trying to explain was the critter killers doing their job = killing off the bad guys (not the good guys, which is important to know).

Lots of times, parasitic infections are a big deal.  Parasites like to feed on yeast.  So, adopting a low sugar diet, along with killing off the food for the critters is essential.

OMG…I don’t Want Critters!

How can you know if you have them or not?  Through specialized testing, which I run on every single patient.  Easy Peasy!

If they are there, we will kill them off, re-check the labs and make sure they are gone, and keep healing the GI-lining. 

Let’s Recap

In summary, to begin healing the gut lining, you want to look at stressors:

• blood sugar
• emotional/chemical/physical stressors
• past history of lifestyle
• infections
• food allergens

Then, you want to focus on staying away from any triggers that create this inflammation.

Next, you want to begin patching up the gut lining!  Make sure you are getting products from someone that knows specifics about YOUR health condition.  Guessing about which products to use based an online video can be dangerous and delay your healing. 

To get help with all of this, call me: (866) Drking-1.  Let’s get you back to being, YOU!

Does Your Thyroid Gland Need To Be Removed?

In the last two days, I had two patients contact me, asking if their thyroid gland should be removed.

Patient #1

Years ago, after the doctors first told her she had hypothyroidism, then hyperthyroidism, and finally, the correct diagnosis of Hashimoto’s Disease (4 years after the original, incorrect diagnosis)…the doctors told her “eventually, you will need to have your thyroid gland removed”!

WHAT??? WHY?

Do you want to know the answer?  It is quite simple, really.  I do not mean any disrespect to the endocrinologists out there, BUT…most have not a clue on managing Hashimoto’s Disease.  Their training is in writing prescriptions or surgery.  Endocrinologists are NOT trained in managing autoimmune disease of the thyroid, naturally.

Natrually? 

Dr. King, are you saying there are ways to control the attacks, Naturally?  Yes, I am!

Patient #2

I have helped this patient manage her thyroid condition for almost 6 months.  Her doctors told her she needed surgery because there are nodules on her thyroid.

Just because there are nodules, does NOT mean the thyroid needs to be removed.  She sought my care to help prevent her thyroid from being cut out.  My goal was to keep the nodules the same in size, or see them decrease in size.  Either situation, I told the patient, would be a WIN!

Results of the second ultrasound…no changes in size!  Great!  That is a win.  Sometimes the nodules will not shrink in size.  Have I seen that happen?  Yes.  Does it happen on every patient?  No.

This patient did NOT have Hashimoto’s Disease.  Her antibody levels have been negative each time I have checked.  The thyroid markers (TSH, T4, T3, fT4, fT3, FTI, and T3U) were all perfect!  Her WBCs look great (her immune markers).

So, why perform a thyroidectomy?  “Just in case there is cancer” the endocrinologist says.   Which, I do understand their thinking, as they can’t guarantee there is not cancer in the thyroid gland’s tissue.  However, they can’t guarantee that when they remove the thyroid, everything is fine, either.

So, the options are:

• Remove the thyroid in hopes it removes cancer
• Remove the thyroid, and if there is not cancer, great! But now, you have one less organ, and vital organ at that.

Hmmmm…I am not an oncologist, but I want to keep as many organs as I was born with.  Don’t you?

Scare Tactics

But, those doctors can be very convincing; sometimes, going as far as telling patients they will not continue seeing them as a patient if the patient does NOT have the surgery!

Doctors dismiss patients all of the time because the patient decides to not have a surgery (un-needed surgery).  Are you FREAKING kidding me?

What about CANCER, Dr. King?

Great questions.  A biopsy was performed on Patient #2.  Results, inconvlusive.

With cancer, there are typically, RED FLAG markers that give doctors warning signs about cancer.  In this patient, nada.  Nothing!  No red flags at all.

Do I think it is cancer?  No.  Do I think she should have her thyroid cut out?  No

A similar situation happended with my mother years ago.  She had a full body scan done at her local doctor’s office.  They saw something on the scan that made them feel as if my mother had cancer!

That was a horrible call to be on the other end of!  It was NOT cancer!  They freaked my mother out for nothing.  Her blood work came back, almost perfect.

Do Not Let Them Scare You

Listen, it happens, more than you know.  I have had too many patients crying, literally, crying to me that the doctor scared them.  In a lot of the situations, the doctors were completely in the wrong.  Completely!

Please, get a second opinion, third opinion, heck, even a forth opinion of necessary, but don’t let them just cut your thyroid gland out.  CALL ME, if you need someone to discuss this with.

But, Dr. King, I Already Had My Thyroid Removed!

It is ok. You can still live a NORMAL life, even though you do not have your thyroid gland.  My father is in the same boat.  His doctors “accidentally” destroyed his thyroid when he went through radiation years and years ago for throat cancer.

How Is Your Dad Doing?

He regularly cycles 100-200 miles per WEEK!  Oh, he is 69 years old!  How many 69-year olds do you know logging those miles on bicycle?  Not many!  My father is in great shape, as I have helped to manage his health for almost 11 years since his cancer.

He takes a natural T3 product, and I check his thyroid markers every 3-months.

Oh, he is also a pilot that fights those gigantic fires you see on TV.  Still kicking behind at 69-years old.

What to Do…

If you are going through a similar situation, and your doctors are pushing to have your thyroid/part of your thyroid removed, give me a call and let’s talk.  You may have other options.

Don’t let the doctors scare you.  Not everyone needs to have organs removed.  Call me and we can discuss things further: (866) Drking-1

Eating Plant Based Versus Eating Meat, Have We Been Doing It, Backwards?

Eating plant based versus eating meat…I am going to challenge your beliefs, along with mine.  Are you ready?  I bet half of you will not be able to handle this challenge! 

What the Health!

If you have Netflix, watch this documentary.   For those that don’t have Netflix, do the trial period just to watch this eye-opening film.

Shortly after moving to Austin, Texas, I went about one-month eating a plant based diet, plus fish.  I felt amazing!  I never thought eating more of a plant-based diet would change the way I felt.  I thought I felt fine already; I ate clean, didn’t drink alcohol, and exercised like crazy.  But, during that binge on plants and expensive-fresh-caught-fish…I was kicking butt.

Then, I started going back to eating bulk-frozen meats (turkey, bison, and chicken), along with fish thrown in, and little veggies.  Why?  It was easy!  Have you tried eating plant based versus eating meat, it gets tough to change up your meals = boring!

Thanks, Bud!

Then, one of my best-friends suggested I watch, What the Health! “Eating plant based is much healthier than eating meat”, he says!  So, a week or so after the recommendation, I started watching the movie.  Holy crap…what was I hearing?  Crazy!  Then, I stopped the documentary half way through.  Hey, it was 11:30 PM, and went to bed.

The next night, guess what?  I was finished the entire film…with my mouth on the floor and eyes bugging out of my head.

Have what I have been doing, and thought, not to mentioned, preached…could it be, could it be backwards? 

My answer…let’s prove what may happen if we eat a plant-based diet, entirely, for ONE month!

Challenge Time!

Do you think you are ready for the challenge?  It is tough, I will not kid you.  It sucks!  Why?  Because, it is freaking hard. 

Have you ever overcome a challenge?  Maybe it was a physical challenge?  Some of you may have overcome a relationship challenge, job challenge, or emotional challenge.  Once you overcame that challenge, how did you feel?  Are you ready to feel it again?

I think I need a challenge right now.  I am willing to eat a plant-based diet, for one month.  Are you? 

Let’s Do It!

This is what you may need to do: get some online cook books for eating a plant based diet.  You will need some ideas on how to cook that way.  I don’t have enough ideas myself.  Don’t ask me…yet!

The Challenge…

Eat, entirely, a plant-based diet, for a complete month!!!  Do your best not to cheat.  It is hard.  I am almost one full week into it, and all I want is BACON!  But, I haven’t given in. 

The day before I Natasha and I started the challenge, we went to Costco and bought all of our organic beef, turkey, and bison.  Now, we have a ton of meat sitting in the freezer.

To make things even tougher, we bought a TON of our special, EXPENSIVE, bacon.  It was already in the refrigerator, so Natasha made an enormous cobb salad for her mom and used up all the bacon so it wouldn’t go to waste.  Hey…someone must eat it.

B Vitamins and Good Fats

If you decide to take me up on this challenge, which I hope you do, you will want to add in a VERY good quality B-complex.  Costco, Walmart, Walgreens…they do NOT have good quality products.  If you have a question about a specific brand, let me know, and I can share what I am taking.

Also, you will want to add in a good quality essential fatty acid.  Again, if you have questions on a specific brand, email me, drking@askdrking.com.

I can tell you, some of the sickest patients I have seen over the years have been vegans/vegetarians.  Not because eating that way is wrong, but because they were not getting the “good” stuff that we do obtain from meats.

Protein…How Do You Get It?

I am using an organic, pea protein powder (2x per day).  Some brands are the following:

• Sunwarrior – Warrior Blend (Whole Foods, Sprout’s, and Mother’s Market)
• Vega – this does have rice protein and we are staying away from grains (Whole Foods, Sprout’s, and Mother’s Market)
• Biotics Research Pea Protein (this is what we are using)
• Apex Energetics – I carry this one as well, and some of my patients are using this. This pea protein is chalkier in texture compared to Biotics Pea Protein

Beans are an option!

This flies in the face of what I have been taught, studied, and preached…but, I am eating beans to see how I feel. 

For a lot of us, they cause gas and bloating (inflammation).  We have been soaking the beans for two days before eating.  So far, not too bad.  If we don’t soak them = gas!!!  Gas is simply inflammation = no Bueno!

Are You Up For the Challenge?

If so, shoot me an email, drking@askdrking.com, and let me know.  That way, we can check to see each other is doing, compare notes (recipes) and see how each other is feeling.

Keep it fun and be creative!

Enjoy!

Red Velvet Deer Antler Saves French Bulldog

Many of you know my dogs are my children.  Natasha and I will bend over backwards to help our little furry kidos.  Heck, for years my old French Bulldog, Thor, came to work with me.  Some of you had the privilege of meeting Capri and Titan before I moved to Texas.  For those that didn’t have the opportunity, Capri and Titan are our 2-year old Frenchies, and they came to work with me almost every day for many months.

2-weeks ago, I woke up and Titan, our little male Frenchie, didn’t want to walk.  He was fine before he went to bed, and woke up not walking.  Of course, this happened 6:00 AM on a Sunday = emergency vet.

After a quick visit with the local vet, she recommended 2-weeks of crating Titan, along with anti-inflammatory and pain pills.  She didn’t want to rush him to get an MRI (thank goodness, as they are about $2,200!!!), and didn’t think he was a candidate for surgery (like we wanted a $10,000 surgery).  X-rays would not have shown any disc issues, as an x-ray will only look at bone, not soft tissue such as a disc.

STRESSFUL!!!

Talk about being stressed out.  Our best friends just went through this with one of their Frenchies, and she is permanently in a wheelchair now L  That is what we were envisioning for Titan.

So, about a week into keeping the little “nugget” in a crate (he did so well!), I decided to start giving him Red Velvet Deer Antler.

Red Velvet Deer Antler is something I have used to speed up recovery from broken bones, torn tendons and ligaments, and even just sore muscles.  Any athlete I work with that gets injured, goes right on the Deer Antler (unless they are a professional, in which case WADA, the governing body for performance enhancing drugs, deems Deer Antler to be illegal in professional sport).

I don’t think Titan will be asked to pee in a cup to see if he was “doping” after chasing his sister around the yard, anytime soon.

The Result?

I am 100% positive, that the Deer Antler is what started to turn his health around.  He was still having bad days, where he couldn’t walk, and was in obvious pain.  The first couple of days after the Deer Antler, he stopped having the “flair-ups”.

Getting my Boy Back!

He began walking again, feeling better, eating his food (oh boy…that is another story all together), and wanting to play.

Here we are, going on 2 ½ weeks of keeping him in his cage, not letting him run, picking him up to take him outside, but he is starting to do great.  Just today, I let him run around the back yard…but, only for 1 lap.  Then, it was back inside to rest.

So…not only does Red Velvet Deer Antler work for humans and our injuries, it works for French Bulldogs as well!!!

If you have an older animal, I would be really curious to see how this would affect them.  Lots of my patients have their animals on glucosamine (I did at one point as well with our older dogs).

Shoot me an email, drking@askdrking.com, or message me on Facebook, if you have an animal that may need some good Deer Antler.

Just thought I would share our neat success story.

Bad Thyroid = Bad BRAIN!

Did you know that there are over 40 million thyroid patients in the US, and most of them have some sort of psychological symptom?  Not many people make this association, yet more and more people are being diagnosed with psychological disorders when the thyroid can be the culprit.

The thyroid gland controls energy for the body, along with the brain.  Your brain weighs, roughly 3 pounds, and it utilizes as much as one-fourth of the body’s energy output, in terms of oxygen consumption and glucose burning.

It your thyroid hormones are out of whack, too high or low, the brain will suffer.  Brain function requires a delicate balance of many billions of neurons doing exactly what they are supposed to do, at exactly the proper time.  When your thyroid hormone is off, your brain doesn’t know what to do.

How would someone feel if this was occurring?  Do any of these psychological conditions ring a bell?

• Depression
• anxiety
• nervousness
• irritability

Yes, Dr. King…I have suffered some, or all of those!

I have seen many patients throughout the years that were on anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medications.  One thing MOST of them had in common…thyroid gland dysfunction.  Many were suffering from the autoimmune condition, Hashimoto’s Disease.

Some of the patients were able to lower their medications, with some coming off of their medications completely once their thyroid hormones were balanced. Yes, I worked hand and hand with their doctor to help them titrate down on the medications.  PLEASE…DO NOT stop taking your medications without guidance.  I have seen horrible “reactions” when that has happened.

If you happen to be one of those struggling with Hashimoto’s Disease, balancing your hormones has become an uphill battle.  I know what you are going through, as many of my family members have Hashimoto’s as well.

Don’t give up HOPE!  There is a light at the end of the tunnel.

Over 40 Million Thyroid Patients

I know I mentioned this earlier…but, MY GOODNESS!  That is a lot of people that have a thyroid disorder.

If only 10% of those patients suffer from the above physiological disorders…that is a sad number of patients suffering, sometimes needlessly.

I don’t have the reference (research article), but years ago during a functional neurological seminar, I saw statistics on the number of Alzheimer’s Disease patients that, at some point in time, were on anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medications…the number was staggering!!!  I am talking high, 90%+ high!

Don’t go bonkers on me, as I am not saying you are going to develop Alzheimer’s Disease if you are on those medications.  However, A LOT of Alzheimer’s patients were on those medications at some point in time.

What if, just what if…those medications affected the brain to a point where neurons started to die off sooner than they were supposed to (hint…this does happen)?  What if, those medications affected the patient’s personality to the point it was irreversible (hint…this has happened)?  What if, just what if…instead of getting on anti-depressants/anti-anxiety medications, a patient’s thyroid gland was looked at, FIRST?  And when I say looked at, I mean all 10-thyroid markers.  Not just TSH and T3/T4.

Millions of thyroid patients could, possibly, stay off medications that are not needed!  How freaking COOL would that be?

Don’t Settle!

Please, DO NOT settle for less than what you deserve in life.  If you are not feeling GREAT, and I mean, GREAT, you need to figure out why.  And guess what, I tend to be pretty good at helping people figure that out.

Think of your health like a big jigsaw puzzle.  All the pieces need to be looked at to figure out what is going on.  I can guarantee you this, most traditional, and even alternative, doctors, do NOT look at the body as whole.
If you are struggling with any of the physiological symptoms above, give my staff a call and let’s get to the bottom of it.

HINT…sometimes, the gastro-intestinal tract is the cause, as well.  It may not be your thyroid gland.

I look forward to helping you, or a friend/family member, soon!

(866) DrKing-1

drking@askdrking.com

P.S. – Please don’t keep me a secret! If you feel I have helped you and your family member(s), please share that news with others.  Referrals mean the WORLD to me!!!  Thank you!

Are You Still Having Joint Pains, Muscle Aches, and Brain Fog EvenWhen Eating an Autoimmune Diet (AI Protocol)?

From time to time, I will encounter a patient that has been eating very clean for their health condition.  This patient was diagnosed with an autoimmune condition, began getting rid of gluten dairy, and soy, along with some other foods, but they are still not feeling well.

Some of these patients are having burning sensations in their hands and feet, along with swollen joints.  In some cases, these patients have been diagnosed with GOUT, an autoimmune condition that destroys the small joints in the feet and hands, causing MAJOR pain.  BUT…they are not suffering with Gout, but a gene issue!

What Gives?

A better way to answer this question would be to dive into your genes!  No, not the jeans you wear, but your genes that help to make you who you are!

How can you do this?  Rather simple, by performing a gene test.  Personally, I like the test provided by www.23andme.com.  A lot of people have heard this test promoted on the radio, and seen it on the internet. 23andMe markets this test and its ability to trace your ancestry.  What a lot of people don’t realize is they also provide your genetic data in a “raw form” so you can have it analyzed and interpreted.

Here is a really neat story!

I have been working with a patient in South Carolina, who was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Disease years ago.  One observation during liver flushing was the fact that her muscle pains, along with burning sensations in her feet and legs, would go away during the flush.  Every time she flushed her liver in the past, she felt great.

Most doctors would conclude that the detoxification got rid of her symptoms.  While, this may be partly true, it wasn’t the case here.  As soon as she went back on the autoimmune diet (AI protocol), her pains would return.

One thing she did during her flushes was ONLY drink and consume vegetables.  This is when we turned to her genetic test: she has a CBS genetic mutation.

She is Mutated?

No, no…but her gene has, which causes a major problem for her.

What this mutation means for her, and maybe even you, is that her body can’t break down foods high in sulfur (yes, I am leaving some scientific mumbo-jumbo out of this explanation).

What happened next is great!  Once we saw this, I had her begin consuming foods low in sulfur (thiols).  She performed another liver flush…and kept eating the low sulfur foods = no more pains or burning sensations!

“I feel clearer, no more burning sensations, and I have my energy back”, stated my patient from our Monday consultation call.

WIN!!!

My question to you is this?  Are you still struggling with brain fog, muscle pain and fatigue?  You may want to look into testing your genes to figure out more pieces to your health puzzle.

Here are some conditions that tend to have this gene mutation:

• Hashimoto’s Disease
• Fibromyalgia
• Multiple Sclerosis
• Diabetes
• Gout
• Adrenal gland dysfunction/failure

The story gets even better…this patient lives in South Carolina (my home state), and I am helping her remotely!

If you know of someone who lives out of the area, share this information with them.  I may be able to help get them on the right track, without them having to sit at their doctor’s office (which, I was at an appointment today, and it was 52 minutes past my appointment time until I saw the doctor…UGH!!!).

Anyhoo…

I have a challenge for you!  Are you ready?  Are you sure?

Do something that you love to do, that you haven’t done in a LONG time!  It doesn’t have to be anything that requires a lot of time or commitment, but let it be something you haven’t done in a few months!

Do you need some examples?  Ok…

• Take a walk on the beach
• Go for a hike (this requires you sweating J). If you live in Orange County, one of my favorite places is Top of the World in Laguna Beach.  Or, if you are up for a BIG challenge, start in Aliso Woods and hike to the top of Top of the World (but that means you must hike back down).
• Go read a book that has been sitting on your book shelf, but do it outside in the sunlight
• Volunteer at a local charity event
• Start a local food drive (hint…this is what I am doing this weekend)
• Use that gym membership that you bought, but has been collecting dust

Your challenge can be anything you want it to be…just have fun with it!

If you want to share what it is…please, post it on my Facebook Fan Page, Ask Dr King.

Would you like to schedule a time to speak and talk about your health condition? If so, please call my staff at (866) 375-4641 to schedule a complimentary phone consultation.

P.S. – Please don’t keep me a secret! If you feel I have helped you and your family member(s), please share that news with others.  Referrals mean the WORLD to me!!!  Thank you!

Researchers have discovered that polycystic ovarian syndrome, or PCOS is linked with an almost 60 percent greater risk of giving birth to a child who will develop an autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

As many as one in ten women of childbearing age have PCOS, a hormonal disorder, and it can affect girls as young as 11. It is the most common female hormone imbalance in the United States.

Although the exact link between maternal PCOS and autism isn’t clear, the findings support the notion that sex hormones early in life play a role in the development of autism in both boys and girls.

PCOS exposes the developing fetus to excess androgens, hormones that play a role in male traits. These androgens are believed to affect the development of the brain and central nervous system, increasing the risk of an ASD.

In the study, researchers looked at children ages 4 to 17 who were born in Sweden between 1984 and 2007. They found that a maternal diagnosis of PCOS increased the risk of having a child with ASD by 59 percent.

What are symptoms of PCOS?

It’s important to address PCOS before you get pregnant. How do you know if you have PCOS?

Here are some symptoms:

Infertility
Irregular menstrual periods
Ovarian cysts
Acne, oily skin, or dandruff
Obesity and excess weight, usually concentrated around the abdomen
Thinning hair
Dark, thick patches of skin on the neck, arms, breasts, or thighs
Skin tags
Anxiety or depression
Sleep apnea
What causes PCOS?

The interesting thing about PCOS is symptoms are similar to those of high blood sugar and diabetes. Although genetic predisposition plays a role, PCOS is a hormonal imbalance frequently caused by the same things that cause high blood sugar: a diet high in sugars and processed carbohydrates, lack of plant fiber, overeating, and lack of exercise.

Identifying PCOS

Common markers that help identify a PCOS diagnosis along with symptoms and other findings include a fasting blood sugar over 100 on a blood test, and elevated triglycerides and cholesterol (especially if triglycerides are higher than cholesterol). These are also markers of insulin resistance, or pre-diabetes.

Insulin resistance, when the body’s cells become less sensitive to insulin due to a high-carbohydrate diet, leads to excess testosterone and PCOS in women (and excess estrogen in men).

Unfortunately, as testosterone levels rise, the cells become more resistant to insulin, thus creating more testosterone in a vicious cycle.

If you think you may have PCOS and are hoping to get pregnant, ask my office for advice on functional medicine strategies to balance your hormones and support an optimal pregnancy.

Fall is coming quickly! Here is a great recipe for pumpkin bread.

Gluten, egg, soy and dairy free recipe!!

Ingredients:
2.5 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp warm water
¾ cup coconut sugar, plus more for sprinkling
1/3 cup plus 3 tbsp unsweetened applesauce
1 cup unsweetened pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
½ cup melted coconut oil, plus more for brushing
2 cups gluten free flour (mixture of sorghum, coconut and tapioca flours)
2 tsp gluten free baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp nutmeg
2 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp sea salt

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Lightly oil a 9×4 inch loaf pan.
Combine the flax-water mixture in a large bowl, set aside for a couple of minutes. Add the sugar and combine until the mixture is a little frothy. Add all of the applesauce, pumpkin puree, vanilla and oil and stir until combined.
Sift the flours, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and sea salt in a medium sized bowl. Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir just until combined (now would be a good time to add 1 cup of chocolate chips or nuts if you like them in your pumpkin bread).
Pour batter into the prepared loaf pan and sprinkle the top with a handful of sugar. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes. Remove from the oven and brush with some melted coconut oil. Bake for another 15-18 minutes – or until tested with a knife.
Let cool in pan on a wire rack. Cut into slices and enjoy.

With the 6 Pack Bag Meal Management System, you can travel effortlessly with more than 3 meals, nutrition products and supplements.

Comes with: 2 Gel Packs, 3 containers (BPA/PVC free) and ergonomic shoulder strap.

Everything you need while on the go!

This product is great to keep your food plan organized and easily accessible. We recommend this lunch box for everyday use and for traveling.

Grain Free, Dairy Free, Gluten Free and Soy Free Protein Smoothie!
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Sunwarrior protein Powder is an easily digestible, nutrient filled superfood perfect for anyone who wants to amplify their health and fitness levels. Best of all, it tastes phenomenal. Try it out with the recipe below and you will absolutely love it!

Ultimate Protein Smoothie Ingredients:
1/2 Avocado
1/2 banana
1 handful of raspberries
6oz unsweetened coconut milk
1 date
2 Tbsp protein powder (Sunwarrior)
1 tsp ground flaxseed (optional)
1/2 cup of ice cubes

Directions:
Blend and enjoy!

Is it one those days where all you want is soup? Well let this be your “go to” soup recipe. Its light, filling and dairy free! You may do this same recipe with any vegetable. Try it with Broccoli, asparagus or squash.

Cream of Cauliflower Soup (Dairy free)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 celery rib, with extra leaves, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons finely minced garlic
2 teaspoons ground cayenne pepper
6 cups organic chicken or vegetable broth (more if necessary)
Juice of half a lemon
1 head cauliflower, cored and broken into florets
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Heat the oil over low heat in large pot. Add onion and celery until softened, 10 minutes; add garlic during the last 5 minutes.

Add the broth, lemon juice, and cauliflower florets. bring the heat to high and bring to a boil; reduce the heat and simmer, until the cauliflower is very tender. Cool slightly.

Place all ingredients in your Vitamix (or food processor) until very smooth….. Season with salt, pepper and Cayenne pepper.

Enjoy!

Want Almond Milk?

But you can’t have dairy? Try homemade Almond Milk!

Fresh, homemade raw almond milk is so simple to make. You may use your fresh almond milk for a substitute for anything that calls for milk. (smoothies/shakes, soups and many other dishes). You will never go back to buying store bought almond milk again!

Ingredients:

1 cup raw organic almonds

Fresh filtered water for soaking nuts

3 cups of filtered water

2 dates

½ tsp vanilla or a few drops of liquid Vanilla Creme Stevia
1 Nut-Milk Bag
Let’s get started:

Begin taking the 1 cup of almonds and soak them in water for at least 6 hours.

After soaking the almonds drain the water and discard.

Place the soaked almonds, 3 cups of filtered water and dates in your Blender (Vitamix works best). Blend until completely smooth.

Poor into your nut-milk bag and strain the almond mixture into a separate bowl

Now you have Fresh Homemade raw almond milk!

Keep stored in the refrigerator for three to four days.

Note: We use our Vitamix Blender for everything in the kitchen. It is the most important pieces of equipment in our kitchen. You will never go back to your everyday blender after using one! We make soups, smoothies, sauces, desserts, dips and many more things. Give it a try!

Are you craving Chocolate Chip cookies but your Gluten and dairy allergy get in the way? Well look no further I have a Gluten, dairy, soy free recipe that you will love. All of Dr. Kings patients absolutely love this recipe. The great thing about this recipe is that is easy and quick to make. Your kids or even your significant other will love these even if they aren’t gluten and dairy free. Give it a try!

Dairy Free, gluten free chocolate chip cookies

They look bad for you, right? NO WAY! These cookies are packed with healthy protein packed ingredients that –get this- actually taste good. Okay, they taste amazing! Not to mention they only have ¼ cup of Coconut sugar for the entire batch. Not bad!

In other words when I made these the first time, Dr. King (who “sampled” half the batch) “WOW” that’s all he could say then he reached for another.

I would love to hear your feedback on the recipe and if you changed anything. I am always looking for new ways to improve my recipes. Enjoy!

Almond Butter Cookie Recipe

8 oz Almond Butter
(you may use raw or roasted almond butter, my personal favorite is Justin Almond Butters)

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/4 cup of Coconut Sugar

1/4 cup of Chocolate Chips
(dairy, soy, gluten free Semi-Sweet chocolate chips by Enjoy Life), you can also use the 72% chocolate if you prefer

Mix all up. Bake at 375 for 8-10 minutes.

I tend to make my cookies small they seem to come out better that way. If you make them too big they don’t really cook as well. But experiment and you will figure it out after trying the recipe. You may also add or substitute or add ingredients (nuts and died berries).

Fighting an autoimmune condition requires that all your organs are working properly. The body is designed like a machine where all the parts, in this case organs, must be functioning properly for the machine to work. For this is reason, it is extremely important to examine the entire body when treating an autoimmune condition. Traditional medical approaches rely more on treating conditions bases on their symptoms. The flaw in this approach is that oftentimes important organs and bodily functions are overlooked when in fact they are at the source of the problem. Out of all the bodily organs, the Gastrointestinal System is of extreme importance in terms of functionality. It makes ups 80% of the immune system and without this part of the body working properly, autoimmune patients can not expect to get better.

If you feel your doctor is not looking at all of your organs as possible causes for your autoimmune condition, call us at The Tustin Chronic Condition Center for a free consultation. 714-731-7680

Remember, nothing will change unless you do!