Question: Looking for something to assist in lowering blood pressure. I had a DOT physical today and I’m 164/90. Since I’ve never been that high before the doctor is giving me a three month grace period to lower it. I am about 40lbs overweight and intend to address my diet seriously but in the meantime, I’ve made and appt to see my family physician in 3 weeks and sure would like it to be noticeably lower by that time. What natural remedies (that work) would you suggest. I intend to search the internet after I send the email to you. Please respond ASAP…..Thanks, Terry

Answer: Terry,

I wish it was that simple!  Why is your blood pressure elevated in the first place?  Is it an issue with: weight, salt, lack of exercise, nutritional deficiencies, diabetes, pre-diabetes, stress, kidney problems, sub-acute infection, heredity, atherosclerosis or is it a combination of one or more?  Get my drift.  Picking a product off the net or having me make a blind recommendation, would be a guess at best.

If you want to do it right, you can become a distance client of mine. (In a nutshell)  I will send you the forms and you send your test results, we have a consultation over the phone and I design a personalized diet, exercise and supplement plan.  If interested, you can contact my office for initial fees and follow-ups. I have done this for 18 years and have seen many……… in the exact same situation.

www.advancedhealing.com

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger DC, BSc

Question: Hello! I have osteopenia and it is suggested that I take 1,500 of calcium in a 2:1 ratio with magnesium. I see that your suggested dosage of liquid coral calcium contains 575 of calcium. Does that mean I would need to take 3 dosages each day to receive the 1,500?

Q: I have left chest wall burning pain since July of 2006. My chest wall gets hardened when cold weather hits. I have gone to my doctor, gone to the Mayo Clinic and no one can tell me the source or cause. I feel frustrated. My right arm and leg fall asleep when I am asleep at night. Please let me know if you might have a clue as to what is going on. Test results for Lupus have been negative six times tested.

Monica

A: Monica,

I would love to help but the information you are providing me is minimal at best. I would be guessing if I gave you a possible cause with just the data you provided. What you have going on would require me to actually see you.

If it were me, I would find a chiropractor who practices holistic medicine. Get some spinal adjustments (if indicated), get checked out nutritionally, get on a program (if indicated), and get exercising. I have found that the majority of all medical conditions can be corrected through: diet, exercise, chiropractic, nutritional supplements, cleansing, and exposure to the sun (under used treatment).

An analytical observation of the majority of all medical conditions proves that they are not caused by a medication deficiency. Being that these conditions are not caused by a deficiency of a particular medication, than what can cause them? Simple, lack of following a proper diet, lack of exercise, lack of keeping the central and peripheral nervous system free of irritation, lack of nutritional supplementation, lack of adequate liver, kidney, and bowel cleansing, and lastly, lack of adequate exposure to the sun (vitamin D synthesis). There are a couple of other components like stress and sleep but the above are the core reasons.

Sincerely,

Marcus Ettinger DC, BSc.

“Ignorance, chemicals, toxins, and pollution are ruining our health.
A sick body affects personality, appearance, ability, relationships, work and creativity.
Body problems are getting worse.
People today need to change their health for the better.
Only a personal demand for improvement is needed.
There is hope.
Help is actually possible.”
Dr. Ettinger 01/1999

The production of growth hormone is regulated by many factors:

Stress, exercise, nutrition, fasting, sleep and growth hormone itself. However, its primary controllers are two hypothalamic hormones (Growth hormone-releasing hormone Somatostatin) and one hormone from the stomach (Ghrelin). L- Arginine is required before bed.

Somatomedin C, high blood sugar or fats, obesity, and depression reduce GH secretion.

Protein synthesis is stimulated by:

Very high concentrations of leucine have the capacity to stimulate protein synthesis and inhibit protein degradation in skeletal muscle. That means taking  Branch Chain Amino Acid’s (BCAA’s) with your whey protein (isolate) powder.

Textbook Treason?
I just received two nutrition textbooks from Wadsworth/Thomson Leaning for review: Advanced Nutrition and Human Metabolism by Groff & Gropper and Understanding Nutrition by Whitney & Rolfes. As I read Whiney & Rolfes, I was struck by the following statements: “Protein supplements are expensive, less completely digested than protein-rich foods and, when used as replacements for such foods, often downright dangerous.”

This is not the case. Modern protein powders have a high biological value (quality) and are certainly not “downright dangerous”; see the review by Dr. Luke Bucci in Energy-Yielding Macronutrients and Energy Metabolism in Sports Nutrition (CRC Press, 2000).

“Whey protein appears to be particularly popular among athletes hoping to achieve greater muscle mass. A waste product of cheese manufacturing, whey protein is a common ingredient in many low-cost protein powders. Athletes and active people who want bigger muscles should know that whey protein does not increase muscle mass.”

There is some evidence suggesting that whey protein may enhance lean body mass in conjunction with appropriate training (J Nutr Biochem, 14:251-258, 2003). Whey proteins have a high biological value and contain a relatively high proportion of branched-chain amino acids (BCAA). The abundance of leucine in whey is of particular interest in this regard. Leucine plays a distinct role in protein metabolism and has been identified as a key signal in the translational initiation pathway of muscle protein synthesis.

Another point, beyond the composition of amino acids present in whey, is the manner in which whey and other intact proteins are absorbed and utilized
relative to each other, as well as to free amino acid solutions. Whey proteins have been compared to casein and a distinct difference is that whey is rapidly
absorbed compared to casein. Dr. Bohe and coworkers reported that continuous stimulation of protein synthesis (via a constant infusion of amino
acids) resulted in saturation of the response within two hours (J Physiol 532:575-579, 2001).

Thus, an effective protein source would be one that could stimulate a response in the periods between feeding which would be additive to the net accumulation of muscle protein in the course of a day. Further, certain amino acids and whey-derived bioactive compounds offer the potential to extend health benefits to active people beyond body composition. Many of the functions associated with these amino acids and whey components involve the immune system and may therefore be of particular importance to athletes in intensive training. The claim that certain whey peptides suppress appetite is being used to market some products, but well designed studies to validate this effect are lacking.

****** (MUST READ) Another excellent study by Dr. Tipton and coworkers was designed to determine whether consumption of an oral essential amino acid/carbohydrate supplement before exercise results in a greater anabolic response than supplementation after resistance exercise. The results indicated that the response of net muscle protein synthesis to consumption of an essential amino acid/carbohydrate solution immediately before resistance exercise is greater than when the solution is consumed after exercise.