5 million people suffer from Alzheimer’s.  How can alternative medicine complement traditional medicine to create effective approaches for improving brain health?  Are there effective alternatives and/or complements to stimulates, anti-depressants, and other traditional medicines?  These questions and more answered in this podcast!  

Spaghetti and Waffles…how does this explain the difference between the male and female brain? Why do most men have trouble multitasking?  Why do most women have trouble focusing on one thing at a time? Men actually have a compartment of the brain that houses NOTHING.  An understanding of this can save relationships!

Why are women better at word games? Why are women more sensitive to temperature, smell, and sound?  Why do men seem to have a flight or fight response when it comes to arguments?  Does size really matter? Connections between the two sides of the brain play a big role. An understanding of this can lead to better sleep, less self-doubt, more focus, and.. better relationships!  

Patient Lori shares her story ~ She led a healthy lifestyle but was still having trouble with ADD, brain fog, and other symptoms that cleared up through testing and balancing with Integrative Medicine.  

7 billion pounds of toxins are poured into our environment each year ~ what can we do about it? Heavy metal toxins are some of the main culprits in neurodegeneration. Most people know about acute lead poisoning but what about chronic exposure?  What causes it, how can we test for it and what can we do about it?  Arsenic is very common in Sarasota water ~ is this a problem?  Memory loss, balance problems, ringing in ears, pins and needles in the toes, tremors…these are some of the earlier symptoms.  

Preventing inflammation is the key to brain health ~ how can we do this through nutrition?   Increased memory and focus, reduced brain toxicity, overcoming addiction, increased willpower, and a better sense of well-being are naturally within reach.  

Barbara is 80 years old, but has the energy and interest of a 60 year old ~ what is she doing to feel this way?! She says she has overcome lupus and is able to live a fulfilled life thanks to Dr. Watts.  One of the keys to Integrative Medicine is to look beyond treating the symptoms in order to determine the cause. (8 minutes)

A New Way of Fighting Alzheimer’s…Why did the rat get fat and what’s that got to do about Alzheimer’s?

In a recent breakthrough study, scientists at Massachusetts Institute of Technology showed that rats consuming a Westernized fast food diet increased the likelihood of their obesity. Now, that should not be news to anyone in America. Of course, everyone knows that if you eat copious amounts of French fries and ketchup as your only source of vegetables you will get fat.

That may not seem like much of a breakthrough until we check out the rest of the story; what M. I. T. actually found caused the obesity. When the same rats were given probiotics in yogurt along with the Westernized fast food diet, it inhibited age-associated weight gain. M. I. T. then went on to test whether a bacteria found in yogurt alone may serve to lessen fat by using a purified form of a probiotic called Lactobacillus reuteri in drinking water. Surprisingly, they discovered that oral L. reuteri therapy alone was sufficient to prevent obesity. (1)

Warning: This information does not give every junk-food junkie license to go ‘hog wild’ and believe they can make up for their misguided decisions by taking a probiotic. My family and I gave up junk-food years ago for the devastating impact it would have on our bodies. Of course I still miss my daily dose of donuts and McMuffins, being a reformed J.F. J. Now, having normal cholesterol and blood sugar levels, and going off statins to control poor lab results have all made the missing ‘sugar bliss’ worth it — not to mention my improved waistline. And, G. I. balance is not just as simple as eating a cup of sugary Vanilla Custard Yoplait for lunch every day.

More interestingly, researchers are finding that not only does a healthier gut microbiome lessen obesity and improve sugar balance; it can also prevent Alzheimer’s. Scientists John Cryan and Timothy Dinan at the Neurogastric Endocrinology Center-University College Cork in Ireland are conducting tests revealing how variations and changes in the composition of the gut microbiota (there’s that word again) influence normal physiology and contribute to diseases ranging from mood disorders to Alzheimer’s. Accumulative data now indicates that our gut microbiota also communicates with the central nervous system, possibly through neural, endocrine and immune pathways — and thereby improves brain function and behavior. (2, 3)

More and more epidemiological studies from around the world give evidence that the better the microbiome (the good bacterial content of one’s gut), the less chance of developing Alzheimer’s.

The way it works is this: an improved gut microbiota improves the function in the hippocampus and cortex of the brain (the thinking centers).

What research has proven is that Microbial Reprogramming can:

• Inhibit Western diet associated obesity

• Balance the immune system

• Balance sugar metabolism and diabetes

• Fight Alzheimer’s

• Improve mood, behavior and brain function

Whew! Enough science — what does all this mean? This new medical research reported in these articles is exciting because of the hope it offers all of us in preventing and treating some of the most devastating human conditions: obesity, Alzheimer’s and mood disorders.

At The Renewal Point we have, for years, promoted the ‘gut-brain connection’ to good health. Specializing in Integrative Medicine and utilizing the best of both traditional and alternative medical pathways, we apply nutrition, hormone balancing, ‘gut’ health, body composition and lifestyle in every one of our patients’ medical plans. We find improving gut health requires the oversight of an Integrative Physician experienced in working with such modalities as: pH, digestive enzymes, food sensitivities, toxins, as well as balancing the gut microbiota, and repleting nutritional deficiencies.

We invite you to join us in this exciting approach of managing healthcare, and in your quest for a healthier more vibrant life.

References:

1. Division of Comparative Medicine, M.I.T., Cambridge, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

2. Laboratory of Gastroenterology Alimentary P harmacology Centre, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland.

3. Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurosciences, McMaster University.

Q. Can we actually manage aging?

A. Hmmm…That’s a complex question. So, let me answer it with a rather standard cliché: There’s the good news, bad news and worse news. Worst news—we’re all going to die. Sorry, but it’s a fact of the natural order of things. The bad news? Along the way we may develop some disabilities, slow down, and possibly have some medical problems.

Now, for the good news. We are, for the most part, in control of how we age. Disallow­ing for such adversities as; accidents, diseases, or genetic determinates—the quality of life you have and the length of time in which you have to live it are a matter of choice.

Many of the choices for living a better quality of life are taught to us by society or our parents: Wear a seat belt when you ride in a car; Don’t drink and drive; Don’t smoke; Eat more vegetables and less candy—the list goes on.

But, many of these choices are not so easy to make, requiring non-traditional lab testing and finding a doctor specializing in Age Manage­ment Medicine. For instance, it may be difficult to determine that your painful, swollen joints or chronic migraine headaches are a result of a food sensitivity or that your depression is caused by one simple genetic defect of folate metabolism; or that your memory, balance problem and fuzzy brain is a result of mercury toxicity; or that your lack of desire for sex and love is a result of low testosterone (women as much as men, by the way).

So, one could just lament about getting older, remembering the days when you and your spouse were fiery for life and love or you can make changes. The most important change you will need to make is to find a doctor who specializes in Age Management, one that can guide you along the way; run the appropriate tests for hormones, nutritional deficiencies, tox­ins, and genomics; and then partner with you on developing a plan for recovery. By acquiring the necessary information, you, too, can make the right choices and actually manage your aging.

Change the Course— Change the Outcome!

At The Renewal Point, we believe you can spend the rest of your life discovering new levels of vitality and vigor—not simply trying to rescue what’s left. The Renewal Point puts you in control of how you age by guiding you through a full 12-month Integrative Concierge Age Management Program. You will discover the power and importance of getting ahead of the factors that influence health—rather than simply responding to their breakdown.

The 4 Cornerstones of Health

The Renewal Point Age Management Program focuses on four, critical “Cornerstones of Health” that turn your age management jour­ney into a refreshing discovery of new health and perspective.

They are:

Hormone Balance—Hormone Balance, as it turns out, is the most critical component to overall health and quality of life. With a skilled approach to testing, and treatment with bio-identical hormones, your hormones can be placed in balance to support every gland and function critical to health.

Physical Conditioning— Physical condi­tioning is more than a health club membership. Considering your body composition, strength, flexibility, bone strength, aerobic capacity and muscle and joint health a proper and—most importantly—doable program can be designed into your life routine.

Nutritional Health—Did you eat your vegetables today? Sure, everyone knows that diet is a key to good health, but how do you know if your balance supports your unique metabolism—or whether or not you have a nu­tritional deficiency or sensitivity to any of your favorite foods and the implications they may be having on your long-term health? The only way to know for sure is with proper testing and expert guidance.

Toxin Elimination—Frightening but true: over seven billion pounds of toxins are released into the environment every year…and are filtered through or contained in our bodies! The source of many known diseases, toxicity can be limited or eliminated with proper guidance and a natural approach.

Of course, no concierge Age Management Program would be complete without attention paid to the major systems of our bodies, including but not limited to: a healthy immune system, the metabolic system, the cardiopulmonary system, the neurological system, the skin system, and the reproductive system.  Why not let The Renewal Point’s team of experts guide you through an Integrative Conceirge Age Management Program and discover how you can manage your aging process better.