HealCircle.org

Category: Fitness

  • Dr. Stephen Cabral shares his healing story

    Dr. Stephen Cabral shares his healing story

    By Dr. Cabral

    Dr. Stephen Cabral shares his healing story

    Each week we feature an inspiring story of healing. This week we are featuring Dr. Stephen Cabral, a Naturopathic doctor, who has written a great book

    “The Rain Barrel Effect: How a 6,000-Year-Old Answer Holds the Secret to Finally Getting Well, Losing Weight & Feeling Alive Again!” 

    Watch this video to learn more about his health crisis and how he reversed them all.

     

    Health Bootcamps

     

    KEY LINKS:

    CONTACT:

    Dr. Stephen Cabral,

    email: support@StephenCabral.com

    WEBSITE:

    StephenCabral.com

    EquilibriumNutrition.com

    SOCIAL MEDIA:

    facebook.com/drstephencabral

    twitter.com/stephencabral

    instagram.com/stephencabral

     

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  • How I Self Diagnosed My Colon Cancer

    How I Self Diagnosed My Colon Cancer

    By Reena A Jadhav

    Almost 14 years ago, at the age of 35 years, I self-diagnosed myself with colon cancer. The first question people ask me is, “how did you know?!”

    I listened to my body, saw the signs and took action. I started waking up with night sweats. I was only 35 years old, I couldn’t be in perimenopause. Why was I getting night sweats?

    Then my digestion went from perfect to wobbly to just plain strange. I couldn’t digest the simplest of things.

    But the biggest red flag was the red blood on my stool each morning. It was dark. When I googled those symptoms it would come up colon cancer. So, I went into my primary care with my symptoms and her response was that I probably had hemorrhoids, which most women do after delivering two big babies. I was adamant I wanted to get thoroughly checked up.

    She referred me to another doctor who then referred me to a GI Dr. Shelby.
    I remember walking into his clinic, proclaiming I had colon cancer, and him smiling at me serenely and saying, “why don’t you sit down, let’s chat.”
    He decided to do a colonoscopy. “You remind me of those patients who won’t let go, so let’s take a look inside.”

    Sure enough, there was a Stage 1 cancerous polyp brewing fast.
    I went through surgery to remove it and got to live another day to share my story with you!

    Here’s what you can learn from my story:
    1. Always listen to your body, it gives us symptoms for a reason
    2. You know your body better than anyone else. Trust yourself.
    3. Stay persistent. Don’t give up. If you feel something is wrong, find a doctor who will listen and do the full workup.

    It might just save your life too!

     

    Health Bootcamps

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  • How I recovered from Heart Failure

    How I recovered from Heart Failure

    Written by Poonam Shah

     

    I  was diagnosed with cardiomyopathy or heart failure after I gave birth to our firstborn in 2007. This came as a shock to me and my family. I had just had an emergency C-section.

    We knew my blood count/hemoglobin was dangerously low at 6 grams per deciliter (normal range for women is between 12.0 and 15.5). But we had no idea that the pregnancy or the blood count had affected my heart. 

    My ejection fraction (EF), which is the amount of blood pumped out of the ventricles with each contraction, was less than 40% at the time (normal range for women is 55% – 75%). I was back in the hospital but my baby was not allowed to be in my care. I was emotionally and physically drained. I just wanted to be with my son.  

    My case was sent to the head of cardiology, and I will never forget what he said to me: “The practice of medicine is an art form, not just a science. I want to help reduce your stress and reunite you with your son as soon as possible. Let us help you.” I was refusing to take any medications as I did not want it to affect my ability to nurse my son.

     

     

     

     

    His approach and manner calmed me. We worked out a treatment plan that would also allow me to continue to nurse my son. This quickly eliminated my stress levels, and the bonding time I had with my new baby helped my motivation to fight against heart failure. As soon as I was able to, I pushed myself to walk, to do some deep breathing exercises, and to meditate. Within a week, I was released from the hospital, but I had to continue taking medications. 

    At home, with the support of my husband and parents, I was able to rest and spend time with my newborn baby. My father kept telling me that I had to beat this for my son. I was too young; I had too much to fight for. I embarked on a diet, exercise and meditation regime. I started with telling myself every day how grateful I was to be alive and to have this beautiful baby. I felt like I was the luckiest new mom – I had the support of both my partner and my parents. I stayed positive and was certain I would recover.

    I was on maternity leave for 4 months. I wanted a clean bill of health by the time I started working again, but it took longer than that to recover fully. However, I kept at the diet, light exercise, and meditation regimen.

    I incorporated green veggies, good fats like avocado, and dates to help increase my hemoglobin. I also started taking iron infusions to help increase my iron levels and hemoglobin. Exercise and mediation helped keep my stress levels low. I took the time to be present at the moment, practicing positive reinforcement. I cherished every moment I spent with our son. Six months later, my EF had improved to the point where it was almost normal. I was overjoyed! I was hopeful. A few months later, in 2008, we realized that I was expecting once more. Given my experience with the earlier pregnancy, the doctors were concerned. However, with the help of modern medicine, diet, light exercise and meditation, I was able to go through another pregnancy and keep my heart from a relapse.

    We are blessed with two healthy kids, and over time, my heart failure has fully recovered. Don’t let anyone tell you that can’t recover from heart failure. I’m living proof that you can.

    Health Bootcamps

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  • Mindfulness for Heart Health

    Mindfulness for Heart Health

    “Meditation can be a useful part of cardiovascular risk reduction”

    Cardiologist Dr. Deepak Bhatt, a professor at Harvard Medical School

    Want a healthier heart or to live longer?

    Start a simple Mindfulness or Meditation practice today. This from a recent article from Harvard that you can read here: https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/meditation-offers-significant-heart-benefits

    The latest research confirms that people who practice meditation are significantly less likely to have a heart attack or stroke or die within five years.

    A high HRV is a sign of a healthier heart. A 2013 study found that low HRV is associated with a 32% to 45% increased risk of heart attack or stroke among people without cardiovascular disease.

    With regular meditation, you may be able to raise your HRV. A 2013 study found that people who did five minutes of meditation daily for 10 days had a better HRV compared with those who didn’t meditate.

    A number of high-quality studies also show that meditation can modestly lower blood pressure, according to a 2013 American Heart Association scientific statement published in Hypertension.

    Step 1: Create the Space

    Here’s what Mayo Clinic shares as a simple way to get started that works for everyone:

    Step 2: Heart Health Meditation

    Step 3: Start Your Day with it

    Research shows to create any new habit you must schedule it and treat it as mandatory for at least 30 days. So, put it in your calendar. I find first thing in the morning before I touch my phone, and the last thing, after I brush my teeth, as the best times. Give it a try!

     

    Step 4: Track Your Emotions

    How do you feel after each session? Make notes in your calendar download this free 30 Days Health journal to track it.

     

     

    You can also join Free 7 Days HEALTHIFY course via email (1 email a day with 1 small change, for 7 days.)

    Click here to HEALTHIFY in 7 DAYS

    Join Dr. Joel Kahn’s

    HEART HEALTH PROGRAM

    14 Days of Recipes, Meditations, Exercises, Supplements, Interviews, Chat and more!

    Click to Learn More >>

     

     

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  • Healing from Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Healing from Rheumatoid Arthritis

    Written by Dr. Elizabeth Boham

     

    I was diagnosed with cancer at the age of 30. I used functional medicine to heal my self and prevent cancer from recurring.

    I have been using the same functional-medicine approach with every patient I see. Take my 55-year-old patient Jini (I’ve changed her name to protect privacy), who arrived in my office frustrated and in pain. Despite countless visits among several doctors, conventional medicine hadn’t adequately addressed her history of autoimmune disease and her ten-year history of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Jini’s former doctor had prescribed prednisone, an immunosuppressant drug sometimes prescribed to treat inflammation-based diseases like RA. While it helped a little bit, Jini complained about depression and weight gain. Her doctor modified her regimen, yet even on multiple medications to manage RA, she struggled with pain, swelling, and fatigue.

    Disappointed about the side effects of these medications that weren’t improving her condition, Jini came to see me. She was, as she put it, “tired of always feeling achy and miserable.”

    To understand autoimmune disease, think of your immune system as a group of soldiers that keep you safe by fighting infections and other potential threats to your body. One day, though, they become confused and start attacking your body’s own tissues. There’s no specific agenda: It could be any tissue – or more likely, several tissues – including your brain and joints.

    That’s when autoimmune diseases develop: Your immune system mistakenly confuses your own tissue as the “enemy” and attacks, putting your immune response in overdrive and increasing chronic inflammation, which plays a role in nearly every disease imaginable.[1]

    Among the over 80 autoimmune diseases – the list continues to grow – are Crohn’s disease, rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis, and Type I diabetes. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimates about 23.5 million Americans have an autoimmune disease, and researchers find they are far more common among women.[2]

    RA is an autoimmune disease where your immune system attacks your joints, creating painful symptoms like swelling. Research shows women are over twice as likely to develop RA as men, and that risk has only increased in recent years.[3]

    Conventional medicine addresses RA and other autoimmune diseases with anti-inflammatory and other medications. While they can temporarily help, they don’t address what causes RA. When patients like Jini complain about medications creating side effects, they simply switch medications. Doctors often don’t connect the dots about why autoimmune diseases originate.

    We take a different approach in functional medicine. Rather than just treat the symptoms, I looked for the underlying causes of Joni’s autoimmune disease. Something was triggering her RA, and my job was to uncover that problem, get her off medications and provide her body with the tools to heal.

    Chronic inflammation underlies RA and other autoimmune diseases, so I looked deeper to determine what might be creating Joni’s inflammation. This demands an individualized approach since every patient has different triggers.

    For Jini, I learned that a diet high in food that causes sensitivities – like gluten – chronic stress, and multiple infections along with antibiotics overuse as a child were among the culprits.

    That’s why I first focused on healing Jini’s digestive system. Testing revealed she had gut-bacteria imbalances, called dysbiosis. Lots of things create dysbiosis, and chief among them are chronic stress and antibiotics overuse.

    That dysbiosis manifested in many symptoms that Jini exhibited, including irritable bowel symptom (IBS), diarrhea, bloating and gas.

    Dysbiosis can wreck your gut lining, ramping up inflammation and leading to other gut problems, including intestinal permeability.[4] 

    Research also shows dysbiotic bacteria can be a trigger for autoimmune disease.[5]

    Putting together these pieces, I was able to create an effective protocol for healing. Jini’s RA was proof that nearly everything starts in your gut. To heal her autoimmune disease, we had to begin there.

    THE HEALING PROTOCOL

    Step 1: Heal Your Gut- My first priority was to restore gut balance, since gut health impacts overall health. To do that, I used nutrients and sometimes herbs to get rid of Jini’s unhealthy bacteria. She then used nutrients included probiotics to replace good gut bacteria. I based my approach on the 5R program, which can dramatically improve gut-related symptoms:
    + Remove stressors that negatively affect your gut with an elimination diet and herbs.
    + Replace: Add back things required for proper digestion.
    + Reinoculate by replenishing good bacteria with prebiotics and probiotics.
    + Repair with nutrients like zinc, antioxidants (e.g. vitamins A, C, and E), fish oil, and L-glutamine.
    + Rebalance through lifestyle choices that impact your gut including sleep, exercise and stress management.
    Among the strategies we used to create gut balance included:
    A low-grain elimination diet. Jini eliminated food sensitivities including gluten, dairy, and added sugar while adding in plenty of whole, fresh, real foods. That helped starve off the bad bacteria and heal her symptoms. That approach alone also helped her lose seven pounds during the first three weeks.
    Nutrients to heal. As with everything, I take an individualized approach to nutrients, but to heal a patient’s gut, I often use L-glutamine, vitamin A, zinc, probiotics and prebiotics.
    Strategies to manage stress. Chronic stress makes it harder for your body to heal. To manage stress, you need to find something that works for you. That might be meditation, yoga, mindfulness or daily breathwork.

    Step 2: Detoxification- To further heal her gut and reverse her autoimmune condition, I supported Jini’s detoxification systems with a nutrient-dense plan that included:
    + An organic diet
    + Plenty of fiber, which helps bind to toxins and helps eliminate them
    + Cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and cauliflower, which contain sulforaphane to help your body make its master antioxidant, glutathione
    + Plenty of filtered water
    + Nutrients like N-acetyl cysteine (NAC) to help with glutathione production and otherwise support the detoxification process
    + A professional-grade protein powder that includes nutrients designed to help the liver detoxify
    I also reminded Jini that detoxification is an ongoing duty, not something you do twice a year.

    Step 3: A Sustainable Anti-Inflammatory Diet
    Jini focused on a diet rich in whole, fresh, anti-inflammatory foods like leafy and cruciferous vegetables, wild-caught fish and freshly ground flaxseed in her morning protein smoothie.
    Anti-inflammatory strategies go beyond just what you eat. Jini also reduced stress levels with at least eight hours’ solid sleep every night, taking “me” time every day and doing yin yoga. She incorporated anti-inflammatory supplements, including curcumin and fish oil.
    What You Should Know
    Functional medicine provides a powerful alternative approach to autoimmune diseases, cancer and so many other problems by digging deeper and finding the underlying causes rather than blindly treating these conditions with medications or other invasive procedures.
    Every patient is different, and I take an individualized approach in my practice. I strongly recommend finding a functional medicine practitioner who can help you uncover what’s causing your issue and create an individualized approach to help you heal, like I helped Jini heal from RA.

    REFERENCES:

    [1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3492709/
    [2] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4036413/
    [3] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3538478/
    [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4939298/
    [5] https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/11/gut-bacteria-may-cause-rheumatoid-arthritis

     

    Health Bootcamps

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  • My Breast Cancer Story by Dr. Eena Duggal

    My Breast Cancer Story by Dr. Eena Duggal

    By Dr. Eena Duggal

    I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer in my mid 40’s. I did not have a family history of any female reproductive cancers such as breast cancer.

    I was told I would have to do all 3 treatments- Chemo followed by surgery and then lastly radiation. This was to be followed by oral anti-estrogen therapy to be taken for anywhere from 5 to 10 + yrs.

    Chemotherapy was by far the most significant and difficult therapy to tolerate. In undergoing chemo you not only lose your hair but the fatigue and physical drain on your body were so significant that I was not able to work for over 6 months. Being a solo physician and family doctor that meant leaving my patients and practice for many months. Radiation was difficult because I had to go daily for my treatments. Surgery was actually the simplest therapy I had except for the pain from the incisions and tissue work that was necessary to remove cancer.

    In order to alleviate some of the toxic and harmful effects of chemotherapy, I sought out alternative and naturopathic treatments. I was advised to change my diet substantially to avoid all foods that could cause inflammation in my body. These included: dairy products, sugars, and soy products as well as alcohol. I was already vegetarian but now I needed to change to a plant based almost vegan diet. Since then, however, we now know that soy products do not need to be avoided and can be eaten in moderation such as 1 soy serving per day.

    There were many things that I added to my diet as well such as fresh turmeric, homemade almond milk, and fresh vegetable juices daily. There were also various oral supplements and vitamins as well as protein powder and daily morning shakes that were all part of my dietary changes.

    There were 2 other therapies I started and these were also to help alleviate
    some of the toxic side effects of my chemotherapy treatments. These were high dose IV infusions of Vitamin C as well as subcutaneous injections of Mistletoe.

    IV infusions of Vitamin C were not easy to find locally and I found a naturopathic oncologist in Canada that was able to do these for me and then I eventually located a clinic in San Francisco. These infusions help to boost your immune system and allow your own body’s natural immunity to fight cancer cells that are roaming around. This is a form of immunotherapy. Much research is now being down on various cancers and how to fight them with immunotherapy.

    IV infusions would ideally be as often as weekly to biweekly depending on how toxic I felt post chemotherapy. They helped to boost my energy and cleared my liver of medication burden. They can be continued for several months.

    Mistletoe injections were also not locally available to me at the time, and this I found in Canada and had them shipped. Mistletoe has been used in Europe and mostly Germany for many years for fighting cancer, as it helps to decrease the oxidative stress and burden of cells in our body. This therapy can continue for several years after allopathic treatments are completed. I continue to use mistletoe for over 5 years after my treatments were completed. This is given as an injection just under the skin. Mistletoe also helps to boost our own immune system and thus helps to prevent cancer from coming back and our cells from mutating into cancer cells again. Initially, these injections were given twice weekly and then I weaned them down to once a week and now monthly. The dosage of each injection given is different and cycles up and back down again in order to continuously entice your immune system to keep working.

    Both these therapies had to be started after chemotherapy is completed as the mechanism of action is the opposite of what chemotherapy is trying to do in the body. Both these therapies helped me to overcome and tolerate the incredible side effects that I sustained after my chemotherapy. I fully believe that my dietary changes and alternative therapies such as IV Vitamin C and mistletoe helped me get through and beyond all the toxicities from the necessary evils of chemotherapy and radiation. I felt stronger and was back on my feet a lot sooner than I would have been had I not invested in these alternative treatments.

    Oil massages to my scalp helped to stimulate my hair growth post chemotherapy.

    I also avoided crowded, public places such as grocery stores and malls as my immune system was suppressed during chemotherapy and I did not want to expose myself to bacteria.

    Meditation, mindfulness, pranayam and deep breathing are all useful modalities as well as regular massages especially while undergoing chemotherapy as this was the most stressful to my body.

    The Sandra J Wing Foundation is a great resource in the TriValley area for supporting breast cancer patients with therapies such as biofeedback, imagery, massage, etc.

    Today I have hit the 5+ year mark and am doing well. I believe I have a different perspective on life though. I decided to sell my medical practice 3 years ago and I am still working full time – 4 days a week but I am no longer responsible for the running of my practice. I am trying to keep my stress levels down. My mindset has shifted from patients, career and work first to taking care of myself so that I can be there for my family and my patients.

    I currently continue taking Mistletoe injections every 1-2 months as well as anti-hormonal tablets daily. I am a bit more lax with my dietary changes than I was initially, but certainly work towards a less inflammatory diet as much as possible.

    I recently have taken a 4 month leave of absence from work and patient
    care to travel in Africa. It is really important to make the most of the time we have when we have our health!

    Health Bootcamps

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  • How Juicing and Weight Loss Supplements Made Me Sick

    How Juicing and Weight Loss Supplements Made Me Sick

    By Kevin Pereau

    Juicing made me lose weight but…

    Weight loss pills made me lose weight but…

    Health Bootcamps

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  • THE SUN IS HOT, SKIN CANCER…NOT

    THE SUN IS HOT, SKIN CANCER…NOT

    Written by Poonam Shah

     

    With a heatwave hitting all over the globe, this summer has been a real scorcher. Many places have hit record highs.

    Despite the heat, my family loves the summer. It’s a time to enjoy some sun and cool off in the pool or at the beach.

    Like most moms, I am always nagging the kids to protect their skin. And like most kids, they need several reminders to grab their hats, sunglasses and put on sunscreen. They often chose to ignore the many lectures I gave them on the importance of sun protection. This year, however – it hit home. Skin cancer can be dangerous. Our good friend John got diagnosed with melanoma, a form of skin cancer. Undetected, it had spread from under his arm into arm his muscles. He was in shock. Watching him suffer through multiple treatments, surgeries and chemotherapy have been an eye opener for all of us. Eventually, cancer spread into his blood and it became fatal.

    When left undetected, skin cancer can become life threatening.

    On another note: did you know that you can get skin cancer on the scalp? Just like our skin, we also need to protect our scalp. A few years ago, another friend discovered that she had skin cancer on her scalp. The only possible treatment was to surgically remove it. Luckily, it was detected at an early stage and had not yet spread beyond the scalp. If all it meant was that she had to deal with the loss of hair for a while, she felt that was a blessing. Ever since that experience, she has been very careful with her skin. She always wears sunscreen and covers her head with a hat or a scarf to protect her scalp from UV rays. She has been cancer free for 5 years now and highly recommends regular checkups, and protecting your skin and scalp at all times!

    Per skincancer.org, “Sun protection is essential to skin cancer prevention – about 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers and about 86 percent of melanomas are associated with exposure to UV radiation from the sun!”

    This is UV awareness month. Spread the word and enjoy the sun safely this summer. For a list of recommended supplements and sunscreens, check out our Sunday Supplement Blog!

    Health Bootcamps

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  • How Protein Helped Heal My Family

    How Protein Helped Heal My Family

    Written by Poonam Shah

     

    If you have aches and pains every time you go for a run or workout or play a sport, you can relate to our story.

    We are a typical busy family with two very active kids who love playing sports. Our weekends are filled with tournaments with both kids playing different competitive sports – tennis tournaments, soccer matches, track meets, etc. We are also working parents that try to get a run or a quick workout in when we can. We eat well…or so I believed. I try to cook at home most of the time and read all the ingredients on the package when I shop for groceries. Despite this, both my son and husband complained of sore muscles and cramps in their legs, and it got to a point my 11 year old son had trouble sleeping. I was at a loss.

    We visited doctors and ran tests, and finally, my son had to take a break from sports for a month. This was not a great month. My son needs to be physically active. The activity helps him burn energy and focus on his school work. My husband, who is a runner and a soccer player, started reading up more online and bought some books. We knew protein was important for anyone who worked out and did a lot of strength training, but we didn’t realize that it was also very important for runners and growing kids. One of the books we read – “Complete book of running” by Amby Burfoot – mentioned that the leg muscles get sore and cramp up as they need protein to heal and rebuild. We decided to start paying attention to how much protein we were all eating per day. It quickly became apparent our protein intake was insufficient, especially that of my son, as he prefers to be vegetarian. Sadly, we had not noticed that he wasn’t eating as much protein as he needs. We first tried to increase the meat in his diet, but unfortunately, that didn’t work. We then started giving him protein shakes. We tried several protein shakes and powders, and the one that worked best for our family is Orgain organic protein powder, vanilla bean flavor. We also added vegan Beyond burger and Beyond sausages to my son’s daily diet. Within a week, we saw a huge difference. His muscles started relaxing, he was sleeping better and was able to get back to track and tennis.

    “I love the green protein shake with almond milk”
    – DILAN SHAH

    Although I have always preferred to avoid processed food, these protein shakes are amazing! We have all consciously increased our daily intake of protein. We try to follow the protein intake guidelines outlined in this article: https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/how-much-proteindo-you-need-every-day-201506188096

    Though it varies depending on age, workout routine, etc., in general, to determine your daily protein intake, you can multiply your weight in pounds by 0.36. So a 40 year old woman who weighs 120 pounds and does not work out much would need to eat 43.2 grams of protein per day to maintain her muscles. There are several protein products and supplements on the market. Look for our post on Sunday for details!

    Health Bootcamps

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