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KateFox_TreatPoll

Sweet-Treat Poll
Yummmm!

We had so much fun with our first ever Facebook Sweet Treat Poll... and even more fun sharing 

Dr. Fox's home-baked winner, Chocolate Blonde Brownies, with all of you in the office.  We just may have to do it again! 

 

Here's a link to the recipe for this super yummy gluten, dairy, and egg free treat:

  

Blonde Chocolate Brownies

 

 

 

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Yogurt Oatmeal Mask

 

Ingredients:

 

� 1TB oatmeal, finely ground

� 1 TB live, organic plain yogurt (non-flavored)

A few drops of honey

� 1 tsp olive oil

[recipe cont. below] 


Pumpkin Mask

Pumpkins_DrBacchus100x
photo by: Dr. Bacchus (Flickr.com)

Ingredients:

 

� � cup fresh pumpkin pulp (canned is fine)

� 2 TB olive oil

� 2 tsp almond milk (for dry or combo skin)

or

� 1 tsp honey (for dry skin)

or

� 2 tsp apple cider vinegar or cranberry juice (for oily skin)

 

[recipe cont. below] 


Los Gatos Chiropractic and Wellness Center

October 2011 Newsletter

  

 

Our newsletters and website are written to provide you with tools and information you need to pursue better health. We invite you to contact our office with any further questions (408) 891-8222.


-Dr. Kate Fox & Dr. Jennifer Walker 

 

Thyroid Molecule

 

 

The Truth About Thyroid 

And How It Affects Us

 

A typical Thyroid check in a doctor's office will assess TSH only and no other hormone. This has been standard practice for many years. It used to be that when we saw a low TSH, it would suggest a hyperthyroid patient and a high TSH would signal a hypothyroid patient. We now know that this doesn't really take into account the whole pituitary cycle that Thyroid is part of. Many doctors and endocrinologists will run a complete Thyroid panel that will at least include Total T4, Free T3, Reverse T3, and Thyroid Antibodies. Some of the other tests that can be run are Resin T3 uptake, Thyroid binding globulin Free T4, and Free T4 index.  

Thyroid Hormones & Their Functions
Thyroid Test Check

 

TSH is known as Thyroid Stimulating Hormone, also called Thyrotropin, and is released in the brain by the pituitary gland. Your brain will release more TSH if your T4 level drops, and release less TSH if your T4 level increases. This is your brain's way of controlling the metabolic action and speed at which the cells in the body respond. Functional Reference Range for a lab or, as the doctors like to call it, optimal Thyroid TSH level, is 1.7-2.3. You will note this is a much smaller range than most labs will list on your results. This is because in our office we are concerned with your well being not merely your existence.

 

T4 is Thyroxin and is a Thyroid molecule that has four iodine atoms bonded to it, which is how it gets its name. The Thyroid will produce most of the body's T4, which is the inactive form of Thyroid hormone. The T4 is then sent to the liver where a combination of the enzyme 5' Deiodinase converts it into the active Thyroid hormone T3 or Reverse T3 (also inactive until it gets to the gastrointestinal tract).

 

T3 is called Triiodothyroxine and is the active form of Thyroid hormone that controls our metabolism. It is created from T4 in the liver and the gastrointestinal mucosa. A small amount is created in the Thyroid itself but only a small amount. There are binding sites in many areas of the body that are responsible for how the metabolism of the body works together to get things functioning at an optimal level.

 

Thyroid Antibodies usually are present when the body is attacking its own Thyroid. This occurs more often than one would think. This is because of some altered state in the body's function that starts an autoimmune type reaction. An autoimmune reaction can come from many causes but one of the most common ones is from a problem in the digestive tract. 


The Physiologic and Metabolic Effects of Thyroid
Thyroid Gland 3D

 

Bone metabolism, gastrointestinal function, glucose metabolism, thermoregulation, progesterone & estrogen metabolism, and homeocysteine levels may all be affected when Thyroid hormone is imbalanced. This is only a small list of how Thyroid works on the intricate areas of our body and how one hormone can lead us to a lack of health.

 

Bone metabolism and Thyroid have an important relationship. If a person has low Thyroid at a young age, they will most likely have some deformity of the bone present. Also hypercalcemia, which is too much calcium in the blood, can occur in a patient with hyper function resulting in a demineralization of the bone. This has blood as well as urine markers.

 

Gastrointestinal function can also be compromised. In a patient with low Thyroid function, the gastric transit time will increase and a sluggish bowel occurs. We also see a malabsorption or dysbiosis in patients with low Thyroid. Both conditions can cause each other creating the 'chicken or egg' situation!

 

Glucose metabolism is slower in patients with low Thyroid function and the response of insulin on glucose is greatly decreased. This slowing of a response to glucose will cause a patient to present with hypoglycemic symptoms. This can then lead to an increased stress on the adrenal gland as they release cortisol to increase the level of glucose in the body.

 

Thermoregulation, otherwise known as the temperature swings that exist in the body, is tremendously affected by the hormones of the Thyroid. In women it can be common to diagnosis these temperature swings as estradiol (estrogen) deficiency. This can result in a misdiagnosis since the Thyroid will mimic many of these symptoms.

 

Progesterone and Estrogen metabolism can suffer major affects when Thyroid hormone is imbalanced. This means that the Thyroid hormone will metabolize estrogen removing the risk of estrogen-related proliferation cells (cells that can cause cancer). So in the case of hypothyroidism, the 2:16 estrogen metabolite ratio is shifted in such a way that there is an increase in cell proliferation increasing a person's risk of cancer. Progesterone is impacted on its receptor sites by Thyroid and specifically Thyroid peroxidase activity, which limits thyroxine synthesis. So our progesterone insuffiency can cause a problem with our Thyroid expression and may mimic only hormone related problems. And when progesterone receptors are not stimulated enough with Thyroid hormone they can lose their sensitivity to progesterone causing symptoms like: headache, mid-cycle depression, and inability to lose weight.

 

Homeocysteine levels can rise if the methylation process is limited by an insufficiency of Thyroid hormone. And we know that high levels of Homeocysteine can increase our risk of cardiovascular diseases.

 

Take the Thyroid Self-Assessment Test on our Wellness Blog to determine whether or not you may want to talk to one of our doctors. This test was developed by Dr. Richard L. Shames, M.D. and Dr. Karilee Halo Shames, R.N., Ph.D., authors of the book: Thyroid Power.

 

High Fructose Corn Syrup Spoon 

The Not-So-Sweet Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup

  

All sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain! More than 40 years ago high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) was introduced as a cost-effective sweetener in the American diet. It's found in a wide range of foods and beverages, including fruit juice, soda, cereal, bread, yogurt, ketchup, and mayonnaise. On average, Americans consume 60 pounds of the sweetener per person every year! Since then, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that rates of obesity in the U.S. have skyrocketed. In 1970, around 15 percent of the U.S. population met the definition for obesity; today, roughly one-third of the American adults are considered obese.

  

More and more research is pointing to a correlation between weight gain and HFCS. In results published by the journal Pharmacology, Biochemistry and Behavior, the researchers from the Department of Psychology and the Princeton Neuroscience Institute reported on two experiments investigating the link between the consumption of HFCS and obesity. Rats with HFCS in their diet gained 48 percent more weight than those eating a normal diet. They also exhibited the characteristics of obesity such as an increase in belly fat and circulating triglycerides. In humans, these are known risk factors for high blood pressure, coronary artery disease, cancer, and diabetes. The researchers say the work sheds light on the factors contributing to obesity trends in the United States.

  

The use of HFCS in our processed food remains a controversial issue. Many corn trade associations and interests insist that there is very little difference between cane sugar and HFCS. High-fructose corn syrup and sucrose are both compounds that contain the simple sugars fructose and glucose, but there are at least two clear differences between them. Sucrose is 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose while the typical HFCS contains 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. Larger sugar molecules called higher saccharides make up the remaining 3 percent of the sweetener. Second, as a result of the manufacturing process for HFCS, the fructose molecules in the sweetener are free and unbound, readily available for absorption and utilization. On the other hand, every fructose molecule in sucrose that comes from cane sugar or beet sugar is bound to a corresponding glucose molecule and must go through an extra metabolic step before it can be utilized. The Princeton study suggests that excess fructose metabolizes to produce fat, while glucose is largely processed for energy or stored as a carbohydrate, called glycogen, in the liver and muscles.  

 

With HFCS in so many of our foods, what is a consumer to do? Here are a few of our suggestions. 

  • Avoid fast food. Fast food often contains HFCS.
  • Read all food labels. High fructose corn syrup can be found in almost anything!
  • Remember that "natural" does not necessarily mean HFCS-free because fructose is a naturally occurring sugar. On the other hand, foods labeled as 100% organic can be assumed to be HFCS-free.
  • Avoid canned or bottled beverages. Soft drinks, sports drinks, lemonade, iced tea, and almost every sweet drink you can think of contains high-fructose corn syrup.

Recipes for Beautiful Skin:

 

Yogurt Oatmeal Mask 

(all skin types)

(recipe continued from side bar)

 

Instructions:

Apply mask thickly across face.  

Leave for ten minutes then rinse thoroughly and apply moisturizer.

 

 

 

Pumpkin Mask

pumpkins_DrBacchus
photo credit Dr. Bacchus (flickr.com)

 

(recipe continued from side bar)

 

Instructions:

Pur�e the fresh pumpkin pulp into a thick paste.
(You can use unsweetened canned pumpkin.) 

Add the olive oil. 

 

If your skin is dry, stir in a splash of omega-rich almond milk and the honey.For oilier complexions, instead stir in apple cider vinegar or cranberry juice.

 

Mix well. Apply the mask, leaving it on for 15 to 20 minutes, depending on your skin sensitivity. Rinse with cool water and moisturize as usual.

 

 

Disclaimer

Material in this newsletter is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat or cure any condition. It is not a substitute for medical care and is not intended to address individual situations and needs.