We've moved! On the web that is....

Check out our new website www.dremilyspear.com! All current office info is now located there, as well as a new blog coming soon (and old blog posts)! We are also on Facebook.

NAET - Nambudripad Allergy Elimination Techniques

In my continuing series on Food allergies I want to talk about the NAET treatment. First, a little back story. My husband and I did a 10 day detox in the spring which had a low allergen diet as part of it. My skin felt amazing during the detox! When I resumed my normal diet (which is pretty clean) I noticed a lot of itching in my skin. I have always had eczema issues along with seasonal nasal allergies. I knew I was on to something with food allergies. I tested, and low and behold I was allergic to dairy, egg, corn (really hard to avoid, it’s even in makeup!), barley (beer Yikes!), crab, and almonds. This was a problem. Almonds, farm eggs, and organic full fat dairy are definitely in my regular eating. I eat yogurt and whey protein on a regular basis and I use almond meal as a flour substitute to cut out gluten/wheat. I don’t eat a ton of corn, but it is virtually unavoidable. I checked my face lotion and yep, there’s corn in my organic face products.  So, after doing some research I found a NAET chiropractor in my town.

NAET is a non-invasive, drug free, natural solution to alleviate allergies of all types and intensities using a blend of selective energy balancing, testing and treatment procedures from acupuncture/acupressure, allopathy, chiropractic, nutritional, and kinesiological disciplines of medicine. Through my chiropractor’s NAET testing she confirmed the sensitivities my test detected and also found that I was having a problem assimilating B vitamins and Minerals. This was interesting to me as I had not told her of observations I had noticed in myself in regards to minerals (hurt stomach) and B- vitamins (irritate bladder). 

A typical treatment includes holding a vial of the food while muscle testing to see if I react to it, then having a chiropractic adjustment and acupuncture while holding the same vial. I will also rest on the table for about 10 minutes while holding the vial. Immediately after a session I wash my hands to remove and residual energy from the food and then avoid the food for a period of 25 hours. This allows my body to complete a 24 hour acupuncture energy cycle. At the next appointment the previously cleared food is re-tested using muscle testing to see if the sensitivity was cleared.

So, how’s it going? I had the egg cleared first and it went well. I did not notice any reactions, but felt my itchy scalp was better after the first 24 hours. I did B vitamins next. This time I was head-achy and noticed some funny bladder symptoms in the first 24 hours. By the end of the week I had noticeably more energy! I definitely felt perkier. I did minerals next, and I had to do two sessions on this one, I did not clear after the first treatment. After the second treatment I was itchy all over my body for about a day, but again, after 24 hours it went away. I did dairy this past Monday, and again noticed some bladder (obviously my body’s barometer) symptoms. My chronic eczema patch on my hand seemed to be getting better as well. Next came the grains and I seemed to clear this one well too. I have definitely noticed a difference in my skin and eczema!

Everything was looking and feeling good, and then I had a small set back. Two things happened: 1- we had a major seasonal change (summer to autumn) and weather shift (hey, weather changes are not new to us Missourians, we can change 50+ degrees in a day sometimes), and 2- I had 2 food reactions 2 days in a row. The first was digestive, my fault, I ate Mexican. I could tell it just was not agreeing with me all afternoon. The second was a hives type reaction to a prepared salad from Whole Foods that I eat on a regular basis. Nothing new. My guess is that I accidentally had some unwashed greens; I got hives around my mouth and on my neck that lasted just 10 minutes or so right after I ate. After these two episodes I noticed a few of my eczema patches had started to flare-up again.  I do feel like my skin has been “on the fritz” the last week or so but seems to be improving. I am not sure if it is related to the weather, foods, or purely coincidental. I checked with my chiropractor and she thought my body was just a little more sensitive due to the NAET treatments and should settle down.  She also suggested that we specifically test components of dairy (one of my main issues) such as whey, casein  and lactose. I have been instructed to bring various dairy foods to my next apt. 

I have noticed that while everyone else is struggling with fall ragweed and mold allergies; my nose is feeling pretty good. I am still on a Zyrtec daily, but have not had to add Floanse or the Netti pot so far. I would like to get off the Zyrtec eventually.  After I finish out the NAET treatments I will update again and give my thoughts! Stay tuned for more! 

Food sensitivities, now what? -Part 2

Once you have discovered a sensitivity some steps need to be taken to heal your gut and the rest of your body. Simply removing the food will decrease symptoms, but the gut damage is still there, allowing waste to continue leaking out. The "4 R" program is great for healing gut integrity.

1. Remove the food irritant
2. Replace lost digestive function with enzymes as needed
3. Reinoculate your gut with good bacterial probiotics
4. Repair your gut mucosal membrane to seal up holes

I have several "4R" products available in the office. Gut integrity is extremely important, most of our immune system is located in our gut! By effectively sealing off your gut lining the bad stuff (poop) stays where it is supposed to and is eliminated by your body. This leads to a dramatic decrease in body wide symptoms and body wide inflammation. 

The "Big 8" foods that are highly reactive are:

• Eggs
• Dairy
• Wheat/gluten
• Peanuts
• Tree Nuts
• Soy
• Shellfish
• Fish

I have seen a lot a dairy and egg sensitivities in patients who have been tested. I have seen some grain intolerances (wheat, corn, etc.) and a few shellfish and nuts. I even had a migraine sufferer test positive for a chocolate sensitivity (my worst nightmare)! I have also seen foods as random as green beans and kidney beans show up for a patient.  Once the food sensitivities are identified, we can sit down and go through them one by one an come up with a reasonable plan for elimination with the appropriate nutritional support.  Patients who are getting tested are:

• Migraine and headache sufferers
• IBS patients
• Fibromyalgia patients
• Patients with widespread inflammation
• Patients with difficult or stubborn issues not otherwise resolved
• Patients with stubborn skin issues (acne, eczema, etc.)
• Patients who want to improve their health 

If you think you (or someone you know) have a food sensitivity and are interested in testing please call the office! I will be more then happy to test and guide you through the process! 

Food sensitivities can cause that?!! - Part 1

Today we are going to explore the topic of food allergies and sensitivities. Food allergies that are immediate (IgE antibody) reactions can range in severity from mild hives and itching to life threatening anaphylaxis (severe). Immediate food allergies are usually easy to figure out since you have a reaction immediately after eating and are usually obvious. Delayed food sensitivities (IgG antibody) are caused by a different (but similar) type of antibody response to an irritating food. A delayed reaction can start anywhere form a few hours after eating to up to 5 days after eating a food. This, coupled with the wide range of symptoms, is what makes them so hard to figure out. The problem is more complex though. When you are eating a food on a regular basis and are sensitive to it your lining of your large intestine (body's main detoxifier) gets microscopic holes it, allowing waste (poop) to leak out of your gut into your bloodstream, body, and brain (a condition called "leaky gut"). This is how symptoms that are not GI in nature can actually be from a food sensitivity.  Here is a (partial) list of aliments commonly associated with food sensitivities:

• AD(H)D
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• compulsive disorders
• anxiety
• arthritis and joint pain
• asthma
• chronic fatigue
• fibromyalgia
• IBS, diarrhea, constipation 
• cravings and eating disorders
• depression
• mood swings
• fluid retention
• foggy brain, and poor concentration
• gas and bloating
• headaches and migraines
• hives
• hyperactivity
• hypoglycemia
• leaky bladder
• MS
• PMS
• acne, eczema, rashes
• weight gain

These delayed symptoms are:

• difficult to link with a source
• may affect any part of the body
• can exacerbate existing condition
• can undermine therapeutic interventions if not identified

How do we identify sensitivities? Sometimes it is a simple as following an "elimination diet" where the suspicious food is removed for a period of time, then reintroduced with symptoms being tracked. Other times a blood test may be more appropriate. I recently began using the "Food Safe Blood Spot" test in the office. It has the ability to screen 95 common foods for delayed reactions. I also have a test that is more extensive and can screen for 190 foods. Part 2 will explore what steps to take after a sensitivity is discovered. 

Detox Day 5 and on to the end!

Well, we're done! We did a pretty good job, our only "cheats" were a few things like sweet potato and rice on days that they were not approved foods. Not too bad all things considered! Days 5-7 were the most strict with detox veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, kale, etc.) being the only veggies allowed along with fish, apples/pears, and the shake 4 times per day. This is the phase where the bulk of the detoxification occurs. Energy was pretty good here for both of us, it seems like once we got past day 3 for me and day 4 for Andre our energies were much better. I know something was working detox wise because I was peeing like crazy! We both were extremely "fish fatigued" by the time we finished  and I do not think we will be eating it anytime soon! Eating fish this many days in a row was a big accomplishment for me, I am not a huge fish eater. Andre and I did not notice a huge change overall, but we do not eat a typical SAD (standard american diet) either. We really focus on eating a lot of whole, fresh food/minimal processed that we prepare ourselves in our daily lives. Of course we are not perfect and will have the occasional pizza and cheeseburger. Food cravings were not bad for either of us, Andre was missing coffee the most, I missed butter the most, but neither one of us had unbearable cravings. I was surprised how little I missed cheese, chocolate, and coffee. We treated ourselves with GT's Kombucha throughout to keep our morale high! I noticed that dinner was easier than lunch. Lunch was usually leftovers and I think actually cooking dinner made the meal more enjoyable overall. Andre remarked  that he was more aware and thankful for the types of food we are able to eat on a regular basis.  Andre feels he leaned up a bit and I lost about 2 pounds even though weight loss was not a goal, we were trying to whole body detox. From here on we will slowly introduce foods back in. I will say, my coffee this morning tasted excellent!

Detox Days 3-4

We're on day 4 now! Almost halfway done! Day 3 was a bit of a challenge, Day 4 is going much better. Day 3 we eliminated nuts and rice as well as everything else we had previously eliminated. We both were super tired for day 2 and day 3 and I could tell my body was not loving the new diet. Andre was faring a little better. After analyzing what I had eaten and how I was feeling on Day 3 I decided to make a few modifications. I added a scoop of protein powder to my morning shake to bring me up to my normal 25 grams for breakfast and I decided to keep nuts and rice cakes in and eat less fruit. I am not used to getting most of my carb intake from fruit (I follow a low fructose diet) and needed something a little longer lasting. So, now on the afternoon of day 4, I am feeling pretty good! My energy is better today, I still have a little "spaciness" in how my brain feels. I checked in with Andre and he is feeling better as well. He also added a scoop of protein to his morning shake. Neither one of us have had any "hangover" headaches, Andre was a little achy is his muscles this AM but he also worked out yesterday. I have not been hungry on this detox, Andre has (he also has a higher metabolic demand), but he has been good at getting snack as soon as he feels hungry. Food cravings have not been bad either. We both miss our morning coffee, I was craving a little chocolate on Day 2 but really haven't since. Surprisingly, neither one of us have craved any alcohol, which Andre thought would be harder to give up.

Here's what we ate:

Day 3: Shake and fruit for bfast, salad and veggie chili for lunch, shake for snack, grilled fish and veg including red potatoes for dinner.

Day 4: Shake with extra protein for bfast, soup and 2 rice cakes with almond butter for lunch, shake for snack, and grilled salmon sweet potato and asparagus for dinner.

Our shake beverage increased to 2 scoops today giving us 12 grams protein per serving, tomorrow we jump up to a 2 scoop shake 4 times per day. I anticipate that I will not need supplemental protein at that point, since I will have a steady intake all day long.

I will check back in around day 6 or 7!

Spring Detox Days 1 and 2

My husband and I decided to do a spring detox this year and I thought I would chronicle our experience here! We are doing the Metagenics Clear Change program (found here). I carry the Metagenics line in my office and really like their products in general.  I especially like this detox program because it is not a fad diet and there are no questionable ingredients. It is a very structured plan where you can eat as much as you want from specified food groups. The program comes with a great guide that lays it all out for you. There is also a nutritional beverage "shake" and a capsule that helps to support detoxification. The Clear Change is a metabolic detox, meaning it will help trap and eliminate whole body toxins. I have had several patients use this product with great results. Those who had weight to lose reported a 10-15 pound weight loss. Andre and I are not trying to lose weight. We are simply trying to rid our bodies of the buildup of toxins from over the years and live more healthy.

Of course, being a detox, there's no coffee(yikes!) or caffeine, chocolate(double yikes!!), alcohol, and refined sugar. Dairy, wheat, and corn are also out for the 10 day stretch. Rice and nuts are ok in the beginning but will be eliminated later on. All foods will be added back in later.

Here's what we ate:
Day 1: oatmeal with fruit for breakfast, rice cakes with almond butter (actually really tasty!) and fruit for lunch, raw veg with hummus for snack, grilled fish with asparagus and sweet potatoes for dinner. Pretty normal stuff!

Day 2: shake and oatmeal for breakfast with a capsule, salad and veggie chili(me) salad with fish and soup (Andre) for lunch, shake with a capsule for snack, grilled fish, veggies, and sweet potatoes for dinner (we just really like sweet potatoes!) Other snacks were fruit,rice cakes, and nuts.

As we continue for the next 8 days we will monitor how we feel and make any modifications needed (i.e. more protein, less fruit, more veg etc.) It is important to remain flexible on a detox, what works for one person may not work so well for another. Make modifications as needed, just stick to the general plan  I will report back in a few days to let you know how we are feeling and doing! So far, so good! I have not attacked anyone for a square of dark chocolate yet!

Dr. Spear