What to "Expect" with Natural Medicine

If you’re like most, and certainly me, you have past experiences and expectations from the philosophy of Medicine.  In a nutshell… give the condition a name, apply a symptom oriented medicine, and watch how it progresses for the rest of your life.  Seriously…many drugs are considered a success if they SLOW the progression of disease! 

 Clearly, the expectations for healing are ZILCH…ZERO…NADA.  To make it funny though, they legally prohibit us from treating their named diseases, so we cannot “cure” them.  Don’t worry, I treat people, not named diseases.  

So what do you expect in a health philosophy of digging for cause, and aiming for cure (healing…the normal physiological response), using natures medicines and nourishing foods?  

First of all, EXPECTATIONS are nothing but STRESS!  Ideally, we find growth and joy in the process.  I get that it is tough to enjoy the process when you are suffering, but what a perfect experience for growth.  Think about it… don’t we grow the most from painful experiences?

Let’s set our expectations to LEARN something very valuable that you will take forward in life, making you a more resourceful person.  

Maybe it will be how to include healthier foods in your diet.  I didn’t eat vegetables until I was in my 20s!

In fact, I learned a huge lesson about nourishment AFTER I thought I knew quite a bit about nutrition (eating my veggies).  It was the frequency of nourishment…I was eating very healthy foods, but going long hours without eating…and sure enough, I ended up with severe mold allergies and a chronic sinus infection that lasted almost a year.  

I learned in that process to ASK FOR HELP SOONER rather than later (I once asked a patient who had recovered from her sickness what she had learned in the process, and that was her response…ASK FOR HELP SOONER).  

I suffered many months that I didn’t need to if I would have called my doctor sooner.  (I learned when I was in my early 20s to call a natural doctor.)  I also learned a big lesson about plant medicine…the “Cure” for my problem was not something I had heard of…the lesson being that God / Nature has your solution if you keep looking (and asking for help in my case).  

Now I never stop researching plant medicines, and I always suggest you eat frequently.  (Protein every couple hours if your adrenals are toast!)

Maybe you will learn something about healthy boundaries, self care, or honest communication.  Or how to use plant medicines to maintain health when you are stressed and NOT ready or able to confront boundaries, take time for yourself, or “lay out your cards.”  

I learned honesty to save my marriage.  I remember vividly the night of “honesty”…I simply and awkwardly shared how angry I was (love withdrawal was my previous form of communication).  I soaked my shirt in sweat just trying to say what was in my body…but I forced it out.  

I think I said I feel like sometimes I hate her.  Something like that…and no…it didn’t melt her heart, but it did open the door to more honest communication that has grown since then…and occasionally regresses of course.  But the lesson I take with me…it is a resource that I still use, with a bit more compassion these days.  

Maybe you will learn something that I don’t even know to teach you, but if you have the expectation to learn, it will come to you…and maybe you will teach me what you then understand.  

If you hold this expectation…I virtually guarantee you that you will have amazing results and a wonderful experience.  You will look back fondly on your “suffering” as a guide to the wonderful resources that YOU NOW OWN.  Not Dr. Stone’s resources…YOURS!  

And that is a WIN for you and everyone you know and care for.  

Adrenal Stress Syndrome

Just like a whole person, your adrenal glands can feel exhausted or over stimulated.  And just like you (and me), we, and those adrenal glands, don’t function well when we are out of balance in either direction.  

Our primary product, as a whole person, is the harvesting of a special molecule called ATP.  (Energy) 

The product of the adrenal glands is blood glucose control…in particular, they are the guardians of HYPOGLYCEMIA (low blood sugar).  You know it when they fail…you feel jittery, shaky, irritable, maybe even nauseous. 

Just like you and me, the adrenal glands have to ensure survival and manage stress just to get to our real job (making energy / keeping blood sugar stable, respectively).  And while we might think our next paycheck is survival, and the boss is stress, your adrenal glands worry about invasion (immune challenges), attack (physical danger), and stress over keeping the blood sugar from dropping.  

And quite possibly, one complication of restoring adrenal health is NOT considering potential immune challenges.  If you are exhausted, and wish for more energy…and simply take adaptogens or glandulars for the adrenal glands…without considering immune health…you might be disappointed.  (Imagine taking an adaptogens while you have a cold…the cold trumps the adrenals and keeps you in bed.)

This can be diagnostic though.  If you take tried and true adrenal exhaustion remedies…and don’t feel “remedied”…time to look at your immune challenges. 

If you download my free thyroid book from AshevilleThryoidClinic.com, I give a thorough (and concise) breakdown of evaluating and treating your immune challenges (so many thyroid problems are immune). 

I also have a section on treating adrenals…but I’ll summarize that here.

Hypo-Adrenal:  A classic sign of tired adrenals is hypoglycemia, especially when coupled with waking up several times a night.  (or waking and not being able to go back to sleep even though you are exhausted!).

My first thoughts with clear adrenal exhaustion are whole adrenal glandulars and licorice root.  Adrenal glandulars work similarly to cortisone or prednisone, in that they stimulate the adrenal glands, but not to the extent of suppressing the immune system.  Licorice improves your “gas mileage”…it keeps the available cortisol circulating longer so we get more blood sugar stimulation from less production.  

Hyper-Adrenal:  A classic sign of over stimulated adrenals is falling asleep insomnia, especially when coupled with falling asleep after lunch (right when you NEED the energy for productivity). 

My first thoughts for adrenal overdrive are phosphatidyl serine, lemon balm, passion flower, and skullcap.  These are products that slow, soothe, and relax different parts of the nervous system.  

Adaptogens fit most adrenal dysfunction, as they “adapt” to whatever stress you are having.  With that said, the ginsengs are more stimulating and appropriate for tired adrenals.  Ashwagandha and Holy Basil I think of as regulators…help with shifting from night to day, rest to awake, etc.  Reishi and Astragalus for immune suppression with fatigue.  Schizandra and Rhodiola for mental and physical endurance.  

The glandular adaptogen is Drenamin…it is not whole gland (Dessicated Adrenal is the whole gland product), but an extract of proteins from the cells of adrenal glands, plus calming B vitamins.  Like the adaptogen plants, it can be used to treat hyper and hypo- adrenal function, plus has the glandular qualities of nourishing/healing the gland itself.    

There are more plants and nutrients that contribute to the health of the adrenals, but this list offers a starting point and the most common protocols I use for adrenal dysfunction.  And remember…if you pick a stimulating or soothing protocol, and don’t feel stimulated or soothed, go up the priority hierarchy to immune challenges. 

Diet Rules 101

One of the most impactful books I have read on the topic of food and nourishment is Nutrition and Physical Degeneration by Weston Price.  

Dr. Price traveled the world around the 1940s investigating the connections between diet and physical degeneration.  Not only did he find a clear connection between certain foods and increases in physical disease, but also what diets showed clear protection against disease.

His conclusions make sense based on my evaluation of “truth”…is it “God pure,” does it align with nature and/or is it observed in nature, and most importantly, does its application improve my health and/or happiness.

The conclusions are simple.  The protective diets were different but always whole (as God offers the foods).  None included refined or processed grains or sugars, canned foods, processed oils (hydrogenated fats), or processed dairy (pasteurized).  

Simply…the family members that maintained whole food diets, native to their locale, rarely observed physical degenerative diseases.  Brothers and sisters of the same culture, who were introduced to white flour, sugar, and “fake” fats, showed marked increases in dental decay and jaw narrowing (especially in second generation processed food consumers) and physical degeneration, including heart disease, diabetes, etc. as well as mental and cognitive decline, which we would now call ADD…brain fog and poor concentration. 

At around the same time, Dr. Francis Pottenger observed the exact same consequence in his laboratory of cats fed processed foods.  By fourth generation, these cats lacked coordination and were functionally sterile…unable to reproduce.  

We choose 100% whole grains (bread, pasta, etc.), 100% whole sweeteners (honey, maple syrup) and 100% whole fats (butter, coconut oil, olive oil) over 80% of the time (remember the 80/20 rule?)  This is why…it is the difference between a 90% probability of experiencing physical disease using processed foods, compared to a 10% probability maintaining a whole food diet.

Is that enough…for you…a tipping point??…to look 5% harder…for whole grains, sweeteners and fats?  That’s about all the effort required to choose whole foods 80% of the time.  

Add in for the parents out there…a 90% probability of behavior issues, versus a 10% probability.  Are we there yet? 

Self Worth Experiment

After completing another month long “weight loss experiment,” Sonya said to me, “Why don’t you do something a little more profound…like a ‘self worth experiment.’  Make some commitments toward increasing self worth.  Do it for 30 days and report the results of that.” 

Hmmmm…

Certainly this is more a sticking point with me than weight issues.  Maybe I should take on a something that is more of a challenge…for me.  

And with the mention, now I feel the fear.  It was easy to follow the weight loss commitments, in part because I had no fear of failing.  

And now I feel bad.  Did I minimize how incredibly difficult it is to break the patterns of weight challenges?  It certainly wasn’t my intention, but now looking at it from a perspective of my own fear, I can see how it might have looked.  My intention was to demonstrate the “curious scientist” approach to life…small changes, keep track of variables, and be curious about the results (no heavy expectations).

I can see how the fear of failure really changes the game.  But…I will take the advice of Dr. Stone, my more resourceful 9-5 identity…and apply it to Todd Stone…the rest of me, the less resourceful parts. 

I often say, “I am a good example of health, from the ears down.”  This is clearly a challenge from the ears up.  

Ok, so what the heck do I commit to…?  As resourceful as I feel with health, I feel nearly as UN-resourceful with improving my “head space. “  I’ll take my wife’s advice on this one…do consistently what I already know to do.

I know Neuro-Emotional Therapy (NET).  It’s a little like the more famous technique called EFT.   Tapping  acupressure points on emotional “blocks.”  We use muscle testing to identify the original “neurologic imprint,” which is the painful experience that initiated the unresourceful strategies to avoid further pain.  For example, if your father was abusive, you might use the strategy called “pleaser” where you try to predict what will make him happy to avoid further pain. (and of course, trying to make people happy will destroy your health!).  

I know neurology…how the brain works.  The brain is the gray and white matter, the physical structure that makes up the thinking parts, feeling parts, moving parts, and health regulating parts of the nervous system.  The mind I consider just the thinking parts (the scary parts!).  And what I know about this structure is that repetition builds stronger connections.  Whatever you repeatedly do, you get good at…including struggle, feeling bad, and fear.   

I know the philosophy of health and life from eastern medicine called “The Five Elements.”  This philosophy gives a simple structure to life, health, and nature.  It reveals how all parts of your body, your life, and all of nature flows together.  It explains how a bacteria in your small intestine can cause depression, or thyroid and weight issues.  It explains how an absent father can result in validation issues (OK-ness), which can cause self worth issues and struggles with finances.  And it reveals what energy is needed to resolve them.  

I also know to keep it simple and short or it will never stick.  So what I will commit to is about 6 minutes a day (do I see a theme here…same as my exercise commitment?).  I will do tapping on stressful memories and turn around the stress/pressure to reveal the value (ie. an abusive father makes you a very considerate person in most instances).  

I will focus my attention on two things…what I want in life, and the gratitude I have for what I already have.  You might say, “Duh,” but when you are emotionally blocked to what you want, it requires some exertion to put attention and focus on the positives, because some areas of life are proving that you aren’t enough, and it is SOOOO aggravating that it commands your attention and focus.  

That’s it…but it is different.  My previous pattern of trying to decrease struggle and increase  self value was doing more.  And, at age 43, I guess I have to admit that that ain’t working.  Now, like the curious scientist, I will focus only on my own self worth blocks…and, of course see what happens.  

How will I measure my self worth?  Well, capitalism has invented one way…income, sales, and financial worth.  How many clients do I have, book sales do I make, etc.  It’s as measurable as weight.  

I know that money is not self worth, but it is one measure.  When we take an energetic view, money exchange is a value exchange.  It once was that the person who made incredible chairs traded his value and skill for chickens.  Capitalism has created a system of exchange that allows the chicken farmer to obtain my value and skill even if I don’t need chickens.  

I know that self worth is an inside job.  I have patients that “Thank GOD” for my skills and expertise.  But still, despite the evidence to the contrary, the results I see show a lack of self worth…the struggle is always there.  

So, I will not do more…I will do 6 minutes of energetic work…tapping points, rubbing points, focusing my mind both on the stress and then the value of the stress.  (diamonds are formed from incredible pressure as I understand).   And then I will focus my mind on desire…gratitude…appreciation.  For 6 minutes a day.  And I will notice the results.  

If I am still struggling…if I fail... I will change the variables and try again. 

Weight Loss Finale

Once again I am a failure.  Last time I was a failure on the scales of “reality,” weight and body fat percentage.  This time I am also a failure of commitment.  I even publicly committed to reduce my carbohydrate indulgences…just a bit…and the reality was that I do believe I increased indulgences.  

Well, that’s why I don’t usually make diet commitments that include eliminating my addictions.  When you push against an irresistible force, you just end up feeling like a failure.  I honestly thought I could do it for a month, especially a public commitment.  But, in the end, I know you can’t harm me in any way, and the self respect wasn’t enough to keep me on track.  

I have said many times, “I am not a model of discipline, I am a model of resourcefulness.”  

Now, the fact is, my resourcefulness requires a bit of discipline as well.  Just different…and discipline that is easy for me to do.  

For example, Sonya (my partner), is almost finished with a one ounce bottle of something her body needs…after about 5 weeks.  At the same time, I finished TEN ounces of my home brew (custom herbal blend).  You’re right…more is not always better.  Better only rests on the results.  

My actual discipline (instead of reducing indulgences) was doubling my payoffs.  That meant 2 smoothies per day made of nourishing greens (kale, arugula, spinach, broccoli rabe, chard) with some blueberries, Clearvite protein shake mix, Greens First, with my payoff formula mixed in (milk thistle, burdock, culvers root, and schizandra).

And just to review, I kept the NAC (used in the ER for poisoning), B6, and fish oils.  I also kept the 6 minutes of exercise, plus an additional minute for each indulgence.  

I’m certainly not against eating in a more disciplined fashion.  And…if you are not able to keep your dietary commitments (like me), then at least this gives you another option.  

Results…..