Depression
Hormonal – Most depression is related to adrenal or sex hormone imbalances. Lower than normal levels of DHEA, cortisol, testosterone, estrogen or progesterone will trigger a biochemically-induced depression. Neuroscientists at the National Institute of Mental Health, our nation’s leading mental health facility, have stated that most depression in the United States is caused by adrenal hormone imbalances. Hormonal imbalances cause immune suppression, which leads to chronic infections. People with undiagnosed chronic infections consistently become depressed simply because they are sick. Most chronic infections do not cause obvious symptoms so they are left untreated.
Digestive – One of the well-established side effects of food intolerances and food allergies is depression. Furthermore, inefficient protein digestion deprives the body amino acids from which you make many of the key brain chemicals.
Detoxification – The inability to eliminate harmful chemicals or heavy metals from body tissues allows these toxins to build up to harmful levels. Many of these substances such as mercury and petroleum based chemicals easily penetrate our central nervous system, our brain and spinal cord, and cause depression. One of the most frequently reported benefits of a safe and effective detoxification program is alleviation of depression.
Female Hormonal Imbalance
Hormonal – Adrenal hormones that underlie proper female hormone production are the leading cause of female hormone symptoms such as PMS and menopausal symptoms.
Digestive – Unstable blood sugar, over-consumption of carbohydrates and sweets, poor digestive function and food sensitivities all contribute to female hormone problems. Chronic undetected infections, particularly in the intestinal tract, weaken immune function, and are a leading cause of adrenal hormone and female hormone problems.
Detoxification –Women who have taken birth control or hormone replacement therapy have placed an extra burden on the liver detoxification pathways as the body tries to eliminate the hormones from an external source. Many women who react poorly to birth control or HRT or even natural hormone programs have liver detoxification issues.
Fatigue
Fatigue can be due to food sensitivities, hormonal imbalances, and blood sugar problems.
Hormonal – Adrenal hormones and thyroid hormones regulate energy levels.
Digestive – Unstable blood sugar, over-consumption of carbohydrates and sweets, and food sensitivities all contribute to fatigue, and chronic, undetected infections that weaken immune function are a leading cause of fatigue.
Detoxification – The inability to eliminate heavy metals and chemicals stored in body can contribute to fatigue.
Overweight
Hormonal – Balancing your hormones that control blood sugar is absolutely essential to losing weight and keeping weight off in a healthy manner. Most weight loss programs that ignore blood sugar control have only temporary benefits.
Digestive – The inability to digest and absorb nutrients leads to food cravings and overeating. Pancreatic enzyme deficiencies, hydrochloric acid deficiencies, and gall bladder dysfunction are all common causes of poor digestion and absorption of nutrients. With poor absorption you will overeat until your basic nutrient requirements for protein, fats, vitamins and minerals are met. Untreated yeast overgrowth, often referred to as candidiasis, is a common root cause of weight gain. Any significant disruption in mucosal immune function will trigger yeast overgrowth. This leads to the excessive consumption of carbohydrates and sweets and undesired weight gain.
Detoxification – People who have chemical toxicity will hold excessive fluid in the body in an attempt to buffer the harmful effects of the harmful substances. This results in weight gain due to bloating and fluid retention that is often mistaken for fat.
Insomnia
Hormonal – Adrenal hormones regulate our 24 hour biological clock, or circadian rhythm. If this natural rhythm is disrupted, people experience sleep cycle disruption. Women frequently experience sleep problems due to female hormone imbalances, specifically when progesterone is low. Emotional stress and blood sugar regulation problems are the two most common underlying causes for adrenal dysfunction and female hormone imbalances that lead to sleep problems. Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, is also a key to immune system function. Low bedtime melatonin levels result in problems falling asleep. Low melatonin during the early morning hours causes people to wake between 2 am and 4 am. Anytime melatonin levels are low immune system function is depressed. Prior to using any hormone, including melatonin, appropriate lab testing is required.
Digestive – Our modern diet is noticeably deficient in the minerals such as magnesium and calcium that are required for us to relax and get a good night’s sleep. Proper stomach acidity is paramount for our body to assimilate minerals that we take in from our food or from mineral supplements. We require not only adequate levels of each mineral, but the right balance of each mineral to sleep well. The common mineral deficiency in the United States is magnesium, although some people are lower in calcium or zinc. Poor protein digestion can lead to low serotonin levels. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter necessary for restful sleep.
Detoxification – The major organ of detoxification, the liver, is most active between the hours of 1 a.m. to 3 a.m. If the liver is overwhelmed with the task of detoxification it will often wake us between these hours. It has been noted anecdotally for many years that people with liver detoxification problems wake in the morning with headaches and also experience nightmares that disturb sleep.
Headaches
Hormonal – Balancing your hormones that control blood sugar is absolutely essential to preventing many types of headaches. Headaches are often nothing more than simply a low blood sugar reaction. Weakened mucosal immunity, “leaky gut syndrome,” leads to molecules “leaking” into the bloodstream that are supposed to be contained in the digestive tract. Your immune system attacks these molecules, and this process can trigger headaches. Many types of headaches, including migraines, can be caused by this type of immune reaction.
Menopausal Symptoms
Hormonal – The responsibility for hormone production shifts from the ovaries to the adrenals during menopause. The first step to correcting the underlying causes of menopausal symptoms is assessing adrenal hormone function. Menopausal symptoms such as night sweats, hot flashes and insomnia interfere with the immune system’s critical repair work accomplished during the sleeping hours. Melatonin, a hormone that regulates sleep, is also a key to immune system function. Low bedtime melatonin levels result in problems falling asleep. Low melatonin during the early morning hours causes people to wake between 2 am and 4 am. Anytime melatonin levels are low immune system function is depressed. Prior to using any hormone, including melatonin, appropriate lab testing is required.
Digestive – Cholesterol is the recursor, or building block, to all sex hormones, including estrogen, progesterone and testosterone. Addressing your body’s digestion and assimilation is an important first step in hormone balancing.
Detoxification – If our chief detoxification organ, the liver, is over taxed, normal conjugation of hormones fails to take place. This is a common underlying cause for hormonal imbalances. Women who experience poor reactions to taking birth control or using traditional replacement therapy often have underlying toxic livers.
Heartburn/Reflux
Hormonal – Insufficient stomach acid production leads to undigested protein sitting in the stomach. This undigested protein putrifies, or rots, and releases organic acids that contribute to heartburn. Taking antacids does reduce the burning experiences from the rotting proteins and relieves symptoms but does little to address the underlying problem. Antacids are currently the numberoneselling medication in the United States. Evaluating and correcting stress hormones through diet, lifestyle changes, stress management and supplement programs can restore normal stomach acid production.
Digestive – In addition to stomach acidity, gluten and cow’s milk dairy sensitivities can trigger heartburn. Furthermore, overeating, lying down after large meals, and emotional stress can all lead to an improper function of the valve between the stomach and esophagus. Incomplete closing of that valve will lead to the symptoms of heartburn as the contents of the stomach come in contact with the delicate tissue of the esophagus.A common bacterial infection of the stomach called helicobacter pylori destroys the parietal cells in the stomach lining that produce hydrochloric acid. Without sufficient stomach acid we won’t properly digest protein. Bacteria and parasites that come into the stomach from the foods we eat are also destroyed by the proper acidity of the stomach.
Detoxification – Improper protein digestion leads to protein putrefaction. This undigested protein leads to the release of 33 known carcinogenic compounds into the bloodstream. This toxic compounds then need to be eliminated from the body putting a large burden on the liver.
Osteoporosis
Hormonal – The hormones estrogen, progesterone and cortisol all play a role in maintaining bone mass. Cortisol, like cortisone or prednisone, is a corticosteroid hormone. All corticosteroid hormones accelerate bone loss, which is why they are used only when absolutely necessary and why long-term steroid therapy puts people at great risk for osteoporosis. Even your body’s over production of the naturally occurring hormone cortisol will inhibit bone growth.
Digestive – Calcium is the primary mineral of bone formation. It is best absorbed in an acidic environment, but due to digestive dysfunction most people suffer from a lack of acidity in the stomach that impedes calcium. Examples of digestive dysfunction would include hydrochloric acid deficiencies from B vitamin and zinc deficiencies, bacterial infections of the stomach such as h. Pylori, and stress, which inhibits hydrochloric acid production. Your immune system is designed to both protect us from invading organisms and repair worn out cells. If your immune system is focused on fighting infections or maintaining mucosal barrier function, it is less able to carry out its other basic functions, including repair of bone. Bone is a dynamic structure and on a daily basis is being broken down and replaced: so much so that every seven years, your entire skeletal structure is torn down and rebuilt.
Detoxification – High levels of mercury, lead and other heavy metals directly interfere with bone strength. These toxic metals lead to leaching of calcium and magnesium out of bone as the calcium and magnesium attempt to chelate, or pull out heavy metals. The toxic heavy metal lead is actually stored in bone tissue, which leads to further weakening of the bone structure.
