IMPORTANT! BASIC PRINCIPLES

Food Is Your Best Medicine!

In my twenties I read a book by Henry Bieler, MD, called Food Is Your Best Medicine. In this book Dr. Bieler describes how he turned away from the use of drugs or surgery—except as a last resort—in favor of the healing power of whole, unadulterated foods, as opposed to the now dominant "foods of commerce." Early pioneers whose works have further influenced my understanding of the link between food and health include Drs. Melvin Page, Weston Price, Royal Lee, as well as our contemporary, James Chestnut. More recently, anthropologists such as S. Boyd Eaton confirm the wisdom of eating in accordance with our human physiology, which these pioneers were early to understand and practice.

Can You Get All the Nutrients You Need—In Sufficient Quantities—from Foods?

Unfortunately, today the answer is "probably not," for three reasons. First, through modern farming practices, soils have become depleted. This means that compared with several decades ago, the nutritional content of foods is greatly reduced. Second, the environmental toxins that we are exposed to on a yearly basis (84,500 in the US) present an unprecedented challenge to your body's ability to eliminate them. Third, after years of a less-than-perfect-lifestyle (and who has had a perfect lifestyle?), you most likely have developed chronic nutritional deficiencies.

Whole Foods Supplements vs. Synthetically Created Nutritional Isolates

Nature packages the nutrients we need with the co-factors needed for proper digestion, absorption, and assimilation into your cells. When "vitamins" are produced in a laboratory (as most are, at great profit), these essential co-factors are not included. As an example, take the case of "Vitamin C." Most versions of this nutrient include only ascorbic acid (with maybe a few bioflavonoids sprinkled in). Although whole Vitamin C is the cure for scurvy, ascorbic acid does not cure scurvy. Moreover, when nutritional isolates are taken, your body needs to scavenge the co-factors from your body's stores. You may feel better in the short term, but once those are depleted, multiple studies show that the result is a worsening of a person's health.

Recommendations for Diet and Whole Foods Nutritional Supplements

Dietary changes and supplements are the most important tools you have to restore and maintain your health. Based on all the information gathered before, during, and (if applicable) after your initial consultation, I will make recommendations for addressing your most pressing concerns.

One of my favorite nutrition mentors, Dr. David Hogsed, has a saying (and a rap song, which you may find on YouTube): "You can take it, or you can eat it." If you don't want to eat liver or sea vegetables or fermented foods several times a week, no problem, our concentrated whole foods will work instead. If you already eat (almost exclusively) a wide variety of physiologically-compatible human foods (not the so-called "foods of commerce") and are still having problems, then supplementation with concentrated food and herbs are almost certainly necessary.

Because there are multiple nutritional options for most conditions, it is important to understand that our work together is a process of finding out what works best for you, based on the assessment tools listed below. I won't give up until your health is restored, and I hope you won't either.

ASSESSMENT TOOLS

Prior to your first appointment, you will be asked to complete one or more of the following:

Lifestyle Health Risk Assessment: The LHRA, developed by Dr. James Chestnut, is a valid measure of the health and illness effects of lifestyle habits – the underlying cause of health and/or illness – based on peer-reviewed evidence from epigenetic and allostatic load research. Each choice in life moves you along the continuum between disease/early death and optimum physical, mental, and social well-being.
Symptom Survey: A comprehensive review of your current health concerns.
Food Intake Diary: A record of your everyday eating and drinking habits. Your doctor and you both benefit from having a food journal. You may become more aware of your eating habits. Once you are aware of this, you can alter your diet to decrease systemic inflammation which is the root cause of most problems.

IN-OFFICE ASSESSMENTS

The Nutrition Exam

There are numerous physical indicators of your nutritional status. For example:

Your waist-to-hip ratio is the simplest and best predictor of future chronic health problems. According to the National Institutes of Health, a ration greater than 1.0 is indicative of a higher than normal risk of developing heart disease. A healthy ratio is under 0.80 for women and 0.90 for men. (Oddly enough, I remember when these ratios were even lower—0.75 for women and 0.85 for men.)
Ridler Nutritional Reflexes utilize reflex points on the body to determine specific nutritional deficiencies. Dr. Robert Ridler, D.C., tested various trigger points and then tested the points after giving the patients certain nutrients. For example, the point one anatomical inch inferior and lateral to the xiphoid process on the left side of the body is known as the Hydrochloric Acid point and responds to the introduction of HCl, indicating that the stomach pH is too alkaline. Many people—especially those suffering from GERD or ulcers—have low stomach acid. See Dr. Jonathan Wright’s book, Why Stomach Acid is Good for You: Natural Relief from Heartburn, Indigestion, Reflux, and GERD for additional information.
Balancing on one foot with your eyes closed should be easy to do. If not, this can be an indication of an RNA deficiency. Dr. Benjamin S. Frank (see Dr. Frank’s No-Aging Diet) was a biochemist who studied Ribonucleic Acid (RNA) for 20 years. As we age our levels of RNA decrease, which affects brain function but also leads to such things as sagging skin. Another indicator of RNA depletion is difficulty calling words to mind. RNA supplementation (especially in combination with Turmeric Forte) can provide quick relief for brain fog and balance.

There are many additional tests that we perform as part of the Nutrition Exam. These tests, in combination with the System Survey, lay the foundation for preliminary lifestyle and nutritional recommendations. This consultation/exam is especially useful for uncovering the root cause of digestive complaints. If your digestive enzymes are inadequate to properly break down your food, or if your gut has become “leaky,” or if your pH is too low or too high (depending on which section of the GI tract we’re talking about) you will be missing out on the benefits of even the best dietary habits. By first “Healing the Center” you will derive the maximum nutrition from your food.

The Heart Sound Recorder is a computer-based, low risk general wellness monitor which uses the principles of auscultation to observe heart sounds. During this non- invasive procedure a specialized microphone is placed over each of the four valve areas of the heart while graphing the sound and movement. The heart’s reaction to certain stressors (i.e. chemical, nutritional, and emotional) can be observed using this type of device. Certain types of heart stress can be monitored by observing the RATE, RHYTHM, and TONE of the heart cycle on the graph.

Your nervous system controls the RATE at which your heart beats. One side of your nervous system (sympathetic) manages your “fight or flight” response and can accelerate your heart rate. The other side (parasympathetic) manages your “rest and digest” response and can slow your heart rate. You need a healthy balance between the two.

The RHYTHM of your heart should show a specific work to rest ratio on the graph. Your heart should be resting twice as long as it is working. Observations are made to see if your heart is working too hard, or not working hard enough.

The TONE of your heart refers to the strength of the ventricles as they push blood through your body. The height and the width of the ‘lub-dub’ sound your heart makes on the graph shows how efficiently your heart is pushing blood through your body and refilling to prepare for the next cardiac cycle.

The Heart Sound Recorder can be an important tool in evaluating your overall health and then in following the progress you are making when under proper wellness care. Making changes to your stress level, diet, lifestyle, and nutritional status will provide you with greater endurance, ability to rest, and overall well-being.

Preparing for Your Heart Sound Recording

Be well hydrated
Dress so that you can comfortably get down to one thinner layer of clothing. A sports bra works well for women.
Do not eat or drink caffeine 2 hours prior to the test as sounds of digestion can mask a solid reading of the heart.
Give yourself a relaxed time frame around your scheduled appointment.
List all medications and supplements you currently take on the provided form.

As with any wellness device, recommendations for lifestyle changes implied by using this technology should be undertaken only with the guidance of a licensed physician, therapist, or holistic healthcare practitioner. The findings from this device can be used to support, but should not be used in place of, medical therapies and recommendations of your medical professional.

Nutrition Response Testing

Too often these days, even though chiropractors give the best possible care, the correction doesn’t seem to hold nearly as well as it used to. So, what changed? Bodies are not healing themselves like they used to because we have a deterioration of the food chain. And we have a huge increase in the intake of those things that literally prevent the body from self-repairing.

Which systems were urgently in need of support? What exactly do they need first, and in what dosages? To answer these questions required the evolution of a precise testing system, built on the pioneering work of Frances Pottenger in the 1930s, Royal Lee in the 1950s, and a handful of others. Qualified practitioners assess the status of the autonomic nervous system and design a precise nutritional program that will rebuild the compromised systems in the sequence dictated by the body’s needs.

AT-HOME OR OUTSIDE LAB ASSESSMENTS

BrainSpan

Concerned about attention and behavior? Short term memory? Dementia? Concussion? Aging? Chronic pain and inflammation?

Proper nutrition and lifestyle are the keys to building a resilient, high-functioning brain that lasts a lifetime. The Brainspan NeuroHealth Assessment Report provides 14 pages of full-color descriptive analysis of your cell health and brain function. Each page includes detailed information on what the metric means, why the metric matters to you personally, and how to improve it.

The report gives you a clear roadmap for building a stronger, more resilient brain in three simple steps, based on BrainSpan's Red Blood Cell methodology of measuring fatty acids and Vitamin D, and more. Over 100 peer-reviewed publications back up this program, so you can be confident your numbers are objective, accurate, and reliable.

The Online Cognitive Function Test utilizes the Total Brain® database is part of the Total Brain® platform. The test can be completed on a smartphone or tablet in 15-20 minutes.

Three simple steps build your roadmap to better brain health and function:

· Step 1: Collect 2-3 drops of blood on a special card. Then use the postage paid return envelope to mail your sample to BrainSpan's CLIA certified lab.

· Step 2: After we register your kit, you will receive access to take the 15-minute cognitive function test. There is no software to download.

· Step 3: Within 3-5 days of receiving your sample, your personalized report and recommendations are ready to view, print, or download.

Follow-up assessments are done on a regular basis to document your progress.

Call or text today (206-409-9447) to schedule a free five-minute telephone consultation to find out whether this test is right for you.

Comprehensive Functional Blood Analysis

Although your medical or naturopathic physician may order blood work in order to diagnose a disease, most insurance companies are no longer willing to pay for a comprehensive analysis. Because of this, most physicians will order a limited panel. Unfortunately, this is not sufficient for taking a pro-active approach to your health. In addition, insurance companies are unwilling to pay for regular follow-up testing. Without follow-up testing, how can you be sure you are on the right track?

On the other hand, wellness-oriented chiropractic physicians, such as Dr. Amundson, use comprehensive functional blood analysis to detect early signs of nutritional deficiencies, well in advance of disease processes. A detailed report explaining each individual test result and recommendations for nutritional support is included.

Retesting at regular intervals (for most people every two-three months until results fall within the optimum range; then once a year) is essential for assessing your progress and to make any necessary changes to your lifestyle and nutritional program.

We pass our cost savings on to you! Normally, comprehensive testing can cost anywhere from $1500 to several thousand dollars. Fortunately, Dr. Amundson has co-op pricing options which reduce the cost of testing to a fraction of that.

Hair Tissue Analysis

Every year, more than 84,000 toxic chemicals are dumped into our environment. Some of these are industrial by-products, and some are closer to home—in personal care products, cleaning supplies, packaging, medical and dental procedures, tap water, plastics, fumes from cars, etc., etc. It’s enough to make a person run for the… but sadly, even polar bears are full of toxins. This unnatural state of affairs is inescapable.

This level of toxic exposure is unprecedented in human history. Although your body has mechanisms for eliminating toxins, the odds are that your system has become overloaded—and possibly overwhelmed—with multiple forms of these toxins. In fact, a leading cause of obesity—at an all-time high around the world—is that your body isolates toxins in your fat cells. This is why it is important to include a gentle detoxification program with any weight loss program. Otherwise, you run the risk of feeling, and being, sicker from the re-release of toxins into your bloodstream.

To assess your level of toxin-overload, we recommend a hair tissue analysis. While such a test is not perfect, it is the best—and easiest—way available to evaluate for (1) heavy metals and (2) deficiency or excess of essential minerals.