Archive for the ‘Holistic Medicine’ Category

A Conversation with Dr. Alice Lee-Bloem – Holistic Psychiatrist

Saturday, February 6th, 2010

Dear Dr. Ettinger,

I am a holistic psychiatrist who has been purchasing goji powder from your company. I was wondering what percentage polysaccharides are found in the freeze dried goji powder that your company sells. I also was wondering about the pros and cons of dried goji berry juice as opposed to the whole berry.

Thank you,

Dr. Alice Lee-Bloem

Dr. Lee-Bloem

It’s 240mg per 6000mg of goji powder. There will be less in the juice than the whole fruit powder or whole dried berries.

I hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Dr. Marcus Ettinger

Alice,

I wanted to share with you a couple of specialty products I use in my practice to exchange psychiatric medications for nutraceuticals.

Gabatone by Apex Energetics. Gabatone has 10mg of Lithium Orotate and other good stuff. I take one before bed myself and my mild ADD/OCD/Type A personality is way better. I can actually drive Southern California Freeways in Traffic and not want to shoot someone. I have at least 20+ clients on it and when it went on back order from Apex I had a lot of really pissed off people, so it must be doing something.

Sometimes Amoryn. I mainly have used this, in conjunction with a lot of DHA, zinc 50-100mg’s and Gabatone 1-3, with patients who have come in on Abilify or other antipsychotics. For these clients I also try to get them in Ketosis (monitoring every day w/keto sticks). The brain really loves ketone bodies. Far, far more than glucose. Plus, with ketosis there are no sugar crashes or sugar highs. I have actually been in ketosis for the last 17 days and have never felt more clear headed in my life. More info on what I am doing here – My Personal Ultra Lite Program

Norival by Ecological Formulas http://www.naturalhealthconsult.com/Monographs/norival.html (for information only). I use AK and/or CRA to see if this needs to be added. I only have two clients on this and the swear by it.

I would love to hear if you have any favorite products that you use in your practice.

Take care,

Marcus

Hi Marcus,

Thanks for the following information. It was very generous of you to take the time to share what you have learned in your practice. I took some time to learn about the U lite program. It seems to be a diet that emphasizes the reduction or elimination of fast burning carbohydrates: sugars, breads, and pastas, but keeps the meats and vegetables as sources of nutrients. I have not done this in my practice, but I do have patients get rid of wheat, dairy and white sugar as much as they can.

With regard to lowering antipsychotic medications, I am still in a learning phase. I emphasize GABA support as well, in the form of having patients eat GABA rice and use the inhibitory amino acids that Neuroscience makes: TravaCor or TravaCor Jr. But in addition, I use a lot of L-Taurine.

The new generation antipsychotics block many receptors and subcategories of various classes of receptors, which makes them especially hard to get off of after being on them for several years. I have started a “step down” approach that seems to make the process easier. Zyprexa affects 17 different receptors (various Ds and 5HTPs etc.), while Seroquel affects 10 different receptors. So I have patients take a little Seroquel as I lower their Zyprexa, then when they are only on the Seroquel, I shift them to Haldol (liquid), then off altogether. Also, I have found that it is critical to wait a period of time (two weeks) before I lower the antipsychotic again. This allows the number of receptors to be reduced in number after the amount of antipsychotic medication blocking them has been reduced.

In addition, I like using whole food antioxidants such as goji powder, acai powder, and maqui powder (freeze dried). Most of my patient come with high levels of oxidative stress.

Also, I do a lot of muscle testing for information both for supplements, meds, and energy healing work. The energy healing work helps a lot too.

With regard to lithium, I am routinely using a product called Li-Zyme Forte or Li-Zyme by Biotics Research. It seems to be superior to lithium orotate as well as the oligo lithium I was using through Deseret Biologicals (no longer available).

With regard to energy work, I work with patients to help them use EFT, TAT, Emotion Code Technique (by Dr. Bradley Nelson) to heal from traumas. The release of traumas facilitates the physical healing process and detoxification quite well.

I try to avoid anything that would be too stimulating in those trying to get off sedating meds. So, I avoid glutamate, aspartate, and histamine amino acids.

Sometimes, I like to refer patients to a good chiropractor or acupuncturist around here.

All the best,

Alice

Tags: antipsychotic, anxiety, depression, Diet, psychiatric, psychiatry
Posted in Diet, Holistic Medicine, Minerals | No Comments »

How to lower your blood pressure in only 14 days

Sunday, August 16th, 2009

Mediterranean Diet

Since high blood pressure is, for the majority of those who suffer from it, self created, following this simple plan can reverse the factors that created it.

The DASH (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) eating plan has been researched and proven to lower blood pressure in only 14 days. Those who will experience the best results are people whose blood pressure was only moderately high, including those with prehypertension(1). For those of you with more severe hypertension and may not be able to eliminate medication, the DASH diet can help to improve your response to medication, and at the same time it will help lower blood pressure. The DASH diet can also aid in lowering cholesterol levels, raise HDL’s and if with a little exercise added in, weight reduction will be seen allow with a reduction in insulin resistance.

Most of you reading this will easily admit that this seems like a very healthy way of eating, but initially when implemented may find it hard to sustain. The truth is that the average American only eats 2 – 3 servings of fruits and vegetables combined each day, so following the DASH diet may involve making a determined effort.

The best part of eating this way is that you will be reducing your chances of developing degenerative diseases, cancers or autoimmune diseases. Also this is a preventive diet against weight gain, obesity and diabetes.

Type of food	Number of servings for 1600 – 3100 Calorie diets	Servings on a 2000 Calorie diet
Grains and grain products (include at least 3 whole grain foods each day)	6 – 12	7 – 8
Fruits	4 – 6	4 – 5
Vegetables	4 – 6	4 – 5
Low fat or non fat dairy foods	2 – 4	2 – 3
Lean meats, fish, poultry	1.5 – 2.5	2 or less
Nuts, seeds, and legumes	3 – 6 per week	4 – 5 per week
Fats and sweets	2 – 4	limited

Some helpful tips for lowering your blood pressure and following the DASH diet

Eating fewer processed foods, such as snack items, luncheon meats, and canned soups, will reduce the amount of sodium in your diet and help you lower your blood pressure.
A diet high in calcium, potassium, and magnesium (fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of this nutrients) may lower your blood pressure.
A diet high in sodium may cause high blood pressure.
DASH recommends that you eat 8 to 10 servings of fruits and vegetables and 3 servings of low-fat dairy products each day.
Eating a diet low in both saturated fat and total fat will also help lower your blood pressure. Only 30% (I recommend using olive oil as your fat source) of your total calories should be from fat, with only 7% to 10% of
your fat calories from saturated fat. Saturated fat is found in meats, cheeses, butter, poultry, snack foods, and other processed foods.
In general, vegetarian (Mediterranean diet) diets reduce blood pressure. The DASH diet could easily be a vegetarian diet if legumes were substituted for meat. Vegetarian diets tend to be higher in potassium, magnesium, and calcium, as is the DASH diet. Vegetarian diets also are higher in fiber and unsaturated fat than other diets.
Controlling your weight, increasing your physical activity, and reducing sodium in your diet will help reduce your blood pressure even more when combined with the DASH diet.

(1). Prehypertension is considered to be blood pressure readings with a systolic pressure from 120 to 139 mm Hg or a diastolic pressure from 80 to 89 mm Hg. Readings greater than or equal to 140/90 mm Hg are considered hypertension.

Marcus Ettinger DC, BSc

Tags: DASH diet, High Blood Pressure, Hypertension, Mediterranean Diet, Prehypertension, Vegetarian Diet, Weight Loss
Posted in Blood Pressure, Calcium, Cancer, Colds/Flu, Diet, Essential Fatty Acids, Holistic Medicine, Magnesium, Medications, Minerals, My Thoughts, Omega 3 FA's, Shingles | No Comments »

The 5 Most Common Nutritional Deficiencies I See In My Practice

Wednesday, May 27th, 2009

“These are the 5 most common nutritional deficiencies I see in my Orange, chiropractic and integrative medicine practice: Magnesium, Zinc, Vitamin D, Vitamin E and Omega 3 Fatty Acids (ALA, EPA, DHA). I feel that these deficiencies are not just representative of my local area but are a glimpse of what the world, in general, is experiencing. Below is a brief summary for each nutrient. My ranking of nutritional deficiencies are based on dietary analysis, clinical observation and blood tests.” Marcus Ettinger DC, BSc

foods

1. Magnesium

Deficiency: 8/10 clients show clinical signs of deficiency. The average American diet contains 50% to 60% of Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA). According to Dr. Guosong Liu, half the population of industrialized countries has a magnesium deficit, which increases with aging.

Symptoms: Anxiety, confusion, heart attack, hyperactivity (ADD/ADHD), insomnia, nervousness, muscular irritability (twitches, spasms or cramps), restlessness, Restless Leg Syndrome (RLS), weakness, heart palpitations, depression….

Recommended Foods: All green leafy vegetables (ex. Swiss chard and spinach), Seeds (pumpkin or sunflower seeds), Beans (black or navy beans).

Recommended Nutritional Supplements: Magnesium aspartate or glycinate (400 – 600 mg’s per day) OR Transdermal Magnesium Chloride (1 ounce rubbed over the body, per day). To purchase any of these, call 714-639-4360

2. Zinc

Deficiency: 7/10 clients show clinical signs of deficiency.

Symptoms: Acne, ADD/ADHD, brittle nails, delayed sexual maturity, depression/apathy, diarrhea, eczema, fatigue, growth impairment, hair loss, high cholesterol levels, immune impairment, impotence, irritability, lethargy, loss of appetite, loss of sense of taste, low stomach acid (HCl), male infertility/abnormal sperm, memory impairment, night blindness, paranoia, white spots on nails, poor wound healing, psoriasis….

Recommended Foods: Calf’s liver, beef, mushrooms, spinach, green peas, pumpkin seeds.

Recommended Nutritional Supplements: Zinc Gluconate (50 – 100mg’s per day). To purchase, call 714-639-4360

3. Vitamin D

Deficiency: 10/10 clients show deficiency (100% of all of my Labcorp blood tests have shown deficiency).

Symptoms: Allergies, auto immune diseases, burning sensation in mouth, cancer, diarrhea, insomnia, myopia, nervousness, osteoporosis, poor calcium utilization, rickets, scalp sweating, weight gain….

Recommended Foods: Cod liver oil, shrimp, eggs.

Recommended Nutritional Supplements: BEST VITAMIN D PRODUCT ($20 – 700+ drops, ea. drop 2,000IU)! Emulsified Vitamin D3/Cholecalciferol – Liquid Vitamin D Forte by Biotics Research (6,000 – 10,000IU’s per day for adults and 2,000IU’s for children above the age of five.) AND exposure to the sun (15 minutes per day). Note: living in southern California, I only take my Vitamin D during the months of October – the beginning of June. I surf a lot and as soon as my wetsuit comes off and I can get 15 minutes+ of direct sunlight, I no longer need the supplement form. In fact if if I kept taking it I would sunburn within 15 minutes. This is what your body does when the vitamin D level is sufficient. To purchase call 714-639-4360

4. Vitamin E

Deficiency: 3/10 Males and 2/10 Females show signs of deficiency.

Symptoms: Neurological disturbances (gait disturbances, poor reflexes, loss of position sense, loss of vibration sense), shortened red blood cell life….

Recommended Foods: Green leafy vegetables (Mustard greens, chard, spinach and turnip greens), almonds and sunflower seeds.

Recommended Nutritional Supplements: d-alpha Tocopherol w/Mixed Tocohperols (400-800 IU’s per day) OR Organic Cold Pressed Wheat Germ Oil (1 Tablespoon per day supplies 400IU’s of d-alpha tocopherol).

5. Omega 3 Fatty Acids (ALA, EPA, DHA)

Deficiency: 8/10 show signs of deficiency.

Symptoms: Diarrhea, dry skin and hair, hair loss, acne, eczema, psoriasis, immune weakness, infertility, poor wound healing, premenstrual syndrome, gall stones, liver degeneration, ADD/ADHD and Depression….

Recommended Foods: Wild-caught salmon (Important: avoid farm-raised salmon because of pollutants, artificial color and lack of EFA’s), flax seed and/or flax seed oil, walnuts and sardines.

Recommended Nutritional Supplements: Organic, Cold Pressed, Solvent Free – Flax Seed Oil (1 Tablespoon/10 grams per day – Best source of alpha-linolenic acid); Mollecularly Distilled Fish Oil (1 Teaspoon per day – Best source of EPA/DHA).

If you would like to purchase any of these products, please call us at (714) 639-6360. We can ship anywhere in the US and Canada.

Tags: DHA, EPA, Essential Fatty Acid, Magnesium, Mineral, Nutritional Deficiency, Nutritional Supplement, Omega 3, Vitamin, Vitamin D, Zinc
Posted in Cancer, Colds/Flu, Essential Fatty Acids, Holistic Medicine, Magnesium, Medications, Minerals, My Thoughts, Omega 3 FA's, Shingles, Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamins, Zinc | No Comments »

New Swine Flu Viral Strain is No Joke

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Swine Flu Up-date

4/27/09 – Dr. Marcus Ettinger – Orange, CA

With the swine flu infecting more than 1700 people and claiming over 100 lives in Mexico, sickening people who live nearby in San Diego, and evoking responses from President Barack Obama and Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, I am hoping you’ll find this current perspective helpful. Call me with any questions, concerns, or to make an appointment to get on the latest in preventative nutritional supplementation. I have specific products for children too. (714) 639-4360

Below, you’ll find some answers to common questions about Swine flu, compiled from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), local and state health departments, news reports and myself. At the bottom you’ll also find links to other resources.

What is swine flu?

It’s a respiratory disease caused by influenza viruses that cause regular outbreaks in pigs. People don’t normally get swine flu, but it does happen, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The scary part about this new strain is that it contains pig, bird and human genes, in a combination that has never been observed before anywhere in the world. This is no joke and everyone needs to take preventative measures to insure that this does not become an epidemic.

How is swine flu spread?

Swine flu viruses have been reported to spread from person-to-person, but in the past, the transmission did not continue beyond three people. It’s spread through coughing or sneezing, and sometimes people may become infected by touching something with flu viruses on it and then touching their mouth or nose. (see “what can I do” below for helpful tips)

Can I get swine influenza from eating or preparing pork?

No.

Has it been reported in the U.S. before?

Yes. From 2005 to 2009, 12 human cases of swine flu were reported in the U.S., none caused death. This new strain is very virulent and we need to really stay on top of this with preventative measures. (see below)

What’s the scope of this outbreak

U.S. officials declared a public health emergency on Sunday, much like the government makes when preparing for a hurricane.

At the time of writing this post, a total of 40 cases have been reported in at least five states, according to the Associated Press. Seven of these cases are in California in San Diego and Imperial Counties. No cases have been reported in Orange County, California Department of Public Health spokesman Ken August said today.

What can I do to keep from getting sick?

These suggestions come from CDC’s website and myself:

As of now there is no swine flu vaccine. Any vaccine that may become available will be at least a minimum of 3-4 months down the road. There are everyday actions that can help prevent the spread of virus’ that cause respiratory illnesses’ like influenza. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. Take these everyday steps to protect your health:

Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hand-cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. The virus can spread this way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people. If unavoidable, ware a mask.
If you get sick with the flu, The CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
Wipe down everything that you come in common contact with at the office and at home with rubbing alcohol – phone, door knobs, remote control, steering wheel, computer mouse and keyboard….
If swine flu cases become identified in Orange County, take precautions to avoid group events in confined spaces.
There are many nutritional and dietary options that help to boost the immune system and provide anti-viral protection. I will be stocking-up on the most effective products that help support the immune system and help support the body against viral infection. (714) 639-4360

What should I do if I think I am sick?

If you live in areas where swine influenza cases have been identified and become ill with flu-like symptoms, including fever, prolonged headache, body aches, runny nose, sore throat, nausea, or vomiting or diarrhea, you may want to contact myself or another health-care provider, particularly if you are worried about your symptoms. Myself and other health-care providers will determine whether influenza testing or treatment is needed.

If you are sick, you should stay home and avoid contact with other people as much as possible to keep from spreading your illness to others.

If you become ill and experience any of the following warning signs, seek emergency medical care.

In children emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include:

Rapid breathing or trouble breathing
Bluish tint to the skin
Prolonged Headache
Not drinking enough water or fluids
Not waking up or not interacting
Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and a worse cough
Fever with a skin rash
In adults, emergency warning signs that need urgent medical attention include: rapid or difficulty breathing, shortness of breath, pain or pressure in the chest or abdomen, sudden dizziness, mental confusion, severe or persistent vomiting.

More on the swine flu:

Stay updated with the CDC

Interactive map: How the swine flu spread around the world

Is swine flu the big one, or the one that fizzles?

Tags: Influenza, Swine Flu
Posted in Colds/Flu, Holistic Medicine, Medications, Shingles | No Comments »

Ettinger’s Theory of “Body Remodeling”

Sunday, April 26th, 2009

body

My theory has developed over a 20 year period of time and holds credibility as a corollary to the long-standing law in anatomy/physiology known as – Wollf’s law. Wolff’s law, in short, states, “Bone remodels according to the physical stress placed upon it.” As an example a pitchers, pitching arm will be denser than his non-pitching arm. The opposite to this is, if we lived in outer-space our bones would dissolve (osteoporosis) because of the lack of gravity; no weight-bearing load on the bones. All of the calcium supplementation, estrogen replacement (for women), and Fosimax (medication) in the world would not prevent this from happening.

My theory states, “Our body remodels according to the stress placed upon it: physically, emotionally and/or chemically.” All three of these stressors will directly affect the remodeling of every cell, tissue and physiological function of the body. This means that our inward and outward appearance and physiological state is in direct correlation to the (way, what and/or how) we sleep, eat, drink, act, exercise, deal with stress, are exposed to stress(s)….

Physically we remodel based on the amount and variety of minerals, large and trace; amino acids (protein); vitamins and fats that we ingest. If we ingest all of the essential nutrients that our body requires, with all other factors aside, our bodies will remodel properly. The opposite can be said for eating devitalized food, such as fast food, boxed or canned food. Examples: Increase protein and weight bearing exercise and increase muscle mass will result. Increase fats and/or carbohydrates with a lack of physical stress and an increase in body fat and blood sugar/fats will result.

Emotional stresses and chemical stresses placed on the body will have the similar effects. Happiness (good stress) and nutritional supplements (only the ones a body may require and benefit from) will facilitate positive remodeling (ex. neurotransmitter and hormone production). Anger, resentment, blame or shame (negative emotions) or medications (the majority, but not all) are negative stressors and will facilitate the body to remodel in a non-optimum way. The negative remodeling will lead to everything we don’t want to have our body to experience, and the positive remodeling will lead to a long, healthy, vibrant life.

It’s easy to see from this, that everything we do and everything that is done to us, affects how our body remodels. We can be cause of over this and be responsible for what we do (eat, exercise, rest…) and what we allow around us, or we can be the effect and move through life never paying attention to this fact. By ignoring this theory, negative remodeling will be the outcome and all that comes with it.

Posted in Allergies, Arthritis, Asthma, Calcium, Cancer, Celiac Sprue, Colds/Flu, Dermatitis, Diet, Eczema, Epstein Barr, Gastritis, Gluten, Headache, Heartburn, Holistic Medicine, Infection, Insomnia, Kidney, Magnesium, Medications, Menopause, Minerals, Omega 3 FA's, Parasites, Prostate, Shingles, Skin, Sleep, Snoring, Stomach Acid, Superfoods, Ulcerative Colitis, Uncategorized, Vitamin D, Vitamins, Worms | No Comments »

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