Avandia vs Natural Therapies for Diabetes

Last week I was talking with Dr Gallant about diabetes. And now there is all this news about Avandia and the risk of heart disease. So it seems appropriate to pass on what we talked about.

Dr gallant wrote an article for his website on getting control of diabetes after dealing with patient after patient having some sort of blood sugar problems. Diabetes is a major epidemic and that is only the tip of the iceberg. What about hypoglycemia? Or misdiagnosed ADD or ADHD ? How many times do we see children going through sugar swings.... going from angels to raging demons as their blood sugar swings wildly?

Dr J Gallant was adamant that type 2 diabetes could be managed through a rational nutritional program. His greatest frustration is that we just want a pill to pop, rather than a comprehensive health regime. Well, Avandia was a convenient pill but look at the result.

With Doctor Gallant's Diabetes Management Program, his patients not only have their diabetes under control, but also have great health and tons of energy! Isn't that what we all want? And actually, the program is good for everyone. A whole family could participate in this diabetes program and end up healthy and dynamic. Blood sugar would be stable and mood swings would disappear.

Of course dr gallant's program will not work if we do not follow it. That is his major frustration.
It is a simple yet effective approach that produces results. But people just want a pill. This is why he gives the following statement in his introduction:
"Those of you that do not wish to change your lifestyle would better spend your time doing something else than reading this article because this will require will power that many of us do not have. Those of you that are determined to take control of your health and are not satisfied with being a diabetic will be pleasantly surprised with the changes in your HgA1c at the end of six months of a proper diet and supplementation. "

( Click on the quotation to read the rest of his article. Oh yes and make sure to sign up for his health alerts while you are there)

How to Detoxify Properly

How to detoxify. What exactly is detox? Is detoxification necessary? Who should detoxify their bodies, and when?

These are all questions which have come to mind lately. I guess the reason is that I'm seeing article headlines in the magazines at the grocery store checkout and am hearing of friends going on some weird weekend detoxification and weight loss program.

I also have heard a lot of people talk about their Spring Cleansing rituals. (Although guzzling down vats of senna tea and looking like emaciated refugees seems a bit like a self flagellation ritual to me.) And remember when Grandma would line everyone up for their spring dose of Castor Oil?

What is it with spring and the need to " detoxify"?

I asked Doctor Gallant to give me his opinion and also some practical ways to include a detoxification program in my lifestyle.......IF I really needed it.

He has now posted an article on his website which gives a balanced and comprehensive program. I was drawn to a few things that I haven't heard of in all the checkout magazines and miracle products out there. Here is a link to the article if you are anxious to read it!

Did you know that if you are sensitive to scents it could be a sign of toxic overload? So forget about that petition to ban all perfumes from the world and start looking inside.

How long does it take to detoxify? Forget about those weekend purges. It could take 3 to 5 years. Yes you read that correctly......years, depending on the load you are carrying and your ability to get rid of toxins. Oh yes, people vary in the ease of cleansing!

And speaking of "toxins", just what are they and where do they come from? It seems that they are everywhere and growing. Heavy metals are coming from food, fillings, and even the power plants in Asia. The body produces it's own waste which can build up if the body is over burdened.

How expensive is a proper detox protocol? Now here is a surprise. There are techniques like "dry brushing" which are free! And forget about drinking that Castor oil. You can boost your immune system with a simple plaster pack made with kitchen products.

And how about those of us who are chronically ill or extremely toxic, or just plain impatient? There are simple techniques which will speed up the process. Doctor Gallant recommends NMT and neural therapy, and even some chiropractic treatments. All these are great ways to help the body optimize the elimination of poisonous products.

OK So the bottom line is that detoxification is a good thing. Most people will benefit from it, and many urgently need it; however it is not done in a weekend.
Nutrition is important and supplements for the liver and kidneys are important. Simple techniques like dry brushing, and hydrotherapy and Castor oil packs cost little or nothing but time and effort. And a good natural health practitioner can set up a program and give you some extra therapies such as NMT.

You can check out Dr Gallant's article through this link to his site for more information on this and other topics if you are interested. As for me, I'm doing the dry brushing, and attempting the odd hydrotherapy ( blast of cold water) and have Castor oil on my shopping list. I'm using supplements for my liver, and even saved a couple dandelions I yanked out of the lawn. I'm thinking of putting them in the blender with my greens drink!

Allergy Season is Back

Scratchy eyes. Stuffed up nose. Tired. Miserable. No patience with anything. And that was just yesterday!!!!

Yup. Allergy season is back. Well, for me it is. Some of you suffer from allergies all year long. It seems like a person can be allergic to anything and everything. I pity those who have multiple chemical sensitivity. It seems like there is more of it on the east coast for some reason. Of course out here in "rain-couver", we get a lot of MS, so I guess illness balances itself out.

So what should we do about allergies? Are there any natural remedies? Are there ways to simply make our allergies go away? WOW wouldn't that be nice. Well, perhaps there are.

Dr Gallant was telling me about attending a seminar where a person had severe corn allergies which would trigger migraine like headaches. The teacher gave this person a simple treatment and then gave him a corn muffin. The patient returned the next day and reported NO HEADACHE. This instructor also does this with people who have peanut allergies ( OK I can hear all you gasping and holding your breath in horror).

Yes, peanut allergies are not something to play around with. Anaphylactic shock could make this a life and death matter. I can hear some mothers out there going "HOW COULD HE!!!!" with justifiable rage.

Well.....justifiable rage, only if it doesn't work. Actually in science this is called a "food challenge". The only way to make sure a treatment works is to submit it to a challenge. This teacher gets results which are immediate and permanent. Something which has simply amazed Dr Gallant. If you read his articles and blog posts you will get a hint of what this technique is.

He has mention it again in the article he has recently written on allergies.

It is now posted on his new website at www.DoctorGallant.com

Of course this has got me wondering. If this technique is so good at clearing up such dangerous allergies, would it work for my scratchy eyes? I estimate that I spend a couple hundred dollars each allergy season on pills and drops. They make me drowsy ( yes even the non drowsy ones) and are a pain to carry around. Could this simple technique work for me? I'll have to try it out.

Colin

A New Website is Coming

Doctor Jamie Gallant is trying to find the best ways to bring you cutting edge health research. And so he decided it was time to start up a website where he could compile information that he and his network of friends discovered.

Now, be warned. Some of this information may seem like stuff you have heard of before. And some of it may seem weird. And you may notice a real lack of current studies from prestigious journals of medicine.

This is because Dr. Jamie is only looking for health information that works!

If he writes about the benefits of regular exercise and healthy nutrition, it is because it works ( of course you will expect him to give you some specific guidelines).

If he writes about sticking your head in a badger hole and yodeling to cure the hiccups, it is because it has been tested and it works. OK OK ....maybe he won't recommend that one....that was my idea.

The Point is that he is going to try and build a site where you can get information on techniques and products that help you achieve Optimal Health. He is not interested in having a steady stream of regular patients nursing chronic illnesses and nagging injuries. Dr Gallant is focused on finding the quickest, healthiest way to good health. He wants you to be out there enjoying life.

So Keep his new website in mind. It will be building slowly and consistently so you can come back to it often and find new information. Here is the link to it : www.doctorgallant.com .

Cheers,
Colin

Multi Vitamins, Vitamin, Minerals....The Best Choice in Supplements

OK, here it is, winter. It is hard to get good quality fresh vegetables. The cold and flu bugs are circling around us, waiting to snuggle into a body with a poor immune system. It is the time of year where everyone is a bit tired and cranky. We ate too much junk over the holidays and are looking to get back in shape. So we think about buying supplements. Multivitamins are the first product we reach for, but there are so many choices. What vitamin brands are best? What vitamin brands are a waste of money? What about the big retailers like Vitamin World, or GNC? And what about all those vitamin brands like Natural Factors or Natures Choice? They sound so healthy, but are they? Then there are the claims about specific vitamins....Vitamins for hair loss, or vitamins for better eyesight. To be honest, my kitchen cupboard is full of different vitamins. I have Vitamin D , Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and we haven't even touched the minerals! Can't one Multivitamin take their place.

Here is what Dr. Gallant has to say to my questions:

Remember, you get what you pay for no matter what product you purchase today so if you find a supplement for 10 or 20 dollars you are probably not getting the best. Cheap supplement suppliers often have to cut corners by using cheaper materials allowing them to cheaply manufacture products.

He then went on to explain how natural supplements were indeed superior because of how they were absorbed and excreted and also how to choose between the various forms of minerals.

And what about "dosing". Are mega doses better? And what about the form the vitamins are in?

For those of you that are interested in figuring out optimal dosing of vitamins and minerals I recommend books by Dr Michael Murray ND (Encyclopedia of Nutritional Supplements), Dr Michael Colgan PhD and Phyllis Balch (Guide to Nutritional Healing).

Dr Gallant also recommended one brand of multivitamins over the others. This choice was a surprise to me, but he said that he spent time researching many of the brands out there and was looking for one which had the best quality ingredients with the best dosing and the best mix of phytonutrients. He also wanted one which was available to everyone, no matter where you live.

Dr Gallant's final choice was Usana Essentials , which can be ordered online and has an international portal on their website.

He has written more about this subject on his website ( Here is the link )

Here are the books he recommends for those who wish to explore this subject more:

Arthritis,Lupus, Allergies, Multiple Sclerosis, and on and on

A lot of people have been asking me about different problems which could all be lumped into the classification of Autoimmune Diseases. This is a big umbrella term that the medical profession seems to use when they are not sure of just what is going on in the body. All they ARE sure about is that the body seems to be turning against itself or is not repairing itself the right way. OK I know that this is not the Wikipedia answer, but more of a biased comment.

The thing is......most people don't care about the definition of arthritis or multiple sclerosis or lupus....they just want to get better and start feeling great. Dr Jamie Gallant had something interesting to say about this. I have never heard of this before he told me about it. Here is a short answer he wrote for me:

Do You Have Immune Confusion?

Many chronic illnesses today can be coined as “autoimmune diseases”. These illnesses can affect many different parts of the body including the joints, gut, lungs and kidneys. Why do these illnesses occur? There are many theories about the potential causes of autoimmune disorders including genetic predisposition, exposure to infectious agents and suboptimal liver and digestive function. No matter what the cause the common scenario involves inflammatory damage of various body tissues where medical treatment entails use of prednisone or other anti-inflammatory medications. These drugs, although life saving in many cases, are known for their side effects so it is wise to limit use when possible. During treatment we often use nutritional, herbal and homeopathic remedies for the management of inflammation in order to reduce the need for medication while concurrently decreasing the immune system stress by restricting foods to which you are sensitive. Detoxification is a useful tool to reduce the toxic burden contributing to the immune dysfunction. Anyone who is interested in how detoxification and digestive health affect chronic disease would do well to read, “Eating Alive” by Dr Jonn Matsen ND.

The critical aspect of treatment of autoimmune disease is nervous system confusion that typically results from long term toxicity and stress. The nervous system can be thought of as a “bio-computer” that is constantly making billions of decisions every second in an attempt to maintain balance (homeostasis). Unfortunately, the nervous system can get confused and make decisions based on faulty data. Autoimmune diseases generally exhibit these errors in judgment often confusing body tissues with infectious agents, toxins or even ingested food. One of the most successful treatments for most autoimmune disease is various forms of energetic medicine. Energetic medicine can be thought of as a way of communicating with the body’s nervous system to correct these informational errors leading to disease. A favorite modality of mine is NMT (Neuromodulation technique) which uses muscle testing and questions phrased by the practitioner to see where information faults exist in the body’s nervous system. Interestingly, the body’s subconscious has a pretty good idea about what is going on and we can exploit that information via muscle testing. Many autoimmune conditions respond very favorably to this technique when in the hands of an experienced practioner. For more information see the NMT website at http://www.nmt.md .

No matter what the condition, it is always wise to do whatever you can to improve your general health and well being. Healthy diet, exercise, and positive mindset go a long way to improve the prognosis of any patient. Most autoimmune patients can improve their illness through healthy lifestyle choices and general health support through their local Naturopathic Doctor!

OK....now let me add a comment. There are doctors and there are doctors. Dr Jamie Gallant is always on the lookout for things that work. I have had the experience where some Doctors ( naturopathic, homeopathic, allopathic, etc etc) are more fixed to their own agenda and belief system than to a practical answer to their patients problems. And also just because the doc has some certificate on the wall, it doesn't mean that they are expert in that technique. Many healing techniques take skill and aptitude. This is why many healers only use certain techniques. They chose the things that resonate with them. And it is my belief that the patient would do well to do the same. Well, that is my two cents worth. What do you think? Feel free to add your comments.

Oh Yes I almost forgot. Here is a link to the book Dr. Gallant mentioned:

Colin

The Best Back Pain Solution

This next answer from Dr Gallant comes from the experience of his patients. I have been fortunate enough to not have had any significant lower back pain, but have seen the agony in friends and family. The few times I have had a twinge or two has made me understand just how disabling back pain can be.

I had a great conversation with Dr. Gallant over lunch yesterday. He talk to me about the frustrations he had with helping people to heal, AND THE SURPRISING SUCCESSES he was having.

Now I say " surprising" because these are the cases that most doctors and insurance companies dread: People with chronic back pain and severe post surgical pain.

I'm sure you have heard the stories and seen the TV news segments. Insurance companies think these people are frauds and send private investigators after them. Doctors see them as hopeless and are tempted to just pump them up with enough drugs to keep them dazed and out of the way.

But people with chronic back pain and chronic injury pain live a tortured existence. Every day is filled with misery and suspense. "Suspense", because they never know when their body will collapse on them. And to make things worse, they are looked upon scepticaly by those around them because their injury is invisible.

But now.....back to the solution.

Dr. Gallant shared an observation with me that enabled him to make outstanding success with these patients. The secret is focus.

The more specific a patient can be in describing where the pain starts from, the more effective Dr. Gallant's treatment can be.

I found this very interesting because I had heard this recently from another source as well.

So for those of you who suffer from Chronic pain, or Back pain; here is your assignment:

Try to identify the EXACT spot the pain starts from.

I know this is hard, because we want to just ignore the pain and push on. And often we are so used to pain that it is only when we are crippled with widespread pain that we finally pause and pay attention to it. There is also the fact that society rewards the stoic and punishes the sensitive.

But if you re frame your thinking to see this as being "observant" and "investigative" it will help to push back the prejudices of society.

Well, I'd better get off my soap box and tell you of ONE of the procedures Doctor Gallant has used:

Dr Gallant has been having great success with prolotherapy. Many of his patients are athletes, and others are people who have just had a double helping of all that life can throw at you. The injections can work wonders BUT the trick is in knowing exactly where to put the needle. This is where skill and training come into play. It is just the same as any surgery. Any fool can cut you open with a knife, but only the expert can do it in such a was as to actually heal you. If you do look into prolotherapy, make sure you investigate the practitioner. Well, that's my two cents worth!

If you want to read more about this, you can go to an article on his website: Back Pain Relief

Headache Causes and Cures

New Years Day is just behind us and for some it was not a pleasant experience. That post party headache should be a fading memory. But for other people the headaches continue. How do you cure a headache? Why do headaches appear? And how can we prevent a headache when they seem to have become a regular part of our lives? I asked Dr. Gallant to give a short explanation. Oh yes, and for that post party headache, try Gatorade or tea with honey ( my little remedies), or better yet, just drink water for the last two hours of the party and dance like there is no tomorrow!

Here is Dr. Gallant's reply to my questions:

Headaches can be present for a variety of reasons. Most importantly, it is necessary to rule out any serious disease that could be causing these headaches; fortunately this is rarely the case. Common causes of chronic headaches include hormonal imbalances, food sensitivities, hypoglycemia, stress, neck tension and spinal subluxation. Most often headaches are caused from stress and poor eating habits leading to low blood sugar, when this occurs the body releases stress hormones which then cause the neck muscles to “tense up”. In this scenario effective treatment includes neck massage and adjustments while concurrently changing the diet to address individual needs.

So Does that mean good-bye to pain killers and pass the broccoli? Let us know if any questions come up for you through these explanations. And check out the links and labels at the side of the page for other health topics.

Essential Fatty Acids?

I asked Dr. Gallant about essential fatty acids. Now there are all sort of bottles out there with different combinations of fats. So what is the truth? Here is a short preliminary reply:

Essential Fatty Acids

A common misconception today is that fat is bad for you. Fats, like any other nutrient, are essential to life and optimal health. People do not generally associate fish oil with reduced arthritis pain, better concentration, decreased heart attack risk or better yet weight loss. Did you know that consumption of coconut oil has been found to improve thyroid function? Did you know that menstrual cramps can often be alleviated by a few months of primrose oil supplementation?

If fat has so many benefits why does fat get such a bad wrap? The reason is that we have been getting our fats mixed up. There are “good fats” which is helpful in treatment and prevention of almost every disease known to man and there are “bad fats” which can cause, or contribute to, almost any disease process. The good fats are generally found in fish, nuts, and seeds and are typically not processed in any way. Bad fats come in most fried foods, margarines, meats and cheeses. Although some bad fat is okay, problems generally start when quantities get out of hand. Consuming too many bad fats leads to increased inflammation which contributes to joint pain (arthritis), heart disease, cancer and possibly hormonal imbalances (pms comes to mind here).

A good recommendation for most people is to eat more fish, flax oil and olive oil in the daily diet while decreasing fried foods, fatty meats and cheeses. Essential fatty acids are essential to the daily diet of anyone who wishes to improve health, sports performance, reduce cholesterol and lose weight.

Well this is a good conservative response, but I WANT MORE! I will get Dr. Gallant to give you some of the best recommendations he can think of. Oh yess this is not your ordinary health pablum blog. Luckily I know that Dr. Gallant is up to the challenge.

Stay Tuned