Welcome to our Functional Medicine episodes brought to you by Dr. Alex Jimenez. In this episode, we have part 2 of a presentation by a…
Welcome to our new Functional Medicine series, brought to you by Dr. Alex Jimenez. In this edition, we feature part one of a presentation titled…
We want to welcome you to our podcasts, in this edition we will be introducing the Nutrition and Nutrigenomics Team. Dr. Alex Jimenez, Senior Health…
Dr. Alex Jimenez brings to you this Functional Medicine presentation titled “Food Allergies, Hypersensitivity, and Intolerances: Diagnosis and Treatment†featuring Naturopathic Specialists. who will present…
Alzheimer’s disease is one that impacts many lives. There are multiple factors that go into the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s, some people’s diet, environment, genetics, head trauma and more. The classic symptoms include loss of memory, memory issues that begin to disrupt everyday life (such as where you keep your coffee mugs), difficulty completing familiar tasks in the workplace or home, confusion with time or place, and trouble understanding images.Â
Normal Aging vs Alzheimer’sÂ
With normal aging, we see brain atrophy, some neurotransmitter loss, and oxidative damage. These changes occur but they do not interfere with daily tasks or quality of life. To determine the difference, we can perform a simple test in the office that consists of a few questions. The score will determine if the aging of the brain is within normal limits.Â
Synapse LossÂ
As mentioned above, head trauma can lead to Alzheimer’s as it increases synapse loss. Things that contribute to head trauma include physical trauma, stroke, hypertension, and diabetes. Additionally, high cholesterol, high homocysteine, low exercise, and specific genes.Â
Genes
Although we are unable to change the genes we were born with, we can alter their expression. There are steps that we can take to alter these genes to express in a positive manner rather than negative. This can help slow down the progression or onset of Alzheimer’s. The genes we specifically look at in reference to Alzheimer’s are those that impact lipid metabolism, inflammation, and are dopaminergic and neurotrophic. These include:
CRP
IL-6Â
TNFAÂ
COMTÂ
BDNFÂ
We have the ability to perform genetic testing through DNA Life to assess your genes and your susceptibility. DNA Mind provides an identification of the level of impact of any genetic variant. It also provides us with a broken down explanation of the genes and their specific impact on the biochemical area and mental health. Additionally, this test not only reports on Alzheimer’s disease but also dementia, cognitive decline, addictive behavior, risk-taking behavior, and mood disorders. A sample report can be seen below:Â
Â
Lifestyle : InBodyÂ
As previously mentioned, we see a direct link between lack of exercise, poor nutrition, and Alzheimer’s disease. We are able to create personalized nutrition plans for your body as well as determine other predisposing factors with the help of the InBody 770 system. This advanced machine provides a great deal of information for us regarding the patient. We track patients Anthropometric measurements in order to determine their lean muscle mass, fat density, visceral fat (fat surrounding the organs- a key indicator of disease risk), water percentage, and height and weight. We measure our patients every 8 weeks and keep a detailed record. These reports are great indicators for health and also assess inflammation and edema. There is more information regarding the InBody below.Â
[embedyt] www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3_BEhgJCGc%5B/embedyt%5D
InBody_E_Book.pdf
GENETIC TESTING IS AVAILABLE NOW AND PROVIDES US WITH MORE INFORMATION THAN EVER BEFORE. WITH THIS INFORMATION AND THIS TECHNOLOGY, WE ARE ABLE TO CREATE PREVENTABLE PLANS GEARED TOWARDS YOU. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND GETTING TO KNOW AND UNDERSTAND YOUR GENES. -KENNA VAUGHN, SENIOR HEALTH COACHÂ
We have talked about the comorbidities of high visceral fat and insulin resistance; well, dyslipidemia is one of them. What you need to know about…
Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a cluster of signs and symptoms that are found in many patients. The standard of care determines that MetS diagnose should…
Welcome to our Functional Medicine episodes brought to you by Dr. Alex Jimenez. In this episode, we have a presentation by a Chiropractic Specialist; where…
Welcome to our Functional Medicine episodes brought to you by Dr. Alex Jimenez. In this episode, we have part 3 of a presentation by a…
Dr. Alex Jimenez DC brings to you Part Three of a Functional Medicine presentation titled “Food Allergies, Hypersensitivity, and Intolerances: Diagnosis and Treatment†featuring a…
Welcome to part two of a Functional Medicine presentation titled “Food Allergies, Hypersensitivity and Intolerances: Diagnosis and Treatment†featuring Naturopathic specialists. who will present to…
Welcome to our new Functional Medicine series, brought to you by Dr. Alex Jimenez. In this edition, we feature part two of a presentation titled…
Welcome to our new Functional Medicine series, brought to you by Dr. Alex Jimenez. In this edition, we feature part three of a presentation titled…
Once again, traditional Chinese medicine and herbal medicine are coming back to treat chronic conditions’ underlying cause potentially. Consequently, Chelidonium majus L., commonly known as…
Licorice is a widely researched root; it provides health benefits, and these have been applied in herbal medicine for thousands of years. Its main active…
The growing evidence about the clinical application of naturally occurring phytochemicals has revealed multiple phytochemicals’ detoxifying properties. Curcumin, commonly known as turmeric, has previously reported…
When a migraine hits, it can take you out anywhere from 2-72 hours. Often times, individuals report their migraines consist of a pulsating feeling and sensitivity to light. In fact, many who suffer from migraines report an “aura†before the migraine begins. An “aura†is a visual change (lights, the shape or size of an object, or dark spots in line of vision), auditory changes, and something deja vu, tingling, or strange smells. Â
Migraine Risks
Those with migraines typically make less nitric oxide. In women, that increases their chance of myocardial infarction, strokes, and angina two times more likely. In men, 42% of them who have migraines, had heart attacks.Â
The inside coating of a blood vessel is referred to as vascular endothelium. It is made up of endothelial cells. The purpose of a healthy endothelium is to suppress inflammation, prevent clots, and keep blood flowing. If the endothelium becomes damaged, its function becomes compromised. Those with migraines showed a decreased number of endothelial functions.
GeneticsÂ
One thing that sets functional medicine apart from traditional medicine is the lab work and genetic consideration. We work with many high tech diagnostic lab companies to determine the underlying cause of symptoms. In fact, there is a specific genetic mutation that leads to elevated homocysteine levels. It is MTHFR 677- the methylation gene. In fact, many patients who suffer from migraines have a family history of it. Â
We can break down a migraine even further and look at how it affects the rest of the body. Oxidative stress is a free radical that floats around the body. Oxidative stress is normal and necessary but too much of it begins to cause issues. In migraine sufferers, there is an increase in superoxide dismutase and elevated levels of catalase.Â
NutritionÂ
The standard American diet has done nothing but increase migraine factors. The foods consumed negatively influence gene expression as well as contribute to obesity. Many individuals have success when they switch from the standard American diet to the paleo diet. This diet gets rid of gluten and grains and patients tend to see improvement quickly. On top of this, they are now providing their bodies with the proper nutrients and healthy fats for optimal function. Here is an article that provides more information on acute migraine strategies.Â
InBodyÂ
We are able to create personalized nutrition plans for your body as well as determine other predisposing factors with the help of the InBody 770 system. This advanced machine provides a great deal of information for us regarding the patient. We track patients Anthropometric measurements in order to determine their lean muscle mass, fat density, visceral fat (fat surrounding the organs- a key indication of disease risk), water percentage, and height and weight. We measure our patients every 8 weeks and keep a detailed record. These reports are great indicators for health and also assess inflammation and edema.