Every day people ask me amongst other things what supplements to take, and what exercise is best. The focus of this newsletter is “Getting back to Basics”.

While I recommend everyone take a high quality multivitamin/mineral supplement, and everyone not only live an active lifestyle, but schedule exercise, I feel our focus must be food. What we are and are not putting in our mouths is at the core of health and wellness.

By now, many of you have seen, or at least heard of the movie “Supersize Me”. Most of us agree, this movie was an example of very poor eating and lifestyle habits.

All of us must eat daily to survive. With every meal, snack and drink we have a choice to make. With every meal we should be asking ourselves “Is what I put in my mouth of high nutritional value, or not.

The quality of food does matter. “Let medicine be thy food and FOOD BE THY MEDICINE”.

Where does one start you may be thinking.

1. It is important to know exactly what in fact you are eating. Pick up a health journal here at the clinic. Record in writing, everything, (YES, EVERYTHING) that you put into your mouth. Quantities are important if the portions you are eating are more than the size of your fist. An analysis is best done on about 4 weeks of data.
2. Record also all medications, and supplements in your journal.
3. Keep track of the liquids throughout the day
4. Record hours of sleep including interruptions

Other helpful factors may also include:
5. Noting any emotions during the days or weeks of recording
6. Keeping track of the type and duration of exercise
7. Any symptoms that come up and/or change i.e.: bloating, pain etc.

Once the record keeping is complete, the analysis and the homework will begin. Schedule an appointment for an evaluation. Many patients have also elected to have a food sensitivity and food additive blood test done as part of their health evaluation. It is a blood test, and the results are specific to you. Other tests important in evaluating and setting up an individualized medication, supplement and wellness program include: annual breast and pap exam and a dexascan, or bone density test (for women), 12 hour fasting blood tests that include cholesterol, glucose, and thyroid levels, PSA (for men), blood pressure, height and weights. In single sexually active men and women who are not monogamous, sexually transmitted disease testing is also recommended. For women an annual review of birth control, and hormone replacement (bioidentical hormones) therapy too is important.

All the resulting information about you is then analyzed and an individualized health program is set up for you. Regular follow-up appointments are then scheduled to follow and monitor progress. For example, high cholesterol and blood pressure is monitored to minimize risk of heart attacks and stroke. Medications are reviewed for efficacy and dosing. As a person becomes healthier changes in medications and supplement doses are required in many cases. Also, monitoring for side effects and interactions has become more important. Advances in science shows us there are more potential interactions between food and drugs and supplements than we may even suspect.

Our life is a journey. And most of us truly believe the journey is a more enjoyable one when we have health. Most of us list health in our top 5 on the list of priorities, and yet most of us do not live a life consistently that reflects this priority. When we are young we take our health for granted. And as we age we do not put our resources, time and money, towards protecting and nurturing our health. And then in the twilight of our lives, we wonder as we are taking handfuls of medications that keep us alive, where is the joy, the ability to enjoy life to the fullest, the inability to drive a car anymore, to travel to other countries, to sleep, to have sexual intimacy, to eat the foods we love?

Currently there is a lot of talk of changing our social security plan, our pension plans, and our retirement accounts. But what are we doing daily for our health IRA’s? Are we investing in our health and wellness? Are you as healthy as you can and choose to be?

Call today for an appointment. We always make room for your referrals of family and friends. We look forward to serving your health care needs.

‘LIFE IS NOT MERELY LIVING BUT LIVING IN HEALTH’ – Martial, Epigrams

Recently the government has recommended a change in the food pyramid. Most people, if asked, do not even know what this is. While I think the pyramid may make for a great outline for a nutrition teacher, from a practical matter my recommendations are to “balance your health account check book daily” by following the below recommendations:

1. Portion size matters. ( do the arithmetic)
The easiest way to remember this is get to know the size of your fist. This equals a serving of protein. Most fruits come in portion sizes, unless the very largest apples, oranges, peaches etc. are picked. A portion of grain usually equals about 1/3 – ½ c. uncooked, and about 1 cup cooked. Vegetables, too, may come in portion sizes, potatoes, corn on the cob, tomatoes, carrots, etc. Most people do not eat enough veggies, so portion size of vegetables in most cases is a mute point. Portion size of nuts, seeds, oils, and other high fat foods due to their high calorie count are significant mostly in the diet of people who want to lose weight. For people who just want to maintain health and wellness think moderation.

2. Food Choices
By having kept a track of the daily food intake (assignment from spring) we can now evaluate how well we did. (more arithmetic)

• How many servings of fruits/vegetables/ proteins did we have daily?
• Did we have at least 5-6 total vegetables & fruits? 3-5 servings of proteins? 3 of the good fats? 3-5 whole grains?
• Were our food choices the best they could be with respect to high quality protein (with every meal)?
• Did we have a little healthy oil/fat daily? (unsaturated, mono/poly unsaturated fats?) (excluding supplements)
• How did we do on the organic, non-hormone, non-preserved, non -colored question?
• Are most of the foods we eat daily, processed, or did we have to wash, prepare and cook them?
• Did we find the organic dairy, poultry and/or meat, actually looks and tastes so much better?
• How about the grains? Have we explored new tastes, quinoa, spelt, or maybe even gotten back to cooking good old fashioned oatmeal again?

3. Balanced Meals
As we get used to keeping track of our food, meal planning becomes easier. For example, if breakfast was fresh fruit, and a bagel with a poached egg, and lunch was a cobb salad, dinner options are very open. If however, breakfast was a muffin on the run, and lunch was a sandwich, a balancing dinner would include a large portion of either fruit, and/or veggies with quality protein. By this example, one can see that each day there are many ways to get the required food groups in. However, planning each meal, or planning a meal based on what one had thus far during the day is actually sort of like “balancing your check book daily” except it is your health account.

4. Exercise
Now part of this “Balancing your health account check book” idea daily also includes exercise. An active lifestyle has been shown to be very effective in the maintenance of health and wellness. Therefore, daily walks, biking to work, and /or walking the first 9 holes all matter. Individualized weight training programs are much more effective than going to the gym unsupervised, and without any specific goals.

5. Liquid consumption
For those of you have stated point blank, “I am not giving up my 2 glasses of wine, beer, martinis/night”….alcohol does affect your health checkbook balance. (in some cases possibly positively, and in others negatively.) Water should be the major component of your daily liquid consumption. Most people are simply not drinking enough water.

6. Sleep
What is your average # hours/night? Are you well rested, and full of energy, with a healthy immune system, emotionally stable, or are crabby and miserable to be around at home and at work (like a young child needing a nap)? Yes, your health check book may be going in the negative here.

7. Medications and Supplements
It is important to take medications and supplements as prescribed. Many people are self-prescribing supplements, and over the counter drugs. This can be very dangerous to one’s health as there may be chemical interactions that may be even life threatening. At a minimum, have a physician specialized in natural medicines (ND) review your natural medicines and supplements. Always tell each of your physicians any and all OTC drugs, (over the counter) supplements, and medications you are taking.

8. Keeping Score
For your convenience a health journal is available here at the clinic. Keeping a written record ensures better outcomes. As you review the above recommendations, some of you may find to only have a minimal challenge before you, while others may have significant hurdles to overcome. To each of you reading this newsletter I would like to extend an invitation and challenge of increasing the balance in our health accounts.

While some of you are very familiar with acupuncture treatments and Chinese medicine, and even have regular treatments, others of you may be unfamiliar with why and when acupuncture and/or Chinese herbs are indicated.

My first response for when acupuncture is recommended would be in any and all pain conditions. This would include acute (sudden onset) and chronic pain, and pre- and post-op. Some more commonly seen conditions here in the clinic are headaches, all musculoskeletal conditions, including neck, knee, shoulder, low back, tendonitis, bursitis, abdominal pain, and menstrual pain.

Acupuncture can be particularly effective in nausea and vomiting, and especially hyper emesis in pregnancy. And in stroke patients, the sooner the acupuncture the initial event, the better their prognosis.

As spring approaches, allergies and sinus symptoms are very often relieved with acupuncture. And a few favorites of mine include insomnia, stress and a lowered immune system.

Chinese medicine refers to the herbs that may be prescribed for the condition. These herbs are usually a Chinese herbal formula. In many cases, herbs may be prescribed concurrently with the acupuncture.

It has been my experience that Chinese herbs and acupuncture are most people’s LAST resort of treatment. Yet, from clinical experience, patients who have acupuncture and Chinese herbs as a first line of treatment, or even regularly, as prevention, may often save themselves from prolonged discomfort and many unnecessary invasive medical procedures.

The theory of how acupuncture works is based on the theory of yin and yang, the balance of energy. From a practical matter, an explanation I use often is that by choosing specific points in the body, and inserting a very fine hair-like needle in these points, a specific response is elicited. For example in pain cases, specific points may help the body produce its own endorphins, others decrease inflammation, and others may relax the muscles etc. It is the clinical expertise of the acupuncturist that determines the combination of points and length of time that are used for a specific patient. Not all acupuncturists’ clinical expertise is equal and results may vary between practitioners.

For those who have tried acupuncture for one symptom and it didn’t work, don’t rule it out as a possible treatment of something else. The body is complex and ever changing. Acupuncture is a most dynamic in the moment type of treatment and has been shown to be very effective in some people for a vast number of disorders. Why not consider acupuncture today for that nagging shoulder, knee, elbow, or low back pain before the golf, hiking, or biking season? They do say “Prevention is a pound of Cure”.

Attention: Parents, Grandparents and Childcare Providers:
As of Spring, 2008, there has been an interesting development in the case of the government looking into a possible link between autism and childhood immunizations.
Apparently the government found a link with autism and childhood immunizations in an infant daughter with a mitochondrial disorder of a John Hopkins neurologist. What are the implications of this information for those of us with infants and children? This is a discussion we all need to be having with our pediatricians and health care providers. To those of you for whom I am your childrens’ primary care physician, please schedule an appointment to discuss this information.

1. Regular age and sex-dependent labs, mammograms, coronary and carotid artery calcium screenings, dexascans, indicated ultrasounds, paps, breast and prostate exams, and x-rays are recommended. The focus of my practice is prevention and anti-ageing. Body chemistry DOES NOT LIE! We might not listen to what our body is telling us, but the most objective evaluation of what is going on inside of us is our chemistry. However, the interpretation of these labs is very significant. This is where all of you, my patients, get my expertise in the area of disease, and disease prevention and anti-ageing.

2. Supplements. No, they are not all created equal. We carry a few very specific, premier quality, highly effective clinically, non-contaminated supplements. These supplements are biochemically active, which means they cause physiological changes in the body. This is the purpose of taking a supplement. If a supplement is prescribed, the desired effect should be manifested. Not everyone needs to have this clinically desired effect. This is why all supplements should be individually dosed and prescribed. In some cases, there may be interactions between supplements and medications. These reactions may in fact be dangerous to one’s health. As a patient of this clinic you will have the expertise of my training and clinical experience in the prescribing and dosing of all natural medicines, which includes supplements, hormones, drugs and herbs.

3. Regular exercise. There isn’t an exercise that is the best for every body. My rule is “GET UP AND MOVE”. For some this is walking, others dancing, biking, hiking, skiing, running, and/or yoga. There are so many benefits of exercise; thousands of books have been written on the subject. Another recommendation is “CHANGE IT UP”. For the first time in my life, I am trying Pilates. I love it. It is very different than anything I have done. Here’s the thing….doing the same thing over and over again can get boring. Also, to keep motivated, exercise with a friend, or co-worker, or partner. Be held accountable.

4. Sleep. For years I was always envious of people who said they could get along on 4 or 5 hours of sleep per night. They seemed to be so productive. Even as a college student, I recall sleeping a lot, especially on winter breaks. Looking back, I am so glad I listened to my body (and my mom) and took the time to sleep. Research has shown study after study quality and quantity sleep is extremely important in disease prevention and overall health and wellness. If you are not getting a minimum 7-8 hours of quality sleep, come in and see me. There may be a metabolic or other reason for your inability to get those quality and oh so important ZZZZZZ’s.

5. Food. There is a saying “Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food.” This has been proven again and again clinically. Buy organic, unprocessed foods. Start with quality organic, hormone-free protein, organic whole grains, fruit and vegetables. If finances play a role, cut back the alcohol, snacks, and sweets. Please do not compromise your health with buying inexpensive fast food. For those of you who need help in this area, call my office and make an appointment.

6. Prescription drugs. For many this area is very difficult to personally evaluate. If you would like to have me evaluate your prescription drugs with respect to cost and/or other options, please call for an appointment. In some cases, generic drugs are OK. In some, not. The rule is not to discontinue prescribed drugs without the prescribing physician’s permission. These include bio-identical hormones, testosterone, thyroid and blood pressure medications.

7. Meditation, quiet time, prayer. It is very important for all of us to de-stress by doing nothing. I know, I can already hear many of you say, “The day isn’t long enough to even get my to-do list done, let alone schedule some quiet time.” Folks, it is because we are human BEINGS not human DOINGS that we need to learn to JUST BE!!!!! It is in these moments when we consciously connect our mind, body and spirit. Start with one minute per day and just breathe. Yes, time it if you have to. Trust me; you will yearn for more time with yourself. Work up to five minutes/day.

8. Make time for family and friends. Eliminate if you have to obligatory automatic and joyless activities if it takes away from you being and doing things with those you love and hold most dear. Within this last year a number of clinic patients have been diagnosed with some form of cancer. The prognosis varies, however, a few have a very short time to live. I learn many things in being with these patients. Mostly, to live each day prioritizing the people who matter and are important, and of living a daily life of no regrets. Ask yourself, if you knew when you were going to die, what would you be doing now, today, this week, this month, this year. Re-evaluate the path you are on, and make any changes you feel are mandatory in your living a healthy rewarding life.

9. Give back. It seems there is no end to the opportunity to give back. Volunteer, donate, and/or give money. There are truly blessings in helping those who need help.

The focus of this newsletter is anti-aging. This subject has become quite a buzz word in the health community. In my opinion, anti-aging is so much more than Botox injections and accomplished cosmetic procedures designed to make us look more youthful from the outside. I believe that there are a number of factors that are successful in protecting, preventing and restoring vitality, mental acuity and physical integrity within our bodies. With this thought in mind, “we age from the inside out”, here are the following ideas:

• STOP SMOKING: Just do it!
• WEAR SUNBLOCK:
• DRINK WATER:
• PAY ATTENTION TO NUTRITION

NUTRITION:

“Let food be thy medicine and medicine thy food.” “You are what you eat”. Over time, the lack in quality of nutrition appears throughout the body, from the skin on the outside to the internal chemistry. I am not simply referring to eating well, which to most Americans means a lot. I am referring to eating organic vegetables, fruits, whole grains and quality proteins. It still amazes me when people say that they do not like vegetables and therefore do not eat vegetables. Get over it! There are so many healthy recipes to make even the least palatable vegetable taste good.

Also, it is not the amount of food that makes for a quality nutritious meal. Studies have actually shown that people who eat fewer calories are thinner and live longer. Three goals: Eat organic, eat local, and eat in moderation!!

• BUSY ACTIVE MIND:
• FEELING NEEDED, and/or CONTRIBUTING to SOMETHING:
• MEANINGFUL RELATIONSHIPS:
• EXERCISE

EXERCISE

Gyms are failing all over the country. Is this due to the recession? Perhaps in some cases. Many patients have home exercise equipment and do not use them. Why is this? Study after study shows us how important physical activity is to our health both in the moment, and over the long run. I think people are confused with the term living an active lifestyle vs. exercise program.

Some people will always choose a personal trainer, and or a focused exercise regime available at gyms or with a personal trainer for personal reasons some of which may be convenience and time. However, there are no substitutes for a day out on the trail cross country skiing, hiking, mountain biking, alpine skiing, swimming, bike riding, dancing, yoga, horseback riding, cleaning stables etc. Make things fun. Go with friends. Take your kids, and/or grandkids. Our bodies are designed to move. To avoid boredom, change it up as the seasons change. JUST DO IT! It does not take a lot of exercise. In fact some studies show that too much exercise increases our oxidation rate, which increases the amount of free radicals in our body that actually encourages/enhances aging. If you are concerned you may be exercising too much, come in and see me. We will evaluate this on an individual basis.

SLEEP:

The quality and quantity of sleep matters. Did you know that one of our most important hormones is primarily released while we sleep? This hormone is responsible for growth (mostly during childhood), cellular repair and anti-aging. The big buzz currently is HGH injections, or sublingual preparations for anti-aging. If you have questions on this please come in and see me. We will evaluate this on an individual basis.

METABOLIC BALANCE
The blood and urine do not lie. Hormones and chemistry matter. What tests we order and how we interpret the results in the presence of an extensive history and appropriate physical exam matters. In some cases, this may be the difference between life and death. Practicing anti-aging medicine is really what I have always called preventative medicine. My personal goal has always been to stay as healthy as possible for as long as possible. Also, do what I know and to continue to learn more about how to be preventative. Just because we are aging, does not mean we have to accept the most prevalent increase and incident of chronic disease in our own lives. Our science is amazing. We now can check to see if we have any evidence of plaque in our arteries, and inflammation (stroke and heart attack risk, chronic inflammatory disease) sugar and insulin levels (diabetes). We can test for all kinds of genetic markers and evaluate our risk factors of specific kinds of diseases. In this office I evaluate with you which tests are appropriate for you. The rate and the way in which we age is, after all, very individual. It is influenced by our genetics, yes, but our lifestyle and the choices we consciously make day to day absolutely affect our outcome.

So, at the beginning of this newsletter, I invited you to look at our daily routines. Are there things we should, can and are willing and able to change as we get older day to day? Let us pay attention. In some cases, time has not been so kind. Let us not take our health for granted.

I would like to close with a patient’s own story. A 76-yr old man came in for his annual checkup. We run annual blood and urine. (He sees a male physician as part of his health care team as well.) As we reviewed his labs and his case again, all appeared normal. I told him that everything appeared fine on his labs, and I wasn’t sure what I could do for him. He said, “I just want to make sure I am doing the right things. I want to stay healthy.” I told him, sir, keep doing what you are doing, because everything appears fine. Then I asked him what he thought it was that kept him happy and healthy. He said, “I take the supplements you prescribe, and try to exercise as regularly as I can with stretching, jogging, walking and golf. I am still working, where I feel needed, and keep my mind active. I have a wonderful wife and family. And I give back to the community which has been good to me.”

May this story inspire all of us, to be and become the best we can be. To all my patients, I continue to look forward to serving you. Thank you for your continued support through your referral of friends and family.

Sincerely
Dr. Brust