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January 31, 2010
Alzheimer's -
What Can Be Done?
Hi ,
Do you have a loved one with Alzheimer's or senile dementia? Are you concerned for yourself? Loss of your ability to think or remember is devastating. "You" literally cease to exist bit by bit, but your body keeps going on. Life as you knew it slips away because everything "you knew" is slipping away. Everything you made of your life slips away.
So what is Alzheimer's anyway? If you read articles on it they will talk about beta-amyloid plaques forming on the nerves and neurofibril entanglements blocking normal nerve function in the memory and cognition areas of the brain. This sounds very scientific, and at the end of every article it says "and further research will be needed." Rarely do they ever say anything useful like what to do or how to avoid it. Sometimes I think the only reason for these articles is to generate more research funding.
So what is Alzheimer's? Simply put, Alzheimer's is brain inflammation.
That's right, the same stuff as happens in arthritic joints, inflamed guts, smoker's cough, and so on. When your body perceives a threat anywhere, your immune system goes into overdrive to wipe out that threat. Unfortunately, in the battlefield environment that takes place, collateral damage to otherwise healthy cells occurs. In most of the body there are specialized immune cells that control the battle to prevent excess healthy cell death. However the brain does not have these control cells, so any battle wipes out everything - the good as well as the bad. The chemical warfare blasts tangle nerve endings and leave lots of damaged globs of protein called amalyoid plaque that gums up the works of the surviving nerve cells.
About 1/3 of the cases of Alzheimer's are believed to have a genetic basis making these people more sensitive to the plaque formation and more prone to developing brain inflammation. For these people understanding the cause and avoiding all the triggers to this process is vital. Two thirds of the cases are not gene based (although gene weaknesses to specific factors is likely involved in some way) and are simply toxin exposure based and nutritional lifestyle deficiency based. Current estimates state that 40% of the aging population is at risk for these disorders over the next 15 years.
There is a strange lack of common sense in the scientific community - mostly because (in my opinion) common sense does not funnel billions of dollars into researcher's checking accounts. There is a ton of research into the precise chemical pathways causing damage in hopes of producing drugs to block these pathways (and thus tons of more money into pharmaceutical company's bank accounts.) But no one is suggesting that we avoid the problems in the first place by not filling our bodies with the poisons that trigger the warfare causing the problems.
The basic assumption is that we will continue to poison ourselves so we need drugs to block the action of these poisons on our systems. Science sees you, the patient, as a helpless victim of circumstance. You couldn't possibly be expected to change your diet and lifestyle to avoid toxin-induced inflammation. Avoiding toxins might cut into the profits of the same chemical company conglomerates that are researching high priced solutions to sell you to treat the damage their products cause.
Don't get me wrong, I love science and what the research scientists are doing is vital largely because they are right - people are not willing to change their diet and lifestyle. But lets not kid ourselves, they all have mortgages and car payments and college funds for their kids that need to be supported. They are not about to stand up and say "Hey, my research isn't really needed. All you really need to do live clean and natural to avoid these diseases."
Next newsletter I will go into what can be done to fight the brain inflammation producing Alzheimer's and dementia as well as natural substances that can help overcome present existing damage. But for this newsletter the message is clear. The best remedy for Alzheimer's is to avoid the brain inflammation that causes it.
How do you do that? I have outlined the diet and lifestyle changes necessary in my articles titled: Health Priorities 1,Health Priorities 2, Health Priorities 3, The Anti-inflammatory Diet, and the yearlong transition process Health Challenge Series. If you want the one line version: Eat only fresh, natural, clean foods in alignment with your personal metabolism; drink pure water; breathe clean fresh air; and move around a lot.
These principles apply to anyone who thinks they are heading in that direction as well. If you want a healthy brain, you have to clean up your act now. By the time the "magic pill" is invented, it will already be too late for you.
If you are curious about just how much nervous system damage has already occurred in your body, The Health Express Heart Rate Variability exam we are currently offering for free at the office will give you a really good idea. Of all the tissues in your body, the one that is most sensitive to nerve and brain function changes and yet easy to observe is your heart. Second by second the timing and variation of your heartbeats is a constant measure of the balance of the two halves of your nervous system. We can literally measure your brain and body health by measuring your heartbeat. Come on in and get checked out.
Good Journey,
David
How is your brain?
Your Heart knows the truth!
I want each of you to get a Heart Rate Variability Test to find out how much nervous system damage has taken place in your body due to stress and poor nutrition. The more damage there is, the more difficult it is for you to recover your health while under my care.
Your back and your body can not get better and stay better if there is nervous system damage. If significant damage is found then I will order further testing to determine what interventions are necessary to reverse this damage and improve your health. I am offering this exam at no cost to make sure everyone has the ability to do this.
Please schedule your exam
as soon as is convenient
and call the office to set up your free exam
& consultation 966-4714
Nutrition Self-Help #3
HCl and/or Digestive Enzymes
Before we even think about nutrition, we have to first make sure we have the capacity and ability to digest and absorb that nutrition. All the best foods and supplemental nutrients you can acquire are completely worthless if you are unable to break them down to an absorbable form. That process takes place in the stomach and duodenum through the action of hydrochloric acid and a load of powerful digestive enzymes.
Hydrochloric acid in your stomach is about 10 times more acidic than vinegar. It does four main things:
1. it unfolds the protein structure opening it to the action of enzymes,
2. it is essential in the manufacture of the powerful protein breakdown enzyme Pepsin,
3. it sterilizes food and water coming into our system, and
4. it ionizes minerals like calcium and magnesium so they can be carried into your body by special carrier molecules in your gut.
Without it you can not digest most of your protein foods, your system is open to any ingested bacteria and viruses, and you can not absorb your minerals.
The second half of your digestion revolves around enzymes. Enzymes are little power scissors. They run around snipping the food into tiny bits. There is a different shaped pair of scissors for every type of food. There are lots of different protein scissors, starch scissors, fat scissors, and sugar scissors. You need a lot of all the different kinds of enzymes. Different people are deficient in different enzymes. In the office we use special metabolic tests to determine just what kinds of specific enzymes you may be deficient in. If you are just guessing on your own you should probably use a broad spectrum enzyme product.
How do you know if you need either HCl or digestive enzymes? Well if you are over 45 then you need HCl - sorry, just the way it is. If you are low in zinc then you need HCl. If you get reflux after a meal then you need HCl. If you have bloating or gas then you might need either HCl or enzymes. If you have any chronic digestive disorder you probably need HCl or enzymes or both. Colitis, crohn's disease, leaky gut, food sensitivities, constipation, all are indications of a need for either HCl or enzymes. Trial and error is your best bet. Try the HCl first,
because if you have a chronic HCl deficiency you tend to have an "acid burned" small intestine that will not be able to tolerate the enzymes. If even one HCl causes acid burn in your stomach then you have gastritis (stomach inflammation) and need to deal with that first.
In the office we use Super DigestZyme and
HCl ProZyme. The Super DigestZyme is a broad spectrum enzyme blend to help with all the foods you eat while the HCl ProZyme provides the needed hydrochloric acid to break down your proteins and ionize your minerals as well as herbs and homeopathics to help you rebuild your own ability to produce HCl.
Setting up your basic ability to digest nutrients is more important that anything else you might take - simply because anything else you take can't do you any good if you can't absorb it. Empower yourself - manage your gut and you will be healthier and happier for it.
Yours in health,
Dr. Dave
If you wish to review any of the previous
Health Challenge articles -
 Complimentary
Heart Rate Variability EKG Examination
for Dr. DeLapp's patients
Discover your true health status
________
You are free to reprint this article in your newsletter as long as you include the following statement in the same size type and color:
"This article appears courtesy of Fair Oaks Health News, offering natural and healthy solutions for body, mind and soul. For a complimentary subscription,
visit http://www.fairoakshealth.com"
Trim Challenge
As my recipe section shows, I have been experimenting with nut cheese. I also found a local source of an actually good tasting gluten free bread - Udi's bread. Elliott's Nutrition now carries Udi's. This is unfortunate for me because as long as gluten free bread tasted like cardboard, I was not tempted to eat any. But now that I have a tasty alternative... well the recipe section says it all. Gluten free is still full of carbs and healthy non-toxic cheese is still full of fat calories.
David
Announcing a new service at Fair Oaks Healing Arts
Wouldn't it be great if you had someone to hand walk you through the transition to a healthy lifestyle?
Find out more here:
FOHAC Healthy Lifestyle Support Services
Ouestions - if you have questions of a health or growth nature we could discuss in this newsletter, or if you have comments or ideas about a future newsletter focus please email me at:
david@fairoakshealth.com
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