Renew You Challenge

Let’s start this week off right!

Weekly challenge (I mean, opportunity!) to help set you off on the right foot and in the right direction for bringing health to your week. You could even add it to your calendar. Join us!

I talk all the time about the gut connection to other areas of the body—like when your gut is out of balance and it affects your brain, your skin or your joints. I also talk about the many ways your gut becomes imbalanced in the first place—like with antibiotics, acid blocking medications, poor diet, and stress.

Yes, even stress affects your gut. Stress-relieving therapies are high on my list of things to include in a healthy lifestyle. It has been known for a while now that stress can throw the gut out of balance. A recent study follows up on this by showing that not only do gut bacteria levels change with stress, but those changes also affect immunity.

The researchers of this study plan to further evaluate whether gut microbial changes are the reason that certain diseases worsen under stress. It’s a vicious cycle—stress alters the gut microbiota, which leads to worsening of symptoms, which adds more stress… and on and on.

Break the cycle. Find some kind of stress-relieving activity, like massage, meditation, yoga, tai chi, exercise—anything that brings you calm. This is an essential part of your well-being. After you’ve done that, make sure your gut also has the right support with probiotics. Break the cycle.

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There is still a general belief with medical doctors and the public as well that Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) are mostly stress-related psychological disorders. I have personally had many patients who were reluctant to discuss their bowel problems for fear of being labeled a “psych” case. Many practitioners still aren’t aware there can be legitimate causes of disease that come from both mind and body.

With IBS and IBD, as with most discussions, there is often an element of truth on both sides or there would be no controversy. First, let’s look at the validity of the stress factors. People with genetic short serotonin transporter systems react negatively to stress-related increases in cortisol (a stress hormone) than people with normal serotonin transport systems.1 Second, ALL people react to significant stress, which can produce damage to the gut epithelial lining. However, people with a history of IBD generally show more gut lining damage than those without IBD. The damage includes: increased levels of stress hormones, activation and degranulation of mast cells, mitochondrial damage in epithelial cells, and mucosal protein oxidation which can create multiple problems with permeability (leaky gut) and immunity.2 Again, this happens to everyone under stress, but is worse with IBS and IBD because stress can trigger a relapse of either condition.

On the other hand, there are many reports that suggest anywhere from 20 to 60 percent of IBS and IBD patients have had a serious gastrointestinal infection days or weeks before they began having symptoms of chronic bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea or constipation (or both diarrhea and constipation) that may have lasted years. A study was done on 111 patients with IBS using the lactulose breath test (measures hydrogen and methane gas produced by too many of the wrong bacteria) and 84 percent of patients were positive, which indicates small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO). Those who were treated with a non-absorbable antibiotic, Neomycin, had a statistically significant improvement both in symptoms, and normalization of the breath test.3 A more recent study4 showed that patients with IBS, but without constipation, treated with rifaximin (a broad spectrum non-absorbable antibiotic) for two weeks provided significant relief of IBS symptoms including: bloating, abdominal pain, and loose or watery stools.

Both of these studies strongly suggest that bacterial overgrowth, which creates a low-grade infection, is a major part of IBS, and can be treated with antibiotics. In addition, I think the standard of care today strongly suggests using probiotics while on antibiotics. This has been shown to lower the incidence of antibiotic associated diarrhea (AAD), and especially Clostridium difficle diarrhea, which can lead to total removal of the colon or even death.

Probiotics alone have been shown to significantly help with IBS. More specifically, probiotics enhance gut barrier function, inhibit pathogen binding and modulate gut inflammatory response. They reduce visceral hypersensitivity associated with both inflammation and psychological stress. More importantly, probiotics can alter colonic fermentation and stabilize the colonic microbiota, show that dietary exposure to pathogens maybe less likely to create another relapse of symptoms.5

Once again we can see that the use of high fiber, essential oils (omegas), probiotics and digestive enzymes (Brenda Watson’s HOPE Formula) can be beneficial in preventing or treating intestinal inflammation—be it IBS or IBD.

1. Way BM. “The Serotonin Transporter Promoter Polymorphism Is Associated with Cortisol Response to Psychosocial Stress.” Biol Psychiat. 2010 Mar 1;67(5):487-92.
2. Farhadi A, et al. “Heightened Responses to Stressors in Patients with Inflammatory Bowel Disease.” Am J Gastro. 2005;100:1796–1804.
3. Pimentel M., et al. “Normalization of Lactulose Breath Testing Correlates With Symptom Improvement in Irritable Bowel Syndrome: A Double-Blind, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study.” Am J Gastro. 2003;98:412-19.
4. Pimentel M., et al. “Rifaximin Therapy for Patients with Irritable Bowel Syndrome without Constipation.” N Engl J Med. 2011 Jan;364:22-32.
5. Spiller, R. “Review article: probiotics and prebiotics in irritable bowel syndrome.” Aliment Pharmacog Ther. 2008 Jun;28(4):385-96.

Leonard Smith, M.D.
Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent Board-Certified, general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon who had a successful private practice for 25 years. In addition to his active surgery practice, he also incorporated lifestyle, diet, supplementation, exercise, detoxification, and stress management into many of the therapies he would prescribe. Many of his patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses did so well under his treatment regimes that he began to devote most of his career to foundational health care and preventive medicine.

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Since we are moving into winter, it would be wise for everyone to be mindful of their vitamin D status. We now know that vitamin D affects close to 2,000 genes that have to do with immunity and inflammation. The best vitamin D test to have done is the blood 25 (OH) vitamin D level. A level less than 30 ng/mL is inadequate. Though the Lab Corp normal range is 32 – 100 ng/mL, an optimum level would be 50 – 70 ng/mL. Generally, a prescription is needed for the test, but ZRT Lab and Life Extension offer the test directly without prescription. Out of pocket cost for the test at Lab Corp (with prescription) is $85, and Life Extension and ZRT tests cost a little over $60. With a prescription, insurance may cover some portion of the cost.

The latest data from around the U.S. suggests that more than 90 percent of dark-skinned people (African-Americans, Hispanics and Asians) have vitamin D levels less than 30 ng/mL. What’s more, over 75 percent of the Caucasian population also have levels less than 30 ng/mL. Further, this rate of low vitamin D has doubled in the U.S. in the last ten years.1 The primary reasons seem to be obesity (vitamin D stored in fat is not available), sun-phobia and excess use of sunscreen (this is because we have been told by medical authorities to avoid sun exposure and/or use plenty of sunscreen), and air pollution (which blocks UVB light necessary for the conversion of vitamin D).

There are three things you can do to obtain enough vitamin D:

Correct amount of sun exposure at the right time of day. UVB is available between 10 am and 3 pm (best time is 12 pm to 2 pm). Fair-skinned people may get enough UVB by exposing 25 to 50 percent of their body for 10 to 15 minutes. Darker-skinned people may need one or more hours. If your skin becomes pink (minimal erythema dose, MED) then cut your time by 50 to 75 percent. However, if you live north of Atlanta from November through March, you will not receive enough UVB due to the tilt of the earth away from the sun. Also, if you are over age 70, you have 70 percent less production of vitamin D from sun exposure. Seniors will still benefit from sun exposure but will also need to supplement with vitamin D. In addition, cloud cover can reduce vitamin D synthesis by 50 to 75 percent. On cloudy days, you can get sunburned with UVA rays, and be at risk for cancer and wrinkles, yet not receive the beneficial UVB.2

Sun lamp. High-quality sun lamps replicate natural sunshine. UVA (at 94 to 97.5 percent) and UVB (at 2.5 to 6 percent) exposure times will be basically the same as are found on an ideal day of sun exposure. If you prefer a tanning salon, make sure they use low pressure lamps (look for fluorescent tubes, not round lamps), avoid high pressure lamps which do not provide UVB rays. You may get tan, but you could also get skin damage or cancer.2

Diet and supplements. Generally speaking, everyone should supplement with vitamin D, unless you are impeccable about sun/sun lamp exposure. Infants need 400 to 1,000 iu daily, children 2,000 iu daily and adults 4,000 iu daily as a general starting point. At these doses, you could begin supplementing without a 25 (OH) vitamin D test. After two to three months of supplementation, a blood test will help adjust the dose. If you have questions or concerns, contact a healthcare practitioner who has an understanding of vitamin D. For more information go to www.vitamindcouncil.org, or read the book The Vitamin D Solution by Michael Holick PhD, MD.

Leonard Smith, M.D.
Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent Board-Certified, general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon who had a successful private practice for 25 years. In addition to his active surgery practice, he also incorporated lifestyle, diet, supplementation, exercise, detoxification, and stress management into many of the therapies he would prescribe. Many of his patients with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and other serious illnesses did so well under his treatment regimes that he began to devote most of his career to foundational health care and preventive medicine.

1. J.S. Adams and M. Hewison, “Update in vitamin D.” J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Feb;95(2):471-8.

2. M.F. Holick, The Vitamin D Solution, Hudson Street Press, 2010.

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Our friends at Nutraceutix were just honored with the 2010 Technology Innovation of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan, a global research firm that recognizes best-in-class practices and achievements in many industries. They won for their patented LiveBac process, which when combined with Bio-tract® delivery system, helps ensure that Renew Life’s FloraSMART™ line of probiotics are delivered right to the intestines where they are most effective.

Why the standing ovation? Well, probiotics are only effective if they can withstand the harsh conditions in the stomach to be absorbed in the intestines. Once in the intestines, they can help replenish helpful bacteria as well as strengthen immunities and support overall digestive health. Bio-tract technology is an advanced delivery system that creates a protective natural gel around each probiotic caplet to protect it from gastric acid, thus delivering more active probiotic cultures to the intestines over an optimal time frame.

And that means better overall digestive health! After all, 70 percent of the body’s immune defenses reside in the intestines. If the probiotics can’t make it there, they can’t do much good. If delivered intact where they can work their magic in the intestines, they can lead to optimal digestion, bowel regularity, and overall well being.

Hats off to Nutraceutix for building a better way to manufacture and deliver probiotics. Renew Life and our millions of customers thank you daily!

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Doing what I do, I have a lot of folks come to me with problems like heartburn, constipation, gas and bloating—things that make you think right off the bat, “That’s a digestive issue.” But what about problems like fatigue or weight gain? Even allergies, joint pain or skin problems? What a lot of people don’t realize is that all of these things are connected, and they all come back to your gut.

I have a new book coming out called The Road to Perfect Health, and in it I talk about the vast numbers of bacteria in your body, especially in your digestive tract (which is where roughly 80 percent of your natural defenses are found). And when a healthy digestive balance is upset because of things like poor diet, stress or other factors, the result can be not only poor digestion, but a total breakdown in health.

If you’ve been having persistent health problems that you and your doctor just can’t seem to figure out no matter what you try, it may be time to look at what’s going on in your gut. And to do that, there are two absolutely essential tests that I recommend starting with. One is called a comprehensive stool analysis (CDSA or CSAP) and it’s really pretty remarkable. It evaluates your poop (now don’t cringe, this is important!) and looks at things like how you are digesting your food, as well as your levels of good and bad bacteria, whether pathogenic organisms such as C. difficile are present, what your yeast levels are, and if there are parasites in the gut.

The CDSA will also show you whether you have Leaky Gut Syndrome or inflammation in your digestive system, and it will show you how well your gut immunity is working, along with important gut health markers such as pH, blood, short-chain fatty acids and even how well your pancreas is functioning. These are all extremely important aspects of gut health that together can help you get to the bottom of what is going on in the rest of your body. Again, I can’t stress enough how connected your overall health is to what’s going on in your gut!

The other test is a gluten sensitivity test. Why gluten sensitivity? Because wheat gluten is a major (if not the worst) food irritant to the digestive system, and it is in a huge number of products on the market today—not just bread. Seriously folks, more than 40 percent of Americans are gluten sensitive and most don’t even know it, and 2 million of those have a serious autoimmune disorder called celiac disease, which causes the body to try to attack gluten in the system. And because even a lot of GI doctors don’t understand the difference between gluten sensitivity and celiac disease, most will either label you as having celiac or nothing, which can be extremely frustrating when you don’t feel well and are trying to figure out what’s wrong (read more about this here).The bottom line is that people are having all these problems which could lead to bigger problems later on, and the reality is those problems can be helped.

Both of these tests are non-invasive and can be done right at home (visit www.labtestingdirect.com and www.enterolab.com for more information). Then, all you have to do is send the tests to the lab for analysis (prepaid envelopes are provided) and hopefully take the first step toward getting your health back on track. If they seem expensive, think about it this way: how much money do you spend each week or each month on frivolous things you really don’t need? Isn’t your health a hundred times more important than a $4 latte every morning? And even if your insurance doesn’t cover the cost right away, you may be eligible for reimbursement, so I beg you—make this investment in your health. It’s worth it to get to the root of your problems and start enjoying the vibrant health and energy you deserve!!

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“Renew You” Challenge – Be a part of my Weekly Challenge (I mean, opportunity!) to help set you off on the right foot for bringing health to your week.

So here we are right smack in the middle of another cold and flu season, and all I can hear in my head is mom telling me to eat my fruits and veggies. Why? Well, you know how a lot of folks take multivitamins every day? Fresh fruits and vegetables are like nature’s multivitamin—chock full of important nutrients and natural antioxidants proven to boost immune function and help keep you healthy—which brings me back to cold and flu season.

The best way to ward off seasonal illness is by being proactive. Don’t wait until the first sign of a sneeze or sniffle, but instead practice good habits all year long, and that includes (and you knew this was coming) eating more fruits and veggies. So that’s your challenge this week!

Now before you start to groan, just bear with me. The CDC has this great new website that helps you calculate how many servings of fruits and vegetables you need each day based on your age, sex and activity level, and from there it’s just a matter of being creative. And parents, pay attention—getting kids to gobble up their fruits and veggies may not be as difficult as you think. Just plan ahead, spend a little time at the beginning of the week slicing and storing, and soon the whole family will be on their way to better health. Here are some tips to help you get started!

 Dip bite-size veggies in low-fat dressing
 Spread natural peanut butter on celery sticks
 Spread hummus on celery, carrots or even whole-wheat pita
 Add pre-sliced veggies and even fruit to sandwiches & wraps
 Prepare individual salad servings for a quick grab-and-go lunch
 Top natural tortilla chips or pita chips with fresh, homemade salsa
 Mix berries or other fruits with yogurt, oatmeal & cereal
 Keep frozen fruit on hand for shakes & smoothies

For more simple, healthful snack ideas and recipes using fresh fruits and veggies, be sure to visit www.fiber35diet.com.

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Did you know that a healthy gut can help you fight back against colds and flu? This week on the Poop Scoop I’ll be talking with renowned medical doctor and nutrition expert Leonard Smith about the importance of a strong digestive tract for boosting immunity and warding off harmful bacteria and viruses. After all, more than 70 percent of your body’s natural immune defenses live in your gut!

Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon, as well as an expert on nutrition and natural supplementation. For the past 25 years, Dr. Smith has studied countless holistic medical programs, including those focusing on immunity, longevity, nutrition, exercise, chelation, stress management and the relevance of mental and spiritual attitude with regard to healing. Acknowledging the effectiveness of whole organic foods and nutritional supplementation, Dr. Smith strives to stay on the cutting edge of research and keep pace with the latest advances in the field of functional nutrition.

Log on and listen to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) right from your computer. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory on my website and listen to past shows from the archive!

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So here’s something I thought was interesting – a new study about fish oils and young people with schizophrenia found that taking a daily fish oil supplement may help prevent the development of psychosis and promote better health.

More than 75 participants were given either a placebo (basically a non-effective sugar pill) or a supplement containing 1.2 grams of Omega-3 fish oil (in this case 700mg EPA and 480mg DHA) and the results were pretty amazing!

Among those who received the placebo, 27.5% experienced a psychotic episode during the 12-week trial, but in those taking the fish oil supplement only 4.9% progressed to psychosis. What’s more, the fish oil group experienced reduced symptoms and improved functioning overall. 

Hearing this, it’s really no surprise that Omega-3 fish oils are one of the most researched—and most recommended—nutritional supplements. Decades of studies have proven their benefit for heart and brain health, immunity, better digestion and more, but this was the first trial to look at the benefits of fish oil in people with a high risk of developing psychosis, a debilitating condition. 

Further studies are planned that will look at the use of fish oil compared to using conventional medications to treat a variety of disorders. Why is this so important? Because a lot of those medications come with adverse side effects that aren’t found in fish oil, and those side effects can be especially harmful in young people.

Just another reason to love your Omegas!!

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Did you know that a healthy gut can help you fight back against colds and flu? This week on the Poop Scoop I’ll be talking with renowned medical doctor and nutrition expert Leonard Smith about the importance of a strong digestive tract for boosting immunity and warding off harmful bacteria and viruses. After all, more than 70 percent of your body’s natural immune defenses live in your gut!

Dr. Leonard Smith is a prominent general, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon, as well as an expert on nutrition and natural supplementation. For the past 25 years, Dr. Smith has studied countless holistic medical programs, including those focusing on immunity, longevity, nutrition, exercise, chelation, stress management and the relevance of mental and spiritual attitude with regard to healing. Acknowledging the effectiveness of whole organic foods and nutritional supplementation, Dr. Smith strives to stay on the cutting edge of research and keep pace with the latest advances in the field of functional nutrition.

Log on and listen to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) right from your computer. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory on my website and listen to past shows from the archive!

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boosting immunity, digestion, gastrointestinal and vascular surgeon, gut health, harmful bacteria, immunity, Leonard Smith, natural immune defenses, nutrition, viruses

Did you know that a healthy gut can help you fight back against colds and flu? Tomorrow on the Poop Scoop (my online radio talk show) I’ll be talking with renowned medical doctor and nutrition expert Leonard Smith about the importance of a strong digestive tract for boosting immunity and warding off harmful bacteria and viruses. After all, more than 70 percent of your body’s natural immune defenses live in your gut!

Tune in to Brenda’s Poop Scoop LIVE every Wednesday from 4-5 pm (EST) on the VoiceAmerica™ Talk Radio Network. Missed an episode? Visit the Episode Directory and listen to past shows from the archive!

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