Patient Q and A

Q - Do you think it's really worth it to buy organic meats and vegetables?

A - Absolutely. Evidence is mounting that the hormones continually pumped into our food supply are contributing to early puberty in girls, extreme growth spurts in boys, and unnatural breast development in both sexes. A study published last year in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine strongly correlates the additional hormones given dairy cows to a 5-fold increase in the likelihood of the average American pregnancy ending with the birth of twins. Hormones are potent chemical messengers. Buying organic food is also a way to cut down on your exposure to pesticides which have been linked to hormonal changes and cancer.

Q - What about food allergies? My doctor says that unless my child gets hives, there is no allergy, but I read a lot that says otherwise.

A - Food sensitivity is a very real phenomenon. We all know children who become completely hyper and unable to function after they eat certain foods. Sugar is a common culprit, but the food may be almost anything, depending on the child. "Allergy" commonly refers to the phenomenon of histamine release, with hives, swelling of the throat and tongue, wheezing. "Sensitivity" has more to do with individual peculiar reactions to specific foods - brain fog, hyperactivity, sleepiness, stomach pain, fullness or bloating, muscles aches, arthritis, lupus, multiple autoimmune diseases, etc. So nobody is "wrong" - the medical term "allergy" has to do with hives and wheezing, the broader term "hypersensitivity" has to do with all the other symptoms which can result from an individual eating specific foods to which he or she is reactive.

Q - Is losing weight just a matter of will power?

A - No. Often overeating is caused by an addiction reaction to foods. Most people are familiar with addictions to alcohol or drugs. But chemicals in food can also create cravings. Refined sugar is in many foods, and it is very addictive. Highly processed carbohydrates like bagels turn into sugar in the body - the more processed carbs you eat, the more you crave. Addictions to the artificial sweetener aspartame are well documented.
      Food sensitivities can also cause cravings. If our bodies have trouble processing wheat for example, we may crave it. The brain circuitry which should cause us to shun what is not good for us seems to be bypassed in favor of satisfying the craving. So we eat more than we should of some of the very foods we are sensitive too.
     Provocation Neutralization Testing can provoke symptoms (fullness, hunger, irritability, bloating, nasal congestion, brain fog) so that it becomes clear which substance is causing which symptom.