Archive for May, 2010

New Therapy at Whitaker Wellness

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

I’m always on the lookout for new therapies that will benefit our patients at the Whitaker Wellness Institute. When I find something that makes the grade—whether it’s a nutritional supplement, noninvasive treatment or dietary modification—we add it to our treatment protocols.

I want to tell you about our latest addition. It’s a time-honored therapy that has been proven to be effective in clinical trials, yet is completely ignored by conventional physicians. It’s fasting.

Abstaining from food for a few days to a few weeks has numerous—and enduring—benefits. The body is able to get rid of excess sodium and accumulated fluids, resulting in reductions in edema and dramatic lowering of blood pressure. The copious amounts of water you drink during a fast flushes out toxins, making it the best of all detox regimens.

Fasting gives your digestive system a break, which leads to improvements not only in chronic gastrointestinal problems but also in allergies and autoimmune disorders, which are often related to leaky gut syndrome. In addition, fasting provides substantial benefits for patients with diabetes. It improves insulin sensitivity and blood sugar control, promotes weight loss, and facilitates the adaptation to a healthier lifestyle after the fast ends.

Fasting is best done in a medically supervised environment, such as the Whitaker Wellness Institute. During your treatment program at the clinic, you will be closely monitored by our professional staff, undergo other therapies for your specific condition, and attend educational activities that will help you stay on track once you leave the clinic.

I personally underwent a five-day fast several months ago, during which I lost 21 pounds, my blood pressure and blood sugar decreased, and my cholesterol and triglycerides improved. The first two days were tough—I was definitely grumpy and irritable. But after I got over the hump, I felt better than I had in years. Best of all, the strides I made during that short fast have endured, and as an added bonus, I find that sticking to a good diet and avoiding salty, sugary foods is now much easier than before. 

If you have diabetes, hypertension, obesity, an autoimmune disease, or digestive issues, I encourage you to look into this remarkable therapy.

Posted in Diet, Nutritional Supplements, Uncategorized, Weight Loss, Wellness | No Comments »

Do You Really Need That Surgery?

Friday, May 14th, 2010

Unlike drugs, surgical procedures require no proof of safety or efficacy. They’re adopted simply on the assumption that they work. Of course, some of the 75 million operations performed in this country every year are necessary, even lifesaving. But increasing scrutiny of medical costs has led to studies that show many common surgeries are of dubious value, a waste of health care resources, and a cause of costly, sometimes deadly, complications.

Angioplasty. According to findings from the COURAGE trial—the definitive study on elective angioplasty— eight of 10 patients who undergo this procedure are inappropriate candidates who would be better served by more conservative therapy.

Heart Surgery. Harvard cardiologist Thomas Graboys, MD, estimates that 90 percent of coronary artery bypass surgeries—the bread and butter of invasive cardiology—are unnecessary. For the overwhelming majority of patients, this risky procedure has not been proven to prevent heart attacks or death from cardiovascular events.

Arthroscopic Knee Surgery. Researchers at the VA Medical Center in Houston found that for patients with arthritis—which accounts for the bulk of the 650,000 arthroscopies of the knee done every year—placebo or sham surgery (the knee was cut and stitched up but no cartilage was removed) yielded results just as good as the real operation.

Back Surgery. A Dartmouth Medical School team found that lumbar diskectomy, often done on patients with sciatica, is no more effective in relieving pain than noninvasive treatment. And complex spinal fusions, which provide little advantage over simple decompression but cost more than three times as much ($81,000), have increased 15-fold over the past five years.

Hysterectomy and Cesarean Section. Studies suggest that about three-quarters of the 600,000 annual hysterectomies in this country are recommended prematurely and inappropriately. Nearly one in three American women now give birth by C-section, more than double the ideal rate.

Prostate Surgery. Invasive procedures for both prostate cancer and benign, age-related enlargement of the prostate (BPH) are rife with complications and questionable in terms of necessity and long-term success.

Other Surgeries. Gastric bypass and other surgeries for weight loss, tightening of the muscles at the esophagus and stomach to reduce reflux and heartburn, arthroscopy of the shoulder joint, and routine removal of wisdom teeth are other examples of overused surgeries.

If you are told you need to have any invasive procedure, get a second opinion, preferably from a doctor outside your physician’s network, and thoroughly research all your options. Safe, effective, noninvasive alternatives exist for virtually all of these surgical procedures.

Posted in Alternative Medicine, Heart Disease, Wellness | No Comments »