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just ask terry

Just Ask Terry - April 09, 2010

Terry is happy to provide his opinion on diet and nutrition, supplements and lifestyle choices. This information is for educational purposes only. It is not meant to replace the advice of your physician and is not to be considered medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Should you have any concerns please contact your physician directly.

Q. Dear Terry, “I have a very busy law practice and I also teach a law class at a local business college. Because of my busy activities, I am so stressed that I constantly worry and experience chronic fatigue. My doctor suggested an antidepressant, but I’m really not depressed. I’m just burned out. I would prefer using something natural. Can you advise any recommendations?” Tim O., Austin TX

A. Dear Tim, “I think from your busy lifestyle that you may be depleting your adrenal reserves, and you may have even reached the point where you are experiencing adrenal insufficiency. Lack of optimal adrenal function can cause fatigue and depression. There is some really good research on rhodiola that will benefit people with chronic fatigue and depression. Rhodiola is known as an adaptogen, which helps the body adapt to various conditions. It truly builds the resistance of the body from within. The ideal formula for this condition would be rhodiola, ashwagandha, schisandra and eleuthero, which are the top four adaptogens in the plant world. I would suggest looking for a combination of these four herbs totaling about 750 mg. Start your morning off with one or two capsules, and if you need one later in the afternoon, that’s fine. These herbs are more optimally effective when taken on an empty stomach. I would also think that your busy lifestyle may cause you to experience a great deal of anxiety. Excessive anxiety can be significantly reduced or entirely eliminated. I would highly recommend a product that’s available in the health food stores containing a unique, low dose echinacea selected for its anti-anxiety properties. Using echinacea products designed for the immune system will not work for anxiety. This unusual extract of echinacea has been clinically studied by the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Budapest. I have seen some remarkable benefits, freeing people of anxiety when they travel or are required to give a presentation or public speaking. I think these two products would work exceptionally well for you.”

Q. Terry, “I have been experiencing joint pain, which my doctor has diagnosed as arthritis. I have tried several medications for my arthritis and they seem to help but I don’t like the side effects. Is there anything that I can find in my health food store that would support my joints as well as work with my medication?” Janice J., Elgin IL

A. Dear Janice, “The level of relief that you will obtain from drugs or natural supplements will be determined by the degree of damage that has already occurred. If you’re talking about joint pain due to bone on bone function, it’s very difficult to correct such damage. I am not trying to discourage you from finding a supplement that will give you results, but I just want to caution you that you’ll need extra time and attention to get some relief. In the case of arthritis, I always find people will respond much more favorably when they give up grains that contain gluten, dairy products, sugar and soft drinks of any kind. Yes, even those diet soft drinks—they are the worst of the lot. I would supplement with a combination of ingredients such as boswellia, curcumin, Indian gooseberry and devil’s claw. These four ingredients are very effective in reducing inflammation and pain. Devil’s claw has also been reported to increase hyaluronic acid in the joints, which increases lubrication and cushioning. I would look for a daily dosage that contains about 1000 mg of these herbs combined.”

Q. Hello Terry, “With all the news on the benefits of vitamin D3, I have my family and myself using a very good brand of vitamin D for the winter. Now that summer is just about here, I was wondering if I should still keep them on vitamin D.” Jill B., Bozeman MT

A. Dear Jill, “I would absolutely recommend that you keep you and your family on a good level of vitamin D. I would recommend 3000 IUs per day for an adult woman, and 2000 IUs per day for an adult man. For kids over the age of six, I would recommend 800 to 1000 IUs per day. I believe that vitamin D should be given to infants and those under six, at least 400 to 800 IUs per day, in a pediatric formula, but check with your doctor to recommend an infant formula. It is important to note that even breast-fed babies can have inadequate vitamin D. While the sun radiating on our skin can produce significant quantities of vitamin D, why leave that function up to chance? We all wear more clothing than our native ancestors did and most of us work indoors. Windows allow for no production of vitamin D by the sun. There is just too much to gain by getting a significant level of vitamin D daily. The extra amount that you would get from the sun is just an added benefit.”

Q. Dear Terry, “I have three grade school children who have upper respiratory issues. They are always coughing and sniffling, and the doctor thought one may even have asthma. My doctor is considering putting the little one on an asthmatic drug but I would also like to know if there is something nutritionally that could help them.” Nancy T., Omaha NE

A. Dear Nancy, “There are some natural options that I can share with you for improving respiratory function, but please check with your doctor. This advice does not replace his/her oversight and medical care. The best recommendation I can give you for upper respiratory conditions is to get you and your children off grains containing gluten, dairy products, sugar and soft drinks. Even the natural juices and natural desserts can contain too many carbohydrates for your children. There has been excellent research in Germany and other European countries on the use of ivy and thyme for colds, cough, bronchitis and even asthma. In fact, ivy, standardized to hederacoside C, has been clinically studied in very young children with excellent lung-clearing results. I would suggest approximately 250 mg of a combination of these two herbs several times a day. This combination functions as an expectorant (helps cough out phlegm), mucolytic (breaks up congestion), which naturally reduces the need to cough frequently. This will help to thin the mucous and make it easier to expel. Not only is this a great combination for children, but it’s great for adults as well.”

Q. Terry, “I just read an article that makes me believe that the drug companies want everyone on statin drugs to reduce heart disease. Do you believe this is a good preventative measure?” Dan K., New York City, NY

A. Dear Dan, “Are you kidding me? This is one of the biggest scams in medical science. Statin drugs cause all kinds of troubling side effects, including vague aches and pains, neuropathy, neuritis, and loss of memory which are then being treated by a physician using other drugs. I really feel sad for America. This is the most over-medicated country in the world. No other country consumes the quantity of drugs that we do here in the U.S. We represent 5% of the world’s population but consume 50% of the world’s production of drugs. The drug companies have led us to believe that every disorder should be treated with a drug. Ethical scientists have stated that 80% of our diseases are caused by a nutritional deficiency, environment, or lifestyle choice. Do you realize how deficient we are in vitamins and minerals due to the refining and processing of foods, replacing of nutritional foods with junk food, and fast food from thousands of fast food restaurants? Our diet today does not even resemble the diet of our great grandparents or grandparents. And if you want to talk about heart health and prevention using statin drugs to lower cholesterol, you might want to note that more than HALF of all heart attack victims have normal cholesterol. So what does this say about relying on cholesterol lowering to prevent heart attacks? The quality of studies that have supported the use of statin drugs are deplorable, and if similar studies would be used to support natural supplements, the medical giants would find them unacceptable. There is a lot more to heart health than abnormally lowering cholesterol. Cholesterol is important, and your body needs this vital substance or else it wouldn’t make it. A big problem in heart health is abnormally low HDL (“good”) cholesterol. People should focus on increasing this heart-protective cholesterol. The best way to balance cholesterol without causing side effects would be to use niacin (vitamin B3), which has just been shown to be as effective as the prescription drug Zetia. Niacin will cause flushing of the skin but no other serious side effects. You can also use a non-flushing form of niacin which is called inositol hexaniacinate. Niacin is one of the few substances that can increase your HDL cholesterol, which is much more protective than abnormally lowering the LDL. Another natural plant that has been significantly studied for balancing total cholesterol, including LDL, while raising the HDL, and lowering triglycerides more significantly than statin drugs, is Indian gooseberry. This is the third most used plant medicine in India. In Ayurvedic medicine, it is called “Amla.” These two natural medicines are extraordinarily good for protecting your heart.”

Q. Dear Terry, “I work all day in front of a computer and by the end of the day my eyes are tired and very dry. I’m looking for a solution that will improve my eyesight and reduce the dryness.” Debra G., Bellingham WA

A. Dear Debra, “A lot of eye strain and eye fatigue is the result of free radical damage. For this I suggest a good antioxidant and the best that I have researched is curcumin. I would use either a 375 mg dosage or you could try a stronger dosage of about 750 mg. Try one or more per day. For eye dryness, there are excellent studies on sea buckthorn oil that is taken internally in softgel capsules to reduce dryness of the eye, also dryness of the mouth and vagina, or any other dry mucous membrane. There are also clinical studies using sea buckthorn oil for Sjogren’s syndrome, which is a difficult autoimmune disease that causes excessive mucous membrane (especially mouth and eye) dryness. The studies used 2000 mg of sea buckthorn oil daily.”

Q. Terry, “I am so tired that I really don’t do anything after I get home from the office. I make dinner for the family and I am then ready for bed. I don’t participate in any activities with my children. What can I do for this fatigue?” Olive B., Sacramento CA

A. Dear Olive, “Make sure you’re getting plenty of good quality protein from lean meat, fish, chicken and eggs. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, at least 5-7 servings daily, and reduce refined carbohydrates and even lower all carbohydrates since they can cause a rise in blood sugar, ultimately causing a crash in blood sugar levels. Blood sugar crashes subsequently cause fatigue. I believe that diet is very important for the recovery of your energy, but I would add a very good comprehensive formula for supporting proper adrenal function. You could also supplement your diet with a blend of plant oils that have been known to increase energy levels significantly without the use of stimulants. The combination would include black spruce, Scotch pine and thyme. Using this blend once or twice a day would dramatically increase your energy levels.”

Q. Hi Terry, “I have a very unusual mole on my forearm that has changed color and it tends to bleed from time to time. Do you know of any salve that I can apply to heal the mole?” Kay M., Springfield MA

A. Dear Kay, “Please, for the sake of your good health, see a physician as soon as possible and have the doctor determine why you are having complications with your mole. There may be nothing unusual, but by all means, first have it checked out. If the doctor has given you a clean bill of health, please contact me again and I can suggest a nice cream that would be helpful for the health of your skin.”

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