Migraines and Gluten Intolerance

Carol was a 32 year old woman who had been suffering from daily migraine episodes for almost 10 years. She had been through all the standard conventional medical examinations and imaging procedures all indicating no pathology. There was a familial component to the migraines which in conclusion lead her to believe that migraines just ran in the family and this was something she would have to live with for the rest of her life. She was currently managing her symptoms using acupuncture and pharmaceutical medications. 

As with all of my patients, close examination of their daily diet is part of their naturopathic consultation. Specifically with migraine sufferers, I find there is a huge association between food intolerances and migraines. I have repetitively seen the removal of a food significantly lessen or completely resolve migraine episodes.  The most common food triggers I see clinically for many is not the typical chocolate, alcohol, aged cheeses, or MSG, but instead dairy, gluten, and eggs. As for Carol it seemed that gluten was the possible suspect. 

Gluten is a protein found in the grains: wheat, barley, rye, kamut, and spelt. It’s the part of these grains that gives dough its elastic consistency. Gluten intolerance is when the body’s immune system is intolerant of gluten and its sub-protein gliadin in the diet and is forming antibodies or displaying some other evidence of an inflammatory reaction. The symptoms of gluten sensitivity are so varied, many people who have health issues may be unaware that their suffering may be due to gluten.

For Carol, her health issue didn’t involve any gastrointestinal (GI) symptoms so it was hard for her to believe that gluten could be causing her migraine episodes. Since 1966, scientific evidence has been accumulating regarding gluten sensitivity without the classic GI symptoms. During the past five years, many scientists have begun to re-evaluate the notion that gluten sensitivity is solely a disease of the GI tract due to the overwhelming evidence indicating otherwise. Other organs suspected of being involvement with gluten intolerance include: joints, heart, thyroid, bone, brain, and neuronal synapses. Conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, Hashimoto’s thyroiditis, Huntington’s disease, autism, cardiomyopathies, dermatitis herpetiformis, dementia, and osteoporosis have all been shown in the literature to be connected to gluten.

While there is data to suggest that a certain percentage of migraine sufferers react to gluten, few medical doctors routinely test their patients for it. In 2003 a study published in the American Journal of Gastroenterology indicated that of the 90 patients who were diagnosed with idiopathic migraine, 4.4% had celiac disease compared to 0.4% of the 23 controls. The patients were treated for six months with a gluten-free diet and their symptoms decreased or were eliminated. The patients also showed an improvement in their cerebral blood flow on a gluten-free diet that was confirmed with diagnostic imaging.

There are many blood tests to confirm your diagnosis of gluten intolerance. If you do decide to ask your doctor and he/she agrees be sure to not start eliminating gluten from your diet until after the testing is done. The test could come back negative if you are not actively eating gluten. 

On the other hand, eliminating gluten from the diet is an easy way to determine if it’s the cause of your migraine episodes.  As in Carol’s situation this is what she did, and after 4 weeks of eliminating gluten she noticed a significant improvement in her migraines. They weren’t as frequent or long lasting. In addition to eliminating gluten from her diet she also supplemented with beneficial nutrients such as magnesium and riboflavin which have also been shown to be helpful in managing migraines. 

Like many patients that I see who have gluten intolerance, it may take months of not eating gluten before their symptoms completely resolve. Carol has been gluten free now for 8 months and on average experiences one headache every few months. In comparison to her daily migraine episodes in the past this a dramatic improvement, and for her a great enough reason to never look at gluten again!

About the author

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.

Essential Oils As Alternatives To Antibiotics For Recurrent Urinary Tract Infections

Urinary tract infections (UTIs) are the most common infections affecting millions of people each year. The biggest problems of urinary diseases are recurrences, increasing resistance to common antibiotics, as well as biofilm formation making them difficult to treat.

Escherichia coli (E. coli) is the main bacteria found in 80% to 85% of urinary tract infections (UTIs). Unfortunately, due to the overuse of antibiotics to these infections, the E. coli strains have now become resistant to many pharmaceutical prescription antibiotics; and therefore, alternative means to fight these infections are imperative to find.

A study published in the Molecules journal in March 2019 showed that essential oils from the plants Origanum majorana (oregano), Thymus zygis (thyme) and Rosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) all showed antibacterial activity to the uropathogenic E.coli strains. Whereas, the essential oils from the plants, Juniperus communis (juniper) and Zingiber officinale (ginger) ,did not show any effect towards E. coli.

More specifically, Thyme essential oil demonstrated the highest antibacterial activity against the E. coli isolates, followed by Oregano and Rosemary. Furthermore, the essential oils also showed high biofilm inhibitory action with the Rosemary oil having the highest antibiofilm activity followed by Thyme and Oregano oil.

In conclusion, these oils showed very effective antibacterial and antibiofilm activities against E. Coli strains. Hopefully more studies will be done on other bacterial strains giving more validity to alternative medicine, and also give medical professionals more tools to use to fight the increasing problem of antibiotic resistance we are developing due to overuse.

References

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/30909573

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31136644

About the author

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.

The Effects of Plant Lectins on Autoimmune Diseases

Plant-derived dietary lectins have been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease, diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, and celiac disease. Studies show that the plant lectins act as a “danger signal” that can activate inflammatory mediators.

So, what are plant lectins?

Lectins are naturally occurring proteins found in most plants. Some foods that contain higher amounts of lectins include beans, peanuts, lentils, tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, fruits, and wheat and other grains. Clinically, I hear a lot, “if I eat cooked tomatoes not raw I can tolerate them more”. This is likely because cooking the vegetables can breakdown the lectin protein making them less inflammatory to the body.

Research

Dr. Steven Gundry, MD has done a lot of research on how plant lectins affect disease. He found that out of 102 patients that he studied with autoimmune diseases, 95 of them went into complete remission after removing lectins from their diet after 9 months. The other 7 patients all had reduced inflammatory markers in their blood, but they were not in complete remission. And, 80 of the 102 patients were weaned from all immunosuppressive and/or biologic medications without rebound. He did also find most of his patients were low in vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids, so supplementation along with probiotics were utilized as well during the 9 months.

I don’t find that once you are diagnosed with an autoimmune disease it has to be a lifetime problem. I find removing plant lectins from the diet as one of the useful tools in bringing patients with autoimmune diseases back to the state of balance and optimal health they deserve.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28087670

https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/abs/10.1161/circ.137.suppl_1.p238

About the author

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.

Vietnamese Pho: My Most Favorite Soup During A Snow Storm

I love Pho! I first experienced it while at Naturopathic Medical School in Portland OR. On cold rainy days, I would frequent my favorite pho restaurant near Portland State University. Even today, 15 years later, it’s a favorite of mine to prepare for my family during the winter months.

My favorite recipe is below. I hope you enjoy it as much as my family does when its chilly outside.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons coriander seeds (whole)

• 1 cinnamon stick (roughly broken)

• 4 whole star anise

• 4 whole cloves

• 1 quart beef broth

• 1 piece ginger (3-inch size, roughly chopped)

• 1 bunch scallions (or green onions reserve the green parts for garnishing the soup, white parts only)

• 1 tablespoon fish sauce

• 2 teaspoons brown sugar

• 5 slices jalapeno pepper (fresh, depending on your spice tolerance)

• 1 handful rice noodles (soaked or cooked according to package directions)

• 1/4 pound flank steak (sliced paper thin)

• 1 bean sprouts (generous handful)

• scallions (sliced, or green onions to taste green parts only)

• 1 sprig fresh basil

• 1 sprig fresh cilantro

• 3 lime wedges

• sriracha

• hoisin sauce

Instructions

1. Place a heavy-bottomed soup pot over medium low heat. Add all of the spices and stir them until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Carefully add the beef broth; it will sputter quite a bit. Turn the heat to high and add the remaining broth ingredients. When it reaches a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer, uncovered for 20-30 minutes. Strain the broth through colander into another sauce pot or soup pot so all the added spices are removed and all that remains is the broth. Keep it at a simmer while you assemble your bowls and garnishes.

2. To assemble and garnish each bowl of pho: Lay desired amount of jalapeno slices in the bottom of each bowl (optional of course). Top with a generous amount of rice noodles. Drape the beef evenly over the noodles and pour the boiling broth over top. Give a quick stir to help cook the beef, then pile on bean sprouts, sliced scallions (green onions), basil, and cilantro. Squeeze a couple of lime wedges and let them rest in the broth to lend to the flavor. Serve with sriracha and/or hoisin sauce. It's best to serve this the traditional way: with chopsticks AND a soup spoon. Slurping is encouraged!

3. Feel free to have fun with it. You can also make it strictly vegan without the beef if you desire. I like to add in vegetables like broccoli, mushrooms, carrots, and green onions. Each member of my family designs their own bowl and then adds the broth. This works nicely especially for picky kids cause then they get to decide what they put into their soup.

Bon appetit!

About the author

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.

The Use of AHCC In Mushrooms For Immune Health

 A.H.C.C. stands for Active Hexose Correlated Compound.  It is produced in the mycelia of the shiitake mushroom. It was originally designed to decrease blood pressure but through research done in Japan it was found to be extremely beneficial in cancer prevention. Currently, it is  being used as an alternative cancer  therapy in hundreds of cancer clinics throughout Asia. 

So, what’s so special about this compound making it so popular in Japan? AHCC stimulates your immune system by activating your white blood cells, particularly natural killer cells and macrophages, which directly attack abnormal cells, virus-infected cells, or bacterial pathogens that enter your body. AHCC was also shown to improve the immune system’s ability to recognize cancer tumors.

Many scientists in the US are doing research on this exciting compound as well. Research done at Yale University indicated that AHCC helped to maintain the strength of the immune system in men as they aged. Therefore, preventing the onset of numerous conditions affecting the elderly, today. 

AHCC is used widely in Japan for improving quality of life for cancer patient’s.  Used in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation, researchers found anemia prevention, hair loss prevention, and improvement in mood with those patients using AHCC. In addition, when AHCC was used in post-operative liver cancer patients, the rate of recurrence of malignant tumors was significantly lower (34% versus 66%) and patient survival was significantly higher in the AHCC group (80% vs. 52%).

AHCC is used as an adjunctive therapy  for cancer, hepatitis, HIV/AIDS, and other disorders categorized as immunodeficiency. As well as, prophylactically for people who are susceptible to colds, flus, and other airborne infectious diseases. Making it an important tool to be stored in your natural medicine tool box.

References:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31311148

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Yin+Z%2C+et+al.+Hum+Immunol.+2010+Dec%3B71(12)%3A1187-90.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29111786

About the author

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. Her personal website is www.doctorfey.com. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.

Digestive Issues Since Colonoscopy or Endoscopy

Are you someone or know of someone that has developed diarrhea with urgency and frequency since your colonoscopy? Don’t blame the colonoscopy prep! It was likely because the scope they used for your procedure wasn’t disinfected well. Gross, I know!! But clinically, I have been observing strains of Enterobacter cloacae, Escherichia coli, and Klebsiella pneumonia in stool sample testing on patients that have developed digestive issues since their procedures and have been baffled to see these strains come up as pathogenic.

Taking it a step further I looked into the research and wouldn’t you know it, there are multiple published journal articles on this exact topic! For instance, In the journal GUT published Sept 2018 a study showed 15% of duodenoscopes still contained microorganisms of gastro or oral origin after being disinfected. Meaning, they still contained matter from previous patients, YUCK! A number of factors influence why they haven’t found a sterilization technique that is 100% effective, scope design, biofilm formations, and risk of scope damaging to name a few.

As a naturopathic doctor, I have developed protocols for my patients to do prior to their scheduled routine colonoscopy as preventative and then after their colonoscopy procedure to ensure these bacteria will not proliferate in case they were of the percentage that obtained an infected scope.

Here is the link to the study I have talked about in this article if you’d like more information.

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29636382

About the author

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. Her personal website is www.doctorfey.com. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.

Yes, your hormones are likely imbalanced!

A 40-year-old woman arrives as a new patient in my office with chief complaints of fatigue, weight gain, anxiety/depression, hair loss, and headaches. She says feels ok only 1-week out of the month. She has told her conventional medical doctor numerous times that she feels her hormones are imbalanced. They check her hormones and tell her they are fine, and the woman walks away wondering why she feels this way. Her periods are normal so they must not be imbalanced. She’s tried antidepressants, but experiences too many side effects and so she discontinues them. She’s tried oral birth control pills, but she develops acne and her mood and weight intensifies so she discontinues them. She is feeling helpless.

Can you relate? I see this sort of case weekly in my office. What I find very frustrating is your doctor telling you that your hormones are balanced because your labs are within normal limits, but your doctor didn’t ask you where you were in your menstrual cycle! Levels of hormones change depending if you are in your follicular phase, mid-cycle phase, or luteal phase of your menstrual cycle. And, if you look at your lab report you will see different hormone levels for each phase. How can your doctor say your levels are normal if they didn’t find out out what phase of your cycle you are in?! The best time to check your hormones is during your luteal phase (Day 19, 20, or 21 of a 28 day menstrual cycle) which is when your hormone levels are the highest. It’s also important to check all your hormones not just your estrogen.

If you are experiencing hormonal symptoms like many of my patients are, yes, your hormones are likely imbalanced! Don’t suffer anymore! In my office, we offer 24-hour-urine testing to get a bigger picture of your hormone profile, so we can better understand the what exact hormones are imbalanced and to get to the root cause of your symptoms. The DUTCH test is a comprehensive hormone profile that looks at your ovarian hormones and their metabolites, adrenal hormones, and nutritional organic acids (Vitamin B12, B6, glutathione, dopamine, melatonin, and epinephrine markers). To learn more about the DUTCH test you can check out their website at www.dutchtest.com or call my office to set up an appointment  607-729-0591. 

About the author

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. Her personal website is www.doctorfey.com. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.

The Difference Between a Licensed Naturopathic Doctor and a Naturopathic Doctor

Sounds confusing, right? Well unfortunately due to the lack of regulation for Naturopathic Doctors (ND) in NY State; ANYONE can call themselves a Naturopathic Doctor (scary, right?)

So, let’s first talk about a licensed Naturopathic Doctor’s Education (that’s me :-))

 After receiving my bachelor’s degree in science (pre-med), I then attended a four-year, in-residence doctoral program accredited by the Council on Naturopathic Medical Education (CNME). The CNME recognized by the US Dept of Education and is the only accrediting council in North America that qualify graduates for licensure. 

The only Naturopathic Medical Schools in the US accredited by the CNME are as follows:

• Bastyr University-Washington

• Bastyr University-California

• National University of Natural Medicine-Oregon

• National University of Health Sciences-Illinois

• Southwest College of Natural Medicine-Arizona

• University of Bridgeport, College of Natural Medicine-Connecticut

While at Natural University of Natural Medicine in Portland OR, my education included all the same basic sciences as an MD, but also studies in clinical nutrition, pharmacology, homeopathy, botanical medicine, radiology, physical medicine, and lifestyle counseling. 

After graduation to become licensed, I had to pass a two-part national board exam (National Physicians Licensing Exam) which consisted of biomedical sciences and clinical medicine portions.  My current license is in Oregon due to NY lack of regulations. I chose not to do a post-doctoral residence because there weren’t many to chose from back in 2005. Today, there are many more opportunities and many licensed ND students do go to complete post-doctoral residencies all across North America. 

The Education of a non-Licensed Naturopathic Doctor 

• Certificates/Degrees are obtained online.

• Education is NOT accredited by the US Dept. of Education.

• Programs lengths are only a few months or up to a year.

• They are not taught the same medical sciences as MD’s.

• Their faculty are not required to have medical degrees.

In addition, non-licensed Naturopathic Doctors are not required (or even allowed) to take national board exams to obtain licensure. For that reason these ND’s choose to practice in unregulated states like NY where they can call themselves doctors (crazy I know!) and can place letters ND behind their name without even having a true accredited education. 

Practicing in NY State with an education like mine can be a struggle due to its limitations. Especially when other colleagues in the medical field are considering us as quacks! This is likely due to the non regulation of this medicine in NY State. Be aware of other practitioners in NY that call themselves Doctors of Naturopathic Medicine, make sure you see their credentials before committing to their service. 

It’s only a matter of time that NY will become regulated. More and more people are seeking out alternative medicine for complementary support to their health care concerns. It’s very important to have licensed professionals in the field of natural medicine become part of the American medical model. Without regulation, there is a great risk that patients will do harm by taking supplements that interact with their medication or aggravate their current medical condition. Remember, just because it’s a “natural” substance doesn’t mean that it can’t do harm. Don’t be fooled. 

About the author

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. Her personal website is www.doctorfey.com. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.

Don't over boost your immune system with Echinacea!

As cold and flu season is among us, many of us stock up on our favorite immune boosting herb, Echinacea. However, many people don’t realize that boosting the immune system too much may cause trouble, especially for anyone with an already diagnosed autoimmune disease.

How does Echinacea work?

The active constituents of Echinacea stimulate the immune response by interacting with various cells of the immune system. Macrophages, natural killer cells, and neutrophils have all been shown to be activated with the use of Echinacea.

So what’s the problem?

Autoimmune diseases are diseases where the immune system is overstimulated and begins attacking itself. For many autoimmune diseases, medications are used to suppress the immune cells that Echinacea has been shown to stimulate. Yikes!

Case Study

A 55-year-old male who was diagnosed as having pemphigus vulgaris, an autoimmune disorder that involves blistering and erosion of the skin and mucous membranes. His disease was gradually controlled with an anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant medication. The patient achieved complete clearance of lesions and continued to be clear of lesions 1 year after the anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant medications were discontinued.

1.5 years into his remission, he developed an upper respiratory tract infection and began taking an Echinacea supplement daily. He had never before taken an herbal supplement. He developed blisters on his trunk, head, and oral mucosa within 1 week of starting the supplement. He had not had oral mucosal lesions since onset of the disease. After discontinuing the use of the Echinacea supplement, partial disease control, but never complete remission, was achieved with the use of the anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressant medications again.

What else can I do when I am sick?

Clinically, I am very cautious with using herbal supplements with already diagnosed autoimmune patients or those patients that have a strong family history of autoimmune diseases. There are many lifestyle things to do instead like, watching your diet and avoiding certain inflammatory foods at the first sign of illness. As well as, using vitamins and minerals, like vitamin D, C, and zinc to help the immune system during its battle against cold and flu invaders.

Just because its “natural” doesn’t mean it’s safe! Supplements are sold over the counter with no regulations. This makes them appear to all be safe and to take regardless of your health conditions and the medications you are taking. Seeking out a Naturopathic Doctor who has been medically trained with the expert knowledge in the use of herbs and vitamin supplements for diseases and interactions with medications you are currently taking is recommended.

Article

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamadermatology/fullarticle/480602

About the author

Since 2005, Dr Fey has helped thousands of women, men, and children find real solutions to their health concerns. She truly believe that giving the proper care and nutrients your body has an amazing ability to heal. She is committed to finding the root cause of illness by utilizing a whole body approach not just focusing solely on presenting symptoms.

Dr. Amanda Fey is the owner and practicing Naturopathic Doctor at Complementary Medicine & Healing Arts, the Southern Tiers Center For Natural Healthcare located in the Binghamton NY area. The office website is www.naturallywell.us. Her personal website is www.doctorfey.com. To contact the office call 607-729-0591 or email cmhahealth@gmail.com.