How do I Stay Healthy While Traveling?

by Glen Depke

So what is one of the most unhealthy environments you can spend many hours in? How about an airplane? Most of us already know this but this is a regular part of travel whether business or personal. Since this unhealthy environment is such a regular part of our life, how do we stay healthy while we travel?

Well, it starts before you leave. The first challenge that we typically create for ourselves is the chaos before the trip. Often it is trying to get ahead at work or at home to make up for the time away. This often leads to many last minute needs such as packing, taking care of lose ends at the office or home, which of course leads to added stress and often a lack of proper sleep before you leave. Come on be honest, have you ever pulled an all nighter prior to vacation because you were not finished with all your necessary pre-trip chores. Maybe the only packing you did was to take out your suit case. This is very real for so many.

To shift this, the next time you are going on a trip, take out a notepad and create a list for everything you have to do and everything you need to pack. Once you have this list go into your computer and create a check list for your pre-travel needs and your packing needs. When you know you are traveling soon, take this list out a week early and begin going through your check list. This will allow you to move through the pre-trip routine without stress and hopefully allow you to enjoy quality sleep throughout this process.

If traveling itself stresses you out make deep belly breathing a regular part of this time to assist in releasing stress overall. Remember, you cannot take a deep belly breath and be stressed out at the same time.

When it comes to travel day there are also some simple tips that can assist in supporting your health and vitality.

· Be sure to stay hydrated by drinking one quart of purified water per 50 pounds of body weight throughout the day

· Stay away from sugary foods as they suppress immune function

· Bring your own healthier snacks such as

o Organic nuts and seeds

o Flaked coconut

o Dehydrated fruit

o Raw carrots or celery

o Organic Jerky

· Prior to getting on the plane I would recommend taking the following supplements

o 1000mgs of vitamin C and take that same amount every 4 hours on your travel day

o 2 droppers full of Pure Liquid Zinc with the meal prior to your trip

o 100mgs of CoQ10 with the meal prior to your trip and another 100mgs with a later meal

o Take your multivitamin not only with your pre-trip meal but also with all your meals on the travel day for extra nutrient support

· Be sure to bring your regular probiotic and digestive enzymes with on your trip to maintain a healthy GI tract understanding that approximately 80% of your immune function originates in your GI

· Get up often on the plane and move as a stimulant for your neurological system

· Wash your hands often on travel day

· Do not touch your eyes, ears and nose without a tissue to keep any invaders far from easy access to your body

· Don’t forget your deep breathing on your travel day

Follow these simple tips and enjoy your travels. If you are a business traveler, you will be at your best when your health is at its best and for the leisure traveler, this will allow you to get the most out of your free time. We take vacations to unwind and have fun, not to spend the time suffering with health challenges.

If you have any tips that you use yourself that differ from mine, please share these below with our viewers.

Let’s hear it for healthy travels!

Update on Leaky Gut

by Glen Depke

Yes, I am a Traditional Naturopath and I have a strong focus on my own health and wellness but I am still human and fall into some challenging cycles at times. I found myself in one of these cycles and recognized that I my life contained many of the mechanisms that create leaky gut and I also had more than a few of the red flags. Since this was the case, I made the decision to dive into the 30 day leaky gut protocol.

First I was a bit apprehensive due to the dietary restrictions but just a few days into this, I found some new food choices that I really enjoyed and will continue to implement when my protocol is finished. As a side note, my wife Dawn is also on this with me and she is logging our meals to create plans and food charts for our clients. This will assist in implementing the 30 day nutritional plan.

The supplementation aspect of the protocol is relatively easy as long as you can maintain the necessary schedule of taking some gut healing supplements through the day.

So I have been on the leaky gut protocol for 12 days now and have to say that I am thoroughly pleased with my results to date. The last time I weighed myself on day 8, I had lost 13 pounds so far. Now understand that I am not starving and have not missed a meal and can snack if needed. I was not at my optimal weight going in, so this weight loss was a pleasant bonus for me.

Beyond the weight loss, I can share that my colon has been making some adjustments. While at times, the consistency of my bowel movements have been well, inconsistent; overall I can see my colon habits begin to reach a new level of improvement. Understand that my bowel movements were in a positive space to begin with but seeing further improvement is another pleasant surprise.

Here’s the big one for me though. I feel amazing! I have reached a state of overall wellbeing that was not expected. I typically wake up without an alarm and I recognize that I am waking up consistently about an hour earlier than normal and I am rocked and ready to go. This is unbelievable, yet so completely enjoyable. My energy is maintained through the day and I cannot say enough how good this feels.

Remember that I already have many other levels of my health in balance, so this process may be different from one individual to another. Even with that said, if you can enjoy half the success I have, this may be a huge shift for you.

That’s the update for now. I will continue to update as a progress through this protocol and hope to have my wife Dawn share her experiences also.

Until next time…

If you have any comments or questions feel free to leave a post below.

If you are interested in a complimentary 20 minute phone consult to understand the Depke Wellness protocols for health and wellness feel free to register here. We will call you to set up your FREE session.

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Could I Have Leaky Gut?

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

Absolutely you could have leaky gut. It is estimated that approximately 80% of health challenged individuals are struggling with this, and very surprising that approximately 30% of what we would consider healthy individuals, are also struggling with leaky gut. This really grabbed my attention as I was researching this further and further; recognizing that I had many of the red flags and mechanisms for this challenge myself. I would consider myself to be more in the upper percentile of healthy individuals, so how could I have leaky gut?

If you are health challenged or consider yourself healthy, I would recommend looking at leaky gut as a possibility and if you are a health profession, it is suggested that you look for this challenge with your patients or clients. If this is missed, you may be missing a significant component to slow or halt the healing process.

So what is leaky gut? First of all, I would suggest that it is really leaky small intestines. This creates a situation in your small intestines whereas the tight junctions that typically allow the vitamins, minerals, enzymes, and coenzymes to be absorbed through are now compromised. This will allow large undigested compounds, toxins and bacteria to be absorbed and assimilated. If you guessed that this would create some substantial challenges, you guessed right. These undigested proteins create an undesirable reaction in the underlying intestinal immune system, which promotes exaggerated immune responses. This then creates a viscous cycle of further intestinal inflammation and even further loss of integrity within the small intestines.

There are many mechanisms that can lead to leaky gut and I will list them below. Do you find that many of these initial mechanisms are currently a part of your life?

·Dietary

o Excessive alcohol

o Gluten

o Processed foods

o Excessive sugar

o Fast foods

· Medications

o Corticosteroids

o Antibiotics

o Antacids

o Xenobiotics

· Infections

o H-pylori

o Bacteria overgrowth

o Yeast overgrowth

o Intestinal virus

o Parasitic infections

· Stress

o High cortisol

o High CRH

o High Cat

· Hormonal

o Low thyroid hormones

o Low progesterone

o Low estradiol

o Low Testosterone

· Neurological

o Brain trauma

o Stroke

o Neurodegeneration

· Metabolic

o Intestinal inflammation

o Autoimmune

Based on the mechanisms that create leaky gut, you can see why this would be such a challenge overall in our culture. There are many health challenges that are directly associated with leaky gut as listed below.

· Fibromyalgia

· Chronic fatigue

· Depression

· Chronic inflammatory conditions

· Chronic Pain

· Inflammatory bowel

· Autoimmune disorders

· Multiple food sensitivities

· Chronic yeast overgrowth syndromes

· Brain fog

· Extreme sensitivities

Basically, if you are fatigued, depressed or inflamed it is important to address the possibility of leaky gut.

So how do you know if you have leaky gut? Well, if you are like me and you are feeling the symptoms and you have the mechanisms you can be very confident that this is a challenge and implement the dietary and supplement protocol to heal your gut. If you desire confirmation, I would recommend testing the will assess permeability/dysbiosis, epithelial cell damage as well as tight junction damage. Many labs only test the tight junction damage which may be incomplete for you if you are attempting to absolutely confirm leaky gut.

What is a person to do if they know you have leaky gut? First of all, you definitely want to fix this. Don’t think you can do this half _ _ _, if you know what I mean. Depending on the severity and longevity of this challenge you may be on a leaky gut protocol from 10 to 90 days. For an acute repair after let’s say antibiotic treatment or a night of far too much alcohol, you can use a 3 day protocol. Sometimes it is best to be preventive when you know the mechanisms are ripe for you.

This requires a specific diet to completely avoid all foods that are fueling the challenge, regular probiotic use, supplements to repair the gut lining as well as supplements to address the secondary gut challenges tied into leaky gut.

I cannot use words strong enough to point out the necessity of addressing leaky gut and the high percentage of individuals currently living with leaky gut.

If you would like to discuss my approach to leaky gut with me, Depke Wellness offers a complimentary 20 minute initial phone session to understand our approach of getting to the core of your health challenges. Visit here to register for your complimentary session.

If you have any questions or comments feel free to post this below and I will answer them personally.

Purelean Protein Blend

While you know that I am an advocate of preparing healthy meals at home based on your individual nutritional needs, let's be real, this is not reality for most of us. If you find yourself in a rush, failed to plan or simply would like a healthy snack available, the Purelean Protein Blend is what you may be looking for. Purelean Protein Blend is more than just a protein powder.


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Supplement Facts

1 scoop contains:
calories	130
calories from fat	15
fat	2 g.
saturated fat	<>
sodium
V:	220 mg.
C:	200 mg.
carbohydrate
V:	13 g.
C:	15 g.
dietary fiber	3 g.
sugars
V:	8 g.
C:	10 g.
protein	15 g.
vitamin A (as palmitate)	1,500 i.u.
vitamin C	30 mg.
(from calcium ascorbate)
calcium (glycinate)	250 mg.
iron (naturally occurring)	1 mg.
vitamin D3	400 i.u.
d-alpha tocopherol acetate	15 i.u.
(vitamin E)
vitamin K1	40 mcg.
thiamine (mononitrate) (B1)	0.75 mg.
riboflavin (B2)	0.85 mg.
niacinamide	10 mg.
pyridoxine HCl (B6)	1 mg.
folic acid	200 mcg.
methylcobalamin (B12)	3 mcg.
biotin	150 mcg.
pantothenic acid	5 mg.
(calcium pantothenate) (B5)
phosphorus	100 mg.
(naturally occurring)
iodine (potassium idodide)	75 mcg.
magnesium (glycinate)	100 mg.
zinc (glycinate)	7.5 mg.
selenium (selenomethionine)	35 mcg.
chromium (niacinate)	60 mcg.
potassium (naturally occurring)	30 mg.
superfruit antioxidant blend	100 mg.
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other ingredients: pea protein isolate, rice protein concentrate, organic evaporated cane juice, hemp protein concentrate, natural flavors, apple pectin, white chia seed meal; chocolate also contains cocoa powder

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Supplement Facts

1 scoop contains:
calories	100
calories from fat	15
fat	2 g.
saturated fat	<>
sodium	220 mg.
carbohydrate	6 g.
dietary fiber	3 g.
sugars	1 g.
protein	15 g.
vitamin A (as palmitate)	1,500 i.u.
vitamin C	30 mg.
(from calcium ascorbate)
calcium (glycinate)	250 mg.
iron (naturally occurring)	1 mg.
vitamin D3	400 i.u.
d-alpha tocopherol acetate	15 i.u.
(vitamin E)
vitamin K1	40 mcg.
thiamine (mononitrate) (B1)	0.75 mg.
riboflavin (B2)	0.85 mg.
niacinamide	10 mg.
pyridoxine HCl (B6)	1 mg.
folic acid	200 mcg.
methylcobalamin (B12)	3 mcg.
biotin	150 mcg.
pantothenic acid	5 mg.
(calcium pantothenate) (B5)
phosphorus	100 mg.
(naturally occurring)
iodine (potassium idodide)	75 mcg.
magnesium (glycinate)	100 mg.
zinc (glycinate)	7.5 mg.
selenium (selenomethionine)	35 mcg.
chromium (niacinate)	60 mcg.
potassium (naturally occurring)	30 mg.
superfruit antioxidant blend	100 mg.
(from coffee berry, acerola, camu camu, quercetin, açai and mangosteen)
stevia	120 mg.
other ingredients: pea protein isolate, rice protein concentrate, hemp protein concentrate, natural flavors, apple pectin, white chia seed meal

serving size:
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servings per container: 20

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Toxic Effects of High Cortisol

by Glen Depke

Aging Process
Excessive production of Cortisol accelerates the Aging Process in the Skin.

Cardiovascular System
Excessive production/release of Cortisol can cause Hypertension.

Immune System
Excessive production/release of Cortisol weakens various aspects of the Immune System:

- Excessive production/release of Cortisol inhibits the body's production of Antibodies.

- Excessive production/release of Cortisol reduces the number of circulating Lymphocytes.

Metabolism
Excessive levels of Cortisol can cause Fatigue.

Cortisol breaks down Proteins into Amino Acids and converts them to Glycogen in the Liver.

Excessive production of Cortisol can cause Insulin Resistance.

Excessive levels of Cortisol can cause Lethargy.

Excessive levels of Cortisol contribute to the development of Obesity.

Musculoskeletal System
Supraphysiologic quantities of Cortisol decreases the endogenous synthesis of Protein in the Muscles and causes the breakdown (catabolism) of Muscle tissue, thereby inhibiting Muscle Growth.

Excessive production of Cortisol can cause Muscle Injury, Muscle Pain and Muscle Weakness (due to reduced repair of Muscles caused by Cortisol).

Excessive production of Cortisol can cause Osteoporosis (by accelerating bone loss and by inhibiting the repair of Bone).

Nervous System
Excessive Cortisol levels increases the rate of Neuron death in Alzheimer's Disease patients.

Excessive production of Cortisol is an underlying cause of Cushing’s Syndrome.

Excessive production of Cortisol may cause (initially) Euphoria but this is generally followed by subsequent Depression:
- Many Major Depression patients are found to have elevated (>0.594 ng/ml of saliva) evening Cortisol levels.

Excessive production of Cortisol damages the Hippocampus.

Prolonged exposure to excessive levels of Cortisol interferes with the ability of the Hypothalamus respond to the negative feedback mechanism that permits it to reduce its secretion of Cortisol in response to higher than normal circulating Cortisol levels. This loss of sensitivity in the Hypothalamus is known as Hyperadaptosis.

Excessive Cortisol damages the structure of and interferes with the functions of several regions of the Brain associated with Memory.

Excessive Cortisol can cause the acceleration of the death of Neurons.

Elevated night-time Cortisol levels interrupt entry into Rapid Eye Movement (REM) Sleep (excessive Cortisol can therefore impair the quality of Sleep).
Excessive Cortisol levels are implicated in Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) (SAD patients generally exhibit elevated Cortisol levels).

Cortisol is produced and released within the body in response to Stress.


Sexual System
Excessive Cortisol production has been linked to an increased risk for Pre-Menstrual Syndrome (PMS).


Skin
Excessive Cortisol levels inhibit the regeneration and repair of the Skin and excessive Cortisol accelerates the Aging Process in the Skin.

Excessive Cortisol impairs the healing of Wounds and can result in excessive Scarring following Wounds.


Water/Water Balance
Excessive Cortisol levels can cause Edema.


Cortisol (Undesirably) Enhances these Substances
________________________________________

Enzymes
Cortisol stimulates the production of Tryptophan Pyrrolase.

Cortisol Interferes with these Substances
________________________________________
Amino Acids
Cortisol decreases the body’s Glutamine levels:
- Cortisol increases the quantity of Glutamine that is “leached” from Muscle Fibers during and following Intensive Exercise.

Cortisol stimulates the destruction of Tryptophan (via the Tryptophan Pyrrolase enzyme).


Hormones
Elevated Cortisol levels inhibit the production of Testosterone.

Elevated Cortisol levels inhibit the release of Human Growth Hormone (hGH).


Immune System Chemicals
Cortisol inhibits the production of Interleukin 1 (however this aspect of Cortisol is desirable when Interleukin 1 is produced in excessive amounts).

Cortisol inhibits the production of Tumor Necrosis Factor- (this is desirable in some situations and undesirable in other situations).

Proteins
Cortisol decreases the synthesis of Endogenous Proteins.

For a complimentary 20 minute phone session to understand adrenal function, cortisol production and more importantly, what you can do to balance this call (949)954-6226.

Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

The Sweet Truth about Your Sweet Tooth!

by Glen Depke and Sue Ingebretson

We all know that too much dietary sugar contributes to chronic illness. Studies on excessive sugar intake show all sorts of negative health effects including poor digestive health (poor nutrient absorption), a weakened immune system, and development of conditions such as obesity and diabetes.

So, it stands to reason we should eliminate ALL sugar, right? Not so fast….

Cutting out all sugar from your diet might be difficult for you. It could even cause anxiety or worry just thinking about it. And another thing, many foods that are naturally high in sugar are also very high in nutrients. Honey, carrots, fruit…you get the picture.

The problem is that we consume too much sugar – on a regular basis. Sweets are supposed to be treats. Take a look at history. Americans consumed approximately 4 pounds of sugar per year in the 1700s, 18 pounds in the 1800s, 90 pounds in the 1900s, and 145 pounds in 2000. It’s now estimated than an astounding 150 to 175 pounds of sugar are consumed EVERY year for the average American! This translates to about 200 grams or more of sugar every single day. Ouch!

So what’s a person to do?

Set a preliminary goal of keeping your sugar intake below 100 grams per day. Read food labels! Learn to discern hidden sources of sugar in the foods you eat.

Here’s a quick reference guide to a few sample foods and their sugar content:

• Small apple 15 grams
• ¼ cup of raisins 29 grams
• 6 ounces of plain yogurt 12 grams
• 6 ounces of yogurt w/fruit 26 grams
• 6 ounces of orange juice 18 grams
• One teaspoon of honey 7 grams
• Typical juice box 25 grams
• One large single serving chocolate chip cookie 44 grams
• One 20 ounce cola 69 grams

See how easy it would be to eat too much sugar? Knowledge is power! Paying attention to how much sugar you eat – every single day – is a great way to begin your health journey.

Very Important! The suggestion to reduce sugar intake does NOT mean to replace “real” sugar with artificial sugar substitutes such as aspartame and sucralose (NutraSweet and Splenda). Fake, chemical sugars are never a part of any healthy diet. Natural sugar substitutes such as stevia, luo han kuo, agave, etc. are fine if used sparingly.

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As a follower of Depke Wellness, you understand the importance of balanced adrenal function. Vitamin B5 is a major precursor to hormone production in the adrenals as well as supporting cellular energy production, cardiovascular health, and synthesis of vitamins, amino acids, fatty acids, and steroid hormones.

Pantothenic acid is a precursor of coenzyme A (CoA), an important cofactor and acyl group carrier in cells. One of the main functions for CoA is the formation of acetyl-CoA, vital for cellular respiration and the metabolism of carbohydrates and fatty acids through the Krebs cycle. Distribution studies indicate that tissues with the highest retention of pantothenic acid are the kidneys, pituitary gland, heart, muscle, liver and adrenal glands. Additionally, pantothenic acid is required for the synthesis of fatty acids and membrane phospholipids, the amino acids leucine, arginine and methionine, and isoprenoid derivatives, including steroid hormones, vitamin A and vitamin D.

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Supplement Facts

each capsule contains:
pantothenic acid 500 mg.
(calcium pantothenate) (B5)
vitamin C 10 mg.
(as ascorbyl palmitate)
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1 capsule per day, with a meal.

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