Are you a Failure Too? Part 1

by Glen Depke

The word failure has such a strong meaning in our culture yet I am happy to say that I fail all the time. Actually I can say that I fail on a daily basis and I hope you do too!

Looking at the picture to the right, is the absolute representation of our current view of success and failure. What if? I love "what ifs?" What if the arrow of success and failure pointed in the same direction? What if the failure actually created the successes? What if you could not have one without the other? Hmmm.... 

Let's take a look at some of history's failures.

How about Abraham Lincoln? Did you know that he has a long list of significant failures? Take a look:

• Lost job, 1832
• Defeated for legislature, 1832
• Failed in business, 1833
• Sweetheart (Ann Rutledge) died, 1835
• Had nervous breakdown, 1836
• Defeated for Speaker, 1838
• Defeated for nomination for Congress, 1843
• Lost renomination, 1848
• Rejected for Land Officer, 1849
• Defeated for Senate, 1854
• Defeated for nomination for Vice-President, 1856
• Again defeated for Senate, 1858

How about Michael Jordan?

• Missed more than 9,000 shots in his career 
• Lost almost 300 games 
• On 26 occasions he was entrusted to take the game winning shot, and missed 
• He have failed over and over and over again in his life

I know of a chiropractor that has an incredibly thriving business that is almost unimaginable. Through the years he has recognized that for every 10 patients that come into his office only 1 will follow through with his protocol. So what does he do? He actually celebrates each and every patient that is not going to return, because he knows that for every 9 failures he will find one long term patient. His failures are the drive behind an unimaginable business.

This is just two of the failures that we can share but this list is endless. 

You get the picture, so let's move on.

I am most often discussing the functional aspect of health on the blog and newsletter but there is a very important aspect of health that rarely gets attention and that is our mental, emotional, vibrational and/or spiritual health. When we discuss these areas, we are talking about the very foundation of your being and a significant directive in your current health state, whether this deemed good or bad. Did you know that our culture’s energy behind the word failure generally causes significant issues with individuals on the very core level of health?

So really, how does this happen?

We learn very early that failure is very bad because failure is always tied into judgment. Based on what most of us learned in our early years from our primary care givers, schools, government and many religions; when we fail and do something wrong, we are typically punished. This becomes a deeper core value and energy that we then continue the rest of our lives.

Then what happens with that energy?

Typically speaking, when we do something wrong or we fail, this ends up being suppressed. Since most of us have such a strong tie into punishment following failure, when we suppress this energy and we have not been punished, what do you think we do? If you answered that we punish ourselves you are exactly correct.
Scary, isn’t it!

I actually see this with my clients all the time. Past history of failures tied into judgment, history of failures being punished, long term suppression of failures and ultimately poor expressions of health to complete the cycle of punishment that many live with.

So where did this challenge really start?

It generally starts with our primary care givers, which is most often our parents. This could also be an older sibling, grandparents or even outside hired help. This is basically the people or person that played the most significant role in raising you from birth to about 5 to 7 years old.

Now what?

Well, there are two directives here to look at. The first is what do you do when this has already been a long term pattern and what do we do with the children growing up.

Next week in part 2, we will address new ways of being to shift this for you and for you children. You won't want to miss part 2...

Let's end today with some quotes from some very successful failures in our current culture as well as our history.

• They say President Wilson has blundered. Perhaps he has, but I notice he usually blunders forward. ~Thomas Edison
• If your not failing every now and again, it's a sign your not not doing anything very innovative. ~Woody Allen
• There is no such thing as failure. There are only results.  ~Tony Robbins
• Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm. ~Winston Churchill
• The only real failure in life is not to be true to the best one knows. ~Buddha
• The men who try to do something and fail are infinitely better than those who try to do nothing and succeed. ~Lloyd Jones
• Nothing fails like success because we don’t learn from it. We learn only from failure. ~Kenneth Boudling
• You always pass failure on your way to success. ~Mickey Rooney
• You can’t have any successes unless you can accept failure. ~George Cukor
• Failure is only the opportunity to begin again more intelligently. ~Henry Ford
• There are defeats more triumphant than victories. ~Michel de Montaign   

Do You Have Parasites?

by Glen Depke

I know this is gross but real!

I often have clients visit Depke Wellness completely frustrated with their lack of success in reaching their health goals. This may be tied into insomnia, fatigue, depression or a wide array of symptom challenges. Often they have spend thousands of dollars and years of focus, but to no avail. Very often this is because they have not addressed and underlying challenge that is very often overlooked. The challenge is pathogenic parasites.

So how common are parasites? What types of parasites more commonly affect human beings? What are the common symptoms associated with parasites? Are these limited to the gastrointestinal tract? Will they have an affect on your health? How do you test for these? How do you rid your body of these invaders?

Most other "experts" will suggest that 50% or more of us are infected with some type of pathogenic parasite. I will share though that I find this percentage much higher in those with chronic health challenges. If you fit into this category, it is recognized withing Depke Wellness that this is often closer to 75% or more. Scary but true.

While there are many parasites that affect both humans and animals alike, here is a list of those that are most commonly found within our culture. While some of these are not technically defined as parasites, they are the most common of parasitic type infections.

• Hookworms
• Threadworms
• Tapeworms
• Roundworms
• Ascarids
• Flukes
• Whipworms
• Amoebae
• Giardia
• Blastocyctis
• Cryptosporidium
• Pathogenic bacteria

 Here is a list of common symptoms associated with parasitic type infections.

• Chronic diarrhea
• Chronic diarrhea or/alternating with constipation
• Nausea
• Intestinal cramps
• Dizziness
• Changes in appetite
• Vomiting
• Fowl-smelling gas
• Indigestion
• Bloating
• Multiple food allergies
• Loss of appetite
• Weakness and fatigue
• Itching around the anus - especially at night (indicating pinworms)
• Restlessness and difficulty sleeping
• Sore and aching intestines
• Weight loss (although not necessarily)
• Itching on the soles of the feet - sometimes accompanied by a rash
• Bloody sputum in some cases
• Fever followed by loss of appetite
• Palpitations (indicating hookworms)
• Anemia
• Fatigue
• Muscle pain
• Conjunctivitis
• Facial swelling around the eyes (indicating trichinosis).
• Wheezing and coughing, followed by vomiting, stomach pain and bloating (suggesting ascariasis or threadworms) 

While parasitic infections are often associated with the gastrointestinal tract, they are not exclusive to this area of the body. These can create challenges anywhere and are commonly found in the liver, lungs and even the face and eyes. Truly, no where is safe.

It is also very important to be aware that these pathogenic parasitic type infections likely will have a significant affect on your health and well-being. I share with my clients that the average length of time between your initial contamination and actually realizing this infection, is about 11 years. During this time, your body may slowly but steadily begin to lose proper function.

While this can all lead to significant health issues, this does not need to be the case. If you can have these tested and get on the proper protocol to assist your body in overcoming this infestation, you will provide yourself with the necessities to live into your own health and balance. I find that testing is very important, since different parasitic infections do not respond to the same supplementation protocol. So many make it seem as easy as taking a colon cleanse, but far too often that is not the case. While a general parasite cleanse will work for many different types of parasites, this may not be a significant benefit for someone with cryptosporidium or an enterobactor infection. I only use these as an example.

I will also share that testing with a reputable lab that has a passion for uncovering these pathogenic parasitic type infections is a key. Nobody wants to spend hundreds of dollars for false negative lab result. This is why I have used one specific lab testing company for years in my practice. You know the old saying, "if it's not broke, don't fix it."

Lastly, recognize that most of these pathogens are addressed with relative ease using herbal and supplemental protocols while there is one that seems to only respond to pharmaceutical intervention. Regardless, it is imperative to address these challenges.

If you have any comments or questions in regard to this article, feel free to leave this below and I will address it personally.

Shocking...or Not?!

This was a message from one of my colleagues, Dr Andreas Marx, that I simply had to share. Sometimes I still get shocked by what happens in this world we live in.


While reading a German newspaper, an article about vaccination caught my attention. By now many of us are familiar with the pros and cons. What mainly concerns me about today’s established vaccines are the preservatives they contain. Many vaccines are preserved with a mercury solution, and we all know the many side effects.
The news article reported that the British pharmacy giant “Glaxo Smith Kline” tested a new vaccine in Argentina and was fined in court. Fourteen (14) children died during their test. The company manipulated poor, underage and illiterate parents to sign their consent form. The vaccine was designed against lung and ear infections.

Will They Ever Learn?

In 2008, forty-nine (49) babies died in a clinic in India, where western pharmaceutical companies were involved in clinical tests. In 1996, Pfizer tested a new antibiotic against lung and ear infection on 200 children in Nigeria, and eleven (11) children died. A significant number ended up blind, deaf, and brain damaged.

The industry continues to test new drugs in third world countries. About 50% of new pharmaceutical drugs are tested in India, Africa and China.

A Year of Barefoot Running

by Glen Depke

I cannot believe it has been a year since I started barefoot running. For those that do not know or remember the origination of the story, I have not been able to run on any level without pain and inflammation.

I originally went through a complete 10 session series of Rolfing with Manny Aragon. During this Manny assisted me with many bodily compensations due to and old football injury that occurred when I was 17 years old. To put it simply Manny had to teach me how to walk properly again.

Once I went through the Rolfing and found my proper gait, Manny then presented the concept of barefoot running. He described the 3 arches of the foot and how running barefoot with a front of mid foot landing, you would actually utilize all the arches in the foot. The idea was that this in turn would take pressure off the knees, hips and lower back.

As a Traditional Naturopath, this intrigued me as I am always looking for the most natural way to do anything.

So with this said, I started barefoot running at the beginning of 2011. Just to define this, I am running with Vibrams which allow protection from the elements while still allowing my foot to move natural without padding.

After a year, I am happy to share that I still run pain and inflammation free. This is still so shocking to me though, since my knee used to blow up like a balloon even with running very short distances. Oh and to be able to run without pain. I can't even begin to share how awesome that feels.

Just to be clear, I do not run long distances. I typically get up in the morning and run for about 1 mile and generally do this 5 to 6 times per week. While this may not seem like much to "serious" runners, this is huge for me! Before the beginning of 2011, it has been almost 30 years of pain and inflammation whenever I run.

I believe the 3 biggest impacts on my pain and inflammation free running has been Rolfing with Manny Aragon, adjusting my gait and of course the barefoot (Vibram) running.