Chemical Sensitivity

by Glen Depke, Traditional Naturopath

Chemical sensitivity used to be for the select few chronically ill but these days, I am seeing

chemical sensitivity on significant levels for so many of my clients both young and old.

So why is this becoming such a huge issue?

Why are so many children seemingly starting off life with these sensitivities?

Is there one cause or many causes?

Is there hope for those with chemical sensitivities?

Today I will answer these questions and more but to shed a little light at the beginning, there is hope for those that are chemically sensitive! 

Let's start by defining this simply by looking at life's events. Imagine that you walk into an office the was freshly painted and newly carpeted. For most people, walking into this office would bring nothing more than a simple recognition of the odor telling you that the carpet is new as well as the paint. For the individual that is chemically sensitive though, this chemical expression can be maddening, almost to the point that they have to run out of the office.

So why is it that one person simply responds with recognition while another is running out of the office?

I would like to say there is one easy answer for all but one answer for all does not exist. The good news is that there are a combination of areas to look at ASAP that can be addressed to assist the body in responding to these chemicals in a less dramatic fashion, with the eventually goal of a release of chemical sensitivity.

Here is the list of what typically has to be addressed with those suffering with chemical sensitivities.

• Adrenal function - While your adrenals basically play a role in the whole of your being, they also play a direct role in chemical sensitivity due to the impact they have on the mucosal tissue lining (immune systems first line of defense), every level of detoxification, immune system regulation, the pro/anti inflammatory response and your overall neural connectivity. Since I have never seen someone with chemical sensitivity that does not have an adrenal issue, this is a great place to start.
• Inflammation - Chronic inflammation also known as an NF-kB state, is typically one of the significant factors behind chemical sensitivity. Understand that the NF-kB state will likely cause immune system dysregulation which in turn will often lead to chemical sensitivity. Addressing both the triggers for inflammation plus the inflammation itself is a key.
• Gluten or cross reactive intolerance - If you are consuming foods the you body is intolerant to, this is an issue in regard to chemical sensitivity. This is due to the fact that intolerant foods that are not addressed lead to digestive disorders, neurological imbalance, immune system disorders, inflammatory states, adrenal imbalance and poor blood/brain barrier function. ALL of these play a role in chemical sensitivity.
• Gut/brain/immune connection - If your gut/brain connection is suffering on any level due to pathogens, intolerant foods, stress, brain trauma and/or poor diet this will generally lead to immune system issues and chronic inflammation which is turn will contribute to chemical sensitivity.
• Poor blood/brain barrier function - Barrier function occurs in your gut, lungs and brain. The barrier that pertains with chemical sensitivity is the blood/brain barrier. This barrier keeps toxins from entering the brain via blood flow. If this barrier is not healthy, toxins will cross into the brain and create chemical sensitivity.
• Poor liver/colon function - The liver takes on the detoxification of approximately 80% of the toxins in your body. This will take place via a phase I and phase II liver detoxification. To simplify, phase I converts fat soluble toxins into water soluble toxins for eventual release via the colon. Once this phase I occurs it is essential that these are released via the colon because this phase I conversion actually makes the toxins more toxic. Yes, you heard that correct, your body's conversion of these toxins actually does create a higher level of toxicity. With that said, if you do not have healthy bowel movements (2 per day or more) you are actually releasing this toxic load back into your body and round and round you go. All this creates a significant toxic load and can be a big part of chemical sensitivity.
• Poor drainage - Often when we talk about detoxification, we forget the most important part. That part is drainage. To detoxify without drainage can lead to a toxic overload in your body and chemical sensitivity. See above while understanding that drainage is so much more than just your colon. Lymph, kidneys, skin and lungs also play a role.

While there may be some fringe areas to address beyond these listed above, most will find a significant release of chemical sensitivity symptoms or even a complete elimination of these symptoms by addressing these areas.

I also wanted to talk about one other area of chemical sensitivity that is so important and that is with children. With younger children, this is typically tied into food intolerance, the gut/brain connection and/or poor blood/brain barrier function. Addressing these first will often show relief for you children.

To take this a step further, let's look at the main reasons so many kids seem to be born with these chemical sensitivities. The fact is that this starts with the health of the parents upon conception and the health of the mother throughout pregnancy. Please understand the importance of a healthy gut/brain/immune system in the mother which will coincide with a healthier gut/brain/immune function with your child. Often women are living with an undiagnosed autoimmune reaction or every a full blown autoimmune disease. These challenges are easily transferred into the developing child and unfortunately this occurs far too often. With this said, make sure that a part of your family planning includes optimal health for both parents and have confidence in the gut/brain/immune health for the future mother. Doing this can release years of frustration down the road for both parents and children.

One other factor to consider is the high amount of chemicals that are in our environment via the air we breathe, water we drink, foods we eat as well as chemicals on cloths or products we put on your skin. These areas can be improved on every level also to take away some of the chemical load thrown at us on a daily basis.

• Air we breathe - Take a look at this article on air purifying plants for your home and office.
• Water we drink - My general recommendation is a Reverse Osmosis filtration system that includes a minimum of 4 filters. You can also purchase a portable aquagear system that will filter tap water at any time. Great for traveling or regular use. Learn more about AquaGear.
• Foods we eat - Consume whole natural and organic food whenever possible. Processed foods and a sugar are a part of a toxic lifestyle.
• Chemicals on your body - Use natural cleaning products and do not put anything on your skin that has a chemical base. There are many natural products that you can use on your skin available today. Here is a link to some of these natural products. Remember that your skin will easily soak up your toxic exposure.

In the end, recognize that once you are chemically sensitive this does not have to be a life long struggle for you. Take the necessary steps to live a life free of these sensitivities. It will be more than worth it!

There's a Time and a Place

by Glen Depke

For those that have followed me for some time, you likely recognize that I am not the holistic guy that bashes the conventional medical system. What is important to recognize is that there is a time and a place.

What brought up my desire to write this article is the fact that I participated in conventional medicine just recently but undergoing minor surgery. I have actually had a fibrous cyst under the skin in my right armpit for at least 12 years. The cyst itself did not appear to be an issue but the fact that every couple of years or so, this would become infected, swell up and eventually expel the contents within the swelling. Funny, but when my wife first saw this whole cycle she was actually mortified. Likely concerned that this was potentially life threatening. I actually assured her that the body was going through a healing crisis and that all would end well, and it did. The only problem though is that through every cycle, the very small cyst would still remain and it was just a matter of time before I went through another infection, inflammatory response and immune response. Years have actually been spent trying to remove this cyst naturally but this goal was always elusive to me. I can now happily report that removing this infected cyst seems to have provided me with a boost in overall energy and well-being. I truly did not know that this was affecting me in such a way.

So this was my time and my place. The cyst was finally removed and much to my joy, I trust that this cycle is now over.

What are some of the most obvious challenges that conventional medicine is helpful for?

• Staph infection - If you have a staph infection and your immune system seems to be losing the battle, do not come to me looking for a herbal tincture or homeopathic remedy for this. You can actually die from this and a powerful antibiotic would likely be necessary.
• Severe pain - At times pain is just too great to work with holistically. There is simply a time and a place when the pain is so bad that a pain relief medication would be recommended.
• Broken bones - Once again, do not come into our office with a broken bone, get to a hospital or orthopedic doctor to address this.
• Severe structural instabilities - While most structural issues can be address by a chiropractor or osteopathic doctor, there is a time and place where conventional intervention may be necessary.
• Pregnancy - While it is obviously not completely necessary to give birth without  conventional care, it is recommended to be under the care of a doctor during this time.
• Graves disease or severe hyperthyroid conditions - Any time someone has a severe hyperthyroid condition, conventional care is a must. Even when I am working with someone holistically, I insist that they also work with a quality endocrinologist. The chance of the "thyroid storm" and possibility of death is not worth playing with.
• Auto accidents or similar - One of the best uses of conventional medicine. I always say, "If I am in a car accident, there is not other country in the world I would rather be in."
• Required surgery - While this should not be a first case scenario, there is a time when surgery is needed. Simply look at this as a last option rather that a first.
• Those that have a deep belief in conventional health care - This is important, if you truly believe that conventional medicine is the way to go and do not have confidence in holistic care, you really need to follow your belief. Based on your personal belief, this would likely be your best option.
• Insurance - If you want your health care or as some refer to as disease management covered by insurance, conventional care is the way to go for most.

With this said, what areas are best addressed holistically? 

• Chronic disease as a whole - This is an area of expertise for holistic care, because we would look for the cause of your issue rather than treat the symptoms.
• Autoimmunity - Conventional medicine says there is no answer for autoimmunity and they're right, there is not a conventional medical answer but there are definitely ways to address this holistically. I see it in our clinic all the time.
• Chronic soft tissue or structural issues - When these problems are chronic or acute they can typically best be addressed by chiropractic care and soft tissue work. While I am not a chiropractor personally, I do support quality chiropractic care and soft tissue work.
• Adrenal issues - Short of Addison's Disease, conventional medicine does not even recognize adrenal insufficiency as a problem. This is a sad truth since I see this as an issue with almost 100% of the clients I work with. To add, I see significant results with regularity but addressing this imbalance.
• GI issues - Most GI issues are simply diagnosed as IBS these days. Irritable bowel syndrome means there is something wrong with your gut, but they do not know what it is. This can most often be understood and addressed with a quality holistic practitioner.
• Inflammation - Chronic inflammation or acute also for that matter are best addressed holistically. Again, you are looking for the cause of the inflammation rather than seeing the inflammation as the issue.
• Hyperthyroid issues - I can say that a hypothyroid issue is rarely even a true thyroid issue. Most are a challenge with adrenals, liver, gut or autoimmune and addressable with holistic care.
• Infertility - Rather than spending tens of thousands of dollars on conventional treatment of infertility (often unsuccessful) it is a good idea to look at this holistically. Often there are some relatively easy issues to address that are creating this hormonal imbalance.
• Those that have a deep belief in holistic health care - This is important, if you truly believe that holistic care is the way to go and do not have confidence in conventional medicine, you really need to follow your belief. Based on your personal belief, this would likely be your best option.

As a Traditional Naturopath there is a certain sequence of events that I recommend when addressing a health issue. 

First is self care. Take care of your fundamentals of health, have fun, enjoy life, don't stress the small stuff or the big stuff that is out of your control and make you best possible health choices in every moment. If this does not work and develop and ailment of some type, reach out to holistic care. This could be a Traditional Naturopath such as myself, Chiropractor, Massage Therapist, Rolfer, Acupuncturist as well as a host of other natural therapies. Now if holistic care does not provide an answer for you, this may be the time to reach out into conventional medicine. Remember, there is a time and a place.

One last tidbit to share. 

I had a close friend for years that was a conventional doc, so you can imagine the discussion we've had in the past. This particular doc had focus on his own health in a very natural way even though he practiced conventional medicine. One day our discussion became heated in a fun way about the use of a particular drug and my friend told me something that sticks with me to this day. "Glen, what I do is called medicine. What I have been trained in is medicine. What people come to me for is medicine. If they want to be healthy, they come to you." 

I will never forget those words. Thanks Rob!

There is a time and a place...

Is Iodine Deficiency an Issue?

by Glen Depke

We really don't hear much about iodine anymore, so does this mean that iodine deficiency is

not an issue for you?

I will share my opinion that iodine deficiency is typically not a Westernized cultural issue. Underdeveloped countries can find iodine deficiency as a norm compared to developed countries. 

With that said, this can still be an issue for you and ultimately should not be ignored.

First off, let's take a look at iodine. Iodine itself is a poisonous gas but in the iodide form (negatively charged ions), this is micro mineral is actually essential to optimal health. For simplicity in this article, I will refer to the name iodine for ease of recognition.

One of the first subjects to bring up for clarity is iodine and the thyroid. It was believed for years that the biggest challenge for those suffering with hypothyroidism are actually deficient in iodine. Working with clients diagnosed with hypothyroid has shown me that the thyroid challenges are typically not an iodine deficiency but rather an adrenal. liver and gut issue. Another major factor with hypothyroidism is autoimmunity.

With that said, I am typically not adding iodine supplementation for most that are challenged with hypothyroidism. To take this one step further, for anyone challenged with Hashimoto's, which is an autoimmune condition creating low thyroid function, adding iodine may provide an increase in energy but also worsen the autoimmune condition itself. Not a good idea!

Beyond the discussion with your thyroid, iodine is essential to many other areas of your body. Here is a list of factors that depend on iodine:

• Cell growth
• Detoxification
• Immune function
• Metabolism and energy production
• Nervous system and brain function
• Skin 
• Hair
• Nails

There are also many functions of your body that depend on iodine, such as:

• Absorbing carbohydrates
• Conversion of beta carotene to vitamin A
• Production of thyroid hormones

For infants that are iodine deficient prior to or immediately after birth, this could lead to an increased risk of ALS, MS and/or Parkinson's disease later in life. Other symptoms expressed by an iodine deficiency would be:

• Inability to sweat
• Dry skin
• Poor teeth health
• Weak, dry, brittle nails
• Dry hair
• Fibrocystic breast disease
• Build up of arsenic or radiation in your body
• Breast, endometrial or ovarian cancer
• Overgrowth of detrimental bacteria or fungi
• Fatigue

So what's a person to do if they are suspecting iodine deficiency? Eat iodized salt, right? 

Absolutely not! The typical salt that is pushed on us, while containing iodine can actually create nutritional deficiencies. This is due to the fact that table salt as we know it is sodium chloride - an unnatural chemical form of salt that your body recognizes as something completely foreign. Your table salt is actually 97.5% sodium chloride and 2.5% chemicals such as moisture absorbents, and iodine. Dried at over 1,200 degrees Fahrenheit, the excessive heat alters the natural chemical structure of the salt causing the potential for a myriad of health problems in your body. I have to say that it is a joke that I saw an article written by a registered dietitian at the Mayo clinic say, "Sea salt and table salt have the same basic nutritional value." This is utterly ridiculous since natural salt such as a natural sea salt, Celtic salt or Himalayan salt that are unadulterated actually contain some 80 different minerals as compared to the "chemically cleaned" table salt we use so often.

Here are some nutritional choices that can increase your iodine levels:

• Sea vegetables such as Kelp, Arame, Hiziki, Kombu, and Wakame
• Cranberries
• Organic yogurt (preferably raw if available)
• Organic navy beans
• Organic strawberries
• Himalayan salt 
• Potatoes

My recommendation for an iodine supplement if needed is an ionized liquid form of potassium iodide. This is available through practitioners from a company called Marco Pharma. The

Seaweed Salad

recommended RDA for iodine is 150 mcg per day with the optimal level is closer to 225 mcg per day. Very often you can achieve the optimal levels by consciously consuming foods high in iodine. Personally, I enjoy seaweed salads as well as dried seaweed and use this as a regular snack. Heck, even our boxer Ruben loves them.

Understand that pharmaceutical diuretics actually deplete your body's storage of iodine. If you are on these drugs, I would recommend discussing the possibility of testing this with your doctor. Another substance that can actually interfere with iodine is isothiocyanates found in the cabbage family vegetables. 

The last question to answer is testing for iodine deficiencies. There are a few types of tests with varying levels of accuracy.

The Iodine Spot Test

The iodine spot test is based on a urine sample from your first trip to the bathroom after waking up in the morning.  You send the sample to a lab and they measure the level of iodine in the urine.  It’s the same price as the next test (approximately $70), but it’s not as accurate. Some docs recommend using the spot test to establish a baseline before taking the iodine-loading test.

The Iodine-Loading Test

This is the test Dr. Brownstein recommends in his book.  Like the spot test, it’s based on iodine levels in the urine, but with the iodine-loading test, an iodine supplement (50mg) is ingested before collecting the sample. All urine is collected over the next 24 hours.  Since the body holds onto iodine when it’s in an iodine-deficient state, the level of iodine excreted through the urine over the next 24-hour period is a reliable indicator of the degree of iodine deficiency.

Iodine Serum Test

Since serum iodide is rapidly cleared by the kidneys with a daily clearance rate of 43.5 liters, I would not recommend serum testing as a preferred method.

Thank you for the opportunity to share some info on a forgotten but essential subject.

High Cholesterol???

by Glen Depke

Time and time again, clients walk into my office with a main concern of high cholesterol. I understand this because most conventional medical doctors put the fear of death into patients that have high cholesterol. When our clients visit Depke Wellness with cholesterol issues, we use their lipid panel to understand function of their body and their current state of healing crisis.

It is important to understand the cholesterol is produced in your body based on a need. While cholesterol plays many essential roles in your body, I have a top three that I always refer to.

1. Cholesterol is an essential precursor to hormone production. When your body is under physical, mental/emotional and/or chemical stress, hormone production is high, thus cholesterol generally rises.
2. Cholesterol is a major component of the cell membrane of EVERY cell in your body. As your body is turning over new cells, cholesterol is essential.
3. Cholesterol is a part of every myelin sheath in your nervous system. Your autonomic nervous system is the master regulator of your body and obviously extremely important.

Understand that when your cholesterol is high, your body has predetermined a need for more cholesterol to assist in your healing crisis. In the opinion of Depke Wellness, the cholesterol is not the issue, the issue is the underlying challenges that require the healing crisis. 

This could be:

• Poor fundamentals of health
• Lack of regular deep breathing
• Dehydration (We recommend one quart of water for every 50 LBS. of body weight daily)
• Poor nutrition
• Food intolerance (gluten or cross reactive foods)
• Poor sleep
• Lack of physical movement
• Poor bowel movements (less than 2 per day)
• Lack of sun exposure
• Poor stress response
• Adrenal insufficiency
• Oxidative stress
• Free radical activity
• Gut/brain challenges
• Chronic inflammation
• Poor immunity
• Infection

Notice that I never mentioned consuming food with cholesterol as an issue. This is simply a cholesterol myth. Here are some common cholesterol myths.

• Eggs are evil - Dietary cholesterol is not nearly as dangerous as once thought. You will absorb approximately 15% of your dietary cholesterol and your liver will regulate cholesterol production accordingly.
• Americans have the highest cholesterol - According to statistics presented by WHO in 2005, we are actually in the middle of the road as far as ranking with other countries throughout our world. Likely, we have gone up since 2005 but we are still not the highest.
• Kids can't have high cholesterol - Most feel that high cholesterol is a middle age issue but these days, kids as young as 8 years old are having imbalances in their lipid profiles. Remember though, the problem is still not the cholesterol.
• Cholesterol is a bad thing - As addressed above, you can understand the cholesterol is actually essential to your health and well-being.
• Low cholesterol is a sign of good health - Forget this one, just as many people die of heart attacks with cholesterol below 200 as over 200.
• High LDL means you are heading for a heart attack - Nearly 75% of those hospitalized for a heart attack actually fall within the recommended ranges for LDL.
• All LDL is created equal - The particle size of your LDL is actually what you want to look at. Larger LDL particles do little or no harm, while the little oxidized particles causing inflammation are a huge issue.

I could go on with cholesterol myths but I trust that you get the picture.

So what are you truly looking at for the best reference based on your conventional lipid profile testing?

Number one, look at your HDL level and ration of HDL and LDL. I am not concerned about your total cholesterol. I am first looking at your HDL, which I am recommending to be at 55 or above. Once you have this number, your LDL should not be more than double your HDL. I have had clients that have had significant high HDL, such as 95 and a LDL of 175. Add these together with also adding in the VLDL, this person may have a cholesterol level of 295 and I would be telling them this this is optimal.

There is one more factor to pull into this and that is the ration of HDL to triglycerides. I would suggest dividing your triglyceride total by your HDL total. If your triglycerides are 95 and your HDL is 55, your ration is 1.73. If your triglycerides are 187 and your HDL is 40, your ration is 4.68. Ultimately, you would like this ratio to be 2 or less. Once again though, if the ratio is high, you want to address the underlying health challenges, not the cholesterol or triglycerides specifically. Once you balance your body physically, mentally, emotionally, chemically and vibrationally, these levels typically take care of themselves.

Also as mentioned above, if you can actually complete a particle test for cholesterol, you are looking at the small particles as the issue and not the larger particles.

One of the biggest challenges with conventional thought is the fact that cholesterol is looked at as the bad guy when this truly does not fix the problem. An even bigger challenge is the most people are put on cholesterol lowering medications without truly addressing the underlying problems. This isn't even taking into account the sometimes horrific side effects produced by these meds. I have seen clients on the meds that suffer with severe muscle aches and pains that are unbearable as well as clients find that their liver enzymes shoot up while on these meds. Another issue is that the cholesterol lowering meds also affect the production of CoQ10 in your liver. CoQ10 is a coenzyme that plays a huge role in cellular energy. The CoQ10 is actually essential for the mitochondria of each cell, which is the engine that drives every cell in your body. These are especially important for your muscles and your heart. Funny that the medication that you may be taking to help you from having cardiovascular issues can deplete something that is essential for your heart muscle.

So in the end, make sure you pay attention to the ration of HDL:LDL and the ration of HDL:triglycerides. If you find these to be off, address your underlying health conditions with a qualified natural health practitioner. Both myself and Lynda at Depke Wellness are always here for you. (949)954-6226

If you have any comments or questions, please leave these below for us to address personally.

Child Brain and Developmental Disorders

by Glen Depke

Gut/Brain Connection

It is estimated that 1 of 8 children in the United States has a brain development disorder. While many think of this as Autism or severe ADD, this can often be recognized as fidgeting, poor social skills, tics or lesser know symptoms. Thankfully, this can often be prevented and even reversed with proper natural health practices.

The current medical model for addressing this is to medicate to reduce symptoms through the use of amphetamines, sedatives, anti psychotics, beta blockers and/or behavioral therapy. A special not that most of the drugs listed are also addictive. The next step to conventional therapy is to hope the child grows out of it. Sounds like a less than optimal approach to me.

So what natural methods can be used to address these disorders. First of all, have toys everywhere. Specific toys that engage your child and their imagination and thought. Engaging the brain plays a significant role in developing the brain. Introduce physical activity that requires the use of balance. Get your child involved in a musical instrument or in learning a new language. These are all ways of engaging brain function.

Absolutely address the function of the gastrointestinal tract. Remember that when the gut is suffering, so is the brain. Understand that approximately 90% of the brain output goes right down the vagus nerve and into the nervous system tissue in the gut. With this in mind, when there is a brain issue, this very well could be a gut issue and likewise. To address the gut:

• Eliminate gluten 
• Address any potential cross reactive intolerance
• Use a high quality gut restorative supplement (We use Repairvite with our clients)
• Daily and regular use of a probiotic (We use the DW Prebiotic/Probiotic Formula)
• Enzyme use with cooked foods (We use the DW Prime Digestive Support)
• Check for pathogens in the gut such as parasistes, protozoa, amoeba, H-pylori and the list goes on (We use a 4 day stool collection at our office)
• Test the blood/brain barrier function (We use a GABA challenge in my practice)

With a healthy gut you can increase the absorption and assimilation of healthy nutrition. Eating a balanced diet with carbohydrates, adequate protein and lots of good fats such as avocado, olives, olive oil, fish oils. Even a step further is to understand the need for the DHA component of your omega 3's. While everyone typically gets the need for omega 3's for brain health, very few understand that the DHA component of the omega 3 fatty acid is the actual brain food. For children, and adults for that matter, I will suggest a supplement called Brain-E that is a 14:1 ratio of DHA to EPA. Now that's food for you brain! 

It is also important to improve blood flow to the brain. Increasing gut function and improving the diet is only so helpful without proper blood flow to the brain. Remember, your blood moves oxygen and nutrition to your brain for proper function. Generally speaking, those with brain and developmental disorders are also stuck in poor peripheral circulation. This means less blood flow to the brain and in the end, less oxygen and proper nutrition. We often use a liquid supplement called Nitric Balance to assist with blood flow with great success.

Remember as mentioned above, brain and developmental delay does not always mean full blown Autism or ADD. Some times you'll recognize early symptoms such as poor digestion, poor bladder tone, poor stool control and/or floating stool. There may also be challenges with sleeping and constant sugar cravings due to hypoglycemia. Also look for signs such as poor coordination. I remember the "clumsy" kids when I was younger. Poor coordination equals poor brain development.

If we want to take this a step further for our kids, it starts with preconception the parents. A pregnant mom that abuses alcohol, living with hypothyroid and undiagnosed autoimmunity as an example, is asking for poor brain development in their child. Parents, yes both Moms and Dads, need to get control of their own health and wellness prior to conception. As a parent, do you have adrenal issues, gut challenges, gluten intolerance, cross reactive intolerance and/or a poor diet. Well if you do, address this now and give your children a fighting chance.

Of course if you are past this and already have a child with brain or developmental disorders, the first step is to not only follow the directions earlier in the article for your child, but for yourself also. Don't think you can teach your child to not eat gluten, while you "pig out" on a plate of pasta and a loaf of garlic bread. Understand that children learn much more from watching than they do from listening to what is told to them. Be the example for your child and allow them to emulate you. That's what they are doing anyway.

Also understand the the brain is in constant development from the time of conception to the age of approximately 18 to 20 years old. Don't think that since you child is 10 years old there is nothing you can do. There absolutely is! Please though, address this as early as possible, which is the whole reason for this article. In essence the older the child becomes the more difficult it is to see progress and the more permanent the disabilities may become.

Also recognize what is important to eliminate due to the fact that these actions actually stimulate the lymbic brain, which is detrimental for these children. The activities that stimulate the lymbic system are passive activities such as watching television or computer games. Move into the frontal cortex of the brain by stimulating via movement as mention earlier in the article.

Also recognize stress levels for your children. Often I hear adults say, what do kids have to be stressed about. Easy for us to say, when we were kids the world was a different place. There is so much more stress and expectations for children in these days that is completely overwhelming. Recognize that too much video game engagement by kids may actually counteract the stress-induced activation of the HPA axis. This axis allows the body to fall into a deeper state of relaxation after a stressful event. There are also some helpful vascular creams to assist in reducing the stress/adrenal response.

Many times assistance with neurotransmitter supplementation would also be helpful but you would really want to work with a natural health practitioner trained in this area, so I do not make these recommendations via the Internet.

For those adults that find themselves living with brain disorders, the same recommendations above apply to you also. Regardless of age, it is never too late to work on your brain.

If you have any comments or questions, please leave these below for me to address personally.