I haven’t gotten sick this season…

 

To say that this cold and flu season has been a brutal one is an understatement.  Almost everyone around me has come down with something be it patient’s or co-workers. And it seems like we’re not talking about run of the mill bugs that have been going around, we’re talking people are getting hit hard for 2-3 weeks at a time, recovering just to have something else bombard their system two days later. I’ve had patient’s with diagnosed Flu come in for treatment, and here I stand…no signs of ill health and more energy than I’ve had in a while… and I have to ask myself WHY. Below I explore the reasons why I have managed, through massive exposure, to remain in good health through one of the nastiest cold/flu seasons I’ve seen.

Theory 1- My immune system is a killing MACHINE

     I myself don’t even buy this! I have a long history of a weak immune system including having a nasty case of chicken pox as a 6 year old, and having an unknown virus that kept me bed-ridden for the better part of 3 months in middle school. I wasn’t breast fed as a child which I believe has contributed to the marked difference in my immune health compared to my brothers (first born, breast fed…basic golden child stuff). I had a bad viral infection as an infant that only allowed my parents to give me 2 ounces of fluid at a time each hour! No, I don’t think my base line immune function is the best, it could be worse, and I think I’ve done lots to help build this up by removing food sensitivities and eating better…but we’ll get to that later.

Theory 2- All those immunized against the flu are keeping me safe

     I giggle as I even ponder this theory. The CDC has finally come out this year and admitted that their vaccine was pretty close to useless for this seasons predominant strain, but they think you should still partake anyways. 1-I have never gotten a flu vaccine and am 99.9% sure I won’t (never say never right?) and 2-the CDC has continually admitted that “this year’s vaccine isn’t as effective as last years” year after year… so if it wasn’t effective 2 years ago, and then less so the next and so on…see my point? The risk to me is not worth it, plane and simple.

Theory 3- Many small changes are working together

     This is the theory I’m going with at this point. Like almost any condition/disease/illness whatever you want to call it, there are so many factors to consider that one solution isn’t always the best answer. Your body is a network of systems working together, and thus strengthening the whole system should benefit me overall in good health.

I drink plenty of water daily, minimum of half my weight in ounces. This allows my body to flush out toxic substances and waste that if allowed to stay in my system could cause problems. I eat fairly healthy. Note that I didn’t say “I’m a doctor and I eat perfect”-isn’t going to happen people get real! In reality, I eat good 85% of the time. By eating good I mean staying away from food sensitivities, eating more veggies and super foods, lean proteins and limiting my sugar. Now…over the holidays I didn’t follow my own rules…I ate gluten (pause for gasp and shock) and a boat load of sugar…and I didn’t beat myself up about it either! I enjoyed things here and there, and my body hated me for like a day or two after…but overall limited tummy disturbances were noticed and again…not sick. A small amount of sugar and lower your immune system for hours!! I did however remain on my supplement routine- one of the factors I’m most impressed with. I’m only taking a multivitamin, Comprehensive Immune Support mushroom extract blend from Host defense, and 30mg of Iodine with L-tyrosine. Yep, that’s it for daily intake. When needed I take massive doses of D3, herbs like holy basil, and probiotics, but for the most part those have been left out this season. Do I think these alone are the reason I’ve been in good health? Certainly not, but I believe the immune tonification via the mushrooms and the increased immune support, detoxification and hormone production supported by Iodine has contributed greatly. These are two big things I haven’t done in the past.  I’ve been using essential oils more each day. The power of oils has blown me away by using them in treatments with my patients, but recently have been using more oils for my everyday needs and have seen some skin conditions heal fast! Other small things- I do a nasal wash once a week with oregano oil and other herbs to keep my passages moist and free of debris, and did I mention I drink a crap ton of water?? Add in acupuncture and adjustments and I’ve got a pretty well rounded support system.

To put things into perspective, as we look at the new year and making resolutions ( I prefer setting goals for success) the small stuff makes a HUGE difference. Making one small change a day, or even per week, can truly impact your health. No gym nut started with 5-6 days a week when they began, it’s better to do one day a week, bump it to two and move toward a bigger goal. If you’re not used to taking supplements start with one at a time. Get used to doing something on a regular basis and build upon it. Setting yourself up for success means being realistic with yourself and starting where you can. I think one of my DABCI instructors said it best, “It doesn’t matter where you start, just start somewhere”.

Let the Detox Begin!

 

Today marks the first day of  my annual detox process, and this time I wanted to share with everyone my personal experience. I think it’s important to give your body a chance to reset, clean up and start fresh. For whatever reason I seem to feel the most need to do my cleanse/detoxes  in February each year. I think it’s because I get a little stir crazy in winter, and loose motivation/drive, and feel like I have become lax in my diet. This process helps me emotionally and spiritually as well. In fact the first time I did a detox program 3 years ago was to help myself get through some very difficult and emotionally taxing issues.  Yes, it worked in both detoxing my body of built up waste, but it helped me detox myself of some emotional baggage as well.

Enough about my baggage, let’s get down to the nitty gritty of the whole process. Some important things to keep in mind when doing a good detox program: 1- You should never have to stop eating foods, you’re body still needs nutrients so simply drinking a liquid beverage for 3 days doesn’t really do the right things. 2- No good detox should keep you in the bathroom all day. Things like that are just putting you at risk for dehydration which can be very serious. 3-If you have never gone through a good detox program I suggest you do one with the supervision of a natural health practitioner of some sort who has experience.

The whole point of doing a detox is to restore optimal function to your organs that naturally detoxify you every day and to get rid of any waste build up that happens over time. This is important more and more as we are continually exposed to more and more harmful substances in our air, food and water supply. The main focus of my detox is to help my liver and kidneys function at optimal levels, as well as clean up any built up waste in my colon and lymphatic system as well.  I am combining an herbal detox kit with a few additional herbal products of my own and following a diet that will increase it’s optimal function.

*Please note that some of what I have included in my own program is products that I currently have at home and would like to use up. I am in no way getting paid to advertise brands, just utilizing some products that I have used before and found effective for me.

My personal program for the next 12 days:

1)Garden of Life Wild Rose Herbal Detox- consists of wild organic herbs only. Purpose is to detox the liver, kidneys and lymphatic systems.

2)Indole -3- Carbanol – supplement intended to help my body metabolize and get rid of excess estrogens. I’m one of those estrogen dominant people and have been feeling a touch “overly moody” lately.

3)Psyllium husk powder- source of fiber done at night to help grab onto all the nasty stuff my body is kicking out and excrete it in a safer way.

4)Oregano oil- useful as a natural antibiotic and also has been known to kill candida, which I am suspecting to be a possible problem due to my not as strict dietary habits as of late.

5)Functional foods- consuming foods on a regular basis that promote the detoxification process just to make it that much easier for my body to optimize faster.

 

Today’s breakfast was a green smoothie. I used almond milk, 1 scoop of vanilla Raw Fit protein, 1 banana, 1 scoop of greens powder, 1 Tbs of spirulina powder, 2 tbs of flax seed meal/chia seed mix, a healthy squirt of omega 3 emulsified oil, and a spoon full of peanut butter that has coconut oil in it. Honestly, it’s delicious and keeping me full throughout the morning. Sure…it’s dark green and probably scary looking to others but it’s for my health!

During a normal detox process you are supposed to rest to allow your body’s energy to focus on cleaning and healing, but I plan on going home tonight and walking for at least 30 minutes on the treadmill. I need to get back into a healthy routine all around, why wait is my theory!

Looking forward to keeping you updated on the whole process as I progress. Right now, feeling great about making positive changes and feeling better!

**Please post any questions you might have, I’m happy to answer! **

Dr.Kalli is now a Columnist!

Last week I was honored to be asked to become a regular columnist for Optimal Performance and Health of Chicago! I will be writing a weekly article for them about healthy diet and nutrition topics- my love and passion if you all haven’t figured that out yet!! 

 

I encourage everyone to check out their website for articles on exercise and physical health, as well as Foundation Training Classes and personal training opportunities. 

 

Thank you Optimal Performance and Health!! I am so happy to be a part of the Optimal family! 

 

http://optimalperformanceandhealth.com

Why I do Lab work

 

As a Doctor who believes in holistic medicine and a natural approach I still utilize diagnostic tools to asses the patients health and well being. Having a specific diagnosis doesn’t exactly change the course of what I would do with the patient, but without lab work it is hard to gauge progress… or know if you are addressing the ROOT cause of the issue. 

The problem with most doctors is they make a diagnosis and prescribe the appropriate drug for that condition. But what happens when the medication doesn’t work? Of course they up the dose or switch meds…. I say you never treated the cause to begin with. 

Without figuring and addressing the ROOT CAUSE of the condition or disease a person is experiencing all modern medicine, or natural medicine without diagnostic testing, is doing is putting a band-aid on the problem. 

It’s my goal to get to the root problem, and do as much as possible to fix that. Labs are an important part of what I do and guide how well natural therapies are working or not. Every body is different and responds to different things, so we can’t go off just symptoms alone to guide our treatments. Yes I want all of my patients to feel amazing, but if we are just putting another band-aid on the issue I am no better than a regular drug pushing doctor. That being said, natural medicine aims to FIX the problem… meaning you might not have to be on supplements or special dietary restrictions for life (depending on the issue and individual of course…catching that theme yet?) because if we FIX the problem, then the body goes back to optimal functioning as it was meant. 

I challenge all the patients of the world to ask their doctors why they have to be on their medications for life (cholesterol, High blood pressure just to name a few) if they actually fixed the problem. In short they don’t. The problem still exists, there are just no more warning signs coming from your body anymore. Everything your body does has a purpose and a function, it’s my job to make sure it’s all operating the best it can and guide you along that path.

Be well, and have a safe Labor Day!

-Dr.Kalli

Probiotics can impact more than digestion!

 

What are Probiotics anyways?? They are the good bacteria living in your intestinal tract that make up about 70% of your immune system, produce serotonin that travels up to your brain, produce vitamin D when you go out into the sunshine without sun blocking agents, and aid in the digestion of your food. 

Some other fun facts:

Probiotic imbalances can cause depression, and cause you to become overweight. 

Probiotic populations get killed off when you take Antibiotics, even natural ones like oregano oil! 

There are 10 TRILLION probiotics in your gut ( or there SHOULD be) and only 1 trillion cells of you in your entire body… The majority rules! 

“I get my probiotics from my yogurt” – Not so much… the sugar in the majority of commercially produced (not to mention the chemicals) feeds the bad bacteria in your body and can throw off your balance!

Proper populations of probiotic strains are anti-inflammatory!

Here are just a few signs your good bacteria aren’t in the right numbers or are losing the war against bad bacteria in your body: Fatigue, constipation, allergies, auto-immune disorders, diarrhea, gas, burping,bloating, feeling full hours after eating, depression, weight gain, chronic infections, nutrient deficiencies, chronic disease, inflammation (aka are you in pain?)… the list could go on for days!

It’s easy to get back in balance by supplementing with the right good bacteria and consuming the right foods to keep your populations alive- the health of  your body depends on these little guys for 70%+ of your immune response remember! By keeping your numbers up your body is prepared to fight off infection and colds much easier than a body that has little or no supply.  

Please call 630-762-9864 to schedule an appointment with Dr.Kalli or a FREE 15 minute consultation TODAY to learn how easy it can be to get back into good health and well being. 

~Dr.K 

Tranquility Natural Medicine: Inspiring dietary changes daily! Call 630-762-9864 and schedule a FREE 15 minute consult or appointment today!

We are what we eat… yes this is a theme I will continue to repeat until I am blue in the face! The fuel we provide our bodies on a daily basis has a PURPOSE … and it’s not all about taste. The great thing about our bodies is that when supplied with the proper nutrients, they begin to function better and begin to health themselves. Yep. You were made to last, now let’s start eating like it!

We can all do things to improve on our daily intake of foods and beverages. Small steps are the key to making lasting changes in your LIFE. It’s time we EAT TO LIVE, not live to eat. I want everyone to be able to look back on their life in retirement and be happy they made small changes that have made it so they are living a happy, healthy life. LIVING is about Doing and Moving and Balance.

There is NO ONE PERFECT DIET or Exercise program out there, sorry, if it were that easy we’d all do it right?! It can be frustrating after years of experimenting with every diet/exercise/supplement fad or the newest “Dr.Oz Miracle” to find what works best for you. Let me take some of the frustration out of the process, and let’s work together on making small positive REALISTIC changes you can stick with to become a healthier you!

Small changes to make today:

Drink a full glass of filtered water first thing in the morning!

Swap your soda for water or Green Tea and stevia

Double up on veggies- eat twice as many veggies during your dinner or lunch today

Try something new: your taste buds change every 2 weeks!! You never know what you’re missing out on!