quit settling for sick - epic functional medicine …quit settling for sick 5 !! but what if there...

Quit Settling for Sick

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Quit Settling for Sick:

Your Guide to Living With Optimal Health and Vitality

By: Dr. Jason Bradley


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Disclaimer

Copyright by Dr. Jason Bradley, ND., D.C., D.Sc., P.Sc.D., C.N., M.A. All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copy-holder.

This book provides education and general principals and in no way represents medical advice or specific recommendations. The treatment of the principals contained herein are general and not intended as a comprehensive discussion of all potential relevant issues.

This content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this book.

If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor, go to the emergency department, or call 911 immediately.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Bradley and EPIC Functional Medicine Center at [email protected].


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Welcome Thanks for downloading this book! My name is Dr. Jason Bradley. I practice in the field of Functional Medicine and love what I do. How could I not? Every day, I have the opportunity to help people who suffer from chronic disease, strange symptoms, or recurrent pain take control of their health and get their lives back. People just like you are able to get off their medications (and the damaging side effects that come along with modern medicines). My goal is not only to help my clients eliminate disease, but also to live lives of vitality. Unfortunately, the majority of us in America end up fat, sick, and depressed as we age. Ultimately, for many of us, we end up with someone having to take care of us in our old age. But there are many who are beginning to take control of their health and make changes that will allow them to live long, healthy, vibrant lives. We believe that health is not just the absence of the symptoms of disease, but, rather, an optimal state of physical, biochemical, hormonal, and psychological wellbeing. You may be experiencing symptoms from a chronic disease like weight gain, pain, fatigue, anxiety, disruptions of sleep, depression, or many other symptoms. Something may not feel right and you’re not sure what it is. Maybe you have a condition where traditional medicine has told you there is no cure – just more and more drugs to mask more and more symptoms.


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But what if there was a proven system to help restore your health? Fortunately, there is, and it’s called Functional Medicine, which we will be discussing in the book. Returning to an optimal state of health and wellness is not always an easy journey and there is no silver bullet or magic pill that will solve all of our needs. Our bodies are complex and just as it was poor lifestyle and dietary choices and habits that got you to this point of ill-health, to get our health back, we absolutely have to make changes in our lifestyles and diets that will restore our health and allow our bodies to heal the way God created us, the way we evolved, or the way we creatively-evolved (I’ll let you choose your own path on that particular point). Contained in this book are these the fundamentals of health and an approach you can begin implementing today. No matter where you are in your health journey, the principals in this book apply to you and can work for you. The likely reason you downloaded this book is because you are looking for education, and ultimately looking for help with some area of health in your life. Knowledge is power, and I assure you that educating yourself is the best way to take control of your own health. I applaud you for taking this step! As you read through this guide, I want you to ask yourself two questions: 1. Does this approach make sense to me? 2. Do I want to start making the changes I need to change my life? If you’re ready to take charge of your health, let’s go on this journey together.


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Sincerely,

Dr. Jason Bradley, N.D., D.C., D.Sc., P.Sc.D., C.N., M.A. Expert in Functional Medicine (AFMCP Certified) Traditional Naturopathic Doctor Primary Care Chiropractic Physician Doctor of Science in Medicine Doctor of Pastoral Science and Medicine Certified Nutritionist Anti-Aging Medicine Expert (DABAAHP Boarded) Restorative Medicine Expert (DAARM Certified) Nationally recognized investigative journalist


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The Crisis Would you agree with me if I said we are in a healthcare crisis in the United States? Something seems broken, right? Healthcare costs soar while quality of care and results decline. We are surrounded by some of the best hospitals, medical clinics, and fitness centers. Our grocery stores are stocked with some of the highest quality foods you will find in the world with some of the low prices. We live surrounded by abundance – an abundance that often contributes to our demise. You see, despite having access to the best doctors, health coaches, foods, and fitness centers, the majority of us here in America end up fat, sick, tired, and depressed. And we end up with someone having to take care of us in our older ages. Why is this? We are hit with advertisements for everything terrible for us - and it looks amazing! Honestly, who doesn’t want a triple-meat, triple-cheeseburger with six slices of bacon, conveniently with a super-sized portion of fries and a 99-cent milkshake? I am tempted by the same messages daily. So, we bypass the gym, consume this cheap junk, and expect our bodies to operate without any issues. And then, when our bodies break down, we then have the expectation that somebody else will fix us because we hold this card in our hands with the words “health insurance.” Have you ever rented a car and bought the full coverage insurance? You’ve


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probably said something along the lines of “Don’t worry...I bought full insurance.” You can drive the car like you were in a demolition derby and return it at the end of the day and owe nothing. This is how we treat our bodies at times. We act like we have full coverage insurance. But, we can’t return our bodies at the end of the day like a car. We have to live in this thing our whole lives! And, to make it worse, we live under some delusion that some “doctor” out there is trained to return us to “health” – an expectation founded on a common misperception. You see, “doctors” these days are not taught to return you to health and not taught to keep you healthy – they are really only trained in matching drugs to symptoms or named diseases. That’s it. You see, medical education has traded the “doctor-as-teacher” for the “script-writer” role. Your doctor likely hasn’t been taught nutrition, exercise, stress-reduction, hormone-balancing, the importance of detoxification, or how to prescribe supplements to support the body’s systems as it heals – likely not taught at all. And yet, we expect these untrained persons to guide us back to health and wellness. It’s no wonder we are so sick – after all, we don’t have a “heath” care system, but, instead, an aggressive “sick” care system.

In the United States, we spend more than $3 TRILLION each year on health care. That’s more than what the next 10 countries spend...combined! It would make sense to spend that kind of money if we were seeing results, but what’s really happening? The United States is in last place out of 13 industrialized nations in health according to the Journal of the American Medical Association. According to the World Health Organization and the National Research


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Council, out of 17 industrialized nations, the United States has the highest rate of women dying due to complications of pregnancy and childbirth and the second-highest rate of death by coronary heart disease and lung disease. Meaning, the United States of America, with it’s best-in-the-world aggressive medical procedures, ranks LAST among western nations in overall health and wellness. Last. Traditional medicine leaves many struggling with chronic diseases with little hope or answers. The standard model of care for chronic conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, thyroid issues, acid reflux, and autoimmune disease is inadequate and misguided at best. The system is failing us because we are too focused on reactive responses rather than proactive solutions to our health. Here are a few reasons that traditional medicine is failing you: 1. Your care is not designed for you. Our healthcare system has become a one-size fits all system. The focus is on diagnosis and matching it with a corresponding drug or procedure. Remember when you were a kid and you would play matching games? Medicine today is like one big pharmaceutical matching game! This doesn’t take into account that EVERY PERSON is genetically and biochemically unique. There are no one-size fits all cures or magic pills.


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What works for one person may not work at all for another.

Solutions need to be tailored to the individual.

2. We treat symptoms, not causes. Pharmaceuticals are designed to manage symptoms, not to cure anything. For example, when you take pain medication, it doesn’t fix whatever is wrong with the pain. The drug masks the pain while the underlying condition not only remains, but continues to worsen as additional stress is put on your body. Symptoms, like pain, are like a warning light coming on in your car. The light is not the problem. If you turn the light off or remove the little bulb illuminating the warning sign, the problem is still there and will continue to worsen until the part, or your whole car, ultimately breaks down. When it comes to your health, don’t you want to know what the symptom means, just like you would want to know why your check engine light came on? Knowing what is causing the warning light to come on requires the proper diagnostics and a peek under the hood. Determining the cause of the symptoms requires the right clinical investigation. 3. We are in the crazy side effect cycle. Because we treat symptoms with drugs – drugs that explicitly come with a dangerous list of possible side effects – we end up in the crazy side effect cycle. Prescription drugs killed more people more people last year than heroin and


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cocaine combined, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And, according to the Journal of American Medical Association, more than 100,000 people die each year from the proper use of prescription drugs. These folks didn’t overdose or take the wrong drug. They died from the side effects of taking the “right drug” properly. You or someone you know may be on a multitude of medications. Often, you start with one medication that causes a side effect, like high blood pressure. Then, you have to “have to” take a drug that controls your blood pressure. Then, you have some other symptom caused by one or a combination of these drugs and, ultimately, you are prescribed yet another and another medication. This cycle seems like it will never end – and it never will as long as we keep blindly spending our hard-earned dollars in this system as opposed to investing in real health solutions for our own individual needs. To illustrate this absurdity, let’s take a look at pharmaceutical commercials. There is no other business on earth where you would hear all the terrible things that may happen to you from using a product and then you would say “You know, I really need to talk to somebody about that!” For example, I see a lot of patients who struggle with anxiety. In fact, the United States tops the list in anxiety. In this on-demand society we live in, it’s no wonder so many suffer from anxiety! I looked up a popular drug that helps with anxiety. Here are the side effects listed as “more common”: being forgetful, changes in patterns and rhythms of speech, clumsiness or unsteadiness, difficulty with coordination, discouragement, drowsiness, feeling sad or empty, irritability, lack of appetite, lightheadedness, loss of interest or pleasure, relaxed and calm, shakiness and unsteady walk, sleepiness or unusual drowsiness, slurred


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speech, tiredness, trouble concentrating, trouble in speaking, trouble performing routine tasks, trouble sleeping, unsteadiness, trembling, or other problems with muscle control or coordination, unusual tiredness or weakness. Oh yeah, there’s also the increased risk of violent tendencies including harm to others and, of course, suicide.

In short, this particular drug – like so many others – messes with your brain. It’s the fifth most prescribed drug in the United States, and over 50 million prescriptions were filled last year! 50 MILLION! That’s millions of people out there with pharmacologically-rewired brains. Rather than attempt to remake the chemical composition of our brain (which essentially rewires the way we think), don’t you think it would be better to look at the underlying cause of anxiety and work on correcting the cause? A Better Approach There is a proactive approach quickly gaining popularity called Functional Medicine. As a Functional Medicine practitioner, my days are spent working with sick people on medications that make them sicker and make their conditions worse. These are the same people who are able, by understanding the cause of their problem, to reverse their disease-states, reduce and (for many) eventually eliminate their reliance on medications. I’m not recommending that you eliminate your medications today. That could absolutely do more harm than good, what with all the withdrawal symptoms associated with quitting cold turkey. What I would encourage you to do is step back, look at the side effects of the medications you’re taking, and start looking into the underlying causes of why you don’t feel great.


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I also recommend educating yourself, which you are doing by reading this book. Education and empowering yourself will help you make informed decisions about your health.

Something drastic needs to be done to fix this failing “health” care system. Unfortunately, we can’t individually do much to overhaul this massive system – but there is something you can do. You can start with you. Starting with yourself represents hope from against falling through the cracks of traditional healthcare. In Functional Medicine, we design programs for each individual by clinically investigating the underlying problems that make you sick or can lead to chronic illness.


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Functional Medicine The field of functional medicine has become more mainstream due to influencers like Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Frank Lipman, Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Andrew Weil, and others. These are the leaders in the future of healthcare. But even with these strong voices, functional medicine is still relatively unknown to the general public. Where traditional medical doctors use sometimes dangerous drugs or deadly synthetic hormones as therapeutic tools to deal with sickness and disease, Functional Medicine doctors use the latest in scientific research to address underlying causes, restore and increase function, and ultimately help people live with increased vitality. For various conditions such as low thyroid, diabetes, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol, and others, traditional medical care generally prescribes the same treatments to everyone. Whether you are dealing with a general practitioner or a specialist, the tools in their tool bag are generally limited to medications or invasive procedures. I should make sure I clarify one thing: the standard model of health care works great for acute diseases, trauma, infection, and emergencies. In fact, this is where American medicine shines: acute care. The problem is that this same aggressive medicine fails miserably with chronic conditions – conditions that now affect over 133 million Americans. That’s more than one-third of our population suffering from a chronic illness – and the majority of them taking drugs that by design are not meant to cure anything and instead just mask symptoms.


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Chronic conditions such as allergies, digestion issues, hormonal imbalances, metabolic problems, diabetes, hypothyroidism, fatigue, autoimmune diseases, and others are finding solutions with functional medicine. Each one of us is genetically and biochemically unique. Personalized healthcare through functional medicine treats the individual, not the disease. Functional medicine supports the body’s natural healing functions rather than attacking the disease. Below are the five principles that define Functional Medicine: 1. Functional Medicine is based on science. Our bodies are extremely complex. The latest in scientific research helps us understand the complexities of the body and allows us to work on the functions working together in the body so we can not only eliminate disease but live lives of vitality. 2. Your body has the ability to heal itself. When you get a paper cut, what happens? If all systems are go, your body automatically heals itself. This is a small example, but it shows the power of your body. Your body has the ability to heal itself of chronic diseases just like it does paper cuts. 3. Your body can prevent disease.

Not only can your body heal itself of disease, it can prevent chronic disease from happening in the first place. Many chronic diseases occur due to imbalances in the body that exist for years unchecked. By ensuring the functions in your body are working correctly and in sync, you can actually prevent disease.


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4. Health is vitality. Health is not the absence of disease. Health is also not depicted by the skinny guy who runs by your house every morning. A friend of mine who maintains a healthy weight and runs every morning was recently diagnosed

with a chronic disease. While he looked healthy, when we looked under the hood, there were systems in his body that were not functioning correctly. Health is when the function in our bodies are working properly and we live in a state of vitality. Instead of playing the matching game between drug and disease, Functional Medicine looks at why you have a problem in the first place and what can be done to restore function. Functional Medicine looks to find the root cause, which will ultimately reveal why a set of symptoms exists or why you have a certain disease. In fact, one of my mentors said very clearly to me: “Jason, your job is to be the best generalist you can be, to understand all the specialties from internal medicine, cardiology, endocrinology, gastroenterology, and so-on, so that you can always ask “WHY” – WHY is this person suffering? WHY is their physiology screaming for help? And WHAT can be done to REMOVE the insults and CREATE REAL HEALTH? Below are the steps you can start taking today to reclaim your life, your health, and your vitality.


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Receive a Personalized Diagnosis If you want to find out why you have certain symptoms, why you can’t sleep at night, why you are anxious all the time, why you feel sluggish, why your brain is foggy, why you gain weight even though you eat healthy and exercise regularly or any number of questions that go unanswered by traditional medicine, you have to go beyond the surface and beyond medicating the problem to understand what’s going on inside your body. At the base of Functional Medicine lies cutting-edge diagnostic testing that gives insight into these issues and many more. When I work with patients initially, I look into the following:

Low HDL & High Triglycerides: These are the markers that are strong predictors of heart attacks and stroke.

Telomere Length: Telomeres are the ends of your chromosomes that are responsible for healthy cell function. As you age, telomeres become shorter, which can lead to chronic disease. Much research is devoted to the regeneration of telomere length. By looking at telomere lengths, we can gain insight into how rapidly your body is aging.

C-reactive Protein: This is an inflammatory protein that is essential for removing bad bacteria, but can lead to chronic disease, accelerated aging, and damaging of telomeres when present in excess.

Small Dense LDL Particles: LDL is often considered bad cholesterol, but this is simplistic and can be an inaccurate view of LDL. LDL particles, which carry cholesterol around in your body can be large and buoyant or small and dense. Small dense LDL particles can cause damage. It’s these particles versus LDL itself that indicate a risk for heart attack and stroke.


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Homocysteine: This protein in excess and coupled with methylated vitamin B deficiencies is linked to decline in brain function, cognitive ability, genetic activation, and cardiac health.

Hgb A1C: This 2-3 month average A1C level in blood sugar is linked with higher rates of mortality in those that suffer with diabetes.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D has hit the limelight recently, and for good reason. This vitamin-hormone is responsible for hundreds of genetic pathways in the body. Deficiency in vitamin D is linked to chronic disease. Optimal levels are linked to preservation of telomeres. An excess of vitamin D can cause other issues. It’s critical to ensure your levels are in the optimal range.

Fasting Insulin: When your body processes carbohydrates and glucose, your pancreas secretes insulin to lower your blood sugar. High levels of insulin indicates high levels of blood sugar and is linked to chronic disease, accelerated aging, and shortening of your telomeres. High insulin is also very inflammatory and damaging to the cardiac tree.

Cortisol Output and Rhythm: A salivary test called an Adrenal Stress Test tracks your cortisol, stress hormone levels, and other hormone levels through the day for a comprehensive view as to what’s going on inside your body.

Gluten and Protein Intolerance: Certain tests can determine gluten intolerance and intolerance to other food proteins. From there, we can eliminate gluten or other intolerances and reintroduce slowly.

Gut Permeability. Did you know that your gut is where the majority of your immune system is housed? This is why gut health is critical to optimal health. When the protective lining in your gut is compromised, it can cause autoimmune or inflammatory responses throughout your body. We look at gut permeability to address one of the major, and often overlooked, underlying components to regaining health.

Cross-Reactive Foods: Certain foods can flare up the immune system in some


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people. It’s important to find out if you have cross-reaction with the foods you are eating. Even if you’ve cleaned up your diet, you could still have certain symptoms due to reaction with these foods.

Antibody Levels. Autoimmune conditions are common today and typically go undiagnosed. Elevated antibodies can indicate that you have an autoimmune response happening in your body. Knowing your antibody levels will help gauge your healing process and give insight into secondary symptoms you may deal with.

Of course, there are many other labs that may benefit you in your journey – and that’s the beauty of Functional Medicine – it literally is medicine, true health care, individualized for your specific biochemical and genetic needs!


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Regulate Your Hormones Resistance patterns and dysfunction of hormones such as cortisol, insulin, and leptin can play a role in weight gain and lead to health problems. Because of the intense complexity, regulating hormone levels has to be done on an individual basis by a Functional Medicine practitioner or other qualified clinician.

Leptin Resistance Your fat cells are an intelligent part of your endocrine system (the system that regulates hormones). Fat cells produce leptin, which tells your brain to use the body’s fat stores for energy. Leptin resistance occurs with leptin is not recognized by the body as energy. Your brain thinks it’s in starvation mode, which makes your body want to store more fat. Functional Medicine seeks to turn on the brain to recognize leptin and burn body fat for fuel.

Insulin Resistance Insulin resistance is not a hormonal deficiency, but a hormonal resistance. Most of us are aware that insulin resistance comes in the form of Type II Diabetes, but it is actually seen in millions of people who have not yet been diagnosed with this condition. As in individuals with pre-diabetic metabolic syndrome. In these folks, the body is producing insulin but is not using it properly. Insulin is a fat storing hormone, which makes weight loss an uphill battle. Functional Medicine seeks to turn on the body’s ability to use insulin in the correct way, thus decreasing both body fat and widespread inflammation.

Adrenal Dysfunction Adrenal glands produce cortisol, one of your body’s stress hormones. When your body produces excess cortisol, your body tends to hold on to


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weight. It is important to track cortisol levels throughout the day to see if high cortisol levels are a factor in your case. Functional Medicine seeks to teach proper stress-reduction techniques that will allow you body to better adapt to stressful situations and therefore reduce overall stress.

Thyroid Problems

A well-functioning thyroid gland helps in the ability to lose weight and have more energy, among other benefits. When somebody is having difficulty losing weight, one of the first things we should do is look at the thyroid. With traditional medicine, if the thyroid- stimulating hormone (TSH) is normal, the patient will generally be told nothing is wrong and to adjust the diet. But just looking at TSH is an incomplete view of what’s happening. Our clinic emphasizes looking at all of the intricate chemistry involved with a wholly functioning thyroid pathway. We know that it’s critical to look at undiagnosed thyroid problems that are often at play – and often one of the main underlying culprits in chronic disease and dysfunction.

Estrogen/Progesterone and Testosterone Imbalances A healthy balance of estrogen and progesterone, as well as poor testosterone production and utilization, is critical for optimal health in women. Many people that struggle with weight-loss have estrogen imbalances. Tracking hormone levels for a month can give insight into imbalances and the effect they are having on your health and weight loss.


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Heal Your Gut, Heal Your Brain The connection between your gut and your brain is complex to say the least. There are many connections between your gut and your weight, and a healthy brain is a key component. Our society is experiencing an epidemic of chronic brain diseases. We all know about serious conditions in older adults such as Alzheimer’s. But, did you know that over 40 million people in the US experience an anxiety-related disorder. And as many as 30 million people suffer from depression. Autism now affects 1 in 88 children. Then you have attention-deficit disorder, brain fog, dementia, depression, and mood swings. Sadly, antidepressants are the most-prescribed drugs on the market. But, did you know that much of these mental health problems start with your gut? Once you know the level of gut permeability and whether there are any secondary issues, you can start the healing process. This is one are that we spend a great deal of time restoring optimum finction in each and every one of our clients.

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Detox Regularly

You’ve seen a lot of detox diets, or crazy detoxes that eliminate food altogether. These can be extremely harmful, and it doesn’t offer much long-term benefits when you come out of the detox and head straight toward eating a Big Mac. Helping your body on a daily basis to remove toxins is a practice that will affect nearly every area of your life. Simply focus on eating green leafy vegetables like spinach and avoid sugar and processed foods on a daily basis is enough to detoxify your body daily. But a structured, medically-supervised detoxification program is important to start unwinding the ill-effects of chronic disease. This program should concentrate on eliminating any and all noxious stimuli (poor food choices, pathogens, and others) as well as increasing the body’s natural ability to remove toxins from the system. In our clinic, the overwhelming majority of our clients begin some detoxification program on the very first day of care. We follow a whole-foods and minimal-supplementation approach to detoxification. For us and our clients, detoxification is imperative to overall health and wellness and one of the main foundational building blacks in our Optimum Wellness and Lifestyle program.

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Manage Stress

Chronic stress leads to a variety of chronic diseases. The onset of chronic conditions typically occur during very stressful life events – but can also develop from a lack of quality sleep, poor chemical stress-buffering, and an inability to unplug from the daily grind.

In fact, if I go back in time to around the early 2000’s, I am reminded of a conference where Dr. Jeffrey Bland, PhD, research assistant to the late, great, two-Nobel-prize-winning Dr. Linus Pauling, was speaking on internal medicine.

Dr. Bland suggested, much to the majority of attendees dismay, that if we, clinicians, are not directly addressing “stress” in each and every office visit – and he didn’t mean with drugs – that we, clinicians, should be considered guilty of malpractice.

You can imagine the uproar.

But, Dr. Bland was correct. In fact, just last year, the American Academy of Family Practice suggested that up to 90% of primary care visits are actually directly related to the ill-effects of stress.

The regular practice of meditation, yoga, and other stress-reducing practices can help you manage your stress and balance your immune system.

Our clients learn to practice “S.O.M.E.” stress-reduction by making sure to get “Sunlight,” by stimulating “Oxytocin,” by practicing “Mindfulness,” and by getting some movement “Exercise” each and every day.

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Increase Glutathione Levels

Glutathione is your body’s most powerful antioxidant, and is a fighter of cancer and carcinogens. Low levels of glutathione have been linked to accelerated aging and many chronic diseases.

This is related to the sticky sulfur groups found in the glutathione chemical. These sticky sulfur group bind to heavy metals and other toxins and, then, escort these unwanted chemicals toward the elimination processes of the body.

Not enough glutathione equals increased toxicity equals dis-ease and finally disease.

And it is estimated that up to ten-percent of the population in the United States suffers from glutathione deficiency.

Eating plenty of sulfur-rich vegetables like onions, cabbage, and broccoli aid in producing glutathione naturally. And certain herbs and spices, like turmeric, have been shown to help boost glutathione and preserve precious telomeres from increased damage.

Our program focuses on increasing and preserving optimum glutathione levels for optimum health and wellness.

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High Intensity Interval Training

You’ve probably heard about High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) or burst training – especially if you’ve seen any of the latest advertisements for fitness training. There’s a reason why it’s gained popularity lately. You don’t have to spend hours at the gym. Just a half hour a few times a week of interval training is enough to restore function, increase your body’s cellular repair, and preserve telomeres.

Additionally, HIIT training has been shown to improve:

• aerobic and anaerobic fitness • blood pressure • cardiovascular health • insulin sensitivity (which helps the exercising muscles more readily use

glucose for fuel to make energy) • cholesterol profiles • abdominal fat and body weight while maintaining muscle mass

Do yourself a favor and learn what exercise is right for you and your health goals – and start moving today!

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Intermittent Fasting

Denying the body of food, for most people, sounds like torture!

But, temporary calorie restriction has been shown to have a significant positive effect on reduction of chronic diseases, slowing the aging process, while reducing the risk of cancer.

But, fasting can induce hypoglycemia and other conditions – so we advise a medically-supervised fasting period (often part of an elimination diet as practiced by some Functional Medicine doctors).

Supervised fasting decreases inflammation, increases insulin-sensitivity (and thereby lowers blood sugar), increase cellular repair and genetic expression, increase metabolism, and a host of other positive outcomes.

While we don’t have all of our clients participate in a supervised fast, those that do almost always report feeling better during a temporary fast than they normally do while eating regular meals.

It’s also a great way to kick off a modified-elimination-diet.

At any rate, you should talk to your Functional Medicine doctor and see if this approach is right for you.

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Eat Plant Foods

Our bodies function because of nutrients, and vegetables are nature’s medicine cabinet. Each vegetable color offers a unique array of the nutrients your body craves. Studies suggest that a wide variety of plant food provides the essential nourishment your body needs to preserve telomeres. If you don’t eat a diet heavy in vegetables because you don’t like vegetables for whatever reason, you may be shocked that you actually start enjoying them after you eat them for a while and start to feel the difference. If you don’t like the taste of vegetables and refuse to eat them, I’m sorry. Sometimes in life we have to do things we don’t want to do because it’s the best thing for us. There are times where all I want is a burger and fries, but I stick to vegetables because I know how I’ll feel if I eat the burger.

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Drink Tea

This one is much easier than eating vegetables or intermittent fasting (hopefully I didn’t lose you on the last two). Tea has a positive effect on telomeres. Studies show that drinking three cups of tea per day significantly lengthens telomeres. And, when you have to choose between teas, choose green tea. Green tea has a higher percentage of valuable nutrients than black tea.

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Eat Healthy Fats The low-fat diet is making us sick. Good fats are essentially for a long, healthy life. Did you know that your brain is made of 60% fat and 25% cholesterol? Studies have linked fat consumption with extension in telomeres. Fats like coconut oil, fermented cod liver oil, butter oil, grass-fed beef and avocado aid in optimal brain, cellular, and hormonal function. These fats are also needed for fat soluble vitamins like A, D, and K2 to be used by the body, which are also needed for the preservation of telomeres. Saturated fat doesn’t cause heart disease and cancer like you’ve been told. The epic rise in chronic diseases is more due to so called “heart-healthy” manufactured oils like canola, vegetable, soybean, and corn oil. Studies by Harvard University show that eating more saturated fats actually prevents the progression of heart disease and that high-fat diets consisting of saturated fats are lacking in the standard Western diet. Another thing to note is that you can actually turn good fats into bad fats with improper cooking by unintentionally oxidizing the fat. For example, using olive oil to fry foods oxidizes the olive oil and turns the olive oil into an inflammatory, unhealthy fat. When cooking with high heat, use fats such as coconut oil, grass-fed butter, animal fat, eggs, full-fat dairy, and ghee. Do not use avocado oil, olive oil, and most seed and nut oils for cooking. When heat is applied, they oxidize and become inflammatory and unhealthy. Avoid altogether manmade fats and refined seed oils as they are all highly

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processed. These included margarine or butter-like spreads, canola oil, corn oil, grape seed oil, rice bran oil, safflower oil, soybean oil, sunflower oil, and vegetable oil. Grass-Fed Dairy Like I said earlier, your brain is made of 60% fat and 25% cholesterol. The cell membranes in your brain where your hormones communicate, or lined with the same components of saturated fat and cholesterol. Yet, many of us were taught to avoid these two essential brain nutrients. It’s important to acquire these nutrients through your diet. The healthy fat of high quality grass-fed dairy are where you can find this brain food, including saturated fat, arachidonic acid, and vitamin K2. Dairy should always be grass fed, organic, and preferably raw. Eggs Eggs are one of the most confused foods we have today. This superfood receives a bad wrap because of its high fat and cholesterol content, particularly in the yolk. The yolk contains the majority of the nutrients such as choline and omega-3 fats. As with all foods, not all eggs are created equal. Pasture-raised eggs have been shown to contain three times more omega-3 fats that supermarket eggs.

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Get Quality Sleep Sleep is essential for cellular repair and vitality. Poor sleeping habits are linked to accelerated aging and an increased risk of heart attack, stroke, and diabetes. Poor sleep also results in telomere shortening. Poor sleep can be due to so many different factors, from chemistry to emotions. We always recommend good sleep hygiene:

1. A very dark room – even darkening out indicator lights and removing lit alarm clocks;

2. A white noise machine to drown out background noise; 3. A cool environment – most people sleep the best around 65

degrees Fahrenheit and a warm blanket; 4. Wear as little clothing as possible – in fact, the literature suggests

that most people sleep best naked (oh – and wearing socks); If you experience poor sleep, it’s important to see a functional medicine practitioner or other qualified health care provider as soon as you can. Lack of sleep causes more damage than most of us realize.

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The Importance of Vitamin D

Too many people in the United States are deficient in vitamin D. We lather up with toxic sunscreens and head out into the sun for hours. Moderate sun exposure is healthy for us and helps our bodies produce vitamin D. If you work inside or you don’t get out in the sun often, you can still get vitamin D from the foods you eat. Cage-free eggs and grass-fed beef, for example, have high concentrations of vitamin D.

Vitamin D has too many jobs to list here and the important take-home is that Vitamin D is actually a hormone (Cholecalciferol) and is required for just about every cell to function from your brain to your big toes. We regularly test Vitamin D and find that nearly 95% of the people tested are deficient. No wonder they are tired, depressed, in pain, and can’t think clearly. Get your levels tested and make sure that you are between 50 and 100 ng/dL. You’ll thank me when you turn 100!

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Quit Settling for Sick !

!

And Finally…

What I have given you in this guide are pieces to the puzzle to regain your health. Our bodies are complex, so these steps cannot possibly create a holistic view of everything happening in your body.

Hormonal imbalance, food intolerances, chronic diseases, allergies, toxicity, auto-toxicity, autoimmunity, and nutritional deficiencies are all factors that need to be investigated for each individual.

A comprehensive health program tailored for you and your unique chemical, hormonal, and physiological needs will be necessary for sustainable results.

As a thank you for downloading and reading this guide, I have a special offer for you.

As a thank you for reading this guide, I invite you to schedule for a complimentary 15-minute phone consultation with one of our health coaches, to help us learn more about your case and get your health on the right track! Contact our office by calling 319-466-0026 or by emailing [email protected] to get started with your free phone consult today.

I know a lot of you are interested in becoming a client and there are a few things you need to know.

First, I do not accept every request for consulting. I want to make sure that my potential clients are ready to make the necessary changes needed to make a significant impact on their health and on their life.

Second, I expect my clients to work hard and to prioritize their health – trust me, if you’re not healthy, nothing else matters. Everything is better when done in full health.

Third, you should know what you can expect form me.

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At our initial meeting, I will review your personal and family health history, your goals and expectations, perform necessary physical examinations, and look at any and all comprehensive lab tests designed to look at the body’s complex systems and their functions. At the end of this meeting, I will also determine if you are a candidate for ongoing consultations. If you are a candidate and wish to proceed, I will create a customized three-to-twelve month program for your specific case and we can get started right away.

I do take on a very limited number of clients annually and only accept people into our program who we know we can help. We devote our time to giving personalized, one-on-one clinical care and health coaching. Our programs are tailored to the client’s unique needs and goals.

Call us today at 319-466-0026 or email [email protected] with any questions and to claim your spot for a personalized health evaluation.

I hope to see you soon!

And, as always, Be Well – and have an EPIC day!

Dr. Jason Bradley Director, EPIC Functional Medicine Center www.epicfmc.com

quit settling for sick - epic functional medicine …quit settling for sick 5 !! but what if there...

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