January 2011

» January 2011

Manage those lovely little side effects of menopause

Posted by Dr. Allison Pontius in Menopause Management on January 31st

Question:

Is there anything I can do to manage those lovely little side effects of menopause like hot flashes and night sweats?

Answer:

Absolutely, there are many things we can do to treat the symptoms of menopause like hot flashes and night sweats. Most effective is to use bioidentical hormone replacement to elevate the levels that are too low and causing your symptoms. Hot flashes and night sweats tend to be due to low estrogen and also low progesterone. So these levels can be tested for and replaced in a very safe, controlled manner. There are also herbs that can be used such as Dong Quai, Chasteberry, etc., that can help minimize the symptoms of menopause as well.

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How many carbohydrates is it okay for him to consume on a weekly basis?

Posted by Dr. Allison Pontius in Food Sensitivity Testing on January 30th

Question:

My son is an 18-year-old high school starting quarterback and his team is currently driving for a playoff run. I want to make sure he maintains a healthy diet but I know it is important for him to carb load before games. How many carbohydrates is it okay for him to consume on a weekly basis?

Answer:

For an 18-year-old athlete headed for the playoffs, I really do not find carb loading to be a problem. The issue is using the appropriate carbohydrates. We certainly do not want to use refined white flour, white sugar, processed and packaged foods to derive quick energy from, but we want to use healthy sources of carbohydrates, whole grains, vegetables, fruits, those can be very helpful for quick energy. Even perhaps more importantly would be to replace protein immediately after training and after big games because within the first 30 minutes after strenuous exercises is the optimal time to replace protein into the body and athletes have an even increased need for protein replacement. So, I would not try to restrict calories in any sort of way but really focus on the quality of the carbohydrates and then replacing protein post game.

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Is there a way to regulate the transmission of nerve signals in order to avoid certain mental or physical disorders

Posted by Dr. Allison Pontius in Anti-Aging and Wellness Medicine on January 29th

Question:

Is there a way to regulate the transmission of nerve signals in order to avoid certain mental or physical disorders that are commonly affiliated with neurotransmitters?

Answer:

There are ways to alter our transmittal levels. In my practice I do a urine neurotransmitter test which is sent to a specialty lab where they will analyze it for neurotransmitter levels. Based on your levels, we put together a program to increase the neurotransmitters that you are low in or to help decrease ones that might be too high. So we can absolutely test for this and we can adjust it by using nutraceuticals and supplements and dietary measures to help boost low levels and again adapt them for optimal function.

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“Getting too late a start”

Posted by Dr. Allison Pontius in Anti-Aging and Wellness Medicine on January 28th

Question:

Is there such a thing as “getting too late a start” for changing your diet and lifestyle?

Answer:

It is never too late to change your diet and lifestyle, absolutely. I have patients that come in in their 70’s and 80’s and it is the first time they have learned about nutrition and nutraceuticals and we can really make some big difference and improve their quality of life at any age. So it is never too late, you are never too old and you are never too weak to start again from scratch.

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Most diets are based on a 2000 per day caloric intake

Posted by Dr. Allison Pontius in Food Sensitivity Testing on January 26th

Question:

I understand that most diets are based on a 2000 per day caloric intake, but is there a way to assess the correct daily calorie count for my body?

Answer:

Yes there is. In our office, we use a body impedance analysis machine which will give you your basal metabolic rate. This is the number of calories that you will burn in a day going about your daily business but it does not include extra dedicated exercise time. Depending on the amount of exercise that you perform, we can enter this into the machine or manually calculate the extra calories that your exercise is burning. However, it does give us a much more precise way to see what the optimal number of calories for your body is.

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Maintani my health during cold season

Posted by Dr. Allison Pontius in Anti-Aging and Wellness Medicine on January 25th

Question:

What are some of the proactive measures I can take to maintain my health during cold season?

Answer:

I think the very number one thing that can help prevent colds during winter would be to optimize your vitamin D level. I would recommend seeing your physician to have a 25-hydroxy vitamin D level measured in the blood and then based on that level finding an appropriate dose of vitamin D3 to take to optimize your blood level to a goal of at least 60 on followup testing. This has really been found to decrease cold and flu during the winter season.

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White flour products versus wheat flour products

Posted by Dr. Allison Pontius in Food Sensitivity Testing on January 24th

Question:

What negative effects do white flour products have on the body versus wheat flour products?

Answer:

White flour products have been very processed, the grain has been stripped of most of its nutrients and it tends to be very inflammatory in the body. This can also be the case for wheat products as well and we have to remember that both of these contain gluten which can be a problem for many patients. However, if you find a whole grain wheat or a sprouted wheat, this will have more nutrients than a white flour. So when we are looking for bread or grains in the diet, we always want to go for the whole grain or the whole 100% sprouted wheat would be the best choice.

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What is metabolic syndrome?

Posted by Dr. Allison Pontius in Anti-Aging and Wellness Medicine on January 23rd

Question:

What is metabolic syndrome?

Answer:

Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of symptoms that tend to be found together in the obese patient. In the obese patient we often find high triglycerides, low HDL or good cholesterol and elevated insulin or elevated blood sugar plus an increased waist circumference. This is the classic picture of metabolic syndrome most commonly due to poor diet and obesity.

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Is anxiety a common side effect of adrenal fatigue?

Posted by Dr. Allison Pontius in Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement on January 22nd

Question:

Is anxiety a common side effect of adrenal fatigue?

Answer:

Anxiety can be a side effect of adrenal fatigue. It is often associated with high levels of cortisol more commonly than low. However, anxiety can occur in multiple different situations and for multiple different reasons, but it is possible to have low cortisol and still experience anxiety. However, I would say across the board the majority of patients that have adrenal fatigue tend to really suffer from more fatigue and sluggishness as their primary symptom.

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Are there any ways to bolster my 5-year-old son’s immune system

Posted by Dr. Allison Pontius in Bio-Identical Hormone Replacement on January 21st

Question:

Are there any ways to bolster my 5-year-old son’s immune system so he is less susceptible to respiratory infections?

Answer:

Yes, there are many ways to bolster a child’s immune system, or an adult’s for that matter. We really want to focus first and foremost on a healthy whole foods diet. That probably will do more for his immune system than anything else. Also probiotics, for which there are children’s formulations, can be very helpful in creating a healthy gut. An optimal vitamin D level can be also very helpful to boost immune system and children can also take appropriate doses of Echinacea, Propolis, vitamin C, and things that adults use as well to support the immune system. This should all be done under a physician’s care and the dosing really should be monitored by someone experienced with using any type of treatments in children.

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