it's what's on the inside that counts

We have over 100,000,000,000,000 bacteria living in our bodies. That's 10 times the amount of cells we have. A heavy majority of this organisms live in our digestive tract. Add this to the fact that 70% of our total body's immune system resides in the digestive tract. This means the presence and types of organisms inside of us play a gigantic role in our health. 

Recent reports tell us as much:

-Researchers in Germany have been able to classify humans into 3 groups based on the families of bacteria  they have inside their guts. This could be end up being more impactful that blood type, as different sets of bacterial colonies may be able to predict health or how someone would interact with certain foods or therapies. Reference

- Multiple studies have shown that kids who eat "dirt" have lower rates of allergies and asthma

There is loads of evidence connecting auto-immune disease (an overstimulation of the immune system to the point that it attacks certain body parts) and specific organisms 

- In general: http://www.jci.org/articles/view/14235
- Crohn's and Ankylosing Spodylitis connected to Klebsiella pneumoniae (Reference)
- Toxoplasma (a parasite) may contribute to the pathogenesis of auto-immune disease (Reference) 
- Citrobacter overgrowth is connected to rheumatoid arthritis (Reference)
- Chlamydia presence may contribute to Multiple sclerosis (Reference) 

Medscape, a conventional and well-respected medical resource has a great article on Bacterial Overgrowth and its treatment.

So, with all of this data and knowledge, why are we still treating medical issues like auto-immune disease with suppressive, band-aid-like therapies? For one, we don't have any good hospital-based testing for this overgrowth. We also don't have a sales representatives heralding the necessity of bacterial balance to the physicians of America.

An essential step in understanding your health and how to get it back and the health of the digestive system. Keeping your bacterial environment working for you and not against you is essential. Start today by respecting those 100 trillion little guys:

1. Eat whole foods

2. Moderate sugar and all sweeteners to the occasional use of pure maple syrup or honey

3. Do something to help manage stress daily 

4. Take a probiotic daily. Shoot for something with a variety of species at 20 billion colonies daily

5. Eat cultured foods

6. Avoid antibiotics unless it prevents hospitalization

If following the steps above does not change your health or impact what you're suffering from, have your bacterial enviroment evaluated. At GladdMD, we've used the Diagnostechs digestive panel with great success in guiding specific therapies. Once you can identify what organism may be driving the imbalance, specific antimicrobial therapies (prescription and/or herbals) are used to suppress them along with building up the good bugs with appopropriately dosed probiotics. Our most recent success was a young girl with major auto-immune disease and inflammation. In the image below, her inflammation markers (Sed rate, CRP and Ultrasensitive CRP) drop significantly (most recent tests to the left) after treating her bacterial overgrowth, loading with probiotics and eliminating gluten and dairy (proteins that irritate the immune system when the guts' broken down). I expect her HLA-B27 marker, a marker for ankylosing spondylitis to become negative soon.

Don't suffer from auto-immune disease or digestive issues? What about weight issues? Recent studies show that mice that are specifically bred to be slim get obese when human Enterobacter form an obese man's intestines is introduced into them. (Reference) 

the healthcare system still doesn't "get it"

I have been doing this for 5 years and have just about seen it all, but this week I am COMPLETELY EXHAUSTED with stories of conventional medicine overtreating every symptom and abnormality with a prescription or a surgery. And the new healthcare system is going to allow more Americans access to care? That is a BAD thing as far as I'm concerned.

It's as if doctors are now in the business of customer service and freely give out a prescription or surgery to give immediate relief. The problem is they are wrong for two reasons:

1. These quick and/or aggressive fixes rarely improve the root reason for the concern in question
2. For the most part, the patient wants "care". That means they want to hear they are going to be fine, or that what is happening is normal and will resolve. They don't just want a pill to make it go away or some fancy-named diagnosis (exception: lots of patients still in appropriately want antibiotics for illnesses that do not need them).

Instead, patients are sent on aggressive and side-effect laden wild goose chases with surgeries, CT scans and other procedures that put them at risk and increase their worry that something really bad is happening for a symptom that will go away in time or improve with some simple lifestyle change.

My best advice (beside coming in to visit with one of our practitioners ;) is to wait it out. Whatever it is, wait it out. Now, on rare occasion there are signs and symptoms that are present that demand attention, no doubt. But always err on the side of taking care of yourself: get more sleep, breathe deeply, eat whole foods, laugh. If things worsen instead of stay the same or improve, go find someone you trust. Don't have a physician you trust, go find one. I have to believe that some still exist. Just tell them you want their care, respect and opinion, not a pill.

Have a story of when time healed. Please share...

the most successful patients

Our clients come to see us for a large variety of health concerns. The most common reasons are: Fatigue, digestive issues, fibromyalgia, chronic pain, and anxiety/panic or depression. They have been in and out of the health care system over the years, been through lots of testing and are largely told that everything is normal and sometimes that things must be, "in your head."

While the testing, specific supplementation recommendations and other therapies are crucial for getting one's health back on track, there is a common theme in the patients that have the most success in reaching their health goals. Those that truly invest their time and energy in whole foods nutrition and find a go-to stress management therapy get to the root issue faster, with more intensity and create a more stable foundation for health than everyone else.

For this reason, we want to make a greater commitment to providing support and education around these crucial pieces. This means making avaible services that are convenient and less expensive than one-on-one counseling. We are now offering group visits to meet with Meghann for nutrition support. Chances are lots of folks are struggling with the same issues and concerns you are. Meeting in an hour group visit to discuss nutrition can take your health to the next level. We are also starting group stress management sessions with our nurse practitioner using Heartmath.

Call or email (clinic@gladdmd.com) to sign up.

RETHINKing Healthcare: My talk at TEDxFortWayne