21st Century Healthcare

Cutting off your right arm

2008-01-27T17:45:00.000-05:00

Serendipity strikes again! If you read my last post, you know that I have had more than a year of some deep introspection following some major life changes. And for a person who has been on an active path of introspection for over 30 years, for me to find new layers, new issues and new paradigms means I'm digging in there pretty deeply. Last night before going to sleep (I've become such an extreme night owl that I'm often awake well after midnight - not necessarily healthy for my body, but I think my spirit likes it right now) I found myself contemplating the idea of "change". After closing my eyes and realizing that I wasn't going to sleep, I pulled out my laptop (always by my bedside) and began to write. The thoughts that poured out were, I felt, important...but apparently the Universe didn't agree. My little trusty laptop had some sort of software failure and shut down without saving any of it. Okay, I guess that was just a trial run, now I'll write what I really meant to say....so I began anew. I wrote a bit more, and what came out of me was much more relevant and meaningful. I put it away and began to contemplate.

I prayed for guidance, for surrender, for awareness, and for detachment. Letting go and allowing change to happen in my life is challenging, yet something I constantly strive to do. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I fail miserably. The good news is, I get a chance to do it all over again when I'm not successful - yeah, I know you know what I mean.

When I woke up this morning, I had clarity like I haven't had in more than 2 years. I saw what I was to do, and immediately felt like creating it. So here it is:

One of the most frequent questions my patients would ask me is "what do I take for (insert condition here)"..."how do I know which product to choose?"..."I've tried so many things that didn't work. How do I know which ones are good ones?"

There IS a glut in the market of vitamin and nutritional supplements - it's quite a money maker for companies - both good and not so good. Many companies, including pharmaceutical companies, have jumped on the bandwagon of making vitamins just to cash in on the changing health trends in society, and they don't have the expertise or good intentions of creating a product that truly creates wellness on all levels. And they are expensive! I can't stand it when I spend a lot of money on a few products, and I don't see any result. As a practitioner, it was a big source of frustration for me, and I'm sure my patients felt the same.

I am going to be creating newsletters and documents of suggestions for product purchases; I will give you my opinions about my favorite products over the years, what to avoid, what to look for, with specific brand names and links to where you can purchase them. Many products are only available through health practitioners, and even with those, some work better than others. Look for a complete new redesign of my website, with fresh information while keeping the tried and true available for your reference. Keep checking back to my blog; I want to remain in touch again, I want to reconnect, and I want to be vulnerable while offering you the tidbits that I've gleaned over 15 years of treating patients, myself, my pets and loved ones. I'm excited!

So after awakening to this new plan of action and beginning to brainstorm it and work on it, I took a break for an afternoon walk through my neighborhood. A few doors down, a neighbor was having an "open house" to sell her home. She recognized me as "the chiropractor in the neighborhood" and told me of her experience with natural medicine, which she counted on for herself and family. She had a naturopathic practitioner that she had gone to for years for help, and recently called their office to ask a question about what a friend of hers should take for a particular problem she was having. This neighbor discovered, much to her dismay, that the clinic was closed due to the practioner's health.

Looking at me with frustration, she said "What am I going to do now? I feel so lost! It was like cutting off my right arm. I have no idea what to take or give now for my family or my self". I felt as though the Universe was just spoonfeeding me - within 12 hours of my decision, here was personal verification that what I'm going to offer is needed and desirable.

Again, I felt blown away at the quick response to my prayers; but why should I? I'm in the flow again, and I am surrendering daily. Let's just see what happens, shall we?

What happened to Dr. Robin?

2008-01-27T17:00:00.000-05:00

Gee, it's only been two years since my last post, not bad. I've been, you know, busy. Or disinterested. Or distracted. Or something. It's been quite a ride since my world changed in 2006. I want to tell you about it, it's a great story (of course, it's about ME, so it naturally is a great story). A couple of years ago, I realized that I was fatigued, in constant pain, worn out, bored, and no longer interested in my work. In short, I was totally burned out. I had practiced chiropractic, natural medicine, acupuncture, herbology and all that goes along with all that for 15 years and had just given too much of myself without refueling enough to keep going. The parts were just starting to wear out and needed replacing, recharging, renewing, and relaxing.

During that time, while practicing at the Wild Basin location, I went to visit a friend in Dallas who took me to a seminar on investing. Now, the seminar was interesting, but I wasn't sure it was a good route for me. However, what it did do for me was open my mind to the concept that perhaps there was a profession out there for me other than chiropractic, something other than what I was currently doing. I had such an identity of myself as a doctor, healer, educator, worker, nit-picker, rescuer, service provider, and clinic owner that it was hard to see anything else. Anyway, I came home from that visit on a Sunday night, and decided to declare something for my own psyche. I decided to put a toe in the water and declare to the Universe that I was open to another path. I had no idea what the path might be, and figured that I had plenty of time to be shown (or try to figure it out, as I am wont to do, much to my demise). I went to my alumni association website, where they had a small classified ad page. There I listed my practice for sale anonymously, with just a small 2-3 line ad without much detail. Since I wasn't really ready to sell it yet - this was just my declaration of openness to something new. Truthfully, I hadn't thought past that moment - I didn't even think about what to do with the inquiries. It was all about ME, of course!

Over the next 36 hours, I had six serious inquires for purchasing the practice. More surprisingly than that, I sold it 48 hours later! The Universe brought the exact type of person I had pictured would be right for taking over my precious patients, and she offered full price and was ready to sign! Over the next six months, we negotiated, trained, interned and transferred ownership; giving me time to get used to the idea and her time to get to know my practice style and approach.

I have to admit, this took my breath away. I couldn't tell anyone what was happening; I think part of it was shock and part of it was fear that I might jinx something if I leaked any energy out by talking about it. Once the ink had dried on the paperwork, I felt myself breath again and become willing to open up to close friends who would understand my process.

I truly felt like the Universe was just sitting there waiting for me to make the decision to change, to choose something new, to move in the right direction, and all I had to do was finally allow it to happen. At the time, my Mind thought "I'm not ready! This is too soon, I'm not prepared financially, I haven't made arrangements for this, I can't do this yet." My heart, though, knew that it was being offered to me on a silver platter and to deny it was to deny God's Plan (you know - Thy will, not my will, be done). I went with my heart, obviously.

So for all of you out there in the world of the web, all you knew was that my website got really sloppy. I took down all means of communicating with me except email - no address, no phone, no location info. The site looks horrible - outdated, things on the first page that aren't supposed to be there, lack of attention in all areas, links that don't work, OUTDATED BLOGS....I abandoned everyone to take care of myself.

I realized that I'm not all that good at taking care of myself, you know? I really thought I was, but I learned that I'm not. I immediately jumped into helping my Sweetie with his photographic business - and ended up working more hours at that than I had been as a doctor! And this went on for over a year! What was I thinking? Or not thinking? I'm so easily sucked into service for others at the expense of myself, which is exactly why I burned out. I was learning boundaries around patient care and the practice, but I still had much more to learn - because even though I made some external boundaries, I didn't make them internally. Anytime something was requested of me, I either did it or felt bad for not doing it....either way, I used up my energy. And plenty of times, I offered to do something that wasn't even asked of me - I felt obligated for some strange reason, or I wanted to win approval. Without asking for anything in return. Not selflessly, though - mind you, I'm no Mother Teresa - it was with burgeoning resentments that tasks were performed.

So a lot of you out there have emailed, and others heard through the grapevine, that I had "retired". Others just wondered why the heck there wasn't a way to find me - I have all this great educational information available, with no way to do anything about it. I'll let you know more about that in my next entry.

Anyway, the last year and a half has been one of great introspection, opportunities for change and growth, resistance and movement all at the same time. I totally shut the door to being a health care provider in the effort to really recharge and recognize who I am without any preconceived notions. That's a pretty tough task, though I've never shied away from something just because it was hard. My identity as a doctor was gone, my identity as a sought-after speaker was gone, my identity as "the star of the show" was gone, my identity...was gone. I tried on several hats, some of which fit for a while, and some of which didn't fit at all. I'm sure I shall continue to try on hats - some of them look damn good and are very seductive, and some of them I think look great on me but everyone else is wondering why I would wear such an ugly thing. Some of the hats I never put on are hats that others think would look great on me but I don't like them. And many more hats are still undiscovered. I hope to have a huge hat collection in my world someday. Keep checking back - I'm ready to change my world.

2006-06-27T19:07:00.000-04:00

HORMONES in MEAT—What You Should Know!

Hi! I hope you’re all enjoying a diet filled with fresh seasonal vegetables, low glycemic fruits, protein predominately from fish, turkey, chicken, wild game and some clean red meats, whole grains and nuts in moderation (eaten separately from other foods), healthy fats such as avocados, olive and grapeseed oils, and occasional clean cheeses. In this newsletter and the next, I’m going to take a look at what I mean by clean meat. Be aware--this information isn’t all pretty, but I think you’ll agree it’s worth knowing what you’re putting in your body!-- Dr. Robin

Many of you have probably seen hormone-free labels on beef at local grocery and health food stores. You’ve probably also noticed that this meat is considerably more expensive! Some of the labels at other markets may say “grown without antibiotics” or “free range,” but that may not necessarily mean the meat is hormone-free unless specified.

Do you know what hormones are used in meat and why they’re used? Have you wondered what these hormones might do to us when we eat them?

SEX HORMONES

U.S. farmers have been giving sex hormones to cattle to fatten them up since the 1970s. The hormones increase the amount of meat the cattle produce without requiring extra feed. Cows are given six hormones, including estradiol-17 (a powerful estrogen), progesterone, and testosterone, as well as additional synthetic hormones that mimic testosterone and estrogen. These hormones are very stable and are not broken down at high temperatures, meaning that they are still in their complete form when we eat the meat.

This use of hormones for artificial growth stimulation has caused quite a stir Europe. In fact, due to concerns about early puberty, tumors, cancer risks, and genetic problems, the European Union has banned hormone use in cattle. The FDA has said there is no evidence these hormones are dangerous. However, Europe’s scientific committee found in three separate studies that no acceptable safe daily intake could be established for any of the six hormones. (I guess we don’t need a daily intake of synthetic testosterone, after all!) It also found substantial evidence that estradiol 17 is a complete carcinogen, meaning it shows both tumor initiating and tumor promoting effects!

Girls in the US are reaching puberty at younger and younger ages, often menstruating as early as age 8. Breast size in young adolescent girls, and even some boys, is increasing. Obesity, due to estrogen dominance created by the hormones we eat unknowingly, is of epidemic proportions in the United States.

GROWTH HORMONES

An additional hormone, called rBGH, or rBST, is even more controversial. Given to as many as 30 percent of the cattle in the U.S., rBGH is a genetically engineered growth hormone designed to increase milk output. rBGH causes slightly higher levels of an insulin-like growth factor in cows’ milk. This protein--found in milk and dairy products from cows treated with rBGH--has been linked to cancer, and it is possible it could lead to diabetes in people prone to the disease.

The FDA approved its safety in 1993, after reviewing a 90-day-study of rats fed the growth hormone.

Six years later, Canadian scientists used results from the same study to reject the use of rBGH in Canada. These scientists were disturbed by the fact that the hormone was absorbed into the rats’ bloodstreams and that it weakened their immune systems! In addition, they noted that U.S. farmers were forced to give antibiotics to cows to counteract rBGH’s tendency to cause udder swelling. (More on antibiotics in meat in the next newsletter!)

SO WHAT DOES THIS MEAN FOR YOU?

Although there are differing views on the safety of hormones in meat, what it really comes down to is whether you want to risk introducing synthetic hormones into your body. For your body to be healthy, it needs to find balance--particularly endocrine balance! I encourage you to avoid all sources of synthetic hormones, including hormone-riddled meat and dairy.

WHAT TO KNOW WHEN YOU SHOP . . .

Hormones are not allowed in raising hogs or poultry, so your main concern will be in buying beef.

Many dairy products contain labels indicating that they come from rBGH-free farms.

Hormone supplementation is not currently an issue with U.S. fish. Although farm-raised fish are not fed hormones, wild fish are superior. Always choose wild fish if possible for the better taste and the higher fatty acid content. (Do check labels when shopping for fish. Fish in China and Cuba are being genetically engineered to produce enormous “super fish.” Although genetically engineered fish haven’t been approved for consumption in the U.S., they are sold here!)

On beef, look for the specific label “No Hormones.” Farmers can use this label only if they prove their meat is hormone free. The terms “Natural” or “Organic” don’t necessarily cut it; neither of these labels ensures your meat is hormone free.

Try to restrict most of your red-meat consumption (which should be moderate anyway) to home, where you know what you’re getting!

Be well,

Dr. Robin!

Hormones are more than just hormones!

2006-06-14T18:16:00.000-04:00

Earlier in the month, I was invited to give a presentation about hormones at a Women Empower meeting in North Austin. What I wanted to get across at the meeting, in addition to basic information about the endocrine system, is the importance of choosing the right healthcare practitioners and of trusting your intuition. Here’s a summary of the presentation. Enjoy! Dr. Robin

Deborah invited me to speak tonight about hormones and their impact on women’s lives. I realized that in only giving me 20 minutes, she is preventing me from boring you to death with the biochemical reasons why estrogen is bad, progesterone is good, and both of those statements aren’t always true. What I would like to give you instead are some bottom line things to think about.

First, when I say hormones, I am referring to the endocrine system, which is much, much more than just the sex hormones or monthly menstrual cycle hormones. The endocrine system runs a vast majority of your body functions and has long-reaching effects. You may be surprised at what symptoms are your body’s hormones giving you a signal that something is amiss.

So here’s the bottom line:

If you are tired, check your thyroid.

And just because your doctor says that your blood work says your thyroid is fine, keep checking. Find someone else to check it, if necessary. There are excellent tests available that are far more comprehensive than those offered by most doctors.

If you are depressed, check your adrenals and blood sugar.

If your doctor doesn’t know how to do this, go elsewhere. It isn’t all in your head, nor do you suffer from Prozac deficiency syndrome. Seventy-five percent of people with depression have physiological imbalances in their bodies.

If you have lost your sex drive, check your entire endocrine system with a saliva test.

Blood tests are limited, and results are very dependent on what part of the month, even what time of day, you’re test.

If you have panic attacks, check your adrenals and change your diet.

If you have asthma, again check your adrenal glands.

Asthma is not a lung issue; it’s an adrenal issue.

If you have gallbladder problems, check your estrogen and cortisol levels.

If you have high cholesterol, check your thyroid.

If you can’t sleep, check your thyroid and estrogen levels.

If you have heartburn, check your adrenal glands.

If you crave sweets, check your blood sugar.

If you have allergies, check your thyroid.

If you have hot flashes, night sweats and insomnia, check your estrogen levels.

If you have PMS, cramps, migraine headaches, irregular cycles, heavy bleeding, lack of fertility, check your progesterone levels.

Now I’ve just told you to “check” all these different systems of your body. How do you go about doing that?

The endocrine system--the thyroid, pancreas, adrenal glands, parathyroid gland, ovaries, testes, the pituitary gland and pineal gland--is a beautiful feedback system similar to an orchestra.

When stresses occur, the adrenal glands are the squeaky wheel that gets the most attention. Your adrenal glands are a survival gland. This means that you can’t live without them and that they have the priority in the body to steal hormones from the other glands. Over time, this “theft” can lead to hypothyroidism, decreased progesterone, DHEA, and pregnenolone, and sometimes even decreased testosterone.

The adrenals are a fight or flight mechanism, meaning they respond to stressful situations. Keep in mind that your body views a stressful situation as “anything that isn’t neutral.” So anything that creates heart palpitations--good or bad--such as anxiety or excitement, causes the adrenals to work harder. From their point of view, a perceived stressor is the same as a real stressor, meaning that the thoughts and feelings that run through your head constantly have a huge impact on your adrenal glands, and therefore, on your endocrine system. Adrenals glands are vital, and in this day and age, are often literally physically exhausted and running down.

It’s often when the adrenal glands start to become exhausted that people end up in my clinic, asking me, “What’s wrong? I just don’t don’t feel good anymore. All my blood work says that I’m fine, and all my doctor offers me is an antidepressant.”

It’s important to keep in mind that the medical profession attracts the kind of thinkers that need to have a clearly defined solution to a problem. Balancing the endocrine system isn’t clear-cut; it can take time and patience to uncover what’s happening in each person’s unique body. This is why so many women are turning to alternative healthcare.

Checking and re-balancing your endocrine system isn’t easy. It requires you to be an active participant in your healthcare. Educating yourself is an important first step. It’s not that you need to become an expert on medical procedures, diagnosis, herbs, homeopathics, or chiropractic care. Rather, you need to educate yourself on your options.

It’s also important to become an expert in listening to and honoring your intuition about your health and your body. Handing over your power to a medical professional will not serve you. Instead, keep in mind that you are hiring doctors to help you with your health. If they’re not serving you, fire them! Don’t discount your intuition when confronted with the cold logic of the western medical model. Research your symptoms online, read books, and ask friends for references. Austin is filled with incredible alternative and conventional resources. If you don’t agree with a diagnosis or solution, keep looking.

Honor your intuition.

Let me know how I can help you in your journey to health and well-being!

May the Blessings Be,

Dr. Robin

* The information in this article cannot be substituted for medical advice about your unique body.

STRESSED OUT?

2006-06-11T23:55:00.000-04:00

WHAT IS STRESS?
Simply put, stress is a measurement of all life experiences--good and bad. You may not even know your body is stressed. Any change from a neutral position is considered stress by the body. Breathing poor quality air, eating hormonally charged foods, thinking about your finances, getting married, buying a new home--all of these are stressors.

SO HOW DOES THE BODY COUNTERACT STRESS?
Our bodies have handled stress in the same miraculous way for 50,000 years. At the sign of a dangerous situation (the approach of a mega-sized animal thousands of years ago or a semi truck headed in your direction today), your body immediately goes into survival mode--fight or flight. Your adrenal glands kick into high gear, emitting first adrenaline and then cortisol. As cortisol levels increase, immune activity decreases, and all non-vital functions--reproduction, tissue repair, digestion--shut down. This survival mechanism will save your life in dangerous situations. But when your body is in a constant state of stress, as so many of ours are, the same mechanism can be harmful, even deadly.

STRESS IN THE LONG RUN . . .
When you’re subjected to prolonged stress (real or imaginary), your adrenal glands get bigger and increase production of adrenaline and cortisol. All systems of the body shift into survival mode. There may be nothing threatening your survival, but your body doesn’t know it. It turns off the immune system, growth, repair and digestion.

If the stress continues, adrenal reserves become depleted and eventually exhausted. Adrenal exhaustion is characterized by the following symptoms:

amenorrhea
anxiety
asthma
breathless when climbing stairs
depression
erectile dysfunction
feeling tired all the time
fibromyalgia
heart arrhythmias
herpes outbreaks
hot flashes
hypertension
immune suppression
increased urine flow
irritable bowel
low back syndrome
migraine
muscle spasms
night sweats
panic attacks
phobias
profuse sweating
psoriasis, eczema
rashes and acne
sciatica
skin blotching
stiff neck and shoulders
tension headaches

You can survive without your reproductive organs, and even without full use of your digestive organs. You cannot, however, survive without your adrenal glands, so they are considered a high priority by the body’s survival brain. If your adrenals are exhausted, your reproductive hormones will be used to fuel them. (This is why it is so important to fix the adrenal glands before addressing other hormonal problems. Otherwise, you can provide supplemental progesterone and estrogen all day long for the reproductive hormones, and it won’t fix the problem.)

SO WHAT CAN YOU DO?
Assessing Your Stress Levels
The most effective way to measure the long-term impact of stress on your body is to use a 24-hour hormonal test. I use a simple saliva test from Sabre Sciences, Inc. that tells your current status, plus an indication of any possible future problems.

Protecting Yourself from Negative Stress
Know Yourself! Learn to better identify how stress affects you. Notice the stressors in your life. Can you avoid them? If not, how can you deal with them? Also, determine where in your body you feel stress. The solar plexus? The neck? The back?

Breathe! Yoga can relax tight areas of the body and help improve breathing. Oxygen is a great healer for the adrenal glands. Check right now to see if you are holding your breath or if your chest feels tight and constricted. Long, deep breaths are vital for health.

Move! Long, sustained exercise with a slight heart-rate increase, such as cycling, walking, or swimming, is best for your adrenals. Avoid quick spurts of energy that get your heart rate too high.

Eat Right! Avoid sugar, alcohol and refined carbohydrates. Due to the glucose / insulin / cortisol interactions, sugars are a primary stressor of everyday life that contribute greatly to aging, weight, fatigue and adrenal exhaustion.

Get Adjustments! Chiropractic care, Applied Kinesiology, NAET, and massage are proven to improve adrenal function.

Stress is a factor of everyone’s life. Properly dealing with it will enhance and prolong your life. If there is one key to a long and healthy life, it is proper stress management!