Health Q&A| Episode 22

This week on the Health Made Simple show, we will be doing a Q&A. This week’s episode is going to be unique and fun, as I am going to be answering the top questions I commonly get. If you are interested in getting all the health tips I will be sharing tonight, get your notebook and join us!

Watch the live show below:

How do you lower cholesterol naturally?

It is important to understand your cholesterol panel. Doctors usually look at your lab results and use the mark 200 to tell you if your cholesterol is high or not, without looking at other markers. What we need to have is a healthy cholesterol response. To do that, you need to know all the different markers. Cholesterol is unique for each person, so having us all fit into a statistical normal for cholesterol is very dangerous. If you have high triglycerides, it means a bad diet (high carbohydrates, high sugar, bad fats). If you have a high LDL, it is a bit trickier. The LDL, which we consider the bad guys, could mean high carbohydrates and sugars. But if you look at your triglycerides and it is normal, it could mean inflammation of the body or too much stress. The key to lowering your cholesterol naturally is diet. Carbohydrates and sugar cause inflammation, inflammation causes damage to the arterial wall, and your body creates cholesterol to heal those walls. 

Is fasting different for men and women? 

Yes, absolutely! We are built differently. Our metabolism is different, especially because of a woman’s cycle. Men generally do very well between 16 to 18 hours daily. Women, on the other hand, do very good fasting between 14 to 16 hours. When women approach the week before their cycle, their body is under stress, and it is not the time to be fasting. Fasting during this period can create more hormone issues. 

How do I determine if I have adrenal fatigue? 

In functional medicine, we recognize adrenal fatigue as adrenal dysfunction. The standard for testing is a functional test, and it has to be through saliva called ASI (Adrenal Stress Index) which gives you great insight. Additionally, there are some classic symptoms:

• You are tired all day, every day. 
• You constantly need a stimulant such as caffeine to get you running. 
• If you do not heal well.
• If exercise makes you sorer. 
• You are unmotivated
• You are depressed 
• Salt Cravings

I cannot lose weight, even though I have a good diet and exercise.

Defining a good diet has a huge variable. Look at the overall amount of carbohydrates. If you consume high amounts of carbohydrates, your body will be running off of sugars. Also, chemicals are the primary thing in a fat cell, and if we keep the chemicals coming in, there is a chance your liver cannot handle detox any faster. Another factor is how we move. A lot of people over exercise. Cortisol is a natural anti-inflammatory in the body. If we have too much of it, it creates more fat storage for us. You need to rest and sleep. If you are stuck, I recommend running some lab tests to see your insulin resistance, cardiometabolic panel, cortisol, and inflammatory markers. 

What is the best-bottled water to choose?

It needs to be spring water and it has to have high minerals. This means it needs to have a specific type of calcium. 

What causes thyroid nodules, and how do we reduce or eliminate them?

Typically, those nodules are caused by a lack of iodine. But first, you need a complete thyroid panel because knowing only your TSH, T3, and T4 is not enough to know what is taking place within your thyroid gland. You need a full panel to know information like antibodies. Most of the time, it is easy to fix and clear up if you get the correct treatment. 

Can you talk about Lupus?

Lupus goes in the autoimmune category. When you have an autoimmune condition, your body is most likely beat up and the number one culprit is most likely your gut. Healing a leaky gut needs to be prioritized because it is the primary cause of autoimmune conditions. Even though Lupus may have specific symptoms, by cleaning the gut, detoxifying the body, and getting the body strong and rested again, you can control autoimmune conditions. 

Is genetic testing worthwhile?

More and more testing is becoming available to people. However, the most important thing is to heal the body by getting your gut and adrenals stronger. After you focus on healing the body and you still want to know more, you can run a genetic test. 

What causes burping and gas, and how do I fix them?

Typically, this is a gallbladder that is getting sticky. When we have high estrogen levels, excess estrogen will go down into the gallbladder and liver. When that happens, we cannot digest well, so your gallbladder produces bile that helps food slide through the intestines. Bile is supposed to be very thin, but when it becomes sludgy it does not work, causing complications. Burping is caused because we are not breaking down food properly, and thus, causes gas. I recommend A-F betafood as it is one of the best aids for your gallbladder. I also recommend zypan, which aids in digestion.

What are some sleep tips?

A cool, dark, and quiet environment, going to bed and waking up at the same time every single day, getting in alignment with your circadian clock, and getting away from phones and computers because the blue light sends signals to our pineal gland which controls melatonin are my recommendations. 

Best way to cleanse the liver?

The liver holds most of the toxins your body is ready to release. I recommend committing to 30 days of organic food and intermittent fasting. Milk Thistle is the most gentle but powerful detoxifier, and it will restore a damaged liver. I would also recommend 30 days of celery juice in the morning. 

I bruise easily, what does that mean?

1. Vitamin C deficiency. I recommend the Vitamin C complex, Cyruta Plus. Bruising easily indicates that you have capillary fragility which means your capillaries are not strong. Vitamin C helps your connective tissue become stronger.

What’s Next?

We have put together a dashboard of all of Dr. Bart’s videos, based on health topics, in our Level-Up Health Membership.

This library of health content is low cost, so we can help you on your journey to becoming superhuman! 

Not only is it extensive, but it will continue to expand with new videos each month. Also, you will have the opportunity to share these videos with your friends and family!

Medically reviewed and written by:

Dr. Bart Precourt

Register for the Health Made Simple Show

If you are interested in registering for the Health Made Simple Show please visit http://www.healthmadesimple.com