The Holistic Preventionist

Wild Fermentation, Sandor Katz

Elizabeth Naylor — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 13:12:47 +0000

Wild Fermentation provides a history of fermentation, the usefulness of fermented foods in health and the sad story of the general loss of this knowledge in modern society. The book is a bit quirky at times and full of a few “soapbox” diversions by the author but it is also full of generational knowledge that has mostly been lost and needs to be recovered. I loved the recipes and now have this in my kitchen as a resource. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in maintaining health.

Sandor Ellix Katz is a lay person who loves fermented foods. His interests in cooking, nutrition and gardening led him to experiment and develop the many recipes found in the book. He is a long time survivor of HIV/AIDS and feels that nutrition and fermented foods in particular have been greatly supportive of his health.

Katz, S. E. (2003). Wild fermentation : the flavor, nutrition, and craft of live-culture foods. White River Junction, Vt.: Chelsea Green Pub.

Probiotics in Children (Kilger, Hanaway, & Cohrssen, 2007)

Elizabeth Naylor — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 20:17:43 +0000

This article serves as a review of a great deal of research worldwide on the issue of probiotics use in children. It has been demonstrated that the development of a healthy gastrointestinal flora is vital for a healthy immune and digestive function in children. The authors present the development and function of the gut flora from birth and then apply current research to clinical applications. The treatment of diarrhea, from any cause, has been demonstrated consistently and there are multiple studies that show the use of probiotics to be beneficial for necrotizing enterocolitis in premature infants, IBS, constipation, infant colic and atopic dermatitis. Given the safety of probiotics and the fact that they are helpful in many conditions, this article provides a valuable overview of which strains and at what doses a practitioner may recommend them to parents.

The authors are all medical doctors practicing with an integrated philosophy. Kligler and Cohrssen practice in the urban environment of New York City and Hanaway practices in Asheville, NC.

Kilger, B., Hanaway, P., & Cohrssen, A. (2007). Probiotics in Children. Pediatric Clinical Nutrition America, 54, 949-967.

Digestive Wellness, Dr. Liz Lipski

Elizabeth Naylor — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 19:39:28 +0000

Digestive Wellness should be a staple in the library of every health professional and truly any lay person who is interested in preserving their health. It sets the tone regarding the critical importance of digestive health in every aspect of our lives making the connection to obvious digestive issues such as heartburn, gas and gall stones and the not so obvious consequences of digestive issues such as arthritis, asthma and migraines. Dr. Lipski provides practical questionnaires, advice on changing dietary habits and specific recommendations on testing and nutritional supplements for many conditions. There are also specific resource recommendations in the book for additional testing and support.

Dr. Liz Lipski is board certified in clinical nutrition and holistic nutrition. She serves as the Doctoral adviser for Hawthorn University in the area of holistic nutrition. Dr. Lipski also maintains a private practice and speaks nationally on the subject of digestion and disease.

Lipski, E. (2005). Digestive wellness (Completely rev. and updated 3rd ed.). New York: McGraw-Hill.

Lectins: Their Damaging Role in Intestinal Health, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Weight Loss

Elizabeth Naylor — Mon, 05 Sep 2011 01:48:12 +0000

I found the explanation of lectins to be helpful in my understanding to food intolerances to grains and the observation that many other foods can contain lectins and therefore cause problems for those who are sensitive. The author builds a credible case for the lectin mechanism behind intestinal destruction in the case of IBS and Crohn’s, their role in RA and their impact on insulin receptors leading to weight gain. I found this article of use to me, although it was only a small introduction to the role of lectins in health. This was also noted by the author.

Carolyn Pierini, CLS (ASCP), CNC is a Clinical Laboratory Scientist who specializes in Medical Microbiology, the study of microorganisms and their relationship to your health. She is a nutritional consultant and health educator and is currently a Naturopathic Doctor Candidate.

Pierini, C. Lectins: Their Damaging Role in Intestinal Health, Rheumatoid Arthritis and Weight Loss. Vitamin Research News, 21(1).

Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Integrated Approach to Gut Feelings

Elizabeth Naylor — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 19:30:00 +0000

I found this article a practical and virtually complete holistic view of IBS treatment. The overview of the digestive system function starting at birth, the role of stress, the role of digestive and absorption and the view of integrated treatment of IBS was most helpful as a practitioner. Additionally, the article would be helpful to any individual facing IBS as it gives a roadmap of all of the underlying factors that contribute to the disorder and treatment suggestions for each factor. In seeking professional advice, this roadmap is useful for the patient to interview the healthcare professional in order to find the most complete fit in care. The flow chart outlining this process is a very clear presentation, visually following this somewhat complicated process in great detail.

Dr. Patrick Hanaway is board certified in family practice and holistic medicine. He has experience in a holistic family practice setting and is currently the medical director for Great Smokies Diagnostic Laboratory.

Hanaway, P. (2004). Irritable Bowel Syndrome: An Integrated Approach to Gut Feelings. Integrative Medicine, 3(5), 16-21.

Functional Foods for Digestive Health & Disease, Dr. Liz Lipski

Elizabeth Naylor — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 16:06:48 +0000

Functional Foods starts with an overview of how we have arrived at our current situation of increasing digestive problems that plague the western culture. Dr. Lipski then proceeds to outline the significant support that that elimination diet can provide for those dealing with digestive problems, providing a review of research in that area. She then goes on to highlight the role of functional foods that support digestion and liver detox, the use of probiotics and prebiotics, fiber, polyphenols and demulcent foods. It is this area of demulcent foods that soothe inflamed membranes and enhance digestion that I find most fascinating and I find my clients to find helpful and empowering in supporting their digestion on an ongoing basis. Dr. Lipski points out the traditional view of foods such as green bananas, bone broths, cabbage juice, ginger and honey while folding in recent scientific research supporting the use of these foods. I found the chapter (soon to be included in Integrative Gastroenterology) a great overview with many practical suggestions that could be easily implemented

Lipski, E. (2011). Functional Foods for Digestive Health & Disease. USA: Oxford.

Probiotics and Gastrointestinal Disease: Clinical Evidence and Basic Science, Dr. Elaine Petrof

Elizabeth Naylor — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 14:27:22 +0000

This article provides a review of the basic science and clinical evidence of the effectiveness of a few of the more commonly researched probiotics. They author found that although they have different mechanisms of action, each of the probiotics have the common ability to provide anti-inflammatory effects, antagonize competing undesirable microorganisms and are tissue protective of the intestinal lining. Given the importance of gastrointestinal health in overall vitality, I would highly recommend this journal article to any health care professional and to the interested lay person.

Dr. Elaine Petrof, MD is an assistant professor in the Queen’s University Department of Medicine in Ontario, Canada as part of the Gastrointestinal Diseases Research Unit. Dr. Petrof’s research interests focus on probiotics, microbial-epithelial cell interactions in the gut, and the effects of intestinal bacteria on inflammation.

Petrof, E. O. (2009). Probiotics and Gastrointestinal Disease: Clinical Evidence and Basic Science. Antiinflamm Antiallergy Agents Med Chem, 8(3), 260-269. doi: 10.2174/187152309789151977

Human Microbiome Project

Elizabeth Naylor — Wed, 27 Jul 2011 14:50:29 +0000

The Human Microbiome Project website is an amazing resource of information on the newest research that is occurring in the field with a holistic approach to the interaction between the human genome and the genome of the millions of bacteria that live on and within us. I particularly liked the BBC interview as an overview and then reviewed the many studies that are ongoing as part of the NIH funded project. Practically, the research is designed to understand the role of microorganisms with diseases such as obesity, heart disease, colitis, Alzheimer’s Diabetes and more. I was amazed at the number of microbacteria that coexist with humans. I tended to think of the gastrointestinal tract with probiotics but the authors pointed out that the study was limited to the five key areas – nasal, oral, gastrointestinal, urogenital and skin. The BBC interview would likely be of interest to health care professionals and the interested lay public and the remainder of the information on the website is designed for the health care professional.

The Human Microbiome Project is funded by the NIH Common Fund “with the mission of generating resources enabling comprehensive characterization of the human microbiota and analysis of its role in human health and disease.”

Human Microbiome Project. Retrieved June 3, 2011, from https://commonfund.nih.gov/hmp/

The Conundrum of Gluten Sensitivity vs. Celiac Disease, Dr. Thomas O’Bryan

Elizabeth Naylor — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:56:34 +0000

This presentation (and the accompanying articles) is the best explanation of gluten sensitivity and celiac that I have seen to date. In practice I work with many clients with gastrointestinal issues and they often have seen their medical doctor for blood tests on celiac and those were negative. Some have also done more alternative tests on intolerances and those were negative as well. The article on “Why the Tests are Often Wrong” is crucial in helping them understand why the tests could be negative and yet they are still more successful on a gluten free diet. This conundrum creates a stressful situation for the individual who does not want to make the dramatic changes in diet without solid evidence that it will make a difference in their health.

The explanation of the various symptoms caused by gluten sensitivity that are outside the small intestine was sobering. The increased risk of auto-immune disease such as Diabetes Type II, IBD, Lupus and brain symptoms such as autism symptoms, ADHD, anxiety, depression as well as skin disorders such as Dermatitis Herpetiformis and Psoriatic Arthritis are all documented. I found this presentation useful for health care practitioners as well as the lay person.

Dr. Thomas O‘Bryan is a nationally recognized expert in celiac disease and gluten intolerance. He is trained as a Chiropractor, Clinical Nutritionist and received training in Functional Medicine. He currently practices functional medicine as well as speaking and teaching.

O’Bryan, T. (2010). The Conundrum of Gluten Sensitivity 101: Why the Tests are Often Wrong Retrieved February 7, 2011, from http://www.thedr.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=21&Itemid=23

Educational Strategies for Healthy Change

Elizabeth Naylor — Sun, 10 Jul 2011 13:56:06 +0000

The purpose of this article is to outline effective strategies for implementing dietary behavior change within groups that optimizes the long-term health of the population. There are three equally important areas of consideration; education, motivation and on-going support. In the book, Switch: How to Change When Change is Hard, the authors (Heath & Health, 2010) found that most successful changes share a common pattern. The pattern involves the leader of the change addressing the rational mind with education, the emotional mind with motivation and aligning the environment so that positive change is the path of least resistance. I would also add that the implementation of this pattern is not a linear process, but requires ongoing evaluation of these three areas.

Educational Strategies for Healthy Change