The alarm clock goes off for the 3rd time this morning, you reluctantly drag yourself out of bed, barely awake, knowing that you can’t afford to hit the snooze button yet again. You shower, brush your teeth and get dressed in a half-awake fog wondering how you could still be so tired after getting a decent amount of sleep last night.

“Oh well, I’m probably just going through a phase; this will get better soon,” you assure yourself, as you rush out the door to get the kids to school; grabbing a low-calorie breakfast bar to pair with your coffee on the way out.

Later on around noon, you enjoy a slight break from the busyness of the day and sit down for a light lunch. That article you read a few weeks ago on Facebook had an 8-week meal-plan that you’ve been trying your best to follow. You lost a few pounds the first week and decided to stick with it; though, as you crunch on your small salad and zero-calorie tea you’re pondering when you’re going to break through this new weight-loss plateau you’ve been stuck at for the past 9 days. “If I’m going to eat like a bird I at least want to see some results” you think to yourself, slightly frustrated.

3:00 pm rolls around and you’re deciding what will give you more energy for tonight’s ZUMBA class, another coffee or an energy drink. You opt for the energy drink, but choose the “light” version to continue your battle against calories.

As you sweat your way to a better body in a group class with like-minded people, your mind wanders to your recent blood-test results: “The doctor said the medication is working and that my thyroid levels are normal, how come I still don’t feel right?” You dismiss the thought as quickly as it entered your mind and push through another set; convincing yourself that this is going to help you get down two swimsuit sizes for beach season.

Cellular Inflammation

If you feel like the person described in the story above… If you are always tired, if you can’t lose weight no matter how hard you try, if you are experiencing brain fog and other unexplainable symptoms, I want to let you know that you’re not just “getting older,” and it’s not just in your head; you may be suffering from a condition known as cellular inflammation.

In 2004, TIME Magazine released an article titled: The Secret Killer. The featured piece went on to describe how a process known as cellular inflammation is the underlying root cause of every chronic disease that we see today in America. Heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimer’s, autoimmune disease, thyroid disorders, you name it, every one of them involves cellular inflammation its core.

Why You Don’t Feel Well

You have approximately 100 trillion cells in your body; cells are our basic unit of life. Cells group together to form various tissues, tissues group together to form organs and organs combine to form systems of the body. You are only as healthy as your cells are. Meaning that if your cells are sick or inflamed it is impossible for you to remain healthy.

To adequately understand cellular inflammation, lets first look at how a healthy cell functions and how it relates to your health.

When I was in school, probably just like you, I learned that the nucleus was the most important part of the cell. After all, the nucleus is where your DNA is stored -your genetic makeup. Well, an exciting field of science known as Epigenetics has discovered that there is actually a part of the cell that is more important than your nucleus because it influences the health of your entire cell and determines genetic expression (meaning if you are healthy or sick). What I’m talking about is something known as the cell membrane.

If you refer to the picture below, every cell in your body has a protective membrane made up of two layers of fat known as a fatty-lipid-bilayer. This membrane is selectively permeable, meaning that it decides what enters and exits your cell. For beneficial nutrients, water and oxygen to enter the cell, they must do so through the membrane. Likewise, for metabolic waste, carbon dioxide and toxins to exit the cell for proper elimination, they must do so through the cell membrane. In a healthy cell this process occurs millions of times per day without you giving it one thought.

cell-healthy

Additionally, your cells have millions of tiny, hair-like receptors sticking out from the cells membrane. These receptors are vitally important because they allow hormones and vitamins to bind to the cell and communicate with your DNA -literally influencing your physiology.

Again, using the picture above, lets look at Thyroid hormone. It’s estimated that approximately 80% of women in America have a low or hypothyroid problem. The typical treatment for hypothyroidism in modern medicine seems to be to give a person more thyroid hormone in the form of hormone replacement medication.

But what if lack of thyroid hormone isn’t the REAL problem?

You see, for thyroid hormone to be effective in your body -meaning for you to have a good metabolism, lose weight easily, feel happy, have good energy, proper digestion, strong hair and nails, etc -thyroid hormone must be able to communicate with your cells. It does so by binding to the thyroid cell receptors on the membrane.

But what if it cannot bind? What would happen if a person has PLENTY of thyroid hormone circulating in their body but their cells can’t “hear” the signal?

This is precisely what happens with cellular inflammation.

Cellular inflammation means that the once healthy, permeable membrane has become inflamed and damaged. This type of inflammation is different than inflammation of a sore joint or a cut on your hand. It shows up in the form of unexplainable symptoms when enough cells have become damaged.

Lets look at the second picture, below. When the cell membrane has become inflamed, the good things cannot enter the cell, waste products cannot exit the cell and as a result, toxicity builds inside. At first you may not notice any symptoms, however, just like a pond that has toxic garbage dumped into it daily, your cells will reach a point where they can no longer support health.

When the internal environment of your cells becomes toxic, unwanted genes can become triggered. This is when you begin exhibiting symptoms. It may start with lack of energy, mental cloudiness, or inability to lose weight, but this process of cellular inflammation ultimately leads to diseases like diabetes, autoimmune disease and even cancer.

Going back to our thyroid hormone example, when a cell is inflamed the hormone receptors on the membrane become blunted. This means that hormones such as thyroid hormone can no longer bind to the receptor correctly. The result is symptoms of a low thyroid condition. Remember this because it’s important: A person may have PLENTY of thyroid hormone, but if the hormone cannot get its message into the cell that person is going to have symptoms of a low thyroid disorder.

The same goes with type-II diabetes. The problem is not a lack of insulin, in fact, type-II diabetics have plenty of it. The problem is that the cells cannot “hear” the signal of insulin. When we fix the cell membrane and repair the hormone receptors the signal is restored.

copy-of-cell-healthy

How to Regain Your Health.

When it comes to chronic, lifestyle-related diseases like we see in America, merely treating the symptoms with medication like we do with modern medicine is not considered healthcare, its disease management. If you are ever going to fully heal and feel normal again you have to go up-stream and remove sources of toxic interference that drive cellular inflammation.

I coach my clients on the things they need to do now and continue to do to regain their health. Dietary changes are always a must and for that I utilize ancient healing protocols and something called diet variation. But it doesn’t stop there, unfortunately, simply eating healthier often isn’t enough anymore.

Toxins are, in my opinion, the biggest driving factor of cellular inflammation and chronic disease today. Never before in the history of mankind have we been exposed to the constant onslaught of toxicity such as in today’s modern age. Heavy metals such as mercury and lead, biotoxic mold from wet basements, hidden viral infections like undiagnosed Lyme are major causes of why we’re so sick; combine that with our processed, toxic, GMO food supply that is sprayed with the endocrine-disrupting pesticide, Glyphosate (which is RoundUp) and it’s a wonder we’re even as “healthy” as we are today.

The only way to ultimately reverse cellular inflammation and regain your health is to go up-stream and remove these sources of toxic interference. Only then will your body be able to do what it was designed to do …Heal.

There is a saying I love that goes: “The body needs no help healing, just no interference.”

In my practice I coach clients on how to remove sources of toxic interference through a program called True Cellular Detox. This program is a step-by-step guide that addresses the toxic, up-stream sources of interference, teaches you the foods you need to eat –and eliminate– to heal your body, educates you on ancient healing techniques such as intermittent fasting, and involves 1-on-1 face time with myself to customize the program to your specific needs.

Regaining your health doesn’t happen overnight and it isn’t always easy… but it’s always worth it. You CAN lose the weight and have the energy and metal clarity you desire. It starts with fixing the cell.

To learn more about True Cellular Detox, click here.

One of the most common questions I get asked is “how do I know if what I’m eating is healthy or not?”

There is so much deception in our food industry today that it has become difficult to determine what is healthy and what is not. Every food manufacturer is competing for your dollar, so they come up with catchy commercials, campaigns, slogans and buzz-words to attract your eyes and buy their product.

I’m going to share with you some simple tips that will allow you to easily and quickly determine is a product is healthy for you and your family.

Okay, so let’s dive in

Tip #1:   This may sound a little crazy or unorthodox, but DON’T  focus on the amount of calories, fats, proteins and carbohydrates. When we are eating healthy foods, the amount of calories, fats, etc… don’t matter. The type of foods you’re eating is much more important to focus on.

Tip #2:   What I DO want you to focus on is the ingredient list.  This is where you’ll actually find what’s in your food. If you see a long list of ingredients with big words that you don’t recognize or are hard to pronounce; odds are this product does not belong in your shopping cart.

Smaller ingredient lists with easy-to-read words that you recognize are best. Also, whole foods that don’t come with a nutrition label are obviously your best choice; fresh fruits and veggies, good quality meats and healthy fats are whole foods that don’t need a nutrition label.

If there is one ingredient quantity/amount you do want to look for, it would be the amount of SUGAR in a product. Even if a product says “organic” or has few ingredients, if the sugar content is high, skip this product.

Tip #3:   Organic foods are preferred because they are not exposed to the amount of harmful pesticides and herbicides of conventional produce.

When it comes to meat or animal products, look for words such as “grass-fed”, “free-range”, and “wild-caught”.

Tip #4:   Shop the perimeter of the store; this is generally where you will find the healthier quality foods. The inner aisles of the store will generally contain the most processed, pre-packaged and boxed foods.

Tip #5:   Avoid buzz words that are intended to catch your eye. They are misleading and often do not deliver a healthier product. This words include: Diet, Zero-Calories, Calorie-Free, Light, Fat-Free, 0g Trans-Fat and even the words All-Natural, which has a very vague meaning in today’s world.

The 7 most dangerous food ingredients to avoid:

1) Artificial Sweeteners – This will include sucralose, aspartame and saccharin. They are found in many zero-calorie drinks and the blue/pink/yellow packets on diner tables.

2) Synthetic, Man-Made Fats – Trans fats, partially hydrogenated oils, vegetable oils, canola oil.

3) Artificial Flavors – Typically labeled as “artificial flavoring”.

4) MSG – Monosodium Glutamate is known as an “excitotoxin” that causes brain-chemistry problems and brain cell death.

5) Artificial Colors – These include the blue, red, yellow dye’s added to many foods.

6) High Fructose Corn Syrup – See below.

7) Preservatives – BHT, Sodium Benzoate, Sodium Nitrate, Sulfites and many other chemicals that are toxic to your body and raise cellular inflammation.

Finally, it is hard to look for GMO foods on labels because North America is one of the only countries in the world that does not require food companies to label GMO ingredients; however, some companies have taken the initiative to self-label that their products do not contain GMO’s.

Some of the highest concentrations of GMO food crops in the world are found in corn and soybeans. For this reason you want to avoid almost all products that contain corn, high fructose corn syrup, soybeans and soybean oil unless labeled organic and non-GMO

When it comes to the topic of cancer, it is important to disclose up front that we DO NOT treat cancer. That is left up to the medical experts who specialize in this area.

What we do focus on, however, is strengthening the body through natural means to boost immune function (the part of your body that fights cancer daily), while simultaneously removing sources of interference to the body that hinder healing.

It’s no secret that cancer is a modern-day epidemic. The reason that the words “you have cancer” strike fear in the hearts of Americans more than any other disease is because we KNOW the truth…we are losing the war.

Since President Nixon declared the “War on Cancer” in the early 1970’s and billions of dollars were released to fight this ravaging disease, we haven’t really made that much progress in stopping it. Media and medical propaganda would have you believe that death rates are going down and survival rates are going up, but is that actually the case?

While it may appear that cancer patients are living longer, when you dive a little deeper into the statistics one is able to see that this is largely due to the fact that we are diagnosing cancer earlier. What relevant data really shows us is that a person diagnosed with most types of cancer will live for about the same amount of time today as a person diagnosed 40 years ago. This is also confirmed with current cancer death rates.

Currently, over 500,000 people die from cancer every year in America. This amounts to over 1500 people per day, every single day of the year. To put this in perspective, this is equivalent to 3 jumbo jets, loaded to capacity, crashing and killing everyone on board every day of the year!

Eventually there has to come a point where we ask ourselves, is it really a matter of throwing more time and money at this disease, or are we looking in the wrong place to begin with?

Be A Cancer Killer:

To begin to reverse any disease, you have to get to the CAUSE. You cannot merely chase the symptoms. This next statement is often hard for many people to accept at first but it remains true: Cancer is not a sickness, it is a symptom. Cancer is the end-result symptom of an unhealthy person.

Conventional cancer treatments mainly focus on addressing the symptoms of cancer, itself, while never addressing why a person has developed it in the first place. Let alone the fact that in many cases the Standard of Care actually contributes to further cancer development and leaves many wondering if it was the cancer that killed their loved-one, or the treatment, itself.

TIME magazine did an in-depth study almost a decade ago, now, titled “Inflammation: The Silent Killer”. The study was a first-of it’s kind and has since unleashed a multitude of studies linking cellular inflammation with all of the chronic diseases we know today; including cancer.

Every human body has health requirements that must be met in order to fight disease and function optimally (Proper nutrition, oxygen, healthy nerve supply, etc). When these requirements are not met, the body will begin to develop sickness instead of health. This sickness usually results in cellular inflammation (watch Dr. Tips video in the detox section for more on cellular inflammation). In order to get a person well, again -or to prevent sickness and cancer in the first place- we must remove the sources of cellular inflammation and support healthy immune function.

This comes from applying the 5 Core Pillars of Health at a high level; no dabbling, here.

To take this one step further, the body will achieve what the mind believes it is capable of. Henry Ford put is best when he said “Whether you think you can or think you can’t, you’re right”. If you are hesitant to believe something as simple as radical lifestyle changes can reverse a disease as devastating as cancer, then I would suggest you watch Dr. Charles Majors’ powerful story.

Dr. Majors is one of the lead doctors of Dr. Cole’s affiliate group, Maximized Living.

As you will see in the video below, in 2008, Dr. Majors was diagnosed with terminal, stage IV brain and bone marrow cancer. He had four tumors on his brain stem and was given weeks to live. Rather than going the conventional route and poisoning his body with dangerous treatments that even his doctors told him would not cure his condition, he chose to get to the CAUSE of his cancer; which was years of accumulated toxicity, sub-par nutrition and exercise and less-than-optimal nervous system function. He REVERSED the “incurable” cancer by living the Maximized Living Lifestyle.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkIpWpm9M9o&hd=1

 

American’s are finally coming around to the idea that not all calories are the same; nor do they do the same things to your body. The type of food you eat is dramatically more important than how much food you are eating. Hormone’s like Leptin, Testosterone and Growth Hormone play a major role in how well your body burns fat.

On the other hand, Insulin and Estrogen are strong fat-storing hormones. The food you eat and the lifestyle you live plays a MAJOR role in regards to what hormones are most active in your body. Read this awesome article by Dr. Jocker’s for more information!

Raw, fermented foods are some of the biggest nutrient powerhouses on this planet.

I love drinking fermented beverages like Kefir and Kombucha; fermented vegetables are another avenue to get nutrient-dense superfoods into your diet. In ancient cultures, fermentation was a way to make their food last longer; something that we have gotten away from with the advent of the refrigerator. Not only does food last longer when fermented, but it also begins to produce a massive amount of healthy bacteria and enzymes that your body needs to dramatically boost gut health and immune function.

This is a great article on how to make homemade Sauerkraut – which is worlds away from the processed, heated version. Simple to make and extremely cheap; who says eating healthy has to be expensive! I just bought a whole head of organic cabbage for .69 cents! Replace one meal/snack per day with raw fermented sauerkraut and not only will your health improve, but your grocery bills will be lower as well.

Click Here to read the article

Bone brothThis is a phenomenal article by natural health expert, Dr. Dan Pompa on healing your digestive tract by utilizing an ancient bone broth recipe used by virtually every ancient culture. A must for any person diagnosed with a chronic illness, especially autoimmune disorders.

Click Here to read article and get recipe!