Natural Solutions for IBS

April 18 2012

Have you been diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)?  If you suffer from symptoms such as constipation, bloating, gas, heartburn and indigestion, you may be surprised to learn that there’s one simple solution — a cure-all to these various pesky symptoms. A simple change in your diet could eliminate these problems for the rest of your life, so please don’t reach for that little purple pill until you hear me out.

When clinicians use the word “syndrome,” as in irritable bowel syndrome, they are referring to a collection of symptoms, not just one or two.  However, mainstream medicine has labeled your collection of symptoms as a syndrome. Far too often a label is placed on a group of symptoms, but it’s far from a real diagnosis. You have been labeled, but you have NOT been diagnosed. What’s really going on here? Has your underlying problem been cured or have you simply been given a name for your persistent painful symptoms?

To illustrate, since lab work and all other obvious signs seem normal, conventional doctors prescribe drugs for each symptom described, and then label the symptoms or groups of symptoms as the official diagnosis: IBS. In reality, all that has been accomplished here is that a name or label has been given to your collection of health ailments (symptoms), while completely ignoring the root cause of these symptoms. The doctor is simply prescribing drugs to address each individual symptom yet not treating the underlying cause. This approach completely ignores what is causing you to be constipated, bloated, or experiencing diarrhea in the first place.

Common symptoms associated with IBS include abdominal pain, or abdominal discomfort, constipation, diarrhea, bloating and gas. Additional symptoms associated with IBS that do not affect the intestines include headaches, fatigue, anxiety, depression and urinary symptoms.

Now let’s take a look at common and wide ranging symptoms of yeast overgrowth. The abdominal symptoms typically associated with yeast sensitivity are abdominal bloating, belching, excessive gas, abdominal cramps, abdominal pain and indigestion. In the digestive tract, yeast can cause such symptoms as cramping, constipation, heartburn and diarrhea. In addition to gastrointestinal symptoms, yeast overgrowth can cause headaches, fatigue, skin rashes, immune suppression, depression and joint pain.

Have you noticed a connection between these two groups of symptoms? In many cases, it’s quite common to find that the patient’s real diagnosis is actually an overgrowth of yeast in their body. Once the yeast is eliminated, then the wide range of symptoms is eliminated as well.

Successful yeast treatment includes the following steps: Eradicate: It’s essential to kill the yeast not only in your digestive tract but also in your entire body, which can be treated using a strong antifungal such as Nystatin. Eliminate: You also must prevent the yeast from regaining a foothold in your body, which means you need to radically change your diet for at least 30 days in order to prevent the yeast from growing. I recommend a yeast-free, grain-free diet that eliminates dietary sources of yeast and other fungi, vinegar and fermented products, sugar, and carbohydrate-rich food that provide nourishment to yeast.   Repopulate: After the yeast is killed, it’s necessary that you replace and build up the good, healthy bacteria in your digestive system. To do this, you must take a probiotic supplement.

Before your medicine cabinet starts to resemble your local pharmacy, check to make sure yeast overgrowth isn’t your real problem. To evaluate if an overgrowth of yeast could be the source of your health woes, take our online quiz at www.hotzehwc.com/TestYourHealth.aspx

Steven F. Hotze, M.D., is the founder and CEO of Hotze Health & Wellness Center (HHWC), Physician’s Preference and Hotze Pharmacy. Dr. Hotze’s radio program, “Health and Wellness Solutions,” airs Monday-Thursday on KSEV 700 AM from 12-1 p.m. CST.  For more information, please visit www.hotzehwc.com.

Follow Dr. Hotze on twitter.com/DoctorHotze. Friend him on facebook.com/DoctorHotze. and “like” HHWC on FB: facebook.com/HotzeHWC.

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What Every Man Should Know About Hormonal Decline

February 13 2012

Women aren’t the only ones who experience changes in their body as they age. The aging process affects men just as much, if not more so, than women.

Men’s Health & Hormones

Despite the changes aging can cause, men aren’t nearly as likely to seek medical help and are less likely to be proactive when it comes to healthy aging. Men’s health and hormones are important topics, and I’m here to encourage all the men out there, and their wives who are reading this article, to be proactive in taking charge of their health, especially for men over the age of 30.

Hormonal Decline in Men

As men age there is a steady decline in their body’s natural hormone level, specifically, testosterone. Testosterone decline begins in a man’s 30s and continues throughout the course of his life. Although not as dramatic as menopause in women, this decline in a man’s natural hormone level is very real and is an inevitable part of the aging process. This age related hormonal decline can have several side effects ranging from fatigue, irritable moods, decreased sex drive, lack of ambition, decreased mental sharpness, indecisiveness and irritability.

As with any gradual change, the decline in testosterone may go virtually unnoticed until a critical point is reached. Then, seemingly out of the blue, a man in his 40s or 50s may begin to develop a “spare tire” around his abdomen, lose interest in sex, begin feeling depressed or irritable, and have difficulty making decisions. Low testosterone leads to andropause, or male menopause.

An abundance of testosterone not only separates men from women – it also separates the men from the boys. Likewise, testosterone deficiency turns vibrant men into shadows of their former selves. If a male’s hormones are imbalanced, he will continue to experience the negative effects of this gradual loss in his body’s natural hormones until the day he dies. This decline is inevitable unless proactive measures are taken to counteract this loss.

The Solution

Maintaining healthy levels of testosterone with bioidentical hormones will result in not only improved physical health but also improved mental health. It’s simply a matter of putting back in what’s missing. I am not advocating abnormally high levels of testosterone to achieve superhuman strength; instead, I recommend supplementing with a low dose of bioidentical hormone therapy. Additionally, all men should take saw palmetto (160 mg twice a day). This Native American herb strengthens the prostate gland and inhibits the conversion of the good testosterone into its more problematic kind – dihydrotestosterone (DHT).

How to Determine if You are Testosterone Deficient

Undergoing blood testing to measure levels of free testosterone is one way to identify testosterone deficiency. If your level is below what is considered normal for a 20 to 29-year-old male, you would most likely benefit from natural testosterone replacement. However, as with female hormonal imbalance, thyroid dysfunction and other hormonal problems, a blood test should not solely be used to diagnose testosterone deficiency. It’s important to take both lab tests and clinical symptoms into consideration.

Common Symptoms of Low Testosterone in Men

Common symptoms include: low libido; lack of initiative, assertiveness and drive; fatigue; decline in sense of well-being and self-confidence; depressed, irritable moods; indecisiveness; decreased mental sharpness; lessened stamina and endurance; loss of muscle mass, strength, and tone; increased body fat around the waist; decline in sexual ability; and sleep apnea.

Before you resign yourself to the symptoms of aging, it’s important to note that while these symptoms may be common among middle-aged men, that doesn’t mean the rest of your life has to be spent gradually winding down. To evaluate if you have healthy levels of testosterone, take our online men’s hormonal balance quiz at:  www.hotzehwc.com/TestYourHealth

Steven F. Hotze, M.D., is the founder and CEO of Hotze Health & Wellness Center (HHWC), Physician’s Preference and Hotze Pharmacy. Dr. Hotze’s radio program, “Health and Wellness Solutions”, airs Monday-Friday on KSEV 700 AM from 12-1 p.m. CST.  For more information, visit, www.hotzehwc.com.

Follow Dr. Hotze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DoctorHotze.  Friend Dr. Hotze on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/DoctorHotze, and HHWC on FB: www.facebook.com/HotzeHWC.

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A Happy, Healthy, Christmas Season

December 12 2011

The holiday season is here! During this time of year, many of us place ourselves under a lot of pressure to prepare the best meals, give the greatest gifts, and have the house decorated perfectly. Not to mention, your waistline can really take a hit, and who wants to start the New Year with an extra five pounds? We’ll venture to say – no one. But if you have a sweet tooth, we’re here to help.

In addition, high levels of stress can suppress your immune system and adrenal glands, which can result in illness, extreme fatigue and feelings of depression during a time of year that is supposed to be filled with joy. While you are making your list and checking it twice, be sure that your health is at the top. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Address your adrenal fatigue

Adrenal fatigue, often referred to as chronic fatigue, is a condition in which the adrenal glands through chronic emotional or physical stress are unable to meet the body’s demands for cortisol production. The adrenal glands are key players to how your body responds to stress. If you are experiencing extreme fatigue after a full night’s rest, anxiety or panic attacks, headaches, low libido or depression you may be suffering from adrenal fatigue. The best approach to treating this is not by increasing the number of pumpkin spice lattes you drink, but by supplementing with bioidentical cortisol. A great resource for learning more about cortisol is Dr. Broda Barnes’ book, “Safe Uses of Cortisol.” If you don’t address your adrenal fatigue now, it is only going to get worse.

Nutritional supplements to help alleviate stress

• Vitamin B Complex: All B-vitamins are needed and work together throughout the adrenal cascade (1-2 capsules daily with food)

• Magnesium: Essential for enzyme production in the adrenal cascade (400mg-800mg/day)

• Vitamin C: Most important!  Vitamin C is used all along the adrenal cascade and acts as an antioxidant within the adrenal cortex itself (2000mg – 4000mg/day with food).

• GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid): An amino acid produced in the brain. (500-1000mg taken at bedtime).

• Phosphatidyl Serine (PS): Studies show supplemental PS has been shown to improve mood and blunt the release of cortisol in response to physical stress (100mg taken around 6pm reportedly helps prevent waking do to a cortisol surge)

Avoid the holiday binge

Yeast overgrowth in the body can cause a host of symptoms including headaches, gas, bloating, fatigue, and skin rashes. Yeast thrives on sugar, therefore sweets, pastas and breads – some our most favorite things to eat during the holidays – will exacerbate the yeast in the colon as well as the uncomfortable symptoms mentioned above. Although we recommend a yeast-free eating plan year round, we know it’s not always ideal during the holidays. To avoid feeling remorseful when January 1 rolls around, try these tips to stay as close to a yeast-free eating plan as possible:

• Bring a healthy dish to your holiday parties like deviled eggs, a

vegetable tray, shrimp cocktail or a deli tray.

• Make healthy sides to go along with your holiday meals like bean salad, sautéed spinach, fresh salad, mashed sweet potatoes or roasted eggplant.

• Research healthy treats that contain all-natural sweeteners like

Stevia. You can still have that satisfying taste without the added sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

A few personal favorites include the following: yeast-free almond pound cake, pumpkin cheesecake, high-protein pumpkin muffins. For extra brownie points, try serving with yeast-free hot chocolate.

For more healthful cooking ideas, and to get the complete yeast-free recipes of the desserts listed above, please visit the vitamin blog at: http://www.physicianspreference.com/blog.asp.

Steven F. Hotze, M.D., is the founder and CEO of Hotze Health & Wellness Center (HHWC), Physician’s Preference and Hotze Pharmacy. Dr. Hotze’s radio program, “Health and Wellness Solutions”, airs Monday-Friday on KSEV 700 AM from 12-1 p.m. CST.  For more information, visit, www.hotzehwc.com.

Follow Dr. Hotze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DoctorHotze.  Friend Dr. Hotze on Facebook:  http://www.facebook.com/DoctorHotze, and HHWC on FB: www.facebook.com/HotzeHWC.

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Avoid This Season’s Flu with Natural Methods

October 13 2011

Avoid This Season’s Flu with Natural Methods  for Strengthening Your Immune System

Fall is officially upon us. It is a festive time of year full of rich colors, cool air, falling leaves, pumpkins, and of course, Thanksgiving. Yet with all the wonderful things that come with fall, it also brings the dreaded seasonal cold and flu.

At Thanksgiving, we all have many things to be thankful for; however, it is easy to forget about taking care of one very important blessing: your health. Your immune system can really take a hit and no one wants to feel under the weather, especially during the holidays.  It’s one reason why so many people consider the flu shot each year.

Flu shot . . . or not? We hear this question over and over again year after year: Should I get the flu shot? There is a lot of advertising that strongly advocates getting the flu vaccine annually. It’s easy to understand why so many people struggle with this decision. You can’t blame them. Do what the doctor tells you, or . . . Should we be concerned?

The answer is: Yes! Immunization is not the answer; good health and lifestyle are. Your best defense is to avoid vaccinations and build a healthy immune system.

Take charge of your diet

While this may seem like a challenge, especially during the holidays, focus on adding nutrient-rich, organic fruits, vegetables, and nuts to your diet and do your best to cut down on processed foods and sugar. Sugar depresses the immune system, putting your body at a disadvantage at fighting off illness. Processed foods are chemicals that poison the cells of your body. Unhealthy, malfunctioning cells lead to sickness and disease. The easiest and most cost-effective change you can make to your health is as simple as cleaning up your diet.

Get adequate sleep

Make sure you are getting eight hours of sleep each night to give your body time to recharge. Unbeknownst to you, your body is quite productive while you sleep, repairing and regenerating your cells. Healthy cells are important for a healthy immune system.

Exercise less for looks and more for health.

Did you know that your muscles and cardiovascular system are not the only parts of your body that benefit from regular exercise? It also strengthens your immune system by improving your immune response.

Take your vitamins

Probiotics – improves digestion and boosts the immune system.

Probiotics are commonly known as the “good bacteria” that line the intestinal tract and have been shown to support gut health. This may not seem like much on the surface, but scientific research has found 80 percent of the immune system to be in the GI tract; subsequently, probiotics can be very useful in maintaining a strong immune system. In fact, one study of 3,451 study participants showed that a daily dose of probiotics reduced the number of people who had at least one cold by 42 percent.

Vitamin C – helps fight infection by potentiating white blood cells. It is also particularly crucial for healthy adrenal glands.

Zinc – optimizes the immune system and has direct antiviral effects.

Garlic – fights germs responsible for causing the common cold, flu, sore throat, sinusitis and bronchitis.

Are your vitamin D levels within optimal range? Maintain high levels of vitamin D by supplementing with vitamin D3 and through natural sunlight exposure. Ask a physician to  HYPERLINK “http://www.hotzehwc.com/TestYourHealth/Women-s-Vitamin-and-Mineral-Quiz.aspx” check your vitamin D levels to ensure they are up to par. The incidence of the flu decreases during the summer months as it correlates with higher levels of vitamin D.

Boost your immune system naturally: Viral Nasal Spray.

Our Center has developed a safe alternative for our patients.  It is similar to over-the-counter nasal sprays and anti-viral prescriptions, yet superior in many ways.  For example, it is free of thimerosal. Hotze’s viral nasal spray enhances the body’s interferon levels, which is a protein found in the body, that fights all viruses not just one specific strand. Boosting the body’s immunity against all virus strands in order to effectively fight off any viral strand upon exposure is the best defense. This is in contrast to the flu shot, which produces only antibodies to a specific strain of the flu virus. Basically, the flu shot is an educated guess as to what specific virus may be that year’s flu epidemic. If the manufacturer is wrong, the vaccine provides no protection at all. In fact, it’s estimated that the flu vaccine is effective only 11 percent of the time.

These simple but important choices will help boost your immune system and keep the cold and flu at bay. My wish for you is to have a healthy holiday season!

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Give Your Immune System & Energy Level a Boost

August 17 2011

It’s that time of year again:  summer is winding down and parents and children are gearing up for school to start. Are you in the middle of checking off your to-do list such as school supplies, new shoes, a back pack, etcetera? It is a busy and sometimes hectic time of year.  With all these preparations, I hope you are also setting a few health goals for your family, such as packing more nutritious lunches and staying away from the cafeteria and fast food. Maybe you have even set a goal to start adding vitamins and supplements to provide a healthier lifestyle by strengthening their immune systems.

When shopping for vitamins, it is easy to get lost in the maze of various brands and products offering different health benefits.  A question I am frequently asked is how to select a quality vitamin? Here are some tips:

Avoid unnecessary fillers

When reading the label on your brand name multivitamin, you may be surprised to find several unnecessary fillers, many of which are common allergens.  Check each product label to ensure it does not contain ingredients such as sugar, yeast, corn, wheat, soy, sucralose, and aspartame or high-fructose corn syrup. Many well-known brands reduce their manufacturing costs through methods such as diluting potency and using synthetic ingredients. Why should you avoid products containing these fillers?

•  Sugar, yeast, corn, wheat and soy are among the most common food allergens. Unless food allergy testing is performed, many people do not even realize they are allergic to these common culprits, which may cause swelling, inflammation and drainage.

•  Sucralose is an artificial sweetener that is chemically synthesized by adding chlorine molecules to sugar. Sucralose is a chlorocarbon, which has been shown to cause inflammation and swelling of the liver and kidneys, as well as calcification of the kidney.

•  Aspartame is also an artificial sweetener that has been associated with an increased incidence of brain tumors, mood disorders, declining mental function, migraine headaches, and more than 150 other symptoms.

•  High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a genetically modified ingredient, which is intended to extend the shelf life of products.  HFCS has been shown to negatively alter metabolism and cause spikes in blood sugar and insulin.

How can you avoid these fillers? It is simple: read the product labels. There are plenty of quality vitamins and supplements that don’t contain these harmful substances, so be sure to do your homework.

Demand more than just the RDA

Many consumers believe the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of vitamins and minerals is sufficient for obtaining and maintaining a healthy immune system.  On the contrary, I think of the RDA as a “Ridiculously Deficient Amount.” The RDA is similar to earning minimum wage: barely enough to make a living and certainly not enough to ensure a high quality of life. The RDA’s were initially developed in 1941 as a way to prevent serious deficiency diseases such as scurvy or rickets.  More than likely, scurvy or rickets is the least of your worries. You, like many others, want to achieve optimal health, not merely the absence of disease. Because of this, it is important to demand supplements that contain dosage strengths far surpassing the RDA. To add years to your life, make sure the supplement contains high doses of antioxidants, all the essential minerals from A to zinc, and a full range of B-complex vitamins.

Every vitamin is not created equal

For certain vitamins such as beta carotene and vitamin E, it is essential that they are naturally derived versus synthetic.  For many, it makes no difference whether it was derived from natural sources or synthesized in a lab. However, this is not the case for these two. Your body does not recognize the synthetic versions; therefore they cannot be assimilated and used by your body.

Additionally, when shopping for water soluble vitamins such as B vitamins and vitamin C, be certain they contain meaningful amounts. Water soluble vitamins are secreted through urine, therefore, they are not stored in the body and must be replenished daily. I recommend a minimum of 4,000 mg of vitamin C per day. If you feel like you are getting sick, double up on your dose.

Consider the source

Safety, sanitation, and integrity of the facility where supplements are manufactured are crucial. In order to ensure these are met, check the label or product website for information on quality control testing. On the company website, you should also be able to find a certificate of analysis, which assures you their supplements really do contain (or don’t contain) what they claim.  If a product is formulated according to the Good Manufacturing Practices of the Natural Products Association, you can rest assured that it meets the highest industry standards for potency and purity.

It is easy to become overwhelmed by a surplus of brands and products, but do not be discouraged; take your time by doing your research. If you are new to taking vitamins, I suggest starting with a high-potency multivitamin, and then once you have the routine down add more vitamins to your regimen based on your various health concerns and needs. Every savvy shopper knows that spending more money doesn’t necessarily mean you are buying a higher quality, more valuable product. The same holds true when shopping for vitamins, so always remember to read the labels. Here’s to a healthier family this school year!

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Food Allergies: Could they be affecting you?

June 14 2011

You hear it all the time: people complaining of common allergy symptoms. It’s a condition that is rampant amongst children and adults alike as individuals can be affected by allergies at literally any age.  But the type of allergies I’m referring to probably aren’t what you had in mind. I’m talking about food allergies – not the kind of allergies that go hand-in-hand with the changing seasons. With food allergies, one can be suffering year-round with non-stop painful symptoms. In fact, recent studies found that 60 percent of the general population exhibits food allergy symptoms.

What Americans don’t know is that it’s quite common to be completely unaware that it’s actually food allergies causing their irritating symptoms. These symptoms can range from common ones such as constipation, sinusitis, runny nose and fatigue to food allergy symptoms that are less commonly known such as clumsiness, inability to concentrate, nervousness and insomnia. If you are suffering from health problems that can’t seem to be diagnosed, the very next thing you need to look at is food allergies. It’s quite possible you could be among the 60 percent of the population with food allergies, but you or even your physician has yet to pinpoint it.

Oftentimes, people can become allergic to the very foods they eat or are already allergic to these foods, but are completely unaware for reasons such as displaying uncommon symptoms or allergens being hidden in processed foods. In particular, it can be hard to pinpoint food allergies due to the fact the allergen is oftentimes masked as an ingredient in foods you’re frequently consuming whether through

purchasing at the grocery store or ordering out at a restaurant.

For this very reason, we (my medical team at Hotze Health & Wellness Center) now test the seven most common food allergens that are oftentimes hidden in most processed items. These include the following:  wheat, milk, egg, yeast, corn, soy, and coconut.

In addition, we also recognize the value of identifying the type of food allergy a person is affected by. Subsequently, we brought in a new type of food allergy testing, which addresses two types of food allergies: cyclic and delayed allergies.

Cyclic allergies, the most common form of food allergy, accounting for nearly 85 percent of cases, gradually develop from a repetitious diet.  Have you noticed a pattern in your eating habits?  Are you eating the same types of foods numerous times per week?  Do you eat bread at every meal or have the same beverages each day?  If so, you may unknowingly be setting yourself up for food allergies.

With delayed allergies, the food allergy symptoms in many cases may be lessened or eliminated by ingestion of the very food causing the reaction in the first place. This type is often unrecognized because the immediate reaction to the food causes symptoms to improve; however, the negative condition eventually returns until the food is eaten again.

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Natural Solutions to Chronic Fatigue

February 23 2011

March is National Chronic Fatigue Awareness Month. In light of this, I wanted to take some time to discuss common symptoms associated with chronic fatigue, as well as shed some light on the condition deemed as untreatable by mainstream medicine. Merely the word alone – untreatable – can send a chill down your spine; in particular, when combined with words such as exhaustion, headaches, muscle aches, depression, recurrent infections and anxiety– it’s even more frightening to hear. But can this really be true?

Chronic fatigue may affect between one and four million Americans, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Concerned you may be one of the four million affected by this debilitating condition? Let’s take a closer look. Does it take a tremendous amount of effort to simply get out of bed each morning, only to find you’re dragging through the day dependent upon coffee in order to make it? Are you unable to cope with stress, or bounce back from an infection? If the answer is yes, then it’s likely you suffer from adrenal fatigue. Yes that’s right – adrenal fatigue; also known as or commonly referred to as chronic fatigue.

Adrenal fatigue is a condition in which the adrenal glands through chronic stress are unable to meet the body’s demands for cortisol production. Cortisol is your body’s stress hormone and also works along with thyroid hormone to ensure that you have the necessary energy to thrive in life. This is why many of the symptoms of adrenal fatigue overlap with symptoms of hypothyroidism. For example, additional symptoms of adrenal fatigue include: hair loss, cold and heat intolerance, dizziness or lightheadedness upon standing, dry skin, low libido, low blood pressure (hypotension), and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).

One of the largest hurdles to overcome with adrenal fatigue is that mainstream medicine virtually ignores this diagnosis. Instead of treating the root cause of the symptoms presented, most physicians merely offer medications, such as antidepressants, sleep aids and antibiotics (for chronic infections), to paleate each individual symptom separately. In all fairness, they don’t know what else to do for their patients with symptoms of chronic fatigue.

Although mainstream medicine offers no real “cure” or treatment plan for chronic fatigue, I have good news for you. There is a solution! The natural solution for adrenal fatigue is the use physiologic, sub-replacement doses of bioidentical cortisol. A young, healthy person produces 20-30 mg of cortisol per day. At Hotze Health & Wellness Center, our starting dose of slow-release biologically identical cortisol is a fraction of that per day and it is adjusted incrementally as symptoms warrant.

Along with this, we also recommend DHEA, another hormone produced by the adrenal glands. The amount of DHEA produced by the adrenal cortex is greater than any other adrenal hormone in the body.
In addition, nutritional supplements are also vital. There is one nutrient in particular that is crucial to healthy adrenal glands: vitamin C. The adrenal cortex has the highest concentration of vitamin C, greater than any other organ in your body, and the cells of the adrenal cortex use vitamin C at a higher rate than any other cells in the body. Vitamin C enhances immunity, which is often impaired in those with adrenal insufficiency. During times of stress, our bodies excrete vitamin C more rapidly, making our need for this vitamin even greater. Our adult patients are advised to supplement with 3,000 – 6,000 mg of vitamin C per day. A slow-release, buffered form is best to prevent over acidity of the stomach and to ensure sustained blood levels throughout the day.

If you think you may suffer from adrenal fatigue, I encourage you to take our online hormone quiz at, www.drhotze.com, under the Test Your Health tab. I also encourage you to stop dragging yourself through the day, struggling just to get by, and start living life to fullest once again.

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Prevention Before Detection

October 12 2010

Breast cancer detection is on the minds of women at every age. There are pink ribbons everywhere you turn, and the search for a cure is a top priority for many, respectfully so. However, instead of focusing on the detection and cure of breast cancer, let’s instead focus on the prevention of breast cancer. This discussion is timely as October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so in its honor, I’d like to share with you what I have learned over the course of many years practicing and studying medicine, or more importantly health and wellness.

While education on detection is overflowing, we don’t hear much about the prevention of breast cancer so I would like to present you with the tools and knowledge necessary to arm yourself against the disease. You may be familiar with some of the most recent figures: one woman is diagnosed every three minutes according to Susan B. Komen for the Cure; and the World Health Organization reported breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world.

Don’t be discouraged by these alarming figures; there is hope, in 2009 in the largest review of research into lifestyle and breast cancer, the American Institute of Cancer Research estimated about 40 percent of U.S. breast cancer cases every year could be prevented by making lifestyle changes. Rather than living in fear of becoming the next breast cancer statistic, take control of your health, and learn how you can help to prevent it before you ever need to be in a position to cure it.

What you can do

Numerous studies have shown a dramatically lower risk in women who have incorporated the following into their lifestyle:

• Exercise regularly: The ideal amount would be 30 minutes a day. Your emotional state affects your overall health, and exercise relieves stress. Also, even in thin women, exercise helps turn more of the body’s fat into muscle, which can help reduce cancer risk.

• Breast-feed: there’s convincing evidence that supports a reduced risk for breast cancer among mothers who breast-feed for up to six months.

• Limit your alcohol consumption.

• Optimal vitamin D levels: which are found in few, has been shown to decrease risk up to 70 percent. You can ask your physician to check your vitamin D level to see if you need to supplement with a good, high quality vitamin.

• A healthy diet loaded with fruits and vegetables that is primarily plant based.

• Maintain healthy progesterone levels: if you have low levels of progesterone, you can supplement with bioidentical progesterone.

• Detoxification: detoxify your body of chemicals regularly. One way to achieve this is by adding N-acetyl cysteine and selenium to your supplement regimen.

• Maintaining a healthy weight: Oftentimes breast cancer is fueled by the hormone estrogen, which is produced in fat tissue. It’s suspected that the more excess body weight a woman has, the more estrogen she produces as well, which places her at an increased risk for breast cancer.

• Supplement with high quality omega-3 fats, such as fish oil.

On the contrary, the following increase your breast cancer risk and should be avoided:

• Oral contraceptive use.

• Synthetic or counterfeit hormones of any kind such as Premarin or Prempro.

• A diet high in saturated fats.

• Avoid chemical toxicity, which can commonly be found in household cleaning products and beauty products.

• Avoid breast tissue damage. Mammograms and biopsies can both damage your breast tissue, and cell damage of this kind can lead to the formation of cancer cells. If there is no cause for concern, these methods are questionable.

• Hormonal decline, which naturally declines as we age, or can be triggered during certain stages of life, such as after childbirth, menopause and puberty.

• Overweight: Obese women are up to 60 percent more likely to develop any cancer than normal-weight women.

Fact vs. Fiction

• Hormones increase your risk for developing cancer.

• Bioidentical hormones do NOT increase your risk, however on the other hand, counterfeit hormones have been linked with an increase in cancer. The difference between bioidentical hormones and counterfeit (synthetic) is huge and widely misunderstood. Bioidentical hormones are an identical molecular match to the hormones produced by your body. On the contrary, counterfeit hormones’ (such as Premarin and Prempro) molecular structure has been changed in order to be patented by pharmaceutical companies. This molecular change makes counterfeit hormones foreign chemicals to your body, which in turn can cause a host of side effects.

• In cases when detection is needed, mammograms are your only option.

• False, a safe alternative to mammography is thermography.

• Family history of breast cancer puts you at a far greater risk.

• This isn’t necessary true. You don’t have to be held captive to your family genes. In fact, statistics show that only about 20 to 30 percent of breast cancer diagnoses among women actually have a family history. You can make healthy lifestyle changes, such as the ones discussed above, which will likely assist with the expression of your genes in a positive, disease-fighting way.

Beyond early detection, let’s learn to take charge of our own health and destiny today.

Steven F. Hotze, M.D., is the founder and CEO of Hotze Health & Wellness Center, Physician’s Preference and Hotze Pharmacy. He is a member of the American Academy of Otolaryngic Allergy; former president of the Pan American Allergy Society; founder/president of the American Academy of Biologically Identical Hormone Therapy.

Dr. Hotze’s radio program, “Health and Wellness Solutions”, airs Monday-Friday on KSEV 700 AM from 12-1 p.m. CST, or online, http://www.drhotze.com/. Follow Dr. Hotze on Twitter: http://twitter.com/DoctorHotze. Friend Dr. Hotze on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/people/Steven-Hotze/102560402

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Don’t You Wish You Could Sleep Like A Baby Again?

August 04 2010

When was the last time you enjoyed a truly restful night’s sleep? You know the kind: drifting, deep and restful, where you wake up feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. If you have to think about it, it’s been way too long. Sadly, all too often many adults, especially women, can’t even recall the last time they had a good night’s sleep.

American’s rampant sleep problem is evidenced by the number of sleep aids currently sold on the market. In fact, it’s highly likely that you are one of the millions that currently have a sleep aid in your medicine cabinet.

Instead of addressing the underlying cause of sleep disturbances like insomnia, we settle for medicated sleep, which at best gives us poor quality sleep often accompanied by a host of side effects. You don’t even realize how much you depend on restful sleep until you have trouble sleeping. Sleep is absolutely essential to your health.

Did you know that hormonal imbalance can be the underlying reason to why you have trouble sleeping? As a child, good, sound sleep came so naturally that it never really even crossed our mind.  . However, as we age, the hormone balance of childhood, which kept us sleeping soundly, declines. Whether your sleep issues involve insomnia, you experience difficulty falling asleep, you wake up frequently throughout the night, or you simply wake up not feeling refreshed despite a full night’s sleep, correcting hormonal imbalance could be the key to getting back into a regular pattern of refreshing sleep.

Progesterone has a soporific or sleep effect and generates a sense of calmness when taken before bedtime. Low progesterone is often a culprit behind insomnia and anxiety.

Estrogen – Oftentimes, estrogen deficiency can cause sleep disturbances mainly due to night sweats and hot flashes. The use of bioidentical estrogen must be balanced with bioidentical progesterone.

Testosterone – In men, testosterone is important for quality deep sleep and the less sleep a man gets, the lower his testosterone levels become. It’s a vicious cycle. Low testosterone can also play a role in sleep apnea.

Thyroid – In addition to giving people more energy as well as regulating your metabolism, thyroid hormone also improves the quality of sleep, allowing you to spend more time in the deep phases of sleep. Thyroid hormone is also beneficial in helping those who wake up frequently during the night from snoring or sleep apnea.

Adequate levels of melatonin are essential for a good night’s sleep. Your body releases melatonin mostly at night and it declines as you age. If you have trouble sleeping, because you are restless throughout the night and suffer from agitated sleep, supplementing with over-the-counter melatonin could be just what you need.

If you have trouble sleeping, there are also a few natural sleep aids that can help you sleep soundly including magnesium, 5-HTP, calcium citrate and inositol.

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Meeting Your Child’s Nutritional Needs

June 16 2010

In modern day America, the diet of our youth consists primarily of processed foods that are high in sugar, simple carbohydrates, and depleted of any real nutritional value, such as naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, fiber and enzymes. Recent research links health problems and poor mental function with inadequate diets among children.  It’s not surprising when you consider the fact that fewer than 15 percent of U.S. children eat the recommended five servings of fruits and vegetables each day.

Yet, even with a seemingly nutritious diet, it’s difficult to meet a growing child’s nutritional needs these days. Especially when the majority of Americans are simply unaware that storing and processing deplete nutrients even in healthy foods. Consider the following:

•  There is a 90 percent loss of vitamin content in canned and frozen vegetables.

•  Processed peaches lose 40 to 70 percent of niacin, riboflavin, thiamin, and vitamins A and C compared to raw peaches.

•  Freezing meat destroys up to 70 percent of vitamin B5 and 50 to 70 percent of vitamin B6 in processing lunch meats.

•  Within 24 hours after picking, spinach stored at room temperature loses 70 percent of its vitamin C. And after just two days, refrigerated spinach loses 50 percent of its vitamin C.

•  Cooking vegetables destroys 30 percent of the vitamin C; up to 70 percent of thiamin; and 50 percent of riboflavin.

No need to panic, there’s a simple solution: Simply adding a few high-quality vitamin and mineral supplements to a child’s daily routine has been shown to significantly improve overall health, mental function as well as resistance to illness. In fact, one study showed a group of children who took a multivitamin formula for eight months increased 7.2 IQ points over a placebo group.

Keeping my children and grandchildren’s needs in the forefront of my mind, our custom formulation is a unique combination of vitamins and minerals essential to a child’s growing body. While there are a large variety of other children’s vitamins, Nutri-Kids is one of the most complete children’s chewable combination multivitamin/mineral formulas on the market. Nutri-Kids provides 28 vitamins and minerals including important antioxidants vitamins C and E, a complete vitamin B complex, easily absorbable calcium and magnesium, and includes high amounts of vitamin D. Fox News recently reported that at least one in five U.S. children aged 1 to 11 don’t get enough vitamin D and could be at risk for a variety of health problems including weak bones, the most recent national analysis suggests.

With Physician’s Preference Nutri-Kids vitamins, not only will you be helping improve your own child’s life, but also the life of a child in need.  In an effort to help support a noble cause, Physician’s Preference launched its Nutri-Kids Gives New Life initiative, where 20 percent all of Nutri Kids sales are donated to New Life, a non-profit school in Guatemala for children with special needs.

New Life, founded in 2000 by one brave woman with a vision, began with eight children and now has grades kindergarten through sixth. What makes this school extraordinary is that the children who attend are unable to obtain an education in the overcrowded Guatemalan public school system, due to either the ridicule of other students or the teacher’s inability to teach them. Without New Life School, these children are sadly denied an education and opportunities for a bright future. Thanks to New Life, young children are literally being given a new life – hope, opportunity, happiness and skills necessary for life.  Thank you for considering joining us in our efforts.

For more information, please visit, http://www.drhotze.com/, or to learn more about New Life School, please visit, http://www.newlifeguatemala.com.

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