My Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss

"Since coming to see Dr. Josh my blood sugar has been quite normal. When I first came in my blood sugar was above 180 (anything above 126 is considered diabetic), now it has been ranging between 100-110 and has been staying fairly consistent in that range. I have had alot of weight loss.  Three months ago I was at 277 pounds and now I stepped on the scale this morning at 203 pounds (74 pounds of weight loss!) so I'm losing significant weight which I am very happy about. Thanks so much Dr. Josh."                                

                                                                                                                            -Lee H.

This was the actual testimony of one patient that presented to my office with a myriad of different health concerns. Most people have tried one or multiple different diet types. Some have been unsuccessful, and some are successful but the weight returns when the diet ends. Why is this? It is because many of the fad diets in America fail to address the key factors as to why we have gained the weight in the first place. Today I am going to share three key considerations with you on how you can maximize your body's ability to maintain a healthy weight.

#1) Stabilize Blood Sugar

Just because you have not been diagnosed with diabetes does not mean that you don't have to understand what blood sugar stability means. There are two common types of blood sugar issues that most Americans fall into.

You have the insulin resistant and diabetic patients. Two of the primary symptoms of falling into this category are fatigue after meals and cravings for sugar after meals. Insulin resistance is a condition where your cells become resistant to insulin. Insulin is secreted by the pancreas in order to clear sugar that has accumulated in your blood (from the foods that you eat), and move it into the cell where it can be used for energy. The problem is that if you eat foods that are rich in sugar or are simple carbohydrates your blood sugars will routinely elevate and you will get frequent insulin surges and your cells stop responding to the insulin. This results in elevated levels of sugar in the blood which is toxic to nerve and brain health.

The second form of dys-glycemia is hypoglycemia or reactive hypoglycemia. This is a condition where your blood sugars drop too low between meals. This is traditionally characterized by symptoms that are relieved by eating a meal. Some symptoms that are common with hypoglycemia include irritability, shaking, and headaches between meals. When your blood sugar falls too low you need release of cortisol in order to elevate your blood sugar again.

If your blood sugar drops or elevates because of the above conditions you will have shifts in your cortisol production which directly effects your ability to burn fat. This brings us to our next key factor.

#2) Support Adrenal Health

When your blood sugar is not well maintained or you are under chronic stress your adrenals must produce cortisol to help your body adapt. Increased levels of cortisol slow your body's ability to burn fat and will actually increase fat storage. So if you do not regulate your blood sugar and support your adrenal glands you are fighting an uphill battle. This is why many individuals fail to lose weight even when they are restricting calories and exercising vigorously. Understand that exercise is a stress on the body, and for certain individuals with adrenal dysfunction it may hinder there ability to lose weight for a time. Weight loss is not a simple measure of calories in versus calories out as we often think of it. Weight loss is about maximizing your body's ability to maintain a healthy weight. Individuals who have poor adrenal function should only exercise within their aerobic capacity. To do this one needs to purchase a heart rate monitor and wear it. A basic rule of thumb to calculate your aerobic capacity is to take 180-your age. This gives you the top of your aerobic range. Then subtract 20 and that will give you the bottom of your target range. When you exercise it is important to stay within this range, while your adrenals are still unhealthy.

#3) Discover Food Intolerances

Foods that we eat today are not the same foods that God designed and put on this earth for us. These foods are highly processed and altered by men. Unfortunately, the processing of these foods often hinders the nutritional value of the foods, as well as making them downright toxic to our bodies. Some of the most common food intolerances I see in my office are gluten, dairy, soy, egg, coffee, and yeast. If you are intolerant to any of these foods every time you eat the food you are going to have an increased cortisol surge because of the stress it places on the adrenals. This will lead to increased fat storage and increased cytokine production which may in turn lead to the development of more food intolerances. This becomes a vicious cycle that can be a major block in your ability to maintain a healthy weight. Remember from my earlier post on food intolerances, that these intolerances do not produce an immediate reaction. Just because you feel okay a half hour after eating any of the above foods does not mean that you are in the clear. Your reaction to these foods could be a headache, a gut ache, dizziness, weight gain, and it could occur any time within a 72 hour window after exposure. The only sure way to know is to get tested by a doctor that performs IgA and IgG allergy testing.

This has just been a brief overview of a few of the key things I look at for patients who want to lose weight. Don't fall for the fad diets that offer a simple fix and big results. My encouragement to you is that weight loss can be easy if you take the time to look at what systems in your body are not working efficiently and help to unwind that process. If you have questions feel free to contact my office at 763-398-7770 or email me directly at drhuffman@moundsviewchiro.com. Thanks and please share this blog with anyone you think it may help. God Bless!



Dr. Joshua Huffman
Board Certified in Chiropractic Neurology and Integrative Medicine

Are You Tired of Being Tired?

Are you or a loved one suffering from chronic fatigue? Do you toss and turn at night in spite of being so physically exhausted? Maybe you sleep all through the night but wake up feeling like you didn't sleep an hour. How do you get back to sleeping through the night and waking up feeling energized?  The truth is that there are multiple areas within the body that can play a role in chronic fatigue. To properly support a patient with chronic fatigue it is imperative to evaluate the hippocampus in the brain (which sets and regulates your circadian rhythm), the thyroid gland, the adrenal glands, and blood sugar regulation. For today we are going to focus on the adrenal glands and blood sugar.

The adrenal glands sit right on top of your kidneys and are your "stress" glands. When your body is under any type of stress (chemical, emotional, or physical) your adrenal glands help your body react to that stress.  In times of overwhelming or chronic stress the adrenals can begin to fatigue which results in an inappropriate response to stress. Today, blood sugar dys-regulation is an epidemic. There are two sides to the blood sugar story. We have diabetes, and pre-diabetes (aka insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome), which are characterized by elevations of blood sugar. Some of the most characteristic symptoms of insulin resistance are fatigue after meals, increased waist girth, and craving sweets after meals.  Then we have hypoglycemia, or more commonly reactive hypoglycemia. This is a condition in which the blood sugar drops too low. This is characterized by symptoms of feeling irritable if meals are missed, craving sweets throughout the day, and feeling better energized after eating a meal.

Any time blood sugar elevates or drops outside of optimal levels the adrenal glands respond by altering cortisol production. When you have poor blood sugar regulation or chronic stress patterns this will alter your cortisol rhythm. Maintaining a normal rhythm of cortisol release through the day and night is essential to maintaining good energy throughout the day and sleeping soundly through the night.  If cortisol levels are too low during the morning you will wake up with no energy. If the cortisol levels drop too rapidly during the day your energy will drop as well. If your cortisol levels elevate at night you will suffer with insomnia.  An adrenal salivary index, which checks your cortisol levels at four times throughout the day can be very helpful in understanding why your energy levels and sleep rhythms have been altered.  If you have questions or would like to learn more about how to maximize your energy throughout the day call my office at 763-398-7770. God bless.

Joshua Huffman, D.C., D.A.C.N.B., D.A.A.I.M.
Board Certified in Chiropractic Neurology and Integrative Medicine

How to Save Your Heart!

Everyone reading this knows how important the heart is, but how effectively are we as a nation taking care of it? Heart Disease is the #1 killer in the U.S.  Most of us like to blame our elevated cholesterol levels on bad genes. The truth of the matter is that bad cholesterol is merely an indicator of a problem and really tells you nothing in regards to what is actually putting you at risk of heart disease. The factors that are most commonly referenced in relation to heart attack risk are weight, smoking, lack of exercise, poor diet and bad genes. While all of these are important considerations they are not the entire story. You may know someone who has told you they eat a very healthy diet but they cannot lose weight, or get their cholesterol levels down. In this type of a case the temptation may be to chalk it up to bad genes, begin taking a statin, and move on. I want to propose that we dig deeper to find out what is truly at the heart of this #1 killer in America.

The primary driving force behind heart disease is...INFLAMMATION! There you have it. I have wrapped "heart disease" up into one word. But what does that really mean? Inflammation in the body is often thought of as a tissue injury that induces pain. This can certainly be the case but the primary type of inflammation that I am referring to (as increasing one's risk of heart disease) is a more systemic inflammatory process. Our immune systems are one of the primary drivers of inflammation in the body. When your immune system reacts to an antigen (virus, bacteria, fungus, yeast, parasite), a food, an emotional stress, or an environmental toxin you have production of cytokines. The release of cytokines produces an inflammatory reaction throughout the body. This inflammatory process can lead to damage of the endothelial lining of the arteries which may set into motion the beginning of this degenerative condition.

Every individual that has elevations in cholesterol, blood sugar, C-reactive protein, fibrinogen, or homocysteine needs to have comprehensive lab testing performed to assess their individual condition. In order to most effectively help prevent heart disease we need to be able to support each individuals immune system in a way that helps to reduce these inflammatory processes. If you have any further questions feel free to reach me by email at drhuffman@moundsviewchiro.com or at my office at 763-398-7770. God Bless.

Sincerely,

Dr. Joshua Huffman
Board Certified in Chiropractic Neurology and Integrative Medicine

Chiropractic Neurology

Whether you are suffering from a chronic debilitating neurological disease or just want to optimize peak performance a chiropractic neurologist may be the health care professional you are seeking.  Chiropractic neurologists implement specific treatments aimed at restoring function to areas of degeneration in the brain. Every person has neurons degenerating in the brain every minute of every day.  This degeneration can be accelerated by metabolic disorders such as diabetes, hypothyroidism, and anemia.  Neuro-degeneration is also accelerated by trauma. Car accidents and sports injuries are two of the most common forms of trauma that will lead to degeneration in the brain.  Many times the early signs of neuro-degeneration are minor and therefore ignored.  When you forget where you parked your car, or what you walked into the room to get, you may find yourself wrongly assuming that this is a normal part of aging. Changes in temperament, energy, memory, smell, and ability to focus are just a few of the signs that a brain is degenerating. Even early changes of brain degeneration can hinder your ability at work or in your athletic activities. The more common conditions associated with neuro-degeneration such as parkinsons, alzheimers, and dementia are increasing in frequency every year. These are debilitating conditions, that have devastating effects not only on the individual with the disease, but also on their family. Optimizing your brains health by working with a chiropractic neurologist can help prevent these devastating disorders. Chiropractic neurologists are able to identify damaged or weak areas in the brain and prescribe specific therapies to strengthen and rehabilitate these damaged areas.  Chiropractic neurologists have been successfully helping patients with autism, ADHD, neuropathy, balance disorders,  parkinsons, alzheimers, stroke, and many other conditions for years. It is my recommendation that every person receive a functional neurological evaluation whether they have a neurological disorder or are hoping to take preventative measures.  In order to find a doctor of chiropractic that specializes in neurology visit the websites www.lifechangingcare.com and www.acnb.org.  Dr. Huffman's office can be reached at 763-398-7770 with any questions. God bless.

-Dr. Joshua Huffman, D.C.

ADHD and ADD Answers for Parents

In my office I routinely work with children who are having a hard time in school.  It is becoming more and more common for these kids to be diagnosed with a neurobehavioral disorder.  Regardless, of what "label" has been put on your child I want to take a few minutes to explain what is happening in your child's brain that may affect him/her throughout life if not corrected.  For parents, I know it can be frustrating when your child is not doing as well in school as you had hoped for them.  It is very important that you understand what may be causing your child's difficulties, and that there are measures that can be taken to help your child.

In children with ADHD/ADD we see that they have a "Functional Disconnection" between the two hemispheres of their brain.  For whatever reason, whether it be poor diet, vaccinations, molds, subluxations, birth trauma, etc., the right side of their brain has failed to develop appropriately.  In turn, this causes the child's left brain to over-fire.  When this brain imbalance exists, it creates an inability for your child to inhibit impulses.  Let me explain further...

I want you to think of the right brain as your brake pedal.  It helps you to inhibit impulses whether they are movements or thoughts.  Therefore when your child is sitting in class and there are noises around them, their right brain fails to categorize these noises as "trivial" and your child's natural reflexes dictate that they "investigate" the change in their environment.  This is why these kids with right brain deficits are inattentive and have a hard time focusing.  There are many other consequences of these right brain deficiencies but that is for a different day.

The important thing to note here is that your child's brain is malleable, meaning it is susceptible to permanent changes for good or bad depending on the stimulation it receives.  In my practice we focus on helping these kids by balancing their brain's activities through brain based stimulation.  Unlike many other "therapies" available for children with neurobehavioral disorders we locate the exact regions of cortical function that are failing to work appropriately and aim treatment at stimulating that specific region.  If you would like more information on the techniques I use in my office to help children with ADHD and ADD contact my office at 763-398-7770 and request my FREE DVD for our ADHD/ADD Recovery Program.

In closing, I always like to give you a practical piece of information that you can immediately apply to help your child.  I mentioned above the importance of stimulating the weak right brain in these kids.  It is equally important to decrease stimulation to the over-firing left brain.  Activities that stimulate the left brain include: TV watching, video games, and computer use.  Just something for you to consider.

Dr. Josh Huffman, D.C.

Allergy Testing?

Allergies promote inflammatory responses in the body that lead to pain, arthritis, metabolic diseases, and even brain degeneration.  The problem is you have to know what type of allergy you are dealing with.  Traditionally when we think of allergies we think of IgE responses.  IgE responses are allergies that are immediate reactions.  These are the types of allergies that can lead to anaphylactic shock.  So, if you are stung by a bee for example, and you have in IgE response you will see instant swelling.  This type of allergic response does not lead to the degenerative changes that I listed above.

You see, the less talked about allergic response, IgA allergies are the form of allergic response that can quietly lead to chronic inflammatory and degenerative conditions, that leave an individual feeling frustrated and looking for answers.  IgA allergies are delayed response allergies.  Many times individuals have IgA responses to foods that they eat every day and they are completely unaware of the degeneration that is taking place in their body as a result of this.  With IgA allergies you do not get symptoms for 6-36 hours after exposure. You can see how this may make it difficult for an individual to identify these allergies.  Many times it is this type of chronic immune response that leads to the development of seasonal allergies, chronic infections, and asthmatic changes.

I regularly run labwork in my office to check for these types of allergies.  If you are suffering any chronic or neurodegenerative condition you must get checked for these IgA allergic responses, as they may be one of the driving forces behind your condition.  If you have further questions or are interested in getting checked for these allergies call my office at 763-398-7770. 

God bless,
Dr. Joshua Huffman, D.C.

Thyroid Sufferers!

Hi Everyone, Dr. Huffman here. Today I wanted to share some information on a disorder that I believe to be one of the most mismanaged conditions in America. If you are suffering from hypothyroidism, chances are you have received thyroid hormone replacement but still feel fatigued, lethargic, depressed, overweight, and just plain out worn down.

Let me ask you this. Do you know what type of hypothyroidism you have? If your anything like the thyroid patients I see in my office daily, you have never been told what type of hypothyroidism you have. There are actually 22 patterns of hypothyroid function, and the majority of these do not respond to hormone replacement therapy. So if you want to receive true freedom from this condition, you MUST discover what is causing your thyroid to dysfunction.

Here is the good news. I am going to explain the 7 major patterns of hypothyroidism next Wednesday night. I will also be going over the lab tests that you have not had performed that MUST be done if you are going to experience relief from your thyroid dysfunction. This information will change your life. So make sure to write it on your calendar and call our office at 763-398-7770 to reserve your seat, because seating is limited and they are filling up fast.

Again, this breakthrough seminar on thyroid disorders will be held on Wednesday December 15th, at 6:30 pm in our office located at 2220 County Hwy 10, Mounds View, MN 55112 (Right next door to the Mermaid Event Center).

We'll see you Wednesday!

Dr. Josh Huffman, D.C.