September 1, 2009
Contents:
- In Memory of Harry Foster
- KYOTOPlus - Canada's Largest, Most Urgent Climate Change Campaign
- Hidden Food Allergies May Be Affecting You
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In Memory of Harry Foster
by Brian SchaeferI first met Harry in May of 2005. I had just entered the world of natural medicine and in light of this my wife and a variety of her colleagues at the University of Victoria enthusiastically recommended that I meet Harry Foster. I had recently met an interesting group of medical researchers from England, so I sent Harry an email to that effect and Harry quickly wrote back stating that he was keen to hear all about their work - lunch was set. Harry proved to be all that my wife and her colleagues claimed - one of the most fascinating and wonderful people that I had ever met. He greeted new research ideas with great enthusiasm and support and always had valuable contributions to make. His insights and research into the causes of the major diseases that we face are without precedent.
Upon meeting Harry, I quickly let my colleagues in England know that I had met a medical researcher in Victoria that they had to meet. They started to read Harry's work and as each of them made their way out to Victoria I introduced them to Harry. Great friendships developed, plans for future collaboration were discussed and they were always keen to get together with Harry whenever they came to the West Coast of Canada. Harry in turn always enjoyed trading research stories with them along with catching up on the news from England.
The first suggestion that Harry made to me was that I should meet the wonderful people at Health Action Network. Harry had been a long-time supporter of Health Action Network and a most valued speaker at Health Action Network events. He spoke in the highest terms of the work done by this great organization and with great affection for all those involved. The second suggestion that Harry made was that I needed to meet the people at the International Society for Orthomolecular Medicine (ISOM) and to kick this off he introduced me to his long time friend and research collaborator Dr. Abram Hoffer. I have been attending HANS events and ISOM conferences ever since. Both of these suggestions have proved to be invaluable.
Harry and I quickly became friends and we met for lunch on a regular basis. These lunch meetings were always a great delight, especially trading stories with Harry. As you might guess, it was a rather uneven trade. For every story that I would have to tell, Harry would have ten, all delivered with passion and humour. For every insight that I might offer, Harry would offer twenty. Indicative of the person that he was, nothing put a smile on Harry's face quicker than a story of someone that had overcome a dreadful disease and returned to the joys of life.
Harry dedicated his life to improving people's health - that is just the person that he was. He leaves us with a wealth of insights into diseases as diverse as AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer's, multiple sclerosis, schizophrenia and sudden infant death syndrome, to name a few. Harry was exceptionally generous with his intellect and the products of his intellect. The books that he sole authored are available, free of charge, on his website:
http://www.fosterhealth.ca/foster/publications.html
In August, Harry died after a brief illness. His kindness, generosity, humour and support have touched all who met him. His dedication to conquering the major diseases of our time touches all of us. The world of natural medicine has lost one of its most significant contributors and enthusiastic supporters. Health Action Network has lost a very dear friend. Harry will always remain with us as an everlasting source of inspiration and motivation and his work will point us towards disease recovery for decades to come.
So how on earth did we lose Harry so soon? The only thought that makes any sense to me is perhaps he was let out early for good behaviour. Thanks for your friendship, support and all you have done Harry. We will miss you.
Dr. Brian Schaefer
Acquired Intelligence Inc
Victoria B.C.
Canada
1 250 483 3640
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KYOTOPlus - Canada's Largest, Most Urgent Climate Change Campaign
by Climate Action Network Canada A recently released research paper (commissioned by the BC government) declared the urgent need for a 'Made in BC' health care strategy to deal with the impacts of climate change on public health.
READ MORE HERE:
http://www.canada.com/technology/Report+foresees+dra...
Your help has never been more important. Governments have been warned about the potentially catastrophic consequences if climate change is ignored. But Canada's government is still not listening.
"Canada now stands dead last amongst the G8 Nations in protecting our shared home from the threat of dangerous climate change."
- WWF Report (July 1, 2009)
The Canadian federal government's failure to act is an international embarrassment that threatens the well-being of future generations throughout the world.
What can you do?
1. Sign the KYOTOplus Petition.
2. Call on your local MP to sign the KYOTOplus Politician's Pledge. Your email, letter or phone call will make a difference! Thanks to the participation of citizens like you 137 Federal MPs have already signed the Pledge. We only need 18 more signatures to have a majority of MPs!
Click here to send a letter to your MP:
http://www.greenpeace.org/canada/en/campaigns/kyotop...
3. Tell your friends & family by sending them an email here:
http://kyotoplus.greenpeace.ca/visitor/index.php?eve...
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Hidden Food Allergies May Be Affecting You
by Dr. Kris Bentz, NDDo you suffer from heartburn, indigestion, occasional nausea? Are you often aggravated by gas and bloating with frequent occurrence of loose or watery stools? You could be suffering from chronic food allergens and they could be draining your daily performance.
Did you know that headaches, blood sugar imbalance, runny-nose, asthma, rashes, and joint pain are all common symptoms of food allergies? Even diseases like ulcerative colitis, Crohn's disease, irritable bowel syndrome and celiac disease can have their roots in the chronic ingestion of food allergens. Furthermore, seasonal allergies to pollens and grasses can often times be traced back to eating plants that are part of the same family.
Food allergies fall into two general categories, acute and chronic. Acute are more severe, often resulting in life-threatening symptoms such as inflammation of the upper gastrointestinal tract and airways, leading to constriction of the throat and difficulty breathing, also known as anaphylaxis. This "type-1 immediate hypersensitivity reaction" is mediated by a group of antibodies called immunoglobulin-E [also known as IgE], which react immediately to severely threatening allergens. The most common offending foods in this category are peanuts, tree-nuts, shellfish and eggs.
I would like to discuss chronic food allergies in the form of a "type-3 hypersensitivity reaction"--the same reaction outlined years ago by Dr. Richard Trevino MD and Dr. Hamilton Dixon MD in their book, Food Allergy. This kind of reaction is primarily mediated by a group of antibodies called IgG that respond hours to days after ingesting food allergens. This leads to the aforementioned nagging everyday symptoms that continuously rob your vital energy reserves compromising your daily athletic training and work regimens.
Leaky Gut Syndrome
Up to 70 percent of our immune system is located along our gastrointestinal tract. It takes energy to run our immune systems, just like the many other systems of the body. When we are constantly fighting our foods like we would a bacteria or parasite, it can put tremendous drain on our vital energy reserves, tiring our adrenals and leaving us more susceptible to repeated illnesses such as colds and flus.
When food allergens, also known as antigens, are ingested, they irritate the gastrointestinal tract and cause inflammation. This inflammation damages cells known as enterocytes and causes them to pull apart at their bonding sites leading to a gapping and portal entry-site for food antigens. Food antigens, which are actually large molecules of food, can then slip through these gaps and stimulate an immune response.
Chronic inflammation of our enterocytes causes decreased absorption of nutrients and over time can lead to malnutrition. This malnutrition can further lead to other symptoms such as anxiety, muscle cramping and decreased stamina especially during exercise.
In 2007, Wilders-Truschnig et al. carried out a study at the Medical University of Graz, Austria, exploring the impact of anti-food antibodies in obese children. They found not only that obese children had IgG concentrations that were about 2.5-fold higher than normal weight children, but also that this was correlated to an increase in low-grade systemic inflammation and thickening of the carotid artery. It has been strongly suggested that low-grade systemic inflammation may play a role in insulin resistance, obesity, atherosclerosis and diabetes mellitus.
Laboratory Testing
Currently, the most widely used methods of choice for determining food allergies are still the skin-prick test and RAST [radioallergosorbent] test. Although these tests are sufficient for determining acute or IgE-mediated reactions which can often be seen in the skin as wheals or hives, it is a poor test for determining chronic or IgG-mediated reactions with a delayed onset of symptoms.
Raymond M. Suen and Shalima Gordon ND published a paper in 2003 in the Townsend Letter for Doctors and Patients outlining IgG antibodies and their implications in systemic health. They point out the fact that considering most food allergies are not acute and IgE-mediated, these two methods for determining food allergies uncover little with regards to chronic food allergy symptoms. They highlight that the current conventional method for testing may be largely obsolete stressing the importance of IgG measurement.
The lab test I like to use for diagnosing food allergies is the ELISA [enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay] test. It is an accurate test for immediate and delayed food allergies. In most cases, a simple blood spot test measuring IgG antibodies from just a few drops of blood from the finger is all that is required. However, if acute food allergy symptoms are in the patient's history, more blood is required via venipuncture to measure the IgE-mediated reaction.
No matter what type of immune reaction is suspected, the basic panel that I utilize measures the patient's response to 96 general foods and categorizes these reactions from no reaction to extremely high.
Naturopathic Treatment
Upon the identification of any food allergens, most patients present with at least one to three triggers. Although wheat, dairy, and eggs are among the most common, reactions vary significantly with each person. The patient is asked to refrain from their food triggers for a period of three to six months depending on the severity of reaction.
By avoiding these offending foods, the gastrointestinal tract has a chance to heal and reseal the junctions between the enterocytes, closing-off the entry-site of food antigens and thus reducing general systemic inflammation and its associated symptoms.
Most times, a naturopathic prescription will go hand-in-hand with the food elimination process. The treatment plan may include vitamins, amino acids, herbs, and probiotics and are designed to rebuild gastrointestinal integrity and rebalance the immune system.
After elimination of the food allergens for an appropriate amount of time, foods can generally be reintroduced back into the diet in rotation. This means instead of eating the food every day, or three times a day, it is reintroduced in a meal plan that cycles it through a few times a week at the most.
The rotation diet is a very healthy diet as it ensures the body is getting a variety of foods providing adequate nutrition from various sources. This resembles more closely what our diet was like prior to the mass production of processed foods.
Processed foods often contain multiple ingredients that are used as fillers and binders, wheat and gluten for example, causing us to be exposed to them more than we naturally should be. It is largely this continuous re-exposure that is a chronic insult to our gastrointestinal tissues, leading to a chronic immune reaction and associated symptoms.
Most patients feel significantly better on the rotation diet. Not only do their food allergy symptoms clear-up, but they aso often experience newfound energy as their nutritive reserves are reloaded. The supplement prescriptions usually add increased emotional stability along with a new sense of vitality and well-being.
If you feel as though food allergens may be compromising your enjoyment in life, consult a naturopathic physician to uncover the root cause of your illness.
Dr. Kris Bentz ND operates a general practice at Agape Natural Wellness Centre in Vancouver and at Sport Central in Richmond, BC. He has a special focus in Sports Medicine, and a keen interest in Sports Performance Enhancement. For more information call: 604 737 2273. Web: www.agapenatural.com