[bernadette]

Hi  – please email Eman directly to see if there’s something she can do about the currency: eman.alattar@analytikaldna.com

[bernadette]

they’ll have access to Thorne and Seeking Health brands on iHerb

[bernadette]

 sure – high homocysteine is indicative of methylation issues which could be due to MTHFR mutations, or vitamin B12 and protein absorption. The recommendation to supplement with a methylated B complex would be helpful in this situation as well.

[bernadette]

 let us know if you have any clarifying questions…

[bernadette]

Hi – heart arrhythmias can be caused by a number of different root cause factors so without knowing anything else about your father’s health history and lifestyle habits, I will share the most common reasons and try to connect them to the few markers you’ve shared.

But first, please read through the possible root cause factors for high blood pressure in this Symptom Dictionary handout because you’ll see it overlap with the reasons below.

First off, it seems blood sugar dysregulation might be a major player in his case given the high glucose, LDL, and liver enzymes, which as you know can occur over the years as a result of a diet that is high in sugar/simple carbs (i.e. flour & baked goods, sweet foods, desserts, alcohol, etc) and/or chronic stress.

It would be wise to measure his fasting insulin if it wasn’t measured, along with his HbA1c and fasting glucose – all at once to get a better picture of his blood sugar status. HOMA-IR is another marker to check for insulin resistance.

With higher blood sugar levels, the body will have a much higher need for magnesium. It takes 56 molecules of magnesium to process 1 molecule of glucose, and low magnesium can lead to arrhythmia. In fact,  this is a good article on the role/potential of magnesium in various types of arrhythmia.

Ideally, measure RBC magnesium level first, so he can monitor levels along with symptoms. But with or without testing, it’s generally safe to start supplementing at a low dose (~200mg) and increasing slowly if there is no kidney disease. Either a magnesium glycinate or taurate form (twice daily with food) would be good options.

A lack or imbalance of other electrolytes may contribute to all types of arrhythmia as well as high blood pressure. Ensure sufficiency of potassium in particular, especially via potassium-rich foods. You can find more information on how to increase potassium in the Mineral Balance course HERE. For low dose supplementation, he can consider filtered water with added electrolytes too.

You didn’t mention his stress levels, but all forms of arrhythmia are aggravated by overall high levels and/or surges of stress hormones.
• Poor stress management. Meditation, yoga, avoiding intense exercise and getting enough rest and sleep may help. Consider scheduled time blocks of mindful breathing (~5 min.) that can help to activate a parasympathetic nervous system mode. Daily gratitude journaling may also help to reduce his stress hypervigilance. He may also benefit from 100-300 mg of L-theanine, a calming amino acid that is helpful for increasing the inhibitory effects of GABA. Calming adaptogens such as holy basil or ashwagandha are also worth considering.
• Cortisol imbalance. A urinary with salivary CAR (cortisol awakening response) adrenal assessment would be very helpful to understand if his cortisol levels are high or low and what his curve looks like. In the interim, consider a methylated B-complex with adequate B6 (ideally in the P5P form).
• Genetic impairment in the ability to metabolize catecholamines, epinephrine and norepinephrine (COMT SNP). This could lead to higher levels remaining in circulation to exert their effects on the heart and other tissues.
• Adrenaline surges in response to specific triggers. Helping him identify what these are could be instrumental in reducing occurrence/severity, and often there are multiple ones at play. • Does he have episodes after eating? Perhaps there are food sensitivities. Food journaling or food sensitivity testing (combo IgA/IgG or IgG with complement) could help identify them. Note: Not sure if you saw, but we’re having the owner of KBMO come talk to us in December and they’re offering our members 35% off the test as part of the experiential learning opportunity. He might want to consider getting a KBMO food sensitivity and gut barrier (leaky gut) panel done. The deadline for ordering is Friday, November 10 to be able to get his results in time before the Dec 7 call.
• Does his heart race in the middle of the night? Perhaps blood sugar dips are causing adrenaline surges. Balancing blood sugar levels is going to be key.
• Are they sporadic? Perhaps toxins like mold or EMFs are causing adrenaline surges based on physical location.

Consider reviewing the work of Steven Sinatra, MD who has written extensively about the use of magnesium, CoQ10, D-ribose, L-carnitine and omega 3s for arrhythmia and other cardiovascular issues. Check out this article and his book, The Sinatra Solution.
Finally, consider reducing his intake of stimulating food and/or beverages like caffeine (e.g. coffee, soda, tea), chocolate, MSG, and sugars/sweeteners. These substances increase the stimulatory hormones that he likely needs to reduce.

Hope this helps give you both areas to explore and consider.

[bernadette]

I would encourage you to watch the section on Calcium inside the Mineral Balance course. Start with this video here and watch the remaining videos on calcium to better understand how to support bone health and the minerals and hormones at play.

You could also listen to the session we had with Dr. Manjari where she explained which homeopathic cell salt she gives her elder parents for bone support towards the end. It’s something else to consider.

[bernadette]

as a minimum, make sure it’s 3rd party certified and organic. Ask pharmacist/physician for correct potency & form for your situation.

They come in many different types of concentrations and formulas such as CBD only or with other cannabinoids including THC. You can also find full spectrum products. But in general using it locally with a topical cream/balm and/or edible oil is helpful with pain and inflammation.

Finding the right type and dose is an art and it’s best to get guidance from a physician or pharmacist using cannabis in their practice.

[bernadette]

you may want to try adding an incline to your bed/mattress if possible to help with sleeping on your back if you find that uncomfortable

[bernadette]

– just checking in. How are you doing?

[bernadette]

❤️❤️

[bernadette]

I’m actually finalising the details with the owner of KBMO to be our December guest expert! For this session, he’ll be discussing the difference in KBMO technology and accuracy. I’ve also asked him to provide a nice discount for our members to be able to order a test and have a few members’ results interpreted by him on the call. We’ll be sending out an email announcement about that soon!!

And yes, it’s a great way to get “buy-in”. Data can be a powerful driver to make changes.

Regarding the probiotic, if there’s anyone travelling that can hand-carry it, that’s how some of my clients do it. And you can check specific strains in the Fullscript search for ingredients to help you find one with those strains. But again, refrigeration might be required.

And I’m glad to hear that his inflammation is being well managed. Removing food sensitivities will continue to help with that as well.

[bernadette]

 correct – mastic gum is known to work against H. pylori by inhibiting its growth, reducing inflammation, strengthening the stomach lining, and promoting mucin production. Therefore, its effect on stomach acid  production is more indirect. Since mastic gum helps combat H Pylori overgrowth, stomach acid production should improve on its own over time.

You can watch the entire section on “How Digestion Works” in the Gut Health Masterclass or simply the video on stomach/stomach acid for a better understanding of how it works.

I also explain how digestive dysfunctions in the stomach… you can watch those videos in the section “How Dysfunction Happens”. Worth taking the time to watch both sections for a much better understanding. Hope it helps clarify things for you.

[bernadette]

 split up mastic gum – away from food. And bitters aren’t likely strong enough, so it wouldn’t be my choice to support stomach acid.

[bernadette]

there does seem to be a pattern of possible anemia, but always keep in mind his symptoms and current experience, and ask why.

With ulcerative colitis, the ulceration of the colon’s lining can lead to bleeding so this could affect his red blood cell values.

And inflammation in the colon can impair the absorption of essential nutrients, including iron and vitamin B12, in the small intestine. A deficiency in these nutrients can lead to different types of anemia.

Additional testing such as an iron panel with ferritin, and vitamin B12 or methylmalonic acid can help confirm/rule this out.

But ultimately, given the autoimmune dynamic, focusing on bringing better balance to his gut microbiome is the goal while his medication helps reduce the inflammation temporarily.

For example, UC flares are associated with low butyrate, while remission is associated with increasing levels of Faecalibacterium prausnitzii (butyrate producer). Here’s the study on that.

Other things to consider and keep in mind to help gut and digestion:
• How well does he digest his food and therefore absorb nutrients? Digestive enzymes can be considered as rapid relief. Was H Pylori overgrowth ruled out? If not, it’s probably worth testing it with a comprehensive stool test.

• 100% gluten-free and dairy-free diet and optimize vitamin D, zinc and vitamin A (for immune support) . A food sensitivity test like KBMO can help remove highly sensitive foods that are likely contributing to the inflammation as well. These should be removed temporarily while actively working on gut healing and microbiome balancing.

• Oral aloe vera gel (gut soothing); collagen (arginine, glutamine, histidine, glycine, threonine, serine, proline) plus tryptophan;

• Certain herbs: ex. quercetin (anti-inflammatory and shifts microbiome), tormentil (for diarrhea, intestinal inflammation),  wheat grass juice; curcumin; chamomile (apigenin); white willow bark, evening primrose oil, Andrographis, Boswellia (especially if curcumin not tolerated) bilberries; astragalus, Scutellaria Baicalensis Georgi, Wedelia chinensis, cardamom, ginseng, colostrum

• Probiotics (like Visbiome brand, Lactobacillus plantarum 299V,
Bifidobacterium longum35624)

•  Butyrate (oral, suppository) as mentioned above.

Hope this helps give you some other things to consider.

[bernadette]

 I totally understand. I have had to disconnect from social media for my family’s sake and for my clients and members. I can’t focus or do anything otherwise.

Take care of yourself and know that it’s not selfish.