Archive for the ‘Wellness’ Category

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Who wants to do the Paleo Diet quick start 30 day program with me?

Thursday, September 8th, 2011

Let’s do the 30 day quickstart together!!! Let’s start September 12th and go for it!  Who is with me?

Here is the link to copy your own quick start guide. I got mine from robbwolf.com and it is the easiest way to do it. There are other resources out there too but this one is easy.

http://robbwolf.us2.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=51021876189adc8125a6a9578&id=90b481e89b 

You have to subscribe to his newsletter to get the free guide. His newsletter is great btw!

Basically, it is a diet of protein, fruits, veg, and nuts/seeds/fats. No grains or beans! Dairy is questionable. If you have any digestive issues or skin issues I say avoid dairy too but those of you who can tolerate go for it.

Exercise–You may not feel great for 2-3 weeks as you cleanse and your blood sugar changes for the better. Concentrate on rest and recovery. Lift heavy things and do intervals occassionally to keep fitness in check. Listen to your body.

Lose some weight and get healthier! Lower your cholesterol, blood sugar, and inflammation with this 30 day quick start.

Let’s rock it!

****10% off any paleo products in my office this next week if you mention this blog*****

Posted in Lastest Products, Weight Loss, Wellness | 3 Comments »

Depression sucks…is it brain chemistry or situational life crud?

Friday, July 1st, 2011

I hear the word “depression or depressed” everyday in my office. I should count the number of times it comes up in a week…it would be sad, very sad. I am not doubting that people are depressed but does everyone need a drug to fix it? Does everyone have low serotonin and need a ROCKET bolus of serotonin to function? I saw NO WAY. The drugs (Prozac, Wellbutrin, Cymbalta, Zoloft, et al…) can help some people but most end up on them far too long and for far too many wrong reasons. These drugs happen to be the most commonly prescribed drugs in America and are prescribed for everything from pain to PMS to headaches. WTF? Don’t just take your Docs recommendation…think about the drugs you are choosing.

There are many natural ways to help depression. First, we must discern between brain issue depression and situational depression. Brain depression (my own name for it) is true serotonin disorder…your serotonin is F’d up for some reason (genetics usually). Situational depression is caused by stress and emotions and can actually lower brain serotonin for awhile until the stressor is removed and then comes up on it’s own.

For true brain depression and situational depression there are several natural rememdies that can help.

1.Omega 3 fats–fish/flax oil  (4000-6000mg/day) one with higher EPA works best.

2.D3–check levels to ensure 65-80mg/dl in your blood. 5000iu per day is what my white Montana patients get.

3.5-HTP–100 to 200 mg before bed can be a miracle (it is a precursor to serotonin)

4.Fix hormonal imbalances…thyroid and female hormones can contribute to brain depression.

5.Diet–protein, protein, protein, no grains, no grains, no grains…see previous posts on the PALEO subject for more.

6. Herbs–St.Johns Wort, Ashwaganda, Rhodiola, Lemon Balm, and others.

Situational depression often warrants adrenal (stress) gland treatment. I use glandulars, B-vitamins, hormones, diet to correct the stress induced depression. I do test for adrenal issues using saliva testing.

I wanted to mention a new test we have at the office. It is neurotransmitter test. It evaluates all your brain chemistry neurotransmitters. It is pretty darn cool. It can help people with any brain issue…anxiety, insomnia, depression, mood swings, ADD/ADHD etc…The lab gives me a complete neurotransmitter profile and gives natural treatment recommendations. Alot of amino acids etc…are used to balance the brain.

So I guess that no matter what your depression is about or from, the above things may help you. I urge you to try the natural route before messing with the serotonin drugs. I have seen so many people on them for the wrong reasons (hot flashes are my personal favorite….say what?), and then people end up on them for far too long.

Have a great Fourth of July weekend…I am heading to a GOT GRIT obstacle course race in Choteau, MONTANA…sounds fun, eh?

Dr.GB

Posted in Hormone Balance, Uncategorized, Wellness | No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome »

PALEO POWER is not for PUSSIES…or is it?

Monday, June 20th, 2011

Hey GIRLS (and boys for that matter)….I completed my first duathlon yesterday on complete PALEO POWER food. The duathlon consisted of a 3.1 mile run then a 12 mile bike ended with another 3.1 mile run. I completed the race in 1 hour and 30 minutes….pretty good for an old lady (36). I got 2nd place overall for the woman! The point of this post is to give kudos to the PALEO eating style for women (aka pussies…lol!).

This morning as I post this I realize that I am NOT sore. My muscles feeel great and I am recovered perfectly. I could work out today but won’t to allow my muscles to recover totally. I have been eating 75-100 grams of protein per day from meat, eggs, and a bit of protein powder. I have been eating NO grains and NO beans for about 4-5 weeks. I have cheated a bit here and there because of food necessity but other than that been pretty good. I have been eating lots of fruit, veg, nuts/seeds, and coconut products too. Yum!  I now BELIEVE in the POWER of this primitive eating style. I wasn’t running after a deer for dinner but I did chase down lots of men and women on my run/bike!

Another side benefit to eating PALEO is the fact that my raging PMS has all but gone away. Ask my husband? Last cycle was so much calmer than usual…this one should even be better. I usually take herbs/progesterone to help this but haven’t taken for 6 weeks to see the changes from the diet alone.

I also am NOT bloated, tired, sick, sore, constipated, zitted out, or anything…..This NO GRAIN/BEAN thing is right on target! In fact, my guts feel great…no irritation baby!

Give it a shot for 30 days…you won’t be sorry. Check out robbwolf.com for a 30 day quick start guide and shopping list. I plan to do my own soon and will be offering the supplements you need on the program in my NEW  online store…coming soon.

Dr.GB

Posted in Funny Stories, Hormone Balance, Soapbox, Uncategorized, Weight Loss, Wellness | No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome »

How many carbs should I feed my ass? Depends on the size…lol!

Thursday, June 16th, 2011

How many carbs is OK? Where do we get carbs? Remember, you can get all the carbs you need from fruit, veggies, and sweet potatoes. You do NOT need whole grains, bread, pasta, etc to achieve carb bliss. In fact, if you cut these gut irritating foods you will feel better and your ass will thank you (because it will shrink!).

Here is a simple guide to help you out….read labels and start adding up your carbs for the day.

300 or more grams/day - FAT ASS ZONE

Easy to reach with the “normal” American diet (cereals, pasta, rice, bread, waffles, pancakes, muffins, soft drinks, packaged snacks, sweets, desserts). High risk of excess fat storage, inflammation, increased disease markers including Metabolic Syndrome or diabetes. Sharp reduction of grains and other processed carbs is critical unless you are on the “chronic cardio” treadmill (which has its own major drawbacks).

150-300 grams/day – Slow gain zone.

Continued higher insulin-stimulating effect prevents efficient fat burning and contributes to widespread chronic disease conditions. This range – irresponsibly recommended by the USDA and other diet authorities – can lead to the statistical US average gain of 1.5 pounds of fat per year for forty years.

100-150 grams/day – Keep your ASS sexy zone.

This range based on body weight and activity level. When combined with Primal exercises, allows for genetically optimal fat burning and muscle development. Range derived from Grok’s (ancestors’) example of enjoying abundant vegetables and fruits and avoiding grains and sugars.

50-100 grams/day – Lose some of your ass zone.

Minimizes insulin production and ramps up fat metabolism. By meeting average daily protein requirements (.7 – 1 gram per pound of lean bodyweight formula), eating nutritious vegetables and fruits (easy to stay in 50-100 gram range, even with generous servings), and staying satisfied with delicious high fat foods (meat, fish, eggs, nuts, seeds), you can lose one to two pounds of body fat per week and then keep it off forever by eating in the maintenance range.

0-50 grams/day – YOUR ASS IS Melting BABY!

Acceptable for a day or two of Intermittent Fasting towards aggressive weight loss efforts, provided adequate protein, fat and supplements are consumed otherwise. May be ideal for many diabetics. Not necessarily recommended as a long-term practice for otherwise healthy people due to resultant deprivation of high nutrient value vegetables and fruits.

Posted in Uncategorized, Weight Loss, Wellness | 3 Comments »

Bioidentical hormones or bust…

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

 

　

What are bio-identical hormones anyway?

How many times have you read or heard about hormones in the last couple years?? Maybe you have a special interest in hormones because of your age or another reason? Well, I am here to tell you that the media lumps all HORMONES into one big basket. All HORMONES are NOT created equal.

There are two types of hormones. Bio-identical hormones are one type and synthetic hormones are the other type. Let’s talk about the synthetic hormones first. Synthetic hormones are hormones that are made in a lab from either chemicals or even animal (horse) hormones. These fake hormones are put into pills, injections, creams and patches for human use. Birth control pills, premarin/provera, estrace, ogen, FemHrt, etc..are some examples of synthetic hormones. These synthetic hormones are NOT a perfect match for a woman’s hormones but a hormone starved body sometimes thinks “close enough”.

Synthetic hormones are what almost 99% of all media is talking about especially when the article speaks of the dangers of hormones and hormone replacement. There are several studies that prove negative side effects of synthetic hormones. Doctors still prescribe them and folks still take them. WHY? I think it is because perhaps neither the doctor nor the patient knows of any alternative to synthetics. If you were sleep deprived from hot flashes you might not care what you are putting in your body!

Now let’s talk about bio-identical hormones. These hormones are from plant sources. They are tinkered with in a lab to make them active (you can’t just eat the plant and get active hormone) and then humans can use as a hormone replacer. They can be combined to form the perfect hormone regime for you…creams, gels, sublinguals, lozenges, or capsules. Bio-identicals are termed this because they are a perfect match for human hormones. Under a microscope one could not tell the difference between plant hormone or human hormone! Doesn’t it make so much more sense to put a perfect match in our bodies? I wouldn’t choose horse estrogen when I could get a perfect human match.

In theory, the bio-identicals get into far less trouble than something that looks differently to our bodies hormone receptors. Are there studies saying the bio-identicals are safe? Yes, there are studies (mostly out of Europe) on each component of a hormone compound and the studies are anything BUT negative. There probably will never be a study in the USA on bio-identicals because they are non-patentable and customizable. There is NO money in a non-patentable drug. No money equals no study. The other reason they will not be studied in a huge study is that bio-identical hormones are mixed per patient and individualized per symptoms/lab tests. You can’t put 30,000 women on the same exact mix of hormones…doesn’t that make sense too?

So when a woman comes to see me with some hormonal issues, I first listen to her story and symptoms. I take in to account family history, personal history, and of course, lab testing for hormone levels. Then I may try to come up with a recipe of hormones just for her. The mix may contain estriol, estradiol, testosterone, progesterone, DHEA, or even cortisol. We might do a cream or subligual drop…the patient gets to pick.

Next article, I will talk about the many benefits of bio-identical hormone replacement and what imbalances can be corrected with proper hormone use. So if you have PMS, perimenopause, menopause, insomnia, depression, PCOs, infertility, weight issues, headaches…you get the idea, look forward to my next article!

BIO: Dr.Jennifer Hawes was born and raised on a farm/ranch near Shelby. After medical school in Seattle, she hung up her shingle in the Flathead Valley and has practiced there for 12 years. Her philosophy is what separates her from conventional medicine practitioners: treat with natural things first and whenever possible but understand sometimes pharmaceuticals are required and necessary. Dr.Hawes uses cutting edge testing methods and treats with bioidentical hormones, nutrition, supplements, and much more!

Office: Kalispell location–Eastside Brick building–723 5th ave east #120

Phone: 406-257-9997

Website: drgreenbean.com

Posted in Hormone Balance, Wellness | 1 Comment »

Post-Holiday Pudge

Saturday, November 27th, 2010

Hey all…sorry it has been awhile since I last posted anything. Life sometimes gets in the way.  I hope everyone’s Turkey Day was fabulous. Mine certainly was. I ate too much and paid with bowel issues the next day…agh! It was worth it.

I am contemplating a mini-cleanse between now and Christmas time and there are so many ways to do a Mini.

1. Carbohdyrate free for 10 days.

2.Sugar and alcohol free for 3 weeks.

3.Whole foods ONLY diet plus fitness increase.

4.Liver cleanse for 3 weeks (liver herbs, morning fiber drink, and whole foods diet..(no red meat, dairy, sugar or caffeine, or processed food).

5. Commit to your health…join the gym or take a yoga class or get outside more!

Whatever minicleanse you choose you will be thankful come Christmas time. You will feel great and maybe even be pounds lighter than you were at Thanksgiving (when does that happen??).  I also will bet that you won’t over-indulge at Christmas or that office party because you are on your cleanse or just feel so damn good!

Here is to starting 2011 off on the right foot.  Good luck to you all.

Dr.GB

Posted in Funny Stories, Soapbox, Uncategorized, Wellness | No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome »

The life cycle…joy and sorrow.

Saturday, July 17th, 2010

As a practitioner, I hear lots of people’s stories and essentially go through their life with them. Just recently, I am reminded that the circle of life can be so great and yet also be so devastating. Joy and sorrow are part of everyone’s life circle but man….sometimes the sorrow part really stinks!  Let me tell you why I am in this philosophical funky mood.

For the past months, I have watched someone I know prepare for her wedding. It has been exciting, stressful, and wonderful for her all at the same time. She is young, and ready to conquer the world so her energy is unbounding. Her answer to all the stress is “GOD IS LOVE, LOVE is the ONLY WAY”  I love that!  I hope she never gets cheated on, lied to, pissed off, or otherwise “LOVE STINKS”-ed.  Ha! Anyway, her journey through love to marriage is fantastic and I can’t wait to attend her wedding this weekend and send her off to LOVERS LAND. God Bless her.

The flip side of LOVERS LAND is LOVE IS DOOMED LAND and LOVE SUCKS land. This is the other part of the circle I have been witnessing lately. When women who are close to you realize their partners are not faithful or not honest. The heart crushing pain that comes with wading through lies and truth. What the F$$&  were these penis endowed people thinking????  I mean, if your marriage sucks so bad that you want to horizontal mambo someone else, then for God’s sake TELL your wife before you cheat!  I have witnessed two of my gals become angry, jaded, sad, depressed, and energy-less just in the recent months. Yes, maybe they will heal and perhaps even repair their marriage but maybe not…..Trust is broken and trust cannot be earned back. Yikes! This part of the life circle really is sad to watch or even think about.  I know the ladies will survive and come out even stronger than before…..until then hang on for the ride.

I know I am venting today but really just in that kind of mood. The sun is coming in my window and my coffee tastes good. My life circle is actually circle shaped and not a pear or abstract figure right now so I feel good……………I hope your circle is a circle and if it is not, it will be someday. Remember that happiness and health go hand in hand. Stress kills…literally.  Be positive, put out there what you want, and LIVE.

Love and hope….Dr.GB

Posted in Funny Stories, Soapbox, Wellness | No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome »

Hormone imbalance checklist…see which of your hormones could be OFF.

Wednesday, April 7th, 2010

I got this from ZRT Lab which is the company I use to test saliva hormones. You can purchase a kit and test hormones (about $35 per hormone)…email or call my office if you want one (I will post on the drgreenbean store as well)

Women

For Women

Category 1:

Basic Hormone ImbalanceNote which of the following symptoms are troublesome and/or persist over time.

_____ Hot fl ashes

_____ Heart palpitations

_____ Heavy menses

_____ Fibrocystic breasts

_____ Thinning skin

_____ Urinary incontinence

_____ Vaginal dryness

_____ Weight gain

_____ Increased body/facial

hair

Category 2:

Adrenal Hormone ImbalanceNote which of the following symptoms are troublesome and/or persist over time.

_____ Aches and pains

_____ Sleep disturbances

_____ Infertility

_____ Chronic illness

_____ Morning fatigue

_____ Anxiety

_____ Allergic conditions

_____ Susceptibility to infections

_____ Mood swings (PMS)

_____ Cystic ovaries

_____ Foggy thinking

_____ Irritability

_____ Uterine fi broids

_____ Night sweats

_____ Acne

_____ Depressed mood

_____ Headaches

_____ Bone loss

_____ Elevated triglycerides

_____ Depression

_____ Nervousness

_____ Evening fatigue

_____ Bone loss

_____ Blood sugar imbalance

_____ Autoimmune illness

ZRT Laboratory

• Phone: 503-466-2445 • Fax: 503-466-1636 • www.zrtlab.comCopyright © 2006 ZRT Laboratory, LLC. All rights reserved.

The following checklists can be used to help you and your healthcare provider

determine specifi c symptoms of hormone imbalance.

Category 3:

Thyroid Hormone ImbalanceNote which of the following symptoms are troublesome and/or persist over time.

_____ Aches and pains

_____ Dry skin

_____ Fatigue

_____ Heart palpitations

_____ Constipation

_____ Anxiety

_____ Cold hands and feet

_____ Foggy thinking

_____ Low libido

_____ Thinning hair

_____ Brittle nails

_____ Headaches

_____ Weight gain

_____ Inability to lose weight

_____ Menstrual irregularities

_____ Depression

_____ Infertility

_____ Feeling cold all the time

_____ Sleep disturbances

_____ Elevated cholesterol

Number selected _____

Number selected _____

Number selected _____

P

ATIENT CHECKLIST FOR SYMPTOMS OF HORMONE IMBALANCERev. 11.29.06

Men

P

ATIENT CHECKLIST FOR SYMPTOMS OF HORMONE IMBALANCEFor Men

Category 1:

Basic Hormone ImbalanceMark which of the following symptoms are troublesome and/or persist over time.

_____ Burned out feeling

_____ Hot fl ashes

_____ Weight gain waist

_____ Decreased libido

_____ Night sweats

_____ Insomnia

_____ Increased urinary urge

_____ Infertility problems

_____ Oily skin

_____ Apathy

Category 2:

Adrenal Hormone ImbalanceMark which of the following symptoms are troublesome and/or persist over time.

_____ Aches and pains

_____ Sleep disturbances

_____ Infertility

_____ Chronic illness

_____ Stress

_____ Morning fatigue

_____ Anxiety

_____ Allergic conditions

_____ Weight gain waist

_____ Decreased erections

_____ Irritable

_____ Erectile dysfunction

_____ Prostate problems

_____ Decreased mental

sharpness

_____ Decreased urine fl ow

_____ Decreased stamina

_____ Sleep disturbances

_____ Decreased muscle

mass

_____ Elevated triglycerides

_____ Depression

_____ Lack of motivation

_____ Prostate problems

_____ Evening fatigue

_____ Bone loss

_____ Blood sugar imbalance

_____ Autoimmune illness

_____ Fibromyalgia

_____ Susceptibility to

infections

ZRT Laboratory

• Phone: 503-466-2445 • Fax: 503-466-1636 • www.zrtlab.comCopyright © 2006 ZRT Laboratory, LLC. All rights reserved.

The following checklists can be used to help you and your healthcare provider

determine specifi c symptoms of hormone imbalance.

Category 3:

Thyroid Hormone ImbalanceMark which of the following symptoms are troublesome and/or persist over time.

_____ Low libido

_____ Foggy thinking

_____ Constipation

_____ Elevated cholesterol

_____ Depression

_____ Infertility

_____ Fatigue

_____ Cold body temperature

_____ Headaches

_____ Lack of motivation

_____ Decreased erections

_____ Sleep disturbances

_____ Inability to lose weight

Number selected _____

Number selected _____

Number selected _____

Rev. 11.29.06

Posted in Hormone Balance, Wellness | No Comments yet, your thoughts are welcome »

HAPPY SPRING…do the GREEN SMOOTHIE challenge!

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Happy Spring to all of you! I saw many fat little robins on my lawn yesterday…a sure sign of sunshine to come. Start of your Spring with a little Spring cleaning.  I challenge you to do the Green Smoothie challenge cleanse.

Directions for the next 7-10 days:

1. Every day drink 32 ounces of delicious green smoothie.  Make in the morning in your blender or VitaMix (much better at liquifying the greens than a standard blender) and drink through out the day or even just for breakfast.  Recipe to follow.

2. Eat only fruits, veggies, limited whole grains and drink lots of water.  No wheat or dairy. No sugar or processed food.

3. You can do some lean protein…fish and white meat or protein powder.

Green Smoothies:

2-3 cups water (add more if you like it thinner)

Fruit–add 2 to 3 pieces of fruit (frozen berries, frozen bananas, apple, mango, pear, orange etc…)

Greens–add 4-5 leaves of kale, two handfuls spinach, or other greens till your hearts content

Other–can sweeten with stevia or a bit of agave. I also add flaxmeal or chia seeds to my smoothie.  Ice can be nice too.

Smoothies should taste good so adjust according to your taste! Here is a TOAST with my green smoothie to your Spring cleanse!

Dr.GB

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Keep your PRIVATE PARTS healthy!

Wednesday, March 17th, 2010

I see alot of perimenopausal and menopausal women…This crowd tends to complain about dry vaginas alot (guys, if you are reading this it is bc your partner probably can’t even have sex due to the pain!). A dry vagina is like saran wrap held taught…one tiny tear and the whole thing rips in half. OUCH!  Another complaint is that of chronic yeast infections or itchy vagina (vaginitis)…this is in the same group of women or even young women.  How can we keep the down-unders healthy and moist??? Simple answer.

1. Estriol suppositories–the gentlest of the plant estrogens. Used nightly for 7-14 nights and then even 2-3 times per week feeds estrogen starved saran wrap tissue. It is 100% successful and is treating the cause of the problem to begin with. I DO NOT prescribe premerin or estrace cream for the same issue….synthetic estrogens are GROSS and scientifically WRONG. 

Find the suppositories in my online store…1 mg for mild issues, 2 mg for very dry VaJJ.

2. Fem Dophilus–good “flora” down there is a must to prevent infections. It keeps the areas ph healthy and fresh. You take 1-2 capsules per day of these GOOD bugs for the privates!  Find FemDophilus in my store.

3. Apple cider vinegar and water douches occasionally can balance the entire area. (use only once in awhile)

4. Use it or lose it….no explanation needed.

Dr.GB

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