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Too Stressed to Sleep

April 25, 2017 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Are you too stressed to sleep? During the month of April, we have been focusing on sleep and ways to get more of it. Hopefully you have been following along and have implemented Dr. Phil’s Simple Sleep Plan! If not click here to find out more information!

We hear a lot of people say they are too stressed to sleep. Stress is a real thing. We get it. We all experience stress in some way in our lives. It is what we do with that stress that makes the difference. Did you know that you can take that stress you are experiencing and turn it into a positive thing? The stressful situation you find yourself in can actually be a growing and learning experience in your life.

We recently read a great article entitled, Harnessing the Upside of Stress by Harvard Health Publications Harvard Medical School. Check it out for yourself and see how you can harness the upside of stress. We particularly like the suggestion it gives to do something nice for someone else when you are experiencing high levels of stress at work or at home. Doing something kind for someone will immediately trigger a positive response in your brain, giving you a mental reward. Try it out for yourself and let us know how it works!

If you’d like to hear more about this then you can also listen to the latest episode of The Feeling Good Podcast by clicking here!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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Is Your Memory Slip Slip Slipping Away?

September 24, 2016 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Have you lost your keys lately? When is the last time you could have swore you put that thing right there, but it’s nowhere to be found? Raise your hand if you’ve hit your car alarm in a crowded parking lot recently because your car was “lost!” These scenarios lead me to a question that I hear pretty regularly… “Dr. Phil, what can I do to improve my memory?

I’ve even had some patients tell me that they can feel their memory fading. That can be a scary feeling. Their next question, most of the time, is if I have any good supplement recommendations that can help them. I know a lot of people this day and time are scared of developing Alzheimer’s or dementia. I understand their concern about these conditions as it hits home with me as well. I’m not fearful of it, but I am fully aware of what it can do to a person, because I watched my grandfather suffer and die from the complications of Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. Therefore, I personally take a lot of preventative measures to keep myself from following the same path that my grandfather did. So today I want to share some of those with you.

Raise your hand if you’ve hit your car alarm in a parking lot recently b/c your car was lost

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Take These Preventive Measures Now…

The easiest and most essential way to prevent memory loss is to keep your brain active, or in other words exercising your brain. One of the best things you can do is to read daily. I suggest you read things that challenge your thinking and stimulate your brain. There are all different types of things that you can read out there, but be selective in what you choose to read because you want something that will stimulate your brain. Another thing you can do to keep your brain active is to have some type of hobby where you have to use your brain skills. Crosswords, sudoku, word puzzles, strategy games, and I can go on and on with these types of suggestions, but I think you get the point here. Stay active and keep your brain active!

Secondly, in contrast to exercising your brain, you must also rest your brain daily. Just like your body, you push it and work it, but at the end of the day you have to rest your body! In other words, you have to get sleep, not just any kind of sleep, but restful sleep. There was a recent study done at the University of California at Berkley that tied Alzheimer’s to lack of sleep. Scientists at UC Berkley found compelling evidence that poor sleep, particularly a deficit of the deep restorative sleep, causes a buildup of the beta amyloid protein which is believed to trigger Alzheimer’s Disease attacks the brain’s longterm memory.

If you’re interested in learning more about that study, then I encourage you to click here and read for yourself!

Let me tell you that proper sleep and quality sleep are topics that I have talked about in previous episodes of The Feeling Good Podcast and I have also blogged about, as well. If you want to learn more about the importance of sleep in connection to your overall health, then check out this blog and listen to episode 19 of The Feeling Good Podcast.

3 of My Favorite Supplements…..

I have also devoted a whole chapter to the subject of sleep in my new book that will be coming out later this year. Be on the lookout for updates about that!

Thirdly, there are some wonderful supplements that studies have shown to be helpful in improving our memory and keeping our brains healthy. There are 3 particular supplements that I use personally.

One of those is phosphatidylserine or phosphatidyl complex. This particular supplement, for some people, can have a two-fold action. The first thing it can help improve is short-term memory and the second is to our ability to get to sleep, as well as improving the quality of our sleep.

The second supplement I take is called Pro DHA. It is a Nordic natural fish oil supplement that has a high concentration of DHA. DHA is necessary for brain support and brain health, as well as brain development. As a pharmacist, I have noticed that now all prenatal manufactures are now adding DHA to the prenatal supplements because all the studies coming out showing the importance of the fetus and mother getting this DHA for brain development. I highly recommend DHA to patients of all ages because of the importance of brain development, unless you are eating fish 3-4 times a week.

The third supplement I take is Co-Enzyme Q10. This supplement is important for heart health. There have been quite a few studies done with this supplement that show that it is very healthy for brain health and memory. Co-Enzyme Q10 is needed for our muscle cells, but is also helpful for our brain cells. According to these studies, I think it’s a good idea to take Co-Enzyme Q10 if you are having any kind of memory problems!

You can find all of these supplements on our website, and if someone you know is having memory issues, then please share this information with them. If you have any other questions regarding memory and brain health please get in touch with me by emailing [email protected]!

If you’d like to hear more about this then you can also listen to the latest episode of The Feeling Good Podcast by clicking here!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Five Snacks That Your Children Will Thank You For…Eventually

September 12, 2016 by Phil Carson 1 Comment

Right now your family is in danger! They are constantly surrounded by weapons of mass destruction, in fact they are on almost every street corner in our country. I’m not talking about drugs and guns! I’m talking about donuts, cheeseburgers, gummies, and potato chips! Snacks!

“Our kids are living on a junk food diet” – Dr. Joel Furman

I recently spoke to a couple with four young children that were looking to fill their day with healthy, go-to, simple snacks, and wanted to share with you the same information that I shared with them! As my title implies, I’m gonna give you five snacks that your kids might resist and even be upset about, but they will thank you for eventually. But first, let me step on my soapbox and say a little more about these “Weapons of Mass Destruction” all around us.

Junk food is no longer just an American problem, it has quickly become a global problem. We see it on every street corner and even on television, with commercials advertising so many different types of junk foods! These foods look appealing (think of how many bright colors we see in the candy aisle) and are designed to taste good, but I want to share with you some facts about junk food and hopefully get you to see these foods in a different light.

Are you a junk food junkie?

Lets start with a proper definition of junk food. When I say junk food, I am referring to food that has little nutritional value but lots of calories. One of the biggest problems with junk food is that they have very low satiation values, which is a medical way to say that you don’t feel full after eating them. This of course leads to overeating. A great example here is a standard bag of potato chips How many times have you or someone you know sat down with a bag of chips and before you know it the bag is over half empty? That is low satiation value in action.

Another problem is that junk food tends to replace other more nutritious foods. It is quick, convenient, and doesn’t take time prepare. So it replaces healthier foods that take a little bit more time to prepare. Breakfast is a prime example here. Most of us, and especially those with kids, are in a hurry in the morning. So we save time with things like cereal, pop-tarts, and eggo waffles. We may save time, but we are also setting ourselves up for fatigue later in the day. I’ve talked about this issue specifically in a previous blog, so check it out here.

As I’m sure you probably know and have heard before, over consumption of junk food is a major contributor to the overall health problems of our nation and especially our kids, specifically childhood obesity. Before I share my top five snacks, let me tell you an effective way to cut down on your and your children’s desire for junk food. Ready for it?

Limit the amount of advertising you or they see on television!

Billions are spent on market research every year by companies that want to tap into your brain and make you want their product, and we are constantly being bombarded visually with commercials and ads displaying juicy cheeseburgers or snacks that magically turn your kids boredom into a fairy tale. Who doesn’t want those things? Now there are a couple ways you can do this. Obviously cutting tv time is the easiest way, but if you have a DVR where you can pause or record shows and skip commercials that is also an easy way.

And finally here are my top 5 snacks

Fresh Fruit or Frozen Fruit – Nature’s candy! It is naturally sweet, helps keep you hydrated, and it will leave you feeling full and well nourished throughout the day.
Raw Nuts – Excellent natural sources of the omega oils, proteins, and fiber that our bodies need.
Dark Chocolate – Now this isn’t your Hershey’s dark chocolate, this is 70% or higher cacao. It is a powerful source of antioxidants, can improve blood flow and lower blood pressure, and raises HDL cholesterol and prevents LDL from oxidizing. It also mixes excellently with raw nuts!
Natural Peanut Butter – Click here to check out my Feeling Good Friday broadcast from a couple weeks ago for all the info on natural peanut butter!
Natural low sugar protein bars. Read the labels and be selective and choose the bars with 10 or more grams of protein. These bars are a much healthier alternative to high sugar low protein candy bars.

I want you and your family to be as healthy and well nourished as possible this school year, and I would encourage you to do some research for yourself and find healthy snacks that you can make or buy for you and your family! If you have already ditched junk food, I’d love to hear about your experience, or if you disagree and think junk food isn’t that big of a deal, then leave a comment and lets start a dialogue!

Be sure to check out my Feeling Good Podcast episode 24 for more on this subject, and to tune in to my Feeling Good Friday every Friday during the noonday hour via Facebook Live. You can like the Carson Natural Facebook Page to get a notification of when we go live!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Three Things I Tell Women Whose Hormones are Out of Whack

August 22, 2016 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

I recently spoke with someone who is having issues with their hormones, and her doctor wants to put her on birth control, but she does not want or need birth control. She asked what she could do naturally to help correct the problem she is having with her monthly cycle. I’ve had this question asked numerous times over the years from women who are frustrated and looking for an answer to their problem that doesn’t have the potential harmful side effects that birth control can have.

I think most people think of birth control pills, as the name implies, for birth control, but they are also prescribed for hormone imbalances, especially for younger women who are having irregular menstrual cycles and or premenstrual syndrome. Sometimes birth control pills can help, but there are many women who don’t want to take these pills because of the side effects and there are some women who don’t want to take them for religious or other reasons. However, I think that most women are unaware of the potential harmful side effects that birth control pills can cause. Like hormone replacement drugs, these birth control pills contain synthetic hormones. These synthetic hormones can increase a person’s risk of cancer and heart disease, including high blood pressure and strokes. They can also increase the potential for headaches, depression, weakness, insomnia, and weight gain, just to name a few. It makes complete sense to me why some women, who are not trying to prevent pregnancy, do not want to take these synthetic hormones. One of the reasons for some of these side effects is nutrient depletion. So if you do choose to take birth control, you need to be replacing these nutrients that you are losing and I highly recommend you consult with your health care provider for advice on what nutrients you should be taking. Here are the three things that I tell women whose hormones may be out of whack

Get a Saliva Test

The first thing I tell women who ask me what they can do about not wanting to take birth control pills is that they need to have their hormone levels tested. The reason for the problem you are experiencing is mostly likely because there is something out of balance with your hormones and the only way you will know how to correctly restore that balance is to test your hormone levels. There are a couple ways you can have that done. One is by blood test, which can be done by your doctor. The second way is to have saliva tested and the company I use for this is DiagnosTech. They provide the saliva test kit for free and I get them for women all the time. I highly recommend the saliva test over the blood test because the saliva gives you a better indicator about what’s going on in the cells in your body.

Check Your Adrenals

The second thing I tell women to be aware of are their adrenal glands. These two little glands sit on top of your kidneys and are also known as your stressor glands. These glands produce numerous hormones that are responsible for all kinds of functions in our bodies. One of these functions is the production and release of some of our sex hormones. When I say sex hormones, I am talking about estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone. Those are your three primary sex hormones and your adrenals can have a direct effect on the production and function of these three hormones. So, it may be essential that you have your adrenals tested because there could be a hormonal imbalance caused by dysfunctional adrenal glands.

Get a Thyroid Panel

The third thing I would recommend is thyroid testing. Most people are not aware that their thyroid gland can have an effect on the menstrual cycle. Thyroid testing is a simple blood test that can be done by your health care provider. Most of the time they are just going to test your TSH, or your thyroid stimulating hormone. But I recommend you get a complete thyroid panel done. If you go in to your doctor, request that they do a complete thyroid panel instead of just checking your TSH.

If you are having a problem, I highly recommend getting all three tests done, not just one. If you are one of these young women who are having these types of problems with your cycle on a regular basis, then I encourage you not to just accept it as a part of life. These problems that you may be experiencing, especially prolonged bleeding, can lead to other health problems. So do not put it off, see a health care provider right away to find out why you are having the types of problems that you are.

If you know someone that may need this information then please share this blog or Episode 27 of the Feeling Good Podcast with them! If you have further questions on this subject or any other then email [email protected]

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Can Decaf Coffee Cause Rhuematoid Arthritis?

July 30, 2016 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

I’ve been asked multiple times recently about my opinion of drinking decaf coffee. I happen to have a very strong opinion about decaf coffee that I want share with you all and especially our female readers! First though a quick refresher on Rheumatoid Arthritis!

Taken from my previous blog, Rheumatoid vs Osteoarthritis, What are the Differences?

Rheumatoid Arthritis is much less common than the previously discussed Osteoarthritis. Statistics show that Rheumatoid Arthritis affects about 1/10th as many people as Osteo. The main difference between these two forms of arthritis is the cause behind the symptoms. Osteo is primarily caused by wear and tear on the joints whereas Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease. The body’s own immune system attacks the body’s joints, which is what causes the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis. Unlike Osteo which usually begins later in life, Rheumatoid Arthritis can begin at any age. Many of the symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis and Osteo are similar, but Rheumatoid Arthritis can produce more swelling of the joints and often more pain in the joints. One of the distinguishing characteristics of Rheumatoid Arthritis would be the lumps that can form underneath the skin called Rheumatoid Arthritis nodules, which can be very painful and affect the movement of the joints. Both forms of arthritis are often treated with the same anti-inflammatory medications mentioned in my previous blogs, however with Rheumatoid Arthritis there are also immuno-suppressant drugs used to try and suppress the immune system from attacking the joints. These drugs can have very dangerous side effects.

If you or someone you know has Rheumatoid Arthritis, I would encourage you to go back and read the entire blog and the rest of the blogs published in our Arthritis Month Series last year!

Back to the matter at hand though.

I was able to find three articles that I believe are helpful in addressing this issue of drinking decaf coffee and it’s connection to Rheumatoid. Check out these headlines and short excerpts:

Decaf May Increases Arthritis Risk – ABC News

“According to a study of more than 31,336 women aged 55-69, women who reported consuming four or more cups of decaffeinated coffee a day were more than twice as likely to develop rheumatoid arthritis, compared to women who never drank decaf.”

“Some of our patients stop taking Accutane within the first couple of weeks because of the worsening of their skin condition. This is the way this drug works. You just need to have enough patience to overcome this period and reach the desired result. Accutane is very effective, but it’s not a magic pill to clear your skin overnight.”

Read the full article here!

Coffee Consumption and Risk of Rheumatoid Arthritis – PubMed Study

“In this large, prospective study, we find little evidence of an association between coffee, decaffeinated coffee, or tea consumption and the risk of RA among women.”

Full study here!

Effect of Decaffeinated Coffee on Health – 2005 Health Study

“Caffeine is often the primary focus when the negative health effects of coffee are discussed. But there are a number of significant chemical compounds present in coffee, other than caffeine, which also have strong effects on the body. Some of the more common active constituents include chlorogenic acid, caffeol and diterpenes. Many health conditions that are aggravated by coffee are still affected by decaffeinated coffee, despite the lowered level of caffeine, due to these other phytochemicals that remain in decaf coffee after the decaffeination process. Current studies suggest that, for people who are sensitive to coffee’s effects, decaffeinated brews may still exacerbate their health problems. Therefore, the healthiest option may be to eliminate both regular and decaffeinated coffee from the diet.”

Read the full study here!

As you can see there are some conflicting opinions on the link between decaf coffee and rheumatoid arthritis. There are numerous other studies they have been conducted to show a possible link between the consumption a decaf coffee and rheumatoid. Some say yes and some say no. This is the case with lots of health studies and you have to consider the sources when deciding what actions you want to take. However if you are at risk for rheumatoid arthritis then this information is certainly something to consider. My opinion is that you should try your best to keep any unnatural chemicals out of your body in the first place. The chemicals used in the decaffeination process is what some of these researchers believe to be the underlying problem. So what I have told the people that ask me is that if you’re going to drink decaffeinated coffee or tea then buy one of the brands that have been decaffeinated using the Swiss Water Process. This is a process by which no chemicals are used. There are a variety of brands on the market that use this process but the one that I purchase most often is Kroger’s Simple Truth organic brand.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and if you haven’t listened to The Feeling Good Podcast yet, then there is no better time to start!

Click the logo to be directed to our latest episode and be sure to check out our Facebook page to keep up to date with our Feeling Good Friday video series!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Why Your Spirit is Vital to Your Health

July 14, 2016 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Last week on Feeling Good Friday, following the shootings in Dallas, Baton Rouge, and Minnesota, I asked that everyone be in prayer for our country, because, just like us, our country needs healing. I’m not going to comment on the shootings or any of the politics surrounding that, however I do want to tell you about the personal benefits of doing what I asked you to do in response to those events. I’m speaking of prayer and meditation.

If you’ve been following my Feeling Good Podcast then you’ll know that this week I released the seventh and final episode in the Good NEWSSSS Series. The topic was spirit and the health of your spirit man! Now I would venture to say that the majority of people probably give very little thought to the health of their spirit man in regards to their overall health. As you’ve probably heard me say before, I believe we are three part beings, body, soul, and spirit. So if the spirit is part of our being it is essential that we maintain proper health of our spirit man just as we do the body and the soul. Remember that overall health is all about balance! So today I’m going to share with you several reasons that you should place more emphasis on the health of your spirit, if you desire to live a more balanced, healthy, and vibrant life. But first I want to share with you one my favorite passages from my favorite book of the Bible.

Galatians 5:16-18

But I say live by the spirt and you will not carry out the desires of the flesh. For the flesh has desires that are opposed to the spirit and the spirit has desires that are opposed to the flesh. For these are in opposition to one another so that you cannot do what you want, but if you are led by the spirit you are not under the law.

It is by the spirit that, I believe, we have the power to overcome the very weaknesses that can destroy our body and soul.

Meditation, mentioned in Bible 20 times, is a key component of keeping our spirit man healthy and according to research it can do wonders for your body as well. It can also enhance your immune system and energy levels and reduce feelings of depression, anxiety, and stress!

This is taken from a great article that lays out lots of research (see whole article here)

It has been confirmed through research that what we think and feel impacts our immune system via chemical messages from the brain. Therefore, stress, negative thinking styles, and certain emotional states can have a negative impact upon our immune system, creating an environment increasingly susceptible to disease. Mindfulness’s mechanisms toward greater well-being are complex and multifold, but practice is implicated in decreased stress, decreased rumination, and increased ability to deal with difficult emotions. In this way, practicing mindfulness might stave off impaired immunity.

Fact or Myth: Prayer can heal you?

There are tons of studies that have tried to answer the question of whether or not prayer can heal. Some find it can help and some find that it has no effect, regardless of what clinical studies find there are some scientifically proven benefits of prayer that increase your overall health.

Here is the most important one that Psychology Today outlines (Check out all five here)

Prayer offsets the negative health effects of stress

Researchers found that people who prayed for others were less vulnerable to the negative physical health effects associated with financial stress. Also, it was the focus on others that seemed to be contributing to the stress-buffering effects of prayer. Praying for material gain did not counter the effects of stress. So thinking about the welfare of others may be a crucial component of receiving personal benefits from prayer.

Scientists and public intellectuals who are critical of religion, focus on what they believe to be the irrationality of religious belief. Why waste time believing in things that have no supporting scientific evidence? These critics typically fail to consider the fact that scientific studies are finding measureable benefits of religious faith. As I have discussed here and here, religion is complicated. It can be both good and bad for your health depending on a number of variables. However, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that prayer, a behavior often associated with religion, can be beneficial for individuals and society.

If you are trying to get your health back or just maintaining the health that you have, I would encourage you to not neglect your spirit man. To here me talk more on this subject check out the latest episode of the Feeling Good Podcast right here!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Beat the Heat Wave This Summer!

June 30, 2016 by Phil Carson 1 Comment

It’s that time of year again! The heat is intense and can be dangerous if you’re not careful!

In the last couple of weeks, it’s been hot enough where I live to cook my breakfast on the street! Last week on my Feeling Good Friday broadcast I talked about ways to beat the summer heat! I wanted to share this blog with everyone as a reminder of ways to take care of yourself this summer. These tips are vital to me as well as summer is one of my favorite times of the year because I love to be outside! Going on walks, working in the yard, barbecuing with friends, and hanging out by the pool are some of my favorite things to do in the summer. I know a lot of you share those same pastimes, and as I get older, I have to remind myself that if I’m going to be outside for a prolonged period of time then I have to take some precautions.

Living in the deep south it’s often the combination of heat and humidity that causes the most danger! Unfortunately, there are thousands of people every summer that suffer from heat exhaustion and many deaths are caused by the high temperatures. From 1999 to 2010 an average of 618 people died a year from heat related illness! This sickness and death, for the most part, is totally preventable! If we take proper precautions before getting out into the heat, I believe heat exhaustion and heat related deaths can be prevented. The key word here is prevention, and by following my recommendations, I believe everyone can lower the possibility of heat exhaustion and death!

Tip 1 – Hydration

The biggest factor contributing to heat related illness is hydration. You must drink water! Preferably mineralized water, which contains the electrolytes that your body is losing as you sweat in the summer heat. Whatever you do, DO NOT drink sodas in the heat because they cause further dehydration! The sugar rich “ade” drinks can help replace some of your electrolytes, but nothing beats electrolyte water! Your body is 60-70% water, so you NEED water to prevent heat exhaustion! If you do not have access to electrolyte water, then you can make your own by adding a small amount of sea salt or Himalayan salt to your water. You can also replace the loss of electrolytes with mineral rich foods such as chia seed, cantaloupe, oranges, bananas, and nuts like almonds and walnuts!

*For further information about hydration check out this episode of my Feeling Good Podcast!

Tip 2 – Frequent Breaks

You must also take breaks, and frequent breaks at that! Your body needs to get out of the sun momentarily to cool down. If you have a place you can go inside with air conditioning to take your break, please do so, and remember to hydrate while you’re on your break! If you do not have a cool place where you can go inside, try to find an area of shade to relax in. If you are unfortunate enough to not have a place to go inside, I highly recommend as a precaution, you carry a cooler filled with ice and water with you. You should use that cooler only for cooling down.

Tip 3 – Spirit of Ammonia Water

There is a product you need to know about that you can add to the ice and water that will amplify it’s cooling effect dramatically. When my boys were growing up, we played soccer and baseball during the summer, often in extreme heat conditions. So before the games we would prepare our cooler of ice and water, add spirits of ammonia to it and a stack of white hand towels. When the boys would come off the field between innings or quarters, we would take the icy cold towels and wrap them around the back of their neck to cool them down quickly. I have no doubt that this technique protected all the kids that I coached over the years from having heat exhaustion! You can usually find spirits of ammonia at your local independent pharmacy. If you have any trouble finding it, contact me and I will try to help you find some.

Tip 4 – Cataplex F

Lastly to prevent possible heat exhaustion, I would highly recommend that you have the product Cataplex F on hand! This is the product that I’ve mentioned in a previous blog on sunburn prevention, and it can possibly prevent heat exhaustion as well. It is recommended that you take 7 tablets before getting out into the sun and continue taking 2 tablets every couple of hours that you are in the sun. Cataplex F works by helping your body’s tissues maintain the proper balance of calcium and vitamin D. With these dangerously high temperatures we are experiencing, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of taking the necessary precautions. Don’t let your summer be interrupted by a preventable trip to the hospital. However if you do feel that you are being overcome with heat exhaustion seek medical help immediately! Take the heat advisories seriously and continue to have a safe and happy summer!

I’ll see all of you tomorrow during the noon day hour for Feeling Good Friday on Facebook! Tune in to find out where I’ll be!

Be sure to subscribe and leave a review to the Feeling Good Podcast! We’re coming up on our 20th episode soon and every review helps us get more attention and more downloads!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

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National Fruits and Vegetables Month

June 16, 2016 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

I was recently interviewed by Debbie Walker, host of the Natural Health Radio show. One of her questions was, “There are so many aspects to healthy living, so why do most people only focus on supplements and dieting?”

That is a great question that points to a larger problem within our culture that wants the results of hard work without any of the hard work. In my opinion the best way to look better, feel better, and be better is to make lifestyle modifications. This is something that is being talked about extensively in health care circles recently, and I’m thankful, because it’s something that I’ve been talking about for years with my patients, especially the ones that are diabetic. I’ve counseled several people lately who told me that their number one health goal is to lose some weight and get in better shape.

I want to share with you what I tell people who come to me seeking help. I can speak to this problem because I’ve lived it. In my mid 30’s, I found myself out of shape, 25 pounds over weight, not sleeping well, and feeling tired all the time. Fortunately for me, I had a friend who invited me to a seminar where I heard two nutritionists, Jean and Joyce Daoust. They had just written a book titled 40-30-30 Fat Burning Nutrition. I met them after their seminar, got an autographed copy of their book and began reading it and putting into practice the things that they taught. I made the lifestyle changes, and lifestyle is definitely the key word. The principles they taught about eating, exercise, drinking water, was not just something that I did temporarily. I made it my lifestyle. Now I can tell you that today at the age of 55, I am in much better health than I was at 35, and the 25 pounds that I lost, I never gained it back!

True lifestyle change begins with your diet. This is what I tell people every day. If you want to be in better shape, if you want to lose the weight, you’ve got to change the way you eat and drink, but it’s not just about losing weight, it’s about living healthier and about being fit. The way I have achieved that goal in my life is by a balanced diet. When I begin counseling a new patient, I ask them to record everything they eat and drink for 7 days in a row. What I find every time is that most people are nowhere close to eating balanced meals. If you want to lose weight or maintain a healthy weight then getting the right balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats at every meal is essential. These are three macro nutrients that make up our food choices. I also find with this diary that the type of carbohydrates most people are consuming contributes to their unhealthy lifestyle. Most people are eating way too many of what are called simple carbs. These carbs are quickly converted to sugar in our bodies. What people need more of are complex carbs, such as vegetables and low glycemic fruits. Most of these people tell me that they don’t understand why their blood sugar is so high, and why they can’t lose weight because they are “eating really good.” After I explain to them what really good really is they find out that they’re eating habits aren’t as good as they thought they were. Most people have a very poor understanding of what good nutrition is, and when I tell them what they really should be eating, I often get responses like, “I can’t eat that stuff,” or “There’s no way I’m gonna eat that.” A lot of times people will tell me that they know what to do and what to eat, but they just can’t discipline themselves to do it. They don’t have the willpower or they lack motivation.

Here’s what I think though! I say you do have will power, what you lack is the actual will to make the change! I’ve touched on this subject before and you can check it out by clicking here!

I encourage you to exercise your will and begin making changes in your diet and lifestyle! This month is national fruits and vegetables month so there is no better time to add those great complex carbs to your diet! If you want to learn more about proper diet and nutrition and living a healthier lifestyle, be sure to tune in to the Feeling Good Friday broadcast on Facebook Live every Friday around the noonday hour central time! You can also subscribe to The Feeling Good Podcast on iTunes or Stitcher.

Healthy blessings,

Dr. Phil

Don’t Let Your Sleep Become a Nightmare!

May 12, 2016 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Proper sleep habits are vital to our health! With the ever increasing business of our everyday lives, we have to get serious about our sleep habits. You spend roughly 1/3 of your life sleeping, and it’s important for the other 2/3 of your life that you get the most out of your sleep. So today we’re answering a couple of questions on sleep!

Question 1

“If I need to catch up on sleep, how do I do it? Sleep in? Take naps? Go to bed early? I’ve heard you should wake up at the same time everyday. So, im thinking about taking a nap, but im not sure about the ideal way that I can keep my body on track.”

This is an awesome question and I think its very important that you get the proper amount of sleep everyday. New studies are being done all the time about the importance of getting sleep and getting the correct amount of sleep. Let’s see what the expert sleep researchers are saying about this.

Christopher Winter of the Charlottesville Neurology of Sleep Medicine Clinic explains it this way. He says “You can catch up on short term sleep debt if you do it within a few days. If you slept poorly last night, then go to bed early tonight and you’ll probably make up for the sleep you lost. But you can’t make up for the sleep you’ve lost over a long period of time. Trying to catch up on all those all-nighters you had in college with better shut-eye now, isn’t going to repair any of the damage already done.”

That is depressing for a guy like me who had a lot of all nighters in college and a lot of all-nighters since college too! Another researcher named Joyce Walsleben, an associate professor at the New York School of Medicine, says “While this still might tempt you to short change yourself during the week, making up for lost sleep on the weekend is really too late. You’ve probably already been irritable, possibly already experienced some poor reaction times that may have even caused some accidents. Snoozing late on the weekend can also disrupt your sleep rhythm and can make it difficult to go to bed Sunday night so you’ll be starting the next week already in the hole.”

Considering these expert opinions, I think the best way to catch up on any sleep you’ve lost is to make it up in the next 24 hours. For example, if you got less hours of sleep last night, then taking that nap sometime the next day is probably a good idea. If you’re not able to do that, going to bed earlier the next night is a much better idea than trying to catch up on it on the weekends. These studies are encouraging because I’ve actually heard it said that you can’t recover lost sleep, but according to these new studies if you do it quickly, then you can recover.

The rhythm that Dr. Walsleben mentions is called the circadian rhythm. This is a rhythm of our daylight and nighttime hours. As we wake and during the day, our bodies produce hormones called cortisol and melatonin. Those hormone levels peak throughout the day and then begin to decline and level off at night to their lowest point. This is the circadian rhythm!

Question 2

“I like to read before going to sleep. Knowing I should limit my light exposure before I go to sleep to get better sleep, what kind of light should I use while reading before bedtime?”

This question is fantastic! I just attended a conference in Florida that was on ADD, autism, and addictions, but I learned a lot about the importance of quality of sleep in people with these health issues and the effects of the different types of lighting on their brains, especially blue light. Blue light is a light that has a direct effect on melatonin production. Melatonin is a hormone produced by a gland in our brain called the pineal gland, which is a tiny little gland that sits at the base of our brain. The main job of melatonin is to regulate our body clock, or the circadian rhythm. As a said earlier, this rhythm tells us when to wake up, when we are tired, and when we need to go to bed. When the sun comes up, the production of melatonin naturally drops, and when the sun goes down the production of melatonin naturally increases. The light that we are exposed to is what effects the circadian rhythm. So, exposure to blue light can really be a problem and can have a direct effect on our ability to get to sleep and sleep well through the night.

This is something that our parents and grandparents never had to worry about, but as our society has increased it’s dependence on devices like our televisions, iPads, tablets, phones, and computers it has become a real problem. All those gadgets produce blue light! Not only that, but a lot of people are switching to LED lights in their homes, and these LED lights also produce blue light.

If you like to read before bed, then I would suggest you revert back to a hard copy book and be sure to use a lamp that has a soft light bulb in that produces what is called yellow light. This yellow light will have less effect on the production of melatonin in your body.

If you are using a iPad or tablet to read before you go to bed, there are a few solutions to reducing your exposure to this blue light. One that I recently downloaded myself is called FLUX. FLUX is a program that makes the color of your computers display adapt to the time of day. Once this program is installed, it may have a significant affect on the melatonin production, if you are using these devices to read at night. The best part about this program is that it adjusts automatically to the daylight in your particular time zone. So there is no need to remember to adjust your screen before reading at night. You can download the program for free at www.justgetflux.com.

There are also people that recommend using amber lense goggles, which help reduce the affects of blue light exposure. They have been shown to help reduce sleep quality as well as mood by simply blocking this blue light. I know how easy and tempting it is to pick up your device and scroll through your timelines or play that silly game before bed, but it is throwing your melatonin production out of whack, and is bad for your health.

I want to invite you to join us for Feeling Good Friday over at the Carson Natural Facebook Page! Every Friday during the noonday hour (central time) I go live on Facebook to discuss natural health topics and take your questions! To join us, like our Facebook page and you’ll receive a notification when I go live! Hope to see you there!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do!

April 29, 2016 by Phil Carson 1 Comment

Have you ever been through a bad breakup? Have you ever given up someone or something that you really love? I think it’s time for people to give up their unhealthy love for processed sugar! Some people don’t just have a love for sugar, rather a strong addiction for this sweet and enticing substance. I have no doubt that this love and addiction for sugar, especially processed sugar, is a contributing factor to many of the health issues people face today, especially diabetes.

To prove my point today, I will share with you this recent question that I received on The Feeling Good Podcast from one of our listeners, Bonnie. Bonnie writes, “One of my biggest weaknesses is sugar. I have a huge sweet tooth and know that sugar is not good for me. I don’t use artificial sweeteners only real sugar for my tea, but I love sweets of any kind. After a meal I like something sweet. Do you have any suggestions to lessen the desire for sweets?”

I must confess that I can relate to Bonnie, because I have a sweet tooth too, but I want to give all of you some hope today. I have learned to control that sweet tooth, and I know that you can too, if you follow my recommendations here.

First of all, I want you to understand that the sweet tooth you have quite possibly has an underlying cause that you are totally unaware of. This is something that I see in my practice quite often. That sweet tooth could be caused by an overgrowth of yeast in your gut. A lot of people have this overgrowth of yeast and don’t even know it. They are suffering from various symptoms caused by the overgrowth. One of them is an uncontrollable urge for sweets, and not just sweets but for high carbohydrate foods that turn to sugar like breads and pastas. When you have this overgrowth in the gut, the urge for sugar is just one of the many problems it can cause. If you get the yeast under control, you will likely get the sweet tooth under control as well.

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I would love to hear your story of how you have or are currently breaking up with sugar! Post on Facebook or Twitter using #SugarBreakup and one winner will be chosen to receive an all new Carson Natural comfort colors t-shirt!

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Next, I recommend switching from using sugar to sweeten your tea to a natural low calorie or no calorie sweetener. My favorite one is the no calorie, natural plant based Stevia. Stevia is made from the leaves of the stevia plant. Stevia plants are something you can grow in your garden, but stevia is available in health food and grocery stores, and there are a variety of stevia products out there on the market. You have to be very careful about the one that you choose, and be sure that it is a pure stevia extract with no additives. Many of these stevia products on the market are not true stevia. They have stevia in them, but they have other sweeteners like dextrose and erythritol, which is an alcohol sugar. There are a variety of these brands out there and many times you can tell whether you are getting a true stevia product by the price. Stevia’s that have a lot of additives are much cheaper than the true stevia products. Be careful! Choose the right one and read the labels well and know that the one you are choosing is the real stevia. The one pictured here is available in our store, and you can click it to see more details.

Now I use stevia to sweeten all kinds of foods and to make desserts. It is a wonderful sweetener, and I love the fact that is has no calories and no affect on my blood sugar. You definitely want to use stevia as a sugar alternative especially if you are diabetic.

Third, I want to recommend that if you have that legitimate sweet tooth and you like a little something sweet after a meal then you can do what I always do. Often after my meals, I will eat a couple of small squares of 70% or higher dark chocolate and a few raw nuts. This is a little treat that always satisfies my sweet tooth and doesn’t add a ton of calories to my diet. Another thing that I often eat for dessert is half of a low-sugar, low calorie protein bar. These protein bars are great alternatives to high sugar snacks as well.

The stevia I have talked about here is something you can learn a lot more about if you go back and check out one of my blogs that I wrote several months ago. You can click here to read it!

If you have any health questions, leave me a voice message by clicking on the “Ask Dr. Phil” Microphone. You can also email me at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Are You Ready to Lose Weight and Never Gain it Back?

April 16, 2016 by Phil Carson 1 Comment

Who wants to lose 10, maybe 25, 50 pounds or more and never gain in back again? Everybody right? I have people ask me all the time, “what do you do to stay in good shape? What do you do to stay thin?”

Well, my answer is always that I follow a balanced nutrition plan. I started following this plan over 16 years ago, and I lost 25 pounds of the excess weight that I had gained from poor eating habits and stress. I recently had some tell me that they had just started doing Dr. Barry Sears’s Zone Diet and wanted to know if this was a good diet to follow? Dr. Sears’s Zone Diet is really not a diet at all. It’s more of a nutrition plan. As a matter of fact, the nutrition plan that I have been following for years is based on Dr. Sears Zone Diet. The plan I follow is also very similar to the Paleo diet. I know what a difference losing 25 pounds has made in my health and my life, and I’m so thankful that I was able to lose that weight and am now enjoying life so much more. I believe anyone else can do the same thing by learning to follow a balanced nutrition plan and eating that way the majority of the time. This is something I teach people in a 7 week, 49-day course that I call Fit in 49. In this course I teach people how to live a more balanced, healthy, and vibrant life everyday, physically, emotionally, and spiritually. We all have a body, soul, and spirit; we are 3 part beings and for optimal health, all 3 must be in balance but in this week’s blog post I want to focus on the physical and in particular the nutrition aspect of our physical health.

Why Do I Do It?

As I mentioned the plan that I follow is based on the 40-30-30 and paleo diets. It is not exactly like those but very similar, and I call it a balanced nutrition plan. This is what I have been doing, teaching, and promoting to people for years, but why does it matter? Why do we want to lose excess body weight and live healthier? Well avoiding diabetes is one of the top reasons for me. Diabetes is an epidemic and we have so many people in this country and all over the world that are being diagnosed with this disease every day. Look at the cancer rates that keep going up. Cancer is an epidemic as well. I know people who are much younger than I am (and I’m 55 years old) that are dying everyday in their 30s and 40s because they have health issues related to their weight. The increase in heart disease is another, and there are so many young people dying of heart attacks everyday. If that’s not enough whys, then I don’t know what else I can say. When we aren’t carrying around the extra 30,40 or 50 pounds of extra weight, then we are going have a better quality of life. We will be able to enjoy life more and do more. We will be able to exercise and not pass out when we do. We will be able to get out in the yard and play with our kids or grandkids without having to put on oxygen afterwards to recover. But how?

Clean Eating

I teach people what I call cleaner eating, eating less processed foods and eating more fresh and frozen foods. Stay away from things that come out of a box. There are a lot of highly processed foods that contain all kinds of toxins and chemicals. Read the labels and avoid these things. If you have access to local vegetables or farm raised foods, buy them and eat them. That’s the best thing you can do to eat cleaner. One of the things that I teach and recommend is eating more clean and lean protein. Fish is my favorite! I always look for the wild caught ocean fish and not the farm raised. Same thing goes for your other protein sources like chicken and eggs. Stay away from those that have been fed hormones and pesticides and chemicals. Look for free range or organic eggs and chicken products. These are going to contain a lot less toxins that can have an adverse affect on our health. Learning to find and eat these fresh and healthy foods can make a tremendous difference. But the most important thing I teach people with these foods is how to balance them properly to control your blood sugar. To do that I use what’s called a plate method. For example, you have a 3 section plate and each section you’re going to put some type of food. I always recommend that you start out with the protein source. The amount you want to put on your plate is basically the size of the palm of your hand (And I’m just talking about the palm, not including the fingers!) For most people this is 4 to 6 ounces, and that is where you start. Then you are going to add your fruit and vegetables, but primarily your vegetables. Leafy greens and fresh vegetables like broccoli, cauliflower, and brussel sprouts are greats ones that are cancer protective. You are going to fill both of these sections with vegetables or fruit. The amount you want in these two sections is fist sized. All you have to do is make a fist, and this is the amount you want on your plate. Then you are going to add one other nutrient or food component, and this is fat (good fat!) Be conscious of the type of fat that you are eating and make sure you are choosing good fats, such as olive oil, coconut oil, or real butter, but in moderation. Another good fat source is nuts. Walnuts, in my opinion are the best, then almonds, and pecans in that order. I’m talking about raw nuts, and not the ones that are coated in sugar or roasted and toasted and made with all these different types of flavors. Another good fat source is real peanut butter. Not the artificial peanut butter made with margarine and peanut flavoring and sugar. I’m talking about real peanut butter that has one or two ingredients, which are peanuts and salt.

As you can see my plan is pretty simple. It is as simple as getting the correct balance of proteins, carbohydrates and good fat every time you eat. It is really not that hard to follow, and I know if I can do it you can too. What I have shared with you here is just a few of the basics. So if you want to learn more, check out my Fit in 49 course or contact me at [email protected] for a consultation appointment.

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil

Can Taking an Afternoon Nap Help Get Rid of Your Allergy Nightmare?

April 1, 2016 by Phil Carson Leave a Comment

Could something as simple as a nap help you reduce your seasonal allergy issues? Maybe it could!

This idea came to my mind recently when a listener of The Feeling Good Podcast emailed me a question about how to optimize their afternoon nap. While researching that question I learned some interesting things about naps that I’ll touch on a little later in this blog, but first I want to explore the…

Sleep and Allergy Connection

One of the most important contributing factors when it comes to fighting allergies is the strength of your immune system. If you have a strong immune system then you are less likely to be sneezing, coughing, sniffling, and crying. One of the best ways to keep your immune system strong is by getting adequate rest. If you’re anything like me, then sometimes you might occasionally have some very late nights followed by very early mornings. Several years ago it was a regular practice for me to go to bed after midnight and wake up before 7 AM, getting anywhere from four to six hours of rest. As you probably know, that’s at least a couple hours short of the recommended eight hours. Recently I have been much more diligent in going to bed earlier to allow my body to rest and replenish, but if you are living like I previously did, then an occasional 20-30 minute afternoon nap would do nothing but help you! Now lets talk more about…

Napping 101

Are you one of those people that HAVE to take a nap in the middle of the day to get through each day? Or maybe you take a nap because you believe it is good for you. Perhaps you hate naps and somehow they always leave you feeling even more tired than before. Whatever the case I want to help you understand naps a little better, so here is the question that I received from a podcast listener named JC, that I mentioned above…

“Do you have any insight into how coffee in the morning impacts naps? I use the “Nap Wheel” to try to get to the closest ideal time when I can, but I also drink two cups of coffee in the morning. For example I wake up at 4:00 AM and have two cups of coffee around 8:30 AM. I’m not sure how this impacts my napping cycle, can you help?”

Now I have to admit, I am not a napper. On the other hand my wife loves to take naps, and when she suggests that I take one, my response is usually, “No, I don’t have time for a nap!” I have always had an aversion to naps, but JC’s question prompted me to look a little closer into the possible health benefits and to learn more about the “Nap Wheel” he uses to schedule them. I found out that the “Nap Wheel” was invented by Dr. Sara Mednick, who also wrote the book Take a Nap, Change Your Life. On her website she states:

“Imagine a product that increases alertness, boosts creativity, reduces stress, improves perception, stamina, motor skills, and accuracy, enhances your sex life, helps you make better decisions, keeps you looking younger, aides in weight loss, reduces the risk of heart attack, elevates your mood, and strengthens your memory. Now imagine that this product is also non-toxic, has no side effects, and best of all it is absolutely free. This miracle drug is nothing more than the right nap at the right time.”

Now being a natural pharmacist, this bold statement by Dr. Mednick had me hooked! I don’t know anyone that wouldn’t want to experience these health benefits that she describes. I have since ordered her book and am rethinking my long time aversion to nap time. Reading this about naps brought back a memory of something I had read in a book several years ago. It reminded me that the science and health recommendations of taking a nap aren’t anything new. This book that I had read was published almost 70 years ago, and the doctor who wrote the book stated that a rest period immediately after meals will add years to your life as well as comfort to those years. This doctor did not use the term nap, but rather rest period. He went on to say with modern living as it is, that rest is very hard to arrange for those in business, but where there is a will there is a way. Now that is a philosophy I’ve tried to live by all my life! He said that we can accomplish far more in the day by resting immediately after meals. Now that seems a little odd to me, but he says that it can be done, it has been done, and it is being done even under the most difficult of circumstances and always with a great reward. Now this doctor recommended that when you rest to lie down on your right side, because if your stomach is slow to empty, lying in this position will help. He also said digestive juice perform better during rest than rush and hurry, and this is why we always feel better when we rest after we eat. He finished his thoughts on rest with this thought provoking statement: Our domestic animals follow this nature’s law of rest. Just watch your dog or cat.

I thought to myself that I should have paid closer attention to this doctor’s ideas on rest and perhaps even taken my wife’s advice when she suggest that I take a nap. It could have potentially saved me from a lot of digestive distress and discomfort.

If you decide to try a “rest period” after you eat then I would love to hear your experience. Also if you have a health question that you want answered then email [email protected]. Be sure to click our logo to subscribe so you can get the latest episode every Thursday!

Healthy Blessings,

Dr. Phil