Luis Arrondo, DC

Healing, Weight Loss and Chocolate

Aired on: November 2, 2018

Episode Description

Join Luis Arrondo, DC, as he discusses the hidden connections between health, illness, and well-being as revealed in his book “Wolves, Gardens, and Chocolate.” Through a deep understanding of the interconnection between our tissues, organs, mind and life experiences, we can break through obesity issues, and many chronic illnesses, Based on over 20 years of clinical experiences with patients and as well as extensive medical research, he outlines connections between our molecular, biomechanical, psychological as well as spiritual dynamics. Learn how these are intertwined in ways that can help us to move beyond frustrating barriers to chronic health issues. He describes his approach to weight loss as “Fix the body to fix the fat” Through his multifactorial approach which involves finding the cause underlying conditions, his patients have achieved sustained weight loss without hunger or discomfort. He also teaches them how to lose weight by eating chocolate – twice a day

Background

  • The US has 5 % of the world’s population, but 75 % of the world’s prescriptions
  • Prescriptions are increasing in all countries, but the average annual prescriptions worldwide match the average annual prescriptions for each American
  • Almost half of Americans are on at least one prescription
  • In the last ten years, the number of Americans who took prescription drugs has doubled.
  • 80 % of the time one walks into a doctor’s office, he gets a prescription.
  • IS this the best approach for 80 % of the problems?
    • Each pill has approximately 69 side effects
  • An article in the New England Journal of Medicine stated half of these prescriptions are not necessary
  • We are treating manifestations of disease to provide relief. For example,
    • antacids to for gastric reflux symptoms
    • blood pressure medications for elevated blood pressure
      • This is due to a mental emotional paradigm of wanting something to change
      • takes longer to find the cause.
      • For example if there is a fire, we can throw buckets of water (e.g., pills) or we can find the cause of the fire
  • He believes that antibiotics, antacids and statins are over prescribed so he recommends using these when necessary
    • Statins
      • increase the risk for diabetes
      • Can have increased risk for muscle problems or muscle problems
      • It depletes co Q 10
      • Affects liver function and mitochondrial function
        • Mitochondria came originally from bacteria and are affected by many drugs.
      • Cholesterol centric view is no longer valid and it is not clear if statins reduce heart attacks.
    • Antacids
      • Has benefits and drawbacks
      • Acid is needed in the stomach to help breakdown amino acids in meats
      • Acid is necessary as a barrier to bacteria, viruses, parasites, and a lot of pathogens
      • Antacids affect the absorption of calcium, iron, vitamin B, minerals which can have an effect on osteoporosis.
      • Antacids can lead to colon problems such as diarrhea and can increase lung infections.
      • Long term effects

Obesity

  • Is the mother of all disease
  • Fat cells are part of the endocrine system
  • They store toxins and pump out inflammatory chemicals that can go to every part of the body
  • Major causative dynamic for a number of diseases
  • If we can turn obesity around, there would be the greatest health benefit.
  • Study over 33 years looked at 188 countries; not one had significant weight loss
  • In the US, almost 44 % of the adults are obese
  • Waste sizes are increasing every year
  • Increasing BMI, causes Alzheimer’s Disease to occur earlier
  • If you can lose 5 – 10 % of body weight, the chances of metabolic disease decreases by 50 %
    • With diabetes,
      • brain volume, life expectancy decrease; heart disease, hypertension increase
      • For diabetes he tests for c peptide along with insulin.
      • C peptide is more accurate at showing if the pancreas produces insulin because it is produced at a 1:1 ratio with insulin.
      • If a person has diabetes and the insulin production is normal, he provides natural support to the cell receptors so they can utilize insulin
      • Blood levels of insulin are problematic
        • Half of all insulin is used within 10 minutes by the liver
      • Increased insulin triggers the appetite.
      • 40 % of diabetics have problems with digestive enzymes so digestive enzymes can help

Weight Loss

  • Weight loss is a consequence of good body function
    • Detox, elimination, digestion, sleep, energy, cravings go away, then have a chance to lose weight
    • Losing weight is traumatic because losing fat releases the stored toxins which can cause headaches, fatigue, food cravings
  • He tells the patients asking for weight loss, he tells them he will help them improve their health which will help with weight loss

STEP I

  • He makes sure the body is working well
  • He looks at
    • Sleep
      • Sleep regenerates stomach cells
    • Anxiety increases cortisol which increases appetite, depress thyroid function which depresses metabolism which increases weight
      • So he teaches meditation to bring anxiety down
      • Digestion looks at nutrition
        • Eg if there are sugar cravings
      • He has a questionnaire about sleep, metabolic issues, stress, brain function, digestive, neuro-muscular, energy, menstruation cycles
        • A lot of women don’t eat enough proteins
        • swings in energy levels increase sugar cravings it may be hypoglycemia
          • if it is hypoglycemia, check out why eg., adrenal dysfunction
        • If constipated, are not detoxing well
          • Look into why:
            • too little fiber,
            • too little fluids
            • too much fiber
            • is it because brain is shutting down digestive system
            • is constipation due to thyroid

STEP II

  • He gives a specific diet telling the person to eat as much as he wants
    • Diet is close to a ketogenic diet which
      • decreases inflammation,
      • increases insulin sensitivity
      • Allows short chain fatty acids to flourish in intestines,
      • helps balance bacteria in gut
    • Eat organic; eat grass fed meats‘
    • eat eggs, fish, chicken
    • stay away from catfish, tilapia
    • eat cod, halibut
    • eat a low glycemic index; avoid rice, potatoes, bread, carbs
    • lots of veggies, salads three times per day
      • butyrate in greens help heal the gut which is involved in every disease
    • if drink 16 ounce water 20 minutes before eat, will eat less.
      • It take stomach receptors 15 minutes to fire to brain to tell are full
      • So can eat slowly as well
      • Or have soup 16 ounces before eat, will be a lot less hungry
    • Need healthy fats
      • g. can fry egg in organic coconut oil which is antiviral and helps gut heal
      • eat avocados
      • he cooks an omelet in coconut oil and pours olive oil on it after it is cooked
    • Dieting is a physical (toxins come out), emotional stress so have ½ ounce chocolate after each meal
      • Has magnesium, neurotransmitters, serotonin
      • It does not matter if it is dark chocolate or milk chocolate.
  • Diet varies
    • If hypoglycemia eat protein several times a sleep
    • If a person wakes up often,
      • Test for diurnal cortisol pattern
      • See how adrenals, hypothalamus, hippocampus are working
      • He may tell them to eat at night before they go to bed incase they get hypoglycemia during night which will result with adrenalin production which wakes people up

Look at the Big Picture

  • Expand awareness: have spirit of enquiry
  • Biggest long term shift in health is from awareness in consciousness.
    • If in touch with emotions are healthier
      • Repressed bus drivers and people who were traumatized as children have more lower back pain
      • More trauma a person has, the less likely a surgery would be successful
      • A lot of trauma is stored in the body
    • Looked at Hidden connections between disease, spirituality and other conditions
    • Diseases were consequences but he wanted to look at causes.

What can people do on their own

  • There are suggestions in his book
  • Look to see if an illness is showing something that a person is not doing what he is aligned with
    • Look if there is associated emotional patter, nutritional pattern or mental pattern
  • Tools
    • Journaling; write dreams
    • 15 time affirmation to keep focus
    • changing heart rate variability: indicator of long term longevity
      • by meditating
      • slow breathing 5 seconds in and 5 seconds out
    • look at brain wave entrainment
      • help memory, concentration, stress
      • (Mindalive in Canada; helpyourlife.org)

Footnote

There is a 17 year gap between research and adoption by the medical community

  • He looks at what the research shows and incorporates it into his practice with supplements