Jerry Gore, M.D., Author at Center for Holistic Medicine

Many people these days are struggling with overwhelming anxiety – about the future of the state of the world, their finances, their kids, their health.

But there are many things we can do during this time to embrace our current state of being and live a more stress-free life, even with so much uncertainty surrounding us.

Here are a few tips on how you can feel more grounded and at peace and less anxious during quarantine:

Take Life One Day at a Time
Anxiety most often comes from living in the future. But if you are able to stay completely in the day, completely in the present, you are often able to gain the clarity you need to take the actions you need to, without letting anxiety take over. When you stay in the day, you usually will intuitively know what next steps you should take in your life, without having to go three to four steps down the road, which usually turn out to be fantasies anyway.
Take The Next Right Step
When you are living one day at a time and focusing solely on doing the next right thing, take each action that you do during the day with confidence and happiness. For example, the next right thing might be to fold the laundry, do the dishes or even just take a nap. Instead of worrying that you’re not doing enough, trust that whatever you are guided to do in the moment is the right thing. By stringing together a few days where you feel happy and satisfied, much of your anxiety will start to subside.
Take Each Action With an Open Heart
As you take the next right step each day, try to open your heart so that you feel as joyous as possible. For example, when you are going grocery shopping, enjoy selecting your favorite goods, feel gratitude for the moment, feel proud that you are taking care of yourself and your loved ones by providing for them. By greasing everything you do with love, your life will be more enjoyable.
Have Faith In Life
Another key component of reducing anxiety is trusting that everything happening around you is happening just as it is meant to. Things may look bad from your perspective, but often, life tends to work out in the end. Trust that good will be coming around the corner.
Don’t Waste This Time
Yes, living under quarantine has turned life upside down for most of us. Many of our old rituals and patterns of life have been altered, but that doesn’t mean that the change is necessarily bad. Use this time of stillness and change as an opportunity to grow, to learn and to give to others. By embracing the change, you will become more of who you are destined to be.

Dr. Jerry Gore, MD, is the clinical director of The Center for Holistic Medicine.

When it comes to fats, there is a lot of confusion about which fats are good to eat and which ones are problematic. We’ve all heard that we should avoid a high-sugar, high-fat diet. But on the other hand, you’ve probably heard that coconuts and nuts are high in fat, but they are ok to eat.

So what is the real story with fats?

Basically, polyunsaturated fats and trans fats are bad, while saturated fats and monounsaturated fats are good.

Foods with polyunsaturated fats are not good for you because they are made up of unstable molecules. Chemically, polyunsaturated fats are vulnerable to oxidation — the process whereby oxygen in other food molecules or the air or in the frying process attaches to the food and renders it rancid.

To understand oxidation, think about when you cut open an apple and put it on the counter. The part that is exposed to air becomes oxidized and turns brown. When this happens to polyunsaturated fats, this rancid, brownish, oxidized fat affects all of the other cells it comes in contact with, breaking down other cells’ membranes. Scientists believe oxidation is responsible for many diseases such as heart disease, cancer, signs of aging and more.

Types of Polyunsaturated Fats:
Vegetable oil
Corn oil
Cottonseed oil
Safflower oil
Soy oil

That’s why foods that are fried in vegetable oil — such as French fries, potato chips, crackers and more — should be avoided. Better if fried in coconut oil.

Another type of fat to avoid are trans fats, which are found in processed foods, especially baked goods. Trans fats are made when hydrogen is bubbled into fat to make the oil softer at room temperature. This creates unnatural fats that are stickier than normal fats and may cause fatty deposits in the blood vessels and raise your LDL cholesterol (the bad one) and lower your HDL (the good one), which may lead to certain cancers. Watch out for trans fats such as hydrogenated palm, soybean and cottonseed oil often found in chips, cakes, frostings, cookies, desserts, artificial cheeses, margarine and shortening.

What are the Good Fats?
However, there are many other kinds of fats (saturated, monounsaturated) are not only safe to eat, but also provide many nutrients that your body needs.

For example, did you know that 50 percent of our cell membranes are made up of saturated fats? If we don’t eat enough saturated fats, our cell walls become soft and begin to “leak.” Saturated fats have been shown to have a positive effect in many areas, including energy improvement, weight loss, cancer prevention, inflammation reduction, help with calcium absorption and more, and they are known to protect the liver from the toxic effects of alcohol, drugs and toxins; and support the immune system.

Here are some examples of fats that are good for you.

Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acids
Both omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids are called “essential fatty acids” because they are necessary for the body’s functioning, but they cannot be made by the body, so it’s essential that you eat them as part of your diet. They are useful in decreasing inflammation, enhancing immunity and improving your depression and mood.Sources of Omega-6 and Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Walnuts
Soybeans
Flaxseeds
Eggs
Fish

Nuts
Nuts contain monounsaturated fatty acids and omega-3 fatty acids, which help lower your LDL, the bad fat that oxidizes easily. And nuts have been shown to help heart function as well. In fact, a 2015 study in the International Journal of Epidemiology showed that a handful of mixed nuts eaten every day reduces mortality by 20 percent.

Sources of Nuts

Almonds
Walnuts
Pecans
Peanuts (actually a legume)
Cashews
Pistachios
Macadamia nuts

Coconut Oil
Coconut oil is a saturated fat that has many health benefits. It can help with weight loss because it contains medium-chain fatty acids that are metabolized differently. It can also improve skin health and may improve symptoms from Alzheimer’s disease.
Clarified Butter (Ghee)
Clarified butter is great for cooking at any temperature because it oxidizes less during the heating process.
Olive Oil
Olive oil is a major component of the Mediterranean diet and helps prevent inflammation, heart disease, hypertension and cancer. Use only on low-temperature settings for cooking, however.
Flesh Sources (Beef, lamb, pork)
Flesh sources such as beef, lamb and pork are other good sources of fat. However, it’s important that you eat only grass-fed meat because if you consume regular meat, the animals were probably fed soy and corn, which creates oils that are more polyunsaturated and more likely to result in oxidation.Want to learn more about good and bad fats? Dr. Jerry Gore, MD, and Katie Bogaard, a naturopathic practitioner, will be presenting a free lecture entitled, “Choosing the Right Sugars & Fats,” at the Northbrook Public Library on Thursday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. Be there!

Low back pain? Huge problem. The data still shows that a combination of exercise and education is the most effective way to lessen the chance of recurring low back pain. Do you know someone that is aging? Studies show that cardio-fitness acts as a protector against cognitive decline. In my book entitled “Holistic Medicine,” I mention the famous study, with illustrations, that shows if you move your body even a little, you cut down the risk from dying from “all cause mortality.” When beginning a program, especially after this holiday season, go slow and gentle. But begin!

End of Antibiotics?

Recently, in the Chicago Tribune, an article ran the headline “slow catastrophe”as golden age of antibiotics nears end”

They stated that “disease-causing microbes have evolved to resist even the most potent meds.” In the article, they postulated that as as medications lose their effectiveness against organisms that build resistance to them, certain diseases may be difficult to treat if not untreatable! In holistic medicine, we are oriented differently. We… try to increase the patients ability to use their own immune system against the invading organism. Instead of killing the bug with a drug, we allow the person to augment their immune response and they heal from within. How do we do this? We use nutrition, supplementation, homeopathy, acupuncture and other modalities to promote the healing process. Ideally, the person ends up healing himself/herself and ends up stronger because of the their personal medical challenge.
Here is a quote from the newly published book “Holistic Medicine”
“If you have an infection, are given an antibiotic, it may kill the germ, but how have you changed? The symptoms of fever or pain may be gone, but has your immune system strengthened or weakened? In holistic medicine, the nutrition, energy medicine etc. strengthen your immunity, and then something miraculous takes place. Your immune system “kicks out” the bug, virus or heals the inflammation. The healing power is in you!” For more on my book click on the link below.

https://www.amazon.com/Holistic-Medicine-Physical-Clarity-Consciousness/dp/0976945312

Best of health

Dr Gore

“The effectiveness of second-generation anti-depressants to treat anxiety disorders has been over-estimated, according to a recent study in the online JAMA Psychiatry. In some cases, researchers warned, the drugs may be no more significantly useful than placebo.”
Anti-depressants are traditionally used for their anti-anxiety effect besides their anti-depressant action and I believe they do work for the correct individual.

At the Center of Holistic Medicine, we are able to offer natural alternatives such as inositol, and a combination of amino acids such as- L-theonine, 5-http and taurine. Other herbs such as Kava Kava and Passion flower and Valerian root may help. I find that supporting the adrenals with “adaptogens”, vitamins and minerals such as Ashwaganda, b- complex and magnesium help the “tired and wired” symptoms. Energy medicine offers many choices such as flower essences and homeopathic remedies. The most common and well known flower essence for “trauma” and constant anxiety is “Rescue Remedy” and very often we can find the correct “constitutional” homeopathic remedy to help bring a deeper relief from chronic anxiety.

For more about homeopathy click on the link below.

http://www.holistic-medicine.com/…/what…/what-is-homeopathy/

On another note, I am looking forward to share information from my upcoming book entitled Holistic Medicine, so say tuned and be well,

Jerry Gore MD

That’s the cover page headline in Time magazine, June 2012.
The article by Bryan Walsh is a must read. Early in the article he states that by 1980 “The USDA issued guidelines…. to avoid cholesterol and fats of all sorts.” The National Institutes of Health recommended to “Eat less fat and cholesterol to reduce your risk of a heart attack.” The food industry “jumped in step” with recommendations of light yogurts, low fat this and that, and soon everyone was eating eggs with no yolks, low fat milk, lean or no meat, etc. How did this turn out? He goes on to say that “Nearly four decades later,…the experiment is a failure. We cut fat, but by almost every other measure, Americans are sicker than ever. The prevalence of Type 2 diabetes increased 166% from 1980 to 2012…. and an estimated 86 million people are pre diabetic.” This is an easy to read article and he goes on to explain how this phenomena took place affected by some faulty research by Dr. Ancel Keys. I wrote about this subject and you can read my article here
.https://holistic-medicine.com/eat-butter/

If you are a woman, it is especially important that you maintain proper cholesterol levels for vitamin D synthesis, proper hormone levels, and good brain health as cholesterol and saturated fats make up the majority of the cell membranes in our brains.
Best of Health,

Jerry Gore M.D.

Indole-3-carbinol the enzyme found in the Brassica species of vegetables (Broccoli, Kale, Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower, Collard Greens, Arugula) helps protect against breast cancer in three ways; It deactivates estrogen, so there is less estrogen in our bodies to stimulate the breast cell estrogen receptor sites that cause cancer cells to grow, it induces liver detoxification which in turn helps destroy chemicals that are potentially carcinogenic, and it increases apoptosis(the name given for programmed cell death). Our cells have a built-in mechanism for destroying themselves under the right conditions so that new healthy cells can take their place.

Tip # 1: Too much Brassica can interfere with iodine utilization in the thyroid gland. If you are hypothyroid, steaming or cooking the brassica vegetables can partially deactivate the chemical culprit.

Tip # 2: If you eat raw kale chips etc. you can take a little extra iodine with it to make up for the utilization problem.

Did you know that a handful of nuts a day decreased “all cause mortality” by 20%!

If you call someone a nut, you might be giving them a compliment. Nuts contain fiber, monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, copper, magnesium and walnuts contain omega 3 fatty acids, the same oil found in fish. They are very low glycemic meaning that the rate of sugar going into your cells after eating them is slow compared to other foods. All of this translates to decreased risk for heart disease, stroke, type 2 diabetes and inflammation.

I prefer to eat nuts after soaking and drying them. This is the way the raw foods people like to do it because soaking gets rid of unpleasant enzyme inhibitors in the nuts that prevents them from sprouting under abnormal conditions. These enzyme inhibitors are difficult to digest. After soaking, pop them in a dehydrator for a while, then you have crispy nuts. Add some salt and enjoy.
To your health:
Dr. Gore

Cheese anyone?

I was talking to Dr Bisceglie this week and we began discussing cheese. I showed him several allergy tests from patients and almost all had some allergy to dairy. I believe its the milk protein casein that is responsible. Unfortunately, cheese is high in casein, where butter is low and Ghee(clarified butter) is even lower and therefore less likely to cause problems.
Consider raw, grass fed, organic or unpasteurized cheeses.
Here is a quote from Sally Fallon in her book Nourishing Traditions.

“Processed cheeses contain emulsifiers, extenders, phosphates and hydrogenate oils….last but not least, pasteurization destroys all the enzymes in milk…these enzymes help the body assimilate all the bodybuilding factors including calcium.”

Some have had success with goat milk products. Others have success with yogurt which is a fermented product which might change the allergenicity (is that a real word?) Still others, boil the milk which breaks down the proteins.
Good luck dairy people:
Dr Gore

Congratulations Center for Holistic Medicine on our 18th year in Riverwoods/Deerfield, IL! We are proud to have a great selection of providers including md’s, do’s, chiropractic, natropathic, and a wealth of body workers. Looking forward to being with you in a healing and educational experience in holistic medicine.

Sincerely,
Dr. Jerry Gore, MD

Author: Jerry Gore, M.D.

Transforming Anxiety to Fulfillment – Part 1

6 Types of Fats That Are Actually Good for You

Move it or lose it! Exercise please

The End of Antibiotics?

Do Anti-Depressants work for anxiety ? What is the Alternative?

Eat Butter!

Hurray for Broccoli

‘Nuts’ to You, I mean to your health!

Cheese Anyone?

Happy 18th Anniversary Center for Holistic Medicine!