Memory loss can be caused by a variety of things. The Archives of Neurology published a study in January 2012, which confirms that people who participated in mentally stimulating activities like reading, writing and playing challenging games starting in childhood and continued through adulthood had healthier brains than those who did not.

One of the measures of Alzheimer’s disease is the formation of beta-amyloid deposits, which can be seen on Positive Emission Tomography (PET) imaging. The researchers studied 65 healthy, cognitively normal elderly volunteers, 10 people with Alzheimer’s and 11 young adults. All were given PET scans to identify any beta-amyloid deposits. All were questioned about how mentally stimulating their lifestyle was from age 6 until present.

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The PET scans of the elderly people who had a history of being mentally active throughout their lives looked similar to the PET scans of the young people in the study. The PET scans of the elderly people who were less cognitively active looked more like the people with Alzheimer’s.

Many have suspected that challenging the brain with complex cognitive activities starting in childhood helps to prevent dementia later in life. This study agrees.

The American Journal of Preventive Medicine published a clinical trial that found seniors could improve their cognitive function with virtual reality – enhanced exercise. Exercise games like Wii Fit and PlayStation engaged the seniors more than traditional exercise. The researchers had them watch a video screen that let them race against a ghost rider on the screen while they peddled. They called it “cybercycling.”

Seniors who cybercycled were compared to the ones who just rode a stationary bike. The cybercyclers showed the most cognitive improvement. They gave more effort during the exercise and scored higher on executive function tests.

It is no surprise that these seniors could improve their cognitive function because in June 2011 the journal Brain reported that even in the presence of mild cognitive impairment, the brains of participants in the study remained highly plastic (able to improve) and training resulted in significant neural changes that were measurable in brain imaging.

The saying “use it or lose it” certainly applies to the brain. If there is a history of surgery, use of antibiotics, prednisone, anti-depressants or other medicines, these could cause cognitive decline due to the side effects of these drugs. Exercise won’t help this. If you are concerned that you or someone you know is having this struggle please email me on the contact form on the side or call my office and I’m happy to talk with you about your concerns.

Avoiding over the counter drugs like pain killers can help prevent miscarriages. Researchers in Quebec found that women who took non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin), naproxen (Aleve and Naprosyn) and the arthritis drug, celecoxib (Celebrex) had a 2.4 times greater risk of miscarriage.

It is possible that miscarriages are caused because of the way NSAIDs affect the uterus. Levels of hormone-like substances called prostaglandins decline in the uterus during early pregnancy and NSAIDs are known to affect prostaglandin production. Prostaglandins regulate the contraction and relaxation of smooth muscle tissue. The theory is that NSAIDs might affect miscarriage risk by interfering with the normal prostaglandin changes that occur early in pregnancy.

The study found that acetaminophen (Tylenol) is safer for pain relief since it does not affect prostaglandins. Ideally any woman who wants to get pregnant should avoid drugs as much as possible, even over the counter remedies.

Many of my female patients have found regular prophylactic chiropractic treatment to prevent or reduce their aches and pains, thus eliminating the need for pain killers. Many Moms also credit Chiropractic treatments for their ability to get pregnant, have an enjoyable pregnancy and easy delivery.

Chiropractic adjustments also align the spine and pelvis so it is easier to deliver the baby. One of my patients was thrilled when she had an easy delivery the very next day after a treatment. Other Moms came in for each pregnancy because it helped them to be comfortable during the pregnancy, enjoy short labors and have smooth deliveries.

The bottom line is that women have non-toxic options that have extremely positive side effects. If you or anyone you know is pregnant and wants to feel better please let them know to avoid NSAIDs and do something natural for their pain relief instead.

The Journal of the American Dental Association published an article in their January, 2012 issue about a survey given to dentists that suggests that most dentists tend to overprescribe antibiotics in children. Antibiotics can have side effects that affect mental clarity.

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Dentists write between 200 and 300 million antibiotic prescriptions each year, which is about 10% of all antibiotic prescriptions in the United States. The dental profession has specific guidelines for when it is appropriate to prescribe antibiotics. According to the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry professional guidelines, dentists should consider prescribing antibiotics when a patient has facial swelling, either with or without pain, or radiographic evidence of pathology, or a combination of the 3 symptoms.

The study surveyed 154 North Carolina dentists. They were asked how they would treat hypothetical cases. Based on a variety of questions, only 10% to 42% of them followed their professional prescribing guidelines.

Medscape Medical News interviewed the article’s author, Jessica Y. Lee, DDS, MPH. Dr Lee told them, “the dentists tended to prescribe antibiotics when the guidelines say they are not needed.” She warned, “what can go wrong is that we can develop antibiotic-resistant organisms, and people can have an allergic reaction that can be pretty severe.”

Over 75% of the dentists surveyed ignored the guidelines by being willing to prescribe antibiotics over the phone. The American Dental Association guidelines state that to prescribe antibacterial drugs, the dentist must “make an accurate diagnosis.”

Medscape Medical News also interviewed Paul S. Casamassimo, DDS, a spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry. Dr. Casamassimo pointed out that most of the dentists surveyed were from a single dental school, the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, so the findings may not apply to all dentists.

He added that he was not surprised by the finding, as he had seen similar results in studies of medical physicians.

“There’s a lot of defensive dentistry practiced by people who see kids,” said Dr. Casamassimo, a professor at Ohio State University in Columbus, who was not associated with the study. “And a lot of pediatricians are forced into giving antibiotics to satisfy the parents rather than to treat the patient. In the scheme of things, I don’t think it’s a major issue.”

He pointed out that there has been very little research on the effectiveness of antibiotics in dentistry, and he likened overuse of antibiotics to the overuse of fossil fuels, because in both cases the harm is hidden from the abuser. “The typical dentist doesn’t see the effect of this,” he said. “They can go through a lifetime of abusing antibiotics.”

Dr. Casamassimo admits that antibiotics are over used, but justifies it because parents want it and there is little research to condemn the overuse of them.

You need to know that there have been studies that show that antibiotics do super saturate human brain tissue which can lead to side effects such as lasting cognitive issues due to irreversible damage to the Central Nervous System.

I have successfully treated several people suffering from the debilitating side effects of Cipro, which is often prescribed for urinary tract infections, cellulitis or antibiotic resistant infections. One of my success stories is 13 years old. He dramatically and suddenly went from being a B student to a D student. Right after treatment he was able to bring his grades back up to a B level. Now the people I treated for Cipro side effects can think clearly again. Their MD’s gave them the Cipro, but you should be on the lookout for overly prescribed antibiotics and question them.

If you think you are suffering from side effects from antibiotics I welcome you to give me a call at 408-526-9423 or email me on the contact form on the side of this web page. I’m happy to discuss your concerns with you.

Pesticides are known to cause cancer, disrupt proper hormone function and cause ADHD in kids because of the way it affects their brains. Over the past 15 years I have found people to have chemical sensitivities to pesticides that caused allergy type symptoms.

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Pesticides are chemicals that attack the nervous systems of pests to kill them. Pesticides also act like hormones to prevent reproduction in case the pests don’t die quickly from the poison. You can’t wash the chemicals away because these poisons are trapped inside the plants, vegetables and animals that eat them.

Did you know that spinach crops use over 50 pesticides?

Why does this matter? One might ask, “Isn’t it only a tiny amount?” The health risk of pesticide toxicity is the cumulative effect over time. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency most people’s pesticide exposures result from food, drinking water, and residential pesticide use. Look at the list below to see how often you are eating fruits and vegetables that are known to be easily contaminated by pesticides.

The Environmental Working Group, a public health advocacy group, has recently updated their list of vegetables and fruits that have the most chemical residues in them. The produce was washed and peeled before testing.

Apples are thought to be the worst because they are heavily sprayed while growing and sprayed again after they are picked to prolong shelf life.

Somehow nature has prospered for millions of years without pesticides. Organic farmers grow healthy plants naturally. Support your local farmers when possible.

If you or someone you know is having digestive, respiratory or cognitive troubles they may be suffering from the side effects of pesticides. I offer a free evaluation that will show how pesticides may be affecting their body. Please watch this simple evaluation below.

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Please fill out the contact form on the side or give my office a call at 408-526-9423. I’m happy to answer your questions.

What a surprise to find that Prednisone side-effects were responsible for memory loss and difficulty recalling the right words.

Nina’s mom, Rita, was 88 years old. Both Rita and Nina were concerned and frustrated by Rita’s difficulty remembering things.  It was made worse because Rita had trouble forming sentences.  She wanted to say something, but just couldn’t find the right words.  These symptoms were getting progressively worse over the past couple years.  It was affecting the family dynamic and everyone’s quality of life.

This all changed when Nina brought her mom in for a complimentary toxin exam.  They discovered that prednisone side-effects were affecting Rita’s brain.  Determined to get her life back, Rita came in for treatments to help her body naturally detoxify from the prednisone side-effects.  Both Rita and Nina were thrilled with the results.  Now Rita can say what she wants to say and her short-term memory has improved too.

Click here to view the embedded video.

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Prednisone is a powerful anti-inflammatory drug that is commonly used for allergies, asthma and autoimmune conditions.  It can be a real life saver.  The challenge is what to do with the side-effects that affect brain function like it did for Rita.  The bloodstream circulates medicines and other chemicals throughout the entire body.  The brain tissues are exposed when the particles are small enough to cross the blood brain barrier.  Because the brain has so much fatty tissue, the particles can get trapped there.  When this happens it can affect how well the brain functions.

The body naturally detoxifies by sending a water loving messenger that wraps around the chemical and pull it off the fat.  This water loving messenger then takes the chemical out via the kidneys or intestines.  This natural process is called biotransformation.

We live in a chemical society.  Each exposure can have a cumulative effect increasing the chemical burden within the body.   Side effects can happen when the body fails to rid itself of the chemical naturally.

The good news is that there is hope for people suffering from side effects.  My complimentary toxin scan takes about 10 minutes.  I offer it at no cost because if I can’t help you, you shouldn’t have to pay for that.

If you or someone you know has taken Prednisone and they just aren’t as sharp as they would like to be, please email me on the contact form on the side or call me at 408.526.9423 and I’m happy to schedule a complimentary toxin scan to give you answers.

An English Study published in the British Medical Journal on January 5, 2012 surprisingly revealed that cognitive decline was already evident in people aged 45-49.  All of the studies prior to this one indicated that cognitive decline started in people 60 and older.  This study is scary because people are being affected much younger than they think.

The people studied were given three different cognitive tests to establish a baseline at age 45-49, then tested again 10 years later with the same three tests.  The men were compared to other men in the study and 3.5% of them were already falling behind their peers after the first test at age 45-49.  10 years later the same tests were given and 9.6% of the men were showing signs of cognitive decline.  For the women tested, 3.6% were experiencing cognitive decline at age 45-49 and 7.4% at age 65-70.

During the 10 year follow-up, 305 of the 7,390 people in the study (4%) died. Another interesting finding was that mortality during this 10 year period was higher in those with poorer cognitive scores to begin with.

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The authors of the study concluded that cognitive decline happens gradually over a 20 to 30 year period resulting in dementia.  Since dementia cannot be predicted, they recommend healthy lifestyles to avoid the pitfalls of cardiovascular disease, obesity and high blood pressure.

Poor cognitive ability is one of the most disabling conditions in old age.

Clearly if a person can avoid medications, surgeries and head injuries they are way ahead of the game.  Keeping mentally active is important as well.  Doing crossword puzzles, reading that encourages higher mental processing, in combination with physical movement like walking, swimming or dancing will improve brain function.

In the past, researchers did not collect data from people in their 40s – so the researchers didn’t know that cognitive decline could be measured that young.  It is no surprise to me that cognitive decline starts early because head injuries and the toxins in our environment can affect the brain at any age.

I have the ability in my office to analyze the brain to see if there are any ill effects caused by a head trauma.  It is possible to rehab the brain – even if the injury was in childhood.  Watch this video to learn more about how neurofeedback powerfully rehabs the brain.

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I also have the ability to test the brain for toxic effects from medications, surgeries and chemicals in the environment.  I offer a free evaluation for toxicity in the brain.  You can see how I do it in the video below.

Click here to view the embedded video.

There are additional ways to make your lifestyle even healthier.  If you wonder if I can help you, please call  my office at 408.526.9423 or email me at the contact form on the side.

Vaccinations are controversial because many question how effective they really are.  When someone receives a vaccination it is supposed to help build immunity.  Some have very strong reactions and get extremely sick as a result.  We all know people were symptom free and caught a bad case of the flu from a flu shot.  We also know people who got a flu shot and still came down with the flu.

Sally cut herself on a rusty blade so she went to get a tetanus shot.  She was given a DPT  shot.  Diphtheria, Pertussis and Tetanus all in one shot.  She complained that her arm still hurt a week later and that she didn’t feel her normal perky self since the shot. I analyzed her for the DPT vaccine and found it was not fully compatible with her body, thus explaining why her soreness hadn’t gone away.  A simple harmonizing treatment helped her start feeling better by the next day.

Even vaccinations received many years ago can still cause trouble today.  Polio is one such vaccine.  Since most children were given a live virus – under stress these viruses can affect nerves in the spine well into adulthood.  Marjorie had a herniated disc.  She had nerve pain that wouldn’t go away as well as weakness in her left leg.  She was surprised how treating the polio virus decreased her pain and made her leg stronger too.

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It is a good idea to scan all past and future vaccinations to make sure there are no hidden reactions or side effects.  A good strategy is to receive one vaccination at a time instead of a bunch all at once.  This will cause less stress to the immune system.

Watch how I do my allergy / sensitivity evaluation and see how easy it is to treat sensitivities and allergies.

If you have any questions about harmonizing treatments for the side effects of vaccinations please email with the contact form on the side or give me a call at 408.526.9423. I’m happy to discuss your concerns.

Anesthesia is suspected to have played a role in rapidly accelerating Peter Falk’s cognitive decline. The TV actor, famous for playing Columbo, suffered with severe Alzheimer’s for the last four years of his life. He died in July, 2011 at the age of 83. In 2007 he was sharp enough to work in a movie, but within weeks after a series of dental operations he rapidly slipped into a debilitating dementia.

Peter Falk’s daughter, Catherine, had to go to court immediately to get legal guardianship of her father. She said he no longer recognized familiar people, places or things and required full-time custodial care.

Falk’s own doctors had no explanation for the sudden onset of the Alzheimer’s Disease — though they suggested his sudden decline could have been due to the anesthesia or some other reaction to his dental surgery. Falk’s cognitive condition was made even worse in 2010 when he underwent hip replacement surgery.

Interestingly in that same month – July, 2011 – the Journal Neurology published a paper that helps explain why Peter Falk and others like him experienced rapid deterioration after a surgery, illness or injury. Researchers from Southamptom University in England found compelling evidence in a study of 300 people over a 6 month period. It documented increased inflammation in the blood of people who initially had mild dementia who suddenly got worse after a surgery, illness or injury.

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According to the study, this type of dementia happens because the brain becomes abnormally sensitive to the inflammatory proteins the body naturally produces in a normal healing process.

“What is normally a healthy recovery process becomes a toxic bullet in people with early Alzheimer’s disease, killing brain cells at an accelerated rate,” says lead researcher Clive Holmes, a professor of biological psychiatry at Southampton University.

It is a tragedy that Peter Falk’s brilliance was stolen by what appears to be the side-effects of anesthesia. Dr. Grace Jackson in her book Drug Induced Dementia: A Perfect Crime describes these side effects as ‘target organ toxicity’. Anesthesia is supposed to target brain cells to cause a person to be unconscious. It is also supposed to be completely released within a couple days – but tragically for some the anesthesia makes the brain toxic when it fails to be released causing memory loss and other cognitive decline issues.

The good news is that it is possible to help signal the body’s natural detoxifying process to help decrease the ‘target organ toxicity’ side-effect. Clearly it is not possible to restore brain tissue that has already died. For some it is just a matter of helping their body to naturally detoxify so it can continue the process of releasing toxins that are causing unwanted side-effects like brain fog, memory loss or post operative cognitive decline.

I have had success in helping my patients regain their mental edge. If you or someone you know is suffering from these types of symptoms I offer a free, no obligation toxin evaluation that can identify the people I can help. Please use the contact form on the side or give my office a call.

Research studies have concluded that prolonged sitting leads to circulation problems, loss of bone density, back and neck injuries, bad knees, humped shoulders and diseases like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cancer.  Sitting for hours at a time allows muscles to atrophy because they are not being used.

Too much sitting is not the same as too little exercise.  You can exercise daily, but you still need to get up and move regularly!

Our modern lifestyles cause us to sit for more hours than we sleep.  Some studies suggest that sitting more than six hours a day makes death within 15 years more likely than if one sits just three hours per day, even if they do aerobic exercise.  Movement is the key.  Exercise physiologists used to think that moving every hour was good enough, but now they recommend people get up and walk around every 25 minutes.  One strategy is to set a timer across the room which forces you to get up to turn it off.

Movement keeps the joints from being stiff.  It is a good idea to spend 3 to 5 minutes at least twice a day moving every joint you have.  Put on a favorite song and start shaking, moving and jumping around.

Try standing more.  In the video below they show a work station made with a treadmill.  If you stand in one place for extended periods use a anti-fatigue mat.

If you don’t use it, you lose it!

At 29 my friend Bill was a sick old man.  He had chest pains, insomnia, headaches, his whole body felt stiff and sore and he was really tired.  He improved his diet some, but the main thing he did was become more active.  He is 78 years young now and he can run circles around people half his age.  He is vibrant and busy.  His heart is healthy, he sleeps great and says he feels better than he did 50 years ago!

Research is warning of the dangers of a sedentary life style.  Below is a news story that is a real eye opener.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Only you can prevent the health challenges associated with lack of movement.  Now that you know how harmful lack of movement is – find a way to move more.  The quality of your life depends on it!  If you won’t do it for yourself – do it for someone you love.

When someone is under general anesthesia their brain is not asleep.  Their brain is put in a reversible drug-induced coma according to 3 neuroscientists who published a paper in the December 30, 2010 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

These scientists found that electroenchepalograms, EEGs, of patients in a coma were very similar to patients under general anesthesia.  They noted that general anesthesia is functionally equivalent to brainstem death and perhaps explains why some patients do not fully recover consciousness for several hours after surgery and why some suffer persistent Post Operative Cognitive Decline.

“One thing which is evident regarding recovery from general anesthesia is that it tracks the return of function in the brainstem from bottom (respiration) to top (eye-movements and arousal centers)” according to Emery N. Brown, MD, PhD, from the Department of Anesthesia, Critical Care, and Pain Medicine at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston.

General anesthesia saturates the entire brain.  In order to regain “normal” brain function the person’s body has to process the anesthesia chemicals out completely.  Some people have difficulty doing that, so they suffer from the side effects of the anesthesia.

I have worked with people who had surgeries over 10 years ago.  They came in because they realized that they haven’t felt as sharp since their surgery.  Debbie had her first C-Section 14 year ago and the second one 12 years ago.  She just thought her brain fog and memory decline was due to the stress of being a working mom with two kids.  She was actually relieved to find out that it was due to the general anesthesia and that it could be corrected.

The most important thing to know about general anesthesia is that it can have some pretty serious, long lasting side effects.  The next most important thing is that, even years later, it is possible to help the body to regain mental function by naturally detoxifying those lingering anesthesia chemicals.

I have a simple toxin scan that can quickly reveal if someone’s brain is being affected by the side effects of general anesthesia.  Please watch the video below to learn more.

Click here to view the embedded video.

I offer this for free because I don’t want anything to stop people from finding out if their brain fog, memory loss or cognitive decline is the result of general anesthesia or other drug-induced side effects.  Please use the form on the side or call my office at 408.526.9423 for a complimentary toxin scan.

Note: Read more about this subject on Medscape. You’ll need a free account to access the article.