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Hormones & Holistic Healthcare

DR. McKAY, NATUROPATHIC ENDOCRINOLOGY

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FAQ

QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ABOUT NUTRITION

Typical questions brought to the clinic may include the following: Is salt good for me or bad for me? What should I do about my cholesterol? Why do I have indigestion so often? Is it true what they tell us about avoiding fat? Isn’t it healthier to be vegetarian? Is it OK to take antacids every day? Is water really a nutrient?

How do I get buff, or gain more muscle mass? Which diet books are trustworthy and which ones are off base? If I don’t know how to cook, can I still eat healthy? How can I find out my food allergies? What’s the difference between a food allergy and a food sensitivity? Aren’t dietary supplements just going to give me expensive urine? Which artificial sweeteners do you recommend?

Can’t I just get all the nourishment I need from food? Why do I have these strong cravings for sweets / starches / diet soda / salty snacks / bread? How can I overcome my sweet tooth? If I only take three supplements, what should they be? How can I tell if I’m absorbing my food or not? Does a multi-colored bag of candy count as a balanced meal because I’m eating my rainbow like they told me?

Dr. McKay answers all these questions and many more in the course of a normal week in the clinic. And if you insist on seeing all the answers, keep reading. But really, for good nutrition, your best bet is to keep track of what you eat, when you eat, how you feel, and whom you trust for good nutrition advice. As for those typical questions… Are you sure you want to know the answers? Some of these might be contrary to what you thought was “healthy eating.”

Q: Is salt good for me or bad for me?

A: It depends. Most people are low on micro-minerals, so unrefined natural salts can be beneficial. A very few people have sodium-sensitive hypertension and need to avoid salt. Other people with low blood pressure actually need extra salt to hold onto their water.

Q: What should I do about my cholesterol?

A: You should get it tested, keep a food journal, and go have a discussion with a trustworthy, licensed, nutritionally-oriented physician such as Dr. McKay. Cholesterol-lowering drugs are over-advertised, over-prescribed, and have substantial side effects. Smart habits generally improve cholesterol and a host of other health issues as well. Statin drugs invariably deplete the body’s stores of Co-Enzyme-Q-10 and in fact, in Europe it is illegal to dispense statin drugs without also giving Co-Q-10 supplements. Every cell in the body requires both Co-Q-10 and cholesterol in order to function properly.

Q: Why do I have indigestion so often?

A: There are many different types of indigestion. Please keep a journal of what you eat, how you feel, what you took to feel better, and go have a discussion with a good naturopathic physician. Low stomach acid is often the culprit, even though it seems counter-intuitive. But serious problems can also show up as indigestion, so please talk with your naturopathic physician.

Q: Is it true what they tell us about avoiding fat?

A: It has been US government policy to advocate for a low-fat, high-carbohydrate way of life for the past 40 years, since the 1970’s. This is a very large-scale experiment, and it’s safe to say the results are here. For 40 years, 300 million Americans have indeed reduced their average fat consumption. In those same 40 years, we have seen an increase in obesity, an increase in diabetes, an increase in heart disease mortality, and a decrease in overall life expectancy. For the first time in our history, the younger generation actually has a shorter life expectancy than the older generation, due to obesity and diabetes. All of this tells us clearly that low-fat, high-carb is not the path to better health. (Thank you, Gary Taubes, for presenting this data so clearly in Good Calories, Bad Calories, and also in Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It.)

Q: Is it healthier to be vegetarian?

A: Dr. McKay is very sympathetic to the ethical attraction of vegetarianism, having been a practicing vegetarian herself for about 12 years, and also having studied ethics extensively while pursuing her degree in Philosophy. She is enamored of the complete discussion of vegetarianism in Lierre Keith’s magnificent book, The Vegetarian Myth — there are so many hidden ethical and biological issues embedded in our food chain! She welcomes vegetarians in her practice.

Q: Is it OK to take antacids?

A: If you really need antacids every day, then you’ve got serious trouble in your digestive tract and you really should get a consultation with a good naturopathic physician. The popular proton pump inhibitors and antacids were never meant to be taken long-term. They prevent the absorption of minerals, they prevent the sterilization of micro-organisms in the stomach, and they prevent the digestion and absorption of proteins. The inside of the stomach is extremely acid because we need it to be that way; however, acid is meant to stay inside the stomach, not go leaking elsewhere.

Q: Is water really a nutrient?

A: Without a doubt, yes, water is the single most essential nutrient in our diet. Our bodies are about 70% water and we need to consume about two to three quarts pure water every single day just to maintain good health. We need even more than that in hot weather, during weight loss, or when exercising hard. Markers for dehydration include chapped lips, dry eyes, dry hands, bladder infections, foggy thinking, joint aches, and about 100 other discomforts that are very easily cured by simply drinking enough pure water every day.

Q: How do I get buff, or gain more muscle mass?

A: Proper hormone balance is essential, along with good nutrition and exercise. Excessive stress is the enemy of strong muscles and in fact stress can cause muscle break-down, as well as fat deposits. Adequate protein provides the building blocks for strong muscles, and resistance training (pushing against gravity or against weights) is indispensable. People over 40 need to be extra careful when starting an exercise program, because injuries take such a toll and can keep you out of the gym for weeks or months. A well-qualified personal trainer would be a good investment. Take it easy, but do get moving.

Q: Which diet books are trustworthy and which ones are off base?

A: Good question! Please bring in your favorite book and chat with Dr. McKay; she is always interested in learning more. Her current favorites include Why We Get Fat and What To Do About It by Gary Taubes, and The Diet Cure by Julia Ross. There are many other fine books as well.

Q: If I don’t know how to cook, can I still eat healthy?

A: It depends! It may be possible to balance the general proportions of protein, carbohydrate, and fat while depending on commercially prepared foods. However, problems arise if you have the need to reduce food pollution (additives, pesticides, hormones, hidden ingredients). In this case, cooking for yourself is pretty much the only answer. So please consult with a licensed naturopathic physician who is also a good cook, to figure out what is workable (and necessary) in your own specific case.

Q: How can I find out my food allergies?

A: There are several good lab kits available for food allergies, and for people with substantial problems, lab testing is a viable starting point. However, in general, Dr. McKay’s experience is that keeping a detailed journal of foods, drinks, and symptoms can yield personalized, useful information that is simply not available at any laboratory. The problem with lab testing is the moderately high rate of both “false negatives” (they tell you that things are fine but in reality you know you are not doing well), as well as “false positives” (they tell you that your blood reacts to foods that you know are really OK for you to eat). Skin prick food allergy testing is especially notorious for producing false negatives.

Q: What’s the difference between a food allergy and a food sensitivity?

A: An allergy means the body has developed antibodies (seek-and-destroy molecules) against a particular protein; these antibodies show up on lab testing if we manage to ask the lab for the exact right antibody test, and if you’ve had recent exposure to this protein. A sensitivity is more general, where the body has some kind of adverse reaction to any substance (not just proteins), possibly due to an enzyme deficiency (inability to fully digest that particular food), possibly due to a tissue sensitivity (a local reaction not necessarily involving antibodies), or simple toxicity (eating contaminated or spoiled food is a pretty bad idea).

Q: Aren’t dietary supplements just going to give me expensive urine?

A: It’s OK to have extra-yellow urine; the bladder deserves to be well-nourished, too. If we fill up the body with essential nutrients to the point that tissues are saturated, that’s a good thing. Since the Dust Bowl Era of the 1930’s, the federal government has issued warnings that American topsoil has been depleted of minerals, and therefore our food supply is generally too low in many different minerals. Micro-minerals are absolutely essential to good health, and if our food is deficient, then we need to find some other source. Vitamins and enzymes, too, tend to run low in commercially raised foods because industrialized agriculture forces extra-rapid plant growth with only three nutrients (N-P-K, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium).

Q: Which artificial sweeteners do you recommend?

A: None. They are all more or less toxic. Aspartame in particular (Nutra-Sweet) is not only highly prevalent, but is also reported to be the #1 source of consumer complaints to the FDA, the Food and Drug Administration. Aspartame causes brain inflammation, which causes some people to feel “addicted” to it.

Q: Can’t I just get all the nourishment I need from food?

A: Ideally, yes! However this would mean eating at least half your food raw (to preserve enzymes); eating nothing but organically grown foods from biologically enriched soils; including substantial amounts of naturally-fermented foods; and it would mean including organ meats, which most Americans do not like. Even with such ideal food sources, if your body has special needs (injuries, illnesses, toxicities, imbalances), then specific nutritional medicine may be warranted.

Q: Why do I have these strong cravings for sweets / starches / diet soda / salty snacks / bread?

A: Cravings are not a character flaw — they come from somewhere. The brain receives signals from every single tissue in the body. Running low on energy in one place or another has repercussions throughout the entire system. Plus we live in a society where commercial interests have learned how to exploit natural human urges, pushing us into dangerous imbalances. As hunter-gatherers, it was in our biological best interest to favor calorically-dense foods (fruits, meat fats, nuts, starches) as well as mineral sources (natural salts), and so these preferences entered our genetic heritage. However, our brains have not really changed since hunter-gatherer days, so our natural desire for sweets, oils, starches and salts is still active — even though nowadays we are actually over-exposed to all of these substances. Dr. McKay offers herbs, targeted amino acids, emotional counseling, and humor to help people restore healthy balance.

Q: How can I overcome my sweet tooth?

A: Dr. McKay is extremely sympathetic to this overwhelming urge, having been a notorious sugar-seeker for most of her life. However, there are ways to gently extinguish this burning desire and regain control of one’s health. Becoming more self-aware by keeping a journal is one step in the right direction. Retraining the taste buds is often essential to regaining control — think of training a puppy, gently, with loving determination; it can be done! The advantages of climbing off the blood sugar roller coaster are myriad, including better energy, less illness, less cancer risk, normalized weight, better sleep, comfortable digestion, and fewer mood swings.

Q: If I only take three supplements, what should they be?

A: It depends! Each person has specific issues which deserve careful assessment and unique recommendations. That said, most people do benefit from a great multi-vitamin / multi-mineral (Dr. McKay loves “The Big One”, made in Oregon), due to prevalent insufficiencies in our food supply; a generous source of omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil, krill oil, or cod liver oil) to nourish the nervous system and the immune system; and a great pro-biotic to restore friendly bacteria in the digestive tract, where 70% of our immune system resides.

Q: How can I tell if I’m absorbing my food or not?

A: If you have digestive problems of any kind, then you are probably not absorbing nutrients very well. Even folks with seemingly perfect digestion can turn up with deficiencies that can be seen on basic blood work (CBC, Chem Screen, CMP — complete blood count, chemistries, and comprehensive metabolic panel,) if only the doctor knows what to look for.

Q: Does a multi-colored bag of candy count as a balanced meal, because I’m eating my rainbow like they told me?

A: No. Sadly, this was a real question posed by a real patient.

Primary Sidebar

Hormone Therapy (BHRT)

Hormone Therapy using BHRT (bio-identical hormone restoration therapy) rebalances the body by using the exact hormone molecules that our own bodies naturally produce
Read more

Clinical Weight Loss Approaches

If you focus on attaining vibrant, whole-body health, then excess pounds just melt away with no particular effort. But if your body is burdened with imbalances (hormonal or digestive or neurotransmitter)
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Testimonials

Thank you for your persistent kindness in what often feels like a sea of unhappy, cranky medical providers…I want to say thank you for all the follow-up information you sent yesterday…I had no idea [sleep] apnea had an impact on blood viscosity.  With gratitude, EL, Lake Oswego
Thank you for your persistent kindness...
Dear Dr. Deb, thank you so much, but I am the one who is blessed… you have helped me to begin to bloom with life again.  You have helped me to feel more like the person that I used to be, heard me when I said that I needed help, and are there for me each step of the way.  I know what you have gone through, that some days are better than others, yet, the care and compassion that you have for others who have been there, the strength that you show, make you the unique and very special person th… Read more
Thank you so much...
Hi Dr. McKay, I have attached the results of my US that you ordered. I am relieved that no full-blown cancer was found. Dr. McKay: 1 Western Medicine: 0 You were the only one who detected a nodule just by checking my neck! Neither my NP or Dr. T. did! See you in a couple of months,
“SD” age 39, Lake Oswego
Dearest Dr. McKay, How are you? I almost want to be sick so that I can talk to you .… Overall, I have no real complaints.… However, you know how I love to eat. It is amazing how much healthy food I have found that doesn’t bother me…. I just celebrated my 59th birthday and plan on getting myself heading back in the right direction again come Monday. I really have no idea how I can ever thank you enough for all you have done for me. I cringe at the thought of going to a regular doctor. For … Read more
“BC” age 59, posted from Japan
Now I Don’t Bonk I just want to thank you because in the four months I’ve been seeing you, I’ve gone from practically crawling through my days to how I am now, which is pretty darn good. My work is physically and emotionally demanding but now I don’t bonk in the afternoons. As a cancer survivor, other doctors were afraid to help me. I’m glad to be back.  
“DP” age 68, Aloha
I just want to write to thank you both for all that you’ve done for me! Dr. McKay, all of your information and education that you give has been so helpful. I always feel listened to. The xxx and yyy root have been amazing additions to my supplements. I’ve been keeping healthy with all the infection ideas you gave me as well. Rick, you are always so organized and helpful. I really feel cared about and have never had such smooth doctor visits as I’ve had with you guys. Your follow up is awesome! I … Read more
“GC” age 43

You guys are the most efficient, well organized, professional and knowledgeable clinic I’ve ever been too and i am sooo glad I found you!!! Thank you for treating me with kindness and such great care I look forward to a long continued relationship to get my health back on track!

I Am So Glad I Found You!
Duuuuuuuude, that stuff  WORKS!  [regarding Rx pain-relieving cream applied 4 hours after ankle surgery]
Brianna, age 25
I am so thrilled to have found Dr. McKay! After several months and attempts to figure out why I wasn’t sleeping, had the chills, was unbelievably moody and anxious at times where it really wasn’t warranted, Dr. McKay nailed it. All I needed was one little progesterone pill – bioidentical of course. I feel grounded, sane, well-rested and ready to take on the new year! Dr. McKay was extremely thorough, uber knowledgeable and quite frankly sensibly scientific!
 
Thank you thank you! I’m going … Read more
Ashley / designer + mom of 2 in Portland
I am feeling soooo much better! Still a bit exhausted, but the pain of my tonsils, throat and sinus pain are gone! THANK YOU!!! Lots of love to your awesome, giving heart …
Belinda Balogh, Personal Trainer; Owner, Boomer Fitness Solutions, Beaverton
Here is my mom’s [information] for tomorrow’s appointment. Thank you so much for everything; she seems to be doing much better!
from Oklahoma (mom flew in from overseas to treat here)
Dr. McKay is extremely knowledgeable and always looking to learn and research more. That’s what I really like about her – she’s not just passing along or dredging up old information. She’s active in always looking for the best way to approach treatment. She’s an excellent communicator, so I always understand the why behind the path we’ve chosen. My health is a real investment for me and I wouldn’t continue seeing Dr. McKay if I wasn’t seeing real results.
J.K., Attorney, Hillsboro
Dr. McKay has made a huge difference in my life. When I talked to the M.D. about what I was experiencing, I was basically told, “Too bad, can’t help you.” Dr. McKay listened intently and got me on the right path using a natural, holistic approach. My energy is back and I’m feeling great. Her treatment is always caring and thoughtful. She’s very passionate about helping people and it shows in the care she provides
S.F., Business Owner, Beaverton
From the start Dr. McKay felt right for me. Her philosophy on health care is in line with my own. She’s warm, sensitive, knowledgeable and very caring. She’s the first doctor I’ve seen who really gives of her time. I never feel rushed or forced into a particular path of treatment. I’ve noticed a dramatic change for the better in my overall health and love that we’re achieving that through natural means!
E.P., Teacher, SW Portland
Dr. McKay takes her time and really listens to me so she can get a complete picture, so her diagnoses are right on. She’s worked wonders for me and made a tremendous difference in my life. I feel more energized, have lost weight and feel better than I have in a long time. And Dr. McKay always makes me feel comfortable because what I share with her doesn’t fall on deaf ears.
D.C., Attorney, NW Portland

Nutrition

Is salt good for me or bad for me? What should I do about my cholesterol? Why do I have indigestion so often? Is it true what they tell us about avoiding fat all the time?
Read more

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Dr. D.S. McKay, Licensed Naturopathic Physician / Endocrinology

Hormones and Holistic Healthcare

7516 SW 25th Ave,

Portland, OR 97219

503-549-5550


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