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Is It All A FLU(KE)?

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Upcoming FREE health seminars with Dr. Ian Hollaman, DC MSc IFMCP

If you OR someone you know would be interested in learning more about Thyroid Conditions, Diabetes/Pre-Diabetes, and Dr. Autoimmune’s Functional Medicine approach: I encourage you to come to one of our upcoming Thyroid Health Seminars!

Thyroid Conditions: “The Myths, The Truths, and The Solution”

Thursday, March 15th at 6:00 pm
Friday, March 16th at 10:00 am

Diabetes/Pre-Diabetes: “An End to the American Epidemic” 

Thursday, March 29st at 6:00 pm
Thursday, March 30th at 10:00 am

There is no cost nor obligation AND attendees will be invited to enjoy exclusive, new patient pricing! What you learn will open your eyes and mind to a bright and healthy future.

Limited seating, call to reserve your seat today 303.882.8447


Is It All A Flu(ke)? – by Dr. Ian Hollaman, DC, MSc, IFMCP

The flu can be miserable! Do you stress whether or not you should get the flu vaccine every year? Or do you wonder is it worth it? It’s a hot topic and if you just look at the numbers you may not be seeing the full picture. Not to trivialize how awful it feels to have the flu, but the reality is the data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is a horror show of conflict and political nonsense. In this article, I hope to clear up some of the fear-mongering used from statistics collected by the CDC and give you action steps to help naturally prevent the flu in the coming years.
The CDC recognizes there is a difference between flu deaths and flu-associated deaths yet the terms are used interchangeably. To clarify, flu deaths are those whose death is directly correlated to them having the flu. Flu-associated deaths are those who die from something else such as pneumonia but also had the flu. The statistics used are incompatible with national versus “official estimates”. Estimates used to sell a CDC policy that recommends health care practitioners “predict the dire outcome” during flu season as a way to sell the vaccine (for more, see Del Bigtree’s video). For example, the CDC website indicates “about 36,000 die from the flu” annually. “Influenza/pneumonia” is the seventh leading cause of death in the United States. Why are these two lumped together? Should they be connected so strongly as to use them interchangeably?

The CDC extrapolated this 36,000-person death from respiratory and circulatory causes modeled in a 2003 JAMA article by William Thompson, one of the leaders of the National Immunization Program (NIP). He explains, “influenza-associated mortality” is “statistical association between deaths and viral data available.” He specifically states that an association does not indicate causation of death. “Based on modeling, we think it’s associated. I don’t know that we would say that it’s the underlying cause of death.” This estimate is based on a model that essentially equates a death that hypothetically arose from influenza to something that rarely occurs, true influenza mediated death.

This is the kind of information that policymakers use to base their decisions for mandated vaccines and legislation that guarantees vaccine makers are compensated if their products are not used (as was proposed in the failed 2005 bill – HR 813). But, this bill is more of the same and is quite frankly, disgusting. In 2004 at the “National Influenza Vaccine Summit,” co-sponsored by CDC and the American Medical Association, a seven-step formula was presented to coerce the American public into increasing the sale of flagging flu vaccines. One of those steps stated, “continued reports…that influenza is causing severe illness and/or affecting lots of people, helping foster the perception that many people are susceptible to a bad case of influenza.”

Are you curious what the true number of deaths is from influenza as reported by the CDC in 2001? 18. Meaning flu virus was positively identified and attributed directly to the person’s death. For those people’s families certainly not trivial, but it is shameful and a disgrace to science when the true underlying motivator to the fear mongering is vaccine sales.

On top of the hype, there is evidence that the flu vaccine increases your chance of infecting other’s over six-fold and that Children who get the flu vaccine have three times the risk of hospitalization. So, what can we do naturally to prevent the flu and curtail its severity? LOTS!

If you have a Chiropractor, go see them! Research indicates a potent antioxidant called superoxide dismutase and glutathione may increase through chiropractic adjustments! In fact, the Pandemic of 1918 was particularly interesting for the chiropractic profession as numerous case reports revealed doomed patients given up on by Western medicine sought out Chiropractic care for the amazing response it created!

Nutrition is obviously a critical role in any infectious disease. Chicken soup would not be chicken soup if it did not help us when we felt miserable. Eating can be tough when we are in the throes of an illness so I think one of the best strategies is prevention! Here are my favorite tips for preventing, and if necessary supporting someone who has influenza.

Bone broth/chicken soup – The amino acids found naturally in chicken are quite amazing. This food, especially when created from bone broth has lots of essential amino acids like glutamine that help promote detoxification and soothes the gut lining and provides necessary nutrients to the enterocytes, which create the basement lining of the gut. It has also been reported in the medical literature to create an anti-inflammatory effect. There are to many recipes to use but whatever you do, try to get organic, free range, as meat is one of the highest sources of persistent organic pollutants!

Vitamin D – Preferably from the sun if possible, but this hormone plays a major role in the immune system by increasing anti-microbial peptides like beta-defensin and cathelocidin. Research done in 2008 indicated that those in the lowest levels of vitamin D had significantly increased the risk of respiratory infection. Their lead author stated:

“The findings of our study support an important role for vitamin D in prevention of common respiratory infections, such as colds and the flu. Individuals with common lung diseases, such as asthma or emphysema, may be particularly susceptible to respiratory infections from vitamin D deficiency.” On top of that, a review of over 25 studies concluded vitamin D boosts immunity and reduces infection risk (for those that have low levels). Keep in mind you want to take vitamin D3, not D2. D2 is still given as a prescription and it can actually cause harm at high doses! I recommend anywhere from 6-20,000iu/day depending on your levels and need. It is always smart to check your levels and take a high-quality form of it (I prefer Xymogens D3).

Astragalus/Echinacea/Olive leaf – These powerhouses are my go-to for herbs that naturally support the immune system in times of challenge! There is too much to say about them for one blog but the key is they need to be in the system prior to the infection for full effect! Astragalus has been shown to increase interferon, a potent antiviral. Echinacea has been shown to block the replication of viral particles and Olive leaf can improve the ability of white blood cells to gobble up bad guys. I think there are different situations that require different doses of these amazing compounds but my two go-to products are Immune Essentials and Max VRL.

Lastly, this might be a “no-brainer” but we get caught up in the daily grind, which can pummel our immune system into a state of susceptibility. By using sugar and stimulants to address our stress we weaken our natural ability to fight infection. By trusting our natural ability to heal ourselves (get some sleep and hydrate!) and a little help from natural medicine you can surely bounce back stronger and healthier and hopefully now you have a few extra tricks to protect yourself and your family!

Yours truly in health and wellness,
Ian Hollaman, DC, MSc, IFMCP

Anxiety, Depression, Relief! – FREE Webinar & Brain Balancing Handout

We understand the pain involved with living with Anxiety and/or Depression and have successfully taken on the root causes of these conditions and provided relief for hundreds of Colorado residents.

If you’re struggling with one or both of these conditions please take the time to watch the latest webinar covering Dr. Autoimmune’s Functional Medicine approach to taking on Anxiety and/or Depression featuring Dr. Ian Hollaman, DC, MSc, IFMCP.

Scroll down for both patient testimonies AND learn more about one of the possible causes of Anxiety/Depression with “The way to heal the mind is to heal the whole body” by Dr. Ian Hollaman DC.

Register below and you will automatically be taken to our Anxiety/Depression webinar hosted by Dr. Ian Hollaman, DC, MSc, IFMCP.

This is a NO COST, NO OBLIGATION, FREE WEBINAR! Participants will also be sent our Balance Your Brain: Overcome Anxiety and/or Depression handout and the webinar link incase you missed something. Anyone who watches Dr. Ian’s webinar will also be invited to enjoy exclusive, New Patient pricing.
We appreciate your time and looking forward to letting your health soar!

The way to heal the mind is to heal the whole body – by Dr. Ian Hollaman DC, MSc, IFMCP

“I feel like this depression is a never ending story. Will I ever get better and feel good, happy and healthy again? I can’t take this anymore. It keeps pulling me down into the blackness and I wish with all my heart I could take it away. I’m tired, so tired of this constant battle. I want to feel like me again. I used to be so happy. I used to sleep through the night and feel energetic all day. I didn’t use to live with all this pain”.
Do you feel depressed? You are not alone!
What if you could  . . .

  • address the actual cause of your depression or anxiety Safely and Effectively?
  • Take control of your life?
  • Transform your body, your brain, and your experience with an Effective, Integrative, Functional medicine approach to Healing?

It’s hard to face illness, pain, and fear. But it IS possible to move through it and transform yourself.
It takes courage and commitment as well as powerful knowledge, support, and tools from an expert.
Depression isn’t the root disease itself. It’s the outward expression of imbalance in the body, the symptom. It’s the body alerting you to the fact that something is wrong.

Depression is not simple, there are many complex factors involved.

Both anxiety and depression, along with other mood and neuropsychiatric disorders, such anxiety, sleep disorders, eating disorders, or bipolar disorder generally result from a complex interplay of factors. These may include a combination of nutritional, physical, environmental, social and emotional factors, affecting your genetic tendencies and brain biochemistry (meaning that your neurotransmitters, or the chemical messengers within your brain, can be affected by these key components of well-being). You can think of anxiety and depression as disruptions in brain health.

Gut health – heal your gut to heal your mind.

The brain-gut connection.

Did you know we have a second brain? The second one, called our enteric nervous system, consists of some 100 million neurons that are embedded in the walls of our gut. There are incredibly intricate interconnections between the brain and the gut and the vagus nerve (the nerve responsible for a lot of your thinking and brain function) connected from the top of your stomach, all the way up to your brain.
The “brain-gut” connection is essentially what it sounds like: Your gut and brain are directly linked.
As important as the neurons in the gut is the kind of bacteria and other microbes collectively known as our microbiome.  They do many important things like break down our food, fight off infection, and boost our immune system and also play a very important role in our mental health. In addition, about 95% of your serotonin (“feel good” brain chemical) is produced in your gastrointestinal tract.
When your gut is unhappy, stressed, inflamed…your brain is unhappy or stressed.
Inflammation in your gut sends signals to your brain, causing similar responses such as inflammation, stress, anxiety, depression and a host of other mental health issues.

“By improving the microbiome we can actually see positive changes in mood, cognitive function, and executive function,”

A stronger microbiome means less inflammation, which means reduced risk of inflammatory brain diseases and disorders like Depression, Anxiety, Bipolar disorder, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

“Leaky gut” is linked to mental health disorders.

Our gut takes a hit over time when we eat processed foods, eat foods we are allergic to, get overloaded with environmental toxins, medications, and antibiotics.  This leads to a wear and tear on our gut linings, which then leads to a “leaky gut”

Leading to digestive issues (from constipation, gas and bloating to allergies, brain fog, and skin breakouts)…
Which then leads to inflammation in the body (as food particles leak into our bloodstream—outside the digestive tract). Our body sees food in the bloodstream as “outside invaders” and ends up attacking itself (causing an inflammatory response, which impacts our whole body—brain included).

This constant state of stress causes chronic inflammation; the body reacts to the stress as a type of infection and tries to overcome it. Because inflammation is at the root of many diseases, this exposure to prolonged stress can have serious consequences for your health, ranging from high blood pressure to autoimmune disorders to chronic depression and mental health disorders.

Neurofeedback – balancing brain wave energy

Traditionally, depression has been treated with therapy and medication, both of which have limitations, and medications can have significant side effects.

Even with medication, countless depression sufferers continue to struggle. Medications don’t teach the brain how to get out of the unhealthy brain pattern of depression.

Depression is neurological, not psychological.

The left frontal area of the brain is associated with positive emotions and motivation and a desire to be involved with other people. The right frontal area of the brain is more associated with worry, depression, and fear, accompanied by the motivation to withdraw from and avoid other people and different environments. When there is more slow brainwave activity in the left frontal area, this part of the brain is more inactive and the right frontal area is more dominant. Such a person is predisposed to become depressed more easily, to withdraw from other people, and to be anxious.

Neurofeedback training works on the root of the problem, altering the brain patterns affiliated with depression. Neurofeedback can restore healthy brain wave patterns and bring lasting brain changes. It is non-invasive and produces no undesirable side effects making neurofeedback a powerful tool.

We first measure brain function with a quantitative EEG brain map, so that you can see the reason in your brain for your mood problems. The QEEG will show areas of the brain where there is too little or too much activity.

Hundreds of studies have been done investigating EEG activity and many important areas of our daily life functioning, including our attention, mood, anxiety, social functioning, and learning and thinking skills. EEG can be used to identify the basis in the brain for attention deficits and the distinct EEG patterns that have been identified for depression.

Once we determine the source of the problem, we target that area for change through neurofeedback brain training. This allows you to reshape your brain, not just mask your symptoms.
Neurofeedback training will stabilize your depressed mood and other symptoms which keep you depressed like insomnia and anxiety.

Those with depression often notice improvement after only a few sessions, but for the brain to fully learn to make healthier patterns consistently, a number of brain training sessions are required. With sufficient practice, the brain learns to make these healthy patterns on its own and regulate mood independently.

Neurofeedback can help depression sufferers get their lives back. Your brain changes when you are depressed and neurofeedback can help it relearn healthier patterns, giving those who suffer from depression a way out of their suffering.

Neurofeedback is able to make a change to the source of depression symptoms within the brain and central nervous system.

Neurofeedback training for Depression is very promising because it can not only relieve the symptoms of Depression but can also modify the brain’s biological predisposition for becoming depressed by reversing the frontal brain wave asymmetry that predisposes you to depression and help you regain control of your life.
This complex venture is designed to help support your health and healing so you can feel better, energized and invigorated, calmer, and at peace.

Capable, experienced guidance makes all the difference in helping you reach a place of health and happiness faster, with superior and lasting results.

Because every person has a unique set of challenges, at Dr. Autoimmune we support you with a creative and effective individualized approach. Dr. Ian Hollaman has developed a unique, effective, non-drug approach to helping people with depression and anxiety. His program incorporates Functional Medicine, Functional Neurology, Nutrition, Brain Mapping, Neurofeedback and customized Chiropractic care.

Our role at Dr. Autoimmune is to provide support, knowledge, tools, and strategies that directly address the root cause of all your mental and physical challenges in order to enhance and encourage a positive transformation. We can get to the root cause of your depression by using a Comprehensive Functional Medicine Approach.
This and more is possible!

Depression/Anxiety Symptoms checklist

• Prolonged sadness, feeling overwhelmed/hopeless,
• Loss of interest in activities, social interaction, pleasure
• Irritability, easily frustrated, angered, quick to tears
• Changes in sleep – insomnia, racing thoughts keeping you awake
• Weight gain or weight loss, loss of appetite, emotional overeating
• Digestive problems – nausea, diarrhea, constipation, vomiting
• Brain fog – Trouble thinking, concentrating and making decisions
• Unexplained aches and pains, headaches, rashes
• Chronic fatigue, lack of energy
• Excessive guilt and feeling worthless, ruminating thoughts