Acne has been linked to the intake of refined carbohydrates (sugar and flour products), dairy products (cow’s milk, cheese, yogurt, cream, ice cream), and saturated fats (found in animal products), trans-fats and deficient omega 3 P.U.F.A.’s.

MTOR activators can aggravate acne. Activators of MTOR include proteins especially if they are rich in leucine (beef, eggs, whey protein), having an excess of calories, having an excess of carbohydrates, or high levels of insulin (as a result of high glycemic carbohydrates) and testosterone (an androgen hormone). A paleolithic diet high in vegetables and fish is most suitable for acne.

Plants that inhibit MTOR are helpful in reducing inflammation.

These foods include pomegranates, raspberries, curcumin found in turmeric root, resveratrol (found in red grapes and red wine), quercitin (found in onions, garlic, leeks, green leafy vegetables, blueberries), omega 3 fatty acids found in fish and flax seeds (Multi EFA capsules is a supplement that supplies these oils in my dispensary).

Barberries at 1 tsp three times daily can help reduce acne. Go to Amazon.ca to order if you are interested.

Acne-gen is a phytogen that I use to treat acne or else I treat acne using Unda numbers and homeopathy.

Probiotics decrease acne lesions by 45%. Dybiosis can contribute to acne so if there are symptoms of dysbiosis like gas and bloating I may also use Berberine to treat the bacteria. In some cases, stool testing will provide more objective data to work with. 

Mechanism of action: Refined carbs increase insulin and decrease Fox01 which in turn decreases TH17 creating inflammation and comedones. Milk increases insulin and dairy products decrease IGF-1 and also with their branched chain amino acids increase MTORC1. Saturated fats increase palmitate.

Inhibitors of MTORC1 include protein restriction, calorie restriction, ketogenic diets that are vegan, intermittent calorie restriction, exercise, cortisol, NAC, Resveratrol, omega 3, green tea/Matcha, extra virgin olive oil, curcumin, alpha-lipoic acid, quercitin, genistein, DIM, ursolic acid, pomegranate/ellagic acid, rhubarb, milk thistle, anthocyanins/grape seed extract, oleonolic acid.

If you are interested in treating your acne and have it be a lasting solution, please come and see me at Parallel Wellness. Dr. Robin Vinge, ND 4032321283 Reference- NutritionalFacts.org

A few patients have asked me how to reduce their rate of breast cancer so I thought I would post about it. A lot of this info comes from Michael Greger’s book How Not to Die and info has also been taken from Kristi Funk, MD’s info.  Latest research to lower rates of Breast Cancer

Minimize light exposure at night. Use a sleep mask to maximize melatonin production. Higher vegetable
consumption is associated with higher melatonin levels and high meat intake with lower levels.
Five hours of vigorous exercise a week is recommended to lower risk by lowering estrogen and
progesterone. You need to work up a sweat.
Women who eat meats grilled, barbecued or smoked raise risk. Eating meat well done also ups risk.
Roasting, pan frying, grilling and baking above 212 degree Fahrenheit ups risk.
Fiber reduces risk- the higher the better > greather than 37 grams daily.
Recommended to eat one apple daily.
Eat broccoli or other cruciferous vegetables daily and broccoli sprouts (1/4 cup) to reduce risk. Broccoli
sprouts can be easily grown at home and are so important to reduce risk of reoccurrence.
Collard green consumption is associated with less breast cancer risk.
Flaxseeds contain lignans which dampen the body’s own estrogen effect. Lignan intake is associated
with less breast cancer risk. Two tsp a day of ground flaxseed on food daily will reduce risk.
“Dietary flaxseed has the potential to reduce tumor growth in patients with breast cancer. Flaxseed may
be a potential dietary alternative to currently used breast cancer drugs.
Researchers have found that women diagnosed with breast cancer that ate the most soy lived longer
and had reduced occurrence of breast cancer than those who ate less. 90 % of patients who ate the
most soy phytoestrogens after diagnosis were still alive after 5 years. Try to eat whole forms of soy that are non-GMO and organic. Edemame is an example. Drink organic non-GMO unsweetened soy milk versus cow’s milk.
White mushrooms block the estrogen synthase enzyme. Eating mushrooms and sipping at least half a
tea’s bag worth of green tea each day was associated with 90% lower breast cancer odds.

Birth control pills also cause increased estrogen so if you use the oral contraceptive to prevent pregnancy which many people do please come in and talk to me about other things you can do to reduce negative side effects of taking the pill. To book please call 4032321283 Parallel Wellness Dr. Robin Vinge, Naturopathic Doctor

I thought I would write a post on some gentle support for heavy metals.

To boost heavy metal detox support you need to increase glutathione. It is the major antioxidant in the body and helps attach to heavy metals in the bloodstream so they are flushed out of the liver and the kidneys. To boost glutathione (major antioxidant in the body):

1. Sulfur rich foods – consume arugula, bok choy, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collard greens, kale, mustard greens, radish, turnip, watercress.
2. Methylation nutrients- active B vitamins. Include folate rich food like chick peas, liver, pinto beans, spinach, lentils, asparagus, avocado, beets, broccoli.
3. Selenium- take 200 mcg daily which is needed to make glutathione or make sure you get sources in your diet- brazil nuts (1 oz), cooked halibut, sardines (3 oz), wild shrimp (3 oz), turkey (3 oz), spinach (1 cup).
4. Vitamin E rich foods- almonds, spinach, sweet potato, avocado, olive oil.
5. NAC- 600 mg twice daily to chelate heavy metals.
6. Alpha -lipoic acid (~ 200 mg daily)
7. Milk thistle- take as directed on the label. Helpful to bind to heavy metals and flush them out of the liver.
8. Modified citrus pectin- in apples and citrus fruits or take 3 grams twice daily (sodium alginate complex). Bind metals such as cadmium, lead, mercury, arsenic and flushes them out of the body.

Supportive elements also include probiotic bacteria particularly lactobacillus acidophilus (50 billion C.F.U.’s/day), fermented foods like kefir, dairy free yogurt, sauerkraut or kimchi. Make sure to keep minerals high if you are taking out heavy metals. Include seaweed in your diet like nori, dulse, kelp or wakame.  A multimineral supplement would be supportive. Drink enough water- half your body weight in oz. Get lots of fiber (50 grams plus). Eating ground flax seeds or chia seeds, raw nuts and seeds if tolerated, tons of cruciferous veggies as stated above. Limit brown rice which contains higher levels of arsenic in the diet. All types of rice do contain small amounts of arsenic contamination. Boiling rice with water and throwing out the water can help get rid of some of it.  Cilantro and garlic, leeks, onions are great chelators to include in the diet.  Wild blueberries are a great chelator. Include polyphenol rich foods like cocoa powder, dried plums, cloves, green tea, strawberries, black currants, purple grapes or purple grape juice.

Heavy metal Smoothie (Anthony Williams: Medical Medium Source)- 2 bananas, 2 cups of wild blueberries, spirulina 2 tsp, barley grass powder 1-2 tsp, cilantro (1 cup), Atlantic Dulse (2 tbsp flakes). Could consume once daily.

Other supports may include Chlorella 4-8 capsules daily. Vitamin C 1000-3000 mg daily which can chelate metals. A great homeopathic Unda support for heavy metals is Unda 2, 48, 258 – 8 drops twice daily taken at least 15 minutes from food or drink. Please make an appointment with me if you want to explore further testing options for heavy metals or further explanation of treatment options. Parallel Chiropractic and Wellness Center 4032321283   Dr. Robin Vinge, ND