We know Chronic Disease doesn’t happen overnight. Now more than ever, we are wanting ways to feel better, reverse chronic disease, and age gracefully. We are offering a Lifestyle Medicine Group to help you address Diet, Movement, Stress, Organ Systems, Toxins, and more through a time-tested, researched-backed in-office group program.

You asked, we answered! Over a month ago, we asked our patients if they’d be interested in being a part of an educational group and we were overwhelmed with the response! Over 90% of responses said yes! 

We, at Driip IV, are so excited to introduce a new 6-month educational seminar happening at our Deephaven location on Monday evenings at 5:30 pm with the first free introduction on June 19th. We will be covering “The 7 Systems Plan ” by Dr. Pat Luse; a comprehensive guide to support your body’s innate knowledge. It has been proven to have amazing results with lasting weight loss and amazing health transformations. 

The 7 Systems Plan treats the underlying problem that generates the symptoms or the root of the malfunction, whereas the majority of diet plans (and conventional medical care) focus on only the symptom which doesn’t lead to optimal and lasting health. 

The issue with a lot of diet and health plans is that they fail to address the system malfunctions that are causing weight gain and ongoing health issues. Dr. Pat Luse has broken down this innovative approach, highlighting how to improve the seven systems to get your life back on track. Numerous patients have received treatment using the 7 Systems Plan. Many feel this has completely changed their lives. To deliver the best outcomes, this model has been improved over the past 20 years and now incorporates the most recent scientific discoveries. 

The seven major systems that make up the body are Structural, Digestive, Delivery, Energetic, Communicative, Defensive, and Detox, which will be covered in depth throughout this program. These Systems are interconnected and have an impact on one another thus meaning our overall health and weight are significantly impacted by the proper operation of each system.

There are easy methods to help each System perform properly, which will optimize your health and will be tailored to your individual health goals and unique system demands. 

The 7 Systems Plan is a new way of life that results from a new way of thinking! Long-term health is a result of getting all your 7 systems working together optimally. The benefits that are reported from the integration of these lifestyle changes are outstanding:

• Losing weight faster and maintaining ideal body weight permanently
• Living up to 24 years longer
• Having up to 87% more strength in just 8 weeks
• Increased energy
• Decreased risk on cancer risk by up to 67%
• Drastically reduced risk for the top 4 killers in America
• Looking and feeling up to 10 years younger in 90 days
• Decreasing or eliminating your need for medications
• Significantly increase sex drive

Now imagine the results when you pair it with IV nutrients which are 100% bioavailable and the numerous resources that Driip IV has to offer. 

This program will be happening at our Deephaven location at 5:30 pm on Mondays. June 19th will be our first free introduction class so you can learn what the class is all about. Below is a brief overview of each system with tips and tricks to start supporting each one that will be covered in depth in our weekly classes.

Chapter 1: The Structural System 

 

Introducing the first system of the seven we will be outlining: The Structural System; bone, muscle, and fat. This will be a brief overview of what dysfunction looks like in each system and a couple of tips on how to start improving your health! 

The Structural System 

The Structural System is the foundation for all the other systems because it holds everything together. Your bones, muscles, and fat perform these three vital functions:

1. Bone = supports
2. Muscle = moves
3. Fat = stores

7 Signs that your structural system is working against you:

1. Weight gain (particularly fat stored around the belly)
2. Osteoporosis or osteopenia
3. Back and neck pain
4. Loss of height
5. Loss of strength and decrease muscle tone
6. Weak memory or mental fog

Why Your Bones Are Working Against You

Lifestyle choices such as smoking, drinking, poor diet, and consuming soft drinks are known to interfere with the body’s ability to absorb calcium. These behaviors slow down new bone formation. Some medications are known to adversely affect the health and building of bones, especially statin (cholesterol-lowering) drugs, antidepressants, and proton pump inhibitors (acid reflux drugs). Hormone deficiencies can also impair bone building. 

Your body is composed of 206 different bones, and the alignment of these bones is critical. At one time or another, you may have “thrown your back out” or been unable to turn your neck. These injuries indicate deeper structural problems that if left untreated can have serious consequences. Altered structure causes altered function.

This phenomenon is often seen in the spine. Misalignments in the spine can affect nerve function, and that in turn can affect organ function. More and more studies reveal that spinal manipulation not only helps maintain correct spinal alignment, joint mobility, and disc health, but it can also affect proper nerve function. Lifestyle, trauma, and unaddressed alignment problems contribute to this degeneration.

How to Get Your Bones Working for You

1. Add bone-building nutrients to your diet:
2. Calcium: greens, seeds, and beans
3. Magnesium: nuts and seeds
4. Vitamin K1: green vegetables
5. Eat lean meat and plant protein: beans, seeds, and nuts.
6. Take bone-healthy supplements: Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2.
7. Avoid foods that cause calcium loss: excess sodium, soft drinks, and caffeine.
8. Do weight-bearing exercises: weight training, walking, jogging, etc.
9. Keep your pH neutral (more info in class).
10. Fix your hormones.

Why Your Muscles Are Working Against You

If you don’t use it, you lose it-and most people have. If you do not eat the foods your body needs and exercise, you lose your flexibility and strength as you age. Tendons shorten, joints become stiff, muscles waste away, and your energy goes down. Because you have less muscle, your metabolism slows. It becomes harder to lose weight, so fat increases.

Loss of muscle mass can also lead to an overall decline in metabolic and hormone function. Ignoring muscle loss leads to reduced strength, accelerated aging, and increased risk of chronic illnesses like diabetes and heart disease.

How to Get Your Muscles Working for You

How you move determines the amount of muscle you have and the speed at which your body ages. Choosing when you eat is just as important as what you eat. By consuming healthy calories at the appropriate levels at the right times, you’11 increase hormone production that will, in turn, build and maintain muscle mass.

Why Your Fat Is Working Against You

The most common defect in the Structural System is with the storage function, specifically the way your body stores fat. If you stuff a fat cell too much, it quickly becomes your enemy instead of your ally. We call these “angry” fat cells.

When you take in nutrients but do not use them right away, they eventually end up in fat cells. We used to think of these fat cells as silent, ugly cells that just sit there. Now we know that they can swell up to six times their normal size and send “dis-tress” signal molecules (called adipokines) throughout your body.

The adipokines trigger the production of various chemicals and hormones that make you eat more, burn fewer calories, have higher blood pressure, experience inflammation, and even get Cancer. The more you overstuff your fat cells, the more they will sabotage your health. Think of them as selfish, angry children who suck up all the calories in your bloodstream, behave badly and make life miserable for everyone.

Of all the places where you store fat, the belly is the most dangerous. When fat begins to accumulate here, it also builds up in your organs, affecting your heart, brain, liver, kidneys, and pancreas. Angry fat cells negatively affect these organs and can even cause them to die.

Chapter 2: The Digestive System

 

Introducing the second system of seven: The Digestive System; the brain, the mouth, the esophagus, the stomach, the small intestine, the large intestine. 

The Digestive System 

The Digestive System is also referred to as the gut, gastrointestinal tract, or GI tract, but don’t get lost in semantics. Most people know the basic digestive process.

First, you chew food. Next, it goes into the stomach where acids and enzymes are dumped in. Then, the food passes through the small intestine where nutrients are extracted. And finally, the waste goes to the colon and out of the body. This is what we have been taught.

But this summary leaves out a vital player the brain. Once we understand the relationship between the Digestive System and the brain, a brand new world opens up, and we are closer to solving weight loss problems and health issues.

The brain is considered part of the Digestive System because it impacts why we eat, when we eat, and how we eat. Digestion, cravings, and addictions originate in both the brain and gut. If you ignore either, you’ll struggle with losing weight and getting healthy. But the opposite is true too-if you get them working together properly, then achieving your health goals will be much easier. This is why people who do an NAD+ four series often see body composition changes and results with cravings and addictions. Ready to take a deeper dive into the Digestive System?

7 Signs That Your Digestive System Is Working Against You:

1. Difficulty keeping your weight under control, even though you watch your diet
2. Alternating between constipation and urgency
3. Indigestion, intestinal gas, bloating, gastric reflux, or bad breath
4. Stomach or intestinal pain
5. Headaches
6. Food allergies or sensitivities
7. Depression or mood swings

Why Your Digestive System Is Working Against You

If you are going to lose more weight, start feeling better, and slow down the aging process, you need to understand two things: how your Digestive System works and how to get it functioning properly. The Digestive System has a lot more going on than we once thought. Out of it flows a wide array of physiological processes including your immune function, detoxification, inflammation, neurotransmitter and vitamin production, nutrient absorption, hunger and fullness signals, and the digestion of carbohydrates, protein, and fat. When these processes break down, it results in chronic problems with allergies, asthma, ADHD, cancer, diabetes, dementia, and a myriad of other health issues.

We now know that it affects your weight, mood, libido, metabolism, immunity, and even your perception of the world and clarity of your thoughts. It plays a role in whether you are overweight or thin, energetic or tired. It is a key part of the Digestive System, which influences so many other Systems and determines how you feel emotionally and physically. Unfortunately, the modern lifestyle has destroyed our healthy gut microbiome, leaving us vulnerable.

The good news is that most problems with this System are reversible! If you know your gut’s vital role within your body and how it functions, you can make a few adjustments and eliminate weight gain, fix Defense System malfunctions, eradicate sickness, improve mental health issues, and reverse aging.

Because your “head brain” and “gut brain” work together, we’ll begin by addressing your head brain in class! We’ll figure out the obstacles that stand in your way (including habits and addictions) that keep you from having the health you want. Also, you’ll discover how to trick your body out of hunger, cravings, and social pressures!

 

Key Concepts of the Digestive System We Will Cover in Depth: 

• Your gut and brain have a unique relationship and communicate constantly.
• Your Digestive System is the root of most diseases.
• You must use your mind when you eat.
• Adequately chewing your food aids in digestion.
• There are healthy things you can do to eliminate acid reflux.
• Long-term use of antacids and PPIs can have serious health consequences.
• Your stomach has a volume sensor, not a calorie sensor.
• Your gut’s health is of paramount importance to all your Systems.
• You should experience bowel movements on a daily basis.
• There are many causes of hunger. Identify yours.
• Depending on willpower alone will lead to failure.

Chapter 3: The Delivery System 

 

Introducing the third system of seven: The Delivery System: Let’s imagine that your other two Systems have been working correctly up to this point:

• Your Structural System is supported with real food.
• Your Digestive System broke the food down into small nutrients.

Now, the nutrients have to be delivered to the cells for their use. This is where your Delivery System takes over

A Brief Introduction to The Delivery System

No matter how nutritious your food is, you won’t get any benefit if the nutrients never get where they need to go. After food is consumed, it moves through your Digestive System, and the nutrients are extracted. They wait here to “catch a ride” to your muscles, organs, and tissues. This is where the Delivery System comes in.

Nutrients fall into two groups: macronutrients and micro-nutrients. The macronutrients are larger molecules measured in grams. They are sorted even further into three groups: fat, protein, and carbohydrates. The micronutrients are smaller molecules measured in milligrams. They fall into two basic groups: vitamins and minerals. Vitamins are further sorted into two groups: fat-soluble and water-soluble.

Each group of nutrients is transported differently. Most macronutrients and micronutrients have a carrier that picks them up and delivers them where they’re needed. These carriers must work right for this System to function correctly. Knowing how your Delivery System works, what is not working, and then making changes to get it functioning properly will help you fix this System, lose weight, heal and preop-diseases, and reverse aging for good.

It all starts with changing the nutrients that you deliver to your cell. When you do this, your body starts working for you, not against you. Problems in the Delivery System (resulting in type 2 diabetes and heart disease) often decrease or go away completely.

Since what you eat determines how well the Delivery System works, you will never fix this System unless you start consuming the right macronutrients and micronutrients. No prescription drug, pill, or vitamin alone will fix this System. The fix can be easy and fast (you may see results within a few weeks) if you understand and start practicing the 7 Systems Plan.

Signs That Your Delivery System Is Working Against You:

1. Weight gain
2. Brain fog or feeling sleepy after meals
3. High blood pressure, LDL cholesterol, or triglycerides
4. Loss of muscle
5. High blood sugar
6. Decreased kidney function
7. Heart or blood vessel problems or use of statin drugs

Why Your Delivery System Is Working Against You

 

Anybody can damage their Delivery System by eating the wrong foods and ignoring crucial nutrients. Sugar and bad fats “scratch” the lining of your blood vessels. If your LDL cholesterol is too high, it leaves deposits in these damaged areas, causing plaque or blockage.

Some nutrients are called essential nutrients because your body cannot produce them and it cannot function correctly without them. You need to deliver these essential nutrients to your cells regularly (preferably daily). When there is a breakdown in delivery (intake), the cells and your overall health suffer. Obesity, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and many other diseases have their origin in a breakdown of the Delivery System.

The consequences of dysfunction in this System are severe. Fatty streaks in blood vessels at age 10 become plaque at age 20. This can trigger a heart attack at age 40. Diabetes progresses even faster than other diseases. Remember the term “adult-onset diabetes”? We had to get rid of this name for type 2 diabetes because now children are developing this disease.

If you’re over the age of 10, chances are that you either have these problems or will have them soon. They will either kill you or make your life miserable. Thankfully, there is another option. Fixing this System will tip the scales in your favor. Since this system is complicated, we’ll break it down into pieces to explain how it works. You cannot fix this System without first understanding the nutrients themselves and how they are delivered.

Proven Steps to Fix Your Delivery System:

1. Eat a healthy amount of good fats daily, and avoid bad fats.
2. Eat a healthy amount of quality protein. 
3. Move to using more plant protein and less animal protein.
4. Avoid bad carbohydrates and load up on the good ones (often found in vegetables).
5. Take supplements that will boost your progress.

Chapter 4: The Energy System 

 

Introducing the fourth system out of seven: The Energy System; Let’s imagine that your other three Systems have been working correctly up to this point:

• Your Structural System is supported with real food.
• Your Digestive System broke the food down into small nutrients.
• Your Delivery System picked up the nutrients and delivered them to the cells.

Now that the cells have the nutrients they need, let’s dive into the Energy System where those nutrients are turned into energy.

A Brief Introduction to The Energy System

Research shows that most diseases today start with the dysfunction of the Energy System. The Energy System takes the nutrients delivered to the cells and turns them into energy that is used to power all the Systems of the body. If this System is not producing adequate energy, all the other Systems will sputter. Consider what happens when a power plant goes down–the whole region is plunged into darkness.

Many times, this “power outage” happens without us even knowing it. We ease into decreased energy production over many years, and we forget what having energy feels like. Look around. Everyone seems to be tired. Many of my patients come to me after they’ve seen many health professionals for issues related to a lack of energy. Without a healthy supply of energy, we are unable to make proper decisions. As a result, every facet of our lives is affected-emotional, relational, spiritual, and physical.

If you constantly feel drained, there are probably deeper issues going on beneath the surface-on the cellular level. Until you address these underlying problems, you’ll keep sabotaging your health efforts. Thankfully, you can reverse chronic weariness quickly with the 7 Systems Plan. In fact, you’ll discover how to increase your energy up to 600%!

 

7 Signs That Your Energy System Is Working Against You:

 

1. Weight gain
2. Low energy, fatigue, or not feeling rested after a good night’s sleep
3. Brain fog or forgetfulness
4. Getting winded easily
5. Headaches
6. Loss of smell or taste
7. Just plain feeling old

Why Your Energy System Is Working Against You

Mitochondria are the key to your energy, metabolism, weight, and health. Healthy mitochondria increase exercise performance, muscle mass, and overall lifespan. If you have an abundance of optimally functioning mitochondria, you’ll have a fast metabolism and burn calories effectively. On the other hand, mitochondrial dysfunction is linked to aging, diabetes, heart disease, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, schizophrenia, and depression.

Your body’s energy production process is called oxidative phosphorylation. This process produces adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is used by the body for energy. We could get bogged down in the science of all this, so let me simplify it.

Your body takes in food (fuel), breaks it down in your Digestive System, and transports it to your cells. The nutrients enter the cells and are taken to the mitochondria.

Mitochondria are like microscopic power plants inside your cells. They generate 95% of your energy. In these power plants, fat and carbohydrates combine with oxygen to produce energy that powers your cells, your organs, and your entire body.

How to Get Your Energy System Working for You

 

Making your Energy System work for you and not against you involves a simple three-step process (more in-depth coverage in class)

Step 1: Protect your mitochondria from free radical damage.

Step 2: Supply your mitochondria with quality nutrients.

Step 3. Exercise to force your body to make more mitochondria

Step 4: Use IV NAD+ protocol to increase Mitochondria 

 

Quick Exercise Tips

As you exercise, your muscle mass increases and body fat decreases. This is the reverse of what normally happens as you age. Fitness (muscle mass) is the single biggest indicator of health in old age. If you have lost it, you must regain it. Here is what you should do to make exercise more enjoyable and effective.

• Do it long enough: In general, more is better, but the benefits of exercise seem to decrease after about 30 minutes per day. The higher the intensity, the less time you need.

The lower intensity, the more time you need.

• Do something you enjoy: What do you enjoy doing? What could you start doing that you might enjoy? Walk with a friend, join an exercise group, put your treadmill in front of the TV, or listen to music while you exercise (this burns up to 15% more calories). If you can do something you enjoy, it will be much easier to continue long-term, but even if you don’t enjoy exercise, you need to do it. Even the great exercise guru Jack LaLanne said that he did not like to work out, but he liked what it did to him. You will soon love what it does to you.
• Do focus on how much better you feel: Dopamine is a reward neurotransmitter released in the brain when you experience something enjoyable. Many people have an increase in dopamine secretion during exercise. 
• Do it correctly: Take baby steps. The perfect starter exercise routine should include 5 minutes of stretching, 10 minutes of strength training or weight lifting, and 30 minutes of aerobic exercise at least 3 times per week. You can make tremendous improvements in your health by doing this simple routine.

 

Chapter 5: The Communication System

 

Introducing the fifth system of seven; The Communication System. Let’s imagine that your other four Systems have been working correctly up to this point:

• Your Structural System is supported with real food.
• Your Digestive System broke the food down into small nutrients.
• Your Delivery System picked up the nutrients and delivered them to the cells.
• Your Energy System (mitochondria) turned the nutrients into energy.

What you need next is a way for all the Systems to communicate for optimal functionality.

 

A Brief Introduction to The Communication System

For your first four Systems to work together at the same time, they must talk to each other. This is where your Communication System comes into play. It has three main players:

1. Hormones
2. Nerves
3. Neurotransmitters

When the Communication System is working correctly, you’ll lose weight, heal chronic illness, and reverse aging. In this email, we will be covering hormones. 

 

7 Signs That Your Communication System Is Working Against You:

1. Weight gain
2. Night sweats or feeling cold
3. Low morning energy or loss of sex drive
4. More stress than you can handle
5. Depression or sleep problems
6. High blood sugar or high blood pressure
7. Back or neck pain or numbness and tingling

Hormones that Keep You Alive

Two hormones form the foundation of your hormone Communication System; Insulin & Cortisol. We will briefly outline these two below and cover them along with other essential hormones in the class to come!

 

Insulin: Why It’s Working Against You

Insulin is your energy and fat storage hormone. It is produced in the pancreas, and it is classified as an anabolic hormone or building hormone. Its main purpose is to drive fuel either into cells for energy or fat for storage. You cannot fuel your cells or store fat without it. People with type 1 diabetes have no insulin; they can eat enormous amounts of food and still not gain weight, They must take insulin, or they will die.

A much more widespread problem is excess insulin, which leads to type 2 diabetes or insulin resistance syndrome. High insulin is associated with all five of the top killers in America:

1. Heart disease
2. Hypertension
3. Stroke
4. Cancer
5. Type 2 diabetes

Keeping your insulin at the ideal level significantly decreases the risk for all of these diseases. The longest-living people have the lowest insulin (less than 35 mclU/maLis ideal and the most cellular sensitivity to insulin.

 

How to Get Insulin Working for You

Lower your insulin by following these seven steps:

1. Eliminate high-GI foods and follow the eating guide in Chapters One and Three. You will not lower your insulin without decreasing your consumption of bad carbohydrates. This adjustment will solve most of your issues.
2. Do not overconsume protein and saturated fat. Instead, follow The 7 System Plan.
3. Reduce calories.
4. Reduce fructose; it increases insulin resistance 25% more than sucrose (table sugar).
5. Limit caffeinated beverages to two cups per day; caffeine stimulates insulin release.
6. Eliminate alcohol in the weight-loss phase; it is just another carbohydrate. Once you reach your ideal weight, women should have no more than one alcoholic beverage per day, and men should have no more than two.
7. Follow the suggestions in this seven-system plan to eliminate stress, (more info in class). 

 

Cortisol: Why It’s Working Against You

Cortisol is your stress hormone. Almost all illness is caused by stress, aggravated by stress, or brings more stress. 25% of Americans rate their stress level between 8 and 10 on a 10-point scale. According to the American Psychological Association, stress is linked to six of the leading causes of death:

1. Heart disease
2. Cancer
3. Lung ailments
4. Accidents
5. Cirrhosis
6. Suicide

It is the number one reason that people eat poorly, quit healthy lifestyle programs, and practice substance abuse.You must deal with stress to lose weight and stay healthy.

 

How to Get Cortisol Working for You

Make your cortisol work for you by reducing stress. You can decrease stress in many ways and touch on the categories of different stressors which require different ways of stress management. Stress can be classified into four main categories:

1. Psychological Stressors
2. Environmental Stressors
3. Metabolic Stressors
4. Physiological Stressors

 

We will unpack each of these along with tips for stress management when we go over the Communication System in person. 

Hormones that Give You Life

Leptin, thyroid, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone are the five main hormones that help you thrive. You can live without these hormones, but life loses its appeal. When these minor hormones are in balance, they also protect against degenerative diseases.

Quick Recap:

 

• Your lifestyle and diet have most likely weakened your Communication System. The core of fixing the Communication System should be following the 7 Systems Plan.
• Just as good food can balance your System, bad food can mess it up.
• Excessive hormones lead to receptor site resistance, which inhibits the hormones’ effectiveness.
• A lack of the two major hormones, insulin, and cortisol, will kill you. An excess will make you miserable.
• Correct the two major hormones first. Work on the others next if necessary.
• Leptin, thyroid, testosterone, estrogen, and progesterone are the minor hormones. Address these five if you need to.

Each one needs to be at an ideal level for optimal health.

• Bioidentical hormone replacement therapy is sometimes needed and very helpful. If necessary, consult a BHRT provider. Get the proper lab work done so that you know your levels, and use only bioidentical hormones from a reputable compounding pharmacy. Use the minimum dose to fix your levels and resolve symptoms.
• Systems, organs, and cells depend on signals from the nervous system to function optimally.
• Proper spinal alignment allows for optimal nerve function.
• Neurotransmitter balance affects your brain function, mood, and weight.

Chapter 6: The Defense System

 

Introducing the sixth system of seven; The Defense System; Now you must have a way to protect the Systems and your body. This is where the Defense System comes in.

 

A Brief Introduction to The Defense System

 

Your body is constantly under assault from enemies on the outside and inside. Fortunately, you have a whole army in reserve waiting for the signal to attack these foreign invaders and heal the injured tissue. This army includes mast cells, histamines, cytokines, inflammatory molecules, macrophages, neutrophils, and lymphocytes. Without your Defense System to fight off hostile invaders, you would die in a few days.

The key to proper Defense System function, like most things in life, is balance. If the Defense System is underactive, you’re likely to get colds, ear infections, bronchitis, and other infections. If this System is overactive, you are more susceptible to allergies, asthma, food sensitivities, and autoimmune disease.

A malfunction in any of the seven Systems- including your Defense System–can sabotage weight-loss efforts. If you can get this System to work for you, it will do a fantastic job of defending your body from infection, inflammation, and deadly diseases. Besides these benefits, you’ll also discover that weight loss is much easier.

 

7 Signs That Your Defense System Is Working Against You:

 

1. Weight gain
2. Frequent colds or flu
3. Chronic pain, joint pain with exercise, swollen joints, and inflammation
4. Skin problems
5. Infections (sinus, urinary tract, athlete’s foot)
6. Periodontal disease
7. Frequent anti-inflammatory or antibiotic use

 

Why Your Defense System Is Working Against You

 

When the Defense System is activated, it sets an inflammatory process in motion. Acute inflammation is the Defense System’s response to localized injury or attack. Think of it as a fire that destroys the enemy and begins the healing process.

 

Acute Inflammation: The Fire Within

Imagine getting a splinter of wood in your finger. As the wood breaks the skin, cells are destroyed and your skin barrier is damaged, allowing bacteria to get into the body. You are alerted to this threat by the pain from sensory nerves in your finger. Your Defense System is now activated, and the mast cells (white blood cells) at the site release histamines and cytokines to send a signal for help throughout the body. This distress call activates the production of inflammatory molecules. They turn on the inflammation process (fire) in your body to help correct the problem.

 

Chronic Inflammation: The Fire Does Not Go Out

 

For many people today, the feverish scenario described above never stops. The Defense System does not shut down. When acute inflammation becomes chronic, your Defense System begins to work against you. It is believed that chronic inflammation is the strongest predictor of disease development. It is linked to heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, and many more illnesses.

Unfortunately, foreign invaders aren’t the only ones that can trigger this inflammatory response in your body. The average American lifestyle (diet high in sugar and saturated fat, vitamin deficiencies, lack of exercise, excess body fat, faulty GI tract, toxins, high blood pressure, high insulin, stress, periodontal disease, and some drugs) makes it easier for your body to get stuck in this chronically inflamed state.

It is crucial to address the cause and fix the System by providing the nutrients necessary to resolve inflammation. If your Defense System is not working correctly, you may experience weight gain, chronic disease at a young age, and even early death. You must give your body what it needs to put out the fire.

 

How to Get Your Defense System Working for You

 

We will breifly touch on two ways to get your defense system working and list the others. All will be covered in depth during our upcoming group event. 

 

Step 1: Eliminate Defense System problems caused by diet.

 

A lack of essential macronutrients and micronutrients can compromise your Defense System. You may also have problems if you overconsume unhealthy macronutrients. Recent studies have shown that high consumption of sugar and bad fats can cause post-meal inflammation. If this happens frequently, it increases your chances of developing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.

Restricting calories has a powerful effect on lowering inflammation, but simply eating less isn’t the solution. You need to eat better too. The solution is to restrict calories properly and eat an anti-inflammatory diet (the 7 Systems Plan).

 

Step 2: Eliminate Defense System problems caused by an unhealthy Digestive System.

 

Your intestinal health is of paramount importance to your Defense System. 70% of your Defense System tissue surrounds your Digestive System. This defense tissue can help upregulate your entire body’s Defense System, making it more active when needed or less active when not needed. Without a healthy intestinal tract, your Defense System can get stuck in a hyperactive state, resulting in chronic inflammation.

If you don’t chew your food enough or have acid or enzyme deficiencies, your food may not break down enough as it goes through your Digestive System. This can damage the intestinal tract and trigger a defense response. Your body sees these undigested molecules as foreign invaders and attacks them, causing tissue damage. When this happens, the tight junctions between cells in the intestines can widen, allowing material to “leak” into the body. Leaky gut syndrome can activate the production of inflammatory defense molecules that lead to chronic inflammation.

Step 3: Eliminate Defense System Problems caused by bad bacteria 

(more info in group event) 

Step 4: Eliminate Defense System Problems caused by nutritional deficiencies 

(more info in group event) 

Step 5: Eliminate Defense System problems caused by fatty acid imbalance

(more info in group event) 

Step 6: Eliminate Defense System Problems Caused by Lack of Sleep 

(more info in group event) 

Step 7: Be aware of Defense System problems caused by gluten and food allergies/sensitivites

(more info in group event) 

Quick Recap:

• Your body uses acute inflammation to protect, heal, and repair itself.
• Both phases of inflammation- initiation and resolution-must work correctly.
• Chronic inflammation (lack of resolution) results in your Defense System working against you.
• Your diet and lifestyle can disrupt your Defense System and cause chronic inflammation.
• Eating an anti-inflammatory diet- -found within the 7

Systems Plan–can support your Defense System.

• Underactive and overactive defense functions are both unhealthy.
• An overactive Defense System can lead to autoimmune diseases.
• Your gut health and good bacteria are of paramount importance to proper Defense System function.
• Eating the right macronutrients and micronutrients supports your Defense System.
• The ideal ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 (2:1) controls inflammation.
• Inadequate sleep can impair your Defense System.

Chapter 7: The Detox System 

 

Introducing the seventh system of seven, The Detox of System; Liver, Kidney, Colon, Lungs, and Skin. It’s time to clean house. 

Let’s imagine that your other six Systems have been working correctly up to this point:

• Your Structural System is supported with real food.
• Your Digestive System broke the food down into small nutrients.
• Your Delivery System picked up the nutrients and delivered them to the cells.
• Your Energy System (mitochondria) turned the nutrients into energy.
• Your Communication System ensured the proper function of each System with hormones, nerves, and neurotransmitters.
• Your Defense System is on guard protecting your body.

With all of this work being done, cleanup has to take place. That is where your Detox System comes in.

 

A Brief Introduction to The Detox System

In the age we live in, we are exposed to more toxins than any previous generation. These toxins come in the form of chemicals, metals, medications, and toxins formed inside our bodies.

Think of your Detox System as a cleaning crew. It gets rid of toxins that have gotten into your body from the outside and eliminates waste and harmful material produced by your Systems.

There are five primary workers on this cleaning crew:

1. Liver
2. Kidneys
3. Colon
4. Lungs
5. Skin

Each member of the crew must work effectively, or your weight will go up and your health will go down. Most people think of a detox or cleansing program as a way to purge their System of the poor food they have eaten. Some just detox to lose weight.

While it certainly helps with weight loss, cleansing or detoxing benefits your entire body. Supporting your Detox System will help you lose weight (Structural System) and re-establish good bacteria in your gut (Digestive System). It will help deliver the nutrients you eat to your cells (Delivery System) and get your hormones (Communication System) to work for you again.

You will have more energy (Energy System) and naturally heal faster (Defense System). I hope you are beginning to see how each System impacts the function of the other Systems and the importance of having them all function optimally!

 

7 Signs That Your Detox System Is Working Against You:

1. Weight gain
2. Brain fog or ringing in the ears
3. Muscle pain
4. Tingling in the hands or feet
5. Skin problems
6. Decreased energy
7. Sensitivity to food, medications, fragrances, alcohol, MSG, cigarette smoke, smog, or caffeine

 

Why Toxins Are Working Against You

Today, the toxins you are exposed to are like shoppers at a Walmart on Black Friday. When the door opens, they pour in.

It’s overwhelming. Most people come into contact with a plethora of toxins every day. It is impossible to process and eliminate all the toxins because there are so many. They often accumulate in your fat and continue to poison you over time.

Obesity and diabetes are only two of the many health problems associated with exposure to toxins. I believe most chronic diseases have their root in two major problems: toxicity and deficiencies of the nutrients needed to detox. If you are going to stay healthy and lose weight, it is imperative that your Detox System function well.

You eliminate many toxins through your urine, bowel movements, breathing, and sweat. Consider the following facts:

• If you do not take in enough water (half of your body weight in ounces per day), you impair toxin elimination from your kidneys.
• If you are constipated (not having at least one bowel moment per day), you reabsorb toxins in your colon.

 

How to Get Your Detox System Working for You

Turn your Detox System from an enemy into an ally by limiting your exposure to toxins.

How to Limit Your Exposure to Toxins:

• Eat mostly fresh, real, whole foods.
• Avoid high-mercury fish and eat low-mercury fish instead (see a detailed list in Appendix A, Part One).
• Increase elimination of toxic metals by eating sulfur-rich eggs, onions, garlic, leeks, and asparagus.
• Be cautious of silver (mercury) dental fillings.
• Avoid drinking water from lead plumbing.
• Avoid processed and packaged foods (especially from cans), which are a common source of BPA and phthalates.
• Avoid plastic wraps and never microwave food or beverages in plastic or Styrofoam. Store your food in glass, stainless steel, and wax paper.
• Replace your vinyl shower curtain with a fabric one.
• Limit your handling of cash register receipts, which can contain BPA.
• Avoid plastics in every form.
• Avoid nonstick and aluminum cookware. Use stainless steel, cast iron, glass, and enamel cookware.
• Eat organic when possible. Refer to the “dirty dozen” and the “clean ten” lists 
• Wash your produce. By rinsing your fruit and vegetables in water for 30 seconds, you can remove up to half of the harmful toxins.
• Use natural cleaning products or make your own.
• Switch over to organic toiletries, including shampoo, toothpaste, deodorants, and cosmetics.

If you’re interested in this class you can join anytime, it’s happening weekly on Mondays starting June 19th at 5:30 at our Wayzata location. Email hello@driipiv.com to reserve a seat.

 

Text of Call 612-516-3772 for more information