• How to Get the Energy You Need
• Cholesterol and Orange Juice
• Natural Sleep Aids
• Are Antibiotics Needed for a Tick Bite?

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Dear Health Conscious Individual,

Welcome to House Calls with Dr. Cutler!

Do you always feel drained, as if you just don’t have enough energy to get you through the day? Today’s edition will tackle that problem, and
provide a simple, natural way to increase your stamina!

I also have some natural sleep aids that will help you get the rest you need
at night, so that your energy level is as high as possible.

And with spring on its way, we must be increasingly aware of tick season and be watchful of possible tick bites. However, automatically taking
an antibiotic for a tick bite is normally unnecessary. I’ll explain why in my Q&A section.

Yours for healthy living,

Michael Cutler, M.D.
Medical Advisor, True Health™

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How to Get the Energy You Need

Who couldn’t use more energy?

>Imagine what we could do and achieve with more energy? And for many of us, the lack of energy to do even the normal, everyday things is really all we desire. What if we could just stop from feeling tired all the time, or to have to sleep before 8 p.m., or do something even mildly taxing without crashing out for the next two days trying to recover?

Surprisingly, it’s not the want of excess energy that is becoming more prevalent, but the need to have normal energy that has become such a high priority.

We have become a more tense and stressed-out society, and we now exceed the Japanese in business
productivity and least amount of time taken for vacations or holidays. Whether we are 45 or 70 years old, it seems our to-do list continues to be ever increasing even after adjusting our goals down.

But lack of energy or fatigue is just the external symptom of other internal problems.

We may be suffering from fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue syndrome, which seem to go hand in hand, afflicting 3 to 6 million annually. Doctors and patients need to understand the root cause, some of which have not yet been found.

However, overall most of the reasons for feeling tired are self-induced. There are so many simple things we can do to get unlimited energy.

Let’s first understand how we lose energy. Sometimes we confuse a loss of stamina with poor energy, and while they are somewhat the same, they really are different.

Loss of stamina goes like this: You start out just fine in the morning after a quick breakfast of coffee, maybe juice and a roll. Then at about 10:00 a.m. you are feeling like you could sleep right at your desk. So when the coffee break arrives, you dive in for a roll and coffee that keeps you going until lunch; sometimes the same thing happens in the afternoon.

What is happening here is that you aren’t getting sufficient protein in your diet. For example, have you ever noticed that if you have two eggs and fruit in the morning you are able to go until noon feeling great? That ability to go and go, like the “Energizer bunny” is called stamina; it’s not super energy, it’s simply consistent energy.

The reason protein works to produce stamina is because your body does everything in a system of priorities, and producing energy is no different.

When you need energy right away, your body uses carbohydrates (the simpler the better), so blood sugar goes first; then if the demand remains, carbohydrate reserves are called up and some blood fat (triglycerides) is mobilized.

However, if you have a reasonable amount of amino acids circulating in your blood, they start being converted to energy. That’s mostly the case when you are physically active. You’re using your brain which first takes simple blood sugar with the exception of some amino acids. There again, the products of a protein meal provide mental stamina as well.

Indeed, the brain is the organ which uses the most blood sugar in 24 hours. It uses about 20% of the total, and probably more if you intensely use your brain. That’s why it’s so sensitive to blood sugar, and the secret isn’t eating sugar—it’s eating protein. That’s because the amino acids spare the blood sugar and make it easy for your body to keep a consistent glucose level.

The funny thing about this is that the protein doesn’t have to be a big steak; a small serving will do, and vegetable protein works just fine. However, animal protein has amino acids that do have some stimulant capability, which explains why a meal of pasta helps you sleep while the steak will keep you awake. But that’s another story for another issue.

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Cholesterol and Orange Juice

A study conducted by the University of California at Davis found that orange juice fortified with plant sterols can lower LDL cholesterol levels.

The 10-week study followed 72 individuals between the ages of 20 and 73 that have slightly elevated cholesterol levels. Half of the group
consumed regular orange juice and levels remained steady.

However, the other half of the group received the plant sterol orange juice received a 12.4% reduction in LDL levels compared to the control group!

The plant sterol group also had a 7.2% greater reduction of overall cholesterol!

Even the FDA jumped on this bandwagon, supporting the study’s findings and agreeing that by consuming just under a gram (.8) of plant sterols
per day, consumers can lower their risk of heart disease.

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Natural Sleep Aids!

In my practice, I have seen many patients who have the common problem of not being able to sleep sufficiently. Of course, my older friends have noted that they are lucky to get five hours of continuous sleep, and this is not unusual the older we all get. The body is not building as much as teenagers, and the requirements of energy consumption to grow as fast are no longer there.

Still, the benefit of sleeping continuously is needed in order to awake refreshed and energized for the day’s plans and activities. Also,
clarity of mind and emotion allows us to perform better, handling work, family, friends or projects more efficiently.

Many of my readers and patients are aware of melatonin, the laboratory version of the natural hormone in the brain, which helps the body fall asleep. This is a great tool that I, too, endorse in enabling you to fall asleep faster and for a longer period. Studies have clinically shown this to be an effective tool for helping those with sleeping problems, with little-to no long term effects. I recommend the dosage start from 0.3 to 3 milligrams a day—working up from the smaller amount until it works for you specifically. This has been great for my patients.

I also want to stress the value of herbs which help sleep, and the importance of not smoking, regular exercise (one of the best ways to get closer to the ‘teenage’ metabolism and positive benefits) and a healthy diet. If these basic levels of health are not addressed, many of the recommendations become diluted in their ability to help you.

Similarly, I also want to stress that the following herbal aids for sleep, even if not addictive, should not be the only course of action you take to sleep well. I recommend you talk to your doctor or be generally assessed for other issues so that you are not masking issues such as depression, chemical imbalances due to current authorized medication, stress, nervous disorders and general poor health habits.

Herbs to aid sleep:

• Valerian, in my opinion, is nearly as good as melatonin in its ability to help those with insomnia issues. This herb has been used for centuries, and it was scientifically proven to be effective in 1981. During that year, and subsequently through other clinical studies, Valerian has been proven to contain natural sedative elements which work over time (you need to take this herb nightly for more than a week to consistently derive its benefits). Because of multiple product brands in the market, I recommend you follow the dosage recommendations on your bottle. Excess dosage may result in headaches and general sluggishness.
• Passion Flower is a multiple-use herb used for treating diarrhea, external scrapes (directly or through a poultice) and as a sleeping agent. The herb affects the central nervous system by depressing its normal rate of activities and causing the body to relax. These sedative properties continue to be used more regularly in Europe than here in the U.S. for treating insomnia. The average dosage provided by reputable manufacturers of passion flower in supplementation form is 500 mg per pill per day.
• Hops, while not as well known (other names include houblon, humulus lupulus, lupulin), have the ability to relax and provide sleeping aid. This is a plant which grows on long vines, and is available in pill, liquid and leaf forms. Outside of its beer making use, hops is known for its
  anti-anxiety effects, for the calming of the nervous system, for helping reduce the levels of menstrual cramps, and as a form of a sleeping agent. You can supplement with 500 mg in pill form (follow directions for other forms of availability) per day.
• Lemon Balm is multi-purpose in its natural effects. As an edible plant (and in supplementation form), it provides a whole array of benefits apart from being a sleeping aid. It functions as an antibacterial agent, and whether as a form of tea, or in a crushed powder form, this herb
  has been used for depression, treating sores, upset stomachs, colic in babies, headaches, fevers, colds, wounds and is used as a key ingredient in potpourris.

A note about dosages: Because of variations in form and dose, please follow the manufacturer’s recommended dosage for consumption when the strength available differs from what I have described here.

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Q & A

Each week in the Q & Asection of House Calls with Dr. Cutler, I will share with you some of the many questions I get every week from subscribers to my monthly advisory newsletter, Easy Health Options”. For more information on Easy Health Options”, visit www.easyhealthoptions.com.

What Treatment for Tick Bites?

Dear Dr. Cutler,

Two days ago my nine-year-old daughter got a tick bite in her head. We sent this tick to the lab to test for any disease. Her doctor recommended antibiotic. What is your advice, because to be honest, I don’t want to give the antibiotic to her. At the same time, I don’t want to feel
guilty later on, fearing for her health in the future. Is there any natural treatment for tick bite? My husband and I trust you very much. Thanks. – Keda

Dear Keda,

In general, preventive antibiotics are not recommended for people without symptoms who seek medical treatment after finding and removing a tick.

Clinical trials have shown that negative reactions to antibiotics outweigh the benefits of disease prevention in most cases because the chance of disease transmission is so low in this population.

If you live in a region where tick exposure is likely and symptoms of fever, headache, rash, or flulike illness develop, then it is advised to contact a doctor for further evaluation and consider antibiotics.

All the Best!

Respectfully,
Michael Cutler, M.D.