This week I attended a wellness conference hosted by the American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine. This organization's mission is to introduce the concept of Functional Medicine to physicians and patients. Functional Medicine promotes prevention of disease and looks for an underlying cause of disease. This is quite different from the usual medical practice which looks at treating symptoms and not the whole person. In medical school the main focus is reactive medicine: if you have a symptom, find the drug that will cure the symptom. If you cannot sleep, procreate, have a bowel movement, or breathe, there is a drug for you. If you have a side effect from that drug, there is another drug for you. And if you do not take that drug for a while, you will go into withdrawal and there is probably a drug for that too.

Functional medicine and Anti-Aging medicine has developed because there is a need to get the root cause of illness. For instance if you have aches and pains, you may be diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. You may receive a prescription that treats aches and pains such as a narcotic or you may receive an anti-depressant pill which many drug companies love to sell. What you will not receive from traditional medicine is an answer to why you have developed that condition or suggestions on how to make your condition better. Functional Medicine practictioners would look for poor nutrition, adrenal fatigue, toxic load, hormone imbalances, etc. They defy the typical Band Aid approach that is normally given to sick people.

Perhaps, you have lots of symptoms. Maybe you're gaining weight. Perhaps you have a condition which year after year gets a little worse. Maybe your doctor told you that your labs or vital signs are borderline abnormal and you are afraid of developing overt disease. Here's a recommendation for you:

This week I had the pleasure of taking my children to see WALL*E the new movie created by the same director who produced Finding Nemo. The plot surrounds a small robot on Earth that falls in love with a fancy robot from outerspace. Yes there were moments of comedy and romance, but I was intrigued by the social commentary. It shows what can happen to human beings who become overly dependent on machines and robots to perform our daily duties. In the movie, the earthlings of the future have forgotten what it's like to do normal human functions like get dressed, do their hair,or even stand upright and walk! (Isn't the ability to stand upright a major feat of Homo Erectus, the first hunter gatherer?) You may laugh when you see the movie and think that we could never become like that. Those offensive overweight cartoon characters obsessed by consumption could not possible represent our future. But just take a look around us. Look at all of the things we no longer have to do because of modern day conveniences.

1. We do not have to cook. We just microwave our food. We just ignore the fact that we paid money for a meal and allowed a machine to just blast the nutrients away. So we eat without a purpose and not to nourish our bodies.

2. We do not have to use our arms to open cans, open doors, or turn faucets on.

3. We do not have to do bodily functions such as cool ourselves off. We have the AC to do that. In the winter, we wouldn't think of using our own body heat to keep us warm in the car on the way to work.

4. Children do not know how to go outside and play. They've abandoned the jump rope and hop scotch for TV! Kids actually complain when they are told to go outside and have fun!

These are sad statements about our present day circumstances. I am afraid to ask what the future holds. We've already made breastfeeding, something that all mammals do naturally, almost obsolete. Some people are choosing C sections because they do not want to give birth the natural way. We're already trying ways to beat sleep with No Doze or create sleep with Ambien. In the future, I wouldn't be surprised if we considered it beneath us to breathe on our own. Modern day people are always looking for advances, new and improved, breakthroughs that make our lives easier....even though each advance comes with a price tag. We were made to eat berries and nuts not fast food; gather and hunt our food as our occupation and not sit behind a cubicle. We are messing with mother nature and trying to contort ourselves into something we were not meant to be! The weight problem that America faces is not due to increased hunger on the planet, it's due to the accessibility of high calorie low nutrition foods and devices that make our life TOO EASY AND SEDENTARY.

Neil Armstrong's flight to the moon was considered a milestone and he has a famous quote: "That's one step for a man, one giant leap for mankind." I do think that it was an awesome technologic feat. But some modern advances such as air conditioning, escalators, elevators and such things have contributed to a GIANT LEAP BACKWARDS for America. How do I know? Look at the high rates of disease that seem prevalent in our country, cancer, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, etc. And for the first time in history the life expectancy of Americans is going down! That says it all.

A good goal for this week would be to find ways to avoid over using appliances and technology. What technological advances can you give up, or cut down on using during this week?? Microwave?? Remote Controls?? Food Processor?? Elevators and escalators?? Car?? Try to use these items less over the next week or so, and see how it goes. Do you think you turn down the air conditioning? You might even save money. You may even be surprised by how doing things the old fashioned way makes you feel better!!

And don't forget to see WALL*E. And skip the popcorn!

From the desk of Dr. Wells

When I am not at my private wellness and weight management practice, you can find me on weekends working in the Emergency Medicine Room. People come in for various reasons, bugs in the ear, broken bones, and just this week- shish kabob stick impaled through the tongue! After many years, I've noticed that the average person believes that the medicine that I or their doctor give them will solve their problems. Some Americans believe that medicine gives them license to continue the very same bad behavior that lead them down the path to ill health. For example, more than 75% of the hypertensive patients that I meet do not track their salt intake. They continue to eat salty foods such as cheese, pizza, spaghetti sauce, and cold cuts and think that they are not at risk for a stroke. There are the Type II Diabetes patients who eat endless amounts of sweets and then inject an extra dose of insulin to maintain a normal glucose reading.

Here's the truth: Drugs serve only one purpose: To help you when natural thereapies and healthy behaviors have failed. That means that a healthy diet and exercise should be implemented first!

Exercise has been shown to cure disease! And if you are overweight, a 10% weight loss will lower your blood pressure and cholesterol. It will even decrease your risk of cancer! In the ER most patients look at me funny when I tell them exercise and stretching will lessen their pain. ALL OF US have this miraculous ability to make our own percocet. It's called endorphins! If that doesnt work, I recommend turmeric and red onions before starting oxycontin!

This year you will hear more about the "Exercise Is Medicine Campaign." This movement tries to get the public and physicians on board with the idea that there is an individual responsibility to be pro-active about health and that exercise should be incorporated into the medical management of most diseases- from diabetes to cancer.

Click on the link to learn more. The organization gives you tips on how to start the conversation with your doctor. Here is some info from their site:

• Exercise. Don’t think of it as only for the spandex-wearing, muscle-bound crowd.
• Physical activity is for everyone, and not just for the sake of looking better in your favorite pair of jeans.
• Just 30 minutes of exercise per day can help prevent and treat numerous chronic conditions, such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and joint pain.
• Talk with your doctor about the best exercise plan for you, and make physical activity part of your life and health care plan.

Exercise is my drug of choice! It's perfect for the young and old, the ill and the robust.

Warning: Exercise may be habit forming and you may become addicted. Your friends may hate you because you do not spend time with them. Your spouse may leave you because you will become more toned and he may feel threatened. You may sprain an ankle if using a regular jump rope. There is the risk of death, if you participate in dangerous sports such as rock climbing. But unlike birth control pills and other drugs that you see on tv, there is no risk of combustion, blood clots, seizures, suicide or liver failure (so far as I know) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rx: Increase your activity, little by little, every day. Endless refills allowed. No substitution permitted.

From the desk of Dr. Wells

This week, I was a guest speaker at a wellness seminar in Toms River NJ hosted by Warm Spirits, a well known business that promotes holistic products for self-care. The panel of experts shared an incredible array of knowledge. For those of you who could not attend, I will give you a glimpse of some the valuable information that was given.

I asserted that optimal health does not have to be elusive or hard to achieve. We just have to be pro-active and determined. Here are some tips that I mentioned:

1. Have a team of experts behind you. Doctors, holistic practictioners, personal trainers, naturopathic practictioners, therapists. Just like the Verizon Wireless commercial, you have to ask yourself "Who's in your network?" Some people look behind themselves and there's nobody there for support. Or there may be one primary care doctor, but that person gives you ten minutes of care maybe twice a year,. That's not enough for a "wellness network." You may go back two weeks and read my blog "What's in your toolbox?"

2. Set high expectations for yourself. Ask your physician to grade your blood work and fitness level graded. Aim high for an A +. If your doctor tells you you have borderline anything (high blood pressure, cholesterol) be very afraid because that's her way of saying you've got a C minus. Don't wait for a grade of D before you engage in a healthy lifestyle.

3. Get the best tests, especially the ones covered by insurance (homocysteine levels, advanced cholesterol tests such as the VAP, NMR, or LPP) You should have these tests done to see if you are high risk for stroke and heart attack.

Dr Alfred Parchment, a gynecologist in Neptune NJ, a knowledgable and approachable physician asserted:

1. People have a responsibility to not only seek out health information on prevention but they have a duty to share it with others. If you help others in your church or community obtain optimal health they will in turn help you and share what they learn and their experiences with you. Wellness is indeed infectious. The more people practicing healthy behaviors such as group walks and providing healthy food at community events will make it easier to maintain healthy behaviors outside of the home.

2. Everyone needs to schedule their preventative screening tests, such as self breast exams, mammograms, and colonoscopies to detect cancer earlier.

3. There is a new vaccine on the market called Guardasil and it may be helpful in preventing cervical cancer. There are pros and cons to this vaccine and its available to teens and women to prevent HPV/Genital Warts vaccine.

Cornell Key an experienced personal trainer and owner of Key 2 Personal Training, Wall Township NJ added:

1. The missing link to a complete work out program is often the failure to incorporate interval training. This form of training boosts your metabolism and heart rate even when the exercise is over. You burn more calories in 20minutes than in a standard run on a treadmill. He and many experts have said it for years, cardio does not live up to its expectations. Beware, it's crucial to have a professional show you the right way to add this to your work out routine to make sure you're doing it the right way and to avoid injury.

2. The right personal trainer may help you achieve the goals you are looking for. He or she can make sure your muscles are in balance and that you don't end up hyperextended or injured. Don't let pushy trainers at some gyms scare you away from finding the right professional.

3. It's important to have a full fitness assessment- strength, cardio capabilities, and flexibility: All 3 determine your true fitness level.

Deirdre Luster a wellness consultant with Warm Spirits bestowed lovely holistic self care gifts. She and I both noticed that too many people spread unhealthy products on their bodies even though they are working so hard to exercise and eat nutritious foods.

1. She explained her company's philosophy that you do not have to put harmful chemicals in or on your body to look and feel beautiful. There are healthy skin care options without harmful additives.

2. Judy my 7 year old only uses organic/natural lotions and such, was thrilled to receive samples!

Rebecca Rhoades a holistic healthcounselor (www.designherdiet.com) adds:

1. Analyze your relationship with food. Do you eat or overeat in frustration, stress, or because of family and cultural expectations or obligations?

2. Eat with the seasons. Eat vegetables and fruits when they are being harvested and are fresh. It's easier to digest them and we get the most nutrients.

The seminar was very informative and I myself learned so much. It was an experience- to hear from so many experienced professionals. Sitting in a crowd of like minded attendees, who want to live and become healthier was invigorating. I hope this glimpse was helpful to you.

From the desk of Dr. Wells