Moodle at CCNM

Small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) is a syndrome in that it has multiple causes. Motility disorders are most often the underlying factors to predispose for the development of SIBO. Postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) leads to an imbalanced autonomic nervous system because excessive sympathetic activity overrides vagal tone. Peristalsis is reduced and SIBO may be promoted. Mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS) is a leading factor in 33% of POTS. It is also conceivable that MCAS could directly impact motility via one of 200 mediators that may reduce neuromuscular activity.  It is important to recognize POTS which has a prevalence of 500,000-1,000,000 in the US. Understanding this disease and the more prevalent MCAS (1 – 17% of the population) is critical to help many patients who otherwise suffer for decades without a diagnosis and/or effective therapy.Specific pharmaceutical medications to be discussed in both the overview and outline: rifaximin and naltrexone.

The prevalence of anxiety & depression in patients with functional gastrointestinal distress is significantly higher than compared to healthy controls. These numbers shed light on the need for mental health intervention for people suffering from functional digestive distress. This presentation offers a review of current literature on the effect of stress-reduction techniques, specifically mediation, on the microbiome and how to implement beneficial stress-reduction techniques into treatment plans for patients with gastrointestinal distress.

A review of the histological variation of the GI tract with special consideration of the microbiome, immune function and neurotransmitter use and creation. Specifically, the interaction of the goblet cells, glutamate and Akkermansia muciniphila.

This will be an overview/update on the impact nutrition has on the human microbiota. I will review specific nutrients and the roles they play as well as a wholistic perspective on what a healthy microbiome diet might look like.I will demonstrate the use of a relatively simple applied kinesiology technique that I use to investigate the presence of significant dental health issues in my GI patients.

I will use a case of a 62 yo female with intestinal methanogen overgrowth and chronic unresolved dental infections to illustrate the importance of oral abscess as a source of GI microbiome issues. Her endodontist had told her that there was no remaining infection. I had treated her for over a year with some moderate-good responses to treatment before further investigating the oral issues. The investigation was prompted by a relapse of her symptoms despite significant improvement in breath test results. On referring her for a second dental opinion, 5 areas of infection were found along with a stray bone fragment from a previous dental extraction. After just a few injections of ozone into the infected areas and removal of the bone fragment, she had total normalization of her GI and systemic symptoms.I will demonstrate the use of a relatively simple applied kinesiology technique that I use to investigate the presence of significant dental health issues in my GI patients.

The welcome and introduction to Spiritual Assessment Tools and how it helps create a person health plan for use in clinical practice. A consideration of the history and the emergence of spirituality and how it’s been shown recently to aid healing of the body.

Over the last 20 years, probiotic research has increased exponentially. This has been mirrored by an explosion of probiotic products in the marketplace. With the sheer choice of probiotic supplements and foods available on the market today, it can be challenging for health professionals to sort through each manufacturers’ claims of superiority. In this presentation, Dr Hawrelak will examine the concept of probiotic strain specificity and discuss the shifting paradigm in probiotic prescribing from “re-seeding” to choosing the strain with the desired action for treating specific conditions. He will also share some tips to help clinicians navigate through probiotic marketing claims.

This presentation explores the construct psycho-neuro-intracrinology, which represents a complex system that is psychological, neurological and intracrinological and reveals a mind-brain continuum within the person. The example of women during the midlife transition provides a model of the development of personality and the ontogenesis of self with implications for women across the lifespan and to men through similar neurohormonal mechanisms. This lecture focuses on the nature of consciousness and the self and the biochemical mechanisms explaining the scientific and clinical applications of the psychoneurointracrine hypothesis. Two neurobiological theories of the mind-brain continuum are advanced: (1) the theory of psychoneurointracrine autopoiesis explains how the regulation of a steroid’s receptor is modulated by the person’s perception of experience and sense of well-being, and (2) the theory of emergent global states explains how limbic projections from the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal and adrenal axes regulate the reactive and anticipatory response to stress. This construct extends knowledge of the mind-brain relationship, the person-centered approach to science, and the growth-oriented dimension of personality.

Each and every one of us will experience some form of trauma in our lifetimes; whether it’s physical, emotional or karmic. These traumas, along with every single other event that has happened to us in our lives, are stored within the subconscious mind. The subconscious mind makes up 95-99% of the way we see, act and respond to the world, yet, traditional therapies for mental health are only working with the conscious mind, the 1-5%.In this lecture, find out how to not only how to release the limiting beliefs, blocks and stored trauma that are creating dis-ease, but also learn how we can harness the infinite power of the subconscious mind for quantum healing.

The Specific Carbohydrate Diet (SCD) was created approximately 100 years ago and has been used to improve IBD symptoms and to induce IBD clinical remission for nearly 100 years. It is just now (in the last 6 years, mostly) starting to gain interest in conventional GI circles, which has lead to more research being conducted. The research has included several studies on how SCD shifts and changes the microbiome. In addition to the research, in my clinical practice I have seen immediate and tangible evidence of these microbial shifts including inhibition of dental caries, skin healing, IBS symptom resolution, mucosal healing (IBD remission), mood and blood sugar regulation and more. Studies have also been conducted on how SCD helps the gut-­‐ brain axis in Autism Spectrum Disorders. My presentation will give enough background on SCD to help participants who are unfamiliar have basic knowledge to build on and also is a deep enough dive that is should satisfy participants who are SCD knowledgeable as well. My presentation will include resources for implementing SCD in your practice and deeper dive into the current body of research on how SCD affects the microbiome. I am open to presenting both in pre-­‐con as well as at the main conference.

Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO) is a complex condition that is often caused by several factors or triggers. From dysmotility, to digestive deficits, microbiome dysregulation and structural components, finding the underlying cause is key in resolving chronic SIBO cases. Most of us have had opportunities to work with SIBO patients that don’t seem to improve even with well thought out treatment plans. In this presentation, Dr Jacobi explores the contributing factors through which SIBO develops and presents itself by reviewing challenging cases from her practice.

In continuing the discussion of the principle of treating underlying causes of SIBO rather than simply focusing therapy on reduction of bacterial overgrowth, we cannot overlook the thyroid gland’s role in motility. Evidence has emerged for thyroid disorders as one of SIBO’s etiologies. This presentation explores SIBO’s intersections with dysthyroidsm, and points to implications in developing effective treatment plans and strategies for prevention of recurrence.  The presentation will include a brief overview of thyroid prescribing, both clinically and sub-clinically, including use of Levothyroxin, Tri-iodothyronine, dessicated Thyroid USP, and compound prescribing.

University-based scientific research has now demonstrated that life continues after bodily death. This comforting and life-changing news will be officially announced in early 2021 after the completion of multicenter studies at six universities / institutes and publication of Dr. Gary Schwartz’s seminal paper. Widespread awareness of this evidence and availability of SoulPhone communication technology will trigger a worldwide paradigm shift.The term greater reality describes all that exists – the vast totality of life that usually can’t be perceived by humans. The term greater reality living invites people to consider how they might live and treat themselves and others when they really know that bodily death is not the end of life. The book Greater Reality Living by Drs. Pitstick and Schwartz and online and local Greater Reality Living groups will help people learn more about all of this. The L.I.V.E.S. formula will enable people to: learn the afterlife evidence, internalize the great news, vitalize themselves holistically, enjoy the many benefits, and serve themselves and others.

This presentation will provide an overview of active research activities within the Helfgott Research Institute related to spirituality in health and medicine. Research described will include: qualitative research related to experiences with psilocybin; Yoga Nidra for anxiety and sleep; trauma-informed yoga for stress; and student health and spirituality at NUNM.

Dr. Yvonne Kason will describe how person experiences as a young medical doctor introduced her to spiritual experiences: while meditating in 1976 during her final year in medical school, she had what she now knows was a kundalini awakening: then in 1979 during her medical residency, she had her first adult Near-Death Experience in a medevac plane crash, an out-of-body and white-light mystical experience, followed by a psychic awakening of clairvoyance a few weeks later. Not finding a satisfactory explanation for her own “paranormal” experiences in the western medical traditions, she began a quest researching spiritual experiences, drawing from the literature of many faith traditions as well as from transpersonal psychology. Her discovery of the widespread occurrence and lack of understanding about these experiences, propelled her in 1992, to become the first Canadian medical doctor to specialize her practice in the counseling and research of patients with diverse “Spiritually Transformative Experience” (STEs), a term she coined in 1994. STEs include Near-Death Experiences, mystical experiences, spiritual energy or kundalini awakenings, diverse psychic experiences, other death related-STEs, and inspired creativity. Dr. Kason will describe the key diagnostic features of each type of STE, examine their common and often powerful after-effects on the body, mind, and spirit, and review key strategies for counseling persons who have had STEs.

The principles of naturopathic medicine can be applied to explore disordered eating and the ethical implications of dietary recommendations. What is 'normal' eating and does that definition apply to everyone? Are healthcare practitioners screening patients for eating disorders or disordered eating patterns? Learn to assess and protect patients from the harms brought on by inadvertent food and body shaming.

Physicians often present diet recommendations in terms of total calories, macronutrients, and micronutrients. They may consider avoiding certain foods or cooking methods to optimize health. Ideally, clinicians will also consider how culture impacts food choices and understand that meals are a focal point of family and community life. In addition to the impact of diet on individual patients, dietary choices have significant impacts on the environment; from processing and shipping, to deforestation and contamination of watersheds. Prioritizing these choices and their consequences in a clinical setting can be challenging in the best cases. But in many scenarios, patients can have little choice or access to diet due to finances, age or incarceration. In this presentation, I will simultaneously examine movements designed to address food access for those communities and discuss outcomes in addressing sustainability and environmental impact. Let’s explore the research and resources supporting the farm-to-institution movement in public health.

In the last decade, the understanding of clinical breath testing in the evaluation of SIBO has evolved. We have come to know that methane on breath testing is highly associated with constipation and requires a different approach to treatment. Hydrogen on the other hand is not related to any specific symptom. The missing gas has been hydrogen sulfide and this gas is of great importance to the symptom diarrhea. Not having this gas in the breath test profile leaves a missing piece of the puzzle out. In this presentation we will examine the interaction of all three gases and the importance they play in the evolving microbiome story of SIBO. Rifaximin will be discussed which is FDA approved, neomycin a drug not yet approved for SIBO and SYN-010 which is not yet approved by FDA for methane.

Integrative medicine providers, including naturopathic physicians, routinely employ new and emerging science to inform their clinical practice. This practice of early adoption, along with growing interest from the public, has contributed to the explosion in affordable gastrointestinal (GI) microbiome testing marketed to integrative medical practices. These tests are often described as clinically useful tools that can be used to inform treatment of chronic medical conditions, as well as strategies for optimizing general wellness. While these interventions can often be of great benefit to patients, their implementation is not always informed by a nuanced understanding of the limitations of this testing. Commercial microbiome testing in its current form cannot truly nor completely describe an individuals GI microbiome health, except possibly when identifying specific infectious pathogens, nor inform specific interventions (probiotics, prebiotics, etc.) with the accuracy often claimed by the tests themselves, or the physicians employing them. As early adopters, it is our responsibility to not only understand the usefulness of GI microbiome testing, but also its limitations, and ensure that our care is informed by this knowledge. This presentation will review the technology employed in current commercially available microbiome testing and what practitioners should know regarding the limitations of utilizing this technology in clinical practice.NOTE: This talk is not intended to dissuade providers from using GI microbiome tests, but rather encourage thoughtfulness and transparency when utilizing these technologies. I believe that highlighting this discussion in a separate talk (vs combining with a more in-depth review of the technology) will help participants better retain information essential to their PARQ discussions.

This is a discussion of the connection between how both SIBO and parasitic infections affect the Microbiome and how one is often misdiagnosed as another. This will be a deeper look on how we currently understand how parasitic infections change the microbiome presentation and how patients will often suffer from and be diagnosed with one but the underlying cause is the other one.  Alinia is briefly discussed as a use for treatment of parasitic infections.