Monthly Archives: October 2015

What’s Stealing Your Sleep?

Dr. Tim Kuhlman

6 to 8 hours of sleep seems impossible for many of my patients. Many have difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep, and have tried over-the-counter or prescription sleeping drugs. They don’t like the way it makes them feel.

Obvious culprits should be addressed as the basics of quality sleep:

• Cut back caffeine consumption. Keep coffee, black and green tea down to 1 to 2 cups a day and only in the mornings and definitely before 4pm.

• Switch off all electronics at least 1 hour before bedtime. Create a relaxing bedtime routine. Go to bed close to the same time every day of the week.

• Don’t eat in bed, read in bed, or watch television in bed, these are sleep disruptors. Get in bed only when you’re ready to sleep.

• Sleep in absolute darkness. If you can’t get it completely dark then sleep with an eye mask. For some people even the alarm clock light can alter sleep patterns.

• If you live in a noisy area, wear ear plugs. Noise pollution disturbs your nervous system.

• We sleep better in a cooler temperature. Set the thermostat between 60-68 degrees Fahrenheit, the optimal sleeping temperature.

If you’re having trouble sleeping, there could be a hidden reason. It’s called Adrenal Fatigue. Adrenal Fatigue may be stealing your sleep. The adrenal glands, 2 glands on top of the kidneys, produce adrenaline and cortisol, the stress hormones. They can disrupt your sleep. For example, adrenaline will wake you up when your blood sugar level gets too low or if you drink coffee after dinner or if you’ve had a stressful day.

I offer labs that will test your adrenal gland function. I use herbal medicines to restore and replenish the adrenal glands. These plant medicines help us to adapt to stress.

It’s time to get a good night’s sleep and wake up in the morning refreshed and with energy.

I’m Dr. Tim Kuhlman, Naturopathic Physician. Now accepting new patients at ChehalisNaturopathic.com, phone (360)-996-4761.

Breast Cancer Screening

Uncategorized

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The month is almost over. But getting tested for breast cancer is not something you want to put off any longer.

Breast Cancer is still the most common cancer in women. Men also get breast cancer, about 100 times less often than women.

The National Cancer Institute expects within the next 15 years to have a 50% increase in Americans diagnosed with breast cancer. This is in part because people are living longer combined with a rising population.

Most breast cancers occur in women who don’t have a family history of breast cancer. The mammogram is still an important screening tool to detect breast cancer. The earlier cancer is detected, the better the survival rate.

Breast self-exam is an important part of a breast cancer screening strategy. The best time to do monthly breast self-exam is 3-5 days after your period starts. Breasts are less tender and lumpy at that time during your menstrual cycle.

So talk to your doctor about screening options. Taking action now is empowering.

I’m Dr. Tim Kuhlman, Naturopathic Physician, atwww.ChehalisNaturopathic.com.

Call us at (360) 996-4761 to schedule your appointment.

Diabetes and Magnesium

Uncategorized

People with adult Type 2 Diabetes are often lacking in the mineral magnesium. This is significant because magnesium helps to control blood sugar levels.

Magnesium is so important in our body because it’s necessary in over 300 different metabolic pathways. Strong bones, nerve and muscle function all require magnesium.

Published research on patients with diabetes showed magnesium supplements both helped insulin sensitivity, and lowered fasting glucose levels.1 That’s a double benefit for diabetes!

However, not all magnesium supplements are effective. It’s all about quality and quantity with nutritional supplements. This is for your health so get high quality treatments. The form of magnesium makes a big difference in how well it gets absorbed and used by our body.

I’m Dr. Tim Kuhlman, Naturopathic Physician, athttps://chehalisnaturopathic.com

I invite you to be evaluated and treated by our naturopathic physicians at Chehalis Naturopathic, (360) 996-4761.

Reference:
1http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/?term=Oral+magnesium+supplementation+improves+insulin+sensitivity+and+metabolic+control+in+type+2+diabetic+subjects

Pre-Diabetes Can Be Reversed

Dr. Tim Kuhlman

12038526_1633359983589819_6952205240257684588_nAdult type 2 Diabetes, the “sugar” disease, is a rapidly growing health and financial problem.

Diabetes causes a lot of nerve pain and weight problems from out of control blood sugar and inflammation.

It is well worth preventing because diabetes is in the top 10 causes of debilitation and death for Americans.

It’s good news that diabetes is preventable.

Wouldn’t it be better to know if you were heading into diabetes so you can do something about it?

Pre-diabetes is the earlier milder form of Diabetes.

Up to 72 million Americans have pre-diabetes and don’t even know it, according to the American Diabetes Association.

It can be why it’s difficult for you to lose weight.

To be evaluated for pre-diabetes, we use simple blood tests with a naturopathic medical consultation.

There are many natural treatments that can reverse pre-diabetes. We go far beyond basic diet and exercise. We use therapeutic nutrients and plant medicines to control inflammation and blood sugar.

You’d be surprised to know there’s a tasty spice you most likely have in your kitchen that helps sugar cravings and blood sugar problems.

Take action now.

It’s up to you to improve the quality of your health and your wallet.
Get testing and treatment options for Pre-Diabetes and Diabetes:
Call (360) 996-4761 Dr. Tim Kuhlman, Naturopathic Physicians at Chehalis Naturopathic.

What’s Your Risk for a Heart Attack?

Dr. Tim Kuhlman

10374905_1631633320429152_8414430899304688222_nHeart disease is still the number one cause of death for Americans. It’s the number one cause of death for men. About 1 in 3 women die from heart disease1. It affects all of us, young and old.

Doctors commonly tell patients their risk factors for heart disease are tobacco use, overweight, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

Maybe you think your risks of dying from heart disease are low because you are a thin, non-smoker, and have normal cholesterol levels. Or because you are taking cholesterol lowering drugs.
You might think you’re safe but you’re not.

What really causes heart disease? The early stage of heart disease is damage in the lining of your blood vessels. That damage comes from inflammation leading to atherosclerosis (hardening and narrowing of your arteries). Cholesterol deposits and blood clots build up to the point of blocking blood flow.

That’s the start of heart attacks and strokes.

Doesn’t cholesterol cause heart disease? I strongly disagree with the high cholesterol theory causing heart disease. There’s a cbn.com news video about cardiologists making this point. Many people have normal blood pressure and normal cholesterol levels who become heart attack victims.

Cholesterol is needed in every cell in your body. All hormones are made from cholesterol. You need it for memory and sex drive.

Cholesterol is at the scene of the crime but it doesn’t mean it’s the perpetrator of the crime.

A partial cause of the crime is mechanical damage from the force of flowing blood. This requires repairing from nutrients in our food and nutritional supplement choices we make.

The biggest culprit of damaging blood vessels is inflammation.
How can you reduce the risk of heart disease since cholesterol isn’t the problem?

I’m Dr. Tim Kuhlman, Naturopathic Physician at Chehalis Naturopathic. I help patients with testing and treatment options. I have never prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs because they do harm and have no health benefit.

First get screening tests that look at how much inflammation is going on in your body.There are many natural treatments to lower your risk of heart attacks and strokes.

I realize many people don’t make the time to exercise. I tell my patients about a kind of High Intensity Interval Training exercise that only takes 15 minutes at a time, every other day. At least, if you have sitting jobs or lifestyles then stand up and take 1 minute breaks.

Simple changes to our food choices will reduce your risk of heart attacks and strokes. For example, it’s easy to change the type of cooking oil you use.

There are many foods and high quality nutritional supplements that dramatically decrease the inflammation in your body. It’s the choices we make about what we put in our body that makes the difference in how we feel.

For testing and treatment call (360) 996 4761 for an appointment with Dr. Tim Kuhlman, ND at Chehalis Naturopathic.

1
Center for Disease Control, http://www.cdc.gov/…/data_stat…/fact_sheets/fs_men_heart.htm
2
What Really Causes Heart Disease?,http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/healthscience/2012/oct
ober/cholesterol-myth-what-really-causes-heart-disease/