Concerns about Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs, Statins?

12034477_1629901563935661_1877214184107351802_oOne in four Americans over 45 years of age has been put on a statin drug to lower their bad cholesterol levels to avoid heart disease. It’s true, statins can be effective for lowering cholesterol. Here’s the question we have to ask though: does low cholesterol really help you to avoid heart disease? The shocking answer is NO for the majority of the population.

In fact, research has shown that statin drugs actually make your heart less healthy! Statins can stimulate atherosclerosis (commonly known as hardening of the arteries) and heart failure by depleting the body’s vitamin K2 and CoQ10, an antioxidant very important for heart health. Besides, there are multiple risks for heart disease besides cholesterol such as fasting blood sugar, insulin and iron levels. Diet habits, exercise and family history play a huge part too.

Has your doctor recommended you take statins to lower your cholesterol levels to avoid heart disease? Let’s think about this…statins work by blocking the liver from making cholesterol. Yes, the cholesterol that your body needs to survive. Cholesterol is essential for us to make hormones such as estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, to digest fats, to keep our brain healthy and for making our cell walls. So statins can create unwanted effects such as cancer, liver damage, diabetes, sexual dysfunction, memory problems and muscle pain.

Our naturopathic perspective is that there is no such thing as bad cholesterol. Any cholesterol and triglyceride levels can be “bad” if they are too high, including our “good” HDL cholesterol. The goal is to optimize all your cholesterol levels by managing your diet and optimizing your nutritional vitamins and minerals. There are many natural foods that can keep your heart healthy. In addition, we take a more holistic view of your other risk factors and use natural, safe therapies to help you maintain your heart health.
Get in touch with us if you are concerned about taking statins.

Please call Dr. Tim Kuhlman at Chehalis Naturopathic Medicine at (360) 996-4761 to schedule your appointment.

5 Ways to Love Homeopathy

12009775_1627731307486020_8434534270063582072_nHomeopathic medicine has a powerful blend of benefits.
1. Safety first: Homeopathy uses natural things such as plants and minerals to treat illness.

2. Effective: This is time-tested medicine used for over 200 years of research and clinical effectiveness.

3. Comprehensive: It helps both your mind and body together because they affect each other.

4. Kid friendly: It’s so easy to take the little white pills that melt in your mouth. This is great for infants and children who don’t swallow pills.

5. Pregnancy appropriate: Most treatments such as drugs and plant medicines can’t safely be taken during pregnancy, but homeopathy can help you for pregnancy related problems as well as infections during your pregnancy.

6. Convenient: Save you time and money because in order to work they often don’t need to be taken every day, or even weekly.

You got a bonus 6th benefit. I couldn’t come up with only 5 reasons to love Homeopathy.

I’m Dr. Tim Kuhlman Naturopathic Physician at Chehalis Naturopathic Medicine. For over 18 years I’ve specialized in homeopathic treatments for patients of all ages. I’ve helped people feel better when they almost gave up trying. Please don’t settle for less health than you want. There are many options for healing.

For a homeopathic treatment call 360-996-4761.

Are antacids and acid blockers really a cure?

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Heartburn and acid reflux affect millions of us every day. Are you taking antacids or acid blocker medications? They seem to help symptomatically but are they safe to take long-term?
Researchers at Stanford University recently found that people taking acid blockers have 16-21% increased risk of heart attack.

In addition, these types of medications block your production of acid that’s needed for digestion and absorption of important vitamins and minerals such as calcium, zinc and magnesium that the body needs for good health. This may also set you up for food sensitivities and gastrointestinal inflammation. Antacids are an obstacle to healing, and now we know they can affect your overall health. Fortunately, there’s a better way. You can treat your reflux without unwanted side effects.

I’m Dr. Tim Kuhlman, a naturopathic physician at Chehalis Naturopathic Medicine. I help patients wean off acid blockers and help them with their digestive problems using a treatment plan customized to their particular needs. One of my favorite ways to treat or prevent heartburn is to use plant medicines. They strengthen your digestion and are anti-inflammatory to protect against stomach acid damage in a natural and safe manner.

Get a customized solution to your health problems.
Call now at 360-996-4761 for an appointment to resolve your heartburn and acid reflux.