For severe depression in individuals that do not respond to medication, Dr. Robert Gilliland, owner of Southwest Florida Natural Health, in Bonita Springs, recomDr. Robert Gilliland mends pulsed electromagnetic frequency therapy (PEMF). “Approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for severe depression, it also improves cognitive health by increasing micro-circulation and cellular energy in all cells, including brain cells,” says Gilliland who has seen results in his patients. Wendy Law, co-founder of Yollo Wellness, in Fort Myers, can cite numerous examples of clients that have recovered from depression, brain fog and lethargy with the use of a Wendy Law hyperbaric oxygen chamber. “Saturating the brain with oxygen relieves stress, anxiety, and reduces blood pressure,” says Law, who jokes that she often has to first convince clients to trade their dependency on candy bars for energy. “We call the chamber the happy pill, because of its remarkable results in a short time,” says Law. Evie Breedlove Mangora, founder of Inner Essence Health, practices out of Wellbridges, in Bonita Springs. She previously practiced traditional primary Evie Breedlove care medicine in Mangora Michigan, working with patients that had high anxiety and depression. “Medications and dosage were a trial-and-error process, which is why I was excited to learn about functional medicine and the role that low-grade gut inflammation plays in all chronic disease, including depression,” says Mangora, who recalls that her 44
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medical education included little about nutrition. We were given a list of health issues and matching possibilities for prescriptions. Patients tried them and then returned in three months to report the results. “No one could have predicted 10 years ago that medical science would discover the gut and brain connection, how we can use genetics in preventive medicine or how Deborah Post much damage antibiotics have done to our gut,” says Deborah Post, founder of Wellbridges. She encourages health professionals to find more ways of educating the public about the role they play in their health, as well as the necessity of taking probiotics and how toxins in food and the environment interfere with communication between gut and brain. Kimberly Rodgers, owner of Monarch Therapy, in Naples, works with patients suffering from depression and anxiety, which is often the result of difficulty in adjusting to life Kimberly Rodgers changes such as loss of a loved one, divorce, physical relocation and family illness. Rodgers uses a comprehensive assessment to look at their big picture, including dietary information, which is why she has a health coach on staff. “Dietary changes are huge transitions for patients who are without coping skills and accustomed to eating comfort foods, fast food, drinking coffee and consuming sugary snacks throughout the day,” explains Rodgers. Individuals seeking a quick prescriptive fix move on when Rodgers advises that it’s not offered. Clients that make the greatest progress are those willing to make adjustments in all areas of their life—self-care, diet, exercise, interactions with family and friends, and finding purpose and fulfillment. Severe cases such as anorex-
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ia, bulimia and diabetes are referred out to a nutritionist. David Martin, DOM, and Deborah Martin, medicinal food consultant, owners of Lotus Blossom Clinic, in Fort Myers have a friendly and inviting method for teachDavid Martin ing individuals to understand food as medicine. Their Food Healing Classes (learning and tasting events), and occasional cooking classes include Making Probiotic Foods with 90 Billion Deb Martin Critters. “We are certified in and teach from a food healing system called Conquering Any Disease. Alzheimer’s and depression have food-healing protocols in this system,” says Deborah. Dr. David Perlmutter’s latest focus is on an impressive new term, “psychobiotics”, which he defines as living organisms that, when ingested in adequate amounts, Dr. David Perlmutter produce a health benefit in patients suffering from psychiatric illness. The author of Brain Maker: The Power of Gut Microbes to Heal and Protect advises that the reason scientists have developed this terminology is because new research clearly demonstrates that certain probiotic organisms have a dramatic effect on regulating mood. His important take-home message from this research is that we should do everything we can to preserve and protect our gut bacteria by reassessing our food and medication choices, as well as various lifestyle factors. It makes sense that if we compromise the levels of these and other probiotic bacterial species within us, it may well pave the way for debilitating mood disorders.