Natural Medicine Clinic

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Lower A1C Fast: Amazing 5-Week Transformation

August 30, 2023
Lower AIC fast

My name is Dr. Tom Rofrano from the Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I’ve had the opportunity to see over 100,000 patient visits over the last 37 years, many of whom often have had thyroid issues and ferritin abnormalities. Today I’m going to talk about a 60-year-old patient who had gut symptoms, fatigue, skin issues, and lack of memory and concentration. He was overweight, had high blood pressure, and was diagnosed with diabetes two years ago. 

Lowered A1C 8.6 to 5.6 in Five Weeks

I did an evaluation, lab testing, and recommended a specific diet and supplements. We did a follow up test, and he had lowered his A1C from 8.6 to 5.6 and his glucose from 174 to 80 in just five weeks.

His A1C improved 35% and his ferritin improved 30%, from 204 to 131. And this is while he was eating beef and taking vitamin C, so you can lower your ferritin while you’re doing both. A ferritin level of 204 is out of range, and some doctors will say a ferritin level up to 1000 is okay, but optimal ferritin is approximately 50 to 80 ng/ml.

More Physical and Lab Improvements 

The patient’s inflammation decreased by over 50% in  five weeks to optimal levels, and his kidney/liver function and adrenal function markers improved. One thing that did go up was his testosterone levels that increased over 200 points in five weeks without taking hormones. When the body is in a healthy state, you start to optimize other things. He said in the first six weeks he had lost 30 pounds while his glucose levels dropped dramatically. He was also able to decrease his diabetes medication by 50%. 

Get a More Complete Lab Test  

The first step is getting the proper testing. Your doctor will typically order CBC, chemistry panel, lipids, and TSH. I think it is very important to also check ferritin, iron TIBC and saturation, CRP, GGT, LDH, liver function, insulin, A1c, uric acid, and a full thyroid panel. Besides TSH, free T3, free T4, TPO and thyroglobulin antibodies. l also check adrenal function-DHEA and cortisol, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, IGF1, SHBG, and homocysteine.

Uncovering the Root Causes with Functional LabTests

Functional lab tests can tell you the underlying root causes. These include testing for deficiencies, toxins, infections, hormonal imbalance, and food reactions. For instance, this patient had multiple deficiencies, toxins, above optimal levels of mercury, infections, and Candida yeast overgrowth.

He had hormonal imbalance, adrenal dysfunction, low testosterone, and food reactions. He had celiac genetics and gluten sensitivity as well as leaky gut. Once discovering the root causes, I developed a treatment plan to help him get better. 

Treating the Patient with Diet and Supplements

The first step of treatment is diet and supplements. I start patients on the FreeDiet® that I developed years ago when I was figuring out how to treat my own issues. I had autoimmune thyroid Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, fatigue, and skin issues. In the process, I came up with an anti-inflammatory diet that I call the FreeDiet® which is free of gluten, grains, sugar, yeast dairy, eggs, soy, legumes, nightshades, and processed foods—those foods commonly responsible for inflammation, digestive, and other chronic health issues.

 Go here if you would like a free copy of the FreeDiet® phase 1 food chart.

I started this patient on what I call the Functional Five™, which I find almost everyone needs, which includes ActivMulti™, OmegaSorb™3X fish oil, D3 5000 +K2, Magnesium Malate, and  PriobioXtreme™.

For this patient I added in curcumin and cardiometabolic support for healthy inflammation and blood sugar. The CardioMetaboliX™ has berberine and alpha lipoic. I also recommended Resveratrol + Quercetin. I added in vitamins to address the nutritional deficiencies he had, including Vitamin C. He took vitamin C and ate beef, and his ferritin still went down 38% in five weeks. 

Let Us Help You Optimize Your Health

Many patients can notice tremendous improvement in energy, digestion, skin, and other physical improvements as well as blood markers when they follow the diet and supplements I put them on. With this patient, he had much improvement in just five weeks.

I believe that if the root causes are discovered and the right solutions are provided, almost anyone can get better. If you’re struggling with health issues, reach out us at info@nmcwellness.com to see if we can help you. I look forward to working with you!

The Unexpected Truth Behind Lab Testing

August 15, 2023
Truth Behind Lab Testing

What is the truth behind lab testing and how you can use this information to improve your health? I’m Dr. Tom Rofrano from The Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I have had the opportunity to see over 100,000 patient visits over the last 37 years. One of the main ways that I use to determine someone’s root causes in order to help them is through comprehensive lab testing. 

Standard Lab Tests Aren’t Enough

What many people don’t realize is that when they go to their doctor’s office to get testing done it is just very basic testing that only looks for a few different things. You get a CBC (complete blood count), chemistry panel, lipids, and TSH. They’re looking for high cholesterol, diabetes, and thyroid issues, so anything beyond that is being missed. When you go in and you’re having fatigue, gut issues, pain, headaches, insomnia, and anxiety, they just check these things and say it is very comprehensive. They say they are checking everything but they’re only looking for those three things. 

Does Your Doctor Say It Must Be All in Your Head

If you don’t fall into those categories, and many don’t, then the response is “oh, everything’s fine, your lab work looks good, and it must all be in your head. Why don’t you just take this antidepressant? Take this for anxiety. Oh, you’re tired and have a lack of focus and concentration so take some Adderall. Is that eczema? Take this medication.” You leave not knowing what’s going on and thinking it’s all in your head. You must be depressed and feel even worse about everything.

Uncover the Root Causes

Most medical doctors aren’t searching for the root causes of all these ailments but instead write prescriptions to mask symptoms. Coincidentally, the top three prescribed medications in the United States are statin drugs for cholesterol, levothyroxine or Synthroid for hypothyroidism, and metformin for diabetes. Those are the main three things doctors run lab work to check for. What I like to do is take a comprehensive approach, and when you get lab testing, I suggest more comprehensive lab testing besides the basic three. 

Case Study of a 26-Year-Old Woman

I saw a 26-year-old female patient who was having fatigue, anxiety, gut symptoms, pain, headaches, insomnia, eczema, was feeling miserable, couldn’t lose weight, and she was overweight. 

Besides the basic three panels I also checked her iron levels. She had low ferritin, low iron, low saturation, and I also checked CRP (C-Reactive Protein), GTL, DHA and ANA. She had high CRP which indicated inflammation. Her ANA, which is an autoimmune marker, was high. She also had elevated uric acid, which can contribute to joint pain and inflammation.

Complete thyroid labs include TSH, Free T3, Free T4, Reverse T3, TPO, and thyroid antibodies. Those thyroid labs were normal. Her DHEA and cortisol for adrenals were normal yet she had high testosterone which causes its own set of issues. We check other hormones as well, and with this health panel, often check these basic three or four vitamins or markers: Vitamin D, folic acid, red blood cell, magnesium, and homocysteine.

Lab Test Results Lead to Root Causes

When I get these results back and see these findings, a question I like to ask is what’s causing the pain and this autoimmune condition? I want to know what’s causing the inflammation, low iron and all of these issues. I like to take a root cause approach and do some functional testing, and the five main areas of testing are deficiencies, toxins, infections, hormonal imbalance, and food reactions. 

In the above-referenced case, this patient had multiple deficiencies including vitamin A, some B Vitamins, Vitamin C and Vitamin E. She had high levels of heavy metals and Candida yeast overgrowth. Her hormonal imbalances showed low levels of adrenal hormones and high estrogen. She had a very high gluten sensitivity as well as sensitivity to yeast, dairy, and almonds. She had a leaky gut on top of that, and high inflammatory markers in her gut. 

Treating the Root Causes and Balancing the Body

Once we discover what the root causes are, we can work on solutions. I do this through diet and supplements. The diet I developed years ago when I was discovering how to help myself with the autoimmune Hashimoto’s, elevated rheumatoid antibodies, chronic gut issues, IBS, fatigue, and skin issues. 

The diet is called The FreeDiet® because it is free of gluten, grains, sugar, yeast, dairy, eggs, soy, legumes, night shades, and processed foods—those foods that are most commonly responsible for inflammation, gut and other chronic health issues. 

 Go here if you would like a free copy of the FreeDiet® phase 1 food chart.

In addition to The FreeDiet®, I add our Natural Medicine Formulas® supplements.  I start most patients on what I call the functional five: ActivMulti™, OmegaSorb™3X fish oil, D3 5000 +K2, Magnesium Malate, and  PriobioXtreme™. 

Depending on the lab tests, I’ll add in other supplements like Curcumin Protect, which helps with inflammatory support, gut support, as well address the nutrient deficiencies the patients have. This patient had low adrenal hormones so I add in supplements to support that as well as for her Metal Cleanse™. Liver Support to support detoxification is a good idea in addition to the other supplements. 

Her Improvements at One Month

After lab testing at one month, her ANA autoimmune marker was normal. Her CRP inflammation marker, uric acid levels, liver enzymes, iron, ferritin, iron saturation, and her high testosterone were all normal.

Her gut symptoms improved, eczema was better, had more energy, and dropped 17 lbs. At 3 months, she dropped 26 lbs reaching her goal weight. Her eczema was still cleared up and her gut was even better.  

When you find the root causes and are provided with the right solutions, I believe almost anyone can get better.  

If you need help with your health issues, feel free to contact us at info@nmcwelless.com.

Uncovering the Truth About High Ferritin: Debunking 3 Myths!

August 7, 2023
high ferritin

The Truth About High Ferritin: Debunking 3 Myths

Here are three myths about high ferritin and how you can use this information to improve your health. My name is Dr. Tom Rofrano from The Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I’ve had the opportunity to see over 100,000 patient visits over the last 37 years. 

Myth #1: High Ferritin Means You Have Iron Overload

Many of my new patients have thyroid and gut issues, and ferritin abnormalities—either high or low—and high ferritin is a common thing I see. The number one myth surrounding this is that high ferritin means you have iron overload. While it can mean that, it’s not the most common cause, so when people find out they have high ferritin they automatically want to start donating blood or are told to donate blood. They often will feel worse if it’s not due to high ferritin. How do you find out what to do? You get proper lab testing. 

Proper Lab Testing For High Ferritin Causes 

The testing you want to get besides ferritin is iron, percent saturation and TIBC. This determines if you have iron overload, along with the CBC and chemistry panel. Other common causes of high ferritin are inflammation, infections, and insulin resistance, so that’s why the CBC,  chemistry panel, CRP, GGT, and LDH, lipids, insulin, A1C, uric acid, TSH, free T3, free T4, adrenal hormones, DHEA, cortisol, and other hormones testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, are all important labs to have done. If you do have high ferritin along with high iron saturation over 45%, then you can have hemochromatosis DNA testing done to see if that’s the issue. That’s the minimum testing to find out what is going on. You can also look further at functional testing to determine the root cause. 

Patient Case Study

I had a patient in his 30s who was having a lot of symptoms: gas, bloating, diarrhea, headaches, joint pain, fatigue, brain fog, and insomnia. He’d been to many different doctors and had been diagnosed with ulcerative colitis, along with another autoimmune condition, and they gave him prednisone, gut anti-inflammatories as well as immunosuppressive drugs that he had to take. He did that for a while. He still felt miserable and was unable to be active or do sports. I dod an evaluation and ran this comprehensive health panel testing that I described and other functional lab testing.. 

High Ferritin Without Iron Overload

We found out he did have high ferritin but it was not from iron overload. He had above optimal insulin levels and high CRP (inflammatory markers). He had a high white blood count which indicates infections. Infections, inflammation, and insulin resistance- he had all three of those. 

I could have stopped there, but I like to check for root causes. I looked at deficiencies, toxins, infections, hormonal imbalance, food reactions, and found out he did have multiple nutrient deficiencies. He had toxins, high mercury levels, environmental, mycotoxins and he also had gut infections, bacterial overgrowth, C. diff, candida overgrowth, and markers for ulcerative colitis showing inflammation in his gut. There you have the underlying high ferritin root causes of infection and inflammation so now we know how to work on that. 

Additional Lab Testing for High Ferritin Root Causes

When we look at food reactions, like almost everyone I see with high ferritin, he had gluten sensitivity and celiac genetics, along with leaky gut that causes other food reactions that he had. He also had a hormonal imbalance with low testosterone, DHEA, and cortisol. The adrenal hormones cortisol and DHEA can promote inflammation when low. This patient’s inflammatory markers were very high. What do we do to turn all this around now that we have the root causes? We have to provide the right solutions.

Treating High Ferritin with Diet and Supplements

So the first thing is an anti-inflammatory diet called The FreeDiet®. When I was dealing with Hashimoto’s autoimmune condition, rheumatoid arthritis, gut and skin issues, and fatigue, I had to figure out how to get myself better. I ultimately did and the diet I came up with is called  The FreeDiet® because it is free of gluten, grains, sugar, yeast, dairy, eggs, soy, legumes, nightshades, and processed foods. Free of those foods that are commonly responsible for inflammation, digestive and other chronic health issues.

Go here if you would like a free copy of the FreeDiet® phase 1 food chart.

I put patients on the diet as well as the proper nutritional support. The supplements I start patients on are what I call the Functional Five, ActivMulti™, OmegaSorb™3X fish oil, D3 5000 +K2, Magnesium Malate, and start with a strong probiotic in his case PriobioXtreme™. In this case, additional gut support supplements, and nutrients for correcting his deficiencies. 

Myth #2: Avoid Vitamin C with High Ferritin

A second myth for high ferritin is you have to avoid vitamin C. This patient was taking 500 mg twice a day and his ferritin still decreased significantly. I also put him on Curcumin for inflammation and immune support. He took Metal Cleanse™ because of the high mercury in his body. I also gave him Liver Support, and Adrenal Support supplements because he had issues there. After a month’s time he was feeling so much better. He had more energy, focus and concentration. His pain is gone now, and he’s able to do his sports activities for the first time. 

Improvement in Lab Results 

At one month, he was feeling so much better. His ferritin was initially 323 and it went down to the two hundreds and then at six months it was 137. His initial ferritin was high but his iron saturation was low. During this time his ferritin decreased from 323 to 137 and his iron saturation increased to optimal levels. 

Myth #3: You Have to Be on a Low Iron Diet

A third myth for high ferritin is you have to avoid iron, be on a low iron diet and can’t eat any beef. You have to eat a plant based diet, no beef whatsoever, all low iron foods. He could have all the beef he wanted because iron was not causing his high ferritin. During this time he had vitamin C and beef on a regular basis and his ferritin went down dramatically at the same time as the iron saturation improved to optimal levels.

His insulin and uric acid decreased to optimal levels.  His C-Reactive Protein (CRP) for inflammation decreased from over 4 to less than 1 in three months. We were looking at insulin resistance, inflammation, and infections. He had high WBCs 13,000 which went down to 7800 in three months.

Lab Testing is Important to Discover the Root Causes

He had three root causes of high ferritin: insulin resistance, infections, inflammation. His testosterone, which was low, went up almost 300 points in one month from 452 to 734. Did we give him testosterone? No, it normalized just by finding out the root causes and providing the right solutions. Resolve the root causes and you’ll see secondary benefits like optimizing your hormone function. When you take medication for things like this, the drugs may temporarily help you feel better but it’s important to get to the root cause to help you actually get better. 

The number one takeaway is that you have to get the right testing to find out what’s causing your high ferritin. Once you’re provided the right testing, then you can be provided the right solutions. If you do that, I believe almost anyone can get better. 

When Ferritin Levels are High but Iron is Not

July 31, 2023
high ferritin levels

Can you have high ferritin without high iron levels? Here you’ll learn about this common cause of high ferritin and how to fix it. 

Causes of High Ferritin Levels

One common thing I see in patients is abnormal ferritin levels. In this case, we’re going to talk about high ferritin. One of the more common causes I’ve seen for high ferritin is not iron overload, but metabolic syndrome, which is also known as insulin resistance. Some of the symptoms can include high blood pressure, high cholesterol and triglycerides, excess belly fat, high glucose, A1C, and insulin. 

So how do you know what is the cause of your high ferritin levels? Proper lab testing is the number one way to discover the cause of high ferritin levels.

High Ferritin Labs

A patient came in recently who complained of fatigue, diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain, insomnia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and frequent urinary tract infections.  One of the most common tests we do is a comprehensive health panel where we check ferritin, iron, TIBC, and percent saturation, CBC (complete blood count) chemistry panel, CRP (C-Reactive Protein) for inflammation, GGT, LDH, lipids, TSH, free T3, free T4, uric acid, insulin and A1C. Some of the other tests I like to run include DHEA, cortisol, B12, folic acid, vitamin D, and the hormones testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, and IGF1. 

High Ferritin with Anemia Case Study 

This patient’s results showed high ferritin at 512 and high insulin at 24.2. Even though it’s within the normal range of 2 to 24.5, optimal insulin levels are between 2-4. His glucose and A1C were normal; however insulin was very high indicating insulin resistance and he had high inflammation. 

He was also anemic. He had high ferritin, was anemic, had low hemoglobin, low red blood count, and many other positive findings. This patient had certain nutrient deficiencies, toxins, infections, yeast overgrowth, gut inflammation, leaky gut, hormonal imbalance, low DHEA, testosterone, and food reactions. Besides gluten sensitivity and celiac genetics, he had other food sensitivities as well. 

Diet for High Ferritin

Treating insulin resistance is quite simple between diet and supplements. The diet I  to put patients on is an anti-inflammatory diet I’ve developed over the last 37 years of practice. I call it The FreeDiet® because it’s free of gluten, grains, sugar, yeast, dairy, eggs, soy, legumes, nightshades, and processed foods. Free of those foods that are commonly responsible for inflammation, digestive, and other chronic health issues. 

For breakfast you eat a smoothie that is high in protein, essential fats, fruits, vegetables, and fiber. For lunch and dinner you can eat protein: meat, chicken, or fish, and plenty of vegetables and a lot of healthy fats. It’s important to avoid snacks in between meals. There is a link below for the FreeDiet® food chart and a recipe for the smoothie. 

Supplements for High Ferritin

I started the patient on the supplements that I call the Functional Five: ActivMulti™, OmegaSorb™3X fish oil, D3 5000 +K2, Magnesium Malate, and a  probiotic in his case PriobioXtreme™. When someone has insulin resistance issues, I use a product called CardioMetaboliX™ to support healthy blood sugar regulation. Curcumin Protect™, Liver Support, C-BIO™ 600, gut support supplements, and some other nutrients that he was deficient in. 

Follow up Testing for High Ferritin

After one month, his ferritin dropped from 512 to 316- almost 40% reduction (and 248 or 52% at 3 months). His insulin had over 75% reduction in four weeks. There was a decrease in uric acid, his kidney function and liver function numbers improved to normal, and his inflammatory marker CRP went down 65% to optimal levels. 

He was no longer anemic after four weeks and platelets decreased to normal, his ANA (autoimmune marker) was normal after four weeks, and Hashimoto’s thyroid antibodies improved. His DHEA increased dramatically to normal levels and his cortisol decreased to the normal range. His testosterone went up over 50% or 164 points to normal and his PSA decreased at the same time to optimal levels. 

Improved Quality of Life

The best part was he was feeling more energy; sleeping through the night and got off his sleeping pills. He dropped 17 pounds in four weeks, and his joint pain and back pain improved dramatically. He was feeling so much better.

So the number one thing for high ferritin is to do the proper testing, because if you find out the underlying root cause, then you can be provided with the right solutions. When you do this, I believe almost anyone can get better. If you’d like a complimentary copy of  The FreeDiet® phase one food chart, click here. 

Immune Support and Gut Health

April 7, 2023
Immune Support and Gut Health

A common question I get is, “How can I have a healthy immune system?” I’m going to discuss why having a healthy gut is so important to having a healthy immune system and some tips on how to optimize your gut health. 

My name is Dr. Tom Rofrano, the founder of the Natural Medicine Clinic and the author of The  FreeDiet®, a clinically proven plan to heal your gut and thyroid and free yourself from pain, fatigue, fogginess, and fat. Not only does everything regarding your health depend on the health of your gut, including your immune system, but approximately 70% of your entire immune system is located in your gut. 

Healthy Immune System from a Healthy Gut

It stands to reason that having a healthy gut plays a large role in having a healthy immune system. I had a patient recently let me know that ever since she’s been a patient of mine she hasn’t been sick, had a cold. or anything in months, even though people around her were sick. The reason she became a patient wasn’t to strengthen her immune system but to address a gut issue. I’ll give you some tips on how you can also improve your gut, and in turn, your immune system. 

She came in with severe digestive symptoms she had been suffering from for many years. She was in her 30s and was experiencing bloating, constipation, nausea, and vomiting. With all the chronic digestive issues, she was feeling miserable, tired, had shortness of breath, and she was so tired she could barely workout. She would get dizzy when she stood up quickly, had shallow breathing, and cold hands and feet while feeling cold all over. She needed a lot of sleep and had heart palpitations. She was feeling overall terrible, and whenever she ate, she would feel bloated and get heartburn. 

If you felt like this, do you think you would have a strong, healthy immune system? Of course not. When she went to doctors, they would say it’s IBS or irritable bowel syndrome. I think more accurately it should be called irritable bug syndrome because in a lot of these cases, people have “bugs”—yeast, parasites, or bacteria—in their gut that are a root cause of their IBS. 

She went to a functional medicine doctor who was more thorough and at least found out that she was anemic, low on iron, and that was causing a lot of her tiredness. He gave her iron supplements and a natural supplement for her gut, but she still had all these symptoms. When she came in, I did an evaluation, did some thorough testing, and several things came up. She had deficiencies of iron, vitamin D, and many other nutrients. Her white blood count was low, which meant her immune system was compromised. 

When you have somebody that is weak and borderline anemic with an under functioning thyroid, you must figure out what’s causing all these symptoms. Someone just doesn’t become anemic unless there’s some gut issues or malabsorption. We did a stool test that came back showing that she had H. Pylori and yeast overgrowth. H. Pylori are bacteria in your gut that can cause ulcers, reflux, heartburn, gastric bleeding, and other symptoms, and cause deficiencies including low iron. 

Root Causes of Gut Issues

We must address getting these infections cleared out and then we have to address the deficiencies. If your gut is compromised, then you can have malabsorption and on top of that food reactions like gluten sensitivity. Gluten can cause a leaky gut, more malabsorption symptoms, and these can lead to other food sensitivities. She had true allergies and needed to avoid these allergenic foods along with her sensitivities. These foods were wreaking havoc on her gut, so no wonder why she had nausea, bloating, gas, constipation, and infections. 

Malabsorption from infections and food reactions also caused her to have hormonal imbalances. On top of this she had high levels of mercury, which is another issue. If you’re not eliminating and are constipated, you’re not clearing out toxins. All these different things need to be addressed to get healthy and improve your immune system so that you stay healthy and avoid getting sick. With the Coronavirus currently going around, the people that are avoiding getting sick are the ones that have a healthy immune system. 

Diet for a Healthy Gut and Immune System

You want to do everything you can to strengthen your immune system, and having a healthy gut is so important. I came up with a treatment plan of diet and supplements. The FreeDiet®  is what I created to help with gut and other chronic health issues like this. It is a diet free of gluten, grains, sugar, yeast, dairy, eggs, legumes, nightshades, and processed foods.

It’s free of all those common allergenic and inflammatory foods, so that allows your gut to heal while you’re avoiding those. As you get better, you can start reintroducing foods later in phases two and three. Since the diet is free of so many of these foods, yeast, overgrowth of bacteria, and any parasites are all starved out because they thrive on sugar, yeast, grains, and starches. 

Supplements for Gut and Immune Support

As far as supplements, we start with what I call the the Functional Five™, which includes ActivMulti™, OmegaSorb™3X fish oil, D3 5000 +K2, Magnesium Malate and a probiotic. When you have yeast overgrowth and bacterial overgrowth, you want to have a very strong probiotic. In this case I used ProbioSupreme™350 which is a very powerful therapeutic dose.  As far as the other supplements, I use GI Mend™, Yeast Defeat™, and a product called GastroBlast™ for stomach support with H. Pylori.  Gut Immune Repair™, and GI Mend™ are helpful to supporting leaky gut situations. 

For iron deficiency, I had her take  Iron Glycinate with C-Bioflavanoids 500 for absorption, which is also helpful for your immune support. When I rechecked labs in four weeks, her iron levels were back to normal and most of her symptoms had cleared up. Her energy was back, she could exercise, and the shortness of breath cleared up as well as the palpitations. Her gut symptoms cleared up after having them for years. 

Get Help Today

It’s a matter of finding out what your underlying root causes are, and it doesn’t matter how long you’ve had a symptom, if you take the time to investigate what the underlying causes are, then you can most likely clear up these chronic gut issues. In turn, you can have a healthy strong immune system so that you can live a healthy life. 

If you’d like a complimentary copy of The FreeDiet® phase one food chart, go here and enter your information. If you have health challenges and would like our help, call us at 561-627-5800 or email us at info@nmcwellness.com. We would love to help you experience vibrant health.

Clearing Acne and Other Skin Issues by Healing Your Gut

April 2, 2023
Clearing Acne

I’m Dr. Tom Rofrano from The Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and today I’m going to talk to you about how to have clear skin by clearing up your gut. I’ve been practicing for over 30 years and have seen over 100,000 patient visits now with chiropractic, nutrition, and functional medicine. Most patients that come in with symptoms of fatigue, pain, anxiety, and brain fog; all have gut issues. 

Skin and Gut Connection

I have found a lot of patients that have gut issues also have skin problems. If you have acne, eczema, psoriasis, random rashes, hives, or other skin issues, most of these skin issues stem from your gut. They say your eyes are a mirror to your soul, and I think your skin is the mirror to your gut. If you have gut issues it often manifests in your skin. Yesterday, I received a picture from a 25-year-old patient because she said her face was so clear after 15 days of being on my program. 

Root Causes of Acne and Other Skin Issues

I put her on The FreeDiet® and our Natural Medicine Formulas® supplements. She went from severe acne to clear skin in 15 days. That’s how quickly you can turn skin issues around if you clean up your gut issues. What causes skin and gut issues? Antibiotics are a common cause and in her case she had two courses of antibiotics for a kidney infection. Antibiotics can cause intestinal permeability or leaky gut as it’s commonly called, where you can become reactive to foods that you weren’t before. 

Gluten, yeast, and dairy are among the most common food intolerances. As you become reactive to these foods, they cause an inflammatory reaction. These food sensitivities manifest as skin issues like acne, eczema, psoriasis, and rashes. Besides food sensitivities, you want to check for gut infections since they can manifest as skin problems. That would include yeast overgrowth, dysbiosis or bacterial overgrowth in your intestines. Parasites are another cause of skin reactions. Pathogens and food sensitivities can really have a negative effect on the skin and cause many issues.

In another case, a young woman was outside of the country and got food poisoning and was very sick. You can pick up bacteria or parasites that way, and that can cause this abnormal bacterial environment and leaky gut / intestinal permeability. 

How do we treat these issues? The standard medical treatment for acne is antibiotics, and they give antibiotics for a month up to a year. Growing up, my brother was on them for at least two to three years in high school. That can wreak havoc on your gut and immune system long term. 

Natural Treatment for Acne and Other Skin Issues

Other treatments are Retin-A which can be effective, but it is very toxic. I had a patient who was 15 years old, taking Retin-A who had to get a monthly pregnancy test because it causes birth defects. She also had to get blood work to check her liver enzymes to make sure there was no liver damage. You can choose to treat the symptoms or uncover the underlying root causes and then come up with permanent long-term solutions by fixing the problem. 

I ran some tests on the first patient, the 25-year-old woman, and found she was highly sensitive to gluten and yeast. Those are the two most common food sensitivities I see with acne and skin lesions. Instead of just putting her on a gluten free diet, I have formulated another diet that works much more effectively. I call it The FreeDiet®  because it’s not only gluten free, but it’s free of all the most common food allergens. So gluten, grains, sugar, yeast, dairy, eggs, soy, legumes, nightshades, and processed foods. These foods I found are the most common food reactions after doing thousands of food allergy and sensitivity tests over the years. These are the common foods that cause inflammatory reactions including skin issues.

The diet is the first step, and then next is supplements. The general supplements I base on initial lab results but general recommendations I find that are most effective for acne and other skin issues are probiotics. We use a few different kinds, but our strongest one is ProbioSupreme™ 350 which has over a 350 billion count of probiotics and 14 different strains. I use that and then a product called Yeast Defeat because it supports a healthy microbial balance in your gut. 

Patients with skin issues generally have gut symptoms like abdominal pain, cramps, diarrhea, bloating, gas, and constipation. The previously mentioned patient had gone to her primary OBGYN for severe menstrual cramps and PMS. She saw two GI doctors who told her she had IBS, or irritable bowel syndrome. 

It’s kind of interesting because you go to the doctor and you say I have diarrhea, constipation, bloating, and my bowels are really irritable. They do an evaluation, various tests, and when you go back they often say you have irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, which is exactly what you told them!

I’ve found that gut issues generally clear up with diet and supplements, and in turn the skin clears up so that’s why you want to focus on getting your gut cleared up.

Get Your Free Copy of The FreeDiet® Phase One Food Chart 

If you want access, go here and we will send the food chart and other information to get you started. If you want help personally, contact us at info@nmcwellness.com.

Correct Metabolic Syndrome and High Blood Pressure to Keep Your Immune System Healthy and Strong

March 15, 2023
underlying health conditions

What do nearly all the Coronavirus cases have in common? That’s what we’re going to find out today. You can use this information to keep yourself healthy and help prevent getting sick.

Underlying Health Conditions and the Severity of Coronavirus

I was looking at a recent research study in the Journal of the American Medical Association that reported over 94% of patients in New York that had died from Coronavirus had an underlying health condition. A study prior to that indicated 99% of fatalities in Italy from the Coronavirus had an underlying health condition.

The most common ones reported were high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Number one was high blood pressure. What they all have in common is that they are diseases of lifestyle. Most people can do something about these diseases and reverse them. The underlying root cause of all of these—heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes—is inflammation and insulin resistance. What’s great about this is there is something most people can do to turn this around. 

Reduce Inflammation with Diet

How do we turn this around? The most important thing is diet. But it comes down to diet, exercise, stress, and deciding what is important to you with regards to your health. For instance, if you or a family member has high blood pressure, that would be a good place to start as that is the most common underlying factor in the two studies that were mentioned. They were also reporting about why high blood pressure has serious consequences for Coronavirus patients. In any case, you can do the following to help turn it around. 

The FreeDiet® – an anti-inflammatory diet

I saw a 68-year-old female patient and besides having high blood pressure, she came in with pain, fatigue, brain fog, vertigo, insomnia, and some digestive issues. She was overweight as well. So, I’ll outline what we did so that it can also help you or a loved one that has high blood pressure or these other inflammation related conditions. 

She started the FreeDiet®, this anti-inflammatory diet, and in four weeks, her blood pressure dropped 66 points to a normal level. Also, she normalized her glucose or blood sugar, triglycerides, and inflammatory markers went down to normal. She also lost 12 pounds over the first four weeks. 

That’s a simple strategy you can use to help turn these things around with chronic inflammatory lifestyle conditions. High blood pressure, high blood sugar, pre-diabetes, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, elevated cholesterol, triglycerides, insulin resistance, and belly fat can all improve. All of those can be turned around with simple lifestyle strategies. 

Supplements Can Help

While diet is the most important, I also gave her specific supplements. I call it the Functional Five™: which includes ActivMulti™, OmegaSorb™3X fish oil, D3 5000 +K2, Magnesium Malate and a probiotic, ProbioSupreme™. I also use other specific supplements based on the patient’s needs. For instance, if you want extra immune support I’ll use C-Bioflavonoids 500, NAC and Zinc Glycinate. Curcumin Protect™, Resveratrol + Quercetin, and CoQ10 Plus GG™ are other powerful immune and cardiovascular support supplements. 

So, between diet, supplements, exercise, and stress relief, it’s a combination of things to help correct these underlying conditions. It’s a good time now to decide that you can use this to get serious about your health and make some decisions to turn this around. 

Get Your Free Copy of The FreeDiet® Phase One Food Chart 

If you want access, go here and we will send the food chart and other information to get you started. If you want help personally, contact us a info@nmcwellness.com.

How to Treat High Ferritin when you have Normal Iron Levels

March 6, 2023
How to Treat High Ferritin when you have Normal Iron Levels

Can you have high ferritin without having high iron levels? Today you’ll learn about this common cause of high ferritin and how to fix it. I’m Dr. Tom Rofrano from The Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. A common thing I see in patients is abnormal ferritin levels. 

What Causes High Ferritin Levels?

In this case, we’re going to talk about high ferritin. One of the more common causes I’ve seen for high ferritin is not iron overload, but metabolic syndrome which is also known as insulin resistance, or can be pre-diabetes. You may have a combination of high blood pressure, high cholesterol, low HDL, and high triglycerides. It often involves excess belly fat, high glucose, A1C, and insulin. 

So how do you know what is the cause of your high ferritin levels? Proper lab testing is number one. As an example, I had a patient recently who complained of fatigue, digestive symptoms, diarrhea, gas, abdominal pain, insomnia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, frequent urinary tract infections, and many other symptoms.

Lab Tests to Determine the Root Cause of High Ferritin

The first thing I run is a comprehensive health panel to check ferritin, iron, TIBC, and percent saturation, along with CBC chemistry panel, CRP for inflammation, GGT, LDH, lipids, TSH, Free T3, Free T4, uric acid, insulin, and A1c. I also include DHEA, cortisol, B12, folic acid, vitamin D, free and total testosterone, SHBG, estrogen, progesterone, and IGF-1. 

The results of this patient showed, in addition to high ferritin, high insulin levels which indicated insulin resistance. He also had high inflammation and was anemic. Yes, he had high ferritin but was anemic—low hemoglobin and low RBC’s—and many other positive findings as well. 

He also had multiple nutrient deficiencies, toxins, infections, yeast overgrowth, gut inflammation, and leaky gut. He had hormonal imbalance—low DHEA and testosterone—as well as gluten sensitivity with Celiac genetics, and other food sensitivities. 

High Ferritin Treatment Solutions without Therapeutic Phlebotomy

The treatment to help this patient with high ferritin due to insulin resistance and inflammation included diet and supplements.  I recommend an anti-inflammatory diet I’ve developed over the last 37 years of practice. I call it the FreeDiet® because it’s free of gluten, grains, sugar, yeast, dairy, eggs, soy, legumes, nightshades, and processed foods. These foods are responsible for inflammation, digestive, and other chronic health issues. 

The diet consists of a smoothie for breakfast that is high in protein, essential fats, fruits and vegetables, and fiber. For lunch and dinner: a protein, meat, chicken, or fish with plenty of vegetables, a lot of healthy fats, and avoid snacks in between meals. 

You can have a copy of FreeDiet® phase one food chart here so you can see what that looks like. It also includes other information which contains a recipe for the breakfast smoothie. 

Supplements to support those with High Ferritin Levels

The basic Functional Five™ are multivitamin, vitamin D, probiotic, fish oil, and magnesium. When someone has insulin resistance issues, I use a product called CardioMetaboliX™ to support healthy blood sugar levels along with Curcumin and Liver Support, Vitamin C, digestive support supplements, and other nutrients that he was deficient in.

After one month when he came in for testing, his ferritin dropped from 512 to 316, almost 40% reduction in one month. His insulin levels had over 75% reduction in four weeks. There was also a decrease in uric acid, and his kidney function and liver function improved to normal. The inflammatory marker, CRP, went down 65% to optimal levels,he was no longer anemic after four weeks, and his platelets went down to normal. 

His ANA, which is an autoimmune marker, was normal after four weeks, Hashimoto’s thyroid antibodies improved, and his DHEA went up dramatically to normal levels as cortisol decreased to the normal range. 

His testosterone went up over 50% to 164 points to normal level and the best part was he was feeling more energy, sleeping through the night, and got off his sleeping pills. He dropped 17 pounds in four weeks, his back pain and joint pain improved and he was feeling so much better. 

Discover the Root Cause so you can Reduce High Ferritin Levels

The number one thing for high ferritin is you want to find out what is causing it. Then get the proper testing because if you find out the underlying root cause, you can be provided the right solution. When you do this, I believe most anyone can get better. 

Feel free to retrieve your complimentary copy of the FreeDiet® Phase One food chart or read more about ferritin in my book, The FreeDiet®. If you would like help personally, you can contact us at info@nmcwellness.com.

Hashimoto’s Thyroid Antibodies and ANA Better with Natural Treatment

February 16, 2023
Hashimoto's Thyroid Antibodies

What if I told you it is possible to lower your thyroid antibodies and other autoimmune markers to normal? I’m going to tell you how I was able to help one of my patients do that in just seven weeks. My name is Dr. Tom Rofrano from The Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I’ve been blessed to have seen over 100,000 patient visits in the last 36 years. 

One of my patients, a 33-year-old man, came to see me because he had stomach problems his whole life. He was overweight, had high blood pressure, and fatigue. He was feeling miserable. He had a small child, his wife was pregnant. He really wanted to get healthy and get his energy back. 

Discovering Root Causes

We did an evaluation and some comprehensive testing and found out he had elevated thyroid antibodies which indicated Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis. This is an autoimmune condition where the body starts attacking itself or the thyroid gland. 

His ANA, another autoimmune marker, was also elevated. That typically means a patient has lupus or another autoimmune condition. 

He was also pre-diabetic. He had above optimal inflammation and insulin levels as well.

When I work with patients, I look at the five main categories of deficiencies, toxins, hormonal imbalance, infections, and food reactions. This patient was deficient in multiple nutrients including the most common deficiencies I see which are B12, folate, vitamin D, magnesium, zinc, chromium, and selenium. 

Along with those deficiencies he also had high levels of the toxins, arsenic and mercury. 

His infections included a parasite protozoan Blastocystis Hominis and a bacterial imbalance. 

Under hormonal imbalances, his adrenals were under functioning, with his DHEA and cortisol at below optimal levels. 

As far as food reactions, he had a gluten sensitivity as well as leaky gut. The majority of Hashimoto’s and autoimmune patients have a gluten sensitivity. This leads to other food reactions, of which he had many. 

Addressing Hashimoto’s and Other Health Concerns

We started his treatment plan by putting him on The FreeDiet®. It’s a diet I came up with over many years of working with patients and helping myself get better. I had Hashimoto’s, rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, skin issues, and fatigue. I personally had to figure out a way to get better when I went to an endocrinologist, and she said your Hashimoto’s antibodies are high and it’ll always be that way while your thyroid gets more destroyed. 

I couldn’t accept that as an answer so I dove into the research and trial and error testing and I figured out how to clear out my own Hashimoto’s and rheumatoid arthritis. Those antibodies went to normal and I healed my gut as well as all the other things that I had going on. I’ve since been able to help patients with health issues. 

Starting The FreeDiet® and Supplements

I developed The FreeDiet® when I realized that a gluten free diet alone did not work. The diet needs to be free of not only gluten but also grains, sugar, yeast, dairy, eggs, soy, legumes, nightshades, and processed foods. All those foods most commonly responsible for inflammation, leaky gut, thyroid, and other chronic health issues. With The FreeDiet®, I was able to finally get better. 

The FreeDiet® book goes over the diet in more detail, and you can go here for your complimentary copy of The FreeDiet® phase one food chart.

So I had this patient take specific supplements that I refer to as the Functional Five™, which includes ActivMulti™, OmegaSorb™3X fish oil, D3 5000 +K2, Magnesium Malate, and start with a strong probiotic in his case PriobioXtreme™.

He also needed as do most of my thyroid patients Selenium Supreme™, MethylFolate B12 Plus, Curcumin Protect™, Zinc Glycinate,  C-Bioflavonoids 500, and NAC. In this patient’s case, CardiometaboliX™ to support healthy blood sugar levels as well as digestive support supplements. 

I also recommended Metal Cleanse™ since he had high arsenic and mercury levels.

Getting Results after Seven Weeks

After seven weeks of following The FreeDiet® and taking supplements, we did one of the initial blood tests over again. The result was his TPO thyroid antibodies and ANA decreased to normal. 

He was no longer pre-diabetic and his glucose dropped 21 points and insulin 70 percent. The uric acid and CRP reduced while his cholesterol went down 28 points. 

He was feeling so much better, and his energy improved while his abdominal pain, bloating, gas, constipation, and diarrhea cleared up. 

His blood pressure also decreased to normal. And over a period of three months he lost 31 pounds! His wife had a baby during this time, so it was just in time for that experience. 

You Can Get Help Too!

Take a look at my book, The FreeDiet®, which has a chapter on Hashimoto’s and autoimmune conditions where I go over the protocol in more detail and you can go here for your complimentary copy of The FreeDiet® phase one food chart.. 

Don’t despair- there are answers out there and you can get started on your healing journey. 

I believe if you discover the root cause and are provided with the right solutions, most everyone can get better. 

If you have health challenges and would like our help, call us at 561-627-5800 or email us at info@nmcwellness.com. We would love to help you experience vibrant health.

Ulcerative Colitis and Autoimmune Natural Treatment

February 10, 2023
Ulcerative Colitis and natural treatment

Have you ever felt so bloated in your abdomen that people thought you were pregnant? A patient with ulcerative colitis recently told me she was asked this question. I’m Dr. Tom Rofrano from The Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. I’m going to help you understand more about what causes ulcerative colitis and how to treat it.

Ulcerative Colitis Symptoms

A 51-year-old female patient was complaining about bloating and the other usual symptoms of abdominal cramps, diarrhea, indigestion, insomnia, skin issues, and anxiety. She was feeling terrible. 

For over 20 years, she had ulcerative colitis, visited many doctors, and took the usual medications. While she was on the medications, she was still feeling terrible. When you’re not feeling well, it’s hard and affects your entire body. She wanted to know what was causing her ulcerative colitis. 

Root Causes of Ulcerative Colitis

We did an evaluation and some comprehensive testing to look for underlying root causes. Typically, I check for deficiencies, toxins, infections, food reactions, and hormones. 

My patient had multiple nutrient deficiencies: vitamin D, folate, B12, and other nutrients. Those are the most common deficiencies I see. If your vitamin D is low, that can significantly affect your immune function, inflammation, and the whole cascade of events. 

One thing that came up under toxins was that she had above-optimal mercury levels in her body. 

She also had what many ulcerative colitis and IBS patients have which is bacteria and yeast overgrowth. 

Ulcerative Colitis, Food Allergies, and Gluten Sensitivity

Another common root cause for ulcerative colitis and other chronic gut issues is gluten sensitivity. My patient had a very strong gluten sensitivity, other food allergies and sensitivities, and leaky gut. 

All these imbalances typically affect your hormones, which was the case with her. 

She had below optimal levels of the adrenal hormones, cortisol and DHEA, as well as testosterone and estrogen. If you think about it, if you’re having chronic digestive issues for over 20 years, you’re going to have deficiencies. They can affect your hormone levels and your entire body. 

Ulcerative Colitis Treatment

I developed a diet called the FreeDiet® which is free of gluten, grains, sugar, yeast, dairy, eggs, soy, legumes, nightshades, and processed foods. Free of those foods that are commonly responsible for inflammation, autoimmune, gut, thyroid, and other chronic health. 

Many people will try to avoid gluten for a while but don’t feel that much of a difference. That’s because there’s a lot more to it than that. I find that by avoiding all these foods initially you can make a lot of progress like my patient did. 

The FreeDiet® book goes over the diet in more detail, and you can go here for your complimentary copy of The FreeDiet® phase one food chart.

Regarding the supplements, I start my patients on the Functional Five™, which includes ActivMulti™, OmegaSorb™3X fish oil, D3 5000 +K2, Magnesium Malate, and a strong probiotic in her case PriobioXtreme™.

Healing the Gut

For digestive issues, colitis, IBS, and other gut issues, I also use GI Mend™ and Gut Immune Repair™ to help promote gut healing and support. For yeast and bacterial overgrowth, we use Yeast Defeat™, Microb-Balance™, and Curcumin Protect™. 

Curcumin supports healthy inflammation and immune function. We add other supplements based on your specific deficiencies. This patient required MethylFolate, B12 Supreme™, and DHEA, and we added Adrenal Vibrance™ also to address the five areas of underlying root causes. 

After a month, she came in feeling so much better. She didn’t feel pregnant anymore, and her bloating and gut symptoms were substantially improved. She lost 10 pounds the first month and was very excited about that. 

Continued Improvement

She continued to improve, and three months later, we did some follow-up testing. Her stool test showed that her bacterial overgrowth had cleared up. 

Her mercury levels were down to optimal levels. Her DHEA and adrenal function improved, and her inflammatory markers were normal. 

Another thing that improved was her ANA, an autoimmune marker. It was very high when she first came in, and three months later her ANA was completely normal. 

She was free of all gut symptoms, and she had more energy. All her other symptoms were either resolved or considered a lot better. She was feeling great and was working out regularly. 

Get to the Root Cause

When you have these chronic gut, thyroid, or other autoimmune issues, you need to find out what the underlying root causes are, and I believe that most can get better when they are provided with the proper solutions. 

If you are struggling with health issues, call us at 561-627-5800 or email us at info@nmcwellness.com. We enjoy helping our clients achieve vibrant health and feel the best they have in years!

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    Natural Medicine Clinic

    Chiropractor Palm Beach Gardens, FL
    2401 PGA Boulevard Ste 132
    Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410
    561-627-5800

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    Content on this website is based upon the opinions of Thomas Rofrano, D.C. and is not considered medical advice. It is designed to be a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of Dr. Rofrano and his community. Dr. Rofrano encourages you to make your health care decisions based upon your research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional. Dr. Rofrano is a chiropractic physician and offers physical and nutritional support and guidance to those seeking alternative or complementary care to traditional medicine. His care is not meant to replace that from your primary doctor and specialists but rather to help you on your path to achieving life-long vibrant health.

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