The Center for Metabolic Health can test the resting metabolic rate for children of any age. Many mothers of young children have expressed their concern that their children may also have thyroid-related problems. Of course they want their children to avoid the struggles that they have had to get proper diagnostics and treatment. With the indirect calorimeter that I have now I can easily test young children since the child is at rest during the testing process. All the child (or adult) has to do is relax and breathe normally while sitting inside a transparent plastic bubble. Children like the novelty of wearing the "space helmet" and once they realize that the process is completely noninvasive they relax.

One of my most sincere hopes is that we can spare these actively growing and learning young people the misery of hypometabolic symptoms like pain, fatigue, poor memory and concentration (ADD, ADHD??), depression, anxiety, and many other symptoms. You can fill out my Self-Test with your child to see if he or she has symptoms of a slow metabolism. Feel free to fax or mail the test to me and we can schedule a free 15 minute telephone consultation to discuss your child's symptoms.

I've added the option of a free 15 minute telephone consultation with me to help determine if you will benefit from metabolic rehabilitation. The purpose is to discuss general information about your symptoms and metabolic rehab. Please have your list of questions ready so we can cover as much as possible during our consult. You can fill out the Initial Evaluation Forms or the Self-Test and send them to us prior to our consultation so I can have a head start on knowing your situation. We do have to schedule appointments for these so call the Center at 303.413.9100 and my assistant will be glad to find a time when we can meet over the telephone.

I've talked with several patients and friends lately who have expressed concerns about health problems that have gotten a lot of notice in the media recently. One is drug-resistant tuberculosis (TB). People who flew on the airliner at the same time as Andrew Speaker, the man who was initially diagnosed with extensively drug-resistant TB, were alerted so they could follow up with testing and treatment if necessary. His form of TB was later reclassified to multi-drug-resistant TB when he underwent testing at National Jewish Medical and Research Center in Denver. This form does respond to some medications so his prognosis is much better than originally thought. However, this scare does bring our attention to the possibility of contracting a serious disease from simply sitting next to somebody on an airplane.

Another serious pathogen is methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) that is found in hospitals and other health care facilities. This is extremely difficult to treat effectively. The patients who contract it are often in a compromised health situation to begin with, so they have a reduced chance of responding readily to other antibiotics. However, some generally healthy people have a surgery or an accident that lands them in the hospital and puts them at risk for acquiring MRSA.

There are many things we can do to give ourselves an advantage when it comes to fending off these and other pathogens that can cause serious infections. Improving host resistance is the concept that is used in the world of infectious disease control. This means that you, the organism that plays host to these uninvited guests, must be stronger than they are so that you don't become ill. There are many things that you can do to strengthen your immune system and hopefully prevent these or other pathogens from harming you.

• Eat a wholesome diet, preferably organically- produced foods to minimize the load of pesticides and other contaminants. Be sure to drink clean water such as reverse osmosis filtered water. Avoid fast foods, processed foods, and anything artificial like colors, flavors, and sweeteners.
• Take a solid foundation of nutritional supplements. A product such as All One Vitamin Powder by Nutritech will provide most of the wide array of nutrients and amino acids we all need. If you use this product you will still need to take a few other supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids in the form of fish oil or flax seed oil. The book I coauthored, "Your Guide to Metabolic Health" has a list of necessary supplements and the reasons they are so vital for health. You can also call the Center at 303.413.9100 to get a list of supplements sent to you.
• Use some kind of stress management technique. Stress can lower our ability to prevent or fight infections so we need to find ways to effectively manage stress. Chronic stress can cause us to lose the flexibility in our nervous systems to easily shift out of the "fight or flight" response and back into a resting state. My favorite techniques are the "Relaxation Response" and meditation.
• Engage in regular exercise of a moderate intensity. We need both aerobic exercise and resistance training for the greatest benefits. Choose activities that you enjoy doing to be sure that you stick with them.
• Get chiropractic adjustments regularly, even once a month for maintenance. Research has shown that white cell count increases dramatically after an adjustment. White cells are first-line defenders in the immune system.
• Be sure you have adequate thyroid hormone regulation since this powerfully controls the immune system. Resting metabolic rate testing is the way to find out if you have adequate thyroid hormone regulation of your tissues. Learn more about this on the Services page of my website.
• Get tested to be sure your cortisol levels are not too high or too low. Cortisol is also a major modulator for the immune system and levels that are too high or too low can lead to poor immune system responses. It's easy to perform a salivary adrenal profile so feel free to call my clinic for more information.

I often hear this comment as people start the process of metabolic rehabilitation or telephone consultations. Patients need to have some basic blood tests done ahead of time so we can fully discuss their treatment plan. The blood tests are a necessary part of the diagnostic process. I strongly encourage people to work within their insurance plan if they have one to get the tests covered and reduce their out-of-pocket costs. Their primary care doctors usually order the basics such as a lipid profile, complete blood count (CBC), and a comprehensive metabolic panel but the only thyroid- related test that they can get is the TSH. I also need to see a free T4, free T3, and a thyroid antibody group but many doctors won't order these. It's simple for me to order these tests for people in Colorado or the states above and below, but billing issues prevent me from ordering this type of lab in other states.

There is a solution for this frustrating dilemma. Direct Labs allows consumers to order their own lab work at very reasonable costs. You arrange with Direct Labs to have a requisition sent to a draw site near you and the results are sent directly to you. Finding a draw site is easy - just enter your zip code and choose the distance you're willing to travel and you will generally have several choices. You can order your tests from Direct Labs website or call 1-800-908-0000 to speak with a representative. Your test results are emailed or snail mailed according to your preference. With your permission I can also access your results online. Now we will have the information we need to get started with your metabolic rehab or telephone consultation. Feel free to call the clinic at 303.413.9100 to discuss which tests you will need.

Another tool you can use to help in your recovery is "Your Guide to Metabolic Health", the book I coauthored. It is the by-the-numbers guide to metabolic rehab. Many people have used the information in this book and, with just a few troubleshooting consultations with me, have gotten well. Some people have asked their local library to order the book so others may use it as well.

Several people have reported problems with the order form page when they click on "How to order the book". This link goes to the order form page of drlowe.com. Please be sure to scroll down to the bottom of the page to find the link to click to order "Your Guide to Metabolic Health".

My emphasis at the Center for Metabolic Health remains on high-precision metabolic rehabilitation, metabolic evaluations, and telephone consultations. We're available Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am until 5:00 pm and Friday from 9:00 am until 1:00 pm, MST. Please call the clinic at 303-413-9100 for information and to schedule appointments.