Steve's Recent Case Studies

Colitis Patient Eschewing Medication
A 23 year-old female came to see Steve to help maintain colitis remission, help bring on her period which was dormant, aid in weight loss, and help with binge eating. She had been able to stay away from medication for her colitis, but still dealt with flare-ups that caused her to have blood in her stool periodically. Her blood work showed excess acidity and low grade inflammation, among other things. She did our PureInsight Genetics panel, so Steve went over the results to elucidate not only where some of her issues came from, but what could be done to help switch off any negatively expressing genes.
Steve helped her alkalize her diet, gave recommendations for how to repair her intestinal lining to the degree that it could be repaired, fixed areas of nutrient deprivation, as well as gave her binge eating and stress management techniques.
While she definitely had some days where she binged, for the vast majority she was on track. She cut down on saturated fat, red meats, and acidic foods, as well as took targeted healing supplements. In a little over a month, she noticed her clothes fitting better because she lost weight. She got her period back. Moreover, she had not seen blood in her stool.

I'm Thrilled, My Wife Is Thrilled and My PCP Is Thrilled
A 66 year-old male came to see Steve about prostate health, tiredness (afternoon swoon), hip soreness, elevated cholesterol, weight, and high work stress. He was already on cholesterol medication and two blood pressure medications. His diet resembled the standard American diet. He drank water, tonic water and an occasional soda. He did not take any supplements. His blood work exhibited very high levels of sedimentation rate (chronic inflammation), uric acid (inflammation and gout), prostate-specific antigen, cortisol (stress hormone), iron, among others, as well as low vitamin D.
Under Steve's direction, he completely changed his diet and lifestyle, and started taking targeted supplements. His wife was extremely supportive and was integral in the process. After six months, there was remarkable change. Aside from losing 15 pounds and having no afternoon swoon, his sedimentation rate went from 33 to 6! This means he went from having extreme chronic inflammation to virtually none. All other levels improved except the uric acid. Steve suggested he ask his physician to take a short holiday from one of his blood pressure medications, which can keep uric acid levels high. His PCP agreed, and after removing the medication, his uric acid dropped without elevating his blood pressure. Finally, he was able to reduce his statin medication by half with the intention of eventually eliminating it.
He was thrilled, his wife was thrilled, and his PCP was thrilled. This is another example of a client who put in exemplary work to change his ways and is reaping the benefits.

Discarding Apathy Can Work Wonders
A 52 year-old female came to see Steve after seeing multiple functional practitioners for lifelong constipation, anxiety, job stress, and apathy as she had not exercised in four years. She and her husband were also very insular. Her diet was very good, albeit not geared towards her individual needs. The major tweak Steve made was for her to avoid corn whenever possible because it was an obvious reactor. Steve reminded her that physical activity is critical for bowel movement consistency and stress reduction. Being less sedentary at her workplace would also be helpful. Steve recommended targeted supplements for her gastrointestinal function, nutrient deficits, and anxiety. They also discussed strategies for how not to bring her work stress home. Immediately after the appointment, she stopped eating corn and started working with a trainer on a consistent schedule that fit into her work schedule. She soon saw muscle mass gain, but more importantly, her bowel movements became more consistent and she was better able to handle stress. She and her husband have become more social. Recently, she was confident enough to seek out a new job that was better suited for her. She has been very consistent with her new lifestyle plan. Apathy lifted!

Collegiate Athlete in Distress
A 20 year-old female collegiate athlete came to see Steve. She had extreme gastrointestinal distress and could not eat anything without becoming nauseous. This would cause her to not eat for long periods of time, which caused acidic vomiting. She could not function without consistently taking anti-nausea medication. She was not having a menstrual cycle, but was still anemic. The way she felt was greatly impeding her ability to participate in her collegiate sport.
Steve spoke frankly with her about the difficulty of trying to get her to heal while playing a grueling collegiate water sport, but they would see how much progress could be made. Steve was also very honest with her that getting back to normalcy would not be quick, but a long slog. But if she put the work in, she would see results. After vastly modifying her eating schedule, foods that she was consuming, adding supplemental nutrients, using special at-home vagus nerve stimulation exercises, and stress management techniques, she saw modest improvement. However, after four months, she could not practice in full, had to be so careful dietarily that she could not travel with the team, and still had to rely on anti-nausea medication. She and Steve met again, and he gave her three scenarios:
1) Continue as is with the diet and go on stronger GI medication the gastroenterologist prescribed to see if that would help.
2) Take the season off because Steve believed the training and bacteria from the water would not allow her to heal fully.
3) Retire from her sport entirely.
She opted for scenario #2.
Since she took the season off to heal, in her own words: "I've been doing so good making crazy progress the last few weeks with my eating. I just felt so normal I wanted to cry. I've been eating at the cafeteria lately without any issues. I still have progress to make I know, but I was just thinking a lot yesterday about it. The past month I've just seen so much improvement and so fast and I wanted to share." She does not have to rely on anti-nausea meds, is back to moderate physical activity, and does not have to be draconian with her eating.

I Can Be a Mom Again
A 37 year-old type 1 diabetic mother of two recently came in to see Steve. For months, she was having trouble keep any food down, was in the ER incessantly, and was losing so much weight she was on the brink of being hospitalized for a lengthy period of time. All she could tolerate were soup, oatmeal, rice, and Gatorade. At her appointment, she had to go to the bathroom several times to throw up. Suffice it to say, she was in crisis and according to her mother who was with her, "we are hoping for a miracle because she hasn't even been able to take care of her children." Steve had a complete plan ready to repair her GI tract and correct nutrient deficiencies with specific dietary supplements, a special food plan, and other lifestyle recommendations. More importantly, she needed to get into the right headspace. She was so disillusioned by the myriad medical personnel she had dealt with over the past year with no resolution, trusting yet another health professional was difficult. To her credit, she followed the plan to the letter. While there were several months of "two steps forward, one step back," as of now her blood sugar is balanced, there is not a hint of throwing up, her weight is normal, she is back to her vibrant lifestyle, and most importantly, she is a Mom to her children again.

On-Call Bathroom Behavior Solved
Steve saw a lovely older woman with collagenous colitis. Even on high-dose budenoside, which is a steroid, her diarrhea was so bad that she was deathly afraid to be anywhere where a bathroom wasn't close by. Steve presented evidence that there were myriad diet and lifestyle factors contributing to her situation. She admitted that following the plan was going to be very difficult because not only were many of the foods ones she had been eating for decades, but there were significant emotional and cultural connections to these foods. Luckily, she had a very supportive family to help her adjust to her new diet and lifestyle. After Steve checked in with her at 30 days, she had obviously followed everything to the letter. The diarrhea had stopped, as had her cramping and pain. Her bloated belly was much better. Other symptoms, such as burning in her toes and right foot stopped about four days into the new regimen. Night cramps in her legs also stopped. In conjunction with her physician, she is working slowly to wean her off budenoside. Her disposition is now even lovelier then when she first came in :)

"Life Is Good" Update
A male in his mid-30's came to us with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, uncontrolled type 1 diabetes, depression, severe fatigue, severe pain, weakness, vaped daily, was a recovering alcoholic, and was mostly confined to a wheelchair. With Steve's guidance, this gentleman was given the tools to completely transform his eating habits. He was advised to cook for himself and stay away from certain foods and beverages, such as diet soda, that could exacerbate his conditions. He started taking targeted dietary supplements to augment his lifestyle transformation. He was given suggestions about how to incorporate more physical activity and limit the amount of time he was sedentary. He was given ideas for practicing stress management for mental health. At his 3 month followup, the first sentence he uttered was, “life is good.” He was balancing his meals, enjoying cooking, and not late night eating. He was in a great place mentally because of meditation and chakras. He was performing daily physical activity and limiting the amount of time being sedentary. Thus, he reported more energy, his diabetes was under control, his inflammation had gone down, he was getting good sleep, and his body was looking more fit. This was all without eliminating vaping. He said that would be his next challenge. This is yet another example of how multimodal lifestyle modifications can have immediate results, even in those presenting with the most severe of issues. However, it must be noted that this gentleman went all in to put in the work. We can give you the tools, but you have to put it into practice.
RECENT UPDATE
After quitting smoking and adhering 100% to his diet, lifestyle, and alternative therapies, this mostly wheelchair-bound man emailed Steve this..."I wanted to thank each one of you for your role in my health! Each of you KNOW where I was and where I'm headed. I wanted to share with y'all that I completed a 1.3 mile hike. Anyway, we did it safely with my "naturalist" class. Surrounded by helping hands, if needed... which we did not? The BEST part, was the day after! Pain levels, no more than a 2 in certain areas. Energy levels medium-high. Mental/emotional levels high. No OTC or prescription drugs needed to help with recovery! BUT, I did use tools before, during, and afterwards that were taught by you!! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!! I couldn't have even contemplated the THOUGHT of this before we met."

Weaning Off Acid Reflux Medication
You may be aware of the litany of side effects that come with long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use for gastrointestinal reflux (GERD). You may know these medications by the names Nexium, Omeprazole, Prevacid, Protonix, and among others. A 65 year-old male came to see Steve because he was concerned about being on a PPI long-term. After reviewing every aspect of his diet and lifestyle, Steve found numerous triggers that could be adjusted so his client could stop the PPI. For example, the daily combination of coffee, cinnamon, turmeric, kombucha, apple cider vinegar, fluid cow's milk, and extreme stress made him extremely acidic. Steve and his client agreed upon alternatives for all the food and beverage insults. Moreover, they found a stress management technique that would fit his lifestyle and that he would enjoy. After adhering to the aforementioned for two weeks to relax his system, the client followed a 10 week weaning off the PPI medication. After three short months, he successfully weaned off the PPI. The GERD that had plagued him for so many years now no longer exists!


Steve's Research
Blood Sugar Disorders Can Lead to Alzheimer's Disease.
COVID-19 Condition Monograph 11/2020
COVID-19 Condition Monograph 9/2020
Do FTO Gene Mutations Raise the Risk of Overweight and Obesity?
Does Omega-3 Deficiency Lead to Osteoarthritis?
In-Office Genetic Studies
Niacinamide as a Chemopreventive
Complementary and Alternative Medicine Approach to Mitigate Symptoms of Post-Acute Sequelae of SARS-CoV-2 Infection (Long COVID) and Similar Diseases.
Time-Restricted Feeding Study