BioMarker/Body Composition Evaluation (Back to Top)

BioMarker/Body Composition Evaluation

A good health evaluation, in addition to history and laboratory testing, requires a comprehensive physical exam. Surprisingly, most doctors have not updated their exams to reflect current research. For instance, your waist-to-hip ratio (circumference of waist and hips) tells more about your long-term health than your blood cholesterol. Also, meaningful weight-loss depends on losing fat, but not water and muscle, yet most diet programs do not ask for these measurements.

At Pure Wellness Center we perform a 40-point BioMarker/Body Composition exam that includes percentages of fat, muscle, and water, waist-to-hip ratio, forced expiratory lung volume, body mass index, basal metabolic rate, reflexes, Chinese tongue exam, and a number of other tests.

Your BioMarker Evaluation is written into a BioMarker Report that becomes a comprehensive “snapshot in time” of your health. It incorporates important scientific measurements that reflect your health on this date. This report, along with past history and laboratory testing, enables you and your PWC doctor to make informed decisions on concrete, individualized steps you can take for optimizing your health.

ReTesting: Good times for BioMarker retesting are:
* Before and after a detox program
* Before and during a weight-loss program
* Before and during an exercise program or sport
* Before and after any major life-style changes such as marriage, retirement, etc.
* Once a year if you are healthy and under 50 (Healthy = normal labs, weight, exam, and no medications)
* Two to four times a year if you are over 50, unhealthy, overweight, or have any abnormal findings on lab tests or your BioMarker Report

Call 425-255-8100 Ex6 (Renton) or 206-324-2225 (Seattle) today for an in-depth health evaluation - the first step to achieving vital health.

Home Diagnostic Testing (Back to Top)

Much useful information can be gained about your health through simple tests you can do at home and at PWCs. These tests can help your doctor discover problems and focus appropriate treatment.

Free-Radical Test: Free-radicals damage tissues and are associated with weight gain, heart disease, Alzheimer’s and other degenerative conditions. They are like little hole punches that damage cells. If you are high in free-radicals, your balance of antioxidants is low compared to your level of oxidative damage. This chemical test done in our office or at your home using a small amount of urine. Patients are asked to not take any vitamins, drink wine, or eat dark colored vegetables and fruits for 24 hours before the test.
Urine and saliva pH: This test is done with a first morning urine and saliva. It measures whether you tend toward being acid or alkaline. Acid conditions are associated with disease and inflammation. Many health conditions and life-style factors predispose toward a more acidic condition. You will be furnished with pH paper and a record sheet and asked to record your pH levels for one week to establish your baseline. This is a good test for your to repeat periodically to monitor improvements in your pH and health.
Bowel Transit time: This test is done by swallowing charcoal capsules and watching how long it takes for the color to show in your bowel movements. Slow bowel transit time is associated with a number of health conditions including constipation, headaches, gallbladder disease, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, irritable bowel disease, leaky gut syndrome, and allergies.
Basal Body Temperature: Basal = resting. This is a first morning temperature taken before getting out of bed, while still at rest. Basal body temperature relates to thyroid and adrenal function. A low temperature may mean that laboratory testing is indicated.
Daily Body Temperature: The temperature is taken every 2 hours from waking until bedtime. These temperatures relate to adrenal function and circadian rhythms.
Hydrochloric Acid Test: An escalating dose of hydrochloric acid (HCL) is given to test the patient’s potential need. HCL, manufactured in the stomach, is necessary for digestion of proteins and minerals. It also acts as the first line of defense against ingested disease-causing bacteria, viruses and yeast.
Urinary Sulfites: Tests for sulfites in the urine. This is an important screen for anyone with allergies, especially asthma. Presence of sulfites indicates poor metabolism of sulfites. These and other home tests may be recommended by your doctor. It is important to follow the directions carefully. While no test gives you all the answers, these tests can help determine if further testing might be helpful and direct your treatment.

There's no need to guess about your health status and needs. Call 425-255-8100 Ex6 (Renton) or 206-324-2225 (Seattle) today for an appointment that will change your tomorrows.

Laboratory Assessment (Back to Top)

At Pure Wellness Centers (PWC) we believe that the more we know about the biochemistry and functioning of your body, the better able we are to give sound health advice. Standard lab tests such as blood sugar, anemia, and cholesterol are important. We can provide these if you have not been tested recently. In addition to standard testing there are newer, cutting-edge tests that sometimes add valuable information about your health. 21^st Century Medicine will increasingly rely on these advanced tests. Some of the tests used at PWC are:

Laboratory Testing:

Free-Radical Test: Free-radicals are oxygen molecules that have been changed in such a way that they cause damage. They have been described as microscopic machine guns that shoot holes in cells, causing them to die. They are elevated in many disease processes such as Alzheimer’s, diabetes, chronic pain, cancer and fatigue. This urine test allows you to measure your free-radical levels, then monitor your progress toward recovery. We request that everyone undergoing a PWC detox have this test done first.

Metabolic Profile: This urine test presents a comprehensive overview of how well your body chemistry is working. It’s a way to visualize what is going on inside your cells – how well your cell machinery is working. Several areas are looked at: energy production, fat oxidation, B vitamin function, neurotransmitter metabolism, detoxification, and gut bacteria imbalances. This is what is known as a functional test for determining how well your chemistry is functioning. For instance, it does not measure levels of B vitamins directly, but instead looks to see if there are signs that your B vitamins are not functioning correctly. This test is highly recommended for anyone with a chronic health problem.

Environmental Pollutants: Urine test for 10 of the most common chemical you’re exposed to – Benzene, xylene, toluene, trimethylbenzene, styrene, and phthalates. All these industrial chemicals are known to have profound effects on health. Even low levels can produce headaches, nausea, mucous membrane irritation, and disruption of brain function. Phthalates interfere with hormone function. Cancer may result from higher levels of one or more of these chemicals.

Food Allergy Panel: Finger stick test for 96 food sensitivities. Food sensitivities can cause a wide range of symptoms from itchy eyes to joint pain to depression and disruption of the thought process. This test can reveal the underlying cause of many difficult to diagnose health problems.

Adrenal Hormone Panel: Stress is so common that many of us ignore its damaging effects. Stress can cause our immune and digestive systems to shut down. Stress literally kills. This saliva test measures how well your adrenal glands are holding up to your stress and directs treatment toward adrenal supportive therapies.

Toxic Metal Profile: This urine test measures the levels of several toxic metals – lead, mercury, arsenic, aluminum, antimony, beryllium, bismuth, cadmium, nickel, platinum, thallium, thorium, tin, tungsten, and uranium. Potentially dangerous levels of metals are present in most people tested. Industrial pollution, dental amalgams, contaminated seafood, and non-stick cooking utensils all make this a huge problem. Symptoms range widely but often effect nerve and brain cells. Thyroid function and metabolism can be disrupted. We highly recommend this test for everyone.

Comprehensive Digestive Analysis: This test is done with a small stool sample. It looks at markers for digestion, absorption, inflammation and immune status of the digestive system. This test can be quite helpful for anyone experiencing digestive distress or suffering from a malnutrition syndrome. Testing for worms and other parasites can also be included.

Comprehensive Thyroid Analysis: The thyroid gland regulates energy production and fat burning. It requires tyrosine (a protein) and Iodine for manufacturing thyroid hormones. Toxins interfere with its function. All too often patients are prescribed thyroid hormone when what they really need are the nutritional building blocks and removal of toxins that interfere with hormone production. Comprehensive testing is the first step in identifying thyroid problems.

Blood Amino Acids: Protein is broken down into amino acids which are then used for many purposes such as building and repairing tissue, hormones and neurotransmitters. For example, the “anti-depression” neurotransmitter serotonin, is made from the amino acid tryptophan. Knowing your amino acid status can take the guesswork out of diagnosing and treating many conditions.

Vitamin D: People living in northern climates are often deficient in this important vitamin. Emerging research shows that not only is it important for bone health but for mood, especially winter depression. Low levels are associated with several types of cancer, multiple sclerosis, and chronic inflammatory conditions.

Comprehensive Blood Analysis: Such parameters as cholesterol, HDL, LDL, triglycerides, glucose, are recommended every 1-5 years depending on age, family and personal history.

Knowing what’s in your blood, urine, saliva, and stool, when used in conjunction with history and physical exam, is important for diagnosing and treating health problems. With good information and a whole-person orientation, we can often solve complex health problems.

Please feel free to discuss laboratory testing with me or one of the other doctors at PWC by calling (425)255-8100 Ex6. Renton, or 206-324-2225, Seattle.

Detoxification (detox)Treatments (Back to Top)

I'm proud to offer two avenues for scientific detoxification:
Clinic and Home Treatments

Clinic Treatments

· Pure Mind/Body Detox (MBD): Relax on a specially-designed Detox Table that combines massage, far-infrared (FIR) heat, and gentle acupressure. FIR penetrates deep into muscles and fat (fat is where much of your toxins are stored), stimulating metabolism, and releasing toxins. This table is so smart it adjusts to your needs! Along with enjoying the table, you’ll experience Cranial Electrotherapy Stimulation (CES), a detox for the brain that increases your natural production of healing serotonin and alpha-waves. This combination of treatments means you’re efficiently and effectively carried through a pleasant detoxification that delivers you feeling refreshed and rejuvenated. Thirty to sixty minutes of peace on earth.

Home Treatments

Pure science-based Medical Foods:
A Medical Food is a food, often a powdered drink mix, specially formulated to treat a specific condition. For instance, Medical Foods exist for treating diabetes, ADHD, allergies, and for aiding liver detoxification.

“No Hunger” Elimination Diet: A consequence of environmental pollution and poor digestive function has been the skyrocketing incidence of food allergies and sensitivities. This “no hunger” elimination diet helps you feel better faster and recover from food intolerances.

Digestive aids such as enzymes and hydrochloric acid are necessary for the proper breakdown of foods. Gentle, non-irritating fiber sources are also an important part of restoring health.

Probiotic bacteria (you’ve probably heard of one: acidophilus) for enhancing digestive health. These “good bacteria” aid digestion, synthesize vitamins, guard against infections, and reduce allergic sensitivity. You can’t live healthily without them.

Specifically selected amino acids (the building-blocks of protein) are necessary for cellular detoxification, repair, and growth. They’re also needed to overcome depression, headaches, anxiety, and other conditions associated with toxicity and deficiency states. Laboratory testing now exists to identify if you’re deficient in amino acids.

Targeted vitamin, mineral, and micronutrient supplements based on your specific needs as determined by history, physical, and laboratory testing. These nutrients, along with the amino acids, form the building-blocks of your rejuvenation.

Natural chelating supplements for removing toxic metals. This must be done slowly, yet thoroughly, to prevent side effects.

Medium-Chain Triglycerides (MCT): MCTs are healthy fats that actually stimulate energy and fat burning.

Treatment Safety
Historic and current research have shown our detoxification and rejuvenation treatments to be safe. However, if you have a medical condition or are taking prescription medication you should consult with your primary healthcare provider before undergoing a detoxification program.

Warning! Internet detoxification and cleansing hype
Please pay attention to surveys that find most internet health information to be false, often dangerous. Websites usually sell harsh fiber and laxatives that make you feel better for a day, but do not cure your underlying problem. Respect your body. See a licensed, trained professional.

Why we do NOT use colonics
Constipation is a serious, often overlooked, problem requiring long-term solutions. The normal removal of waste from the bowels happens naturally through a process of peristalsis – wave-like contractions of the intestinal wall. Proponents of colonics claim that bowels can become coated with layers of toxic material that must be forcefully removed. We have found no scientific research supporting this claim, nor do gastroenterologists who perform colonoscopies see this.

Are there people who are constipated and need help eliminating toxins? Yes.

Is a quick-fix laxative or colonic the answer? No.

Pure Wellness physicians diagnose and treat constipation using therapies that reestablish natural bowel function. Don’t waste your time and money or risk your health with un-proven therapies.

Medical detoxification is available now. It's pleasant and effective. Call 425-255-8100 Ex6 (Renton) or 206-324-2225 (Seattle) today for an appointment that will start you on the road to vital health.

E-Mail & Phone Consultations (Back to Top)

Your health is best served by a qualified health professional that you trust and who takes quality time with you. Ideally that person has advanced training and experience in nutrition and wholistic medicine. Any doctor can write a prescription that only addresses symptoms.

You deserve someone who will listen and discover the roots of your health problems. Unfortunately, it is not always possible to find quality medical help. Many parts of the world do not have wholistic doctors that have graduated from accredited university programs. Because of this, I offer telephone and e-mail consultations.

If you’d like to work with someone with 25 years of experience, I’m here for you. I enjoy helping people who are serious about finding and treating the underlying causes of illness.

General Guidelines
Do not expect to call or e-mail and receive an answer to “What do I do for my diabetes?” Your diabetes, or other disease, is not the same as anyone else’s. I couldn’t answer that question any better than your car mechanic could answer, “Why doesn’t my car run?” over the phone.

True healing takes time. Recognize that I do not offer quick fixes. While you will likely feel better in a few days or weeks, deep healing may take months or years. I’m asking you to care about yourself enough to devote sufficient time and effort.

Healing is a participatory activity. It is not done passively. You will be asked to do some homework, attend to your diet, take supplemental foods, and exercise. Your efforts will be rewarded, I guarantee it.

Requirements for a distance appointment

Patients must fill out an intake questionnaire, consent forms and contact information before the consultation. This New Patient Packet is about 15 pages. It can be e-mailed or surface mailed to you.
Once I receive your New Patient Packet, I will read it thoroughly, make notations, and then contact you.
E-mail is the preferred method of contact as telephone scheduling can be difficult, especially across time zones.
Most patients will be asked to do certain homework assignments such as Free-Radical testing, temperature or pH readings before a detoxification or nutrition prescription can be made. I will mail you any necessary equipment. You can either e-mail (preferred) or call me with the results of this testing.
I may ask you to have laboratory testing done. For instance, I won’t guess that your thyroid function is low and prescribe a treatment – that’s dangerous. In some cases you can do the testing locally, in others I may send you a collection kit.
I require that you take the exact supplements that I prescribe. This is because good quality supplements are not available in all local areas, and because I need to know exactly what you’re taking to monitor your progress. It’s frustrating and time-intensive to prescribe calcium ascorbate, and find the patient has instead been taking ascorbic acid. I make every effort to keep my supplements competitively priced.
Payment must be made in advance (see below for pricing). I accept credit cards, checks, and PayPal. Insurance will not pay for these appointments, but I can provide you with an itemized bill for tax purposes.

Distance Appointment: Elements and Pricing
I. First Consultation:
A. Elements: Review of New Patient Packet (health history), current medications and supplements. E-mail or telephone recommendations for further testing, as appropriate, or prescription for treatment.
B. Price: E-mail $100. Phone: $100/30 minutes.

II. Second Consultation:
A. Elements: Review of homework or laboratory testing. Prescription for treatment.
B. Price: E-mail $75. Phone: $75/20 minutes.

III. Follow-Up Appointments:
A. Elements: Review of Patient Communicator (patient questionnaire regarding results of treatment) with new testing recommendations or prescription for treatment.
B. Price: E-mail $75. Phone: $75/20 min.

IV. Additional phone time: $2/minute, minimum 10 minutes.

V. Additional e-mail questions: $20/e-mail (1 page of history and questions)

VI. Testing:
A. Free-Radical Urine test: $30 (includes shipping)
B. pH paper (4.5-7.7): $15 (includes shipping)
C. Activated Charcoal: $4 (includes shipping)
D. Hydrochloric Acid Test: $6 (includes shipping)
E. Toxic Metal Testing: $100 (does not include consultation)
F. Thyroid, anemia, diabetes, celiac, etc – these will generally be done at local labs. Prices vary. In some cases these may be covered by insurance.

VII. Supplements: We may choose some supplements to facilitate your healing- you can be assured that these are of the utmost quality and reasonably priced.

Are you ready to start feeling better today?
Go to the Email page to contact a Pure Wellness Center doctor.