When you first experience stress the body responds with adrenalin, the fight or flight hormone, which increases heart rate and attentiveness. If stress continues, cortisol is secreted raising blood sugar, breaking down muscle, increasing fat deposition; and though helping to ensure survival, creating long term havoc and risks for obesity, heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other catastrophes.

      This sequence is described as the general adaptation syndrome and is a key factor in the obesity and chronic disease epidemic. The price paid in the attempt to cope with long-term stress, whether from stressful situations, emotional trauma or poor dietary habits, is termed allostatic load and leads to tremendous wear and tear on every part of the body, especially the brain.

      To make people aware of the consequence of long term stress and elevated cortisol levels, I have written The Adaptation Diet, a guide to reducing cortisol through improved dietary habits, and Power of the Five Elements, a roadmap to recognizing and controlling your behavioral stress-response patterns and enhancing healthy aging. Based on these books we have started a program at the La Jolla Clinic of Integrative Medicine that addresses chronic disease prevention and weight management.

      The focus of the program is for you to achieve improved body composition, weight loss and healthier levels of the key biochemical markers of adaptation including blood sugar, CRP, cholesterol and triglycerides, and blood pressure. We will help you develop a lifestyle program including dietary recommendations, nutritional supplements, behavioral suggestions, an exercise program and stress reduction and relaxation techniques. The information in the books will further reinforce the program.

      You can measure your adaptation quotient by filling out the Adaptation Questionnaire below. If your score is elevated and you are interested in reducing your cortisol levels, losing excess weight and decreasing your risk for chronic disease, additional assessments should be undertaken. These include a limited number of lab tests such as salivary cortisol levels and selected blood tests, body composition measurements and additional questionnaires.  Through these evaluations, an individualized program to improve your adaptation will be developed for you.  Contact the office at 858-457-1314 to schedule an appointment.

      Click HERE to continue to the next page to VIEW the Questionnaire.
      Click HERE to PRINT OUT the The Chronic Disease Prevention and Weight       Management Program