Welcome back to "The Ultimate Prescription" 00:00:01.36\00:00:02.70 On today's program, we're answering some of the most 00:00:02.73\00:00:04.50 commonly asked questions that Dr. Marcum receives 00:00:04.53\00:00:06.87 to the website at: HeartwiseMinistries.org 00:00:06.90\00:00:09.90 People can submit their questions and Dr. Marcum 00:00:09.94\00:00:12.44 or someone from his team will give some general advice to 00:00:12.47\00:00:14.98 steer them in the right and find solutions. 00:00:15.01\00:00:16.91 And remember, these are opinions, 00:00:16.95\00:00:18.88 they're not convictions. Yes, that's right. 00:00:18.91\00:00:20.68 I'm just doing my best to help people and, like I said... 00:00:20.72\00:00:23.69 You really need to see your doctor that knows 00:00:23.72\00:00:25.85 all the details but these are just steering people 00:00:25.89\00:00:28.12 in a direction to help them out based on where I'm at 00:00:28.16\00:00:32.19 with the knowledge that I've learned in trying to balance 00:00:32.23\00:00:34.76 all of these factors that we've talked about... 00:00:34.80\00:00:36.97 you know, the modern medicine factors; the when to 00:00:37.00\00:00:40.40 use lifestyle, but I also want everyone to ask 00:00:40.44\00:00:43.10 The Ultimate Physician for help in every problem first. 00:00:43.14\00:00:46.37 You know, and He can sort of guide you where you need to go 00:00:46.41\00:00:49.04 realizing that not every problem needs to be fixed, 00:00:49.08\00:00:53.68 and not every problem is fixable right now. Yeah. 00:00:53.72\00:00:57.12 So that's one thing and people think, "Oh, I need to be 00:00:57.15\00:00:59.85 perfect; I need to feel young again; I need to not have pain." 00:00:59.89\00:01:04.13 But remember, when we have bad genes that are ageing, 00:01:04.16\00:01:06.73 sometimes this is not possible. 00:01:06.76\00:01:08.63 That doesn't mean we can't come into a safe place 00:01:08.66\00:01:11.13 and have a good place to be, but we just have to 00:01:11.17\00:01:13.57 sometimes be realistic about life. Yeah. 00:01:13.60\00:01:16.67 Well, you get questions on a broad variety of topics, 00:01:16.71\00:01:20.71 but here we've got one that's right up your alley; 00:01:20.74\00:01:22.61 it's about a pacemaker. Okay. 00:01:22.64\00:01:24.08 This person writes in and says, "My doctor says I need a 00:01:24.11\00:01:26.65 pacemaker; is there any natural alternative 00:01:26.68\00:01:29.05 that I can use instead?" Okay. 00:01:29.08\00:01:30.85 Well that's a great question and I tell people that 00:01:30.89\00:01:33.36 everything gets old at certain speeds - based on 00:01:33.39\00:01:36.52 our genes and the stress. 00:01:36.56\00:01:38.46 For instance... If everyone in the Nick Evenson family 00:01:38.49\00:01:42.33 had to wear glasses at an early age, and you put stress 00:01:42.36\00:01:46.33 on your eyes with a lot of eyestrain, or maybe a lot of 00:01:46.37\00:01:49.87 sunlight which damaged your eyes and triggered different changes, 00:01:49.90\00:01:52.94 you might have visual problems at a younger age, 00:01:52.97\00:01:55.61 and thank goodness, we have modern medicine with glasses 00:01:55.64\00:01:57.98 so you can see and do things, okay? 00:01:58.01\00:01:59.81 That's a great place for modern medicine. Right. 00:01:59.85\00:02:02.15 Sometimes, just like your eyes get old, sometimes the wires 00:02:02.18\00:02:06.05 of the heart get old too, and sometimes it's genetic; 00:02:06.09\00:02:09.32 sometimes it is lifestyle and genetics; sometimes there's 00:02:09.36\00:02:12.26 other causes as well. 00:02:12.29\00:02:13.73 But when the wires start going too slow, 00:02:13.76\00:02:16.60 their parts are wearing out. 00:02:16.63\00:02:18.77 And you have a choice, either let the heart go slower, 00:02:18.80\00:02:21.07 slower, slower until it stops... 00:02:21.10\00:02:23.07 Now I'm assuming that it's not something that's reversible, 00:02:23.10\00:02:25.47 it's just an ageing process or you can have a pacemaker. 00:02:25.51\00:02:29.38 So thank goodness we have pacemakers. 00:02:29.41\00:02:32.58 I tell this story... I had a patient, one time when I 00:02:32.61\00:02:35.18 practiced in the Philadelphia area, that had a heart rate 00:02:35.22\00:02:40.52 that went slower and slower and slower and it was a genetic 00:02:40.56\00:02:42.86 thing - the wires just wore out quick in his family and he 00:02:42.89\00:02:45.46 wasn't on a medicine that did it; he wasn't of a thyroid 00:02:45.49\00:02:48.76 that did it; he didn't have Lyme disease or any infection; 00:02:48.80\00:02:51.53 he had not had surgery that could slow the heart. 00:02:51.57\00:02:53.40 It just got slow and it got down to 30 and he had the 00:02:53.44\00:02:57.07 choice to either have a pacemaker or it get slower 00:02:57.11\00:03:00.04 and eventually he would pass away. Right. 00:03:00.08\00:03:02.01 So this is a good story... so he got the pacemaker 00:03:02.04\00:03:05.31 and he has been spreading the gospel in his 00:03:05.35\00:03:07.12 church for years now. 00:03:07.15\00:03:08.48 You know, his body is not perfect because a pacemaker 00:03:08.52\00:03:11.05 is never good as what God gave you, 00:03:11.09\00:03:12.72 but for him, it was better than the alternative. 00:03:12.75\00:03:15.76 Yeah, there are a lot of cases where modern medicine has 00:03:15.79\00:03:17.83 just amazing tools to help us. Yes! Yes! 00:03:17.86\00:03:19.86 And you were telling me, just recently, about a pacemaker 00:03:19.89\00:03:21.93 that was incredibly smaller, right? 00:03:21.96\00:03:24.00 Yeah, technology is improved so much and in the old days 00:03:24.03\00:03:27.27 Alfred Hitchcock had one of the first pacemakers. 00:03:27.30\00:03:29.97 It was huge and it was put in his belly. 00:03:30.01\00:03:32.37 But before that, you know, the 20s and 30s, 00:03:32.41\00:03:34.54 we didn't have pacemakers. Right. 00:03:34.58\00:03:36.08 If someone's heart wore out, they were finished. Yes. 00:03:36.11\00:03:39.61 So that's when we hope that have 00:03:40.15\00:03:41.65 the Ultimate Prescription too. 00:03:41.68\00:03:44.45 So now they have a battery 00:03:44.49\00:03:47.29 with leads that go into the heart. 00:03:47.32\00:03:48.86 They had that for numerous years but now they've 00:03:48.89\00:03:51.03 come up with this leadless system and it's just like a 00:03:51.06\00:03:54.13 tick that you implant into the heart; there are no 00:03:54.16\00:03:56.50 leads, there are no batteries and it's there 00:03:56.53\00:03:58.30 until it basically wears out. Wow! 00:03:58.33\00:04:00.17 And it's just tiny. 00:04:00.20\00:04:01.54 Yes, it's about the size of a tick. Wow! 00:04:01.57\00:04:03.04 And they plant it in the heart, it has little things that 00:04:03.07\00:04:05.17 stick in there. 00:04:05.21\00:04:06.54 So what if you're not ready to go and it wears out? 00:04:06.57\00:04:09.74 Well, they can monitor it and they could 00:04:09.78\00:04:11.11 put another tick in there. Yeah. 00:04:11.15\00:04:12.61 They could put numerous ones inside the heart. 00:04:12.65\00:04:14.48 It's like having a tick in your heart 00:04:14.52\00:04:15.85 that keeps it going. Amazing! 00:04:15.88\00:04:17.69 We sure are thankful for the creativity that God gave us 00:04:17.72\00:04:20.12 to be able to reason and discover these new technologies 00:04:20.16\00:04:23.89 and make them even easier to put in and administer. 00:04:23.93\00:04:27.66 But you know what, Nick, it just reminds me 00:04:27.70\00:04:29.76 someday... sometimes I think about the magnificence of God. 00:04:29.80\00:04:35.50 You know, if He allows man to do these things, 00:04:35.54\00:04:38.51 how much more can be done? Yes. 00:04:38.54\00:04:40.24 How much greater. Yeah, how much greater! 00:04:40.28\00:04:42.04 We can't even imagine - when we see the vastness of the 00:04:42.08\00:04:45.01 universe of how things come together... 00:04:45.05\00:04:47.45 You know, if man has the ability to do these things, 00:04:47.48\00:04:50.49 how much more is out there that we can't even imagine! 00:04:50.52\00:04:54.12 Can you imagine your whole existence be turning into a 00:04:54.16\00:04:56.86 beam of light - zooming across the universe transforming 00:04:56.89\00:05:01.50 when you got to places? 00:05:01.53\00:05:02.86 You can't even imagine the greatness of God! 00:05:02.90\00:05:05.27 All you can do is praise Him and thank Him and thank Him 00:05:05.30\00:05:08.67 for allowing you to have a relationship with Him. Yep. 00:05:08.70\00:05:11.27 Let's move on to our next question here... 00:05:11.31\00:05:12.97 Lots of folks have written in and asked about "osteoporosis." 00:05:13.01\00:05:17.35 How can they strengthen their bones? 00:05:17.38\00:05:19.11 Well yeah, osteoporosis, bones getting weak, 00:05:20.12\00:05:21.78 and I tell them there are lots of ways to do it, 00:05:21.82\00:05:23.49 but, Nick, here's a quiz question... 00:05:23.52\00:05:26.05 "What animal do you think has some of the strongest 00:05:26.09\00:05:29.06 bones in the earth?" 00:05:29.09\00:05:31.13 You've probably heard this one before. 00:05:31.16\00:05:32.93 And you've said it's an elephant which is 00:05:32.96\00:05:36.53 probably strong but I'd say the 00:05:36.56\00:05:38.17 giraffe is probably right up there. 00:05:38.20\00:05:39.53 Yep, giraffes, elephants... I go with the elephants, okay, 00:05:39.57\00:05:43.94 because I've never known an elephant that broke a hip 00:05:43.97\00:05:46.61 or broke a leg. 00:05:46.64\00:05:47.98 They have strong tusks that people really want 00:05:48.01\00:05:50.81 to collect and they make things out of these tusks. 00:05:50.85\00:05:53.21 But let's see, what does Mr. Elephant do 00:05:53.25\00:05:55.22 to keep his bones strong? 00:05:55.25\00:05:56.99 He walks - okay, many people don't walk enough today. 00:05:57.02\00:06:00.42 He drinks water - many people don't drink enough water today. 00:06:00.46\00:06:03.99 He eats greens - now he eats lots of greens, lots of greens! 00:06:04.03\00:06:09.80 Greens have magnesium, potassium, you get your 00:06:09.83\00:06:13.00 calcium in greens - those kinds of things and he stays 00:06:13.03\00:06:16.30 out in the sunshine, vitamin D! 00:06:16.34\00:06:18.97 So those are four things that I think people can do 00:06:19.01\00:06:22.11 to help their bones. 00:06:22.14\00:06:23.48 Now sometimes the bones wear out genetically, 00:06:23.51\00:06:25.68 but those four things can do it. 00:06:25.71\00:06:27.05 Now if a person has pathological fractures, 00:06:27.08\00:06:30.32 then let's say they're doing all these things 00:06:30.35\00:06:31.89 and in their genetics where their bones break early, 00:06:31.92\00:06:34.29 they have fractures a lot which cause lots of pains. 00:06:34.32\00:06:37.93 For spinal cords, we got some neat things that 00:06:37.96\00:06:40.36 we can do now, medically, to help with that pain. 00:06:40.40\00:06:42.86 One of them is called a "kyphoplasty" where we can 00:06:42.90\00:06:45.63 cement the bones. 00:06:45.67\00:06:47.84 Another - sometimes they have some supplements 00:06:47.87\00:06:49.54 that can help genetically, bones build up. 00:06:49.57\00:06:51.64 But the people that need that are in the minimum. 00:06:51.67\00:06:54.21 Most of the people just need to do the 00:06:54.24\00:06:55.74 four things I talked about, similar to what elephants do. 00:06:55.78\00:06:59.61 Sounds like some easy to implement advice there, 00:06:59.65\00:07:02.38 but stuff you have to be intentional about. 00:07:02.42\00:07:04.09 Yes you do! You know, you gotta move. 00:07:04.12\00:07:05.65 But people don't move as much; they don't eat the greens; 00:07:05.69\00:07:08.36 they don't drink enough water, 00:07:08.39\00:07:09.72 and they don't get out in the sunshine. 00:07:09.76\00:07:11.09 You put all those four things together 00:07:11.13\00:07:12.46 and the bones get weaker quicker. Yeah. 00:07:12.49\00:07:14.23 Alright, how about this one... 00:07:14.26\00:07:15.76 "What suggestions do you have for dealing with hair loss?" 00:07:15.80\00:07:18.90 That's one that I deal with myself sometimes. 00:07:18.93\00:07:22.20 Okay, hair loss. 00:07:22.24\00:07:24.41 So what are we going to do about it, doctor? 00:07:24.44\00:07:25.77 Yeah, I get that one fairly often and I'm not going to give 00:07:25.81\00:07:29.44 the right answer - I'm going to give different options 00:07:29.48\00:07:32.41 and people can choose from this. Alright. 00:07:32.45\00:07:34.55 First of all, most of hair loss is genetics, okay? 00:07:34.58\00:07:39.25 It runs in families, so it's in your genes, 00:07:39.29\00:07:42.12 so it's going to happen, okay? 00:07:42.16\00:07:43.93 Sometimes it can be due to a medicine. 00:07:43.96\00:07:47.43 We call the medical term for this is "alopecia." Alopecia. 00:07:47.46\00:07:52.00 Sometimes it can be due to rarely infections, 00:07:52.03\00:07:57.97 and thyroid abnormalities. 00:07:58.01\00:07:59.61 So those are some things it could be. 00:07:59.64\00:08:00.98 I'm sure there's many that I missed, but most of the 00:08:01.01\00:08:02.94 time it's male pattern baldness. 00:08:02.98\00:08:06.25 Here are some options the man has: 00:08:06.28\00:08:09.02 Do nothing - let the hair fall out. Sure. 00:08:09.05\00:08:11.02 Try not to be vain, it is what it is type of thing, okay? 00:08:11.05\00:08:15.62 Option #2... I've seen this one work very well. 00:08:15.66\00:08:18.69 Have your head shaved! 00:08:18.73\00:08:20.06 You know, shave your head and grow some things on the front 00:08:20.10\00:08:22.90 of your face that takes people's 00:08:22.93\00:08:24.37 attention off the top of your head. 00:08:24.40\00:08:25.73 You've got it growing down around 00:08:25.77\00:08:27.10 your chin, just let it grow there. 00:08:27.14\00:08:28.47 Yeah, that's one option. Okay? 00:08:28.50\00:08:29.97 #3... Some people do get hair transplants, the plugs. 00:08:30.01\00:08:34.91 They get some plugs put in there for that. 00:08:34.94\00:08:36.64 Now some of these ones that I don't recommend highly 00:08:36.68\00:08:39.81 that some people do, okay? 00:08:39.85\00:08:41.45 I don't recommend highly... is the special devices 00:08:41.48\00:08:45.12 that they put on their head, they get different special 00:08:45.15\00:08:47.89 devices - I don't really recommend that, 00:08:47.92\00:08:49.72 but there are some weaves that they can get in the head, 00:08:49.76\00:08:52.16 that if they're going to do that, the weaving ones 00:08:52.19\00:08:53.93 where they stitch it in seem to be more appropriately 00:08:53.96\00:08:56.33 than some of the old ones. 00:08:56.36\00:08:57.70 That is an option for some, I don't really 00:08:57.73\00:09:00.20 recommend it but it's some. 00:09:00.24\00:09:01.57 But what I want to talk to people about hair loss is... 00:09:01.60\00:09:04.11 why do you want the hair? 00:09:04.14\00:09:06.81 Is it to glorify yourself? 00:09:06.84\00:09:08.78 Is it to glorify God? 00:09:08.81\00:09:10.15 Is it to help what you're doing out and that's a 00:09:10.18\00:09:12.11 really good cause - if you need it to provide for your 00:09:12.15\00:09:14.82 family; if you need it to make your wife happy; 00:09:14.85\00:09:18.25 if you need it to seem younger, more vital to your children 00:09:18.29\00:09:21.26 so you can have a better... 00:09:21.29\00:09:22.62 Those are good reasons, to serve God, 00:09:22.66\00:09:23.99 those are good reasons, but I tell them - be careful 00:09:24.03\00:09:26.43 if it's about vanity. 00:09:26.46\00:09:27.80 If it's about, you know, just looking good on the outside, 00:09:27.83\00:09:30.53 you know, maybe you should reconsider some of those 00:09:30.57\00:09:33.20 things but there's lots of things on the internet and 00:09:33.23\00:09:37.17 TV you see about hair... "Put this, rub this 00:09:37.21\00:09:40.98 combination on and it will grow." 00:09:41.01\00:09:43.01 Whether that be Rogaine or any of the different 00:09:43.04\00:09:45.91 hair tonics - you know, Uncle Joe's Hair Tonic, 00:09:45.95\00:09:48.58 that you see a lot of commercials and guys will 00:09:48.62\00:09:51.19 come in and show - "This is what I was before; 00:09:51.22\00:09:53.02 this is what I was after." 00:09:53.05\00:09:54.66 Most of those, I've heard from my patients, that have tried 00:09:54.69\00:09:57.96 that do not work - do not work. 00:09:57.99\00:10:01.06 I'm not going to say all of them don't work, 00:10:01.10\00:10:04.50 but some of them might work because the people 00:10:04.53\00:10:06.07 believe they're going to work, but most of them 00:10:06.10\00:10:07.80 do not work and they do have side effects. Right. 00:10:07.84\00:10:10.34 They do have side effects. 00:10:10.37\00:10:11.71 So that's sort of my approach to hair loss. 00:10:11.74\00:10:14.58 I get that fairly often. 00:10:14.61\00:10:16.34 I just wish in my own personal life, I could transplant 00:10:16.38\00:10:19.28 the cells in my ear and my nose on to my bald spot 00:10:19.31\00:10:23.45 because then that would take care of that problem, 00:10:23.49\00:10:25.09 but so far, we don't have the technology to do that. 00:10:25.12\00:10:27.89 Well, that's all the questions we're going to cover for now, 00:10:27.92\00:10:30.26 but if you have questions, we invite you to go to the 00:10:30.29\00:10:31.89 website: HeartwiseMinistries.org 00:10:31.93\00:10:34.30 There's lots of resources there that you can use. 00:10:34.33\00:10:37.17 There are radio programs; television programs; 00:10:37.20\00:10:39.63 we have a prayer form where you can list your prayer 00:10:39.67\00:10:41.57 requests and join in praying for others. 00:10:41.60\00:10:43.91 Dr. Marcum writes a monthly newsletter and offers 00:10:43.94\00:10:47.18 current ideas about health and lots of good ideas 00:10:47.21\00:10:51.71 there that you can use to help change your lifestyle, 00:10:51.75\00:10:54.05 better connect with worship to help improve your health... 00:10:54.08\00:10:56.62 And, Dr. Marcum, what's another 00:10:56.65\00:10:58.59 resource that you'd like to mention today? 00:10:58.62\00:11:00.02 Well there's just so many others and the one I want to 00:11:00.06\00:11:02.66 emphasize more than any other resources they've heard... 00:11:02.69\00:11:05.53 You know, you've heard about the website; 00:11:05.56\00:11:07.03 you've heard about this, but this is the resource 00:11:07.06\00:11:10.47 I want to refer people to, it's the Bible. 00:11:10.50\00:11:13.44 I want to encourage people every day to open this Book 00:11:13.47\00:11:17.37 and to read something and to learn and to apply it 00:11:17.41\00:11:21.11 to their lives and to share it with someone. 00:11:21.14\00:11:23.28 I want this to be the medical textbook, 00:11:23.31\00:11:25.48 the resource that we turn to first for our health 00:11:25.51\00:11:28.82 problems, for our relationship 00:11:28.85\00:11:30.65 problems to our financial problems. 00:11:30.69\00:11:32.45 I think this is a great resource - I turn to it. 00:11:32.49\00:11:35.36 It has really changed my life and I think if people 00:11:35.39\00:11:38.09 will do it just like they eat breakfast every day, 00:11:38.13\00:11:40.50 if they will turn to Christ every day; live in a state of 00:11:40.53\00:11:43.10 worship - it will change your life too. 00:11:43.13\00:11:45.20 Yeah, you know, when we find our identity in Christ, 00:11:45.23\00:11:48.14 we don't have to worry about hair loss; 00:11:48.17\00:11:49.80 we don't have to worry about death even because 00:11:49.84\00:11:51.87 we know that eternally, our salvation 00:11:51.91\00:11:54.01 is secured with Christ. 00:11:54.04\00:11:55.38 Well said, Nick - well said. 00:11:55.41\00:11:56.75 Dr. Marcum, thank you for answering these questions. 00:11:56.78\00:11:58.41 I know our viewers appreciate it. 00:11:58.45\00:11:59.78 And thank you for joining us today. 00:11:59.81\00:12:01.35 Dr. Marcum will conclude the program 00:12:01.38\00:12:03.05 in just a moment with a prayer. 00:12:03.08\00:12:04.42 We spent a lot of time today answering 00:12:12.86\00:12:15.43 people's medical questions, and you might have some 00:12:15.46\00:12:18.73 questions that I can help you with, 00:12:18.77\00:12:20.17 and I want to encourage you to go to the sites we 00:12:20.20\00:12:21.90 mentioned, especially the HeartwiseMinistries.org site. 00:12:21.94\00:12:26.01 But greater than that, I want to refer you to the text 00:12:26.04\00:12:29.11 in James where it says, "If any of you lack knowledge, 00:12:29.14\00:12:32.58 let him come to God." 00:12:33.28\00:12:35.02 What a wonderful text! 00:12:35.05\00:12:36.58 What a wonderful God we serve that we can 00:12:36.62\00:12:39.29 come to Him for anything! 00:12:39.32\00:12:41.56 You know, we can come to Him with any of our questions 00:12:41.89\00:12:44.13 regardless what it might be, and I want to encourage 00:12:44.16\00:12:46.56 you, if you have a health question; 00:12:46.59\00:12:48.20 a lifestyle question; want to know how to use 00:12:48.23\00:12:51.47 a medication or which doctor to go to or which 00:12:51.50\00:12:53.90 provider to see - go to God, He is going to 00:12:53.94\00:12:56.81 promise that He is going to help you along the way. 00:12:56.84\00:12:59.37 Now as we end today, let's bow our heads and thank Him 00:12:59.41\00:13:02.94 and praise Him for all He has done for us. 00:13:02.98\00:13:05.35 Heavenly Father... Thank You for giving us the minds 00:13:06.15\00:13:09.35 that we can ask questions and that You will let us 00:13:09.38\00:13:11.99 come to you with our questions in life and You're 00:13:12.02\00:13:15.69 always there for us. 00:13:15.72\00:13:17.06 We want to thank You for that. 00:13:17.09\00:13:18.43 We want to praise Your name and thank You for 00:13:18.46\00:13:20.36 Your Son that gives us life and that gives us truth, Father. 00:13:20.40\00:13:24.53 And we want to pray for every person out there, 00:13:24.57\00:13:27.10 their health needs, be especially close to them, 00:13:27.14\00:13:29.94 and help them to feel Your presence 00:13:29.97\00:13:31.81 at this very moment, Father and Your healing power. 00:13:31.84\00:13:34.64 Now go with us this day and help us to be happy 00:13:34.68\00:13:37.45 and spread Your love to all we meet... Is our prayer, Amen. 00:13:37.48\00:13:41.45 Well thank you for joining me and, hopefully, 00:13:42.18\00:13:45.62 we answered your questions. 00:13:45.65\00:13:46.99 There are going to be more questions and there are 00:13:47.02\00:13:49.02 going to be more programs that we have to answer. 00:13:49.06\00:13:51.03 So if you have a specific question, don't be 00:13:51.06\00:13:53.76 hesitant to ask because, remember, there are no 00:13:53.80\00:13:56.00 stupid questions - we all want to help each other 00:13:56.03\00:13:59.27 in this journey that we're going through. 00:13:59.30\00:14:00.84 I'm Dr. James Marcum wishing you the best of health! 00:14:00.87\00:14:04.71