So, I am only one lesson in to my 30-lesson functional biochemistry training, and already have a new tool to teach not only my nutrition and holistic pathway students, but my biology students as well. One of the challenges of all teachers is to make the subject they have to teach relevant and meaningful to the student, preferably all students in the classroom. This can be quite a challenge, but luckily for me every one of my students is alive (Biology) and eats (Nutrition). I don't usually have to reach too far to find something that all students can relate to on a day-to-day basis. Except the citric acid cycle. (Hang in there, because this may be relevant to you or someone you know, too!)
When transforming my classroom into a project-based atmosphere, cutting some topics out in order to dive deeper into the "most important" topics was imperative to fit everything into the time I have with my students. As thrilling as the citric acid cycle that happens inside all of us every time we eat (pending we have supplied our body with the proper nutrients and co-enzymes) was to me, I just couldn't see how diving deeper into this circle of chemical reactions had any day-to-day application for my students once they left the classroom. Until now!!!
One of the three modules I am getting trained in is lab test assessment, and I jumped in there first because I thought it would be most the beneficial to my holistic pathway students. The first lab test we learned about not only gave me an "in" to the citric acid cycle to my students, but also made it imperative to understanding how reading lab tests measuring citric acid cycle byproducts can help anyone with malnourishment, oxidative damage or blood sugar issues, and potentially thyroid issues as well. That's the majority of Americans, by the way.
For example, lab results high in succinate but low in fumarate can indicate a lack of FAD, which can come from lack of B-vitamins in the diet or genetic SNP issues, thyroid issues, or oxidation stealing all of the FAD needed to neutralize free radicals elsewhere. High pyruvate levels can stem from low vitamins and minerals needed to complete the conversion of blood sugar into energy, exacerbating problems with high blood sugar. High levels of citrate, cis-aconitate, or isocitrate can even indicate high ammonia in the body, possibly stemming from gut microbe imbalances causing mental and behavior issues similar to autism! My teacher had multiple clinical examples of how identifying this particular pattern and addressing it with nutrition and supplements reversed mental and behavior issues in children as young as 2! Identifying these issues with blood tests can indicate proper nutrition, supplement, and herbal protocols needed to support the biochemical pathways required to bring the body back into balance!
I am just hitting the highlights here. And to think, I used to skim over the citric acid cycle. Frankly, I think I may have met the limits of my cognitive capacity with this program. I would usually be done with a 4-week program (that's what this 1 blood-test module was supposed to be) within a week, but the first lesson was so much so fast and so deep that I backed off a took a break to let it all sink in. I may actually listen to it again before moving on (gasp!). No doubt once my application of this newfound knowledge in the classroom and clinical setting with my holistic pathway students begins, my understanding and application (and hopefully cognitive capacity) will improve. I can't wait to tell you what I find out in lesson 2! This is seriously a dream to come true to be learning from these teachers, and a very unique thing we will be offering to our students. I am honored to have been awarded the opportunity to attend (attempt) this course!
-Dr. Lori Rose
When transforming my classroom into a project-based atmosphere, cutting some topics out in order to dive deeper into the "most important" topics was imperative to fit everything into the time I have with my students. As thrilling as the citric acid cycle that happens inside all of us every time we eat (pending we have supplied our body with the proper nutrients and co-enzymes) was to me, I just couldn't see how diving deeper into this circle of chemical reactions had any day-to-day application for my students once they left the classroom. Until now!!!
One of the three modules I am getting trained in is lab test assessment, and I jumped in there first because I thought it would be most the beneficial to my holistic pathway students. The first lab test we learned about not only gave me an "in" to the citric acid cycle to my students, but also made it imperative to understanding how reading lab tests measuring citric acid cycle byproducts can help anyone with malnourishment, oxidative damage or blood sugar issues, and potentially thyroid issues as well. That's the majority of Americans, by the way.
For example, lab results high in succinate but low in fumarate can indicate a lack of FAD, which can come from lack of B-vitamins in the diet or genetic SNP issues, thyroid issues, or oxidation stealing all of the FAD needed to neutralize free radicals elsewhere. High pyruvate levels can stem from low vitamins and minerals needed to complete the conversion of blood sugar into energy, exacerbating problems with high blood sugar. High levels of citrate, cis-aconitate, or isocitrate can even indicate high ammonia in the body, possibly stemming from gut microbe imbalances causing mental and behavior issues similar to autism! My teacher had multiple clinical examples of how identifying this particular pattern and addressing it with nutrition and supplements reversed mental and behavior issues in children as young as 2! Identifying these issues with blood tests can indicate proper nutrition, supplement, and herbal protocols needed to support the biochemical pathways required to bring the body back into balance!
I am just hitting the highlights here. And to think, I used to skim over the citric acid cycle. Frankly, I think I may have met the limits of my cognitive capacity with this program. I would usually be done with a 4-week program (that's what this 1 blood-test module was supposed to be) within a week, but the first lesson was so much so fast and so deep that I backed off a took a break to let it all sink in. I may actually listen to it again before moving on (gasp!). No doubt once my application of this newfound knowledge in the classroom and clinical setting with my holistic pathway students begins, my understanding and application (and hopefully cognitive capacity) will improve. I can't wait to tell you what I find out in lesson 2! This is seriously a dream to come true to be learning from these teachers, and a very unique thing we will be offering to our students. I am honored to have been awarded the opportunity to attend (attempt) this course!
-Dr. Lori Rose
Comments
Post a Comment