414: Autophagy & Fasting, Food Based Vitamins, Antibiotic Side Effects, Hand Washing, Copper IUD, Head Pain (HouseCall)

Hello and thank you for tuning into this weekend's #HouseCall Q & A show! Here are today's amazing community questions! Brittany: Hi Dr. Cabral! I am getting ready to start your 7 day Dr. Cabral Detox and I was wondering: Do the limited calories on days 1 and 2 of the detox (200 calories each day) still allow for autophagy? I've read that you have to eliminate calories entirely for a period of time for autophagy to engage; is this true? I am just wondering if this detox can also serve as an intermittent fast, or if I need to incorporate a water only fast separately from the detox at a later date for maximum health results long term. Many thanks! - Brittany Randa: Hello Was wondering if you thought new chapter vitamins are good quality in your opinion. Also could you tell me what macro breakdown you suggest to someone who wants to maintain there weight and what macro breakdown (if different) for someone who has 20 pounds to lose. Thanks -love your podcast Michele L: Hi Dr. Cabral, Hope you are well. I love the podcast! I had a few questions: 1. What are your thoughts about strep throat and using antibiotics to treat it? My understanding is that antibiotics are prescribed because of possible serious side effects, but wondering if it is necessary? I have one friend whose daughter has a heart problem so she is grateful for them and another friend who has a perfectly healthy daughter, who on the last day of taking the 10 day course ended up with a severe reaction that the doctors believe is serum sickness and is currently in the hospital covered in an awful rash, swollen and having a hard time breathing. They don't really know how to make her better. I know that antibiotics should only be used for bacterial infections, so is that what strep is? 2. Is there anything you can do to protect your child from a serious side effect like the one that happened to my friend's child? 3. The reason I ask is that my daughter is suspected to be allergic to penicillin - she got a red bumpy rash when she had strep 3 years ago after taking amoxicillin that they didn't think was scarlet fever and determined she likely had an allergic reaction. However, they prescribe Keflex for her which is in the same class as penicillin so it makes me worry that she could have a serious reaction to this antibiotic. Any advice on how to manage antibiotics when they are necessary? When talking with the doctors anything specific I should be asking? I wonder if there is a minimum dose that could be prescribed and a shorter duration that would be as effective and perhaps the doctors go with the strongest dosage? I know that the doctors wrongly prescribed antibiotics for my child 4 times prior to her allergic reaction but they made me so worried she needed them when she didn't for very mild ear infections. Very hard to know when to follow along and when to just do what feels right to me. Thoughts? Thanks! Michelle: Hi Dr. Cabral - thanks for a great podcast. What are your thoughts on hand sanitizers? Do you think it is better to use them than eat with dirty hands if there is no place to wash your hands or are you better off allowing some germs to be there? I know someone who never asks her kids to wash (they don't even wash after going to the bathroom) and the kids are incredibly healthy and never seem to get sick. I do believe in hand washing before eating and definitely after using the bathroom (that to me is basic hygiene) but I am guilty of having my child over washing. I also ask my child to wash when she gets home from school. She was a preemie which made me hyper vigilant about her health. I want to get to a "normal" state around this but don't know what the right balance is and how to achieve it? Thanks! Natalie: Hi Dr. Cabral! I love your podcast. Thank you so much for all the info you share. I'm wondering what form of female contraception you recommend to your patients. My research has led me to believe that the most "natural"/least disruptive form is a copper IUD. What do you think? Have you come across any adverse effects to the copper IUD? Thank you!!!! Nat MariEllen: Hi Stephen, I listen to all of your podcasts and am thankful you share such useful information with all of us. I have had a constant problem with headaches since I got my wisdom teeth out when I was 17/18 years old. I've been told it has nothing to do with it, it's just a coincidence. I have tried an awful lot of things that have been costly as well as time consuming for me. Sometimes, I want to give up.. But I have already come this far in trying to figure out what is going on with me. I have been to so many doctor appointments, had a brain scan, been on multiple medicines to try to help ease the pain ( which I don't fully agree being on and am no longer taking anything), been fitted for an NTI appliance since I do grind and clench my teeth at night, done acupuncture, tried yoga.... It is a constant pulsating and starts every morning when I wake up. I have celiacs disease, so there is no gluten in my diet and limited diary products that im trying to get down to none. Sometimes, the pain becomes bearable and other times, I cant even think of driving myself to work. The pain usually lasts for days and sometimes a week or more at a time. I generally am ALWAYS in pain and when I'm not, it's the best feeling in the world. It doesn't feel like a migraine to me, I can tolerate light and sound but I do get extremely irritable. The pain feels like my head is always pulsating or someone is like constantly hitting me in the head. I have a lot of pain behind my eyes when it gets really bad and around the neck area (my neck is always uncomfortable) it feels like an ice pick headache but for long amounts of time. Thank you so much and any advice helps Be sure to tune back int tomorrow for more of our communities questions answered! - - - Show Notes: http://StephenCabral.com/414 - - - Get Your Question Answered: http://StephenCabral.com/askcabral