Finding a New Primary Care Doctor

A Big Thanks To Leslie at Wellparents.com for this great advice Thanks to Leslie at Read more

The Rollercoaster of Life

Grandma: "I always wanted to go again. You know, it was just so interesting that a ride could make me so frightened, so scared, so sick, so excited, and so thrilled all together! Some didn't like Read more

Sheltering at Home/Covid 19

Never in the last two decades of my career as a physician would I have imagined that we would be using the same mask to see patients all day and then sterilizing/recycling them at the end of the day. Read more

Turmeric Health Benefits

Have you ever wondered what the paste is applied to the bride and groom's faces and arms in Indian weddings?  It's actually the spice turmeric.  Turmeric is the ingredient in curry that gives it a vibrant yellow color.  Actually, Read more

COVID 19 Precautions

With the scare of COVID here in the USA now, I wanted to post a little info about boosting immunity to prevent contracting the virus. Here are some important facts about Covid-19 It is spread by contact with Read more

Natural Tips for Avoiding Colds

This cold and flu season is still upon us and unfortunately, many patients are still being plagued by these nasty viral symptoms.  Here are a few tips to try if you feel like you are coming down with something. Of Read more

Sherry's Story

Sherry has a great story.  She has been diabetic for years and she has made some massive changes!   "I have been on a lifestyle change. It has been a year following a ketogenic food plan.  When I started this journey Read more

Pharmacy to Farmacy

Many of you may know Erin-- the fabulous Pharm D that worked in our office a few years back.  Erin is a phenomenal gal and we embarked on the journey  into natural medicine around the same time.  As we both Read more

Diet

Practical Paleo

OK –This is a phenomenal book!  I picked it up at Target while shopping for back to school supplies and haven’t put it down since.  This guide gives you some amazing recipes, information on pale diets, and really explains the fundamental leaky gut concepts.  I’ll admit that I paid upwards of FORTY dollars for it at Target and am kicking myself for not ordering it.

Check it out!

Posted on by Angela in Diet, Nutrition, Whole Food 3 Comments

Gluten Free Update

Here’s Superhero Sandy’s latest gluten-free update.  It seems it is possible to change and still enjoy food!  Here are a few of her recent observations and recommendations.  Thanks Sandy–we are all inspired by you!

 

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Sandy Writes:

Gluten free update: I’ve always been one to buy quality name brand products, not the generic store brand stuff that doesn’t taste as good. I’m known among close family and friends as a good cook, and it has always been my contention that good cooking starts with the choices you make in the store. I’m a picky shopper, favoring name brands and top quality fresh food; my motto is “if nobody eats it, it’s not a bargain,” so stay away from the cheap, generic stuff.

Anyway, while driving the four blocks to Kroger from my home one day about three months ago, my phone rang. It was the nurse at my doctor’s office telling me that my thyroid antibodies were sky-high and that I needed to get on a gluten-free diet as soon as possible. I also needed to start taking probiotics, selenium, and CoQ-10 to help combat the catastrophe that was taking place in my intestines and finding its way to my thyroid gland…and who knows where else…probably wherever I felt pain, including my arthritic knees. As I understand it, the antibody issue is separate from the TSH, T3, T4 markers for thyroid disease. This was something different, an autoimmune thing I had going on along with a underactive thyroid gland.

The nurse sounded serious. This wasn’t just a “why don’t you try this and see what happens” suggestion; it was an order. Oh, man. I had a lasagna pan full of semolina pasta covered in meat sauce, cheese, and sour cream…all ready to bake for my grandson and his friends who would be arriving in a couple of hours. I started doing an inventory of what I was planning for dinner that very night that I could and could not eat if I were to actually change my diet to gluten-free. Salad? Okay, yeah. Pasta? Not so much. Bread? Don’t make me laugh. First I panicked. And then I started to solve the problem.

I started changing my shopping practices on that very first trip. Luckily, I ran across some gluten-free pasta, so I bought it, scraped some sauce and cheese off the casserole, cooked up the new pasta, and mixed them together. Not bad. So far, so good. Everybody else ate the original casserole while I ate my gluten-free pasta version. And from that point on, my kitchen only contained gluten-free pasta. You literally couldn’t tell the difference…although you do have to be a bit more exact about cooking time.

Then I started doing research, shopping the out-of-the-way sections of the store: buying organic stuff, fresh fruits and vegetables. I also started going to the local meat market here in Greencastle, buying better, unsullied by hormones and antibiotics meat and milk and butter and eggs.

Now, less than three months later, I just returned from a grocery shopping expedition. I have completely changed, one or two items at a time, what I buy at the store. My shopping list is entirely different from it was not long ago. Here’s a partial list of what I buy now:

Trader’s Point milk (grass-fed, organic, not homogenized, the real stuff my Grandpa Hause used to carry in buckets from the barn to the house)
Kerrygold Irish butter (kind of like the stuff my Grandma churned from those buckets of milk)
Blue Sky free range eggs (I’ve tried several brands of eggs; these have the most golden yellows I’ve ever seen.)
Van’s gluten-free waffles…or pancakes…or whatever. These are better than Eggo. Trust me.
Rudi’s gluten-free “original” white bread (okay, so it’s not quite the same as what you usually buy…but it’s gluten-free and you can make a sandwich with it.)
Izze soda (instead of diet Coke…nothing but fruit juice and sparkling water)
Smucker’s Simply Fruit jelly…again, no sugar, no sweetener of any kind…doesn’t need it…just fruit juice.
Udi’s blueberry muffin tops (gluten, soy, wheat, and dairy free)
fresh produce from local suppliers, including some honey crisp apples from Anderson Orchard, which we picked up yesterday
heirloom tomatoes…don’t fall for vine ripe or Indiana tomatoes…heirloom are the best
100% grass-fed beef from local producers. If I can’t find grass-fed, I will still buy local. If I can’t find local, I buy organic…no hormones, no antibiotics. Sometimes this means there’s no chicken available today, so you have to buy pork instead or you can’t find the cut of beef you want. You have to be adaptable to eat well.
Kemp’s frozen yogurt (because my soul needs ice cream)
Talenti gelato (can’t eat much of this because it’s calorie-, fat-, and sugar-laden, but it is gluten-free, HFCS free, and oh, man, is it ever good!)
Simple Truth gluten-free animal crackers (a store brand, but good)
Quinn’s popcorn (although i don’t use the flavor packet that comes with it…I use the above mentioned Kerrygold Irish butter.)
Pamela’s chocolate chip gluten-free cookies
Glutino table crackers
Ronzoni gluten-free pasta
Muir Glen fire roasted diced tomatoes (I already knew these were the best canned tomatoes and tomato sauces and spaghetti sauces around…been buying Muir Glen for a while now)
frozen corn, peas, green beans, broccoli…whatever I can’t find fresh, I buy frozen. Just the vegetables. Not the kind that come with sauces already in them. I love those ones that you can steam in the microwave.
Maple Hill creamery yogurt (full fat with the cream on top, just like the milk from grass-fed cows…and mostly I buy plain and mix in my own fruit and granola and sweeteners. Trader’s Point makes good yogurt too, but Maple Hill is thicker. I like it better.
organic blue agave syrup
real maple syrup
GiddyUpGo gluten-free granola
Nature’s Path corn flakes
Cheese…I don’t know about cheese. We still have a bunch I bought in Wisconsin last month. I can’t swear that what I have is organic and grass-fed. Probably some is and some isn’t. I’m working on that.

I try to buy things that are sugar-free, but you have to watch that. Most of the time “sugar-free” on a label means that they used aspartame or some other poison instead of sugar. Sugar isn’t good, it contributes to inflammation, but poison is worse. Sugar is also better than high fructose corn syrup.

That’s all I got for you now, but my list is ever-changing, and I still haven’t been able to explore Fresh Thyme as thoroughly as I want to. Look for more updates in the future on my gluten-free lifestyle. Oh, and I just got another blood test last week. My numbers are “a little bit better.” We’re making some adjustments. But I feel better all the time, am not sick as much as I used to be…I’m staying on top of this thyroid deal, and that seems to actually be helping with the arthritis issues too.10505625_10152531893746815_5633312240394115874_n

Posted on by Angela in disease, Nutrition, Uncategorized, Whole Food Leave a comment

Can Diet Changes Regulate Your Hormones to Lose Weight?

I have been recommending “The Hormone Cure” book by Dr. Sara Gottfried with some amazing patient results!  Jessica (our guest author) graciously offered to write a post explaining the science correlating hormone balance and weight loss.  Be sure to visit her site as well!  We have been talking about limiting grains in the diet for prevention of blood sugar issues so keep that in mind as well.  EAT YOUR VEGGIES!

Jessica writes:

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Can Diet Changes Regulate Your Hormones To Lose Weight?

Modern research suggests that it is possible to modify your daily diet to bring about changes in the ways your body hormones are functioning. Dietary changes will influence hormone levels and help you lose weight. So, weight loss is not only about shedding calories or having a strong willpower; it has quite a lot to do with the way your hormones behave. Although it sounds strange, what you eat can actually regulate your hormonal functions.

Hormonal imbalance is responsible for different forms of ailments, ranging from cancers to amnesia. Studies show that nearly 40 chemicals actually work to influence one’s appetite. When your hormones are not in control, your weight loss efforts can suffer a setback even if you are following a healthy well-balanced diet. Since hormones are produced when the body has enough cholesterol and good fats, it is important to have these foods as part of your everyday diet in order to release important hormones.

How diet changes can affect hormone functions:

  • Control omega-6 intake: Cortisol hormone leads to heightened appetite particularly for comfort foods that are sugar-rich and fattening. If you can avoid the omega-6 polyunsaturated fats you can protect yourself from inflammation. These fats are unstable and get oxidized easily, causing mutation and inflammation of arteries. Instead, you should focus on including monounsaturated fats and saturated fats because these benefit health. So, vegetable oils, peanut oil, margarine etc are best avoided; it is wiser to opt for real butter, coconut oil and olive oil.
  • Limit caffeine consumption: Excess caffeine can adversely affect the endocrine system especially when you are already feeling the effects of other hormone stressors. You can switch to drinking herbal teas.
  • Limit toxins: Toxins are present in household chemicals and plastics, and pills for birth control likewise can play havoc with your hormones. When you already have hormonal imbalance or trying to get pregnant, you need to stay away from such toxins. You should avoid storing foods in plastic containers and choose organic produce and organic meats.
  • Coconut oil: Coconut oil can work wonders for your hormones by providing the building blocks for their production. Therefore, it helps in weight loss, reduces inflammation and has anti-bacterial properties.
  • Increase fiber intake: When you eat more fibers like raw fruits and vegetables and whole grains, you can not only lose weight but improve the release of old estrogen from your body. This in turn leads to an improved overall hormonal balance.
  • Increased meat and carb intake: When you include more carbs and meat in your daily diet, you get more energy for hormone production. For instance, seafood that is rich in omega-3 fatty acids or low-fat meats is an excellent source of fiber which can contribute to weight loss.
  • Eat more vegetables: You can include  fibers and vegetables in the diet to control leptin resistance. Veggies contain important vitamins and antioxidants that reduce inflammation which interferes with leptin secretion. This in turn improves the body’s fat-burning power and helps to reduce your cravings.
  • Opt for meal delivery services: You can consider joining reputed weight loss meal delivery services that deliver portion controlled meals. As they prepare meals especially to lose weight, the above said factors would be well imbibed in their diet plans. Moreover you need not bother about counting calories or cooking healthy meals each day when you join such programs. For instance, Nutrisystem is a popular weight loss meal delivery service which delivers nutritionally balanced and portion controlled meals to their dieters. The meals are usually low glycemic, low-fat, low carb, low sodium and are devoid of trans and saturated fats. So, considering the diet services is one of the wisest options to lose weight.

These are some easy dietary changes which can help in the release of important hormones that allow you to maintain an optimal weight. Weight loss is guaranteed to happen when your hormones are working optimally and your diet is well-balanced.

Author Bio:

 

Jessica Robert Keenly blogs about weight loss ideas and diet tips. She runs a simple blog displaying helpful articles on easy dieting methods and weight loss ideas.

Image link:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/inspiredhomefitness/8753895157/sizes/z/

 

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food 1 Comment

Robin Williams

I’m devastated at the tragic death of Robin Williams.   However,  I am grateful in so many ways.  I’ve seen testimonials of depression, addiction, and imperfection posted on social media sites all day.    Robin’s comedy entertained us with wicked humor,  but his death provoked a new set of emotions.  He now demonstrates the issue that mental health is a disease.   In my world, he is still teaching and entertaining on a whole new uncomfortable level.

Unfortunately, my profession holds me hostage to stories of despair, victimization, and contempt of disease states.   Stories of suicide and the aftermath are hard to hear .  Unfortunately, I’ve found myself attracting them into my life via my confused emotions on the subject.

Depression is a disease.  Is it hereditary? maybe—-Are you predisposed and destined to get it?  NO, I think not.

I believe that illness evolves into disease  based on everyday choices.  Nobody chooses to be depressed or sick.  I get that.   Robin Williams’s death is a call to action.   He had the coveted wealth, fame and stardom-but, it wasn’t enough.  Please reach out to those struggling quietly around you.  I hope this post helps!  A few of my closest friends and I will be doing the suicide prevention walk –I hope you can join us!

 

For Lucy and Maggie …

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Countless hours spent on the deck discussing the uncertainties of life. Innumerable days of listening to our children giggle, play, fight and cry together. Tears shed watching one another battle the ups and downs of family life in the 21st century. These experiences have made our former neighbors become our dearest friends and confidants. They are our “wolf pack”.

This week, the Henriksens, and their dear friends watched their families bond together once again as they faced yet another frightening event. An event that would forever change the way all ten of us view life and the ambiguity of the world. We will become different people having experienced this sad tragedy.

Our dearest friends’ daughter has known one of the most vivacious, loving, talented and endearing girls for many years. The two girls were kindred spirits at the mere ages of 15 and 16. To the shock of everyone, she took her own life this week. She battled depression for years. Unfortunately, the disease won the strenuous fight. Sadly and despite her suspected perception, young Maggie was never alone.

Most all of us probably know someone whose life has been affected by depression, either directly or indirectly. We may not know that someone is suffering from depression, they may not even know themselves. Two out of three people who struggle with depression never seek help resulting in untreated depression as the leading cause of suicide. In America alone, it’s estimated that 19 million people live with depression, and suicide is the third-leading cause of death among those 18-24 years old.

Perhaps you have seen the countless photos on social media of outstretched arms with the word “love” scribed on skin and merely thought it some new type of arm art fad. There is a much deeper meaning to these sharpie tattoos.

Renee was a troubled Florida teen. Described as one who “has felt the touch of awful naked men, battled depression and addiction, and attempted suicide” she at one point used her cocaine-cutting razor to carve “F—k Up” on her arm adding to the other fifty self inflicted scars there. A group of concerned friends finally convinced her to go to a drug treatment center but she was deemed too “high risk” due to her distinctive markings and denied treatment. Fearing for her life, they designed a T-shirt selling drive in hopes of raising enough money to pay for her care. Their experiences led them to realize the greater need beyond just Renee.

Together they organized and formed TWLOHA, a non-profit movement dedicated to presenting hope and finding help for people lost in depression, addiction, self-destruction and suicide. You can read their complete story and Mission Statement here: http://www.twloha.com. Their efforts caught on and went viral. Photos of teens with “Love” on their arms began popping up in dramatic fashion. Famous bands and the Hollywood elite began wearing their trendy T-shirts. “Why do you have that written on your arms?” “What does that T-shirt mean and where can I get one?” All were keen efforts to raise awareness for this cause and show those in need that they are not alone. By metaphorically applying “Love” as a pressure bandage to the self inflicted ugly wounds of the story’s character, this band of persistent friends helped not only Renee, but began to define and fulfill TWLOHA’s vision including:

The vision is the possibility that your best days are ahead.

The vision is the possibility that we’re more loved than we’ll ever know.

The vision is hope, and hope is real.

You are not alone, and this is not the end of your story.

 

Lucy, I won’t let this be the end of Maggie’s story either . . .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted on by Angela in disease, Exercise, Nutrition, Whole Food Leave a comment

What’s a probiotic?

 

 

PROBIOTICS

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What the H$%* are they and why do we need them?  I’m going to give you my own dumbed-down skinny on what they are and exactly how they can help us get healthier.

First, every organism on the planet is covered in microbes (those pesky little bacteria that live on our skin, in our guts, on our counters —etc).  Its normal!  We are supposed to be surrounded by all these little parasites exactly like we are surrounded by our leachy teenagers and our snot blowing kids —It’s natural and part of the whole  life experience.  We were all designed to have “healthy” bacteria to help us coexist in nature and that is totally cool.  Good Ole Mother Nature designed it that way and I’m convinced that she knew what she was doing!

Here are just a few of the healthy benefits that we get from these bacteria living on, around, and within us.

1.  They produce enzymes that kill bad bacteria (Eek -like the stomach flu)

2.  They produce substances that give the lining of the gut energy

3.  They boost immunity by giving us mucin (a component of mucous/snot) to help stomp out bad bacteria

4.  They down-regulate inflammation and free-radicals like crazy cousin Joe (see previous free radical post)

5.  They reduce the risk of allergy

These are all functions that the normal gut bacteria are designed to do for the human body.

These guys have so many more important functions but I fear boring you with the science of it all.  There’s a reference at the end of the post for all you science nerds like me!

Here’s the version that I dumbed down for my own little mind to digest!

1.  Our food supply has drastically changed since World War II—we are now using more corn and grain to feed our livestock.  We also used the leftover nitrogen from bomb making to fertilize our crops after the war.

2.  The US became much more industrialized after WWII and we started adding a lot of chemicals to improve the shelf life of foods

3.  This has gradually destroyed the lining of our gut (which I will better explain in another post)

4.  We now harbor bacteria in our GI tract that we aren’t use to having.  They are dysbiotic instead of symbiotic.

5.  Because we no longer harbor these “Good Bacteria” in our gut —we have increased inflammation and autoimmunity.

6.  The inflammation –now has to settle somewhere in our body if we don’t supply  it with good antioxidants as a defense mechanism.

7.  We are consuming foods that are no longer nutrient dense.  Even if we are eating healthy, our guts don’t have the correct bacteria to absorb the nutrients anymore.

So—-A first start at cleaning up The Gut– Probiotics

These are supplements with the good bacteria strains that have been killed off by our modern diet.  They do exactly what they are designed to do–help prevent disease, help absorb nutrients from food, help keep digestion regular etc.  These bad boys recolonize our Gut with the Good Bacteria.

So here is the final scoop–

If you eat a perfect diet of organic fruits, veggies, grass-fed meats and consume no processed foods—you might not need to take probiotics

But, if you are like the rest of us—you need these little buggers back in your gut to make and keep you healthy!

 

Here are the strains you want to look for in buying a probiotic

The Big 7!!!

1.  Lactobacillus Acidophillus

2.  Lactobacillus Ramnosus

3.  Lactobacillus Plantarum

4.  Lactobacillus Casei

5.  Bifidobacterium Longum

6.  Bifidobacterium Breve

7.  Saccharomyces boulardii

Probiotics can be found at your local drugstore or you can buy them HERE from Amazon

I’ll post more on benefits and the different digestive benefits of each strain –however this is your dirty little outline guide to refer to!

 

It seems to be a great idea to mix different brands of probiotic and then rotate them as well so I have added some of my new favorites to the list!

1.  Garden of Life Primal Defense Ultra Ultimate Probiotics Formula

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2.  Advance Orthomolecular Research Advanced Series Probiotic 3

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3.  Ultimate Floraultimate flora

 

 

 

 

4.  VSL #3

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You can easily purchase these thru Amazon by clicking HERE

 

For more information:  see “Probiotics:  Why You Need Them and How to Choose Them” by Yuri Elkaim, BPHE, CK, RHN

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Nutrition, Whole Food 1 Comment

Local Grown Ingredients

It’s funny that people will spend $5.00 on a Starbucks drink but have trouble with the expense of buying organic veggies and fruits.  I was certainly an offender back in the day and I absolutely said –“It’s too expensive to eat healthy”.  Then, I had an epiphany realizing that everything that I put in my body was either destroying or improving my health.  Have you priced cancer or autoimmune disease meds and treatments lately?  I can guarantee you that pharmaceuticals are expensive and are only getting pricier!  Today I shelled out a pretty penny at the Binford Farmer’s Market and got some amazing healthy food!

veggies

I came across a list of all the local restaurants that use local organic ingredients and thought I would share.  I’m putting my money towards the farmers and not toward Monsanto’s dreaded GMO’s

 

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The following is a list of Local Restaurants using Local Ingredients—I’m putting my money into my health!

3 Days in Paris

3 Sisters Cafe

Barking Dog

Bee Coffee Roasters

Bluebeard

Brad Gates

Cafe Patachou

Cavemantruck

Cerulean

Circle City Sweets

City Cafe

Duos

Ezra’s Enlightened Cafe

Fermenti Artisian

Goose the Eatery

H20 Sushi

Foundry Provisions

Harry & Izzy’s

Indigo Duck

Ingredients

Juniper Spoon

Late Harvest

The Legend

Liberitine

Natural Born Juicers

Pizzology Pizzeria and Pub

Pogue’s Run Grocer Cafe

Pure Eatery

R-Bistro

Recess

Shoefly Public House

SoBro Cafe

St Elmos

Tulip Noir

Twenty Tap

Posted on by Angela in Diet, Nutrition, Organic, Uncategorized, Whole Food 1 Comment

The Gluten Free Saga with Superhero Sandy–Episode 1

My superhero patient/friend, Sandy , has allowed me to share some of her story with you.   I am uber (is that a word?) grateful.  If this post relates to any reader or helps anyone–our mission is accomplished.  We are all in this together so Sandy and I are just sharing the experience!

Sandy has Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Basically in my dumbed down nutshell—-her body’s immune system has declared war on her thyroid and is attacking it. She has antibodies against her very own thyroid gland. She had been complaining of weight gain, fatigue, muscle aches, anxiety, depression, and many of the other vague ,yet debilitating symptoms that thyroid issues can cause.

For more NERD detail on Hashimoto’s–check out this

THE  THYROID SESSIONS

or

READ HERE

This is the first episode in Sandy’s saga–please follow along

Sandy shares:

“So my doctor’s office just called, and I need to seriously start a gluten-free diet immediately. Thyroid antibodies. Anti-inflammatories. Selenium. No bread, no grains. But wait. It’s 5:00. Vodka is made from potatoes, right?”

Crap–that would be my first reaction too!!! Who wants to eliminate everything from their diet? Nobody!!!

Here is my advice Sandy—

Chopin–black label made from potatoes

Ciroc–blue label made from grapes

Tito’s —made from corn

images Cîroc_vodka images

YES—I realize that an autoimmune protocol diet eliminates grain, dairy and alcohol–but, remember those famous words from JOEL  –sometimes you gotta say “What The F%$K”

Baby steps Sandy–we will get you feeling better soon!  She promises to keep us posted on her gluten-free journey!

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What Thyroid Tests Do I Ask My Doctor to Order?


I just watched the first 3 presentations!!  I’ve already learned more about the thyroid than I did in medical school!!!

This is invaluable stuff!–Do you have questions about what supplements you should be taking, what tests you should be asking for, what medications are best?  Register now for free to listen to these in 48 hour timeframes.  I will keep you all updated on what I learn, but some extra ears always help.  Empower yourselves against thyroid disease—Nobody else cares more about your health than YOU!

Register HERE

THE THYROID SESSIONS

#anxiety, #depression, #hairloss,  #heartdisease,  #infertility, #obesity, #chriskresser

 

 

Posted on by Angela in Nutrition, Weight Loss, Whole Food 2 Comments

Health Concerns of High Fructose Corn Syrup

High Fructose Corn Syrup—most of us are aware by now that we should avoid this when we are reading our grocery store labels.  Lately, I have been shocked at how many proclaimed “healthy” products actually contain it.  I thought I would share just a few more health risks associated with regular consumption of these products.

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I would like to share a brief excerpt from my favorite book “Bring Back Vitality” by Bea White and Lori Petrucciani ND

 

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Health Concerns if HFCS

1/3 of products that contain HFCS also contain mercury

HFCS is 45 % glucose which is more quickly absorbed but the body than sugar, causing a blood sugar spike.  This can lead to insulin resistance and diabetes

Weigh gain and obesity:  A 2010 Princeton University study found that high fructose corn syrup caused significantly more weight gain than regular sugar

Liver stress

Fat cell accumulation

Inflammation

High Blood Pressure

High lipid cholesterol

Alzheimer’s Disease

Type 2 Diabetes

This excerpt is from page 160 of this fabulous guide-book Bring Back Vitality —which is available for purchase on the store page of this WEBSITE

1463332_479461622169020_124370057_nAlso learn more by visiting their SITE.  Hats off to these two wellness warriors that took it upon themselves to write such an understandable guideline and handbook to overall wellness using Food As Medicine!

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Nutrition, Organic, Weight Loss, Whole Food Leave a comment

Lose Those Medicines!

Can exercise, food help you kick the meds?

By Lauren Lowrey Updated: Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 6:40 am Published: Tuesday, April 15, 2014, 5:47 am

AVON, Ind. (WISH) — Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug, according to research by the Mayo Clinic and many of those drugs are for problems considered to be avoidable if you change your lifestyle.

“People that are on medication don’t have to be,” says Brooke Huffman a Shelbyville mother and Realtor.

Huffman was in severe pain last fall with pain in her joints, burning feet and tremendous swelling. The pain prevented her from exercising, which led to dramatic weight gain.

“We ran a lot of testing on Brooke and found that she had an intolerance to gluten,” says Angela Henriksen, MD. “When she eliminated that from her diet, all of her symptoms went away, 100 percent.”

By changing her diet, Huffman was able to eliminate the anti-inflammatory medication she was taking as well as reduce the dosage of her thyroid medication twice. She was able to exercise again and lose 50 pounds.

“What I think is really shocking is that we as clinicians don’t understand nutrition as well as we should,” says Henriksen. “So, it’s important to go back and look at what the diet options are and how important it is to get your nutrients through your food and not through supplements.”

Four years ago, one of Henriksen’s patients had frequent skin rashes, severe joint pain and inflammation. She was placed on immune suppressive drugs, which caused her to gain weight and worsened her symptoms. Henriksen worked with the patient to change her diet to include only real whole foods. The patient is now pain and symptom free and takes no prescription medications.

The experience was the catalyst for Henriksen to create a health and wellness blog called Angela M.D. focusing on diet, exercise and healthy living. She also operates a Wellness Clinic out of her office at IU Health West Hospital where patients can sit down with a nurse every two weeks to review a food journal.

“We need to figure out how to use food as medicine and prevent disease before we get into a situation where we’re spending a lot of money on meds that we don’t need to take,” says Henriksen.

Poor diet is a major contributor to the leading causes of chronic disease and death in the United States, including heart disease, diabetes and stroke. Recent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey shows that about 70% of adults in the United States are either overweight or obese.

Nearly one in three adults in the United States has high blood pressure according to the FDA, and 11 percent of people in the U.S. are taking drugs to lower lipids, such as cholesterol. Both conditions are considered controllable with diet and exercise. After reviewing 305 randomized controlled trials, researchers found exercise was equally as effective as medication for pre-diabetes and heart disease.

“I’ve gotten rid of the Diet Coke and I also do a lot of fresh foods, fresh vegetables, fresh fruits,” says Huffman. “Medication is expensive, it has side effects and if you can change just a few simple things and feel better, why wouldn’t you try?”

Posted on by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Whole Food Leave a comment