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

labeling

8 GMO Foods to Avoid

What is a GMO?

A GMO (genetically modified organism) is the product of a lab process that takes genes from on species and inserts them into another species to attain a desired trait.  Viruses or bacteria are used to infect animal or plant cells with the new DNA.  The DNA is coated with tiny metal pellets and shot into the cells.  Then, the new DNA is injected into fertilized eggs and electric shocks create holes in the membranes of sperm forcing the new DNA into the holes.  Although, no research on humans has shown detrimental effects from eating GMO foods, numerous studies on animals have shown immune damage, pre-cancerous cell growth and many unexplained anomalies.

For more information on the history of GMO’s visit HERE

Here are the top 8 GMO foods to avoid

1.  CORN– corn is the most prominent genetically modified crop here in the US.  Please know your farmer if you want good fresh sweet corn–and ask what type of seeds he uses.

2.  SOY–90% of soy is genetically engineered to be resistant to Monsanto’s Roundup.

3.  SUGAR–since 2009, genetically modified beets have been used to make beet sugar.

4.  ASPARTAME -not only is one of those toxic food additives, it is actually made from genetically modified bacteria.

5.  PAPAYAS—yep, this wonderful fruit is exported here from Hawaii since 1999 and is genetically modified to be resistant to the Ringspot virus.  They are banned in all European countries.

6.  CANOLA– canola is made from rapeseed which is one of the most chemically modified and adapted oils.

7.  DAIRY–  1/5 of all dairy cows are injected with rBGA growth hormone from Monsanto—Drink organic or plant-based.  Remember that 93% of all soy is GMO— Silk Brand Soy milk is non-GMO.

8.   ZUCCHINI AND YELLOW SQUASH– most are genetically modified to resist viruses.

Luckily, Connecticut and Maine have recently passed laws requiring manufacturers to label all products with Genetically Engineered ingredients.

4 Tips to avoiding GMO

1.  Buy organic–labels saying 100% organic or made with organic ingredients

2.  Buy Non GMO–labels saying “artificial hormone free”

3.  Avoid high risk ingredients–corn, soybean, canola, cottonseed, sugar beets, corn syrup

4.  Download shopping guide and get the app “ShopNoGMO”—a great app with plenty of good information and specific products to avoid.BagofNon-GMOGroceries

Posted on by Angela in Call to action, disease, Nutrition, Organic, Whole Food Leave a comment

Pass the Salt

90% of Americans age 2 and older eat too much salt!  In fact, the average American eats around 3436mg daily!!!  This is amazing considering that less than 1500mg daily is required for prevention of high blood pressure.  In a nutshell, here is what high sodium intake does to the body.

1.  Extra sodium alters the sodium/potassium balance that is necessary for the kidneys to remove extra fluid from the body.  The extra fluid increases blood pressure and strains the blood vessels supplying blood to the kidney

2.  The higher blood pressure puts a strain on the arteries causing the tissue to become thicker and stronger which then even elevates the pressure more.  If left untreated, the arteries can burst or become clogged allowing for decreased nutrients and oxygen flow to organs

3.  High blood pressure ultimately damages the arteries to the heart and brain which can eventually lead to a heart attack or stroke.

 

Salt/Sodium Labeling Woes

Sodium free—-this means there is less than 5mg per serving—-

Very low sodium—this means 35mg or less per serving

Low sodium—means 140mg or less per serving

Reduced sodium—means it is reduced by 25% per serving

Light sodium—is reduced by 50%

 

Here are some little tips to reducing your sodium intake:

Rinse canned foods (vegetables, beans, tuna etc)

Take the salt shaker off the table

When eating out, ask the waiter to hold the salt

Read the food labels!!!!

Shoot for less than 3000mg daily

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