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 course–the old standby of chicken soup is helpful! You can make some fabulous Homemade Bone Broth which will help boost your immune system! You can also order some from THE BROTHERY. I keep some of Chef Lance’s bone broth in the freezer just for this type of occasion. When you feel crappy –it’s not always exciting to make your own so this hits the spot.

ELDERBERRY —is available as a supplement and research shows that it accelerates cytokine production to help regulate the immune response. It is rich in antioxidants and vitamin C.

GARLIC— is rich in vitamin C and zinc which both support immune response.

PROBIOTICS— these gut friendly bacteria make for a robust immune system. You can buy these as a supplement (check out my faves in the FULLSCRIPT link) Even better, try eating some fermented foods like kefir, sauerkraut or kimchi. I’ve heard of people taking a dose of probiotic every hour when they first start feeling ill.

Zinc — this essential mineral is the most common mineral (after iron) found in the body and zinc depletion causes immune dysfunction. So load up on that

Vitamin C/D/E— These support the production of anti-stress hormones and interferon which is an immune system protein that stimulates the production of infection fighting white blood cells.

Posted on January 6, 2020 by Angela in disease, Nutrition Leave a comment

When Should I Take My Supplements?

If you are like me — you are just starting to realize why it is important to add supplements to your diet. Even if we are eating a clean, healthy and unprocessed diet; the mineral content of the soil that our food is grown in just isn’t equivalent to that of our predecessors. I won’t even begin to touch on the topics of pesticides, GMO’s, contaminated water supplies etc. Let’s face it — most of the food / water/ products that we put in our bodies simply aren’t healthy anymore. So I do think we need to augment our nutrition these days with some good quality supplements.

You can refer back to previous posts that will explain which supplements I think are important for most people and why—

But here is another big question—- WHEN should we take these supplements and WHY?

So here is the low down!

Multivitamins

Take these with the main meal of the day!

Multivitamins contain the major fat soluble vitamins A,D, E, and K– and should ideally be taken with a meal that contains some fat.

They also contain B and C vitamins which can notoriously cause some mild nausea or acid sensitivity when they aren’t taken with food.

The only exception is a B12 vitamin which is better absorbed on an empty stomach — however, I usually recommend using a sublingual formula of B12 which is placed under the tongue — so it doesn’t matter if it is taken with or without food

Fish Oil

Fish oil can cause some GI upset. That is why it is best to take it with your main meal of the day. Another little tip to remember is that if you are prone to getting “Fish Burps” or gas from taking fish oil, you can keep it in the freezer and take the supplement frozen. Remember, it is almost better not to take fish oil at all if you aren’t getting a high quality supplement. You want to avoid any fish oil that is generated in a farmed setting or that could potentially have high amounts of mercury. I recommend using something like Blue Ice Fermented Cod Liver Oil or Carlson’s fish oil. Reputable supplement companies such as Metagenics, Pure Encapsulations, and Thorne are also safe bets.

Magnesium

Magnesium (see Magnesium- the unloved mineral) is quite beneficial as a supplement as it is necessary for many processes in the body and it helps stabilize calcium in the body. I like magnesium glycinate. It is quite bioavailable and doesn’t tend to cause diarrhea like magnesium sulfate or citrate. Taking magnesium before bed is helpful because it also assists with sleep and muscle relaxation. There is also a good supplement called “Natural Calm” which is a drink you can do before bed. They make magnesium sprays that you can use topically or you can take a bath with 1-2 cups of epsom salts dissolved in it if you don’t like taking the oral supplement.

Probiotics

Probiotics include helpful bacteria to re-colonize the gut micro biome after taking prescription antibiotics. I believe they are helpful to take on a daily basis if you don’t consume a lot of fermented foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, yogurt, kefir, kombucha) It is always best to get good bacteria from foods but taking a quality probiotic with at least 7 different strains of bacteria including lactobacillus and bifidobacterium species can certainly be beneficial (see Probiotics). I suggest taking these on an empty stomach and at night. Preferably 2-3 hours after your final meal of the day.

The website Fullscript – is my new go to supplement spot. Since we can’t always guarantee the what we order from Amazon is going to be stored correctly and is the quality manufacturers that we like — I now order everything from Fullscript- You can click the link below to go directly to the site and see all my favorites.

SaveSave

Purchase products through our Fullscript virtual dispensary.

Posted on February 17, 2019 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Supplements 1 Comment

The Sauerkraut Challenge

As many of you may know — my 9-year-old daughter has been extremely ill for the last 4 weeks. It is so painful to watch your child suffer from illness and not be able to do anything to fix it. All the mamas out there know that when our kids hurt– we hurt too and just want to make things better.

I have to express the gratitude that I have that my kids aren’t sick often and that they (Praise God) don’t have any debilitating or chronic diseases. It took one viral syndrome that lingered to get me thinking about how unfathomable it would be to keep strength having a chronically ill child. I have so much respect and admiration for those parents that endure this journey in life. I can’t imagine—

Although Stanley steamer made quite a profit this past two weeks, (Emma’s room looked like a crime scene after an unfortunate projectile incident involving red Gatorade) — The rest of us have tried to stay healthy and avoid this nasty bug.

I have been eating sauerkraut for the healthy probiotic benefits daily ( about 6 forkfuls daily ) along with my Garden of Life probiotic. I even added some Young Living Oil of Oregano that I put in gelatin capsules and take daily. So far so good.

Another major tip is activated charcoal –you can buy that over the counter — (I get mine at Fresh Thyme)– it absorbs toxins in your body before they can harm you. They actually use it for food poisoning and alcohol overdose in the Emergency Room. Ancient Egyptians used it on wounds and Hindus used it to purify water. It is said that it was used in the past to treat anthrax and epilepsy. Common dosing says to take 2 capsules every few hours– but keep in mind that it will absorb some of the good nutrients in your body — so don’t take it at the same time as some of your other supplements .

Posted on February 28, 2017 by Angela in Body, disease, Nutrition Leave a comment

Homemade Yogurt –get those probiotics!

ADDITIVES-YUCK

Why are they even in the healthy stuff like yogurt???

A big shout out to one of my dear patients that recently shared her recipe with me for homemade yogurt! She is taking her gut bacteria seriously and is in fabulous health!! I love it! I was hesitant to try it and intimidated by the instructions in my probiotic handouts. It just seemed a little overwhelming and too domesticated for me. But it actually wasn’t bad at all!!

Sterilize a glass bottle in boiling water —I use mason jars (the small jelly kind are my favorites–you can get them pretty cheap at Meijer or even find them really cheap at Goodwill)
Take 8 cups (approx 2L) of organic milk (I love Trader’s Point Creamery) and bring it almost to a boil on the stove. You can use goat milk but the texture is much more runny.
Add sugar to taste (about 3-4 tbsp/2L of milk)
Let it cool down to 37 degrees C —ie warm to touch but not burning
Gradually add the starter 1:7 -1:10 and mix well-you can purchase a starter or buy a high quality plain yogurt with live active cultures from the store— add a little milk to the starter to give it a little fluid
Pour into clean bottles
Put them in the oven with a 40 watt bulb for 6-8 hours (use paper to block direct light onto the milk)
After 6 hours— the milk will solidify and be ready to stick in the fridge or eat. (It will keep 1-2 weeks)

AND WOWZA–you just made cheap high quality yogurt without all of the artificial sweeteners, dyes, and hefty price!! Watch out Martha Stewart!

Posted on January 14, 2016 by Angela in Diet, Nutrition 2 Comments

Healthy Gut Summit

So I just found out about this FREE online summit that starts tomorrow. Sorry for the short notice! I am definitely going to register tonight. The talks all start tomorrow so I’ll be listening to the first podcast tomorrow morning on the way into work . Here is the preview banner—-

Are you one of 70 million people suffering from digestive diseases in the United States? You might be… and not even know your gut is the cause! Join me at The Healthy Gut Summit, February 9-16, online and free to learn more! Register HERE

32 reasons how your digestive health is intimately linked to your immune, endocrine, circulatory and central nervous systems… which impact physical, mental and emotional wellbeing! Healthy Gut Summit, online and free from February 9-16. Join me! Register HERE

Did you know? Gut health impacts our most basic physiological processes–including how we think and behave–it’s the foundation for physical, mental and emotional wellbeing. Learn more at The Healthy Gut Summit, online and free from February 9-16.

Here is your last chance—

Order HERE

Posted on February 8, 2015 by Angela in Diet, Nutrition, Whole Food Leave a comment

This is a game changer!

I lied yesterday —-the actual sessions don’t begin until sunday so you still have time!!!! I’m registered and I listened to the preview podcast today on the Underground Wellness site and I’m pretty stoked now. I realize it’s a little nerdy to get so excited about gas, poop, reflux and farts but remember–this is a huge issue we all suffer from!!! Any info we can get to help ourselves is amazing. This series is cutting edge and the average health practitioner will take about 17 years for this new info to become common knowledge. That’s why we are getting it first!! We deserve this free knowledge.

You can either Register for Free now for the event starting sunday –you will have 48 hours to listen to all four interviews or

or you can purchase the whole series at a discounted price and listen to the entire series as many times as you would like

Purchase the Series HERE

Posted on November 8, 2014 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition Leave a comment

What’s a probiotic?

PROBIOTICS

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

2. Advance Orthomolecular Research Advanced Series Probiotic 3

3. Ultimate Flora

4. VSL #3

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 August 9, 2014 by Angela in Body, Diet, disease, Nutrition, Whole Food 1 Comment

What Supplements Should I Take?

Many of you have been in for your annual physical this last year and have been instructed to start the following supplements. You also got a boatload of homework assignments and reading material about healthy eating. (Sorry about that–I treat insomnia too!) After some trial and error, a lot of research, and some penny-pinching–these are the supplements in my medicine cabinet right now. Please leave comments on this post on any of these you have tried and any others you would recommend. We are all in this together!!

Blue Ice Royal

Butter oil/Fermented Cod Liver Oil Blend (add omega 3 fatty acids)

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Ortho Molecular Products

Vitamin K2 with D3 (for hormonal and bone health)

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For more info on Vitamin K2 –check HERE

Magnesium Glycinate (stabilize the calcium in your body)

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For more info on Magnesium check HERE

Probiotics (Re-colonize your gut with good bacteria)

VSL #3

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For more info on probiotics check HERE

There you go; I practice what I preach and take these every day. They are expensive and when I think I can’t afford them; I try and remember that cancer can’t be cheap!

We live in a TOXIC WORLD. How do you stay healthy? Attend The Detox Summit, a worldwide online (and free) event from August 4-11, 2014. HERE

30 reasons why our toxic world doesn’t have to dictate your health! Find out more at the Detox Summit, free and online from August 4-11. Save your seat today! YOUR SEAT HERE

Posted on August 1, 2014 by Angela in Body, Diet, Nutrition, Supplements 5 Comments

Be Mindful, Stay Healthy, and Always Be Yourself!

probiotics