Tag: inflammation

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Do it Yourself Detox 5 Tips to Get Clean

DrAlishaND

Detox, short for detoxification, is becoming a main stream term and way of life for many. Our environment is drastically different now then ever before with so many new chemical exposures, cars, electromagnetic fields (EMF’s), etc. The human body is naturally designed to always return to homeostasis, however, it can be trouble some when it is over burdened with a toxic environment and way of life. There are 2 detox pathways that are used by the liver, both of which require plenty of nutrients, including folic acid, glutathione, B2, B3, B6, B12, Vitamins A, C, & E, and amino acids, amongst others. A detox can range from a few simple changes, or can be a complete program lead by a physican. Here are a few things you can do on your own that will help clean up your act:

  1. Abstain from Alcohol: All toxins, medications, supplements, hormones, etc get processed by your liver. The liver works very hard at just the normal day to day stuff and alcohol is very toxic. Go on a 3 week hiatus from the booze, now is a good time before the holidays hit!
  2. Be Aware of Your Environment: Do you live in an old house? Are you remodeling? Do you wear perfume? Do you breathe in smoke? Problems like mold, or off gases from new carpet and other textiles can release lots of chemicals in your home. Have some house plans such as a spider plant or certain ferns that clean up the air. If you like wearing a scent, switch to essentials oils which are free from toxins. Do you best to breathe in clean air.
  3. Your Mind Matters: Do you have negative self talk? Our emotions and beliefs can effect the expression of our cells (Book: Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton). Do you have old emotions, like those from childhood, that still cause stress for you today? Your mind is most likely your best asset. Take care of it, and go talk to someone to sort out any stresses that are here.
  4. Eat Liver Supportive Foods: For your next grocery store trip, if you shop at a large retailer vs a natural foods store, shop on the perimeter of the store, hitting the produce and meat areas. Pick up spinach, asparagus, avocado, bananas, oranges, pomegranates, chicken and salmon. All of these foods are higher in the nutrients your liver needs for the detoxification pathways.
  5. Home Hydrotherapy: Hydrotherapy is an ancient healing technique that uses water, sometimes in the alteration of hot and cold applications to help blood perfusion and thus bring oxygen and nutrients to the tissues. Take a warm bath and add Epsom salts (contain magnesium) to it. (Caution: do not do if you have heart trouble, diabetic or feel tired and weak.) Pat dry vs rub so the toxins that have seeped out onto the skin get on the towel and not rubbed back in. Remember your skin is like a sponge, what you put on it, soaks in.

 

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Functional Blood Analysis: What is it and what can it do for you?

DrAlishaND

Functional Medicine is now like a coined term that references a type of medicine that addresses optimal health versus disease states. Part of functional medicine includes a doctor viewing blood work with this same lens, so to speak. That the doctor doesn’t just see that a lab value is “within normal range”, but rather looks at the lab value and asks is this optimal, or is this heading in a pathological direction, i.e. on the brink of diabetes. This type of medicine really puts “health” back in “health care” vs “disease care.”

Part of the principles of functional medicine includes addressing what are referred to as the core clinical imbalances, which arise from malfunctions within this complex system and include[1]:

  • Hormonal and neurotransmitter imbalances
  • Oxidation-reduction imbalances and mitochondropathy
  • Detoxification and biotransformational imbalances
  • Immune imbalances
  • Inflammatory imbalances
  • Digestive, absorptive, and microbiological imbalances
  • Structural imbalances from cellular membrane function to the musculoskeletal system

 Functional Medical doctors include all types, DC’sMDs, NDs, and FNP. These practitioners educate their patients on healthy lifestyles that focus on prevention and changing physiology to promote healing and wellness. Most people get annual check ups, and part of that includes basic blood work to evaluate how your body is working. A functional lab interpretation can let you know if you are dysglycemic, B12 deficient, dehydrated, and more. The body gives you these signs and symptoms and it just takes a person educated at reading these to pick up the cues to evaluate if it is heading in the right direction, or if changes need to be made. This type of work can catch future problems before they become an actual disease states, and thus out of the normal lab ranges.

Remember, your health is ultimately up to you. You have the power to make changes and choose a doctor who listens to your concerns, educates you, and takes a proactive approach. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Articles

Sugar: The Other White Powder That Can Kill

DrAlishaND

3 Basic Things to Know

Over one decade ago the USpopulation was consuming an average of over 90 pounds of sugar per person per year, according to the USDA. [1] Now, it is over 135 pounds per capita. This has paralleled increases in major chronic illnesses; such has heart disease, cancer, diabetes, amongst other health challenges. Health for some can be an inside-out approach, and for others perhaps outside-in. Here are a few things to know…

  1. Sugar inside your body-causes inflammation which can contribute to many health challenges. While your body uses glucose as fuel, it can derive its needs from complex carbohydrates, as in fruits and vegetables. Simple carbs such as pasta, white rice, cereals, cookies, etc can raise glucose levels quickly, only to have them come crashing down to either make you tired and/or crave for more. Minimize your sweet treats and choose other sweeteners such as stevia.
  1. Sugar outside your body-causes the skin to age, leading to a decrease in collagen and increase in wrinkles.[2] This occurs via the process of forming what are called advanced glycation end products, or AGEs for short and ironic, when sugar attaches to protein. Caution on the various forms of sugar, it can come under an array of names. High Fructose Corn Syrup has become ubiquitous in our processed foods, and even baby formula![3] HFCS is also thought to produce even more AGEs.
  1. Calculate your intake. The American Heart Association recommends limiting sugar intake to 100 calories for women and 150 calories from sugar for men, or 6 and 9 teaspoons.[4] When looking at packaged food, look at the grams of sugar to calculate your intake and convert to teaspoons using this formula; example: 12 grams of sugar divided by 4 (g of sugar/teaspoon) equals 3 teaspoons of sugar. (3 teaspoons=1 tablespoon)

These three things are intended to give you some fuel for thought. There is an enormous amount of information available on this subject. Start with small steps of change, and with consistency you can cut out the sugar and live a healthy and beautiful life!