The most commonly diagnosed medical condition in the United States is high blood pressure, or hypertension, and blood pressure medications are among the top 10 most commonly prescribed drugs. However, these medications can cause undesirable side effects. It’s better to address the underlying causes of high blood pressure—research shows diet and lifestyle changes are just as effective or even better than medications in lowering high blood pressure.
Why should you be concerned about high blood pressure? High blood pressure increases the risk of heart attack, heart failure, kidney failure, diabetes and peripheral vascular disease. Thirty percent of the population has high blood pressure, and another 30 percent has pre-hypertension, or somewhat elevated high blood pressure. Men are more likely… Continue reading
Did you know that approximately two-thirds of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related complaints? Stress is the body’s reaction to any situation that is demanding or dangerous. When we experience stress, the body responds by making adrenal hormones (such as epinephrine, norepinephrine, and cortisol) that help your body cope. Commonly called the “fight or flight” response, this is where your blood pressure increases, your hands sweat, and your heart rate and breathing quicken. You’ve probably felt it during that big job interview, before a first date, during an argument, or being stuck in traffic when you’re running late.
Our bodies normalize quickly after responding to short-term stressors. But problems arise with chronic stress, such as financial… Continue reading
Question: It seems every week I see a new gluten-free food at the grocery store and that another friend has gone gluten-free. Why?
Answer: A gluten-free diet has been attacked as a trendy food fad, and it’s easy to understand why. Gluten-free food is the fastest growing segment of the natural foods market.
Going gluten-free improves health
But it’s a fad because it works. A gluten-free diet alleviates or remedies chronic joint pain, skin problems, depression, anxiety, memory loss, gut pain, digestive issues, childhood behavioral issues, autism spectrum disorders, and more. Genetics determine how gluten affects a person.
Gluten intolerance more common
New research has also shown the prevalence of gluten intolerance has increased, and that the risk of… Continue reading
If you’re following the strict leaky gut or autoimmune diet, you may have noticed nightshades are on the list of foods to avoid. Many common and much-loved vegetables belong to the nightshade family, including eggplants, tomatoes, potatoes, sweet and hot peppers (but not black pepper), and chili-based spices, including paprika. What many people don’t realize is nightshades contain compounds that can contribute to their pain, digestive issues, and inflammation. Some people are sensitive to nightshades so it’s important to determine whether they might play a role in your symptoms.
The word nightshade typically conjures images of notorious toxic plants such as jimson weed, petunias, and deadly nightshade. The nightshade family, called Solanacea, has more than 2,000 species, most… Continue reading
With Valentine’s Day around the corner, have you thought about how to express your affection for someone you love who lives with a chronic illness? Chronic illness is at an all-time high in the United States, with 75 percent of our health care dollars going to treat such chronic illnesses as heart disease, diabetes, and autoimmune conditions. Because chronic illness is invisible to others, living with the symptoms of pain, fatigue, depression, and inflammation can be very stressful.
Chocolates not a good idea for chronically ill
The traditional gift of chocolate may not be the best idea; many chocolates are made in factories where they become cross-contaminated with gluten and other food allergens, and the sugar and caffeine… Continue reading
Do you suffer from depression, anxiety disorders, brain fog, memory loss, or other brain-based issues? While conventional medicine turns to drug treatments, recent research points to poor gut health as the root of mental illness. This is because inflammation in the gut triggers inflammation throughout the body, including in the brain, bringing on depression, anxiety, brain fog, memory loss and other neurological symptoms. Although many factors affect gut health—and hence brain health—one of the more profound is a sensitivity to gluten, the protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and other wheat-like grains. In fact, a gluten sensitivity has been found to affect brain and nerve tissue more than any other tissue in the body.
Gluten sensitivity once was thought… Continue reading
Obesity has long been blamed on laziness and lack of will power, but exciting new research shows the composition of your gut bacteria, which may have been set since birth, can play a deciding role in whether you’re thin or fat. In mice studies, mice that received bacteria from an obese person became obese. What’s more exciting is mice studies show that transplanting bacteria from thin humans into obese mice causes the obese mice to lose weight. This is a promising discovery for those who cannot lose weight despite diet and exercise.
It appears these bacteria affect the mechanisms that promote leanness, one of the more notable being insulin sensitivity. Insulin resistance is typical in obese people. The most… Continue reading
Question: Why am I hungry all the time when I am already overweight, even shortly after eating a full meal?
Answer: It could be a hormone called leptin, which is produced by body fat, controls whether you feel satisfied after eating.
A hormone called leptin controls hunger
If you produce too much leptin you develop leptin resistance, which makes you hungrier.
When you eat, leptin goes to the satiety center of the brain and helps you feel satisfied. A hormone called ghrelin signals hunger.
Overeating and junk food cause leptin resistance
People who consistently overeat or eat too many sweets and starchy foods make too much leptin. These high levels are dangerous to the brain’s cells. Thus in order… Continue reading
Have you noticed signs banning the wearing of perfumes or heavy fragrance in some places? Or perhaps you yourself experience unpleasant or even debilitating symptoms when exposed to perfumes, scented products, gasoline fumes, car exhaust, or other chemical odors. A growing number of people suffer migraines, rashes, fatigue, mood changes, autoimmune flare ups, or more when exposed to chemical-based scents or fumes. Even formerly pleasurable products, such as scented dryer sheets, can tip some people into a tailspin.
Multiple chemical sensitivities is now called TILT
Although these synthetic scents and fumes are unhealthy for both people and the environment, those who react negatively to them are experiencing TILT, or toxicant-induced loss of tolerance, a condition in which the body loses… Continue reading
Although diet obviously plays a role in leaky gut, so do other factors, such as high blood sugar, chronic stress, and hormonal imbalances. However, it’s important not to overlook the impact of seemingly innocuous over-the-counter (OTC) medications, as well as some prescription ones.
Leaky gut, or intestinal permeability, is a condition in which the walls of the small intestine become inflamed, damaged, and porous, allowing undigested foods, bacteria, yeast, and other pathogens into the bloodstream. Once these pathogens escape the confines of the intestines and hit the bloodstream, they trigger inflammation in the body and brain. Leaky gut is associated with chronic disease, autoimmunity, depression, and more. Common symptoms include joint pain, skin conditions, gut problems, fatigue, and depression… Continue reading