What did you do the last time you had a headache? You may have taken a few painkillers. This cycle of medicating chronic pain is too common.
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It’s that time again - time to start reflecting on 2017 and determining how 2018 will be that much better. As a long-time, fairly consistent gym attendee, I have witnessed New Year’s resolutions in action. January in the gym is so nuts that I generally avoid it. All the treadmills are full and the pool is standing room only. February is better, but by March it’s finally back to normal and I can resume my regular routine without waiting in line for anything. But where did everyone go?
A common story about Thanksgiving involved unrestrained feasting, followed by drooping heads and intermittent snoring on the couch. We usually blame the tryptophan - an amino acid found in turkey - for the post-dinner nap attack. It's true that tryptophan can have a calming effect, but complete unconsciousness is not a typical reaction. The more likely explanation is that the drowsiness after Thanksgiving dinner is a product of a sugar crash. Turkey is just the innocent bystander. The real culprit is the marshmallow covered sweet potatoes; the super sugar saturated cranberry sauce and the dessert buffet. There is a better way.
The USDA Organic label found on an increasing number of foods today holds quite a bit of weight. It indicates that the food producer has gone through an extensive certification process in order to show that their product meets certain qualifications. Consumers use the label as verification that their purchase is free from synthetic pesticides, toxic herbicides and GMO’s, and has been grown in a way that is supportive of natural ecological cycles.
Of all the nutritional recommendations that are passed around, eating more fruits and vegetables seems like a tip that should be universally good for everyone. Like every guideline, even this one has caveats. Many plant foods contain compounds that are irritating to our digestive system, immune system, and even nervous system. These compounds can cause certain plant foods to do more harm than good. In some cases, proper preparation of the foods can mitigate the ill effects of the compounds, but in other cases, the foods should be avoided in their entirety.
Returning to a natural diet may not widen dental arches or straighten teeth, but in some cases can be extremely helpful for tooth decay.
Dr. Weston A. Price, DDS found that people whose tooth decay, heart disease, and diabetes were near zero, now rival modern America.
In the 1930’s, a dentist named Weston A. Price traveled the world to inspect the teeth of indigenous groups. In his American dental practice, he became increasingly concerned with the dental issues that his modernized, American patients were experiencing. Multiple cavities, crooked teeth and narrow dental arches required dental intervention, but he was sure this was not a normal state of human health.
What you eat is important. What you don’t eat might be more important due to food sensitivities. The right diet has life-altering benefits.
Do you ever get the feeling that you’re not alone?You should. You are never really alone when you consider the vast populations of bacteria and yeast living inside of you. Your skin, mouth and digestive tract are teeming with little friends. And friends they are, most of the time. Those organisms that make up the microbiome are an essential component of good health until certain environmental factors cause them to become a component of poor health.When certain “good” microbe populations are damaged by antibiotics, nutrient deficiencies, stress and/or processed foods, the “bad” microbes are presented with an opportunity to grow out of control. When they are comfortably fed with refined sugars, they have the fuel needed to take over.
Among the micronutrients, vitamins are well known, but not well understood by consumers in general. Most people probably think of a bottle of supplements when considering the role of vitamins in their lives, but the best vitamin sources are whole foods.In fact, there is much more bang for the buck by getting vitamins from foods. Individual nutrients lose value by themselves - a prime example of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts. Many nutrients work optimally only when accompanied by cofactors, such as water, other vitamins or fats, among others.
Last week, I started sharing the foundational pillars that make up whole health.Without these pillars firmly in place, health crumbles and a series of chronic consequences takes hold. The first two pillars mentioned were digestion and blood sugar balance. Let’s take a look at the remaining three.
The key to a house that will last is a solid foundation, same goes for your health. In nutritional therapy, there are five pillars of foundational health.
“Hi, my name is _____________, and I’m addicted to sugar.” A program like a sugar detox could be a complete game changer for you.
