Tag: Immune system

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Why Whole Food Vitamins?

Are synthetic, isolated vitamins and non plant sourced minerals really that different from naturally occurring vitamins, plant sourced minerals, and other micronutrients? The answer is a resounding YES.

Here is what you need to know. Synthetic, isolated vitamins never grew in the ground, were never energized by the sun, and were never alive. They are chemicals; they are NOT food or nutrients. The tragedy is that under the current standards these chemicals can be marketed and studied as vitamins. They are also what are used to determine daily values and to study potential benefit and harm of supplementing your diet with vitamins. However, ingesting chemical synthetic vitamins does not represent vitamin supplementation; it represents the ingestion of chemicals or drugs. Continue reading “Why Whole Food Vitamins?”

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How to Beat Seasonal Allergies Naturally

Somewhere along the line, we started believing that seasonal allergies were normal (perhaps it was the endless bombardment of allergy drug commercials), and that they are something that an individual is going to have to live with for the rest of their life, while medicating themselves. Seasonal allergies are far from normal, and the fact that they are so common means that many do not have an optimally functioning body.

Here are some tips for beating allergies this and every spring without relying on pill popping: Continue reading “How to Beat Seasonal Allergies Naturally”

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Good Friends = Good Health

Not that you needed any more excuses to build that sweet man cave or to schedule a girls night out, but now new research shows that maintaining good friendships is actually good for your health. A recent story in the Washington Post looked at the relationship between having strong friendships and the impact on your health.

It turns out, strong social ties may help stave off memory loss as you age, reduce stress, boost immunity, help you lose weight and keep it off, and buffer against depression, among other health benefits.

There’s also a strong longevity link, says Carl Latkin, a professor of social and behavioral sciences at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health: “If you have supportive relationships, you’re going to live longer.” A 2010 review of nearly 150 studies that was published in PLoS Medicine found that people with strong social ties had a 50 percent better chance of survival, regardless of age, sex, health status and cause of death, than those with weaker ties. Continue reading “Good Friends = Good Health”
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The Core Four

the-four-most-important-supplements

Many of us are seduced by the promise of better health and wellness offered by vitamin supplements. Every year, Americans spend millions of dollars on them – most of which end up half used in our cabinets. This is an explanation of the “Core Four” Supplements that everyone (men, women, & children) should be taking. These are supplements that will actually improve your health and well-being if taken on a regular basis.

OMEGA-3 FISH OIL

Why do we need fish oil? Fish oil contains essential omega-3 fats such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). EPA and DHA are called essential because to be healthy the body must have them and the body cannot make them; we must get them from our food. Fish and sea life (krill) are the only meaningful sources of EPA and DHA on the planet.

Omega-3 fish oil has been shown to promote healthier cell and hormone function throughout the body, in addition to reducing inflammation and cellular oxidation (think aging or “rusting” of your cells). It also promotes healthier pregnancies, breast feeding, pediatric development, neurological growth and development, joint health, weight management, heart function, immune, optical, brain and nerve system health. As you can see, almost everyone can benefit from taking fish oil as a daily supplement.

While eating wild caught fish is a great way to get omega-3 essential fats, the truth is most people do not eat enough fish every week to obtain a healthy amount of omega-3. In addition, some fish can contain dangerous amounts of toxins like mercury and PCBs. Therefore it is important to take a high quality fish oil that is molecularly purified to remove toxins.

Recommended Serving:

Adults – 1000-2000mg, depending on size and activity

Children(4+) – should be taking roughly 300-600 milligrams for every 40 lbs. of body weight

PROBIOTICS

The human body is made up of an estimated 100 trillion bacterial cells from at least 500 species, not including viruses and fungi. These bacteria (probiotics) are referred to as “friendly” bacteria and are responsible for several important biological functions. Some of these functions include assisting with digestion, keeping other harmful bacteria at bay and stimulating the immune system.

Beneficial bacteria in your gut can help to boost the immune system, prevent allergic inflammation and food allergy, clear up eczema in children and heal the intestines from a variety of ailments. Research shows that 80% of your immune system actually lives right in your digestive tract, so if your GI tract is not in optimal health, then your overall health will be compromised. We recommend all new patients take probiotics, although we don’t believe that they need to stay on it the rest of their lives, but one to three months are usually beneficial until they are able to get their diet improved.

Adults – 1 capsule(5 billion active cells/capsule) daily

Children – ½ to 1 teaspoon (depending on age) of Children’s Probiotic powder

Continue reading “The Core Four”