Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
DAIRY~THE OPTIONS AND BENEFITS By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Dairy is that food group that seems to be one of the easiest to consume and the most indulgent. This group is commonly associated with calcium and strong bones. It has a wide variety …
Seasonal Allergies! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Achoo! Achoo! Is it a cold? It is just dusty? Nope! Its allergy season! And along with allergy season is all the symptoms of allergies. Having symptoms of allergies tend to come during what is known as allergy …
VEGETABLES~GREENS AND BEYOND
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
Vegetables and greens always seem to be the most difficult for people to eat enough of on a daily basis. As I’ve talked to people over the years on this subject, I’ve noticed a few common reasons seem to come up. Let’s take some time together to get to know our vegetables and greens, as well as address some common reasons why many aren’t getting their daily recommendation.
Let’s start at the beginning….just how much vegetables and greens do we really need in a day? According to the guidelines from the USDA, an adult should consume 2 1/2-4 cups a day. This varies slightly, as greens usually need 2 cups to actually count as the 1 cup serving size. For instance, a salad consisting of 2 cups of kale, 1 carrot, 1/2 cup tomatoes and 1/2 cup of mushrooms would give you 2 1/2 servings for the day. I’ve heard many people count this as 4 servings because there’s 4 types of vegetables represented in the salad. This is definitely one way that causing some confusion and keeps some people from getting the correct daily recommendation.
Another misconception seems to involve cooking styles. We know that certain ways of cooking vegetables can be good, such as steaming, roasting or lightly sautéing. This helps to drastically cut down the fat from oils. According to an article from Harvard Medical School titled ‘How Much Will Fried Foods Harm Your Heart? We see that this way of food preparation may be a cause of increased inflammation in the body. This increased inflammation can be a contributing factor in heart disease, increasing the chances for such issues as heart attack or stroke. Keep in mind, even though it is a vegetable, once it gets battered or coated and fried it is more of an indulgent treat then a nutritious vegetable.
Vegetables are so important because of the nutrients they supply. MedicalNewsToday highlights some of these that include, but are not limited to, vitamins and minerals such as A, some B’s, C and K, folate, potassium, manganese and magnesium. Vegetables and leafy greens are also a good source of fiber.
I’m often asked which vegetables are the best. I always say there are no bad vegetables or leafy greens out there to avoid. Try focusing of the ones you already like and can tolerate well. I also like to recommend trying a new vegetable each week. For example, try traditional vegetable like tomatoes, zucchini and carrots with greens like kale and spinach. Maybe experiment with a cruciferous vegetable such as Brussel sprouts or cabbage (green or red). Remember, you can’t “overdose” on vegetables and greens so once you are consistently getting in your recommended serving outlined by the USDA, try to challenge yourself to get 5-9 cups a day. I find that this bulks up my meals in a healthy way without feeling “stuffed”.
GREENS HX: In order to help increase vegetable intake each day, adding a greens powder to make a healthy green drink is a good option. This contains a wide variety of vegetables, green and herbs allowing for an earthy taste with a dash of oregano. It even has some probiotics in the formula so this is great not only for nutrients, but to help with detoxification, healthy immunity and maybe even offer some increased energy…which is always a good thing.
BEETS HX: While beets are delicious, sometimes they can be difficult to cook. In order to get all the benefits to the circulatory system that beets offer, a good alternative is to incorporate this in a powder form. It can be added to water, smoothies or plain yogurt.
HAPPY GUT GREEN SMOOTHIE
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 cup Ice
1/2 cup Raw Organic Coconut Water
1 teaspoon Raw Honey
1 scoop Greens Hx
1 capsule Probiotic Hx
Add all ingredients to a blender, along with the contents of the Probiotic Hx (discard the empty capsule). Blend together, pour into a glass and enjoy!
PRO TIP: In my experience, if you find that you experience digestive distress when eating vegetables or greens, try cooking them and avoid raw. This can help cut down on gas developing in the gut, particularly for those that are exploring new produce or are increasing their daily intake.
www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/vegetables
www.uhhospitals.org/blog/articles/2023/11/raw-vs-cooked-vegetables
www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/how-much-will-fried-foods-harm-your-heart
www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323319#summary
The Wonders of Black Seed Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I am very excited to start this conversation on black seed. Black Seed is an amazing nutrient for our respiratory system. Invite health has a unique formula which includes Black Seed, Cordyceps and Rosemary Extract. …
FRUITS~NATURE’S TREAT By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Fruit is one of those groups that we all know and love. In my experience, it’s always that food that most people don’t seem to have problems getting into their daily diet. However, let’s explore this …
Understanding the Complexity of Asthma
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
As I mentioned in my prior blog today I will be talking about a well-known respiratory condition. That condition is Asthma. Let’s take the time to go over just how common it is, shall we? Approximately 7.7% of Americans have asthma. That amounts to about 24.9 million Americans. Of those approximately 20.2 million are adults and 4.6 million are children. Asthma appears to be more prevalent in females. (1)
But what exactly is asthma? When you have asthma your airways become swollen and the pathway for air to travel comes narrow. There may be extra mucus in the airway. As you can probably guess this narrowing of the air passageway can make breathing difficult. Please see the attached picture for a side by side comparisons between a normal airway and in inflamed asthmatic airway. (2)
While symptoms of asthma can vary from person to person there are some common symptoms you can experience. These include shortness of breath, wheezing when exhaling and coughing/ wheezing attacks that can be made worse when you have a virus. Other symptoms can include chest tightness or pain. There may be trouble sleeping due to shortness of breath and coughing. Symptoms of asthma may flare up due to exercise, occupational irritants and by allergens such as pollen or pet dander. I would also like to point out that while some people have symptoms only under certain conditions such as during physical exercise others will have symptoms all the time. (2)
While the cause of asthma is unknown we do know what the most common risk factors for asthma include. One major risk factor for developing asthma is a family history. Having a family history of asthma can make up to 6X more susceptible to asthma. Children and adults that are overweight or obese are also at an increased risk for asthma. People who have a history of smoking or were exposed to 2nd hand smoke are also at risk. Certain allergies such as eczema and hay fever seem to be risk factors for developing asthma. Certain viral infections can increase the risk of asthma. Both air pollution as well as work place exposers are risk factors as well. (3) Asthma symptoms may be triggered by cold air. Certain medications such as beta blockers and aspirin may trigger asthma symptoms. Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD) may also trigger asthma symptoms. Strong emotions, stress and even being in the cold can all trigger asthma symptoms. Even certain preservatives may trigger asthma symptoms. (1)
While some people may not consider asthma to be “series” I want to emphasize that yes asthma can have some series complications. In fact each year more than 3,500 people die from asthma. And in fact approximately 60% of adults and 44$ of children with asthma have poor control over their illness. (1) Complications from asthma can also include a permanent narrowing of the bronchial tubes which can affect how you breathe. Flare-ups can also lead to missed school or work and even interfere with activities of daily living such as sleep. There may also be side effects from long term use of medications used to treat asthma. Lastly asthma can lead to fatigue and even poor mental health. (4)
Asthma is treatable. While it is important to follow your doctors treatment plan there are things you can do to help improve your respiratory health.
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