Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Stress Management Noreen Kodula, Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) Stress is the body’s natural response to changes or challenges (stressors) it experiences. It can result in many different physical, emotional and behavioral responses. We all experience stress at some point but the way we respond …
Cold and Flu Season is Here Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND If you have noticed that it seems like everyone around you, you are coughing or sneezing it’s not just your imagination! Cold and flu season has arrived. What can you do to boost your immunity? …
Blood Sugar 101
By: Noreen Kodula, Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP)
Blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, is the amount of simple sugar moving through your body at any given time. The main form of energy that your body uses is glucose. Everything that you eat will break down into glucose for your body to utilize. Other forms of glucose are fructose, lactose, sucrose, and starch. Fats and proteins can also be broken down to glucose, via gluconeogenesis. This is the body’s way of breaking down whatever you eat into an energy source it can use.
Our bodies need a continuous supply of glucose in our blood to carry out basic functions. Too little glucose (hypoglycemia) or too much glucose (hyperglycemia) can cause issues in the body. Once inside your body, your blood delivers glucose to all your tissues and stores the excess as glycogen/fat in the liver and muscle tissue. A specific range of glucose needs to always be in your blood for your body to function normally.
The pancreas releases two hormones, glucagon and insulin, to help to balance the blood sugar in your body.
The normal range for fasting blood sugar (when you have not eaten) is between 70mg/dL and 100mg/dL. One is considered pre-diabetic if your fasting blood sugar is between 100mg/dL and 125mg/dL. When your fasting blood sugar is above 126mg/dL on two or more separate tests, you will be likely be classified as diabetic.
Too much or too little glucose in your blood can cause issues. Hypoglycemia can be caused by not eating enough, drinking alcohol on an empty stomach, taking certain medications, or being more active than usual. Symptoms of hypoglycemia are dizziness, sweating, confusion, and fainting.
Hyperglycemia can be caused by overeating carbohydrates or sugars, dehydration, being sedentary, certain medications, illness, and stress. It is more common in conditions that affect insulin regulation like diabetes. Symptoms of hyperglycemia are excessive thirst, frequent urination, fatigue, and blurred vision.
The two primary forms of diabetes are classified according to how they impact blood sugar regulation.
Maintaining blood sugar in the normal range helps prevent complications associated with diabetes and other health conditions. Eating a healthy diet, maintaining a healthy weight, getting regular physical activity, and taking supplements that may help reduce blood sugar levels and other complications linked to diabetes. Please refer to the list of supplements below for blood sugar support:
Our Gluco Hx is a combination formula, containing many of the above nutrients. Our C-Betics also has ingredients that studies show help with blood sugar regulation. Other tips include:
Overall, you can control your blood sugar through regular monitoring, diet, exercise and supplements to help prevent complications and promote overall well-being.
References:
Blood Sugar Level Chart: What’s Normal, Low, and High?
Blood Sugar: What It Is and How It Works
Manage Blood Sugar | Diabetes | CDC
Diabetes: What It Is, Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & Types
A scientific review: the role of chromium in insulin resistance – PubMed
Noreen Kodula, Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) 
Fatty Liver Disease By: Noreen Kodula, Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) Also known as hepatic steatosis is the excessive accumulation of fat in the liver cells. Having small amounts of fat is to be expected but excessive amounts cause inflammation in the liver, which can …
Getting to the Heart of the Holiday Blues Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND While for many people holidays are a time of joy for other people it can lead to the holiday blues or holiday season-induced depression. Now I am sure your thinking is not holiday …
Holidays and Immune Health
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
While the holidays are often times of fun, exciting travel and a time to reconnect with family and friends they can also be a time when we are exposed to different pathogens or germs than we are used to. In addition to exposing our bodies to different germs there are aspects of holidays that can negatively impact on our immune system. Let us get into it, shall we?
One aspect of holidays that can negatively impact on the immune system is stress. For example, the need to travel, a common part of the holidays is stressful! Not only do you have the stress of catching public transport or being stuck in traffic there is often the stress of having motion sickness. Then of course there is the stress of both gift giving and gift receiving. It’s also important to remember that the holidays can often induce finical stress. Gatherings, both attending and hosting also increase our stress level. As you can see the holidays can increase feelings of stress for many reasons. This is important when it comes to our immune system because stress can and does weaken the immune system. (1) This leaves you more vulnerable to germs such as those that cause colds.
As we all know, holiday time is often a time to indulge in sweets and other foods that you may not normally eat. (1) In my clinical experience this change in diet often has a negative impact on your digestive health. This is important when it comes to the immune system because so much of our immune system lives in the digestive system. In fact, up to 80% of our immunity comes from our digestive system! (2) As I always say, a happy digestive system means a stronger immune system.
Another aspect of holidays that can affect the immune system is alcohol intake. Many holiday beverages include alcohol. And in my experience even those individuals who normally don’t indulge in alcohol will have a drink or 2 around the holidays. Unfortunately, alcohol intake can weaken the immune system and leave you vulnerable to germs. (3)
Yet another aspect of holidays that can affect our immune system is something that may surprise you! And that is hygiene. Now hygiene may not weaken or strengthen our immune system, but it can impact what your immune system is exposed to and expected to fight off! We all know how important it is to wash our hands. But let us be honest with each other. The truth is that while a t a friend’s house or while visiting family it can be easy to skip hand washing before you eat. Now I’m not saying you did not wash your hands after using the restroom! But did you use public transport that day? Did you buy something at the store? If you did not wash your hands before grabbing that cheese and crackers, I’m sorry to say all those germs you came into contact with today are now on those cheese and crackers! (3) Now it is not just hand washing that exposes you to germs. In my experience just going out to the shops during the holidays exposes to you coughing, runny noses and sneezing people! There are germs everywhere! (1)
Moving on another aspect of the holidays is a change in your activity level. Regular exercise is important to help stimulate the immune system. (4) Exercise does not just mean going to the gym! Do you walk to work? Walk to the store? Take the stairs instead of the elevator? These are all immune booting activities! However, during the holidays there is often travel which is a sedentary activity. In addition to travel, I personally have found that visiting family often entails being more sedentary than I am normally used to.
Then there is the changes in sleep patterns that can crop up during the holidays. Lack of quality sleep can weaken the immune system and leave you vulnerable to germs. (1)
Some families like to travel together for the holidays. This can be a concern for our immune system for a number of reasons. For example, you may be exposed to unfamiliar bacteria and viruses that can make you sick. For example, most people know not to drink tap water in a different country. But what about prepared food? Is the cook using tap water in your food? Even travel to a different country itself can trigger jet lag which can weaken the immune system. (5)
What can you do to fight off germs and boost that immune system?
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