Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~MOVEMENT AND EXERCISE by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Movement and exercise, or physical activity, is a healthy lifestyle component that we all know about and are often not consistent with in our day-to-day life. We all hear about it, read …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~CAREER by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Most people do not think about their career and work environment when discussing their personal health and wellness. However, it can be a driving force in managing a healthy lifestyle. I even …
All About Detox Part 1
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Liver health is important for our overall health for so many reasons. One of the most well-known functions of the liver is to detox our bodies. Doing a detox, or cleanse is one of the topics that people tend to feel very enthusiastic about. Some people will insist a detox is necessary every few months. In contrast other people will insist that a detox is not at all necessary and that the liver can do all the detox you need on its own. With these 2 polarizing opinions it is easy to see why this topic can be difficult to understand. So, let us get into it, shall we?
What do we mean when we say do a liver cleanse or detox? Well, a detox helps the liver process toxins through both phase 1 and phase 2. (2) It is important to understand that not all products that say they promote detox are healthy and safe for our liver. In fact, some supplements can cause more harm than good and end up actually damaging our body! While a juice cleanse is often promoted as the best way to do a detox it can affect your blood sugar in a negative way if you are a diabetic or have prediabetes. (2) I know you’re thinking if that is all true it’s best to avoid the whole detox thing! And while yes, it is important to understand that not all detox supplements are the same it is also important to remember that all Invite Health products are made based on studies and undergo testing to ensure that they are both effective and safe.
The one question that I get asked all the time is how often should I do a detox? I tend to promote a happy medium between “every month and never.” Based on my clinical experience I find doing a detox is like doing the spring and fall cleaning. Just like you clean the house to keep everything neat, organized and working well it is a good idea to “clean” or detox the body. That’s why I recommend doing a detox in the spring and fall. Now a detox can be a part of a protocol to address different health goals. In those cases it’s always important to speak to an Invite nutritionist.
I do want to take a moment to talk about who should and should not do a detox. For example many herbs are not safe to use during pregnancy. (3) Additionally doing a detox during pregnancy would expose the growing baby to toxins which most people would agree is not a clever idea! In addition to pregnancy, it’s also not recommended to do a detox if you are on certain medications. For example, NAC has been found to help the liver process medications and get them out of the body. An example of this is Acetaminophen. (4) This means if you are on a medication that requires a certain blood concentration to work if you do a detox, it may detox these meds out of your body faster than expected and thus it will not be as effective. For example, seizure medications. One of the first things we are taught in Naturopathic school is never detox anyone on seizure medications because it can increase the risk of them having a seizure.
Based on my clinical experience I have found that doing a detox can help the liver and kidneys do their jobs better. As I said it’s like spring/fall cleaning. NAC is a great overall supplement. Among its many benefits it works to support detox and even helps promote liver and kidney health. (4) Milk thistle has also been found to help protect the liver and kidneys from toxins. (5) Alpha lipoic acid has also been found to help promote detox. It is interesting because it is extremely helpful at detoxing heavy metals. (6) Dandelion is interesting because it has been found to help get rid of bacteria that are associated with heavy metals. (7) Glutathione has often been called the master antioxidant. Studies have found that it is important for detox and “protecting against toxicity” and even certain diseases. (8)
As you can see the studies clearly show that certain nutrients do promote liver and kidney health and even detox! Thus, it is not all a bunch of rubbish as some might say. Now I’m sure your thinking but Dr. Claire what Invite supplements even have these nutrients? Invite has many supplements that contain these nutrients. Please look for the following products: Daily Detox powder, Detox Hx, Hepatox, NAC and Milk Thistle!
Our next blog will have more details on just what goes into doing a healthy detox.
Sources:
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~JOY by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT “The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. …
What exactly is Liver Cirrhosis? Part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND This is part 2 of our discussion on cirrhosis. If you haven’t read the first part I suggest you do that first since it will contain important background information. In this blog I …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~HEALTH
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
HEALTH seems like a no brainer when discussing wellness and lifestyle. However, what does it really mean? Let’s break this down and I’ll go over what this means to me as it can be rather subjective.
When I think of health, I think of how to maintain my overall general health. This includes such areas as doctor visits and blood work, medications and supplements, and diet choices. While we know these are important, do we know why and are they necessary everyone?
Annual doctor visits for a physical is important to see your improvements, see where more focus needs to be, and to bring up any questions or concerns you may have for your doctor. During the visit you’ll have your physical exam, where the doctor will check such areas like blood pressure, listening to the heart and lungs, checking throat/lymph nodes and checking reflexes. Keep in mind that each doctor and patient has their own way of conducting these exams for the patient’s unique needs. This is also the time when the doctor will decide with lab work needs to be ordered or even make referrals for specialists based off of conversations with the patient, medical history and health concerns or goals.
So what lab work is commonly ordered? This lab work will usually start with a complete blood count or CBC. This is what most of us refer to as ‘routine blood work’. This is a great way for your doctor and other health and wellness professionals to see any improvements, establish areas of concern and monitor health markers. Some of these health markers include, but are not limited to A1C (blood sugar), CRP (inflammation), TSH (thyroid) and creatinine/BUN (kidney function). Often times these are looked at to see if there’s any fluctuation from blood test to blood test, which may help to notice a potential issue early to hopefully avoid future problems. Other test that may be recommended, may be stool test, urine tests or even a hormone panel. They are also used to help guide doctors and health professionals in recommending any necessary medications and/or supplements. Taking both prescribed medications, as well as any supplements, as recommended is incredibly important. They are recommended a certain way to help you to maximize your wellness and to help avoid possible interactions or further health problems. If you feel like something you’re taking isn’t right for you, speak with your doctor or health professional for guidance.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reminds us that a healthy diet is important for our overall general health. This is to help prevent malnutrition and help lower the risk of illness and disease. A healthy diet consists of lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, some dairy, healthy fats like avocado and plenty of water. As always, it’s recommended to avoid or lower the consumption of processed foods, sugar, salt and trans-fats.
Multivitamins are always my go-to as a baseline for a solid supplement regimen. Something like the Core Multi can offer a variety of essential daily vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They help to enhance our diets by not only supplying what we need, but also by giving he body what we may be lacking in our diet. I like to recommend taking a multi with a meal for maximum absorption and benefits. You may even notice and increase of energy from a good multi, which most are happy looking to increase.
Probiotic Hx is something everyone has heard of when it comes to supplements for general health. A good probiotic formula helps to add healthy bacteria to the gut, as well as balance out the flora within the body. Probiotics can also help to support a strong and healthy immune system.
Fish oil is an omega-3 fatty acid that’s made up of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). According to the The Mayo Clinic, studies have shown to be effective in helping those with heart disease. Fish oil has also been beneficial for those with elevated blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
As you can see, partnering with your doctor, and being open and honest about your diet, supplementation, goals and concerns, is a big key in your overall general health. Following your doctors recommendations is also important for health and protecting yourself against illness or disease, whether its medication, tests needed or any procedures that are recommended. Your holistic practitioner can help guide you and recommend complimentary strategies. I always tell people that the best wellness plan is diet, exercise, annual physicals and blood work, along with a combination of natural and traditional health plan.
health.clevelandclinic.org/why-you-need-an-annual-physical-and-what-to-expect
www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/annual-complete-blood-count-an-important-step-in-assessing-health/
www.nebraskamed.com/health/questions-and-answers/primary-care/what-blood-tests-should-i-get-at-my-annual-physical-and
www.aamc.org/news/why-don-t-patients-follow-their-doctors-advice
www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-of-multivitamins
www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-benefits-of-probiotics
www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-fish-oil/art-20364810
