Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
From A Naturopaths Point of View Part 3 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Self-diagnosis? One of the most integral parts of a consult with an Invite nutritionist t is knowing exactly what is going on in your body. In other words it’s important to see …
Alcar with ALA Capsules Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One of the most popular products here at Invite Health has always been our Alcar with ALA formula. If you have been using Invite’s Alcar with ALA you may notice some changes to it! Now the …
From a Naturopathic Point of View
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Throughout this series I will be reviewing certain health topics that I find tend to be the least well understood. I especially want to focus on a holistic point of view. The fist topic that I want to address starts simply with 1 word, control. What in the world do I mean by that? Well one of the most important things you can do for your overall health is to keep control of any chronic disease that you may have.
One example of a chronic disease that it is important to keep control of is diabetes. In my clinical experience having diabetes that is not well controlled is one of the biggest risk factors for complications. I’m going to be rather blunt here but honest. If you’re having complications from uncontrolled diabetes you have to address the underlying cause, the uncontrolled diabetes to really see results. For example a common complication of diabetes is neuropathy. To really control neuropathy it is critical that blood sugar be controlled. One way I describe the situation is as follows. If you have neuropathy with uncontrolled diabetes it’s like trying to fill a bucket that has a small hole in it. You may make some progress but until you fix the hole it will never be filled. In this case until you get the blood sugar controlled there is a limit to how much progress you can have with the symptoms of neuropathy. There are many possible complications to having diabetes. The most common complications include heart disease, kidney disease and neuropathy. Additionally complications can include diabetic retinopathy or damage to the eyes. Type 2 diabetes can also increase the risk of dementia and depression. Having trouble with hearing is also more common in diabetics. Lastly diabetes can also affect our skin and mouth. Unfortunately the less controlled your blood sugar the higher the risk of these complications. How do you know if your diabetes is well controlled? One of the best things you can do is to do any blood tests your doctor may recommend. For example A1C is a common test used to monitor your blood sugar. (1)
Another chronic disease that can have dangerous complications if not well controlled is blood pressure. There’s a good reason why high blood pressure is called the silent killer. Uncontrolled blood pressure is frankly very dangerous. It is often asymptomatic. Having uncontrolled blood pressure is a huge risk for a heart attack or stroke. (2) If you have high blood pressure it is imperative that you listen to any recommendations form your doctor. While I understand the concerns that medications can generate having uncontrolled blood pressure can cause complications that are life changing. I am not going to sugar coat this. Having a heart attack or stroke can lead to life changing complications that often times permanently change your life due to the damage that results.
Another concern that people seem to brush off is cholesterol. For some reason lately there’s been a rumor that having high cholesterol isn’t all that bad or dangerous. However this is not the case. Having high cholesterol greatly increases your risk of heart attack or stroke. (3)
Overall in my Clinical experience having uncontrolled diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol all increase the risk of very dangerous complications. So what can you do? Well it’s important to talk to your doctor and ask an Invite Nutritionist if the following are right for you:
Our next product highlight will be Gluco Hx!
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Methyl-B Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Most people have heard that it can improve your health if you take a B complex. You may even have heard the term “methylation”. But do you know what that term means? Why does it even matter? This blog …
Bilberry for Eye Health and More!!!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
In this blog we will be talking about Bilberry. Yes you read that correct, bilberry not blueberry. Now I bet your thinking but Dr. Claire what exactly is the difference between a bilberry and blueberry? Well that is exactly what I’m going to tell you. To start with yes bilberry and blueberries are cousins. Bilberry is considered to be the wild fruit of the family and is not cultivated or grown on farms whereas blueberry is the cultured form that you get in the supermarket. Nutritionally bilberry contains 4X the antioxidants of blueberry! Bilberry contains a higher concentration of the antioxidants anthocyanins. Bilberry also contains a higher concentration of vitamins A, C, D and even K! Bilberry and blueberries also look different. While blueberries are blue on the outside and white on the inside bilberries in contrast are dark blue- purple throughout! (1) But this article is on bilberry so let’s move on. To start with just what are the benefits of bilberry? Let’s get into it, shall we?
To start with studies have found that using bilberry can help keep our eyes healthy. (2) In another study it was found when using a combination of pine bark and bilberry there was a reduction in eye pressure, which is important in talking about diseases such as glaucoma. (3) Bilberry has also been found in studies to help reduce the risk of cataracts. (4) As I talked about in my blog on diabetic retinopathy studies have found that bilberry can help to reduce the risk of diabetic retinopathy. (5)
In addition to helping protect our vision bilberry has other benefits that help keep us healthy. In fact studies have found that bilberry can help to strengthen our blood vessels. Studies have found that bilberry can even help with reducing LDL and improve circulation. Bilberry has even been found to help with poor circulation such as in those who have chronic venous insufficiency. Studies have found that bilberry may even help to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. While more studies are needed in people with diabetes those using bilberry have reported a reduction in blood sugar. (6) In fact according to diabetes. UK bilberry may be useful a useful addition in those looking to lower their glucose levels. Why is this so important? It is important because in diabetes and basically any situation where it’s important to have good control over your diabetes any supplement that can help is always a good addition to your protocol. In fact studies have found that those who have diabetic retinopathy and use bilberry have stronger blood vessels as well as reduced hemorrhaging. (7)
Bilberry has also been used to improve diarrhea due to the fact that it contains tannins which act both as an anti-inflammatory as well as an astringent. (6)
As you can see bilberry is a powerful nutrient. But where exactly can you find bilberry in the Invite Health line of products? It is found in Macula Advanced. But if you’re not a fan of pills it’s also found in the following powders – both Greens Hx and Organic Greens, Reds Hx and Purples Hx! For more information on where to find Bilberry please feel free to contact an Invite nutritionist! Our next topic will be dry eye!
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