Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
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. …
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? …
MY PLATE~OUR DIET GUIDELINE AND FOUNDATION FOR HEALTH
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
March is National Nutrition Month so I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to go back to basics. We all remember when we were growing up and learning about the food pyramid in school. It taught us about the different kinds of foods and how much to eat. Let’s now return to that simpler time and discuss MyPlate.
Every so often, the USDA (United Stated Department of Agriculture) re-evaluates and makes updates or modifications to the food pyramid. This happened a few years ago and they released MyPlate. This show use what is recommended we eat for a healthy diet. While there are guidelines specifically for such things like vegan, vegetarian or even heart hearth, let’s just focus on the traditional and basic MyPlate for this discussion.
MyPlate features the five basic food groups, which include vegetables, fruits, proteins, grains and dairy. They’ve sectioned out a plate to show us what they recommend for a health balanced diet. For example, you’ll see on the image above how it’s recommended that have of your daily intake should consist of fruits and vegetables, with more vegetables than fruit. Keep in mind that these are basic guidelines and may be adjusted depending on one’s specific needs, like vegan diets or if someone is diabetic.
You’ll notice a few groups are missing from MyPlate. These are such things like fats, sugar and even water. While these are important dietary topics, they aren’t considered food groups, and MyPlate concentrates on the five basic food groups. These sub-groups (as I like to call them) are definitely important, and we will discuss them more in depth this month.
Something I do want to add to this is discussion on healthy dietary guidelines to the addition of a multivitamin. These can help enhance the good eating habits we establish for ourselves based on the My Plate recommendations. But which is best? Let’s look at the options.
DAILY MULTIVITAMIN with GRAPE SEED EXTRACT: This is a very basic and easy to take multivitamin. Due to only needing to take one a day, I like to recommend this for anyone new to multivitamins or teens who are just needing a little extra nutrients throughout the day.
MULTI ENERGY POWDER: This is a multivitamin that is very easy to take, as it comes in a powder and just needs to be mixed into water. I like this for any adult, particularly those who just don’t want or like to take too many pills.
CORE MULTIVITAMIN: This is the classic, comprehensive multivitamin. It is made up of a wide variety of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. It’s a great all around choice for any adult.
CORE MEMORY MULTIVITAMIN: This is a new formula that is for those individuals looking for a good multivitamin as well as support for healthy brain and memory function. This is the classic Core Multivitamin with Choline, Ginkgo Leaf Powder and Lithium (as Lithium orotate) added.
MEN’S MULTIVITAMIN: This is a multivitamin specifically made for the needs of men in mind. It is the Core Multivitamin with Maca, Quercetin, Black Cumin Seed and Beta-Sitosterol added. I like to recommend this for men over the age of 40 to help support their specific needs like prostate health and healthy libido.
PERFORMANCE MULTIVITAMIN: This multivitamin was designed for those individuals that lead an active lifestyle or are looking to help support their energy levels. The Performance starts with the Core Multivitamin and adds Rhodiola Rosea Root and Superoxide Dismutase (SOD) to help with energy and endurance. I like this for adults that need a little extra pick-me-up to get through the day.
WOMEN’S MULTIVITAMIN: This multivitamin was made for the unique needs of women. The Core Multivitamin came together with Iron, Collagen Hydrolysate, Purple Corn Flower and Diindolymethane (DIM) to not only supply vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, but to also address healthy iron levels, immune system connective and breast tissues. I like to recommend this for any women still experiencing menses.
As you can see, the foundation of a healthy diet starts with our meals as outlined by MyPlate and then can be enhanced by the right multivitamin. I look forward to getting in depth all month long discussing each food group and “sub-group”. We’ll be seeing how much we need of each and compare the best choices versus what to watch out for. A perfect way to begin spring!
www.myplate.gov/eat-healthy/what-is-myplate
www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/multivitamin/
Immunity Hx Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to do my product highlight on what I consider to be the cornerstone of immune heath. In fact Immune is in its very name, Immunity Hx! Immunity Hx is a combination of vitamin C, vitamin D3 …
RSV- Respiratory Syncytial Virus Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to begin our series on respiratory health by talking about something that has been all over the news lately. And that is RSV. But what exactly is RSV? RSV stands for Respiratory Syncytial Virus. …
Reds Hx… for our heart!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
I wanted to talk about Reds Hx next because it’s really the perfect partner to Greens Hx. Since Reds Hx is so full of heart healthy nutrients I am going to jump right into things with our very first nutrient. The very first heart healthy nutrient is in fact the first nutrient listed! And that is carrot. Studies have found a number of benefits regarding carrot supplements on heart health. These include improving blood pressure and even decreasing aortic root lesions. Carrots have also been found to help with atherosclerosis. Studies also indicate that carrots may help with lipid or in other words our cholesterol profiles. (1) According to WebMD the potassium in carrots may help to regulate our blood pressure. (2) As you can see carrots are good for much more than just being a snack for bunnies.
Moving on down the list the next item we will be talking about is cranberry. Now as I always say cranberry isn’t just for our urinary tract! Studies have found that cranberry has benefits for our blood vessels and can keep them healthy. (3) Other studies have found that cranberry can help to reduce blood clot risk, improve circulation and even lower the risks for heart disease. (4) Lastly studies have found that cranberry extract can help moderate cholesterol levels. (5)
The next item is sour cherry and it may sound familiar. This is because sour cherry is simply another name for tart cherry which is a component in our beets formula that I wrote about. Studies have found a number of benefits to using cherry for our heart. These benefits include a decrease in both LDL and total cholesterol. Additionally cherry has been found to help lower both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. (6)
The next item, blueberry was also a nutrient found in Greens Hx. As I mentioned previously blueberry has been found to help total cholesterol, LDL and triglycerides. Blueberries have also been found to help with lowering our blood pressure. (7)
Pomegranate is another powerful nutrient for heart health. In fact studies have found that pomegranate is much stronger than other antioxidants when it comes to protecting cholesterol from oxidation. As a result pomegranate is one of the best antioxidants for slowing atherosclerosis. Studies have also found that pomegranate is amazing at helping lower blood pressure. (8)
Flax seed is another nutrient that is found in both Reds and Greens. As I talked about in my prior blog on Greens flax is good for our blood pressure and even cholesterol levels. (9) Grape seed has also been mentioned numerous times for heart health. And it deserves to be! Studies have found that Grape seed has numerous benefits for our heart including helping our blood pressure. (10) Other studies have found that grape seed is helpful for lowering both total cholesterol as well as LDL. (11)
Japanese Knotweed is a natural source of Resveratrol. Resveratrol is one of my favorite nutrients when it comes to helping with heart health. I couldn’t possibly review all of the benefits that Resveratrol has for heart health in this humble blog. However I can review the most well studied. Studies have found that Resveratrol can help alleviate many of the symptoms of heart failure. Resveratrol has been found in studies to help with blood pressure. Additionally, resveratrol has been found to help with lowering the risk of atherosclerosis, coronary artery disease and even help to lower our cholesterol! (12)
Rather than address each antioxidant in Reds Hx separately I’ll be doing an overall review on how they help our heart heath. What are examples of antioxidants? For example 2 well known antioxidants are lutein, and lycopene which comes from sources such as tomatoes, watermelon and even plum! Other examples of antioxidants in Reds include ingredients such as raspberry, green tea, orange, blackberry and even quercetin. In fact Reds Hx is chock full of antioxidants! Studies have found that antioxidants can help slow the development of atherosclerosis as well as help to lower cholesterol. Overall studies have found that antioxidants can help to lower the overall risk of developing cardiovascular disease. (13)
Recent studies on probiotics have found that they may help lower the risk of cardiovascular disease by helping with certain risk factors such as obesity and even diabetes. Probiotics may also help to regulate cholesterol. Kefir, a powerful source of probiotic has been found to help lower blood pressure. (14)
Overall Reds Hx is an amazing formula. Before we leave heart health I will be doing a summary of all the things that you can do to help maximize your heart health.
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