Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
APRIL HEALTH AWARENESS~ AN INTODUCTION TO OUR TOPIC OF THE MONTH By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT April is an interesting month when it comes to health and wellness. It’s Public Health Awareness Month, but as always, awareness months are always sharing and overlapping. …
The Greatness of Green Tea!!! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Green tea is everywhere these days! Green tea is found in everything from tea bags to lattes and even ice cream! But as we all know these forms are chock full of sugar and additives …
The Common Cold!
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Today we will be talking about something everyone knows about and that topic is the common cold! Having a cold is probably one thing that both children and adults understand. But what cause’s a cold? Well when you have a cold you are actually suffering from a virus, in most cases it is a Rhinovirus. When we talk about upper respiratory infections the common cold is an example of what we mean. How do we catch a cold? Well the virus enters our body through the eyes, nose and mouth. Like most viruses it travels on droplets in the air that are released when someone coughs, sneezes or even just talks! When someone who is sick touches an object or even shakes your hand the virus gets on that object. If you touch it and then touch your eyes, mouth or nose BAM the virus can infect you too!
Exposure is probably one of the largest risk factors for getting a cold. It is one of the reasons why people are encouraged to stay home if they are sick. Having a weakened immune system is also a risk factor. Having a history of smoking or being exposed to 2nd hand smoke also increases your risk of getting a cold. Infants and young children are also at a higher risk of catching a cold.
What are the symptoms of a cold? While I know most people can probably list these all by heart I just want to do a quick reminder of what they are. Usually in 1-3 days after exposure to the virus symptoms can start and they can include runny/stuffy nose, sneezing, sore/ scratchy throat, cough, low grade fever, headache and even just plain old “I don’t feel good”. (1) Unfortunately the common cold isn’t the only virus that can cause these symptoms. I’ve included a chart that compares them! (2)
Now while most people recover from a cold within a few days – a week there can be complications that occur. These can include sinus or ear infections. There may also be acute bronchitis. If you have asthma or emphysema or chronic bronchitis the symptoms can get worse. You may develop a cough that lingers after infections. (3)
While most people with a cold don’t need to see a doctor sometimes it’s necessary. For children up to 12 weeks if there is a fever of 100.4 degrees it’s a good idea to see their doctor. In older children if there is a rising fever or fever lasting more than 2 days, if there is any trouble with breathing, wheezing, ear pain, or just intense symptoms as well as unusual fatigue or fuzziness it can also be a good idea to see their doctor. Lastly if there is a change in appetite it’s important to see their doctor. In adults it’s a good ideas to see a doctor if there is a fever over 101.3 degrees that lasts more than 3 days, if the fever returns after being gone or there is shortness of breath, wheezing or the symptoms unusually severe. (1) If there is a high fever in either children or adults it may be a good idea to see your doctor. (3)
When it comes to a cold prevention is key! And that starts with 1 simple word- hygiene! Wash your hands and clean frequently touched surfaces. Cover your mouth and nose when you sneezes or cough. If your sick stay home! Don’t share glasses or eating utensils. If you can stay away from those that are sick. (1) It is also helpful to make sure that your environment is not too dry so that your sinus don’t dry out which would leave you at risk for a cold. (3) It’s always a good ideas to help boost our immunity. In that case what can we do to boost our immunity?
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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? …
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/
