Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Kidney Health Part 3 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In this blog on kidney health, I will be reviewing polycystic kidney disease (PKD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and even kidney failure. The reason I have for putting these 3 disorders in one blog is that …
Kidneys Part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In the first part of our discussion on kidney health we reviewed basic information such as what the kidneys do for us and tests that can measure our kidney health. (1) In this blog we will review the …
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. If not, dispose of it. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge.” —Marie Kondo
“If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment.” —Carlos Santana
Joy…it is such an interesting topic when exploring one’s health and wellness. I love the two quotes above as it shows how everyone has a different view on joy. Joy and happiness, while similar, have different definitions. Happiness is something that gives you a short term, outward reaction. Joy is a more internal and long-term emotion. For example, having a delicious meal makes you happy, but meeting friends for dinner and having enjoyable conversation and laughs gives you joy.
So why is JOY so important for health and wellness? It has to do with serotonin, or the happiness hormone. Serotonin helps regulate such areas like sleep, digestion, sexual health and, of course, mood. The more balanced your serotonin, the more balanced the areas of your life become…in turn elevating joy and happiness.
According to articles from both Psychology Today and Harvard Medical School, joy and happiness have a direct effect on our health and well-being. Joy and happiness can lead to creating better eating habits, enthusiasm for exercise and even experiencing less pain. This is in addition to better mental health and lowering the risk of chronic illness and disease.
While having a joyful lifestyle can sound easy, it can sometimes be stressful when one is trying to figure out joy as it pertains to themselves. Just like so many things, we are all different, so we’re going find joy in different ways. It can be simple like smiling or saying “hello” to someone, having realistic goals and perspective, or even cozying up with a cup of tea and a book or a favorite TV show or movie. Some of my favorite ways to bring joy to my life is to look though old pictures and relive the memories, connecting with a friend for conversation or going for a walk to breathe in some fresh air. How will you incorporate joy into your week?
RHODIOLA is an herb commonly used to help support those who suffer from stress and anxiety. Rhodiola can even be beneficial for those struggling from cognitive fatigue. Using rhodiola to help manage any of these issues can help any of us to enjoy life on a weekly basis.
ALCAR/ALA or Acetyl L-Carnitine with Alpha Lipoic Acid are nutrients that many people are familiar with regarding brain health and memory. ALCAR has been shown to be helpful in increasing serotonin levels. This is important for those dealing with anxiety or depression. As ALCAR helps to increase the serotonin levels, one’s anxiety can start to balance out, therefore allowing us to become happier and more joyful.
When you have the ability to have joy throughout, you’re life, you can set yourself up for a happy and healthy life. How will you incorporate more joy into your week?
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9228580/
www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-rhodiola
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22549035/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32408706/
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin
www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-happiness-health-connection#:~:text=Scientific%20evidence%20suggests%20that%20positive HYPERLINK
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-happiness-health-connection/202104/the-happiness-health-connection?msockid=102ffcee009769fa30f8f11d011f685e
Prozyme Digest Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND As a Naturopathic doctor I find myself often recommending that people use a probiotic and a digestive enzyme. These each have many benefits for our health. That is why I have chosen to highlight a product that contains …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~HOME COOKING by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT What if I told you that there is a secret to reducing calories, eating better and even reducing the risk of heart disease, obesity, and diabetes? Well, the secret is simple, …
What exactly is Liver Cirrhosis?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
In my experience as a Naturopath cirrhosis of the liver is one of the most confusing disorders that people can experience. What exactly even is cirrhosis? What cause’s it? What are the symptoms one might experience? What are the possible complications? And lastly what steps can be taken to reduce the risk factors for cirrhosis and improve liver health? It’s a lot to talk about so I will be breaking this into 2 parts. This is so it doesn’t become too overwhelming.
Basically cirrhosis is severe scarring of the liver. When the cells of the liver are damaged for any reason the cells will try to repair themselves. Unfortunately in this process scar tissue forms. This scaring, or cirrhosis makes it hard for the liver to do its job well. (1) In a way it’s like when you get a scar on your skin after an injury. The skin is never quite the same. Well in this case the scar tissue that replaces the healthy liver tissue doesn’t have the same properties or abilities as a healthy liver. Thus as the cirrhosis, or scar tissue progresses (or takes over more of the liver) there is less and less healthy liver to do its job and thus symptoms get worse. Please take a look at the attached picture. (2)
So just what can cause this scarring of the liver, or cirrhosis? Well as I said anything that damages the liver can lead to cirrhosis. As I said in my blog on fatty liver have NAFLD is a possible cause of cirrhosis. Please read my blog for suggestions to help reduce the risk of fatty liver! Having a history of hepatitis, either viral or autoimmune can lead to cirrhosis. Other chronic conditions that can lead to cirrhosis include hemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis, Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, glycogen storage disease and Alagille syndrome. Wilson’s disease can also lead to cirrhosis. Certain diseases that affect our gallbladder can also lead to cirrhosis. Certain infections other than hepatitis can also lead to cirrhosis. These include syphilis. Lastly certain medications can increase your risk of developing cirrhosis. If you have any concerns about your medications it is always important to talk to your doctor. (1)
Cirrhosis is considered to be a progressive condition that worsens over time. As the disease progresses the symptoms will become worse. The reason for this is because over time more and more of the liver is replaced with that scar tissue thus as I said there is less of the healthy liver available to do its job. Please see the attached picture. (3)
As for lab work I will refer you to my blog on this topic. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me and I will be happy to review your blood work! Now just what are they signs of liver cirrhosis? Well you may notice you feel fatigue. You may notice the development of spider veins as well as bruising and easy bleeding. You may start to feel nausea which can reduce appetite and even lead to weight loss. Your skin may become itchy. There may be a yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes (this is jaundice) and redness in the palms of the ands. There may be edema/ swelling in the legs, feet or ankles. There may be ascites (fluid accumulation in the abdomen). Changes in the nails can include becoming a pale color and clubbing or roundness to the nail. (1) Later stages may include confusion, disorientation and even mood changes. There may be changes to your urine and feces in color and there may even be blood in your stool. There may also be blood in your vomit. You may develop motor dysfunctions such as tremors. You may notice that you have difficulty with digesting fats. Women may experience menstrual cycle disruptions and men may experience enlarged breast tissue and shrunken testes. Lastly in the long run there may be low urine output and even shortness of breath. (3)
In our next blog we will talk about complications of cirrhosis and even review some things that can help with overall liver health. These nutrients will include Milk Thistle, NAC and even surprisingly Turmeric!
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