Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Winter Back Pain from Cold Temperatures and Shoveling Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND If you are in New York and look out the window or go for a walk you will notice the snow. While snow may look pretty when it falls after the snowfall is …
Stress Management Noreen Kodula, Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) Stress is the body’s natural response to changes or challenges (stressors) it experiences. It can result in many different physical, emotional and behavioral responses. We all experience stress at some point but the way we respond …
Stress and Holidays
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Holiday time can be both fun and exciting. However, it is also a time that can induce stress. As a person who has both hosted holiday dinners and attended them, I can confidently say both situations are stressful in their own way. And then there is the stress of travel. And do not get me started on gift giving! It is a lot to ponder so grab some tea or hot cocoa and let us get into it, shall we?
We all understand the different ways that holidays can trigger stress but how does this stress affect our health? Being under stress at bedtime can make it difficult to sleep at night. Both stress itself and its link to poor sleep can increase restlessness, cause a lack of motivation/ focus, and even affect our memory. Stress can also lead to muscle tension/ pain as well as trigger headaches. Chest pain and upset stomach are both common symptoms of stress. Stress can even affect your immune system, making it easier for you to get sick. Stress can also affect our mood, triggering sadness, depression, anxiety, anger outbursts and just overall a feeling of grumpiness! Being under stress can even affect your appetite and you may find yourself over or under eating. In addition to changing your appetite you may also find yourself avoiding things you enjoy such as exercise or even socializing with friends or family. Stress can increase alcohol use as well as tobacco and drug use. (1) Long term stress can even affect our cardiovascular health. For example, stress is associated with both high cholesterol and high blood pressure. Even our joints are not immune to the effects of stress! This is because stress can increase any inflammation in our body. In my experience this inflammation increases pain in our joints. Long term stress can even impact how we look by affecting our hair, skin and nails! Anyone who has ever been stressed knows it bothers our digestion leading to either diarrhea or constipation (or in some cases both). It can also affect our digestion by triggering indigestion, bloating and stomach pain. Stress can even affect how well we process our food! It can and does slow down nutrient absorption from the food we eat. Every woman knows that stress can affect hormone health and thus affect our menstrual cycle. (2)
So, what can you do to help reduce the effects of stress?
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Thyroid Health and the Adrenal Glands Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND When it comes to holistic health care 2 of the most common things to talk about are thyroid health and adrenal health. What is interesting about these 2 topics is that they are more …
Summertime Blues Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND You may have heard of something called SAD or seasonal affective disorder. This is sometimes referred to as the “wintertime blues”. What you may not be aware of is that while SAD is typically associated with winter it can …
Super Focus IQ
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
If you have been on the Invite health website, you may have noticed a formula called Super Focus IQ. If the nutrients inside this formula seem to ring a bell that’s because it is the same fantastic formula known as Cerebral Care. This is a great formula! To start with it’s a powder so it is easy to use. Super Focus IQ is also made up of some amazing nutrients that help our brain and memory. However, it is for much more than just memory! The nutrients in this formula can help with mood, concentration and even help improve attention. Let us review a few of these nutrients, shall we?
Let’s start with the first item, inositol. What in the heck is inositol? Inositol has been called vitamin B8 but that is not exactly accurate. It is a type of sugar produced by the body that is important for the functioning and development of our cells. Now I know what you are thinking, but Dr. Claire, I have diabetes! Inositol is perfectly safe for you to use and may even help you to better process insulin! Inositol has many health benefits. According to the Cleveland Clinic, inositol may be helpful for metabolic syndrome, PCOS, as well as both Gestational diabetes and even preterm birth. (1) In my clinical experience having high blood sugar can affect our ability to learn and our mood. Have you ever tried to study or focus when your blood sugar is too low or too high? If you have, you know it is not an easy task. Since the studies have found inositol to help with our blood sugar, I have found it to help in situations where blood sugar is affecting our ability to learn. But what does inositol directly do for our brain? Studies have found that using inositol leads to improved outcomes in depression, anxiety, panic disorders and OCD. (2) Studies have found that inositol can help with aspects of brain health such as brain development, memory and even improve our ability to learn. (3) What this means is that this is an excellent product for helping students who feel as though they need help with their ability to focus and pay attention in school.
The next nutrient is Acetyl- L Carnitine (Alcar). Studies have found that using Alcar after a brain injury leads to better outcomes, especially in terms of memory. (4) A study in the International Journal of Neurology and Neurotherapy found Alcar can help improve memory. (5) In another study it was found that Alcar can enhance cognitive function and even decrease the rate of cognitive decline in those with certain disorders. (6) Studies have also found that Alcar can help with symptoms of chemo brain including cognitive impairment and improve both our ability to learn and our memory. (7) As we learn more about the topic of ADD and ADHD, we learn that there are different subsets of these disorders. Studies have found that Alcar can help reduce the symptoms of certain subsets of ADHD! Those who suffer from the Inattention type of ADHD were found to benefit from Alcar. So, what does this mean in the real world? Well, if you are one of the people who would like to improve their attention span Alcar may be a way to do just that!
The next nutrient is choline. Choline is an essential nutrient. This means your body needs it to work properly but is unable to make it. It must come from your diet or supplement regime. (8) Studies have found a correlation between a higher choline intake and better cognitive performance. (9) This means that when parents call and ask about their children and how to help them in school, I usually recommend choline! In my experience this is a terrific addition to any student’s protocol! Studies also have found that choline can help improve our verbal memory. (10) So often I get people who call and say that they sometimes forget words. In my clinical experience increasing choline is a fantastic way to reduce the “search for the right word” game. For example, anyone who has migraines can tell you that they will sometimes forget names. Based on feedback that I have received, Choline is extremely helpful for this!
The next item is phosphatidylserine or PS as I like to call it. Studies have found that PS can help with verbal recall as well as improve our memory. (11) As more studies are done on PS the results are finding that supplementation with PS can improve cognitive impairment by improving the brain’s storage ability, our learning ability and even memory. (12) One of the things I find most interesting about PS is its ability to reduce cortisol! (16) What is Cortisol and why does it matter? Well Cortisol is the main stress hormone, and high cortisol can impact sleep. In my experience most people who wake up in the middle of the night do so because of high cortisol. Reducing cortisol helps improve sleep! As I always tell people, you cannot have great energy and great memory or focus if you do not have enough sleep! Having high cortisol can even reduce your memory over time! And that’s not just Dr. Claire saying that! Studies have found that high cortisol long term can decrease our memory and thus affect how we learn! (17) One of the most common concerns parents have is ADHD. Studies have found that PS can help improve focus and attention in those with ADHD. (18)
The last nutrient is Astaxanthin. To start with, what in the heck is astaxanthin? It’s a red pigment from algae that is a strong antioxidant. (13) Studies have found that it can help to improve our cognitive function. (14)
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