Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
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. …
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, …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~HEALTH
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
HEALTH seems like a no brainer when discussing wellness and lifestyle. However, what does it really mean? Let’s break this down and I’ll go over what this means to me as it can be rather subjective.
When I think of health, I think of how to maintain my overall general health. This includes such areas as doctor visits and blood work, medications and supplements, and diet choices. While we know these are important, do we know why and are they necessary everyone?
Annual doctor visits for a physical is important to see your improvements, see where more focus needs to be, and to bring up any questions or concerns you may have for your doctor. During the visit you’ll have your physical exam, where the doctor will check such areas like blood pressure, listening to the heart and lungs, checking throat/lymph nodes and checking reflexes. Keep in mind that each doctor and patient has their own way of conducting these exams for the patient’s unique needs. This is also the time when the doctor will decide with lab work needs to be ordered or even make referrals for specialists based off of conversations with the patient, medical history and health concerns or goals.
So what lab work is commonly ordered? This lab work will usually start with a complete blood count or CBC. This is what most of us refer to as ‘routine blood work’. This is a great way for your doctor and other health and wellness professionals to see any improvements, establish areas of concern and monitor health markers. Some of these health markers include, but are not limited to A1C (blood sugar), CRP (inflammation), TSH (thyroid) and creatinine/BUN (kidney function). Often times these are looked at to see if there’s any fluctuation from blood test to blood test, which may help to notice a potential issue early to hopefully avoid future problems. Other test that may be recommended, may be stool test, urine tests or even a hormone panel. They are also used to help guide doctors and health professionals in recommending any necessary medications and/or supplements. Taking both prescribed medications, as well as any supplements, as recommended is incredibly important. They are recommended a certain way to help you to maximize your wellness and to help avoid possible interactions or further health problems. If you feel like something you’re taking isn’t right for you, speak with your doctor or health professional for guidance.
The World Health Organization (WHO) reminds us that a healthy diet is important for our overall general health. This is to help prevent malnutrition and help lower the risk of illness and disease. A healthy diet consists of lean protein, fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, some dairy, healthy fats like avocado and plenty of water. As always, it’s recommended to avoid or lower the consumption of processed foods, sugar, salt and trans-fats.
Multivitamins are always my go-to as a baseline for a solid supplement regimen. Something like the Core Multi can offer a variety of essential daily vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. They help to enhance our diets by not only supplying what we need, but also by giving he body what we may be lacking in our diet. I like to recommend taking a multi with a meal for maximum absorption and benefits. You may even notice and increase of energy from a good multi, which most are happy looking to increase.
Probiotic Hx is something everyone has heard of when it comes to supplements for general health. A good probiotic formula helps to add healthy bacteria to the gut, as well as balance out the flora within the body. Probiotics can also help to support a strong and healthy immune system.
Fish oil is an omega-3 fatty acid that’s made up of EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) and DHA (docosahexaenoic acid). According to the The Mayo Clinic, studies have shown to be effective in helping those with heart disease. Fish oil has also been beneficial for those with elevated blood pressure and triglyceride levels.
As you can see, partnering with your doctor, and being open and honest about your diet, supplementation, goals and concerns, is a big key in your overall general health. Following your doctors recommendations is also important for health and protecting yourself against illness or disease, whether its medication, tests needed or any procedures that are recommended. Your holistic practitioner can help guide you and recommend complimentary strategies. I always tell people that the best wellness plan is diet, exercise, annual physicals and blood work, along with a combination of natural and traditional health plan.
health.clevelandclinic.org/why-you-need-an-annual-physical-and-what-to-expect
www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet
newsnetwork.mayoclinic.org/discussion/annual-complete-blood-count-an-important-step-in-assessing-health/
www.nebraskamed.com/health/questions-and-answers/primary-care/what-blood-tests-should-i-get-at-my-annual-physical-and
www.aamc.org/news/why-don-t-patients-follow-their-doctors-advice
www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-of-multivitamins
www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/the-benefits-of-probiotics
www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements-fish-oil/art-20364810
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~SOCIAL LIFE By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT Many people don’t think of having a social life as being part of a healthy lifestyle. I didn’t either for a long time. However, like many of us, my mind was …
Deep Dive into Fatty Liver Disease: NAFLD and NASH Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND One of the most common concerns that people call about is fatty liver. Since NASH is a progression, or worsening of NAFLD I wanted to talk about them both in one …
Liver Function Tests
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
The Liver Basics!
As an Invite health nutritionist one of the most important parts of my job is to help people understand their blood work. In general I find that when it comes to blood work liver function tests tend to be some of the most confusing. But just what are the markers on your blood work that test for liver health? In other words what even is a liver function test? Well let’s get into this important topic, shall we?
Liver function’s tests are tests that are used to help monitor the health and function of the liver. The first test is ALT. This is an enzyme that is found in the liver. When the liver cell is damaged this enzyme is released and blood levels will increase. Another enzyme that is found in the liver is AST. AST is also found in muscle cells. If the levels are elevated it can indicate possible damage to either the liver or muscles. ALP is an enzyme found in both the liver and bones. If it is elevated in the blood it may indicate liver damage or disease. It may also indicate bone disease. In addition to testing enzymes that are active in the liver the liver blood tests also look at enzymes that are made by the liver. For example Albumin is a protein that helps to fight infection. Lower levels of albumin and even total protein may mean your liver isn’t healthy enough to produce them. Another job of the liver is to process Bilirubin. Normally this is passed through the liver and excreted in the stool. In certain types of liver disease this process is disrupted and bilirubin levels can increase in the blood. PT is a marker of how fast your blood is able to clot. Increased PT can indicate liver damage. However I just want to mention that certain medications can affect PT. Other tests can include GGT and LD. (1)
In addition to blood tests there are certain imaging tests that can help look for liver damage or disease. Imaging tests can include ultrasounds, CT scans or even getting an MRI. One test that can be important in monitoring liver health is a liver biopsy. (2)
These liver function tests may be abnormal for a number of reasons. For example you may have a virus, tumor, diabetes or other liver disease. (2) Throughout this series will be reviewing a number of these conditions. For example we will be reviewing disorders such as NASH, NAFLD, cirrhosis, and even hepatitis. We will also be talking about the gall bladder since it is so closely linked to the liver. Additionally in this series will be talking about how and when to detox. Lastly we will be talking about another important organ, our kidneys!
But what does the liver even do for our health? Well the liver has a number of important jobs. I’ve attached a picture detailing all the functions of the liver! Please take a look the attached picture. (3)
Since the liver is important for so many aspects of our overall health there are many studies on supplements that can help with liver health and function. Throughout this series we will be reviewing many of these nutrients. These nutrients include NAC (4), Milk Thistle (5), Dandelion (6), and even Catalase. (7) Other supplements that help fight infections that will be included will be nutrients such as Olive Leaf (8) and even Probiotics! (9) All of these important nutrients are available from Invite Health. I hope you find this topic as important as I do.
Our product highlight will be Glutathione lozenges!
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