Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Nattokinase! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND What the heck is Nattokinase? Where does it come from? What exactly does it do? Is it just for heart health or does it do anything else for us? These are just some of the questions that people have about …
Purples Hx and the Heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND I wanted to take the time to talk about one of the most under rated products at Invite health. What product is this you ask? Why its Purples Hx! Purples Hx is an amazing combination …
ALLIE’S WEIGHT LOSS TIPS AND TRICKS
By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
As we get into January, the hot topic always seems to be weight loss, as it’s probably one of the moth popular resolutions made…and also one that always seems to be one of the most difficult to accomplish. To help you accomplish your weight loss goals today, I’ve compiled some of my favorite go-to tips and tricks that work for me….I hope they are helpful for you too.
SET A REALISTIC GOAL
I’ve always found that when I set a goal that’s realistic, it helps me to stay on track and reach goals with ease. For example, let’s say someone wants to lose 50 pounds this year. It sounds like a lot and can be overwhelming. However, if that person breaks it down to 4-5 pounds a month, that is an easier focus, and something to celebrate each month as it’s accomplished.
PLAN AND PREP
Planning out healthy meals for at the start of each week can be a big help. This allows us to make sure we have all the ingredients on hand, as well as knowing what to prepare instead of “winging it” and potentially making unhealthy choices.
Getting into the habit of taking the meal plan and prepping takes this to the next level. Prepping allows you to have meals and snacks prepared and ready for consumption….all you need to do is heat it up. Prepare enough protein, veggies and some whole grains (i.e.: brown rice, quinoa) if you like and portion everything out into meal containers. You can even prep snack like fresh fruit for the week or containers of a cup fresh veggie sticks with two tablespoons of hummus.
WHAT TO CONSUME
Incorporating whole food options can be satisfying, nutritious and filling. These are the basic guidelines I like to recommend and have personally found useful, but keep in mind that this may vary depending on an individual’s health history and goals.
Keep fruit to 1-2 servings per day…i.e.: 1 banana, apple, peach or 3/4 cup of berries, grapes
Aim for 5-9 cups of veggies/leafy greens per day
Lean protein at every meal…i.e.: grilled boneless/skinless chicken breast, grilled/broiled fish, eggs and tofu
Whole grains as tolerated…i.e.: brown rice, quinoa, and oats
Healthy fats…i.e.: extra virgin olive oil, avocado, nut butters
WHAT TO AVOID
This is always a difficult one, as we all know what to avoid, but it’s always a good reminder. Try to avoid such items like processed foods including, but not limited to, frozen and canned foods, white foods (i.e.: white flour, bread and sugar), sugar and high fructose corn syrup and soda.
EXERCISE
Simply put, burning calories=weight loss. So, what’s the best way to burn calories? Well, it’s exercise. The Mayo Clinic recommends a combination of aerobic exercise (cardio) and weight/resistance training as part of complete and healthy workout. In addition to helping with weight loss, exercise can also benefit the bones, muscles and the circulatory system.
PROPER SUPPLEMENTATION
Protein Powder: Protein is essential for our tissues and is often associated with muscles and supplies important amino acids. It is recommended to get 7 grams of protein for every 20 pounds of body weight. Adding in a protein powder to a smoothie or shake as a meal replacement can offer diet benefits while supplying a fair amount of protein needed for the day. Try the InVite Health Whey Protein Powder or Plant Protein daily.
Green Tea: Green tea is a common drink and a well-known antioxidant. However, a study published through the National Library of Medicine shows that it can also be helpful for weight loss. It can be taken in pill form like the Green Tea Hx or my personal favorite, the Green Tea Tx which is a decaffeinated and concentrated liquid to be added to plain water or a cup of brewed green tea.
Probiotic: Many people are surprised by incorporating a probiotic to support weight loss. Studies have shown that as a probiotic helps to balance gut bacteria, it in turns aids in weight loss and maintaining a healthy weight. Adding in Probiotic Hx along with Probiotic Hx Weight can be helpful in working together to help reach your weight goals.
I hope you find these tips helpful as you work towards your weight loss goals for this year.
www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/weight-loss/in-depth/exercise/art-20050999
www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/what-should-you-eat/protein/#protein-research
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4025876/
health.clevelandclinic.org/could-probiotics-help-with-weight-loss
Omega 3s and the Heart! Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Omega 3s are something that everyone has heard of. In fact many nutritionists including myself consider them to be essential to a healthy daily vitamin regimen. But many people I talk to ask a few …
WEIGHT LOSS~A TASTY WAY TO HELP REACH THAT GOAL By: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT As we enter a New Year, a common goal for many people is to lose weight…and their mantra is usually “New Year, New Me”. But, how can we stick …
The Benefits of Beets Hx
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Everyone has heard about beets. Beet powder, beet chews and even beet juice! It’s everywhere you look! But what really are the benefits of using beet supplements? Why is the tart cherry in the Beets Hx? And perhaps most interesting of all questions is why use a powder and not the pills or chews that are available?
Beets are amazing for our heart health. Beets are high in a compound known as nitrates. (1) What this means is that according to studies beets are able to increase nitric oxide in the body. By increasing nitric oxide studies have found that beet root can significantly decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure. This is important since high blood pressure is a risk factor for many heart conditions. In addition to nitrates beets contain antioxidants that studies have found to be useful in fighting against atherosclerosis, which as we know is another risk factor for many heart related conditions. (2) Studies have also found that nitric oxide may improve cardiovascular health especially in older adults. While more research on this topic is needed what has been done so far is promising to say the least. (3) Studies have also found that the nitric oxide released from beets can help with lowering blood pressure in those with kidney disease. (4) Other studies have found that the nitric oxide in beets can help with the heart’s performance during exercise. (5) Lastly the nitric oxide in beets has been found in studies to help heart health in those with heart failure. (6) As you can see the nitric oxide in beets is very beneficial to our heart health.
Let’s move on for a moment from nitric oxide. In addition to the nitric oxide in beets there are antioxidants. Studies have found that the antioxidants in beets have anti-inflammatory properties that help decrease risk factors for cardiovascular disease. (1) One antioxidant found in beets that is currently being studied is a type called betalain. These have been found to help keep LDL from being oxidized. (7) It has also been found to lower the LDL as well as blood pressure. (8)
While it has been interesting to break down beets into their parts let’s take a look at some studies on just beets. Studies have found that using beets may help to lower blood pressure. (9) Studies have found beets to help lower cholesterol levels. (10) According to the Cleveland clinic beets are amazing for helping with high blood pressure and for those with heart disease. (11)
Beets Hx also includes tart cherry as well as the beetroot. Now I know what you’re thinking – tart cherry isn’t that for joints? Well yes it is! However studies have also found that tart cherry is good at helping to lower blood pressure as well as cholesterol. (12) Other studies indicate that tart cherry can help with blood pressure and cholesterol especially in older adults. (13) WebMD agrees that tart cherry is a great supplement that can help increase circulation as well as decrease inflammation, both of which are risk factors for many chronic heart conditions. (14)
Now I know I normally don’t take the time to talk about powders or pills but I wanted to do it in this blog in particular because beet supplements are currently so popular. Just watching a few minutes of TV will show you how many different delivery methods are available for beet supplements. So why a powder instead of a pill? Well for one there’s a limit to how much you can fit in a pill and still be able to swallow it. For many things that we take this is fine. However for some nutrients such as beets or whey protein you would have to take an inconvenient number of pills in order to get a therapeutic dose. Additionally, with powders they absorb right away thus they go to work very fast. (15) How about those gummies? Well to start with I want to ask a question. Do you think glorified candy is a good way to take any supplements? I personally prefer supplements that don’t double as candy. Many chewables have added ingredients such as sugar to “make it taste yummy”. That is one problem. The other problem is similar to pills in that there’s a limit to how much of a supplement you can fit. Just like with pills it’s just not reasonable to take enough to get a therapeutic dose. When you compare just these qualities of powders compared to chewables and pills it’s easy to understand why Invite uses a powder form for its beets. How can you use Beets Hx you might be asking yourself? Can I mix it in a smoothie? Absolutely yes! For heart health I recommend a smoothie with 1 scoop beets, 1 scoop Ribose Complex, 1 scoop of Whey or Plant protein and water or milk of choice. Another great choice is to make a smoothie with 1 scoop Beets Hx, 2 scoops of Cocoa Hx with 1 scoop protein and water or milk of choice. Beets Hx can also be mixed into yogurt or even applesauce. And don’t forget Beets Hx can be easily added to water.
Overall Beets Hx is a fantastic product for our heart health. It is one of those products that I frequently recommend for heart health.
Our next topic will be arrhythmia’s including atrial fibrillation and tachycardia!
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