Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Pneumonia Part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In our first blog on pneumonia, we covered the basics of pneumonia. In this blog we will be reviewing risk factors for pneumonia, details about the vaccine and what you can do to help boost your immunity. Let …
Energy in the Body written by: Noreen Kodula, Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) Energy is essential for all body functions. Involuntary processes like breathing and circulation, and voluntary actions like movement and thinking all rely on energy. Most people think of energy in terms of …
RSV-Respiratory Syncytial Virus
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Cold and flu season may be a common topic of conversation however there is another virus that is a hot topic at this time of year. That is RSV. What even is RSV? Why is it important to talk about? And just what can you do to decrease your risk of the virus? It’s a lot to cover so let’s get into it, shall we?
What does RSV even stand for? RSV is short for Respiratory syncytial virus. RSV is caused by a virus and the fastest/ easiest way for the virus to enter your body is through the eyes, nose or mouth. This is why it’s so important to avoid touching your face with your hands! It’s also important to realize that RSV can live on objects and surfaces for hours after they have been contaminated with the virus. That means if you touch a contaminated surface and then touch your mouth or eyes you are likely to pick up the virus and get sick. Which is why we always say to sanitize frequently touched surfaces.
While anyone can get RSV some people are at a higher risk of dangerous complications. For example, premature infants, babies under 6 months old or adults older than 65 are all at risk of dangerous RSV complications. Children and adults with heart disease, lung disease, neuromuscular disorders or who have a compromised immune system are also at risk for RSV complications.
That being said just what are the symptoms of RSV? How do I know I might have it? Common symptoms include a congested or runny nose, sneezing, sore throat, low grade fever, dry cough and even a headache! In more severe cases there can be inflammation of the small airway passages in the lungs. Symptoms of this possible inflammation include fever, severe cough, wheezing, rapid breathing/difficulty breathing and a bluish color to the skin. For those at risk of more severe illnesses it is important to watch for signs of severe RSV which would require hospitalization. Signs of more severe illness in infants may include short, shallow and rapid breathing. They may struggle to breathe at all. They may have poor feeding, lethargy, irritability and cough.
While in most people RSV doesn’t have severe complications in those who are in the high-risk group complications can be very dangerous. Complications from RSV may include a hospital stay. RSV is the most common cause of pneumonia and bronchiolitis. RSV can also increase the risk of developing asthma. RSV can also trigger ear infections. Lastly having RSV can increase the risk of later RSV infections. (1)
But why is it important to even know about RSV? While you may not be at high-risk other people may be at risk of severe complications and illness. That is why overall it is important to be aware of RSV. According to the WHO RSV and its associated complications leads to an estimated 3.6 million hospitalizations and approximately 100,000 deaths in kids under 5y/o worldwide. (2)
What can you do?
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Cold and Flu Season is Here Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND If you have noticed that it seems like everyone around you, you are coughing or sneezing it’s not just your imagination! Cold and flu season has arrived. What can you do to boost your immunity? …
Blood Sugar 101 By: Noreen Kodula, Certified Natural Health Professional (CNHP) Blood sugar, also known as blood glucose, is the amount of simple sugar moving through your body at any given time. The main form of energy that your body uses is glucose. Everything that …
Managing Diabetes during the Holidays
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
Managing diabetes during the holiday time may seem to be an insurmountable task. But with a little twist to some classic recipes and a little help from classic invite supplements, eating healthy during the holiday is not quite as insurmountable as you might expect! Let us get into it, shall we?
While there are several forms of diabetes in this blog, I will be concentrating on type 2 because it is the most common form that people call to talk about. Type 2 diabetes is a condition where your blood sugar is higher than normal. This can occur either because your body is not making enough insulin or it is not properly using it and glucose is building up in your blood. Diabetes is much more common than you might expect. In fact, approximately 11% of the US population has diabetes.
What is the most common symptom of diabetes? Well, there may be an increase in thirst, a feeling of dry mouth and even more frequent urination. There may be weight loss without any diet changes. You may find yourself feeling more tired than usual. Your vision may be blurry. Any sores or cuts may take longer to heal. There may be an increase in yeast infections. In some case’s there can be numbness or tingling in the hands and feet. (1) Diabetes can have dangerous complications. Please see my blogs on diabetes for more information on complications.
How does this relate to the holidays? As we all know, holiday time is a time that can be incredibly stressful. Stress can affect our blood sugar. Cortisol, the hormone that our body makes when we are under stress, can make it harder for insulin to work. That is because cortisol wants your body to have enough sugar or in other words fuel to “run away” from your stress. That is why the higher the stress, which triggers higher cortisol or stress hormone, the higher your blood sugar! (2)
Travel, another aspect of holiday time, can also impact blood sugar. I know what you are thinking, Dr. Claire HOW can travel impact my blood sugar? Well travel can be stressful and that stress can affect blood sugar. Travel can often lead to motion sickness and motion sickness can affect your blood sugar. (3) Lastly very often it can be difficult to find diabetic friendly options when traveling. Eating foods higher in sugar than you normally do can obviously affect blood sugar.
Alcohol is another common aspect of holidays. However, alcohol can be a concern for those with diabetes because it can raise or in some cases lower blood sugar! This can be dangerous since the symptoms of low blood sugar can be mistaken for those of alcohol or in other words you may think you are just tipsy but you are actually having an episode of very low blood sugar. (4)
Another aspect of the holidays is the sleep disruption. This can happen for a number of reasons. Are you having trouble sleeping in a different space? Is it too quiet or too noisy? If you have company, are you staying up late talking or cooking for them? As you can see, the holidays can wreak havoc on your sleep. Sleep is especially important for blood sugar control. In fact, studies have found that just 1 night of poor sleep can increase insulin resistance. (4)
Last but not least, is the food aspect of the holidays. Some people skip meals to have “space” for later. Then there is the idea that just a little is ok. In my experience a little tends to add up fast and in the case of many holiday foods this can involve much more sugar than you are used to eating. Many people find that after the holidays their treats have led them to having higher blood sugar readings than they usually have.
So, what can you do at this time of year?
Recipes for the holidays!
Cranberry goodness
Take 1 package of cranberries and cook them in water that has 2 scoops Reds Hx and 3 scoops Ribose complex mixed in. (Basically, mix the powders in water and use that water to cook the cranberries.). If it is not as sweet as you like you can add more Ribose complex. Feel free to add some nuts for a fun texture.
Blender muffins of health (lol)
With this recipe feel free to have fun! Take 2 eggs, 2 scoops of Invite Whey protein, 1 scoop Cocoa Hx, and 1 cup instant oats. As you blend add enough water so that it is a muffin like consistency. Generally, between 1/8 cup to 1/4 cup. Scoop into a muffin pan and cook at 350 for 20 min checking to see if they are done. Variations to this include using almond milk instead of water. You can also add fruit and nuts for texture! As I said it is not exact and you can have fun changing things up!
Green bean casserole
Take 16 oz. of green beans and steam until fork tender and put in a baking pan. In a separate bowl add 2 scoops of Greens Hx to 1 can of Cream of mushroom soup. Add ½ can of water (or at least enough water that you can easily pore the mix). Add spices of choice and mix. Place over the green beans. Add a liberal amount of dried onions or shallot. Bake at 350 for 25 minutes.
Spaghetti squash? Yes, Spaghetti squash can be a fun food for the Holidays!
Cook your spaghetti squash as normal and then add the following sauce. To a mixing bowl add precooked onions, peppers, and mushrooms. Add some tomato sauce and the contents of 3 Probiotic Hx, 3 scoops of Greens Hx and 1 scoop of Beets Hx. Add in any spices you like! Mix till well combined and then add to your spaghetti squash.
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