Tag: wellness

Periodontal Disease and Gingivitis

Periodontal Disease and Gingivitis

Periodontal Disease and Gingivitis Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND Both gingivitis and periodontal disease are conditions in the mouth that involve an overgrowth of pathogenic bacteria. But just how are these 2 conditions related? What are the symptoms you may experience? How do you even develop 

PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~JOY

PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~JOY

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

PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~HOME COOKING

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, and proven…. It is HOME COOKING. Knowing the importance of home cooking and introducing easy recipes each day can set you up for a lifetime of success.

The health benefits of home cooking are undeniable and even supported in articles from both Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins. Those that incorporate home cooking eat better and consume less calories than those that frequent restaurants, consume fast food or use prepackaged convenience foods. Home cooking allows us to also reduce sugar and fat, which can help to lower the risk of such health-related issues like type-2 diabetes and heart disease.

It can be quite easy to incorporate healthy home cooking into each day. Whether you start with a few meals a week or most of the week, as you can see by the sample full day menu below, it is easy, healthy and quite delicious.

 

PUMPKIN PIE SMOOTHIE (breakfast)

1 cup water

1 cup ice

1/2 cup Pure Pumpkin Puree

1/2 Banana

1 Tablespoon Heavy Cream

2 scoops Whey Protein Powder or 1 scoop Plant Protein

2 scoops Collagen Hx

1 Probiotic Hx (contents of capsule)

1/2 teaspoon Pumpkin Pie Spice
1/4 teaspoon Pure Vanilla Extract

Add all ingredients to a blender and blend until well combined and smooth. Pour into a glass and enjoy!

Serves 1

 

THANKSGIVING SALAD (lunch)

1 cup chopped Kale.

1 cup Arugula

1/2 cup Roasted Turkey Breast (fresh, not deli meat)

1/2 cup Roasted Butternut Squash (diced)

1/2 cup Sauteed or Roasted Brussell Sprouts (quartered or shredded)

1/4 cup Roasted Corn

1/4 cup Diced Apple

1 oz Goat Cheese (break up into small bite-sized pieces)

DRESSING

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 Tablespoon Red Wine Vinegar

1 scoop Beets Hx

1/2 teaspoon Rosemary

Sea Salt and Fresh Cracked Pepper to taste

In a large bowl, toss the kale and arugula together. Add remaining salad ingredients and set aside.

Now, in a small bowl or cup, add all dressing ingredients. Mix until well combined. Pour onto salad and toss until salad is mixed and coated with dressing. Eat and enjoy!

Serves 1

 

MASTERFUL COD AND VEGGIES (dinner)

2- 4oz pieces of Cod Fish (cleaned and deboned)

1 Lemon

¼ cup + 2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

1 cup Grape Tomatoes halved long way.

2 scoops Greens Hx

1 container Cauliflower Rice

4 capsules Aged Garlic (contents only)

1 cup Shiitake Mushrooms, sliced.

1 cup Maitake Mushrooms, sliced.

2 Tablespoons Heavy Cream, Milk or Milk Alternative

2 capsules Mushroom Hx (contents only)

Sea Salt

Fresh cracked Black Pepper

Pre-heat oven to 375′. Rinse off fish and place each filet on a piece of parchment paper.  Lightly season with salt and pepper. Set it aside. In a small bowl combine the juice and zest of the lemon, ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil and Greens Hx and mix until well combined. Spread mixture evenly over each piece of fish and top each with half the tomatoes. Wrap in the parchment to make a package as a cooking vessel. Place on to cookie sheet and bake for 20 minutes.

While fish is cooking, heat 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a large pan. Add the cauliflower rice and season with sea salt, fresh black pepper, and the contents of 4 Aged Garlic capsules. Sauté and stir occasionally until tender.

Once you have started the cauliflower, heat 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil over medium-high heat in a medium pan. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 2 minutes. Add cream/milk, contents of Mushroom Hx capsules and a pinch of sea salt and black pepper. Stir until well combined and reduce to medium heat.

Once the fish is cooked and vegetables are tender, split the cauliflower rice and creamy mushrooms between two plates. Add the fish and spoon the tomatoes and sauce over the fish. Eat and enjoy!

Serves 2

Incorporating easy home cooked meals can be simple. How will you plan to include home cooked meals in your weekly wellness plan? Happy Cooking!!

www.health.harvard.edu/blog/home-cooking-good-for-your-health-2018081514449

clf.jhsph.edu/about-us/news/news-2014/study-suggests-home-cooking-main-ingredient-healthier-diet.

PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~HEALTH

PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~HEALTH

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 

PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~SOCIAL LIFE

PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~SOCIAL LIFE

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

Deep Dive into Fatty Liver Disease: NAFLD and NASH

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 blog. To start at the very beginning what even is NAFLD? Well it stands for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. As the name implies this is a type of liver disease that occurs in people who drink little to no alcohol. Basically what happens in this situation is that too much fat begins to build up in the liver. Over time as the fat begins to accumulate it cause’s the liver cells to swell and become damaged. As the disease progress’s it progress to NASH, this stands for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. So to sum things up for you NAFLD and NASH are both conditions where excess fat accumulates in the liver. NAFLD does not involve liver damage but can progress to NASH which does involve liver damage. (1) Please see the attached picture. (2)

How you are normally diagnosed with NAFLD? Well there are some blood tests that can rule out other diseases as well as determine if any liver damage is present. These tests can include a CBC (complete blood count), iron studies, liver enzyme and liver function tests. Other tests can include testing for hepatitis A, C and others. It is also important to test for celiac, fasting blood sugar (Including HA1C) and a lipid profile. In addition to blood work there are a number of imaging tests that can be done. These include abdominal ultrasound, MRI, CT scan, transient elastography and magnetic resonance elastography. Lastly depending on the results of other tests your doctor may recommend a liver biopsy. (3)

What are the symptoms of NAFLD and/or NASH? Well as the disease progress’s your symptoms will also become more severe.  To start you may experience fatigue. You may just “not feel good” or have a feeling of malaise. Lastly there may be pain in the upper belly area. As the disease progresses to NASH and even eventually cirrhosis symptoms will also progress. You will start to notice itchy skin, red palms and even yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice). You may notice abdominal swelling (ascites) and swelling in your legs. You may experience shortness of breath. Spider veins may also develop. There may be enlargement of the spleen. (1) In addition to these symptoms there maybe rapid weight loss. (4)

Now moving on what are the risk factors for fatty liver? While the exact reason that some people develop fatty liver is not well understand there are some known risk factors. For example both NAFLD and NASH are linked to genetics, and being overweight or obese. Having insulin resistance, diabetes and high cholesterol all increase your risk. Other risk factors include metabolic syndrome, PCOS, sleep apnea and either hypothyroidism and/or hypopituitarism. Growth hormone deficiency can also increase risk. Lastly being over 50 can increase risk of NASH. (1)

Fatty liver can have severe complications. Let’s start with some of the more serious complications of NASH. Approximately 1 in 5 people with NASH will develop cirrhosis. Additionally 1 in 8 with NASH and cirrhosis will develop liver cancer. NASH is also the leading cause of liver transplants in women and the 2nd leading cause in men. NAH may shorten life expectancy. (5) Other complications can include swollen veins in the esophagus, which can rupture and bleed. You may have hepatic encephalopathy which presents as confusion, sleepiness and slurred speech. Your spleen may become overactive which can lead to a reduction in platelets. Lastly as previously stated you may develop ascites. (1)

How to reduce fatty liver?

  • Diet! What you eat matters. It is important to eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and healthy lean proteins. Stick to whole foods rather than processed. Avoid excess sugar and alcohol. (1) To help with intake of fruits and vegetables check out our Greens Hx, Organic Greens and our Reds Hx!
  • Keep to a healthy weight since being overweight/or obese is a risk factor. (1)
  • NAC has been found to be protective of the liver and even improve liver health in those with NAFLD and NASH. (6) Please see Invite’s NAC, Detox Hx and even Daily Detox powder!
  • Milk Thistle has been found to help improve liver enzymes in those with NAFLD. (7) Please see Invite’s Milk Thistle and Hepatox and once again the Daily Detox powder!
  • Catalase deficiency has been found to be associated with an increased risk of fatty liver. (8) Please see Invite’s Catalase.
  • Omega 3 have been found to help with fatty liver. (9) Please see Invite’s Fish Oil and Krill Oil.
  • Please see my blogs on Sterols Plus and Gluco Hx for more information on these amazing products!

Next up our product highlight will be Daily Detox powder!

Sources:

  1. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20354567
  2. https://www.caymanchem.com/news/research-tools-for-fatty-liver-diseases
  3. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/nonalcoholic-fatty-liver-disease/diagnosis-treatment/drc-20354573
  4. https://fatty15.com/blogs/news/fatty-liver-symptoms
  5. https://www.rezdiffra.com/about-nash
  6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3270338/#:~:text=N%2Dacetylcysteine%20(NAC)%20is,liver%20enzymes%20has%20been%20investigated.
  7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9149185/#sec4title
  8. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0891584919306604#:~:text=Highlights%20*%20%E2%80%A2%20Catalase%20deficiency%20accelerates%20nonalcoholic,Peroxisomal%20redox%20imbalance%20accelerates%20ER%20stress%2Dmediated%20NAFLD.
  9. https://clinicalnutritionespen.com/article/S2405-4577(21)00226-6/abstract#:~:text=3%20as%20capsule.-,Results,0.8;%20P%20=%200.01).