Supplement Blogs...
I am going to wrap up brain health by talking about supplements and foods that are helpful for the brain. I don't like to give out general recommendations for supplements, because everyone's needs are different, but there are some general guidelines that may be beneficial. If possible, the first line of defense should be foods and sunshine. For information about sunshine and vitamin D and its benefits, go to www.mercola.com . You may find out that supplementing vitamin D is necessary - but if you already take a calcium/magnesium supplement (good for the brain), see if it includes vitamin D. Eating whole, organic, non processed foods as much as possible can reduce the need for supplements. I say "reduce" just because I don't believe that we can get all of our nutrients from our foods on a regular basis. The vast majority of people are going to need a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement. This should come from a reputable company. For many people I recommend whole food vitamins, but they don't work for everyone. It is very common to be lacking in the omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA) and for some the omega-6, GLA. If you are highly sensitive to fish, flax oil would generally be a better option. Our body needs a balance of omega-3 oils to omega-6 oils, so cutting down on bad fats (trans fats, limit saturated fats) can help with that balance. More and more people are in need of the folate, B6 and B12 to keep homocysteine levels in check (for brain and heart heatlh). If your multi-vitamin does not have any enzymes, they may need to be supplemented separately in order to properly utilize nutrients and for digestive issues. Finally, friendly bacteria also assists with digestion and improves health overall. From here, supplement needs are very individualized based on hormonal needs, whether there is inflammation in the system and if there are digestive issues. Overall, if the brain is in balance, generally the system is better balanced.
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Many are making an extra effort to jump start their health in December so they don't have to make up so much time in January. With the change of seasons and the stress of the holidays, people are already finding themselves gaining weight. This can be attributed to a few things that go along with this time of the year (especially if you live in Minnesota). Our bodies are programmed to begin holding on to fat once the days get shorter. For some people, a deficit of vitamin D (due to lack of sunshine) can have an effect, not only on weight, but on mood. This is a nutrient to make sure you are getting adequate amounts of in the winter (this is a nutrient I recommend supplementing in the winter). Another source of weight gain at this time of year is too much cortisol in the system. This is caused by stress, which makes the adrenals work harder, which releases cortisol. Cortisol is important in high stress situations, but when it is released continuously (for many of us, there is always that underlying stress going on), it signals our body to hold on to fat because of the need to provide the body with nutrients when stressed. Exercise is helpful in the situation to help relieve the stress that we are under. Supporting the adrenals is also sometimes necessary. Reducing stress in our lives is always a good idea. Finally, nutrients in general - many of us are lacking in nutrients at this time of the year due to not eating as much fresh produce and because of cravings for sugar. Adding sugar to our diets subtracts nutrients because sugar is an empty calorie food. For all of the above reasons, this is the time of year to eat better, supplement our diets with the nutrients that we need, exercise and get plenty of sleep to help reduce our stress levels. We don't have to start January feeling rotten and overwhelmed, December is the best month to begin finding ways to improve our health.
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Drug Muggers by Suzy Cohen, RPh
I started reading this book about which pharmaceutical midications are sapping our nutrients in our systems, and I gained a better understanding as to why we are growing less healthy as a nation, overall. To begin with, the author gives some ailments and symptoms that can be caused by a lack of nutrients in our systems. Many of these nutrients can be depleted by taking everyday over the counter and prescription medications. Listed below are a few of the ailments that the author focuses on:
I heard somewhere that for every mineral that our body is deficient in, we open ourselves up to at least ten different ailments. It makes sense then, that if our nutrients are depleted, we fall into a cycle of illnesses. Many people will start on a pharmaceutical drug, and begin having side effects. They will then go back to their doctor and get an additional prescription, unknowingly causing the depletion of nurients to get worse. Next week, I will talk more about what can be done to get out of this cycle.
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Many are making an extra effort to jump start their health in December so they don't have to make up so much time in January. With the change of seasons and the stress of the holidays, people are already finding themselves gaining weight. This can be attributed to a few things that go along with this time of the year (especially if you live in Minnesota). Our bodies are programmed to begin holding on to fat once the days get shorter. For some people, a deficit of vitamin D (due to lack of sunshine) can have an effect, not only on weight, but on mood. This is a nutrient to make sure you are getting adequate amounts of in the winter (this is a nutrient I recommend supplementing in the winter). Another source of weight gain at this time of year is too much cortisol in the system. This is caused by stress, which makes the adrenals work harder, which releases cortisol. Cortisol is important in high stress situations, but when it is released continuously (for many of us, there is always that underlying stress going on), it signals our body to hold on to fat because of the need to provide the body with nutrients when stressed. Exercise is helpful in the situation to help relieve the stress that we are under. Supporting the adrenals is also sometimes necessary. Reducing stress in our lives is always a good idea. Finally, nutrients in general - many of us are lacking in nutrients at this time of the year due to not eating as much fresh produce and because of cravings for sugar. Adding sugar to our diets subtracts nutrients because sugar is an empty calorie food. For all of the above reasons, this is the time of year to eat better, supplement our diets with the nutrients that we need, exercise and get plenty of sleep to help reduce our stress levels. We don't have to start January feeling rotten and overwhelmed, December is the best month to begin finding ways to improve our health.
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Drug Muggers by Suzy Cohen, RPh
I started reading this book about which pharmaceutical midications are sapping our nutrients in our systems, and I gained a better understanding as to why we are growing less healthy as a nation, overall. To begin with, the author gives some ailments and symptoms that can be caused by a lack of nutrients in our systems. Many of these nutrients can be depleted by taking everyday over the counter and prescription medications. Listed below are a few of the ailments that the author focuses on:
- Depression, osteoporosis, and irregular heartbeat: These can all be caused by a deficiency of the mineral magnesium. Common drug muggers of magnesium include female hormones, diruetics, anti-inflammatories, and aspirin.
- Leg cramps, muscle spasms, memory loss, and fatigue: Any of these conditions may develop from a deficiency of CoQ10. This life-sustaining antioxidant gets demolished by hundreds of medications, including statin cholesterol drugs, metformin, antidepressants, beta-blockers, and diuretics.
- Weight gain, depression, fatigue, anemia, nerve pain, and a sensation of pins and needles: Any of these could be related to deficiencies of one or more B vitamins. Your stash gets depleted by female hormones, alcohol, antacids, ulcer medications, diruetics, and diabetes drugs.
I heard somewhere that for every mineral that our body is deficient in, we open ourselves up to at least ten different ailments. It makes sense then, that if our nutrients are depleted, we fall into a cycle of illnesses. Many people will start on a pharmaceutical drug, and begin having side effects. They will then go back to their doctor and get an additional prescription, unknowingly causing the depletion of nurients to get worse. Next week, I will talk more about what can be done to get out of this cycle.
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