The healing properties of green tea have long been documented and it’s possible weight loss benefits as well. The phytonutrient found in green tea called catechin is thought to be the main nutrient responsible for the benefits of green tea. A recently published study in the Nutrition Research Journal reviewed data from 6 human trials comparing the effects of catechin (antioxidant) containing beverages (Like green tea) with a placebo beverage to see if catechin beverages could lower the risk of metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome is a medical condition characterized by a cluster of symptoms that include obesity around the mid-section, elevated blood cholesterol, elevated blood sugars, and fatty liver. Metabolic syndrome increases risk for certain cancers, and heart disease. The review found that consuming green tea beverages for 12 weeks significantly reduced abdominal fat, body weight, BMI, and waist circumference; and improved blood pressure. Furthermore, researchers found an improvement in the metabolic syndrome group, suggesting green tea catechins as a potential to prevent diabetes and cardiovascular...
Read More
MINDFulness for Every Day Living
Next session begins… March 15th, 2018 Thursdays, 6 to 8 p.m. Mindfulness is a way to use your mind and body to do what no one else can do for you ─ take charge of your health and feel more in control of your life. Through instruction and practice you will learn skills that can increase your ability to be less reactive, to focus and concentrate with greater ease, to improve your ability to cope more effectively with stressful situations and pain, and to enhance your ability to feel more connected to life and those you care about. Other benefits reported have included greater energy, improved self-esteem, and feelings of well-being. Eight, two-hour sessions. $280 Held at the Positive Choice Integrative Wellness Center, 7035 Convoy Court, San Diego 92111 Call to enroll or for more information,...
Read More
Feeding Your Brain – Foods that Help Memory & Protect Against Alzheimer’s
Certain nutrients and foods can help you decrease your risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease sometimes as much as 53%. Boost your brain power with these important nutrients which play a major role in overall health and, in particular, brain function. Vitamin D3 — The active form of vitamin D (which is actually a hormone) helps brain function. Vitamin B12 — Cognitive function depends on vitamin B12 and the methlyation process is supports in your body. Omega – 3 Fats — The two very powerful fats, DHA and EPA help regulate and eliminate brain inflammation. Vitamin E — When combined with drug therapy, Vitamin E has been found to slow the progression of Alzheimer’s Disease. It is better to get Vitamin E in foods rather than supplement. Eat dark leafy greens, avocado, nuts and seeds. Rosemary — Inhaling rosemary essential oil or fresh rosemary leaves helps lower inflammation in the brain and increase brain function. Curcumin — The active ingredient in the spice turmeric, it is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory foods. Foods to include weekly for healthy brain function: Dark leafy greens – 3-4 cups daily 1-6 cups of colorful vegetables a day and 4-6 pieces of fruit 1/4 cup nuts daily (great source of omega-3 fats and vitamin E) Berries eat 1 cup daily 1 tbsp. daily of flax or chia seed Wild caught, cold water fish – Salmon, cod, paddock, tuna once a...
Read More
Oregano – The Flu Shot of the Future
Ever wondered why so many recipes for soups, stews, and sauces call for oregano. If you ever found yourself short, and omitted the oregano, no doubt you didn’t miss it in the final product. Oregano probably wasn’t added to recipes for the flavor value, but instead was added for the medicinal qualities it possesses. Oregano has long been valued in natural health communities for its antibacterial, antiparasitic, antiseptic, antiviral and immune stimulating properties. Building research in mainstream medicine is also re-discovering the many benefits of oregano. Test-tube studies have found that oregano and its components show promise in protecting against viruses. Two compounds, carvacrol and thymol, have demonstrated antiviral properties. Norovirus, a viral infection that causes diarrhea, nausea and stomach pain, was rendered inactive within one hour of treatment with carvacrol and another study found that thymol and carvacrol together, inactivated 90% of the herpes simplex virus in just one hour. Oregano is easy to grow on a kitchen windowsill and contains high amounts of healthy Omega-3 fats, iron, manganese, and antioxidants. Cuttings can be dried and stored for later use. Like the fresh herb, oregano oil has very high amounts of antioxidants and folk remedy uses it internally during illness, and externally for skin infections (including yeast) though it should be diluted before use. Due to potency, it is important to check with a qualified specialist or practitioner before using this or any other herb, especially during pregnancy or breastfeeding....
Read More
An Elimination Diet What is it and Why?
There are many medical conditions that fail to respond to conventional medical treatment that may resolve when you follow an Elimination Diet ELIMINATION DIET Digestive problems Headaches Chronic sinus Low energy, fatigue Depression, mood disorders Eczema, skin irritations joint aches asthma weight gain The processed foods that are common today contain additives, dyes, preservatives, and trace pesticides that over-time can aggravate and inflame the tissues in your gut and major organs. After years of a poor diet this chronic inflammation deep in your tissues can tax your immune system. If the tissues in the lining of your gut become inflamed common foods like wheat, dairy, or eggs can cause symptoms. The Elimination diet is designed eliminate foods that burden your immune system while ensuring a high nutrient density foods that will facilitate gut healing. Usually an Elimination Diet is followed for three weeks, however your medical provider will discuss this with you. After an initial period following the Elimination diet different food groups are re-introduced slowly, allowing you to watch for negative symptoms. If a food group causes you a reaction, you avoid for another six months, and then try again. This protocol allows an opportunity to decrease inflammation in the GI tract, heal the lining of your gut, and calm your immune system. Once healing is achieved you can expand your food choices to include a wide variety of high nutrient dense foods. Like most people, you probably eat the same foods every day. If the food you eat is low quality or genetically you don’t tolerate those foods your body develops a sensitivity, and over time and you begin to suffer reactions to them. It is common for people to not realize how bad certain foods make them feel, or that particular foods are the culprit until those foods are removed from their diet. People experience different types of food-reactions: Food Allergies cause reactions which are severe and immediate. Examples would include swelling, hives, and difficulty breathing in reaction to nuts or seafood. Food Sensitivities may produce reactions hours to days later. Those with weakened immune systems may be prone to food sensitivities. Food Sensitivities are usually a result of an imbalance in the gastrointestinal tract system that affects...
Read More...
Read More
Pain Does not Just Show Up without a Reason, Its a Sign That We Need to Change Something
Research has shown that, during walking, the hips, knees, and ankles bear 3 to 5 times a person’s total body weight. For every pound a person is overweight, 3 to 5 pounds of extra weight is added to each knee during walking. In contrast, a 10 pound weight loss essentially relieves 30 to 50 pounds of additional stress on the joints. If you have arthritis, extra pounds burden your joints and leads to increased inflammation and pain. Osteoarthritis, the wear-and-tear type of arthritis, is more common among overweight people and if they have a body mass index 35 or over they have a 35% increase risk for needing total knee replacement. Studies have indicated that losing extra weight lowers the risk for developing osteoarthritis of the knee and can slow the progression of arthritis. If you lost just 10 lbs. your knee joints would be subject to a total of 48,000 less pounds of pressure for every mile you walk. Multiply this change in workload over an average lifespan and you get a compelling case for weight loss as an approach to alleviate knee pain. If losing weight is too hard for you to do alone, call us…we can help you lose!...
Read More
Your Path to Good Health is Paved with Good Intestines!
GO WITH YOUR GUT By Vicki Pepper MS, RD Go With Your Gut 2018 Article with References The need for a healthy gut and its impact on overall health is not a new concept. “All disease begins in the gut,” was penned over 2500 years ago by Hippocrates. But unfolding research is redirecting our attention to just how important gut health is and how many aspects of your overall health it impacts. Your digestive tract forms in the earliest stages of human development, when rapidly dividing cells of an embryo multiply around an empty space that eventually becomes a long tube surrounded by cells. This tube develops into your mouth, esophagus, stomach, small and large intestine. Almost every major organ connects to, or communicates with, your digestion tract ─ liver, pancreas, spleen, gallbladder, kidneys, even your brain. It is the highway through which everything you put in your mouth travels, where vital nutrition is absorbed, toxins are eliminated, and it is also home to a several trillion bacteria friends. So small they can’t be seen by the human eye, bacteria catch a ride on the food you eat or drink and put down stakes in your GI tract and stay. Our germ-o-phobic culture may have led you to believe that bacteria are harmful, and while there are types of bacteria that can cause sickness, there are many, many strains of bacteria that play a beneficial, even vital role in your overall health. In fact, having healthy bacteria in your gut is so vital, nature is designed to inoculate us from birth. In pregnancy woman produce hormones that cause the birth canal to become heavily populated with bacteria so newborns receive a healthy dose of good bacteria during birth.1 Infants born by C-section, fail to receive this inoculation, and consequently, as adults they have higher risks of suffering from asthma, autoimmune disorders, heart disease, and diabetes compared to those born naturally. You can’t change the way you were born, but there are lifestyle factors that you do have control over that can either harm or heal your gut health. Let’s look at some of these strategies. The most important strategy keeping your gut healthy is to feed the beneficial bacteria...
Read More
Solutions — Food Addiction Recovery
SOLUTIONS: Food Addiction Recovery Wednesdays at 4:30 to 6:30 pm 12-week program covering all topics regarding food addiction and compulsive overeating. Understanding the addiction process Brain chemistry, Dopamine and Serotonin Relapse management planning and wellness plans Moderation vs. addiction Emotional intelligence, needs, and values Cognitive Distortions Comfort Zones and Deciding to Change Self-Esteem Defense Mechanisms And much more! Questions about the class, call at Heather Glover, MA, LMFT at...
Read More
Healthy Plate = Healthy Weight
HEALTHY BALANCE Weight Loss Program In this program you lose weight on a high fiber, nutrient dense food plan designed to curb hunger and cravings. Typical weight loss is one to two pounds a week. The Full Food Healthy Balance Program is a 16-session program. The weekly (1½ hr.) group meetings include mindful eating exercises, stress management, behavior modification, and strength/flexibility training. Programs are available at the following Kaiser Permanente medical office buildings: San Marcos, Oceanside, Clairemont Mesa, Otay Mesa and La Mesa medical office buildings. 16-session program: $160 plus one-time $50 program material fee. See our calendar section for new group start...
Read More