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Health and Wellness Headlines for August 3

Ginger Powder as a Pain-Killer

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on August 2, 2022, 7:00 am.

There have been at least eight randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trials of ginger for pain. You may recall that I’ve previously… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Foods That Improve Sexual Function in Women

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 28, 2022, 7:00 am.

Addyi (flibanserin), the drug marketed for “hypoactive sexual desire disorder,” is ineffective and unsafe. What about dietary approaches… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Aloe Is Put to the Test Against Cancer

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 26, 2022, 7:00 am.

From a case report to a randomized controlled trial, aloe is put to the test against cancer. For a half century, aloe vera “gel processors… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Takeaways on Soy and an Edamame Recipe

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 21, 2022, 7:00 am.

Edamame is soy in its most whole-food form. The pods containing young soybeans are a snack or starter, first popularized in East Asia. Soybe… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Aloe Fails to Help Radiation Therapy Skin Burns

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 19, 2022, 7:00 am.

What are the effects of aloe on radiation burns caused by cancer treatment and on the cancer itself? “Worldwide attention was drawn to the… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


How Effective Is Chemotherapy for Colon, Lung, Breast, and Prostate Cancers?

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 14, 2022, 7:00 am.

How effective is chemotherapy for colon, lung, breast, and prostate cancers? “Over the last several decades…medicine has waged a major w… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.

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Improve Your Insulin Sensitivity Naturally

Insulin resistance can be difficult to detect without medical tests. However, its effects can be dangerous if left unchecked.

This month we are taking a look at the risks and symptoms of insulin resistance, plus 10 preventative measures you can take to reduce your risks of insulin resistance and increase your insulin sensitivity.

What Is Insulin Resistance?

Insulin is a hormone produced by the pancreas which allows blood cells to absorb and use glucose. When a person experiences insulin resistance, their cells are unable to use insulin effectively. Consistently high levels of glucose develop, which can lead to prediabetes or type 2 diabetes if left untreated.

In order to prevent insulin resistance and its progression to diabetes, you must increase your insulin sensitivity. Insulin sensitivity means that your cells respond well to insulin—the opposite of resistance.

Who Is At Risk of Insulin Resistance?

Certain factors increase your likelihood of developing insulin resistance:

  • Being overweight or obese, especially when excess weight is around the midsection
  • A sedentary lifestyle or lack of exercise
  • Smoking
  • Consuming large amounts of alcohol
  •  Lack of sleep or sleep issues
  • High levels of cholesterol
  • High blood pressure
  • A history of gestational diabetes
  • A family history of diabetes
  • A high-carbohydrate diet
  • Sleep apnea

While it may not be possible to eliminate all risk factors as some are genetic, most are avoidable and doctors typically recommend lifestyle changes to prevent the condition.

What Are The Symptoms of Insulin Resistance?

Insulin resistance is difficult to detect without medical testing, as symptoms don’t usually present until the condition has developed into diabetes. The CDC has reported that over 85% of people with prediabetes do not know they have it. That’s unfortunate since lifestyle changes can reverse the development of diabetes.

High insulin and blood sugar levels are the hallmark symptoms of insulin resistance. Your health practitioner can use several methods to measure your blood sugar and insulin levels, such as an HOMA-IR test. Waist measurements in excess of 40 inches for men and 35 for women can also indicate insulin resistance.

In addition, there are links that have been drawn between insulin resistance and other health conditions:

  • Acanthosis nigricans. This skin condition causes dark spots on the groin, armpits, and back of the neck. It can be an indicator of insulin resistance.
  • Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). There is often an overlap between PCOS and insulin resistance. The symptoms of PCOS include irregular menstruation, infertility, and painful periods.
  • Major depressive disorder. High levels of insulin in the blood have also been associated with an increased likelihood of depression.

If you are experiencing any of these conditions or conditions, it may be worthwhile to seek a test for insulin levels and insulin resistance.

How To Prevent Insulin Resistance

There are numerous natural and science-backed ways you can increase your insulin sensitivity:

1 – Sleep more

Getting enough rest is important for your health in many ways. A lack of good sleep has been linked to reduced insulin sensitivity, so be sure to catch up on your Zs.

2 – Fit movement into your day

Regular physical activity is a major key to increasing insulin sensitivity. Exercise will move sugar into the muscles for storage and promote insulin sensitivity immediately. This can also help keep off excess weight, which is another risk factor for insulin resistance.

3 – Reduce stress

Recurrent stress keeps hormone levels high and increases blood sugar. Stress also makes the body more insulin resistant.

Practicing meditation, getting regular exercise, and other stress-reduction techniques like conscious breathing will help lower your stress and increase your insulin sensitivity.

4 – Choose your drinks carefully

Even seemingly “healthy” drinks like kombucha can be loaded with sugar. Limit alcohol including beer, spirits and wine, especially pre-made cocktails with added sugar.

Hydrate well with water, at least 2 L a day, and choose herbal or green tea which has been linked to improved sensitivity.

5 – Eat more fiber

Studies have found strong links between fiber intake and insulin sensitivity. Incorporate fiber-rich foods into your diet such as legumes, oatmeal, fruits, and vegetables.

6 – Add high-antioxidant foods to your diet

A diet that includes a variety of plants is highly beneficial for health. The antioxidants in brightly colored produce prevent inflammation in the body and boost insulin sensitivity. However, be sure not to eat too much fruit at once, as many types of fruit are high in sugar.

7 – Reduce carb intake

Carbohydrates are the primary stimulus of rising insulin levels. High-carb diets tend to lead to blood sugar spikes. Spread out your carb intake throughout the day to prevent this, eating smaller portions at regular intervals.

8 – Supplement wisely

In addition to a well-rounded diet, certain supplements can help increase insulin sensitivity. Magnesium, chromium, berberine, and resveratrol have all been studied for their effects on insulin, with positive results.

9 – Cut back on processed sugar

The two major processed sugars are high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose. These are different from the natural sugars found in nutrient-dense foods like fruits and vegetables. Many studies have found that high doses of fructose and sucrose increase insulin resistance. It is best to avoid candy, sugary beverages, cakes, and cookies.

10 – Cook with herbs and spices

The medicinal properties of herbs and spices have shown good potential for increasing insulin sensitivity. Cinnamon, ginger, and garlic are some popular and flavorful ingredients that have been shown to increase insulin sensitivity.

If you’d like to learn more about developing lifestyle habits for healthy insulin levels, don’t hesitate to reach out. Together, we can assess your symptoms and develop a plan.

Sources:

Attvall S, Fowelin J, Lager I, Von Schenck H, Smith U. Smoking induces insulin resistance–a potential link with the insulin resistance syndrome. J Intern Med. 1993 Apr;233(4):327-32. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2796.1993.tb00680.x. PMID: 8463765.

Borghouts LB, Keizer HA. Exercise and insulin sensitivity: a review. Int J Sports Med. 2000 Jan;21(1):1-12. doi: 10.1055/s-2000-8847. PMID: 10683091.

Donga E, van Dijk M, van Dijk JG, Biermasz NR, Lammers GJ, van Kralingen KW, Corssmit EP, Romijn JA. A single night of partial sleep deprivation induces insulin resistance in multiple metabolic pathways in healthy subjects. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jun;95(6):2963-8. doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-2430. Epub 2010 Apr 6. PMID: 20371664.

Liu CY, Huang CJ, Huang LH, Chen IJ, Chiu JP, Hsu CH. Effects of green tea extract on insulin resistance and glucagon-like peptide 1 in patients with type 2 diabetes and lipid abnormalities: a randomized, double-blinded, and placebo-controlled trial. PLoS One. 2014 Mar 10;9(3):e91163. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0091163. PMID: 24614112; PMCID: PMC3948786.

Medagama AB. The glycaemic outcomes of Cinnamon, a review of the experimental evidence and clinical trials. Nutr J. 2015 Oct 16;14:108. doi: 10.1186/s12937-015-0098-9. PMID: 26475130; PMCID: PMC4609100.

Jalal R, Bagheri SM, Moghimi A, Rasuli MB. Hypoglycemic effect of aqueous shallot and garlic extracts in rats with fructose-induced insulin resistance. J Clin Biochem Nutr. 2007 Nov;41(3):218-23. doi: 10.3164/jcbn.2007031. PMID: 18299719; PMCID: PMC2243241.

Li Y, Tran VH, Duke CC, Roufogalis BD. Gingerols of Zingiber officinale enhance glucose uptake by increasing cell surface GLUT4 in cultured L6 myotubes. Planta Med. 2012 Sep;78(14):1549-55. doi: 10.1055/s-0032-1315041. Epub 2012 Jul 24. PMID: 22828920.

Guerrero-Romero F, Tamez-Perez HE, González-González G, Salinas-Martínez AM, Montes-Villarreal J, Treviño-Ortiz JH, Rodríguez-Morán M. Oral magnesium supplementation improves insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic subjects with insulin resistance. A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Diabetes Metab. 2004 Jun;30(3):253-8. doi: 10.1016/s1262-3636(07)70116-7. PMID: 15223977.

Anderson RA, Cheng N, Bryden NA, Polansky MM, Cheng N, Chi J, Feng J. Elevated intakes of supplemental chromium improve glucose and insulin variables in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes. 1997 Nov;46(11):1786-91. doi: 10.2337/diab.46.11.1786. PMID: 9356027.

Yin J, Xing H, Ye J. Efficacy of berberine in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Metabolism. 2008 May;57(5):712-7. doi: 10.1016/j.metabol.2008.01.013. PMID: 18442638; PMCID: PMC2410097.

Guerrero-Romero F, Tamez-Perez HE, González-González G, Salinas-Martínez AM, Montes-Villarreal J, Treviño-Ortiz JH, Rodríguez-Morán M. Oral magnesium supplementation improves insulin sensitivity in non-diabetic subjects with insulin resistance. A double-blind placebo-controlled randomized trial. Diabetes Metab. 2004 Jun;30(3):253-8. doi: 10.1016/s1262-3636(07)70116-7. PMID: 15223977.

Anderson RA, Cheng N, Bryden NA, Polansky MM, Cheng N, Chi J, Feng J. Elevated intakes of supplemental chromium improve glucose and insulin variables in individuals with type 2 diabetes. Diabetes. 1997 Nov;46(11):1786-91. doi: 10.2337/diab.46.11.1786. PMID: 9356027.

Paul-Labrador M, Polk D, Dwyer JH, Velasquez I, Nidich S, Rainforth M, Schneider R, Merz CN. Effects of a randomized controlled trial of transcendental meditation on components of the metabolic syndrome in subjects with coronary heart disease. Arch Intern Med. 2006 Jun 12;166(11):1218-24. doi: 10.1001/archinte.166.11.1218. PMID: 16772250.

Caminhotto Rde O, Lima FB. Impaired glucose tolerance in low-carbohydrate diet: maybe only a physiological state. Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab. 2013 Dec;305(12):E1521. doi: 10.1152/ajpendo.00580.2013. PMID: 24336921.

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Heavy Metals In the Body: What You Need to Know

Heavy metals are naturally occurring elements that can be found throughout the environment. Given their prevalence in the foods that we eat and even the air we breathe, we are exposed to high levels of heavy metals every day.

Certain metals– including zinc, copper, and iron—are beneficial for your health in small doses. However, overexposure to other heavy metals poses serious health risks. Cadmium, arsenic, chromium, lead, and mercury are some of the most toxic. Heavy metal poisoning has become a growing health concern as human activity has increased their presence in our environment.

Risks and Symptoms of Heavy Metals In The Body

A doctor can test your level of exposure to harmful heavy metals in your blood, urine, and hair. If toxicity is high, you may be experiencing symptoms such as:

  • Headaches
  • Abdominal pain
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Diarrhea
  • Fatigue
  • Chills
  • General feeling of weakness

In more severe and chronic cases of heavy metal poisoning, symptoms may include:

  • Burning and tingling sensations
  • Brain fog
  • Insomnia
  • Paralysis
  • Chronic infections

The toxicity of heavy metals can have serious effects on the brain, liver, and lungs. Long term exposure is even associated with cancer.

Who is most at risk?

Although heavy metal exposure poses a risk to everyone, it is a special concern for pregnant and breastfeeding women. This is due to the fact that toxins can be passed to the child through the placenta and breast milk.

How To Reduce Your Exposure to Heavy Metals

While they can hardly be escaped in everyday life, there are certain sources of heavy metals you can deliberately avoid and cut back on to prevent overexposure.

1- Be mindful of your seafood consumption

Certain types of fish tend to contain high levels of the heavy metal mercury, which can be harmful in large amounts. The FDA has guidelines for avoiding mercury when eating fish– those with the highest levels are typically larger fish including:

  • Swordfish
  • Shark
  • Tilefish
  • King mackerel
  • Orange roughly
  • Tuna
  • Marlin

Fish (and seafood) with the least amount of mercury include wild caught salmon, trout, herring, haddock, sole, shrimp and shellfish such as oysters, scallops and mussels.

2 – Quit smoking

Cigarettes and e-cigarettes both contain high levels of cadmium, a heavy metal linked with increased cancer risk, among many other harmful ingredients. Avoid smoking to avoid this toxic element, among others.

3 – Opt for organic

You’ve heard it before – organic is best. But some foods even more so to avoid heavy metals. Rice tends to contain high levels of the heavy metal arsenic. This is due to its absorbent property—rice absorbs arsenic from pesticide-ridden soil, irrigation water, and even the water that you cook it in.

Buying organic rice can prevent overexposure to the heavy metal. Be sure to always rinse your rice well (until the water runs clear) before cooking it.

Bone broth is a popular health food for lowering inflammation and promoting gastrointestinal health. However, when animals are exposed to heavy metals, they can store it within their bone materials.

Choose organic bone broth from grass fed cows and pasture raised chickens.

4 – Clean cosmetics and body care

There are numerous heavy metals—including lead, cadmium, and aluminum—which are often present in makeup and skin products. Many deodorants and antiperspirants also contain aluminum salts, which clog the pores and can enter the body through injured skin (after shaving). Exposure to aluminum can contribute to serious diseases such as breast cancer.

Find an aluminum-free deodorant to reduce this risk and seek out organic cosmetics.

5 –  Invest in clean water and safe cookware

Due to environmental contamination, heavy metals tend to build up in groundwater and then enter the human body in large amounts. Water pipes also are frequently made with lead or copper, two metals which can be harmful to health. Investing in a water filtration system can help reduce absorption of these heavy metals into your body.

Heat can increase the chance of toxins leaching into food, making cookware an important place to start when trying to limit heavy metal and toxin exposure. Research shows the safest cookware is that made of ceramic, glass, cast iron, or stainless steel, especially higher qualities without contaminated glazing.

6 – Sweat it out

Far infrared saunas have become an increasingly mainstream addition to any heavy metal detox protocol. Research shows that sweat produced by an infrared sauna is only 80 to 85% water, with the remainder made up of harmful substances like cholesterol, sulfuric acid, ammonia, and heavy metals. Infrared saunas produce a heat that penetrates more deeply into tissue than a traditional sauna, helping to mobilize and excrete the mercury and other toxins stored in fat.

Further Treatment

If you find upon medical testing that your exposure to heavy metals has reached harmful levels, there are medical treatments available. It can take time to safely detox heavy metals from the body, but it is possible.

Medications can be delivered intravenously to remove toxins. These medications bind to the metal, a process called chelation. Note that chelation therapy should only be used in serious cases of heavy metal toxin build up, and under the close supervision of a medical professional.

There are, however, alternative and more gradual ways to detox heavy metals from the body. One way is consuming certain foods which electrically attract metal and will help move it out. These foods include:

  • Cilantro
  • Garlic
  • Lemon water
  • Green tea
  • Spirulina
  • Chlorella
  • Dietary fiber

Another option is taking supplements. For instance, selenium helps detox mercury, and Alpha-lipoic acid can renew antioxidants and detox metals.

Furthermore, vitamin B, B-6, and C deficiencies can lead to poor tolerance of heavy metals and easier toxicity, so it may be worth supplementing with these vitamins if you find that you are deficient. As always, take care to consult with a healthcare professional before adding any supplements or detoxification substances to your diet.

Exposure to high levels of heavy metals can cause serious health concerns. And while human activity has increased their prevalence in our environment, there are certain steps you can take to avoid overexposure to these harmful substances.

Heavy metal exposure can feel frightening, but there are plenty of steps to minimize its impact. A healthy lifestyle, including regular exercise and plenty of sleep can help. If you have any questions about heavy metal exposure, reach out to us.

Sources:

Tchounwou, P.B., Yedjou, C.G., Patlolla, A.K., Sutton, D.J. (2012). Heavy Metal Toxicity and the Environment. In: Luch, A. (eds) Molecular, Clinical and Environmental Toxicology. Experientia Supplementum, vol 101. Springer, Basel. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7643-8340-4_6

Zhai Q, Narbad A, Chen W. Dietary strategies for the treatment of cadmium and lead toxicity. Nutrients. 2015 Jan 14;7(1):552-71. doi: 10.3390/nu7010552. PMID: 25594439; PMCID: PMC4303853.

Monro JA, Leon R, Puri BK. The risk of lead contamination in bone broth diets. Med Hypotheses. 2013 Apr;80(4):389-90. doi: 10.1016/j.mehy.2012.12.026. Epub 2013 Jan 31. PMID: 23375414.

TatahMentan M, Nyachoti S, Scott L, Phan N, Okwori FO, Felemban N, Godebo TR. Toxic and Essential Elements in Rice and Other Grains from the United States and Other Countries. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2020 Nov 3;17(21):8128. doi: 10.3390/ijerph17218128. PMID: 33153201; PMCID: PMC7663342.

Sears ME. Chelation: harnessing and enhancing heavy metal detoxification–a review. ScientificWorldJournal. 2013 Apr 18;2013:219840. doi: 10.1155/2013/219840. PMID: 23690738; PMCID: PMC3654245.

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Health and Wellness Headlines for July 27

Aloe Is Put to the Test Against Cancer

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 26, 2022, 7:00 am.

From a case report to a randomized controlled trial, aloe is put to the test against cancer. For a half century, aloe vera “gel processors… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Takeaways on Soy and an Edamame Recipe

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 21, 2022, 7:00 am.

Edamame is soy in its most whole-food form. The pods containing young soybeans are a snack or starter, first popularized in East Asia. Soybe… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Aloe Fails to Help Radiation Therapy Skin Burns

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 19, 2022, 7:00 am.

What are the effects of aloe on radiation burns caused by cancer treatment and on the cancer itself? “Worldwide attention was drawn to the… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


How Effective Is Chemotherapy for Colon, Lung, Breast, and Prostate Cancers?

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 14, 2022, 7:00 am.

How effective is chemotherapy for colon, lung, breast, and prostate cancers? “Over the last several decades…medicine has waged a major w… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Benefits of a Half Teaspoon of Brewer’s Yeast Daily

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 12, 2022, 7:00 am.

A half-teaspoon a day of brewer’s yeast is put to the test in a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. In 1854, a case repor… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Treating the Root Cause of Toenail Fungus

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 7, 2022, 7:00 am.

Does Tea Tree Oil Work for Nail Fungus? Tea tree essential oil is pitted against the antifungal cream lotrimin for the treatment of fungal n… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.

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Health and Wellness Headlines for July 20

Aloe Fails to Help Radiation Therapy Skin Burns

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 19, 2022, 7:00 am.

What are the effects of aloe on radiation burns caused by cancer treatment and on the cancer itself? “Worldwide attention was drawn to the… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


How Effective Is Chemotherapy for Colon, Lung, Breast, and Prostate Cancers?

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 14, 2022, 7:00 am.

How effective is chemotherapy for colon, lung, breast, and prostate cancers? “Over the last several decades…medicine has waged a major w… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Benefits of a Half Teaspoon of Brewer’s Yeast Daily

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 12, 2022, 7:00 am.

A half-teaspoon a day of brewer’s yeast is put to the test in a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. In 1854, a case repor… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Treating the Root Cause of Toenail Fungus

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 7, 2022, 7:00 am.

Does Tea Tree Oil Work for Nail Fungus? Tea tree essential oil is pitted against the antifungal cream lotrimin for the treatment of fungal n… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Tea Tree Oil vs. Tinactin for Athlete’s Foot

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 5, 2022, 7:00 am.

Are the effects of tea tree oil anti-fungal or merely anti-inflammatory? Our entire understanding of the cause of dandruff shifted with a la… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Stevia and Monk Fruit vs. Aspartame and Splenda

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on June 30, 2022, 7:00 am.

The natural plant-based sweeteners stevia and monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) are pitted head-to-head against aspartame and Splenda. A number of ar… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.

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Supporting Long-Haul Syndrome

Microphone and Computer; this broke my heart.
Play

Many people have been experiencing long-lasting symptoms after going through an illness. The cause of these lingering symptoms is still unknown, but some people have reported that certain supplements and lifestyle changes have reduced some of their symptoms like fatigue and brain fog. In this week’s episode, Supporting Long-Haul Syndrome, we’ll discuss some things you can do that may help support your body in dealing with these symptoms.

Show Notes:

00:00:01 – 00:05:15

Welcome to the green wisdom health podcast, with doctor Steven and Janet Lewis, where you will learn about natural solutions to common ailments. And now, here are your hosts doctor Stephen and Janet Lewis. Hello and welcome to this week’s edition of the green wisdom health show. I’m Janet Lewis. And I’m doctor Lewis. And today we are going to discuss a topic you guys keep asking us about that we keep trying to dance around. So we’re going to keep dancing, but we’re going to give you our best shot at explaining what we do and what’s going on. Now that we have your curiosity, you’re wondering what it is. I know. But we can’t tell you. We have to just kind of talk in code. The name of the show is called treating long, I’m sorry. It’s not treating. We’re supporting long haul syndrome. So we do not treat that. We just give you things that might help you get over long term chronic sickness. And you’ll just have to fill in the blank on what that is. But, you know, many things can help with that sort of thing. And we also have a symptom list of you figuring out if you have these long haul symptoms or the syndrome. So chronic immune system depletion. There you go. So we’re going to tell you the things that we do, the things we recommend because we’re getting another round of people getting sick and we want to make sure you stay healthy, especially going into this fall, you know, we’ve got Saharan dust attacking us now and people have a bunch of allergies. And then you have this virus stuff that just seems to be on the loose. So doctor Lewis, I think you should go ahead and explain what we’re doing. You know, before we started this, we asked God to help organize my mind. You know if you’ve listened to me before organization in my mind is pretty much nonexistent and I’m way off the charts today. I’ve got too much to say and not enough time to get there. So what we’re talking about is helping your body boost immune system. I’m a chiropractor, so I always approach you from a musculoskeletal sense. But if you support musculoskeletal, you’re supporting all the cells, which are supporting your immune system. So we’ll get into that. I wanted to talk about mushrooms and Janet kind of changed that. I’m going to talk about mushrooms anyway. Maybe he’s wanting to smoke mushrooms. I’m not sure which one, but we’re using them for immune system. Yeah, and I do not treat cancer, God knows you need a hematologist that understands natural stuff too, but when Janet’s first said, we talk about mushrooms and she changed her mind. She never changes her mind about me, but everything else may be. There’s a lot of cancer books. And again, I don’t treat cancer, of course, but mushroom extracts are used sometimes it’s mataki, sometimes shiitake, a turkey tail lines made. And the beta glucans that you can get from that. And this is in some of the books that talk about how some people natural doctors treat cancer. And that’s certainly not the only thing you should be doing if you have cancer, but other things that are anti proliferative, which means they kind of help keep the cancer and if it works for cancer, it’s going to work for immune system. And you people that have chronic fatigue, some of the anti prolific agents are selenium, fish oil, garlic, cat’s claw, mataki, diffraction vitamin a, vitamin K, of course, in bovine cartilage, which actually we’ve been proved our collagen has just come in again. Thank you. But that all might assist the cancer patient in this manner. There’s also a lot of studies that said, these nutrition supplements do not interfere with chemo. And there’s a lot of controversy and sometimes lies are told so much that people actually start to believe it. Which gets into one other lie. And I want you to think about it. There’s this big long line that’s been going around for years that says cancer can’t live in an alkaline environment. Folks, you know what BS stands for? Belief systems. There’s plenty of research and I’m saying this because if this is true of this, therefore it’s true in your chronic fatigue, long haul symptoms. The optimal PH medium for growth, the optimal PH for staff is 7.4. That’s alkaline, streptococcus, pneumococcus, diphtheria, tetanus, influence, gonococcus, meningococcus, brucella, abortus, and H pylori, all of those prefer and alkaline environment, and people are doing their dead level best to get alkaline.

00:05:16 – 00:10:00

God has alkaline acid alkaline acid buffers in the body. You need to quit trying to manipulate that. A good, healthy flora, which means the microbiome, the good bacteria needs and loves acid, pathogens, love, and need alkalinity. And then there’s a study that it’s a very good study. I read it. It says cancer thrives in an alkaline environment. Well, you get on the Internet, it’ll tell you the opposite. Quit believing everything you read on the Internet. I’ve told people, I was just Satan tissues, is that control you manipulate you, put fear and doubt in there and people look at me. It’s like, well, what do you believe in sight or not? I don’t know. There’s negative entities, so. Well, it ain’t even that. You’re seeing what they want you to see too. So you don’t get the whole picture of other truths that could be out there that doesn’t fit into what they would like you to know. So you only get to hear what they want you to hear. So don’t believe everything you read because I mean, maybe that is a one sided deal, but there’s also a bunch of other opinions that don’t ever get published or get taken down. Because they don’t like the research. And what everybody should do in my opinion, let’s go get a good picture of the food pyramid and then eat exactly the opposite of how it says because on the base of the pyramid it says 6 to 11 servings. A brand cereal RAS pasta dot, and usually there’s a massive amount of weight in there and weight and H pylori go together. Yes, it does. People say, oh, I have GERD or acid reflux. I said, well, it’s weight or H pylori or lack of stomach acid, which goes back to the lack of stomach acid would be alkalinity. So folks, just because it’s been promoted for 75 years, you don’t have to believe it. And I had a call the other day, lady says, well, my MD tested my B 12, and it was 1300 something, and it was so high that I got off your methyl B 12. Folks, a bad B 12, Sino cobalamin can cause and will cause your lab to go high on your B 12 test. It doesn’t mean it’s being absorbed. And it has to be in large amounts for your body. Especially this lady’s age. For your body to have a lot in order for it to be available to be absorbed. So be careful who you listen to and even when I sit down to somebody here locally or own zoom or phone calls, I say, listen with a discerning spirit. Use your intuition, even when I’m speaking, you need to always listen to that. So owning, again, I’ve got about three four hours worth of notes and we’re going to try to cram most of it in 30 minutes. So there is some common symptoms of long haul syndrome. They are fatigue, shortness of breath, or difficulty breathing, and we’re just telling you, we’re going over all this because we have many people walking into our store now that are emailing us, some are on shooting straight with doctor Lewis on Facebook. They’re all asking what can we do, what can we do? We felt like it’s our job to try to help you through it because I guess it isn’t going anywhere for a while and you need to be strong enough so whenever these other illnesses come along that you can withstand some of this and not be brought down. So if you don’t know what some of the symptoms of it are, there’s a chronic cough joint pain, chest pain, memory, lots of people say they’ve got tons of brain fog concentration or sleep problems. Muscle pains or headaches, they have a faster pounding heartbeat. They have lost their smell or taste, and I mean for many months, depression or anxiety, fever, dizziness when you stand. And your worst after physical or mental activities and they result if you keep these things and you don’t do anything to try to help it, the result of the damage is the following to these body systems. Your pulmonary lungs will be permanently injured, your immune, allergy response. Your mitochondria energy system, your heart, and your central peripheral nervous system. So doctor Lewis, I’d like maybe you could discuss some things that someone could take to help maintain or get better from many of those things. Tell us what mitochondria energy is.

00:10:00 – 00:15:01

I mean, what are you trying to achieve with these products? Well, the mitochondrion each cell has a lot of them in there. And it’s like the spark plug that ignites the gasoline vapor or which releases the energy, so mitochondria are the powerhouses. And there’s a lot of different facets to good health. It can be community purpose. We’ve talked about doing good for others, diet, nutrition, and they’re signals the macronutrients and micronutrients total energy, glycemic impact. Signals, environmental signals. We’ve talked about the toxins and chronicity, whether it’s long-term shift workers, seasonal regular rest vacation, sleeping time, stress response signals and we do a lot of that with your cortisol. Some of the things you just have to throw it in and let God sort it out. And I’m sorry that people that are trying to get you healthier more and more being silenced. And I work with the medical profession. I tell people get lab and a guy came in and he had a horrible lab. I’m not an MD, I can’t judge this, but I knew he was within a week or two or very close to death. And I said, well, you need to go to your MD because of this, this, this, and this, he said, I’ve been to several of them, including the VA, and they won’t pay attention to me. I said my supplements are not going to help you as too little too late. There are limitations to time and there’s limitations to matter and call me back after his medical doctors paid attention to him. He says, you saved my life because he had some stuff going on. So the first thing you should do is get lab. Yeah, and I wanted to get there too because there’s an important test on there that we run now, but I wanted to talk a little bit more about the supplements you’re using and why the people, a lot of people already know about vitamin D, you’ve heard about vitamin D, you’ve heard about zinc. A lot of them are taken that, but zinc, vitamin C, because it comes down inflammation, the D is prevention. And it helps the long haul symptoms. But there’s a few other ones that people have not heard of. The mushrooms are one, like you spoke about. Which is the immune essentials we have, especially for people who have weak lungs, I take that every day because I know I’d be dead without it. Yeah, cordyceps is absolutely incredible. And there’s several others in there like turkey tail racing talking shiitake, like I talked about earlier. But there’s things like glutathione and in acetylcysteine or neck that I know people don’t really hear much about that maybe you could tell us why that’s necessary and if you have something that has that in it or is that like is that something you do daily or is that just when you’re sick or what do you do? Some people do it just when they need to. I’m more like, I don’t get my toe in the water. I die then and I try to live life a 110%. Complete is really, really, really popular. It’s got some good vitamin D zinc. And people say about zinc displaces copper. Not if it’s attracts zinc, TRA, CS, the real amino acid chelate system. So it goes through a different pathway and does not displace copper. And it has an acetylcysteine in the quercetin dihydrate. One of the things, if you want to get simple, multi element buffered, say, and it’s got it’s got some minerals to buffer it. But it has a copper manganese potassium quercetin and glutathione. Explain why that one is because it says multi element buffered C, you know, people are going to buy vitamin C much cheaper than that at the drugstore. What makes that different as a product? Because it is kind of expensive. But what’s in it? Three to 6 months worth depending on dependent on how you take it. What do you take to a day or four? Well, one of the things calcium, we don’t talk about calcium a lot because she’s sometimes usually you can get enough out of your diet. But did you know calcium lowers cholesterol helps prevent cardiovascular disease and bat along with the pulmonary issues or some of the things that are going out has to do with muscle growth and contraction can or may lower blood pressure, although I push magnesium more for that. But lower calcium or calcium deficiency can cause brittle nails, eczema, elevated blood, cholesterol, insomnia, muscle cramps, nervousness, numbness, and arms, but now one thing you’ve got to realize, you’ve got to have stomach acid to assimilate calcium.

00:15:02 – 00:20:01

Now, this in the multi element buffered C yeah, okay. And some of the other things I like to talk about copper because you don’t hear much about it. Lack of copper, and I’ve seen this a few times. But copper has, well, if you have a deficiency, so you can have a dysfunction in hemoglobin and red blood cell formation. It works to balance with zinc and vitamin C to form elastin and this is not the most important thing about it lasting, but ladies, that means if you have all that, you’ll have fewer wrinkles. And it’s important, well, it’s skin protein. Healing process, energy, hair and skin coloring, taste sensitivity, it doesn’t mean you won’t get gray, but I’m getting gray very, very slowly. I just have my driver’s license. Oh, go ahead, go right ahead. Renewed. And Janet put brown gray on the form and I couldn’t decide. I couldn’t decide if it was brown or gray. And the lady said, we couldn’t pick both. You gotta pick one. I said, well, honey, you pick it. She’s just Brown. I said, I love you. So everybody’s hearing. Batman. Copper is essential for the formation of collagen and once again, the really good holy gs the best in the world college in his back in stock. You don’t want to type too much. Without taking out anything from it. That was the main thing. That’s why it was out of stock so long is because they did not want to change the formula because it worked. And we had Casey explaining that. It has magnesium and you hear me talk a lot about magnesium so I’ll try to be quick, but it’s a catalyst in enzyme activity. You’ve heard of, say, 300 different enzymes. I’ve read as many as 600. And it’s the enzymes involved in energy production assist in calcium and potassium uptake. So it’s like holy cow, important. But it has manganese in it. You don’t hear much about manganese. And it’s needed for utilization of B one, B one is the one that will stop brain fog almost all the time because you have too much east in your guts. It helps in the utilization of vitamin a and it has to be a good vitamin E, not the rector DL alpha to go for all that’s not a good one. And it has manganese has to do with overall feeling of well-being. Oh my God, people sit and pay attention on that one. A lack of manganese can cause high cholesterol, hypertension, irritability, so if your spouse is irritable, it might actually be you. But memory loss I forgot, honey. Muscle contraction. Pancreatic damage profuse perspiration. So there’s a lot of good things that’s in the multi element buffered C and then you have potassium potassium can help prevent stroke aids in proper muscle contraction works with sodium for the water, the body’s water balance, so to speak. It’s a significant factor in the development of high blood pressure if it’s missing. Now you got to be careful with potassium for God’s sake, don’t take too much because that could be dangerous. So yeah, the multi element buffer sees the simple place to start. I love the environmental detox. Which I tell people, take that at night because you’ve got to do two things. One, you’ve got to clean out too. You got to build. So you want to take some of these things at slightly different times. And the amino plate is good. The immune essentials, well, I think I’m going to die of old age with a smile on my face, but we’ll say. Because they say this long haul problem is clearly a GI syndrome issue as well. So that’s why you’re saying the environmental detox, right? Where you help pull off some of those toxins. I’m glad you mentioned GI and this is not planned and I have different notes and we don’t know where we’re going. We kind of think that adds to the excitement of doing this. But yeah, it has a lot to do with inflammation and intestines. Inflammation creates leakiness, which includes diverticulosis, but it can be a lot of other things. I’ve talked about. Nick it off. I can’t pronounce it. One word you can’t say. I’ve never known you to not be able to do that. I can’t say Nicaragua either. The Nobel Prize in medicine was 1908 for work in probiotics and we’re still not practiced in that over a hundred years later. There’s about ten times more. Biotics are probiotics or microorganisms than our cells in our body. So it’s very, very good. Inflammation in GI always go together. And that’s always a common factor. I don’t give a flying flip. What you’ve got, your intestines and inflammation are part of the equation.

00:20:02 – 00:25:02

The intestines can actually affect gene expression. So think flora, flora, more flora, good probiotics. And one thing I wanted to mention on that multi element buffered C that is one product I’ve heard several people tell me they’ve gotten their taste back to the smell and taste. Just wouldn’t do it. I shouldn’t say never, but it’s usually not that simple. Right. That’s why we do the lab work. And some of the things about getting healthy would include weight loss. You’ve heard me talk about 40% of us are obese and a total of 72% of the American population are overweight. We’re going to get to that exciting feature at the end. We have something about weight loss at the end. But I also want to ask you about a new blood test that you’ve added on. It’s on the men’s panels, specifically because men have an issue more so with this, but a lot of people have probably never heard of this test. It’s called a D dimer test. And since we’ve had this long haul syndrome come out, that test has been a very important lab panel that needs to be added on, especially if you have these symptoms and women he can do it on YouTube if you have those symptoms we can add it, but can you tell us what it is, why you would need to know about that? Yeah, well, let me back up. You know, I can’t say it simply soaked. We made an executive decision to add that to the comprehensive plus male hormones and the super panel. For men, because we have a little bit more of a tendency to have the pulmonary embolisms, the strokes, the heart attacks and all that. And we decided to add the thyroid anti globulin antibodies and the TPO to the women’s because they have a little bit more Tennessee to have a thyroid autoimmune disease. And Janet threw her incredible negotiation. I don’t know how the heck she pulled it off. She got the lab to add those tests and we didn’t go up on the price because they came down. One of them used to be a $140 just in and of itself. And she negotiated. And I said, how did you do that? She looks at me with that little sparkle in her eyes as you didn’t have a chance, so just trust me. And God is good. He helps us. Every chance we get in everybody out there that is asking. That’s right. The D dimer and I’ve heard it pronounced dimmer, but I think diamonds. It’s a protein fragment. It’s found in the blood once a clot becomes degraded. And that can help in the assessment of thrombosis. That’s why I told it one guy said, man, you need to go back to your doctor. I’m sorry, they’re not paying attention to you, but you need to demand that because it’s D dimer and was like holy Jesus. And he went and got medical care. Again, we work with the body’s innate ability to heal itself and we work with the medical profession. Which if that comes back high at the doctor, many times they’re just told to take an aspirin, can you explain if you’ve got anything different if you think that’s what you’d use on somebody as an aspirin or could you tell us about anything you may have different beside an aspirin or what makes aspirin where I always think this story is great about what does my gasparin work? Am I going down all these rabbit holes now? Yeah, I’m not sure we have time for all that. Well, basically, if I had a high D dimer and I don’t, but I take these two things anyway. I take the vitamin E and I take the NATO canace and NATO kinase is a pretty serious serious enzyme used to support normal blood flow circulation in blood pressure levels. For example, that was the one we told you about our 70, 71 year old patient, and they said, well, you’re about 3% away from having to put stance in your carotid artery because it’s so plaqued up, and I put him on that O and vitamin E and the day with the vitamin K, the magic numbers, 180 micrograms or above. Oh, and we have a new vitamin D now also for you out there that are taking two. Two of the fat two 5 two. We now have one called D three K two max. So we don’t have a picture yet, but we have the product. So that’s 10,000 D plus the magical 180 micrograms of them. Okay, but anyway, this guy took his stuff. The E, the NATO and the proper amount of K and a year or so later, he has zero plaquing, and he’s, I don’t know, he’s 70 or 71. Of course he takes a lot of stuff, and he’s super healthy. He acts like he’s more like 40. But the D dimer is a very indicative if it goes high.

00:25:02 – 00:30:01

You have the possibility or maybe possibility of blood clots. It’s a protein fragment produced by the body when a blood clot dissolves. Well, it can indicate the possibility of intravascular coagulation, pulmonary embolism that I mentioned deep vein thrombosis. Trauma bleeding, pregnancy. It goes higher. Liver disease and chronic high per coagulation, which means more than what you should. Now, I do the narrow I do the vitamin E I do not make medical decisions so I’ll never take I don’t give advice about medicines, but I can show you research that says aspirin. Double your risk of stroke and there was 84 85 different studies that said aspirin did nothing for heart health. And then Bayer in their infinite wisdom. Yeah, wisdom. That goes back to BS, but belief systems. They added a little bit, I think it’s 15 milligrams of magnesium oxide. And it magnesium is so needed for heart health that even the oxide, which is not a good form. Made the heart work better, even with a bad magnesium. And so because of that one study that it was actually the magnesium that helped cardiac function. Now they’re selling a billion a day or whatever they sell 1 billion 2, 3 billion aspirin a day. Now, would I take it? No. But we’re not telling you to not take it if your doctors told you to take it by all means you do what your doctor tells you. We’re just telling you the history of aspirin. And how it got there. But I read research and I have a good memory and yes, I take stuff from a memory and it makes a huge difference when I take it versus not taking it. And I read probably, I don’t know, a thousand research articles a year. I’m making a number up, but I usually read 50, 75 books a year. And not all books are good. Some of the books that are read are like total horsemen here. And I would like to say that if you guys are having problems out there finding a doctor that will help you with these long haul symptoms that they look at you like you’re crazy. There is a group of doctors across the country called the front line doctors. They won’t look at you like you’re crazy. You can follow standard of care. They actually practice. And again, I’m not an MD, so that’s just what they are MDs. They RMDs and they’re a group of them that are trying to help people be healthy. So don’t think outside the box at work with functional medicine doctors like what we do. Yes, so look them up. They may be an answer to someone’s prayers out there. Also want to mention doctor Lewis, you know, I can’t tell you the number of times we’ve had people call here or they’ll ask doctor Lewis. What do I eat? We’ll do lab work on them. We gave them some supplements. Doctor list loves to read. And so he always recommends a book to them. Well, there’s a lot of people that don’t like to read. They want this shortcut. They want hand holding. Think Trish from Pennsylvania. I love you. Just call me and tell me you’re still around. And they don’t know what to eat. They may something bad one day. They don’t know if it’s good or bad. They’re going to reunion. They want to know what they can have. And frankly, with what we have going here is enough to keep us busy enough. Too busy. Too busy that we want to be able to give everybody the care they need and doctor Lewis is not able to just hand hold like that. But what he has decided to do is very careful consideration and research out. In the different programs and finding the absolute best for the money. We are adding in an integrative nutrition concierge team. To our staff. And what that will allow you to do over the next few weeks, you’ll start noticing it on the website. It will offer you 30 day programs to work with our functional medicine registered dietitian and certified nutrition coach via weekly phone calls and in app messaging through our new program by neutrino body. So you will start seeing that show up on the website. We’ve selected about right now about four different programs, ones for and it’s not a diet plan. It’s a nutrient based meal plan. So we’re not taking anything away from you, but we’re actually going to be adding in the nutrients that doctor Lewis is giving you through supplements with blood work and combining those together so that you’re actually eating the things of some of the products that he’s been giving you. So it’s a complete.

00:30:01 – 00:34:00

It’s a win win. One plus one equals three because synergistically they’re going to work together very, very well. For those of you that have wanted to lose weight and even a few that wanted to gain weight. Yeah, there’s one that’s going to be one for white. There’s one for thyroid. There’s one for energy. And I can’t remember what the other one is, but we’ve got a memory loss. What we’re talking about. But they’ll be on the side. I said they’re 30 day programs. They’re reasonably priced. You’re going to be able to just take pictures of all your food and just send it instantly. They make it easy for you. You don’t have to journal it, just take a picture and send it. There’s a lot of communication going on. And I think we’re going to put one of them on sale for a limited time too to just let people dip their toe in the water. So stay tuned for that. And we’ve come to the end of our show again. I can’t believe it. Hopefully you’ve learned something today with us dancing around subject matter. I hope that you got out of it. What you’ve been asking us and if we can help you anyway, sometimes just pick up the phone and call us because it might be easier than emailing or you can now if you’re in our healthy app. If you’ve downloaded the healthy app and all the people out there that don’t know what I’m talking about, if you’ve been a patient of ours, you are in our new program called healthy it’s where we share our lab documents with you now and we also share any kind of nutritional programs doctor Lewis. It’s giving you. But there’s also in app messaging. So you’re able to speak to doctor Liz, leave him a message. He’ll chat back with you because some people are saying, I wrote you an email, you never responded to my email. He does actually respond. We had a problem with our email at one point and some of that was going in spam for people, so they thought he wasn’t answering. He’s actually answering till 8, 9, 10 o’clock at night on the couch because I watch him do it. So we moved to this app to kind of keep it all inclusive in that way. We can keep up with everybody’s conversation a bit better. It’s healthy. If you have been a patient of ours, all you have to do is change your password, you’re in, and then you’ll be able to talk to him also, new ones that’s how we process our lab orders from now on. So you might as well get it now. Doctor Lewis, would you like to leave us with closing words or maybe help people go to the website and tell them how to get started if they’ve not done lab? Yeah, I always tell Janet, thanks for helping me be technologically more confident. Thanks for dragging me into the 20th century. She said Steven is the 21st. So yeah, go to green wisdom health and look at over and what I’d like to tell you is difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations, don’t quit. And in the happy moment, we should price God in difficult moments. We should seek God in the quiet moments. We should worship God in every moment. We should thank God. I like that. And like you said, go to green wisdom health dot com, click on the health survey, get started. If you don’t know what lab panels are best for you, it will actually recommend the lab panel that it decides his best for you based on what you fill out. And we appreciate you listening to our show. We hope you stay healthy. And we’ll be here next time on the green wisdom health show. Once again, our show has come to an end, but you’re hoping your health is only beginning. If you or a loved one are in need of a different outcome and are waiting for a brighter future, take the first step and go to our website and fill out the health survey. Please don’t keep us a secret. If you know someone that could benefit from this podcast, please share the show with your friends and family. You are only one step away from a life worth living.

Products Mentioned in Today’s Show

Nattokinase – Nattokinase is a powerful enzyme used to support normal blood flow, circulation, and blood pressure levels. Maintaining healthy blood circulation and balanced coagulation is a key part of supporting cardiovascular health. Fibrinolytic enzymes, such as plasmin, produced in the endothelial cells are responsible for ensuring proper blood flow. However, production of these enzymes decreases with age, which can result in increased fibrin levels. In vitro studies have highlighted that nattokinase triggers the release of substances that lead to production of other important enzymes, like plasmin, which help regulate fibrin formation.

Multi-Element Buffered C – Vitamin C is important for immune function and antioxidant protection, as well as collagen and connective tissue production. Multi-Element Buffered C adds calcium, magnesium, and potassium to ascorbic acid to create a buffered product that is gentle on the stomach. This formulation includes zinc, manganese, and copper in well-utilized forms. Quercetin, a powerful bioflavonoid, and reduced L-glutathione, an antioxidant, are included to potentiate the function of vitamin C.

Immune Essentials – Immune Essentials supports immune health with a blend of highly researched and effectively concentrated mushroom extracts combined with the polyphenol nutrient support of green tea. This formula provides beta 1,3/1,6 d-glucan and a range of bioactive compounds that have been shown to potentiate immune response.

You can also listen to Supporting Long-Haul Syndrome on our Spotify here.

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Mushrooms: The Underrated Superfood                

Mushrooms have been used for centuries, across many cultures as both food and medicine. A growing body of research now centers on the many benefits of mushrooms both on our physical and mental health. If you’ve only thought of mushrooms as a nice addition to a stir-fry, it’s time to learn more about these fascinating fungi, and their medicinal and adaptogenic varieties that are becoming mainstream superfood supplements!

What Are Mushrooms Anyway?

Mushrooms are edible fungi, which might not sound too appetizing, but the contributions that fungi make to the planet and to our own health can’t be overlooked. Fungi help to regulate carbon dioxide and recycle nutrients in the soil, and they are an often-delicious secret weapon for improving overall health when part of a rounded diet.  

Of course, some types of mushrooms aren’t edible at all, and a few are even deadly if eaten. Mycologists (people who study mushrooms) estimate that there are about 14,000 different species of mushrooms, with about 800 new species discovered annually! About 70-80 species are poisonous. Many poisonous mushrooms closely resemble edible mushrooms, so it’s important to educate yourself on different types if you gather wild mushrooms. The aptly named Death Cap mushroom is responsible for about 90% of mushroom fatalities, but overall, mushroom poisoning is relatively rare (an average of 2.9 cases each year in the U.S.).

The Underrated Superfood

Mushrooms are low in calories, with only about 20 calories per cup, but packed with nutrient density and goodness. One recent study found that adding one serving a day of mushrooms boosted intake of many essential nutrients, without any negative effects. Here are just a few of the ways mushrooms are a nutrient powerhouse:

  • Mushrooms are one of the best plant-based sources of vitamin D. Note that the amount of vitamin D declines gradually, so for optimum benefit, consume them before their “best before” date. Fun fact: You can boost the vitamin D content of your mushrooms by placing them in direct sunlight, like right under a window, for a couple of hours before eating!
  • Mushrooms are a great source of folate, and oyster mushrooms in particular contain the most.
  • Adding mushrooms to soups or sauces is an easy way to boost your daily fiber intake. Mushrooms are particularly high in a type of fiber called beta glucan, which has been shown to help lower cholesterol.
  • Many kinds of mushrooms are at par with bananas for potassium content.
  • A powerful antioxidant, selenium found in mushrooms helps boost your immune system and protects your heart health.

Fight Stress with Adaptogenic Mushrooms

Over the last decade, modern research has really begun to understand and harness the powerful benefits of functional mushrooms for human health. Certain varieties of mushrooms contain adaptogens, substances found in plants that help the body respond, manage and reduce the damaging effects of stress. Adaptogenic mushrooms include varieties like reishi, cordyceps, lion’s mane and chaga.

Although studies are still ongoing, results show positive effects on those who incorporate adaptogenic mushrooms in their diet.

  • Lion’s mane mushrooms may benefit people with depression and anxiety. Studies show that lion’s mane may also protect against dementia and help repair nerve damage.
  • Reishi mushrooms have been shown to help offset both physical and mental stressors, especially in athletes. They have also been shown to possess immune-supportive properties, support normal blood glucose metabolism and liver health.
  • Cordyceps mushrooms are often touted as a natural energy booster and popular with athletes looking for a natural performance enhancer. Cordycepsmay promote cognitive health and mood, good energy balance, stamina and exercise performance while reducing fatigue and listlessness.
  • Chaga mushroom extract has been shown to help support a normal immune response. It has potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, making it a potential alternative remedy for things like arthritis and high blood pressure. If you find yourself drinking too much coffee during the day, this mushroom extract has been produced in a pretty decent coffee substitute! With a flavor that truly resembles coffee, mushroom coffee can help you kick your coffee habit and studies show improved energy levels in those who regularly consume it.

Compounds from adaptogenic mushrooms can be taken in the form of capsules, teas, and tinctures. Always consult first with a healthcare practitioner before incorporating new supplements or herbs – some adaptogens can cause unwanted side effects in certain people.

Psychedelic Mushrooms: Emerging Research Points to Potential Benefits

The hallucinogenic qualities of so-called “magic mushrooms” have long been associated with recreational drug use, but exciting new research points to their meaningful psychological benefits. Microdosing, or consuming very small amounts of a hallucinogen, is gaining attention as a way to potentially experience the benefits of these mushrooms without the drawbacks. However, it’s important to note that this research is done under highly controlled conditions.

Creative Ways to Incorporate Mushrooms in Your Diet

Because mushrooms have that umami flavor, they make excellent main dishes and easy meat substitutes.Try using them in place of ground meat in tacos, lasagna or stuffed peppers in your next “Meatless Monday” dish!

When shopping for mushrooms, look for firm, dry mushrooms that are free from mold. Most mushrooms can be refrigerated in a paper bag and last for about five days.

Wondering how mushrooms can help you manage stress, enhance immune function, improve brain health, let’s chat! We are always here to help you take your health to the next level. Give us a call!

Sources:

Fulgoni, VL, Agarwal, S. Nutritional impact of adding a serving of mushrooms on usual intakes and nutrient adequacy using National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011–2016 data. Food Sci Nutr. 2021; 9: 1504– 1511. https://doi.org/10.1002/fsn3.2120

Cardwell G, Bornman JF, James AP, Black LJ. A Review of Mushrooms as a Potential Source of Dietary Vitamin D. Nutrients. 2018;10(10):1498. Published 2018 Oct 13. doi:10.3390/nu10101498

Phillips KM, Ruggio DM, Haytowitz DB. Folate composition of 10 types of mushrooms determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Food Chem. 2011 Nov 15;129(2):630-636. doi: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2011.04.087. Epub 2011 May 4. PMID: 30634279.

Chong PS, Fung ML, Wong KH, Lim LW. Therapeutic Potential of Hericium erinaceus for Depressive Disorder. Int J Mol Sci. 2019;21(1):163. Published 2019 Dec 25. doi:10.3390/ijms21010163

Rossi P, Buonocore D, Altobelli E, Brandalise F, Cesaroni V, Iozzi D, Savino E, Marzatico F. Improving Training Condition Assessment in Endurance Cyclists: Effects of Ganoderma lucidum and Ophiocordyceps sinensis Dietary Supplementation. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2014;2014:979613. doi: 10.1155/2014/979613. Epub 2014 Apr 1. PMID: 24799948; PMCID: PMC3995149.

Carhart-Harris, R.L., Roseman, L., Bolstridge, M. et al. Psilocybin for treatment-resistant depression: fMRI-measured brain mechanisms. Sci Rep 7, 13187 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-13282-7

Johnson MW, Garcia-Romeu A, Griffiths RR. Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation [published correction appears in Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2017 Jan;43(1):127]. Am J Drug Alcohol Abuse. 2017;43(1):55-60. doi:10.3109/00952990.2016.1170135

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Avoid Iron Deficiency: Best Practices and Tips

Iron is an essential mineral that helps maintain many vital functions in the body. This includes the production of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that helps transport oxygen throughout the body. Consuming enough iron is important. Without it, your body will struggle to produce enough healthy red blood cells. Iron levels impact many aspects of your health, including:

  • Energy
  • Ability to focus
  • Gastrointestinal health
  • Your immune system
  • Regulation of body temperature
  • Skin, hair, and nails

Heme vs. Non-Heme Iron

Dietary iron comes in two forms – heme and non-heme. Heme iron is only found in animal proteins such as meat, poultry, and seafood. Heme iron is more easily absorbed into the body and is thus a significant source of dietary iron for many.

By contrast, non-heme iron is present in plant-based foods such as grains, beans, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. It is also present in dairy and eggs. The body processes non-heme iron differently and has to alter non-heme iron to absorb it fully. This means that a lower percentage of non-heme iron is absorbed.

Iron Deficiency is Common: Know The Symptoms

Ideally, there is a healthy balance between the supply of iron through the diet and the body’s demand for iron. However, if demand outweighs supply, the body starts to use up iron stored in the liver, which can lead to iron deficiency. When the body has used the iron up, it cannot produce more hemoglobin. This condition is called iron deficiency anemia.

Iron deficiency is very common. Symptoms of iron deficiency include:

  • Fatigue
  • Shortness of breath
  • Cold hands or feet
  • Lightheadedness or dizziness, particularly when standing up quickly
  • Pale or sallow skin, nails, or gums
  • Headache
  • Irregular heartbeat
  • Unexplained irrational cravings – the desire to consume things like ice or paper is a sign of anemia
  • A sore or swollen tongue
  • Hair loss
  • Restless legs
  • Unexplained itchiness

Who is more likely to suffer from iron deficiency?

Certain demographics are more likely to deal with iron deficiency than others.

  • Women of childbearing age are especially at risk, because their bodies use and require a great deal of iron during menstruation, pregnancy and breastfeeding. Women with fibroids or other conditions that cause heavy periods are at increased risk.
  • Young people undergoing puberty are also disposed to iron deficiency since rapid growth necessitates a higher intake.
  • Vegetarians or vegans also tend to be at a greater risk for iron deficiency, since their diets often exclusively contain non-heme iron which is absorbed less easily than the heme iron found in meats.
  • Iron deficiency is also commonly present in people who have recently undergone major surgery or physical trauma, and in those with gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn’s.
  • Some studies have found that people dealing with a lot of stress are at higher risk of anemia.
  • High-level athletes or people who exercise a lot also have a higher risk. Because iron deficiency impacts athletic performance, athletes must pay close attention to their iron levels.
  • Regular blood donors should monitor their iron levels and work with their healthcare practitioner to work out a donation schedule that works for them.
  • People who abuse alcohol can deplete their iron levels, in part because alcohol can inhibit the body’s ability to absorb iron.

Preventing Iron Deficiency

If you fit into one of these categories, or if you are generally concerned about your iron levels, do not fret. There are simple steps you can take to increase your iron absorption and ensure you are feeling your best.

Ultimately, it is important to consume foods that contain iron, as your body does not produce the nutrient on its own.  Add these iron-rich foods into your diet to prevent/treat iron deficiency:

  • Red meat is known to be the most easily accessible source of heme iron. It also contains B vitamins and quality protein.
  • Fish also contains numerous health benefits, including being high in iron. The omega 3 fatty acids found in fish like salmon, tuna, and haddock are great for brain health. And just one serving of canned tuna can provide 8% of your daily value of iron.
  • Turkey is another healthy source of iron. It also is a great source of protein. Dark turkey meat tends to contain more iron than white, with a 3.5 ounce portion containing 8% of the daily value.
  •  Shellfish, particularly clams, mussels, and oysters, are good sources of heme-iron.

For vegetarians:

  • Spinach is a great source of non-heme iron for vegetarians; 100 grams of raw spinach provides 15% of your daily value.
  • Legumes are another nutrient-packed option for vegetarians trying to increase their iron intake. Black beans, kidney beans, and lentils can all help raise iron levels.
  • Pumpkin seeds are an easy snack and a great source of non-heme iron. A one-ounce serving contains 14% of your daily value of iron.
  • Tofu is a popular staple in vegetarian diets and happens to provide 3.4 mg of iron in a half-cup serving. This amounts to 19% of your daily value.

Vitamin C helps your body to absorb iron. Including a source of Vitamin C, like broccoli,  with your iron-rich meal will help maintain iron levels. Beta carotene, which is found in brightly colored produce like peppers, carrots, and apricots, can also boost absorption.

You should also examine your diet for foods and drinks that can lower iron levels, including coffee, tea, many sodas, alcohol and some dairy products.

Treating Iron Deficiency

Identifying the causes of iron deficiency is the first line of defense. From there, increasing the iron consumption in your daily diet is an important next step.

Depending on your iron levels and diet, supplements may also be necessary, but it’s important to work with a healthcare practitioner. Too much iron can be harmful to your health, so you need to find the right levels for you. keeping in mind that your body is unable to rid itself of excess iron. As well, many people find iron supplements can lead to an upset stomach and constipation, so you may have to make dietary changes at the same time.

Iron deficiency can cause serious complications for your health if left untreated, so it is important to get a proper assessment of your iron levels and create a treatment plan to help raise them. Let us know if you need help addressing iron deficiency – we’re here to help!

Sources:

Wei C, Zhou J, Huang X, Li M. Effects of psychological stress on serum iron and erythropoiesis. Int J Hematol. 2008 Jul;88(1):52-56. doi: 10.1007/s12185-008-0105-4. Epub 2008 Jun 11. PMID: 18543064.

Damian MT, Vulturar R, Login CC, Damian L, Chis A, Bojan A. Anemia in Sports: A Narrative Review. Life (Basel). 2021;11(9):987. Published 2021 Sep 20. doi:10.3390/life11090987

Shuchman M. Frequent blood donors risk iron deficiency. CMAJ. 2014;186(11):817. doi:10.1503/cmaj.109-4807

Abbaspour N, Hurrell R, Kelishadi R. Review on iron and its importance for human health. J Res Med Sci. 2014;19(2):164-174.

U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food data central

Carmen Lúcia de Almeida SantosI, II; Marco AkermanIII; Odival FaccendaIV; Lourdes Conceição MartinsV; Lígia de Fátima Nóbrega Reato,, Iron defici,  2012/01/01

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Health and Wellness Headlines for July 13

Benefits of a Half Teaspoon of Brewer’s Yeast Daily

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 12, 2022, 7:00 am.

A half-teaspoon a day of brewer’s yeast is put to the test in a randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial. In 1854, a case repor… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Treating the Root Cause of Toenail Fungus

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 7, 2022, 7:00 am.

Does Tea Tree Oil Work for Nail Fungus? Tea tree essential oil is pitted against the antifungal cream lotrimin for the treatment of fungal n… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Tea Tree Oil vs. Tinactin for Athlete’s Foot

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 5, 2022, 7:00 am.

Are the effects of tea tree oil anti-fungal or merely anti-inflammatory? Our entire understanding of the cause of dandruff shifted with a la… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Stevia and Monk Fruit vs. Aspartame and Splenda

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on June 30, 2022, 7:00 am.

The natural plant-based sweeteners stevia and monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) are pitted head-to-head against aspartame and Splenda. A number of ar… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Certified Organic Meat Put to the Test

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on June 28, 2022, 7:00 am.

Researchers tested 76 samples of different kinds of organic and conventional meats for 33 different carcinogens. A study on carcinogenic ris… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Is There Arsenic in Rice? How Much Rice Is Too Much?

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on June 27, 2022, 7:00 am.

Concerns over the arsenic content of rice have led to recommendations to reduce rice consumption in favor of other whole grains. What are so… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.

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Health and Wellness Headlines for July 6

Tea Tree Oil vs. Tinactin for Athlete’s Foot

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on July 5, 2022, 7:00 am.

Are the effects of tea tree oil anti-fungal or merely anti-inflammatory? Our entire understanding of the cause of dandruff shifted with a la… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Stevia and Monk Fruit vs. Aspartame and Splenda

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on June 30, 2022, 7:00 am.

The natural plant-based sweeteners stevia and monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) are pitted head-to-head against aspartame and Splenda. A number of ar… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Certified Organic Meat Put to the Test

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on June 28, 2022, 7:00 am.

Researchers tested 76 samples of different kinds of organic and conventional meats for 33 different carcinogens. A study on carcinogenic ris… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Is There Arsenic in Rice? How Much Rice Is Too Much?

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on June 27, 2022, 7:00 am.

Concerns over the arsenic content of rice have led to recommendations to reduce rice consumption in favor of other whole grains. What are so… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Double Your Donations and Key Takeaways on Skin Cancer

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on June 23, 2022, 7:00 am.

Summer is in swing here in the northern hemisphere, and, for many, that means more time outside. Exposure to the sun is important for produc… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.


Do Avocados Help Lower Cholesterol?

Story from NutritionFacts.org. Originally posted on June 21, 2022, 7:00 am.

Cholesterol is a vital component of our cells, which is why our body makes all that we need. Elevated cholesterol in our blood is implicated… Read the full story on NutritionFacts.org.