Monthly Archives: January 2019

Looking Beyond The Hype: Digging Deep into the Reality of Supplements

Posted on by

Market research conducted in August 2018 found that the Vitamin and Supplement Manufacturing industry in the US ballooned to profits of $31 billion. This number is a clear sign of the American public’s great desire to pursue a greater level of whole health and integrative nutrition. The debate, however, still continues to thrive in regards to the safety, efficacy, and even necessity of taking supplements. While supplements aren’t new, it’s still worth exploring and discussing them before jumping on the bandwagon.

The Rising Popularity of Supplements

A commissioned study from 2017 found that 76% of respondents say that they consume dietary supplements. The supplements they take commonly come in the form of pills, powders, and even herbal teas. The common responses when asked why they took supplements were to “improve” and “maintain” their health. Another 15% claimed that taking supplements boosted their immune system and that they were getting sick less often. Word of mouth and social media have all been conducive in spreading the glowing reviews of satisfied users to entice other people into using dietary supplements, as well.

The Unforeseen Risks

The issue begins when the supplements that people purchase are fake and contain harmful elements that end up compromising their whole person health. Even when the supplements are authentic, there’s a risk to combining different ones and using them with medication. Taking too much of certain nutrients like iron can cause hemochromatosis, as warned by the FDA. Popular supplements like St. John’s Wort originally enjoyed a reputation of being effective in boosting moods and chasing the blues away. It wasn’t until later when people found that it curbs the efficacy of antibiotics and even antiretrovirals. You just might be risking your health because of a post that you read online, so it’s best to be careful.

A Life Without Supplements

Consumers that are skeptical or have heard horror stories about fake ones wonder if it’s possible to survive without them. It actually is; it’s just going to involve a lot of dedication. A lot of the vitamins and nutrients that supplements claim to give you are readily available in the food we consume regularly. When you carefully plan the food that you eat, you can actually get the nutrient count that you need. You can try to create a food plan that maximizes your nutritional intake or you can have a health coach or dietitian help you out.

Finding the Right Balance

There are supplements that do as advertised and there are all-natural diets that work. It is entirely possible to reach some sort of compromise between supplements and diet; all that’s needed is due diligence. Read up on different findings to build a study-based and fact-based opinion on supplements and nutrition. There’s a wealth of information out there about integrative nutrition. If that isn’t enough, you can always ask your trusted nurse coach or other healthcare professional for their educated opinion.

At the end of it all, doing research about supplements will safeguard your whole person health. As a consumer, it’s your responsibility to see if something trendy is worth dabbling into. Always avoid putting your health at any unnecessary risk.

———————-
For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama. Also available on iHeartRadio.

Author Credit: Allie Oliver

The Battle Between Thinking And Feeling

Posted on by

There are three parts of the human brain, referred to as the “triune brain”. Paul D.MacLean, an early research director for the National Institute of Mental Health, postulated his Triune Brain Theory what states that the human brain is a product of three stages of evolution and is actually three separate brains which have evolved into one brain over long periods of time.

The first section [the lowest portion of the brain] which is comprised of the top part of the spinal cord, the medulla oblongata, the pons, and the cerebellum, MacClean calls “the reptilian brain” as he stated “at its base [the human brain] was a variation in the elaboration of the reptilian brain.”

The limbic system [located in the mid-portion of the brain] states MacClean, “was an elaboration of the new mammalian brain from the Jurassic period”. He termed it the “mid-brain” or the neo-mammalian brain (new mammal).

The upper most and largest part of the human brain, the cerebral cortex, encompasses our logic centers, our “intellect”. MacClean termed this portion “the neo-cortex” (new cortex).

Viewed thru the perspective of MacClean’s “Triune Brain” theory, this is the time line on which the human brain evolved:

1. Reptilian portion = Triassic period – 248 to 206 million years ago. Regulates hunger, body temperature control, fight or flight responses; is shared with reptiles

2. Limbic Portion = Jurassic period – 206-144 million years ago. Regulates mood, memory, hormone control; is shared with older mammals = dogs, cats, mice.

3. Neocortex = Eocene & Oligocene Epochs – 55 -24 million years ago. Regulates logic and thought required for complex social situations, etc; is shared with monkeys and chimpanzees.

The Reptilian or “vegetable brain” [recall the autonomic nervous system functions], is fundamentally concerned with homeostasis, which is involved in regulating all of the body functions that allow each of us to be human, get up every day and live our lives. If you do not have a well-functioning lower brain, if you have a tumor, if you have a trauma, if you’re in an accident, if something happens to your brain stem, you may no longer have the capacity to control the day to day homeostatic functions to maintain your life.

Embedded inside the Limbic System is a structure identified as the Reticular Activating System which has pathways as well as neurons traveling throughout the lower brain, up through the medulla oblongata, across the Limbic System into the Neo-Cortex or the “thinking brain”.

The Limbic System and Reticular Activating System interpret sensory motor messages that are “incoming” from the person’s environment and it is in this portion of the brain that we not only interpret the “incoming stimuli and information” but we also select methods for survival and adaptation.

Here is where it gets exciting to put the anatomy and physiology of brain function and the psychology of personality together!

We know the neo-cortex is our thinking, intellectual brain – our “smart brain” and most of us know individuals who are brilliant academically or intellectually yet they are emotionally dysfunctional in the extreme. Our thinking brain would presume that being “smart” or intellectually capable would exercise dominion over one’s emotions, however, the missing piece of information here is that our emotions actually are a survival adaptation mechanism that each of us individual develops as we process our early environment and social conditioning. Nothing is more powerful in the human being than its drive to survive! Hence, our emotions win the day in the battle between thinking and feeling.

It is critically important for each of us to understand that our emotions represent how we learned to adapt in our surroundings and environment, especially during the first 0-5 years of our development. Our familial “input” taught us, as did Pavlov with his dogs, how to respond to the stimuli we received as infants and toddlers.

This embedded neurological conditioning is not overcome by the thought process, as the thought process for humans is the “newest” component to our primordial brain. It is in the survival adaptive portion of our brain where we form our “personality” and where we become conditioned to create and interact within relationships.

When we understand the possibility that interpersonal issues that frustrate us may come not from “being difficult” or “bad intent” but rather from our drive to survive and our interpretation of the stimulation and environment we were conditioned by, then we can begin to be “kinder and gentler” towards ourselves and others.

In summary, our emotions are the way we learn to live and survive in our world. We cannot “think them” into changing, but we can step back and appreciate the service and challenge they offer us in our daily lives.

For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama available on iHeartRadio.

Beauty Before Age: How Beautiful Skin Can Lead To A Longer Life

Posted on by

In a study published in the Journals of Gerontology, researchers found that people with fewer age lines had lower blood pressure, a lower risk of heart disease and stroke, and a greater chance of outliving their more wrinkled friends. This takes a new meaning to the age old saying, “Age before beauty,” and gives everyone more of a reason to take care of their skin. So, take into consideration these helpful tips to rejuvenate your skin and create better whole person health when planning your patient education.

Drinking More Water Makes Beautiful Skin
Drinking water has been known to lead to radiant, healthy and younger-looking skin. It rejuvenates the skin and adds moisture to make your face truly glow. However, an adequate amount of water is also essential for whole health. Drinking at least 8 glasses a day can rid the body and skin of toxins that are poisoning our health. It also aids in digestion, circulation, absorption, and excretion to provide whole person care and the necessary functions for a longer life.

Avoiding the Sun to Avoid the Hospital
Our skin begins to wrinkle over time, but harmful things in the environment can also make our skin less elastic. UVA rays account for 95 percent of the UV radiation reaching the Earth’s surface and penetrate the skin to play a major role in skin ageing and wrinkling. However, the issues of the rays aren’t only skin deep, they also get under the skin and disrupt the body’s whole health. UV radiation damages the immune system and prevents the body’s ability to fight against bacteria and infections. It can also lead to skin cancer, cataracts, and even blindness. It is important, therefore, to take care of your skin when you’re outside. It’s our first line of defense, and by advocating for sunscreen, you can practice proper patient education and protection from danger. You should also wear enough clothing to cover your skin and sunglasses to shield your eyes from the sun’s harmful rays.

Smoking Wrinkles the Skin and Destroys the Body
Another environmental aspect that can have harmful effects on the skin and whole body health is smoking. The nicotine in cigarettes causes narrowing of the blood vessels in the outermost layers of the skin. This ultimately impairs blood flow to the skin and disrupts your skin’s ability to receive essential oxygen and nutrients. Overtime, this causes the skin to sag, age prematurely, scar, and stain. The smoke also seeps into your body and can affect just about every organ in your body. Cigarette smoking is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States and increases the risk of coronary heart disease by 2-4 times, stroke by 2-4 times, and lung cancer by 25 times. It diminishes overall health and leads to more hospital visits and increased health care utilization.   

Our skin is a representation of our whole health. We wear our health on the outside, making it hugely important to take care of our skin as well as the rest of our body. Exercise proper patient education as a nurse or health coach, and also protect your own skin and body from the dangers of the environment.

Join the conversation. If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow NIWH on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates filled with useful accredited health program information for holistic nurses and health coaches.

Author Credit: Allie Oliver

Healthy Habits: Eat More Colors

Posted on by

The living world around us is filled with color. Look around and you may see blue sky, green grass, aqua oceans, and an unlimited array of tress, flowers and plants bursting with intense, vibrant color. Health is associated with color as well. When we are healthy we have pink cheeks, bright eyes, and a healthy flush to our skin. Quite interestingly, aging is the gradual loss of color. This fading of color marks the slowing or ebbing of life vibrancy.

It is no wonder then that colorful foods are the healthiest foods we can nourish our bodies with. They contain nutritional benefit in the form of phytonutrients, which means plant nutrients. The fruits and vegetables with the most vivid colors contain the highest amount of these important plant nutrients. Their hues act as a table of contents for the phytochemicals found inside the plant.

Listed below is a color guide for choosing the fruits and vegetables that will provide these powerful healing plant nutrients. Make a conscious effort to include a variety of these healthy colors in your daily diet. Not only will you get more nutrients, but your meals will become more fun and enjoyable.

  • Orange: Contains beta-carotene, an antioxidant that supports immune function.
  • Yellow-Orange: Provides vitamin C, which detoxifies and inhibits tumor cell growth.
  • Red: Holds lycopen, an antioxidant that reduces cancer risk.
  • Green: Contains folate and iron, which are essential to building healthy cells and genetic material.
  • Green-Light: Provide indoles and lutein, which eliminates excess estrogen and carcinogens.
  • Green-White: Hold allyl sulfides. These can destroy cancer cells and support a healthy immune system.
  • Blue (fruits): Contain anthocyanins that destroy free radicals.
  • Red-purple (fruits): Provide reservatrol, a plaque reducer and mineral chelator.
  • Brown (legumes, whole grains): Are high in fiber, carcinogen remover and digestive aid.

Filling your diet with many colorful fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to ensure your body is getting all the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients you need to stay healthy, happy, and vibrant. Think ‘rainbow’ the next time you prepare your plate.

For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama. Also available on iHeartRadio.