Tag Archives: Integrative Health

More than Skin Deep

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Any teenager can attest to how distressing a face full of acne is.  Clear, unblemished skin is universally the number one and most important feature in attracting others. This basic law of attraction is because our skin is the largest component to our immune system – and healthy skin reflects a healthy body, which is required for reproducing.

In the US, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent yearly on acne and blemish remedies and cover-ups. Our skin’s appearance is tied to our sex appeal and for most people being attractive to others is important. 

In the 30 years I have been practicing Whole Health nutrition, working with young adolescents to clear up their skin problems and facilitate their sense of self-esteem and well-being, is one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had in my practice. Educating teenagers about where and why acne develops provides them with the ability to make choices that can change the course of their outbreaks.

It all starts with androgens, which are reproductive hormones secreted into the blood stream by the productive organs and our stress adaptation system – our adrenal glands.  Androgens are potent “chemicals” that our liver must deal with by reducing their potency.

The liver detoxifies the blood and when dealing with androgens, the liver produces blood plasma proteins which bind up and inactivate the majority of androgens, so that only a small percent of androgens are free to enter our cells.

During adolescence, the body is going through a huge hormonal change and all parts of the body needs time to adjust to and regulate hormone secretions. Because of the complex functions of hormones,  a young body can become physically and even psychologically overwhelmed by the effect of androgens on the body functions and the brain.

How acne develops is when the androgens enter the cells, a specific enzyme converts the presenting androgens and makes them more active. The active androgens enter the nucleus of the cell and interacts with genetic material. This can lead to highly stimulated oil glands, and it is these highly stimulated oil glands that lead to the formation of acne.

Thee are several factors that determine the degree and amount of acne:

a) amount of androgens entering the cells 

b) how well the liver controls the active androgens

c) the person’s nutrition and liver function

d) the amount of waste and/or toxins being re-absorbed into the liver from the bowel environment and – THIS IS THE KEY –

e) the amount of exercise the adolescent is doing that will utilize the androgens to build and create muscle tissue (rather than acne), thus reducing the amount of androgen that might be absorbed into the cells.

Especially in young males, but this applies to females as well, the fastest and easiest way to clear up adolescent acne, is have the person EXERCISE vigorously. Through the use of androgens by the body to build muscle rather than be available to interact with genetic material in the cell, rather quickly the androgens are re-directed to enhance strength and development rather than creating skin problems. The young patients and their parents think its a miracle, but its actually simple biochemistry.

In addition, healthy eating of lots of vegetables and fruits to keep the bowel clean, drinking plenty of water, skin hygiene and proper amounts of sleep, all help the liver, bowel and adrenals to function properly, which supports an overall healthy body with resultant glowing, attractive skin. 

The expression “it’s more than skin deep” clearly applies to acne and skin blemishes. You may want to share this information with someone having acne issues because if they use it – they will see a difference. 

With all good wishes,
G

Copyright 2011 G. Donadio All Rights Reserved

Alternative for Dealing with Seasonal Allergies

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One of the most important aspects of being able to address a health issue you may have is to understand the cause and effect of how and why you are experiencing your symptoms and what they represent.

Seasonal allergies are for many the down side to the beauty of spring and summer. Itchy, runny eyes and nose, sneezing, coughing, and even wheezing can dictate an individual’s activity choices, where they can go and even what they can eat. None of this is desirable and much of it has been shown to be preventable.

To understand how you can take control of your seasonal allergies, let’s explore where they come from. When foreign proteins found in many airborne substances, such as pollen, dust mites and rag weed.

When mucous membranes that come in contact with these foreign proteins are not immunologically competent enough to break down these proteins, the membrane secrete mucous, fluids and histamine. This causes the itching, swelling, irritation and watery excretions that make seasonal allergies so challenging.

To improve allergy symptoms, steroid or steroid like medications, are often prescribed. These are anti-inflammatory chemicals that reduce the allergic immune reaction to the foreign proteins. By building up our immune and adrenal system we can enable our bodies to be better able to handle these allergens, which cause the allergy reactions.

Our adrenals are located either on top of or within the kidneys and produce cortico-steroids and other natural anti-inflammatory as part of our “national guard” system. Hans Selye, MD, PhD, who spent over 50 years researching the adrenals and immune system, discovered the important nutrition and lifestyle components to keeping this important body system working well: 

  • a diet or supplementation rich in B, C, E,  and A vitamins; unsaturated fatty acids, such as fish oils, adequate protein intake and minerals to aid in the production of natural allergy fighting anti-inflammatory.
  • adequate sleep and rest
  • elimination of infections
  • reduction of emotional stress
  • moderate exercise – avoid over exertion
  • avoidance of traumas, dental and medical surgery
  • elimination of extreme temperatures indoors and out

Seyle’s research demonstrated that by taking good care of our adrenal and immune system, allergies may be greatly reduced, and in some cases eliminated.

Healing Foods – the Power of Color

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The living world around us is filled with color. 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 slow loss of color – a fading or color- that marks the slowing or ebbing of life vibrancy.

It is not wonder than that colorful foods are the healthiest foods we can nourish our bodies with have nutritional benefit in the form of phytonutrients, which means plant nutrients. The vivid colors of the fruits and vegetables that contain the higest amount of these important plant nutrients act as a table of contents for the phytochemicals found inside the plant. Listed below is a color guidefor choosing the fruits and vegetables which provide these powerful healing plant nutrients:

 > Orange = beta-carotene an antioxidant = supports immune function
 > Yellow-Orange = vitamin C = detoxifies and inhibits tumor cell growth
 > Red = lycopen an antioxidant = reduces cancer risk
 > Green = folate and iron = builds healthy cells and genetic material
 > Green-light = indoles, lutein = eliminates excess estrogen & carcinogens
 > Green-white = allyl sulfides = destroys cancer cells, supports immune system
 > Blue (fruits) = anthocyanins = destroy free radicals
 > Red-purple (fruits) = reservatrol = plaque reducer, mineral chelator
 > Brown (legumes, whole grains) = fiber = carcinogen remover

By being sure to fill your diet with many colorful, fresh fruits and vegetables is a way to insure your body is getting all the vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients your body needs to stay healthy, happy and vibrant. Think RAINBOW the next time you prepare your plate.

With all good wishes,
G

© by NIWH 2011 all rights reserved

Women and Depression

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It comes as no surprise to women that there is a relationship between their hormone fluctuation and the potential for experiencing depression. Studies of this kind have not been pursued until fairly recently.

The prestigious National Institutes of Health (NIH) recently looked at this subject and explored the potential relationship to hormonal dysfunction and depression in women.

The recently published report was a review on how the female reproductive system interacts with the Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis. This is a major regulatory mechanism of the body’s stress response.

With the important data that women are twice as likely as men to experience depression, it is this mechanism which sets up a biochemical environment for depression, that the NIWH investigators looked closely at.

Stress in women impacts the reproductive hormones which can upset patterns of ovulation, hormone secretion and implantation. Mediated through the HP-axis, tThis upset can contribute to the lost of menses and to infertility.

If the stress becomes chronic and exert an ongoing imbalance on the female reproductive hormones, behavior and mood disorders and depression can significantly increase.

When the powerful reproductive – love hormone, oxytocin is suppressed due to excessive stress hormones, fertilized eggs cannot implant into the uterus. This significant result of chronic stress is believed to be a primary cause of infertility in American women.

A key to preventing or correcting the problem is to create a more balanced, less stressful lifestyle. When our body’s stress adaptation system becomes overwhelmed, many disorders and conditions can develop, depression being just one of them.

The NIH investigators reported that regarding postpartum depression, ongoing hyper-secretion of the stress hormone cortisol during  pregnancy creates a temporary drop in adrenal function following delivery. This hormonal change coupled with the plummeting levels of estrogen after giving birth may be an important factor in post-partum depression and possibly in immune dysfunctions, such as postpartum thyroid conditions.

With all good wishes,
G
© by NIWH 2011 All rights reserved

Winter’s Effect on Health

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For those suffering from chronic health conditions, the winter can usher in an unwelcome increase in their symptoms. Asthma, arthritis, SAD (Seasonal Adaptation Disorder), COPD (Congestive Obstructive Pulmonary Disease), extreme dry skin problems can all become part of the winter landscape.

The cold weather lowers humidity and encourages an increase in dry, itchy and scaling skin that can be unsightly as well as uncomfortable. As we do not generally sweat in the winter as we do in warmer weather, our body does not produce the natural oils and secretions necessary to keep the skin moist, smooth and healthy.

Conditions that affect the lungs, such as asthma, can be greatly affected by cold air, as the cold causes an increase in mucous secretions and the release of histamines which can lead to wheezing and the onset of an asthmatic episode. Because of the affect cold has on mucous membranes, bloody noses can also be more frequent during the cold winter months.

When the winter weather causes cold air to be processed through our nasal passages, the mucous membranes thicken. This thickening can cause blood to rush to the nose resulting in breakthrough nasal bleeding or bloody nose. Increased blood flow to the nose is also the reason we get red noses in the winter time.

For individuals who suffer from Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease the winter cold can become a major challenge, as the cold air stimulates histamine which can decrease an individual’s ability to breathe properly. This can make it difficult for them to get around in the cold weather. For arthritics, as the barometric pressure drops, inflamed joints can become increasingly stiffer and more painful.

For all types of chronic conditions, it is best in the cold weather to:

  • Protect yourself from the winter elements by dressing warmly. The real risk of hypothermia or frostbite for those with chronic disease states should be considered when dressing for outdoors.
  • Schedule necessary outing to minimize cold weather exposure
  • Get enough sleep and drink enough fluids to stay hydrated and help your immune system protect you from virus based illness
  • Eat plenty of vegetables in soups, stews and other nourishing forms
  • Take a daily multi-vitamin to insure you are getting the RDA of required nutrients

    With all good wishes,
    Georgianna

    Copyright 2011 G. Donadio     

A New Year – A New Start

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“Happy New Year” is a greeting that fills us with anticipation, excitement and hope. The anticipation is for the new beginning we feel as the ball drops and we say good-bye to the past and look forward to the future. Our excitement is for the many possibilities that may lay ahead in the coming year and the hope is for a better 12 months than those that came before.

What are some simple, positive and productive actions we can take in this New Year that will support our optimistic January resolutions?

  • Start with a clean slate – cleaning and organizing your home space is one of the most positive ways to start the New Year. It has been shown in numerous studies that a clean, organized environment provides a sense of relaxation and calm and also helps us to be more productive because we are more organized and this results in a more efficient work or study outcome.
  • Commit to spending less and saving what you don’t spend – by setting a goal of saving a realistic amount of money each month and achieving that goal by spending that much less each month is an empowering and satisfying way to take more control over your finances and reinforce that you can transform your savings/spending patterns without much stress and strain.
  • Eat less processed foods and more living foods – this is not only a healthy resolution but also a cost saving one as well. We as Americans enjoy an abundant lifestyle and have the highest obesity rate in the world to prove it. By focusing on life giving plant based foods, we nourish our bodies and save a lot of money by not buying high priced processed and often non-nourishing “foods”.
  • Identify an organization, charity or cause that you can either provide a small but heartfelt donation or voluteer time to. Participating in meaningful assistance to others is rewarding on many levels and is good for our health as well as our sense of contribution.

Each New Year is an opportunity for a new beginning…and life, it is often said, is a series of new beginnings ~

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2011 G. Donadio All Rights Reserved

Narcissism – is it the New Normal?

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The subject of Narcissism and its current epidemic in our self-celebrated society is getting plenty of press and finding it way into numerous books.  Drs. Jean Twenge and W. Keith Campbell wrote in their book, “The Narcissism Epidemic,”:

“Personality does not exist in isolation.  The increase of narcissism in individuals is, we believe, just an outcome of a massive shift in culture toward a greater focus on self-admiration.  Narcissism has spread through the generations”.

A recent article published in the December 19th Huffing ton Post also deserves reading on the subject, so here it is in its entirety.

Narcissism – the New Normal
The Huffington Post
December 19, 2010
by Judith Acosta, LISW, CHT

The other day a patient sent me an email with a link to a New York Times article that reported that the upcoming revision of the psychiatric diagnostic standards manual, the DSM-V, has removed the narcissistic personality disorder from its roster.

She asked me, “Are they crazy?”

I wrote back, “I think so.” Then, I thought, maybe the lunatics really are running the asylum.

“Removed” in this case appears to mean two things: 1) that the syndrome as they have hitherto described it is not, in their opinions, clear enough to be described as a character pathology; and 2) that it will no longer be an acceptable diagnosis for reimbursement. Insurance companies, hospitals, treatment facilities and protocols will no longer recognize it or use it to direct treatment.

Should that give us hope or terrify us? Does that mean narcissism is slowly going the way of the Dodo, or does it mean that it has become so pervasive that it’s no longer thought of as pathological?

My experience personally and professionally has me leaning in the direction of the latter, that it has become so much a part of our culture, particularly our parenting, that narcissistic traits are considered normal — so much so that if we don’t have a reality show named after us, we use our own phones or video up-links to transmit our private lives to anyone from Alaska to Antarctica who will watch.

Our culture, the media-infused air we breathe, has itself become both a breeding ground and a reflecting pool for narcissists.
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Makes you think about how we all got to be so self-centered, doesn’t it?

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

What Your Sleep Position Says About You

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In a BBC report on research linking certain sleeping positions with health risks, British scientists think the sleeping position of an individual provides clues to the true personality of the sleeper as well as revealing health clues.

Professor Chris Idzikowski, director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service analysed six common sleeping positions and believes they are each is linked to a specific personality types. “We are all aware of our body language when we are awake but this is the first time we have been able to see what our subconscious posture says about us” says Professor Idzikowski.

The sleep study identified that most people are unlikely to change their sleeping position during the night. Only 5% of the study participants reported to sleep in a different position on different evenings. Another interesting reveal of the study was that only one in ten individuals cover themselves completely with a blanket. Most people expose a leg, arm or both feet.

Professor Idzikowski also examined the effect of various sleeping positions on health. Some positions are believed to help aid digestion, while other positions are believed to promote snoring and restlessness.

Here are the six common positions, studied by Professor Idzikowski, that his study participants expressed. The study’s findings also related the positions to personality traits and health implications.

  • Fetus position – A majority (41%) of the study participants, with 200% more female than male, sleep in this curled-up position. The personality appointed to this sleeping position is that the sleeper has a tough exterior,  but are shy and sensitive and warm up quickly.
  • Log position – This study identified that 15% of people sleep in this position. Sleeping on your side with both arms down, says that you are a social, easy-going person who is trusting and possibly gullible.
  • Yearner position– The third most popular position, utilized by 13% of the participants, is the side-lying position with both arms out in front of the body. This position is considered to be open-minded and yet cynical. They can be suspicious and stubborn. This position is called “the yearner” position.
  • Soldier position – 8% of the sleepers in this study lie on their back with arms down and close to the body. This position is considered to be that of people who are reserved, quiet, not fussy and hold themselves and others to a high standard. This position has a higher rate of snoring due to the back position.
  • Free fall position – Only 7% of the sleepers lie on their bellies with arms under or wrapped around a pillow  and their head turned to the side. Considered brash, outgoing, and uncomfortable with criticism.
  • Starfish position – Those who lie on their backs with arms near their head or pillow make up the smallest  style of sleepers, with only 5% utilizing this position. Considered good listeners, helpful, and  uncomfortable being the center of attention. Sleeping in the starfish position are likely to suffer from a poor night’s sleep due to snoring.

With all good wishes for a great night’s sleep,
Georgianna

A Stimulating Look at Energy Drinks

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They are the new retail craze, available everywhere and promising instant  energy to get more done faster. The largest population they are pitched to is the “under 30” group. This includes high school and college students, as well as athletes both school age and professional.

Our over worked culture is moving beyond coffee for its morning wake up and afternoon pick–me-up to the energy drink solution. This popular product comes with it’s own health concerns. Energy drinks contain significant amounts of caffeine and sugar and can include other stimulants such as ephedrine, guarana, and ginseng, which all have been shown to have potential health concerns. Here are some points of consideration you may want to be aware of before gulping down a can or two of the elixir:

  • Energy drinks contain as much caffeine as in a cup of coffee. Consumed quickly as energy drinks are, the caffeine and sugar provide a jolt of energy by stimulating your stress system, but also raise your blood sugar and blood pressure levels, causing your heart to beat faster and work harder.
  • The contents of these energy drinks can produce symptoms that may include anxiety, insomnia, irritability and nausea that can be severe enough to require medical attention or hospitalization.
  • Energy drinks, if taken during exercise, can dehydrate the body and deplete much needed calcium and potassium.
  • Because of the energy provided by the caffeine and sugar in energy drinks, they have become popular as mixers with alcohol. This can lead to an individual not being aware of the level of intoxication, which might allow them to drive under the influence.
  • Bad reactions to energy drinks have been reported to U.S. poison control centers published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Dependence.
  • In a report of nine cases of adverse reactions to the energy drink Redline, the patients reported nausea and vomiting, high blood pressure, tremors, dizziness and numbness.
  • There is the impression that because these drinks are available over the counter and can be bought in any retail store, they are not a “substance” that we should use carefully.
  • While energy drinks can be part of a balanced lifestyle when consumed sensibly, as with all things related to health and lifestyle, we need to exercise moderation and good judgement to avoid problems that can arise from inappropriate or excessive use.

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G. Donadio

Cold and Flu Season – Medicine Recalls

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Over the past year, millions of cold and flu medicines have been recalled owing to safety problems. These concerns included bottles that were contaminated with bacteria and processing debris, such as small amounts of metal.

Some of the medications involved include varieties of Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl and Zyrtec. They are not expected to back in the stores again until 2012. The initial recalls were announced by McNeil Consumer Health Care, which is a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson Company.

This recall may be a perfect time for concerned parents to turn to non-drug alternatives for their children’s as well as their own cold and flu care this season. Popular examples of natural treatments for cold and flu include the use of  Vick’s Vapo-rub on congested lungs and stuffy noses, as well as saline drops in the nose, garlic and mulleinoil for ear infections and hot steamy showers to break up congestion and improve breathing.

According to traditional peditaricians, a child needs to have a 101 degree temperature before the medicine is going to work. A while many doctors agree that these medications do not necessarily help you get better, they also agree that it helps parents to feel as if they are “doing” something to help their child or themselves. Unfortunately, sometimes these drugs can slow down healing rather than help.

The body creates a temperature to destroy the bacteria that is in the body. By allowing a temperature to run its course, you allow your body to naturally heal and also create greater immunity to bacteria and viruses.

The best way to deal with avoiding colds and flu is staying well. The best way to stay well is to practice good health habits.Eating well, getting enough sleep, exercising regularly, drinking lots of fluids, reducing stress and, of course, washing your hands regularly before eating are all recommended ways to stay well and avoid the need for over the counter drugs.

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G. Donadio