Fat Soluble Vitamins-Critical Nutrients for your Health

Vitamin D has made the headlines recently as we have become aware of the need to have adequate amounts of it along with calcium to prevent osteoporosis. Its effects reach much further than the bones as every cell in the body has receptors for vitamin D. In many ways it acts more like a hormone to help regulate growth, reproduction, immunity, cardiovascular function mood and the endocrine system. In its active form it regulates over 200 genes and many more are affected by Vitamin D indirectly. This ability to regulate genes may help explain why lower levels of serum vitamin D are associated with cancer of the colon, breast, skin and prostate.

Weight Training for Belly Fat

Weight loss is not the same as fat loss. You may be burning calories or losing weight, but there is no guaranteeing those calories and that weight loss has come from fat. Unless, of course, you are doing resistance training.  Unlike aerobic exercise, which burns both fat and muscle, resistance training pushes energy usage towards fat loss exclusively.  It is a little known fact among the exercising public, but weight training has several mechanisms that make it ideal for fat burning. One of which is the ability to target fat loss to specific areas, like the belly. As a matter of fact, weight training should be the chosen modality among exercisers attempting to lose belly fat.

Fall Recipes

Carrot and ginger soup
2 lbs carrots, washed & chopped
3/4 inch piece fresh ginger, chopped (more or less to your taste preference)
4 cups veggie stock or water
1 cup chopped white onion
2-3 cloves garlic, peeled & chopped
1/2 c almond meal, chopped almonds or cashews
1 tbsp olive oil

In a large soup pot, saute onion and garlic in olive oil for 2-3 minutes.  Add carrots, broth, ginger and bring mixture to a boil.  Let simmer 20 minutes and then allow to cool.  Puree carrot mixture in food processor or blender, gradually adding nuts until smooth.  Heat to serve.  Garnish with nutmeg or avocado slices.

Book Prescriptions

In line with the Docere (doctor as teacher) Principle of Naturopathic Medicine , I often prescribe books. Besides empowering patients to make their own informed healthcare decisions, many books are, in themselves, good medicine.  The Definitive Guide to Cancer: An Integrative Approach to Prevention, Treatment, and Healing, 3rd Edition by Lise Alschuler, ND and Karolyn Gazella is a prime example of such a book.

I have recommended this text to every patient with a cancer diagnosis. It is also indicated for those at increased risk for cancer, or with a loved one diagnosed with cancer. As with any therapy, when prescribing a book, I always give patients information on how to take the medicine. With Alschuler’s text that would include the following directives:

Inflammation and the Importance of Omega 3/Essential Fatty Acid Balance

Most people have heard about the benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids.  But there is a lot more to the story than simply having adequate levels of this Essential Fatty Acid (EFA).  As the name suggests, fatty acids are essential to our health, just like vitamins and minerals.  There are 2 EFAs: Omega-3 and Omega-6.  Omega-9 fats are not considered essential at this time, although olive oil is an excellent source of Omega-9 and very healthful.

Both Omega-3 and Omega-6 fatty acids must be present in adequate quantities for health, but perhaps even more importantly, they must be in balance with each other.  Although deficiencies in either EFA are possible, it’s much more common for the average American to have deficient Omega-3 and normal or excessive Omega-6 levels.  When this is the case, the imbalance leads to an inflammatory situation in the body. 

Probiotics

In the past, methods of food preservation involved natural fermentation and drying of foods, thus our diet contained several thousand times more bacteria than it does today.  Over time we have adopted food storage and processing techniques which minimize the growth of bacteria in our food.  The benefits of refrigeration are obvious, but emerging positive research of beneficial bacteria makes one wonder if perhaps we would benefit from revitalizing some of those fermentation techniques of old.

At the turn of the century, Russian microbiologist Elie Metchnikoff recognized that Bulgarians, who were well known for their longevity, consumed large quantities of yogurt.  He theorized that the beneficial bacteria in the yogurt displaced the harmful bacteria in the digestive tract and was responsible for the longevity of these people. Currently more and more evidence suggests that beneficial bacteria referred to as “probiotics” are important in promoting good health.

The food you eat could be making you sick

Have you ever wondered whether the foods you are eating may be contributing to your health complaints and overall lack of well-being? Of course we know that lots of refined sugars, caffeine, alcohol and fried fatty foods are ‘bad’ for use and should be consumed in moderation. But what I’m referring to here are the ‘food allergies’ and more importantly ‘hidden food allergies’ that may be causing more harm to your body than you even realize. Let’s start with a few definitions. ‘Food allergy’ typically results in an immediate hypersensitivity reaction that can trigger acute asthma or anaphylaxis and in some cases can result in a life-or-death situation.  These are the allergies that require timely intervention of Epinephrine. ‘Hidden food allergies’ or ‘food sensitivities’ can either result in immediate but more subtle reactions, or can frequently be delayed by hours or up to several days.