Wellness Blog with Dr. Helene Pulnik

Get Outside This Spring  Spring is finally here! The weather is warming up, which means it’s time to begin planting flowers in the garden, doing lawn preparation or just spending time outside enjoying the warm weather. It is lovely to be surrounded by all of the plants and trees that are in full bloom at this time of the year. However, if you are like the millions of people in the US who suffer with seasonal allergy symptoms, the downside of spending time outside can be the itchy eyes, running nose and sneezing that can take out the fun out of enjoying this time of year Allergies are pretty common. Both genes and environmental factors play a role.   The immune system normally protects the body against harmful substances, such as bacteria and viruses. It also reacts to foreign substances called allergens, which are generally harmless and in most people do not cause a problem.   But in a person with allergies, the immune response is oversensitive. When it recognizes an allergen such as pollen, it releases chemicals such as histamines. which fight off the allergen. This causes allergy symptoms.   Common springtime allergy symptoms include:   Sneezing Itchy, red or watery eyes Runny nose Congestion Fatigue  Headaches Skin reactionsSome individuals with severe allergy sensitivities may experience rashes, hives and breathing problems as well. Tree pollens are already in the air. Grass pollens and then weed pollens will follow them. Windy, sunny or clear days will often be worse for people with seasonal allergy symptoms than wet, cloudy or windless days because pollens travel more easily when there is no dampness in the air. Keep this in mind as you prepare for outdoor yard work or play. Even garden-variety flowers and flowering trees such as apple trees, oak trees (acorn flower) produce large amounts of pollen every year and can cause severe allergic symptoms. Many pollens that are carried by the wind are usually very lightweight and almost invisible to the eye but can pack a serious punch on the sinuses. A major issue with pollens these days is that the majority of plants, trees and shrubs planted in urban areas are male. Male plants produce the pollen grains that cause the majority of seasonal allergy symptoms. Homeowners and developers select the male plants because they are low maintenance and do not produce seedpods or fruits that leave such a mess in yards and surrounding areas. The most intensely pollen producing plants are being planted simply because they don’t make a mess. With more urban development occurring and more male pollen producing plants being planted, allergy symptoms will continue to rise. Compounding the pollen issue in the spring is the fact that greenhouse gases are having a big impact on increasing pollen production, contributing to the global increase in allergy symptoms. As things heat up, pollen production increases as well. Plant pollens are not the only trigger for gardeners as they prepare their lawns. Mold and mildew play a big role in seasonal symptoms because their spores affect people in the springtime as well as year round. Mold can be found in the new soil that is brought in for yard plantings or in the mulch that is used in garden beds. Also please remember, if you are composting, molds are in the compost pile as well. Springtime is a great time of year and should be enjoyed by everyone, even people who suffer with symptoms associated with allergies and sensitivities. At Glastonbury Naturopathic Center, we offer Advanced Allergy Therapy that can help relieve or significantly reduce the symptoms associated with the springtime pollen season. This treatment is non-invasive and does not include needles, supplements or medications. It is completely pain-free and available to all ages, including infants.  If you suffer from springtime allergy symptoms, please call Glastonbury Naturopathic Center today at 860-657-4105 and find out how we can help!

  Say Goodbye to Allergy Medicines! Springtime is already here, and pollen levels are higher than ever! Spring is such a beautiful time of year and it can be a great time to be outside. However, thousands of people dread springtime because for them it can be debilitating. Some people are forced to stay inside just so they can breathe. Many experience non-stop symptoms of sneezing, itchy, watery eyes, congestion, and runny nose with a foggy head or headache when they simply walk outdoors. Prescription and over-the counter allergy medicines go only so far in relieving allergy symptoms. Others may be luckier and only experience some of the symptoms associated with springtime allergies. The most common triggers of springtime allergy symptoms are pollens, grasses, and trees. Tree pollens are what often affect the early springtime sufferers. The time and duration of springtime allergy symptoms are determined by the species of tree causing the reaction. Trees are the earliest pollen producers of the year, releasing their pollen as early as March and as late as June. Trees can aggravate allergy symptoms, even if they are not on your property, since trees release large amounts of pollen that can travel miles away from the original source. When springtime allergy symptoms are high, other common, year-round triggers such as mold, dust and dust mites, animal dander and cockroaches can affect some people even more than they do during other times of year. That happens because more of a burden is placed on an already stressed immune system during this time of the year. Allergies are pretty common. Both genes and environmental factors play a role. The immune system normally protects the body against harmful substances, such as bacteria and viruses. It also reacts to foreign substances called allergens, which are generally harmless and in most people do not cause a problem.  But in a person with allergies, the immune response is oversensitive. When it recognizes an allergen such as pollen, it releases chemicals such as histamines. which fight off the allergen. This causes allergy symptoms.  Common springtime allergy symptoms include: Sneezing Itchy, red or watery eyes Runny nose Congestion Fatigue Headaches Skin reactionsSome individuals with severe allergy sensitivities may experience rashes, hives and breathing problems as well. If you suffer from any of the above symptoms, you are not alone.   Pollen allergies affect nearly 19 million people in the US alone with one of the main symptoms being allergic rhinitis, affecting between 10% and 30% of all adults and as many as 40% of all children.  Spring allergy season hit us extremely hard last year because the amount of pollen floating around was four times greater than usual. Pollen is measured in grains per cubic meter. For trees, 1,500 grains of pollen per cubic meter is considered high. Last spring, areas along the East Coast measured 6,000 grains per cubic meter. There is no way to predict if pollen counts this year will be as high as they were last spring since daily and seasonal weather conditions affect the pollen counts and make it difficult to make precise predictions more than a few days in advance.  If you have ever experienced springtime allergy symptoms, then you should prepare for allergy season and consider addressing your symptoms early. Why suffer through another spring season? At Glastonbury Naturopathic Center we offer an advanced therapy that can help relieve or significantly reduce the symptoms associated with pollen season.  This treatment is non-invasive and does not include needles, supplements or medications.  It is completely pain-free and available to all ages, including infants.  If you suffer from springtime allergy symptoms, please call our offices today at 860-657-4105 and find out how we can help.

Finally! Proof of What We already Know! Foods high in fiber provide good protection against cardiovascular disease, and the effect is particularly marked in women. This is shown in a new study from Lund University in Sweden. The study, which was recently published in the scientific journal PLOS One, involved the study of the eating habits of over 20 000 residents of the Swedish city of Malmö, with a focus on the risk of cardiovascular disease. The importance of 13 different nutrient variables (aspects of fiber, fats, proteins and carbohydrates) was analyzed. “Women who ate a diet high in fiber had an almost 25 per cent lower risk of suffering from cardiovascular disease compared with women who ate a low-fiber diet. In men the effect was less pronounced. However, the results confirmed that a high-fiber diet does at least protect men from stroke”, says Peter Wallström, a researcher at Lund University and the primary author of the article. The exact reason for the difference between the sexes is unclear. However, a probable explanation is that women consume fiber from healthier food sources than men do. Women ate a lot of fiber in the form of fruit and vegetables, whereas the most important source of fiber for men was bread. “The difference in the results for men and women shows that we need to pay more attention to gender when we conduct research on diet”, says Peter Wallström. However, the researchers did not identify any definite links between the other nutrients in the study and cardiovascular disease, for example the proportion of saturated fat or sugar in the diet. “These results should be interpreted with a certain amount of caution. Almost everyone eats more saturated fat than recommended, including the participants in many other population studies. It is therefore difficult to compare recommended and high fat intake. Other types of study that have been carried out have shown that those who limit their fat and sugar intake are at lower risk of cardiovascular disease”, says Peter Wallström. Peter Wallström is sceptical of ‘extreme’ diets and says that the dietary recommendations from the National Food Administration are good, despite having received criticism: “The National Food Administration’s dietary advice, which is based on extensive research, is well balanced. In the short term, most weight-loss diets achieve their aim as long as you follow them. However, we know too little about the long-term effects to be able to recommend more drastic changes to one’s diet”, says Peter Wallström. Data for the study has been taken from the Malmö Diet and Cancer population study, which has involved 30 000 Malmö residents since the start of the 1990s. The participants have given blood samples and detailed information about their diet. The study Title: Dietary Fiber and Saturated Fat Intake Associations with Cardiovascular Disease Differ by Sex in the Malmö Diet and Cancer Cohort: A Prospective Study Where is the best source of fiber in our food? Answer: (not processed bread, pasta or cereals) FRESH ORGANIC VEGETABLES, LEAFY GREENS, FRUITS AND BERRIES, BEANS & LEGUMES, and SOME NUTS and SEEDS such as chia seeds, flax seeds and hemp seeds. WHOLE GRAINS-there is a huge misconception about what whole grains REALLY are. They are not breads, cereals or any other processed food product labeled as having “whole grain”, whether or not they are “whole wheat”. Once a wheat kernel is ground up into flour to be made into bread, pasta or any other sort of flour-based food, it is no longer a “whole grain”, it is a processed grain. Instant oatmeal, cornflakes, Cherrios, and many other mass produced breakfast cereals are not whole grains at all. Whole grains are grains that are consumed exactly as they came from the earth-before processing into flour, pasta, bread or cereal. Here are some healthy high fiber, whole grains: brown rice, wild rice, oat groats, quinoa, millet, amaranth, buckwheat groats. These whole grains can be cooked and consumed in place of any cereal. STORE-BOUGHT FRUIT JUICE is no substitute for the fiber, vitamins, minerals and anti-oxidants you get from eating fresh organic fruit and berries. Not only is processed juice devoid of fiber, it also is devoid of most nutrients that are destroyed during the pasteurization, bottling and canning process. Making your own fresh juice is a great option to processed juice, and saves you money!  Your food fiber sources should consist of 80-90% fresh, organic vegetables, leafy greens, fruits and vegetables, with nuts, seeds and whole grains 10-20% of your fiber source.  A fast and easy way to get your fiber from fresh organic vegetables, leafy greens and fruits is to make a SMOOTHIE every day. Your SMOOTHIE can be anything you like, as long as you make it with fresh, organic produce.  Morning Hi-Fiber SMOOTHIE 8 oz spring water ½ cup organic strawberries (fresh or frozen, as long as they are organic) ½ organic banana Additional ingredients: organic apple, pear, mango, peach, kiwi, orange, grapefruit 1 cup organic spinach leaves, romaine lettuce, swiss chard, kale etc. Blend all ingredients in a blender until creamy and smooth. ENJOY!