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:
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!
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:
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
At Glastonbury Naturopathic Center, we’ve recently added beet juice to our list of potential therapies to try more often. In particular, drinking a daily cocktail of beet juice may be helpful in lowering blood pressure and preventing senile dementia.
Drinking beet juice increases blood flow to the brain in older people, a finding that suggests the dark red vegetable may fight the progression of dementia, a new study shows.
Beet roots contain high concentrations of nitrates, which are converted into nitrites by bacteria in the mouth. And nitrites help open blood vessels in the body, increasing blood flow and oxygen to places lacking in oxygen
Previous studies have shown that nitrites — also found in high concentrations in celery, cabbage, and other leafy, green vegetables like spinach — widen blood vessels, but researchers say this was the first to find that nitrites also increase blood flow to the brain.
In a study published in January 2011, scientists from Wake Forest University in North Carolina reported how they had given volunteers beet juice and watched the effect on their brains. The people in this study were older, an average of 75 years old. Using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), the researchers measured how much blood flowed to the varying parts of the brain.
They found that although the total amount of blood that reached the brains stayed the same, more blood flowed to the frontal lobe white matter of the brain.
These areas of the brain are involved in executive functioning. Thus beet juice may increase blood flow to the areas of the brain essential for interpreting information and making intelligent decisions. [7] An easy rule of thumb when it comes to brains is that the more blood that reaches the brain, the better and clearer a person acts. Cut off blood flow to the brain and the tissue can’t do its job well. Scientists have an interesting explanation for why beet juice does all these things. The best accepted theory is that beet juice contains large quantities of nitrates. Beetroot doesn’t just contain nitrates, it is loaded with nitrates. These nitrates are absorbed into the blood and converted to nitrites that in turn are used to make a chemical called nitric oxide. Nitric oxide is a potent ‘vasodilator, that is it opens up blood vessels allowing more blood and oxygen to reach its destination in tissues while at the same time lowering blood pressure. Jon Lundberg and colleagues at the Karolinski Institute in Stockholm may have been the first one to think of this when they proposed the idea in 2006 that green leafy vegetables protect against cardiovascular disease because they contained nitrates
Starting in 2008 a series of studies have measured statistically significant health changes in participants who began drinking beet juice. AJ Webb and colleagues in London showed that drinking two cups of beet juice lowered blood pressure almost 10 points in healthy volunteers.
Drinking beet juice also protected blood vessels from injury and lowered the risk of blood clot formation.[1]
Beet juice improves the way muscles work, increasing their efficiency and allows them to do the same work with less oxygen.[2] This increased efficiency allows those who drink beet juice to tolerate much higher intensity exercise.[3] Blood pressures stay lower during intense exercise, putting less strain on the heart.[4] Drinking beet juice allows people to walk, run or perform other exercises with a lower ‘cost’ in oxygen. [5] Trained cyclists that drink beet juice improve their performance in time trials, shaving over seconds off a ten-kilometer race.[6]
Now, it’s not hard to see how beet juice might help a patient with either a heart condition, where they have trouble pumping oxygen to the muscles or in a lung condition such as COPD or emphysema where it’s difficult to get adequate oxygen into the blood. [8]
Beets contain a numerous health stimulating phytochemicals including quercetin and resveratrol.
How much is enough?
Beet juice is not the most appealing of drinks. Most people prefer to ‘water it down’ with other vegetable juices such as cucumber or celery or with a fruit juice such as apple. In every study published on beet juice, participants were asked to drink fairly large quantities, a half-liter or about two cups per day is the standard experimental dose. Less will no doubt still be beneficial as part of a general health promotion program. While we know that green leafy vegetables and in particular beets are good for you, the most potent effect reported so far comes from beet juice. I’ve just made a note to myself to go out tomorrow and buy beets to add to my morning green juice. Perhaps you should add beets to your shopping list as well.
‘Basic Beet’ Juice
•2 beets
•2 carrots
•1 orange
•1 apple
•1 stick of celery
•½ ” (1cm) root ginger
This is a fabulous morning juice, an exceedingly energy-lifting, immune-boosting and cleansing blend of fruit and vegetables.
Kiwi-Lime Beet Juice
Juice it all and enjoy!
CBS’s 60 Minutes had a great segment Sunday April 1, 2012 about the toxic and deadly nature of sugar in all forms as it occurs in our foods. Sugar is sneaked into so many different foods we would never guess it would be in.
The amount of sugar consumption, in its various forms, has One hundred and fifty-six pounds. That's how much added sugar Americans consume each year on a per capita basis, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Imagine it: 31 five-pound bags for each of us.
That's not to say that we get most of the sugar in our diets directly from the sugar bowl. Only about 29 pounds of it comes as traditional sugar, or sucrose, according to The Sugar Association, a trade group of sugar manufacturers. The rest comes from foods.
Of course, those foods include things like candy, soda, and junk food. But plenty of sugar is hiding in places where you might not expect it, in foods the government and national dietetic association say are good for us, such as crackers, yogurt, ketchup, and peanut butter, for instance, are loaded with sugar -- often in the form of high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS. Use of this sweetener has increased 3.5% per year in the last decade, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). That's twice the rate at which the use of refined sugar has grown.
Dr. Robert Lustig, MD, pediatric endocrinologist from the University of California, has brought to light
( at last!) the deadly truth about sugar in our diet. He has seen a dramatic increase of type 2 diabetes, obesity and high blood pressure in his patients-who are children as young as 6 years old!
Here are some of the common diseases and health problem Dr. Lustig has observed in people caused by sugar in our diet:
Combine this huge increase in sugar consumption with the huge amount of animal protein eaten in the USA, we have a deadly recipe for early death from cancer, heart attack, diabetes complications. This places an enormous strain on the healthcare system and severely decreases the quality of life for people suffering with the results of consuming the toxic “Standard American Diet” aka the SAD diet.
This day is intended to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment. Over 1 billion people participate in Earth Day activities and we are supporting this collective effort to help improve our planet.
This is a day when we can use our collective heart-focused care to join with others to help ease environmental problems such as destruction of the rainforests, global warming, air and water pollution and climate change. Our world's many endangered species also need our care and compassion this day.
What if one simple act of care could make a difference?
Please join in and pass on to others.
Video link:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cru2qTBkNEg&mtcCampaign=10538&mtcEmail=755660
What is Cardio CRP?
Cardio CRP is a measure of the level of inflammation in your cardiovascular system.Cardio CRP appears to be correlated to heart disease risk. Inflammation (swelling) of the arteries has been linked to an increased risk of heart disease, heart attack, stroke, and peripheral arterial disease.
Why is it Important to Know Your Cardio CRP Number?
Most people know their total cholesterol number, but many doctors do not test for Cardio CRP levels. Elevated levels of Cardio CRP in your blood stream put you at high risk for heart disease, heart attack, and stroke. It is a better predictor of heart disease than cholesterol levels. If your cholesterol levels are low, but your Cardio CRP level is high, you are still at high risk for heart disease.
In the Harvard Women's Health Study, results of the Cardio CRP test were more accurate than cholesterol levels in predicting heart problems.
How Is Cardio CRP Measured?
Cardio CRP is measured with a simple blood test, which can be done at the same time your cholesterol is checked. Heart disease risk is determined based on your Cardio CRP test results.
Natural Ways to Reduce Cardio CRP Levels
1. Change Your Diet.
We’ve all heard the old adage ‘you are what you eat’, but have you ever stopped to think exactly how true that is? Put simply, healthy eating is the key to wellbeing. We all have 100% control over what we put into our mouth. Eating the Standard American Diet, aka the “SAD” diet leads to inflammation, obesity, diabetes, cancer, high cholesterol, heart disease and more. Our food chain is saturated with processed food, junk food, trans-fats, high fructose corn syrup, genetically modified foods, cloned meat and milk, mostly devoid of nutritional value.
Check out the “Food Matters” trailer here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r4DOQ6Xhqss
Or watch the documentary “Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead” on Netflix
.
Here are some tips to start changing your diet to a healthy, anti-inflammatory diet:
• Get rid of processed cereals, breads and sweets from your pantry
• Switch to sprouted bread and cereal
• Eat only organic vegetables, fruits, meat, milk and poultry
• Eat wild fish only, not farmed fish
• Include a large organic green salad with your lunch and dinner every day
• Here’s a recipe for a delicious anti-inflammatory smoothie you can make at home and drink every day!
Ingredients:
•1.5 cups of chilled acai berry tea (infused green or herbal. You can substitute with another antioxidant -rich tea such as goji or pomegranate to your personal preference)
•1 tbsp of dried goji berries, soaked and rehydrated in the above cup of tea
•½ cup organic greens (spinach, kale or swiss chard)
•½ cup frozen organic raspberries or strawberries
•½-1 cup of ice
Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Enjoy! (Notice that the color of this smoothie reflects the color of a healthy heart!)
2. Get a Good Night’s Sleep-every night.
People who sleep poorly or do not get enough sleep have higher levels of inflammation, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, researchers have found. Acute sleep deprivation leads to an increased production of inflammatory hormones and changes in blood vessel function. (Ref. Science Daily Nov. 14, 2010)
3. Exercise, and Lose Weight.
Find some form of exercise that you enjoy, and move your body every day. A pattern of regular exercise decreases long-term inflammation and Cardio CRP levels. According to Medline Plus, excess body fat triggers the release of certain hormones that increase inflammation. You are more likely to have high Cardio CRP if you are overweight.
Here I am at my favorite Zumba class!
4. Don’t let stress kill you!
Chronic stress, inflammation and heart disease are very closely related.
We all have a built-in stress response to help us react to perceived danger quickly and keep us alive, at least during those times when dinner meant an unavoidable battle with something like a saber-tooth tiger.
But in modern days, how many times a year do you actually have to literally run away from a saber-tooth tiger? More often than not, we wrestle with unseen threats, such as the fear of losing our job and the worries of losing our retirement fund, which often put our stress response on high alert.
That is not the original intention of the stress response though. It is meant mainly to help us cope with short-term acute stress, not chronic psychological stress that we now face almost every day. As a result, inflammatory chemicals such as cortisol are released in our bodies. Chronic exposure to elevated cortisol has a negative effect not just on the heart, but also your overall health. Coping with stress is one of the important ways to keep chronic inflammation at bay, and maintain a healthy heart. Yoga, meditation, down time with family and friends can do wonders for your heart and lower inflammation.
Fresh juice is a nutrient-dense living liquid that is absorbed almost instantly into the body (in about 15 minutes!), requiring little effort to digest and assimilate. Juicing concentrates the most nutrient-dense parts of the plants in the juice. It is almost like receiving an intravenous infusion of vitamins, minerals, and enzymes that goes right into your system without having to be broken down. Because the benefits are so instantaneous, you may feel the energy boost right away after drinking fresh juice!
Glastonbury Naturopathic Center is offering a
3 Day Guided Organic Juice Fast starting January 19!
Why do you need detoxification and cleansing?
Why it is so important to lose weight for your health:
Did you know?
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, approximately one-third of US adults were obese in 2007-2008. Studies have shown that a weight loss of 5% to 10% of body weight from baseline can result in meaningful improvements in cardiovascular risk factors (e.g., lipids, blood pressure and blood glucose) and a significant reduction in the incidence of type 2 diabetes.
Losing weight should not be hard, nor should it take months and years to accomplish.
It's all about taking really good care of yourself, managing your stress, exercising, and above all, following a proven program that offers you support and care.
If you are really serious about, and committed to losing the extra weight and fat, becoming healthy in both body and mind, the Wholistic HCG Medical Weight Loss & Health Program may the perfect choice for you.
You can get started on the path to a healthy body at our "Get Started" education classes every week at Glastonbry Naturopathic Center.
Strength Training for WomenAs we get older we are prone to the possibility of getting osteoporosis. When women are post menopausal we are especially susceptible to osteoporosis due to lack of estrogen. Among taking calcium supplements and other nutrients are bodies will require they also need to be strengthened.
The guidelines published by the American College of Sports Medicine suggest 30 minutes of moderate intensity exercise 5 days a week, or vigorous cardiovascular exercise (AKA Cardio) 20 minutes a day, 3 days a week. For weight loss, you might need even more (up to 60-90 minutes) depending on your diet and other activities. It’s tough keeping all these rules straight and, the good news is that you don’t have to. Sometimes, it’s best to forget the rules and get back to basics: Find a cardio exercise that is fun, interesting and motivating for you! Do your cardio workout with a friend or in a group setting!
There are so many types of cardio exercise to choose from: walking, running, biking, dancing, aerobics, and so much more! Plus, cardio exercise can be FREE! All you need is a good pair of sneakers to go for a walk or a run.
Most people have heard that yoga is good for you. Maybe you have even tried yoga and discovered that it makes you feel better. But what are the specific health benefits you can expect to enjoy from doing yoga regularly?
Yoga aides in health and overall quality of life for everyone who practices it. Yoga increases body awareness, flexibility, muscular strength, balance, posture and brings calmness.
September 28, 2011 is the 10th annual event to promote the value of health and fitness for women of all ages. More than 1,000 local women’s health events will be held across the country on the same day.
The purpose of this day is to rally women throughout the nation and get their attention so they can take charge of their health.
More and more lately it has been pointed out in many medical articles that women not only endure chronic pain more but are also more likely to end up with conditions and diseases like fibromyalgia.
So let us take a look at women’s health and fitness alternatives to see how they can aide us now before it becomes too late. Also, fitness has been shown to prevent many medical conditions and diseases. Below are some of the things that can aide women in reaching their fitness goals.
Sitting on the deck this beautiful morning, looking at the last of the summer flowers, my thoughts are somber and reflective of a morning 10 years ago, which feels like it was just yesterday.
I was off from work that day, September 11, 2001, and I was starting my fall cleaning in the kitchen, with the TV on.
Around 8:55am the phone rang. It was my sister, who lived in upstate New York and took the train in to Manhattan every day for work. She had not gone in to work that day, either, but her husband did.
This week of weather has been one of the most memorable in a long time. On Tuesday August 23, 2011 at 1:51pm, an earthquake of 5.8 magnitude originated in Virginia, and the shockwaves were almost immediately felt on the East Coast, through Washington DC, New York City, Boston and as far up as Martha’s Vineyard.
A typical Tuesday for me, usually the busiest day of the week, I had again worked thru my lunch hour. It was almost 2pm, and my next patient had just walked into the office and was filling out paperwork. “Great!” I said, I can get this last email sent out! As I was squeezing in this last bit before I took my patient into my office, I started to feel my chair rolling around a bit, and the floor vibrating. Oh no, I had not eaten lunch, so this must be symptoms of hypoglycemia, and I rose up from my desk intending to see if I could find an apple or something quick to eat.
Sugar is sugar, whether it is labeled raw, brown or organic. Look out for artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup and agave syrup.
