We found a summation of this from Dr. Andrew Weil that we think can clarify the direction we should all take in our daily diet. It's called Dr. Weil's Anti-Inflammatory Food Pyramid. Contained in the guide is a breakdown of the specific foods that help the body manage inflammation as well as give you the adequate quantities of nutrients for systemic function. It should come as no surprise that the largest part of the pyramid is occupied by fruits and vegetables which offer the widest array of disease-fighting phytochemicals. If you feel short on ideas to create flavorful preparations for these foods, sign up for our bi-weekly newsletters for new recipes and stop by our clinic to purchase our own Healthlinks Cookbook. Don't hesitate to ask us for help to make your daily plate healthier!
Thursday, March 31, 2011
The Anti-Inflammatory Diet
The role of inflammation in the incidence of many chronic diseases should be coming quite clear to the general public. It is necessary for individuals to make it their habit to adopt a lifestyle that normalizes this process in the body if one is to adequately prevent these diseases. Food's role in preventing unchecked inflammation is very powerful if the lay person understands which ones bring this under control.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Flavonoids, Inflammation and Your Brain!
Our bodies have a tremendous need for the powerful plant chemicals in our food. These "phytochemicals" are so numerous and the specific functions they play in our health are understood to a relatively small degree. The natural process of inflammation is necessary for our body to deal with injury and foreign pathogens, but research is continually bringing us closer to understanding how abnormal levels of inflammation have a causative role in chronic disease. In addition to cancer and heart disease, the inflammatory mechanism of diseases of the brain are becoming better understood. And one of the most impactful prevention strategy lies in the incorporation of a diet rich in phytochemicals that quell this process gone awry.
Flavonoids are one such classification of phytonutrients that provide neuroprotective benefits, possibly as a means of primary prevention in a number of neurologic diseases. These antioxidants are found in significant quantities in berries, apples, tea, red wine, pure cocoa and citrus fruits. A new study through the Harvard School of Public Health examined the association between developing Parkinson's disease and the consumption of flavonoids. According to researcher Xiang Gao, MD, PhD, "Our findings suggest that flavonoids, specifically a group called anthocyanins, may have neuroprotective effects. Flavonoids may be a natural and healthy way to reduce your risk of developing Parkinson's disease." This study is significant in both the number of participants and the duration. It had over 100,000 participants that were followed for over 20 years. When the researchers delved further to assess the intake of the flavonoid sub-group, anthocyanins, both men and woman who consumed the largest quantities of these had a 22% lower risk of developing Parkinson's disease than those that consumed the least. So how can you specifically find this healthful nutrient? It is found primarily in berries and apples. Enjoy the variety of these fruits that are available as a part of your daily intake of plant foods. They are very easy to incorporate, so add them to the weekly shopping list!
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Preventing Cancer - Understanding Our Environment
In May of 2010, a pointed report came out from the President's Cancer Panel advising that the environmental factors contributing to cancer incidence have been vastly understated. Healthlinks blogged about this in June 2010 to keep you informed of this ground breaking presentation of data that is critical to making strides towards reducing the prevalence of this deadly disease.
The Breast Cancer Fund, a public advocacy research group that presents the evidence on environmental causes of breast cancer, has come across more compelling information to encourage support for this cause. More mainstream scientists are reviewing and conducting research that fortunately is becoming harder and harder to brush under the rug. Read the BCF's article about the "who's who" of scientists that are lending credence to the argument against several environmental toxins.
The Breast Cancer Fund, a public advocacy research group that presents the evidence on environmental causes of breast cancer, has come across more compelling information to encourage support for this cause. More mainstream scientists are reviewing and conducting research that fortunately is becoming harder and harder to brush under the rug. Read the BCF's article about the "who's who" of scientists that are lending credence to the argument against several environmental toxins.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Good Posture - Moment by Moment
Having an upright spine is something that most people think of when they see someone else whose posture is grossly off or when they experience pain associated with the spine. While treating these problems can be successful, perhaps a better approach would be to re-educate individuals before an injury occurs. Awareness of the breathing pattern can be one of the most effective ways to improve the health of the spine in addition to normalizing the stress response.
As with any change in habit, frequency is the component that effects the adoption of change. Breathing is a muscle pattern, just as there is a pattern of walking, biking, throwing a ball, etc. We habituate our actions based upon what we have learned...for better or for worse. A change in poor muscle function must come about from development of a habitual pattern that overrides this dysfunction. We call this muscle re-education. Ineffectual breathing can encourage poor posture which will in turn prevent the biomechanics necessary for full use of the diaphragm. So in order to re-train the muscles of respiration, of which the diaphragm is primary, it must be a daily habit of correct muscle patterning.
When we are not in slumber, our spinal muscles are charged with the job of keeping us upright and stable whether we are walking, standing or sitting. Ideally, we should be moving our bodies as much as we are able which means taking more movement breaks if we are desk-bound in our jobs. However, even if we are sitting, the more time spent in neutral alignment with active core muscles the more our body will opt for this healthier pattern. Practicing the following exercise on a daily basis will encourage a calm yet alert nervous system and improved posture.
Take a seated position in a chair or on a fitball. Place feet hip width apart. Take a wider stance with the feet if you are on a fitball and you feel unstable. Place a theraband around the bottom of the ribcage crossing the band in front and holding it taught, but not over stretched. Relax the elbows at the sides with the palms turned upwards while lightly grasping the band. Expand the ribcage in the front and back of the body against the resistence of the exercise band as you inhale slowly. Allow the ribs to fall back to the body on the exhale while keeping length in the spine from it's base to the crown of the head. The exhale should be at least as slow as the inhaling breath or slower. Be certain to keep the upper back and neck soft and the chin leveled. Think of the breath as "slow and expansive".
*If you have any balance concerns or issues with dizziness, please consult your physician before implementing this exercise.
As with any change in habit, frequency is the component that effects the adoption of change. Breathing is a muscle pattern, just as there is a pattern of walking, biking, throwing a ball, etc. We habituate our actions based upon what we have learned...for better or for worse. A change in poor muscle function must come about from development of a habitual pattern that overrides this dysfunction. We call this muscle re-education. Ineffectual breathing can encourage poor posture which will in turn prevent the biomechanics necessary for full use of the diaphragm. So in order to re-train the muscles of respiration, of which the diaphragm is primary, it must be a daily habit of correct muscle patterning.
When we are not in slumber, our spinal muscles are charged with the job of keeping us upright and stable whether we are walking, standing or sitting. Ideally, we should be moving our bodies as much as we are able which means taking more movement breaks if we are desk-bound in our jobs. However, even if we are sitting, the more time spent in neutral alignment with active core muscles the more our body will opt for this healthier pattern. Practicing the following exercise on a daily basis will encourage a calm yet alert nervous system and improved posture.
Take a seated position in a chair or on a fitball. Place feet hip width apart. Take a wider stance with the feet if you are on a fitball and you feel unstable. Place a theraband around the bottom of the ribcage crossing the band in front and holding it taught, but not over stretched. Relax the elbows at the sides with the palms turned upwards while lightly grasping the band. Expand the ribcage in the front and back of the body against the resistence of the exercise band as you inhale slowly. Allow the ribs to fall back to the body on the exhale while keeping length in the spine from it's base to the crown of the head. The exhale should be at least as slow as the inhaling breath or slower. Be certain to keep the upper back and neck soft and the chin leveled. Think of the breath as "slow and expansive".
*If you have any balance concerns or issues with dizziness, please consult your physician before implementing this exercise.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
BPA-Free Canned Goods...How to Pick Them
Bisphenol-A is not only making a splash with environmentalists; politicians and consumers are becoming informed and savvy about it's dramatic effects on human health. BPA, as it is also called, is found in food and beverage containers including canned food, aluminum beverage containers, baby bottles and sippy cups. It is used pervasively for food storage and was approved by the FDA in the 1960's. In the last decade, the CDC has conducted a large scale study to determine the level of human exposure to 212 chemicals used in consumer products. They found detectable levels of BPA exposure in 93% of the humans tested which numbered in the thousands. The US Environmental Protection Agency has set a safe level of exposure at 50 micrograms/kg body wt/day, yet animal lab tests have shown altered hormone effects at much lower levels than this. Read this archived blog to take steps to limit BPA in your consumer products.
More recently, manufacturers are taking responsibility for pursuing BPA-free alternatives in response to the demands of increasingly educated consumers. Some companies have worked toward this goal previous to the larger public outcry. In either case, we feel it is important to let you know how to protect you and your loved ones from this questionably harmful chemical. The following list highlights the companies and products that use BPA-free food containers and how you can go about finding these products for daily use.
More recently, manufacturers are taking responsibility for pursuing BPA-free alternatives in response to the demands of increasingly educated consumers. Some companies have worked toward this goal previous to the larger public outcry. In either case, we feel it is important to let you know how to protect you and your loved ones from this questionably harmful chemical. The following list highlights the companies and products that use BPA-free food containers and how you can go about finding these products for daily use.
- Eden Organics - except canned tomatoes
- can be found at large retailers - Vital Choice - no exceptions
- can only be found on-line, http://www.vitalchoice.com/ - Wild Planet - except shrimp and crab which have lemon added
- some products can be found at large retailers and on-line - http://www.wildplanetfoods.com/ - Trader Joe's - only canned corn, beans, fish, poultry and beef have BPA-free liners
- only at Trader Joe stores - Native Forest and Native Factor - no exceptions
- can be found at large retailers
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