Search
Close this search box.
Search
Close this search box.

G is for Glutathione

  This is the first of a series regarding immune system boosters.  With all the recent news concerning the pandemic and the annual flu, a quick reminder of supplements will encourage all of us!   The usual rhetoric continues to stress hand washing, mask wearing, and social distancing.  However, once someone has been diagnosed with a […]

Seasons Staff Recommendations for Immune Boosting Supplements

Vitamin D3 – adults with normal kidney function can take 10,000 IU daily and may increase to 20,000 IU daily if symptomatic for viral illness Vitamin C – 1 gram (1000 mg) twice a day – increase to three times a day if symptomatic, we use livonlabs.com – they are producing more but may be […]

Vitamin C- the strongest anti-viral!

  If you are like me, you have been bombarded with information on how to boost your immune system.  We have been told to wash our hands, stay away from sick people and large crowds, get plenty of rest, eat healthy, manage stress, and wash our hands.  Also, contact your doctor if you are concerned […]

How To Thrive During Virus Season

by Megan Roberts, Integrative Health Coach and Head RN Where did I get it? Well, could have been that last trip to Target, maybe the bounce house where dozens other parents took their children to let off some steam this weekend because schools are closed due to illness for the second time in three weeks. […]

Nourishing Immune Building Soup For the Soul

Carolyn Burris, MS, Nutrition   Forum Health Knoxville   February 20, 2019     Feeling under the weather and a cold or virus coming on? You have choices!  So, let’s take a healthy step by making this tasty immune fighting soup. Here are some of the benefits in the soup’s ingredients.   Coconut Oil– has […]

A4m Blog: IV Therapy: Facts vs. Fiction

  Intravenous (IV) therapy is known to be the fastest way to deliver any kind of fluid or medication to the body, yielding a bioavailability absorption of 100%. This practice has also demonstrated quantifiable benefits in the realm of healthcare and wellness, particularly regarding nutrition: IV nutritional therapy, in which vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients […]

All things Mushrooms!

Mushrooms!   What does that make you think of?   Psychedelic mushrooms?  Smoking mushrooms?  Culinary mushrooms? Gateway drugs?  Poison?   Mushrooms can be many and all of these.  But, I want to discuss the amazing medicinal value of mushrooms.  Not the “medicinal” that has been abused and misused for political and/or marketing purposes.  I am […]

5 Skin Perfecting Fruits + Acne Fighting Tips

Will eating healthier make it easier to achieve superior skin health? If you’ve had a nutritional consultation at Forum Health Knoxville, then you already know the answer. Yes! The food you put into your body has a direct effect on how you feel and look. Being diligent about applying SPF and regularly visiting your skin […]

Dining Out & GMOs: The Real Price We Pay

It’s a fact: Americans love eating out. But dining out will make you fat and very unhealthy! Read this eye-opening article about food loaded with hormones, antibiotics, and pesticides.

Pulling Back The Curtains On Dr. Oz: The Truth About IV Nutrition Therapy

Recently on his daily television show, Dr. Oz discussed IV nutrition therapy. I was very disappointed when Dr. Oz questioned the validity, benefit, and safety of this invaluable therapy. He had a guest physician on his show to defend IV therapies, but his guest talked in generalizations with no specifics and no scientific data. Dr. Oz’s conclusion […]

An Apple a Day? Healthy Choices vs. Inflammation

My pre-60th birthday journey to improve my previous test results from Seasons of Farragut continues! This month I decided to focus on the first tenet in our Forum Health Knoxville wellness regimen – nutrition!

 

About two years ago I took the ALCAT test and was astonished at my lengthy list of reactive foods! The ALCAT is a fascinating food sensitivity test in which white blood cells are introduced to a variety of foods, chemicals, and herbs. The severity of the reaction determines if a substance is mild, moderate, severe, or normal within my body. Since knowledge is power, I decided to receive the news that gluten and dairy were on my “severe list” as a positive indicator rather than “buyers’ remorse” for having performed the test!

 

Lyn-Genet Recitas has written a book, The Plan, which explains how inflammation from food intolerance can cause symptoms such as joint pain, skin disorders, fatigue, weight issues, headaches, and digestive disorders. Whereas a food allergy can have almost an immediate effect, a food sensitivity may not show up for several hours to 3 days later. For weight gain, it’s not as much about the calories as the chemistry of the body. One person may benefit from last night’s salmon and broccoli, but someone else may actually gain 2 pounds. Inflammation from food intolerance causes damage to the lining of the gut. As the lining becomes “leaky” with gaps present, foods begin to slip through not completely digested. This causes the body to attack undigested foods.

 

As we age, inflammation can increase which causes our systems to slow down. Many of us have much less stomach acid and digestive enzymes to break down food. This can ultimately alter our weight and our health. Reactive foods cause our bodies to produce more histamine which causes water retention via dilated capillaries. The brain responds by increasing the production of Cortisol. As more Cortisol is produced, fewer sex hormones are produced since both sets of hormones depend on the same building blocks. Increased Cortisol causes an increase in glucose which causes an increase in blood sugar! This domino effect alters the good bacteria in the gut and can increase yeast production. The altered gut flora leads to a weakened immune response since about 70% of our immune system is in the gut.

4 Foods That Build The Immune System

The cooler seasons brings temperatures that challenge our immune systems. Here are 4 foods to build our health and keep our immune system hardier through the fall and winter.

Detoxing for YOUR Health!

If you have not been committed to healthy eating, a lifestyle change is needed and foundational in improving your body’s ability to remove toxins. You can start today by making healthier decisions about what you eat.

The Seasons Top Five: How to Pursue Wellness

Here are my top five suggestions for the pursuit of wellness.

1. Evaluate Your Diet. Do you make good food choices? Are you overweight? The latest statistics indicate that 58 million Americans are overweight, 40 million are obese, and 4 million are morbidly obese. The vast majority of illness is caused or complicated by being overweight.

2. Evaluate Your Activity. Do you exercise? Small choices add up to increased physical activity, So park further from the grocery store entry and WALK. Take the stairs. Stop working at the computer for 5 minutes and do 50 situps.

3. Have A Wellness Checkup at Seasons of Farragut. The Seasons approach to wellness is centered around balance and prevention. A few medical tests will reveal where your body is deficient. A wellness regimen tailored to YOUR body will relieve hot flashes, sleep difficulties, mood swings and even weight gain.

4. Make Sure You’re Getting Enough Vitamin D. Studies indicate the importance of Vitamin D in disease prevention. The level of cold and flu increases in the winter largely due to the decrease of Vitamin D in our system. Medical research even suggests that Vitamin D is the BEST prevention for flu–even better than the vaccine. At Seasons, we evaluate your Vitamin D levels and offer medical-grade Vitamin D supplements in capsules, drops, and even injections, if needed.

5. Decrease Stress. Stress is the enemy. Don’t spread yourself too thin. Take time to smell the flowers. Find a de-stresser that works for you, whether it’s weekly Bible Study, a good book, or coloring with your kids.