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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.

Reflections from Nan: Detox For Better Health

“I feel stupid, fat, and tired,” is a recurring theme with many of our new patients at Seasons. Many factors play a role in this syndrome.

One common but overlooked contributor is environmental toxins. A new study by the Environmental Working Group (ewg.org) found over 48 toxic chemicals in women’s blood and urine. Besides toxic metals, chemicals such as pesticides, BPA, phthalates, etc. were discovered in large amounts.

Nibble on This | March

This year for National Nutrition Month the American Dietetic Association is promoting “Eat Right With Color”. Scientists have discovered major health benefits packed in the color of fruits and vegetables. The powerhouse chemicals responsible for this are called phytonutrients. Phytonutrients are what put the brightness in tomatoes and strawberries and the brilliant color in oranges, carrots and kiwi.

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.