Nutrigenomics: the Genetic power of Food
Nutrigenomics Have you ever wondered about how a good diet or a bad diet could affect your body? I’m not just talking about how nutrition can play a role in how you feel or how the number of calories in and the number of calories out can affect the size of your waist-line. I’m talking […]
Tis the Season for Lighting up Your Nucleus Accumbens
It is estimated that Americans consume 22 teaspoons of sugar a day. Studies have shown that sugary, processed foods trigger a special region in the brain called the nucleus accumbens. This is the pleasure center which when activated can lead to addictions. In other words, once this pathway is stimulated, the intoxication […]
Small steps to begin a Healthy 2016
As I moved through the holiday season with family and friends, I heard all the chatter of losing weight in the New Year. With a cookie or a dipped chip in hand we talked of our plans for shedding these indulgent pounds that we had gained over the last months, or maybe years. There […]
Keep on Track with your Health–Simple Nutrition
Keeping On Track With Your Health- It Really Can Be Simple. January, February, March have passed by and we are now moving into April. So, how is your health? How are your new year resolutions to improve your Health going? By this time each year, many have fizzled in […]
Eat to Live–Fruits and Vegetables
As we have visited the Farmer’s Market or vegetable stand, we are reminded how colorful and fresh the produce has been during the summer season. However, even with the wonderful variety we have had, I find that few appreciate and understand how vital this food group is to our health. Unfortunately, even the USDA food […]
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 […]
Something “Fishy” Is Going On: GMO Salmon, Mislabeling of Fish, and a Healthy Trout Recipe!
The American Heart Association, as well as the 2010 dietary guidelines from the U.S. Government, both advise eating eight ounces of seafood, or two seafood meals a week, particularly because of their “heart healthy” omega-3 levels. However, U.S. consumers are often given inadequate, confusing or misleading information about the fish they are actually buying.
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.
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.
Healthy Holiday Dishes: Don’t Forget Your Veggies!
As the holidays get closer, the temptation to indulge in unhealthy seasonal treats in creases. Here’s why you shouldn’t forget your veggies this winter…
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.
10 Ways to Increase Your Water Intake
Water is an essential part of the human body. There isn’t a single bodily function – seeing, hearing, thinking, exercising, singing, and even laughing – that does not rely on water. Here are 10 tips on how to increase your water intake.
Meal Planning Made Easy with Online Recipe Resources!
“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail,” said Benjamin Franklin. This statement holds true in many areas of life, including meal planning. Here are some great online resources for planning meals in advance.
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.
July is National Grilling Month!
July is National Grilling Month which means we need to get outside and start grilling! The health benefits of grilling not only come from the food itself, but also from being outside in the sunshine. An adequate amount of sun exposure is required to maintain a healthy vitamin D level.
Food Sensitivity Testing
Unfortunately for some, exposure to common foods, chemical or molds may trigger chronic activation of the immune system. Eliminating trigger foods can relieve or eliminate these conditions: Digestive Disorders Migraines Obesity Chronic Fatigue Attention Deficit Disorder [ADD] Aching Joints Skin Disorders and more The process of determining food sensitivities is as simple as […]
Cha Cha Chia! The Amazing Chia Seed!
For centuries, this tiny little seed was used as a staple food by the Indians. Known as the running food, this high-energy, endurance food was used by the Aztec warriors during their conquests. The Indians of the southwest would subsist on as little as a teaspoon when going on a 24-hour forced march. It was recorded that Indians running from the Colorado River to the California coast to trade turquoise for seashells would only bring the chia seeds for their nourishment.
6 Healthy Snacks for the Super Bowl
Super Bowl parties are full of snacks loaded with calories, fat and preservatives. Resist the urge to splurge! These tasty treats will help create a deliciously healthy Super Bowl party.