Breakfast With The Docs

A few weekends ago, we had a wonderful event at HealthWise Chiropractic with Dr. Jeremy Steel and Dr. Jackie Behymer. “Breakfast With The Docs” was an event with an organic breakfast and two informative presentations by Dr. Steel and myself. We talked about breakfast and it’s importance.

Starting your day with a healthy breakfast ensures better performance in work or school, it helps you have better concentration and problem-solving skills. Research suggests that protein rich foods make it easier to concentrate at length. When we are sleeping at night, our metabolism slows down and having a meal in the morning helps kick start your metabolism. A healthy breakfast helps energize you and balances your blood sugar, it also helps get you on track to make better choice throughout the day. If you eat a healthy breakfast, you are more likely to reach for a healthier snack when you do need one.

Skipping breakfast has its downfalls. People who skip breakfast are likely to feel really hungry later in the morning and eat something unhealthy mid-morning. Even a light breakfast can help break this cycle by fueling your body and brain.

Here are some simple breakfast ideas:

• Oatmeal
• With nuts or dried fruit
• Yogurt
• Plus fruit
• Plus bran flakes, granola or oatmeal
• Breakfast Burrito
• Whole grain tortilla
• Eggs
• Cheese or avocado
• Yogurt – w/ 1-2 tsp of jam
• Whole grain waffle with nut butter and raisins
• Fruit + cheese
• Smoothie
• Yogurt or milk or milk alternative
• Fruit
• Nut butter
• Protein powder

Breakfast does not have to be a large or time consuming meal, the nutritious choices discussed above are easy and convenient. Try non-traditional breakfast foods such as soup – a nice warm soup is a great way to start a winter morning. Take a look at breakfasts from other cultures around the world – lentil soups and frittatas just a couple of examples of foods that you can try for breakfast.

Immune Booster Injections

A great alternative to those who are unsure of the Flu Vaccination.

Why get an immune booster injection?

• An alternative or compliment to the flu vaccine
• Great for travelers or those who are exposed to sick people
• Beneficial if you are already feeling sick
• An alternative for those who normally get sick after the flu vaccine
• Does not contain viral particles or preservatives
• Safe for ages above 7

Call today to schedule your immune booster shot and to get started on your immune supportive protocol!

Avena is also a powerful restorative remedy for the nervous system. Whether we are dealing with exhaustion due to lifestyle or illness, we can dose Avena long term to help restore and support the nervous system. A great conjuctive remedy that can be used to help treat addictions and can help people rebound from addictions to caffeine, tobacco and other drugs. Avena is often used to help treat insomnia in patients who have difficulty staying asleep.

Oats when used as food have many nutritive properties, they are a good source of selenium which is an important cofactor to gulathione peroxidase (a wonderful antioxidant). Selenium is also involved in DNA repair and is associated with a reduced risk for cancer. Oats contain beta glucans which are polysaccharides with many beneficial properties. Beta glucans activate the immune system and enhance your body’s ability to respond to a bacterial infection. Neutrophils, a type of immune cell, that navigate to the site of an infection and eliminate bacteria are helped in this process by beta-glucan. Beta glucans are a special fiber that also help lower cholesterol levels. Eating one bowl of oatmeal a day helps lower your total cholesterol by 8-23%. Beta glucans also have a beneficial effect on helping lower serum glucose and insulin levels.

Avena Sativa or Oats are a great, nutritive herbal remedy to include in your diet.

Here are some steps to lessen your acne troubles:

• Use a mild, hypo-allergenic, natural face wash to cleanse your skin.
• Make sure you wash your face after exercising and before going to sleep.
• Keep your hair out of your face, so that oil from your hair does not compound your acne issues.
• Avoid picking at and squeezing the pimples and touching your face repeatedly.
• Wash your pillow often, oil is absorbed by the pillow from your face and can worsen acne when the pillowcase touches your face again and again.

Make sure you have a good skin care routine using products that are hypo-allergenic, natural and organic.  Natural remedies can be just as powerful as prescription medications, without the harmful side effects.  Make sure your diet is nutritionally balanced.  A good multi-vitamin will help fill in any deficiencies your diet may leave your body with.  Vitamins that have shown to be effective in treating acne include – B Vitamins, Vitamin A, and Zinc.  B Vitamins help the liver with its detoxification processes, and Vitamin A is a wonderful antioxidant that can also help the body in cleansing itself of toxins.  Zinc is a trace mineral that helps with cell growth and wound healing.

Honey or castor oil applied topically or exfoliating with Epsom salts can help soothe acne flare ups and heal blemishes.  Herbal remedies are also a powerful way to treat Acne, herbs such as Vitex, Dong Quai, Saw Palmetto and Guggul are effective in helping balance our hormones.  Including herbs such as Milk Thistle and Burdock will help support liver function and aid in breaking down excessive levels of hormones.  Speak with your Naturopathic Doctor before you add in supplementation if you are on prescription medications to make sure there are no interactions!

Research studies have shown that the chemicals that are used to scent these products are harmful to our health.  Drying your clothes on a clothesline in the sun achieves the scent that these detergents attempt to capture through chemicals.

For starters, you need a good clothesline, attached to sturdy posts (fence or side of house) and hung up very taut.  Pick up some clothespins and store them in a container that keeps them dry and clean.    Make sure to clean your clothesline once a month by wiping it down.

Drying your clothes on a clothesline has many benefits.  Your clothes last longer when dried on a clothesline, a dryer shortens the life of your clothes by wearing them out faster.  The lint in your dryer?  Yup, it’s your clothes wearing out faster.  Using a clothesline not only benefits your wallet by having your clothes last longer, you also use less energy, therefore your electricity bill will be a little less each month.  Hanging out your clothes to dry can take a little more time, I’ve noticed that for the average load of laundry it can take me 10-15 minutes to hang it out and pick it up and it is a relaxing way to enjoy the backyard.

Not sure you want to go all out and start drying all of your laundry on a clothes line?  Start with a small line and some of your clothes.  As you get the hang of it, extend your line or hang another rope.  Make sure you watch the weather report and plan ahead.  On a sunny day, you can hang out your clothes before leaving for work and pick them up when you get home.  Sunlight is a natural sanitizing and bleaching agent, it will also give your clothes a fresh smell.

Here are some tips:

• Large items – sheets, heavier sweatshirts, large shirts – should be hung on the outer part of the line and smaller items in the center.
• Lessen wrinkles by giving them a good shake before hanging them to dry.
• Dark, colored or bright items can fade in the sun, hang these inside out.
• Dressy clothing can be damaged by clothespins, you can hang these on a hanger and pin the hanger to the clothesline.
• Stretchy clothes and some knit garments should not be hung out on a clothesline.  Read their labels.
• White clothing – can be left out in the sun longer; this will lighten any stains.
• If you intend to iron some of your clothes, you can remove them while they are still damp and iron immediately.

Start the Morning Right

Join the Doctors of
HealthWise Chiropractic and
Dr. Jaspreet Mundeir, ND

Saturday, October 29, 2011
9:30 – 11:00 am

We invite you and your friends for:

• An Organic Breakfast
• Nutrition Tips
• Stretching and Easy Exercises
• Achieving your Health Goals

Space is limited, please RSVP by calling 925.284.5581
HealthWise Chiropractic (Located inside Behymer Chiropractic)
3676 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA 94549

Halloween is coming up soon, is your house decorated and ready for the trick or treaters?  For great healthy alternatives to candy for the scary ghosts and witches that show up on Halloween night, read this blog post.  Have a healthy and safe Halloween.

Breakfast With The Docs

Start the Morning Right

Join the Doctors of
HealthWise Chiropractic and
Dr. Jaspreet Mundeir, ND

Saturday, October 29, 2011
9:30 – 11:00 am

We invite you and your friends for:

• An Organic Breakfast
• Nutrition Tips
• Stretching and Easy Exercises
• Achieving your Health Goals

Space is limited, please RSVP by calling 925.284.5581
HealthWise Chiropractic (Located inside Behymer Chiropractic)
3676 Mt. Diablo Blvd. Lafayette, CA 94549

It is so easy to indulge in the wrong types of food during the holiday season and Halloween really starts off the holiday season with a sugar kick.  If you feel that you are under the weather or going through a particularly stressful time, foods you should avoid include: sugar, caffeine and fried foods.

Here are some supplements that help support your immune system.  You may consider taking them daily if you are prone to getting sick through the holiday season.

Probiotics: Probiotics are supplements that include the good bacteria that reside in you GastroIntestinal (GI) tract.  Your GI tract is a prominent part of immune system, serving as the first line of defense by keeping potential pathogens out of the blood and lymph.  Medications, stress and poor dietary choices can all upset the bacterial balance in our GI tract, favoring bad or potentially pathogenic bacteria.  Taking probiotics helps re-colonize the good bacteria in your gut, protecting you from infections and also killing bad bacteria.  Look for a probiotic supplement that has several different strains of good bacteria and take it daily with meals.

Vitamin D: Another vitally important vitamin for our immune systems, it helps the immune cells fight bacteria and viruses.  Low levels of Vitamin D have been associated with chronic pain, depression, high blood pressure.  Vitamin D also helps build bone mass, prevents many cancers and helps with the absorption of calcium.  One of the ways we make our own Vitamin D is through sun exposure to our skin and since we are less likely to get to have sun exposure through the holidays, we make less Vitamin D through the fall/winter seasons.   Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) is the form that you want to supplement but before you do that on a regular basis, a simple blood test can determine if you are deficient in Vitamin D.  Talk to your Naturopathic Doctor about this blood test and see if your levels are within the optimal range and if supplementing if this vitamin is appropriate for you.

Other Vitamins to consider include Vitamin C, Zinc and Selenium along with herbs such as Echinacea, Elderberry and Garlic.  The Garlic Oxymel is also a great immune supporter, make it and drink at the first signs of a cold or flu.

]]> http://www.suratnaturopathic.com/blog/immune-support-through-the-holidays/feed/ 24 http://www.suratnaturopathic.com/blog/cancer-fighting-foods/ http://www.suratnaturopathic.com/blog/cancer-fighting-foods/#comments Thu, 06 Oct 2011 17:30:07 +0000 Dr. Mundeir http://www.suratnaturopathic.com/?p=1538 October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month and the diet of most Americans is the exact opposite of what an anticancer diet should be.  Here are three promising cancer fighting foods:

• Green Tea – rich in polyphenols, which include catechins – this compound reduces the growth of new bloodvessels that feed tumors.  EGCG a catechin, is found in higher quantities in Japanese green tea.  Green tea, green tea extracts have been used to prevent and treat a variety of cancers such as breast, stomach and skin cancers.  Green tea is also great for improving mental alertness, aiding in weight loss, lowering cholesterol levels and protecting skin from sun damage.  If you are sensitive to caffeine, get decaf green tea, it is still rich in polyphenols.   Steep green tea for 5 to 8 minutes and drink within an hour of brewing.  People on anti-coagulant drugs should avoid excessive intake of green tea, since it does contain a small amount of Vitamin K.

• Pomegranate Juice – drinking this juice daily slows the spread of prostate cancer.  This juice is rich inantioxidants, tannins, potassium and has many anti-inflammatory properties.  Preliminary health studies have shown pomegranate juice to be effective in reducing LDL oxidation and high blood pressure.  Polyphenols are a type of antioxidants that are found in Pomegranate juice, antioxidants help protect you from free radicals.  Free radicals are molecules that cause damage to your cells and its DNA.

• Turmeric – this Indian spice has been proven to be a natural anti-inflammatory agent.  It has been used in traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine to help with digestion, liver function and regulate menstruation.  Great in combination with chemotherapy, it enhances its effectiveness, while inhibiting tumor growth.  Get the ground turmeric by itself and mix in with your next vegetable dish or soup.  If you have cancer, use a tablespoon per day.  Turmeric can be made into a paste and applied topically for eczema and wound healing.

This herb may combined with herbs such as black cohosh, lenonurus, and be used in women with menopausal bleeding irregularities or in women transitioning through peri-menopause with symptoms such a hot flashes and night sweats.

Vitex is often the go-to remedy for women with Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS), it is helpful for PMS symptoms including mood swings, forgetfulness, bloating or fatigue.

As you can see, Vitex is a great natural remedy for all kinds of complaints related to female hormonal issues.  When combined with other herbs that help support the female reproductive tract, Vitex is an extremely effect remedy with no side effects.  This herb is generally well tolerated and not recommended for use during pregnancy.

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