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Breakfast is key to starting your day feeling healthy and energetic. Whether you are focused on balancing your blood sugar, lowering cholesterol, losing weight, avoiding gluten and dairy, fighting off yeast or improving your mood and focus...the breakfast recommendations are basically the same! 1. Make sure to include protein.
2. Minimize carbohydrates.
3. Include healthy fat and fiber if possible. Ok, with those three points in mind, let's build a breakfast for you. I would like to encourage you to think outside the breakfast box! Forget about cereals, pancakes, waffles and the like. They are simply too high in carbohydrates, have a high glycemic index and, furthermore, tend to contain gluten (an all too common grain that many people can't eat). Set aside American breakfast concepts, and those advertised on TV and start thinking of breakfast in a whole new way. How about wild salmon for breakfast? (that is one of my favorites) Or left over chicken and roasted vegetables. Here are my favorite breakfast choices: 1. Protein shake (Metagenics Sustain or Thorne Mediclear Plus) with flax seed oil, ground flax seeds and ProBerry 2. Turkey Bacon (hormone and antibiotic free) 3. Frozen turkey sausage (hormone and antibiotic free) 4. Wild Salmon, sauteed with onions 5. Turkey Bologna (hormone and antibiotic free) 6. Whole, Organic egg (if you are not intolerant to eggs) poached or sauteed with arugula and goat cheese
How much you ask?
My recommendation is to eat half. Eat half as much as you think you need or half as much as you usually have. What is the worst possibility? You might feel hungry in an hour or two? Great, then eat a second breakfast. It is better to spread out the calories and eat every 3 to 4 hours throughout the day, so for those of you like me, who love breakfast, I don't think it will take much convincing to switch to breakfast twice! That is right, eat half, and eat the other half (or something else) in a couple hours. To drink? Stay away from juices. They are basically sugar, adding to your carbohydrate load and making a tasty breakfast for yeast, encouraging them to stay instead of go away. A much healthier option is green tea. It helps regulate blood sugar and metabolism, and prevents cancer at the same time. Otherwise water, filtered of course, is a great place to start your day, especially if you consume caffeine, which is a diuretic. Minimize the caffeine, but at the same time I think you will find that the longer you stick to these breakfast items, you won't be needing that caffeine to boost your energy so much anymore. By following these recommendations, you will likely notice a difference in how you feel even the very first day you try it. From then on, I bet you won't look back!
I recently attended a defensive driving class and I am so glad I did! For all the times I drove faster in order to get somewhere sooner...I learned that I only saved 1 minute! And at what risk?
Did you know that by the time you realize you need to stop, and actually stop your car, it takes 355 feet when going 55 mph? This was a perfect reminder to me that the faster I drive, the longer it takes to respond and to stop. And what better to do in order to prevent injuries? Where a seat belt to prevent 50-60% of traffic fatalities and 60-70% of injuries. Not only that but lock your doors (while driving too), use two hands on the steering wheel, don't hang items on your rear view mirror, check your tire pressure (unique to car and tire location), keep up on car maintenance, and stay out of blind spots. These were all great reminders for me...I mean what better to do for one's health but to keep yourself safe while driving. And as tempting as it can be, don't text or email while driving. As I say it, it sounds obvious, but many of us do it. After all, if I am not aware while driving, then by default, my safety is in the hands of other drivers. The instructor made this point so clear that I feel a better name for the class and concept is "conscious driving." Important things to do as conscious drivers: Check your owner's manual to find out how far to sit away from the air bag, how to stop your car if the accelerator gets stuck AND what is the correct tire pressure for your car. Pull over if you are drowsy (13% of driving fatalities are from driving while tired). Get a taxi or a hotel if you have been drinking alcohol. When you get in the car, focus on driving first. Everything else can wait until you arrive safely. See you soon!
Many of you are working to eliminate yeast from your body (or at least to eliminate the symptoms caused by yeast). It can be quite a process! I would like you to know that success is possible.
First we want to kill yeast, using natural therapies. Then we need to restore the healthy bacteria in your digestive tract so that yeast are no longer welcome to grow there. We can do both these things at the same time, and if you experience vaginal symptoms, we'll address yeast there too.
While on products to get rid of yeast and reestablish healthy bacteria, it can help to avoid foods that yeast love. That means anything that looks like, sounds like, or is basically sugar (or broken down into sugar).
Avoid fruit juices Avoid sugar and anything that contains sugar (sugar on the label) Avoid corn syrup, fructose, lactose, maltose, and any other ingredient that ends with "ose" Avoid fruits with a high glycemic index (banana, papaya, melon, kiwi and dried fruit) (it can be helpful to avoid all fruit for a month to start) Avoid vinegar Avoid alcohol Avoid fermented foods
Minimize carbohydrates in general: 1 small serving, 1 to 2 times per day (brown rice, quinoa, corn, potato, millet, or other gluten free grains)
Keep your blood sugar balanced and prevent carb cravings: Eat every 3 to 4 hours Include protein and healthy fats every time you eat
Here is a website that has developed a Candida Diet that I think can be helpful for you: http://www.wholeapproach.com/diet/foodlist.php
You can do it! And it will be SO worth it. Let me know how I can support you.
Dr. Doni
Dr. Wilson addresses the topic of your diet's influence on your skin health and overall energy. Read the full article here: http://blog.cincovidas.com/skin-flaking-energy-drooping-look-to-your-diet-advice-from-a-naturopath
Doctor Doni is quoted in this great article entitled "Tummy Trouble" by Cynthia Ramnarace, printed in Kiwi Magazine. Natural remedies can help reset your child's upset stomach. Download the full article (in PDF format): Tummy Trouble We also encourage you to visit Kiwi Magazine online
Isn't it interesting how we find ourselves in situations that are often more challenging that we ever believed we could endure?
And in that moment of tension, as we experience what it is that we never thought we could do, we find that we are stronger then we ever thought.
I hear this from patients everyday, and it inspires me.
Whether it is financial stress, relationship issues or physical stress (such as a car accident, medical procedure, recurrent infection or chronic illness), it seems that there is an opportunity to trust and love ourselves more.
Prior to that moment of empowerment, I find for myself that I tend to resist in some way. Examples would be to deny that the stress exists, to feel anxious or confused, or to hold on to some old pattern of justification.
Then, out of the blue, I feel grateful and accepting. I hear from patients that all the fears, that had previously been taking up so much space in their lives, have vanished, and they now know that everything will be ok.
I find myself wondering and knowing at the same time...what determines the amount of stress necessary for each of us to find that place of gratefulness and clarity? Do we hold on to these stressful experiences and, on some level (maybe subconscious), not want them to go away?
Or is it that greater stresses simply make it a little more challenging to find that spot that shifts everything?
Whichever it is it, I encourage you to be open to the chance to let go of what you think has to be, try something new, forgive yourself, and allow yourself to make a mistake or to be wrong.
I think you will find that while the circumstances may stay the same, all of a sudden a feeling of gratefulness, for yourself and others, permeates your experience.
I look forward to hearing your thoughts.
It is absolutely astonishing to think how much gluten exists in our foods and in the common diet. I mean, somehow, it has found its way into most everything you can imagine. In fact, I often find when talking with patients, that there is gluten in every single meal.
“Where is the gluten?,” you might be asking.
Think of it this way, what do most people eat everyday?
Breakfast: cereal and/or toast
Lunch: sandwich and/or soup
Dinner: pasta, pizza and/or bread
Dessert: cookies, cake and/or pie
Each of the foods just mentioned (unless they are the gluten-free version) contain gluten.
Let’s step back a bit and ask: what is a grain? I find that grains are not often something people talk about.
Grains are foods made from wheat, corn, barley, oat, rice, millet, quinoa, and amaranth. Examples are bread, pasta, tortillas, cereal, and cookies.
So then, what is gluten? Gluten is a protein in certain grains: wheat, rye, barley and oats. Gluten is what makes bread soft and chewy.
Even more specifically, there are two main proteins in gluten, gliadins and glutenins. One particular gliadin, found in wheat, is what leads to celiac disease and gluten sensitivity.
Barley and rye contain a gliadin that looks very similar to the one in wheat, and therefore, when the body reacts to wheat gluten, it usually reacts to barley and rye gluten too. Oat gluten is slightly different, but also often causes the same reaction.
What is the bottom line? To avoid gluten, you need to stop eating anything made from wheat flour. Not just “whole wheat.” Anything that says “wheat” in the list of ingredients. Then you also need to avoid rye, barley and oats.
Wheat flour and gluten are also often found in foods that you might not think of as containing wheat. For example, soy sauce and many other sauces, as well as gravy and soups, contain gluten. In the case of sauces and soups, gluten makes them thick and creamy.
Gluten is a nice thing in cooking and baking; It makes foods look and taste good. However, in the human body, especially in people who have an allergic response to gluten, too much (or even a little) is not a good thing.
After repeated exposure (every meal, or most every meal, for years and years), and stress in general (which we all have), many people (many more then are actually diagnosed) start reacting to gluten.
For some people the reaction begins at an early age (less then 1 in some cases). For others, it may be later in life (I see patients of all ages who have discovered that they have a gluten sensitivity).
It is almost impossible to imagine that the foods we love, like bread and pizza, might actually be causing our health problems. It is as if we think we will have nothing to eat if not for gluten. And for good reason. It is in most everything that is commonly served and sold in stores and restaurants.
In reality, it is BECAUSE most all of our foods contain gluten that so many of us (myself included) have become sensitive to it.
The wonderful news is that there ARE many foods available that do NOT contain gluten. It takes a bit of a shift in thinking about what to eat, but there is no doubt in my mind that we can live without gluten.
Actually, at this point, we can’t live with it.
I
find that balancing blood sugar is one of the best first steps to
healing most every health issue, including anxiety, fatigue, weight
gain, high cholesterol, menstrual irregularities and digestive issues.
Even
when standard blood tests show that your blood sugar is normal, I think
you will find that efforts to minimize the fluctuations in glucose
throughout the day will help you to feel better.
Quick Ideas for balancing blood sugar:
- Eat every 3 to 4 hours
- Include protein every time you eat
- Have
easy to eat foods available that contain protein. Examples include:
protein shake, protein bar, nuts, sunflower seeds, and nut butter.
- Choose a variety of complex carbohydrates (whole grains, brown rice, quinoa), which are high in fiber.
- Sample meal: Brown rice, broccoli with fish/chicken/turkey
- Try to eat right when you start to feel your blood sugar dropping instead of waiting until it is really low.
- When
your blood sugar is low avoid eating something high in sugar, which may
raise your blood sugar too much. Choose a snack as described above
instead.
Over the past several years the news has been filled with reports about the potential risk of hormone replacement therapy for women confronting menopause. Concern has most recently been raised following the release of information from the influential Women's Health Initiative (WHI) study demonstrating the increased risk of breast cancer, heart disease and strokes associated with the use of the most commonly prescribed hormone, Prempro. An alternative that has been growing in popularity is Naturopathy. Naturopathic medicine offers alternatives for women who have been using hormone replacement therapy and are looking for other options to prevent hot flashes, insomnia, mood changes, irregular periods and vaginal dryness as well as many other changes related to early-menopause and menopause. Natural therapies may be the perfect solution because they offer reduction in menopause symptoms without the increased risk of disease. Black Cohosh is an example of an herbal therapy for the symptoms of menopause . Studies have shown that women who take Black Cohosh have fewer hot flashes, night sweats, headaches and mood swings. They also report a general reduction in insomnia, fatigue, irritability and vaginal dryness. These benefits have been attributed to phytoestrogens substance believed to be present in black cohosh. Phytoestrogens are chemical compounds in all plants. The most well known phytoestrogen is isoflavone, which is found in all soy products. There are many non-hormonal options available for women with dealing with the symptoms of menopause. Combinations of herbs such as dong quai, motherwort, licorice root, burdock root and wild yam root can reduce hot flashes for some women. (Are you unfamiliar with these herbs? Don't worry, just ask your Naturopath to steer you in the right direction!). Many women find relief from hot flashes by taking vitamin E, vitamin C. Examples of other options include the use of melatonin for insomnia, B vitamins for depressed moods, and glucosamine sulfate for joint pain. Women who have discontinued the use of hormone replacement therapy due to negative results or on the recommendation of their physicians should consider seeking the care of a Naturopathic Physician. A Naturopathic Physician can help women sort through all the natural alternatives and determine the most appropriate choices and effective doses based on their individual concerns. Naturopathic Physicians are experts in the use of natural therapies. With four years of postgraduate education in the biological sciences, conventional medical diagnosis and the use of Complementary and Alternative Medical (CAM) therapies, Naturopathic Physicians are able to provide current information on safe and effective therapies for menopause. When you see a Naturopathic Physician you will be impressed with the attentive care you receive. During the first one-hour visit, individual menopause related symptoms are discussed and rated based on severity. Appropriate natural therapies based on scientific evidence are then recommended. Potential therapies include daily nutrition, exercise, vitamins and minerals, herbal extracts and/or formulas and homeopathic remedies. In addition, individual risks for breast cancer, heart disease and osteoporosis are determined and preventive options discussed. The goal is to provide complete care, taking individual concerns into account, and to provide information to promote informed choices while using the least invasive therapies. Women who are seeking alternatives to Hormone Replacement Therapy will find that Naturopathic Physicians offer many options for the relief of menopausal symptoms as well as the prevention of heart disease, osteoporosis and cancer. To find a Naturopathic Physician in your area visit the website for the New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians at www.nyanp.org or the American Association of Naturopathic Physicians at www.naturopathic.org. Another great resource is the website: www.menopauseexpert.co.uk/home.htm.
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