Hunger is a natural response by the body when it has used up the caloric intake from our last meal and we need to replenish. When we are in a constant state of hunger, or hungry very shortly after our last meal, this can signal a health problem such as hormonal imbalance or other either genetic or chronic health conditions. The hormones from the thyroid, pancreas, reproductive glands, and pituitary or adrenals glands are all possible contributors to constant hunger.
There are also other factors that can play a large role as well. A diet that is very low in fat can create a constant hunger. Our bodies require a certain amount of fat each day to regulate our metabolism and these healthy fats (such as avocado, nuts or olive oil). These fats trigger a hormone called leptin that curbs or stops the appetite.
When any one of many things that can create imbalances or that can override the body’s normal metabolic function occurs, we can short circuit the body’s ability to sustain normal appetite and food consumption. Most commonly these are hormone or neurotransmitter imbalances that create hunger due to the interruption of the normal hunger/hormone chemical.
Stress can play a large role in this condition, as well as excessive or chronic long term carbohydrate intake. Excess carbohydrates can result in both a decrease and an increase in insulin secretion which can then trigger several metabolic problems and syndromes.
If you are experiencing, chronic persistent hunger it is important to consult with your physician. There are many situations that can also contribute to your hunger such as hyperthyroidism, menstrual irregularities, Von Gierke disease, bulimia, Prader-Willi syndrome, diabetes, medications or hypoglycemia.
For more whole health discussions, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama. Also available on iHeartRadio.
Nearly 20% of people wearing braces in the U.S. are adults, yet it seems that many more can benefit from orthodontics. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) showed that a large majority of people have malocclusion or misalignment, with only 35% of adults having well aligned mandibular incisors (the four incisors located on the jaw). Interestingly, this is a modern problem, since our hunter-gatherer ancestors had almost no malocclusion and dental crowding. The advent of farming and the greater availability of ‘soft’ foods like grains and legumes lessened the size of jaws without a corresponding change in tooth size. The result is that there is not enough space in the jaws and the result is misaligned or crowded teeth. This is one of the earliest examples of the interconnectedness of different body systems. Not to mention the close connection between oral and cardiovascular health (Sanchez, 2017). It shows the important link between our diet and our oral health, and is also indicative of why so many of us need orthodontics.
Malocclusion and the Risk of Falls
A 2016 study by scientists at the University of Barcelona showed that having an imperfect bite (e.g. gaps between teeth, crowding of teeth, missing teeth) can affect our postural control. These postural problems can potentially increase the risk of falls in people with certain diseases, or even affect athletes’ performance, potentially increasing instability as tiredness increases. The researchers concluded that orthodontics should be considered both by members of the general population and by athletes as a way to help prevent falls and instability.
Orthodontics and Sleep
We know that quality sleep is vital for our physical and mental health, with chronic sleep deprivation linked to obesity, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes. A 2012 University of Eastern Finland study on children aged six to eight found that the risk of sleep-disordered breathing is increased by crossbite (a type of oral misalignment which occurs when the upper and lower sets of teeth don’t meet correctly), among other factors. The researchers stressed that children with disordered breathing should have their dental bite examined, since employing orthodontics to reduce sleep issues may be required.
Braces for Better Mental Health
A 2018 study published in the Open Access Macedonian Journal of Medical Sciences found that there is an important relationship between orthodontics, mental health, and body image. Researchers noted that participants who had worn braces or other orthodontic devices were overwhelmingly satisfied with the results. They concluded that orthodontic treatment could significantly improve one’s overall mental health and change one’s attitude towards one’s physical image.
Many of the biggest health problems on a global scale – including sleep deprivation, obesity, and falls, can be aided through orthodontics. We have mentioned just a few instances of the way in which orthodontics can enhance health, but its effects are significantly more numerous. Teeth that are correctly aligned, for instance, can help us enjoy our food more, and enjoy a wider variety of foods – including harder, fiber-rich fruits and vegetables – which are so useful for our heart and overall health. If you are an an adult who is bothered by missing teeth, malocclusion, gaps or other problems, see your dentist and discuss the suitability of orthodontics.
For more whole health discussions, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama. Also available on iHeartRadio.
Market research conducted in August 2018 found that the Vitamin and Supplement Manufacturing industry in the US ballooned to profits of $31 billion. This number is a clear sign of the American public’s great desire to pursue a greater level of whole health and integrative nutrition. The debate, however, still continues to thrive in regards to the safety, efficacy, and even necessity of taking supplements. While supplements aren’t new, it’s still worth exploring and discussing them before jumping on the bandwagon.
The Rising Popularity of Supplements
A commissioned study from 2017 found that 76% of respondents say that they consume dietary supplements. The supplements they take commonly come in the form of pills, powders, and even herbal teas. The common responses when asked why they took supplements were to “improve” and “maintain” their health. Another 15% claimed that taking supplements boosted their immune system and that they were getting sick less often. Word of mouth and social media have all been conducive in spreading the glowing reviews of satisfied users to entice other people into using dietary supplements, as well.
The Unforeseen Risks
The issue begins when the supplements that people purchase are fake and contain harmful elements that end up compromising their whole person health. Even when the supplements are authentic, there’s a risk to combining different ones and using them with medication. Taking too much of certain nutrients like iron can cause hemochromatosis, as warned by the FDA. Popular supplements like St. John’s Wort originally enjoyed a reputation of being effective in boosting moods and chasing the blues away. It wasn’t until later when people found that it curbs the efficacy of antibiotics and even antiretrovirals. You just might be risking your health because of a post that you read online, so it’s best to be careful.
A Life Without Supplements
Consumers that are skeptical or have heard horror stories about fake ones wonder if it’s possible to survive without them. It actually is; it’s just going to involve a lot of dedication. A lot of the vitamins and nutrients that supplements claim to give you are readily available in the food we consume regularly. When you carefully plan the food that you eat, you can actually get the nutrient count that you need. You can try to create a food plan that maximizes your nutritional intake or you can have a health coach or dietitian help you out.
Finding the Right Balance
There are supplements that do as advertised and there are all-natural diets that work. It is entirely possible to reach some sort of compromise between supplements and diet; all that’s needed is due diligence. Read up on different findings to build a study-based and fact-based opinion on supplements and nutrition. There’s a wealth of information out there about integrative nutrition. If that isn’t enough, you can always ask your trusted nurse coach or other healthcare professional for their educated opinion.
At the end of it all, doing research about supplements will safeguard your whole person health. As a consumer, it’s your responsibility to see if something trendy is worth dabbling into. Always avoid putting your health at any unnecessary risk.
———————- For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama. Also available on iHeartRadio.
The living world around us is filled with color. Look around and you may see blue sky, green grass, aqua oceans, and an unlimited array of tress, flowers and plants bursting with intense, vibrant color. Health is associated with color as well. When we are healthy we have pink cheeks, bright eyes, and a healthy flush to our skin. Quite interestingly, aging is the gradual loss of color. This fading of color marks the slowing or ebbing of life vibrancy.
It is no wonder then that colorful foods are the healthiest foods we can nourish our bodies with. They contain nutritional benefit in the form of phytonutrients, which means plant nutrients. The fruits and vegetables with the most vivid colors contain the highest amount of these important plant nutrients. Their hues act as a table of contents for the phytochemicals found inside the plant.
Listed below is a color guide for choosing the fruits and vegetables that will provide these powerful healing plant nutrients. Make a conscious effort to include a variety of these healthy colors in your daily diet. Not only will you get more nutrients, but your meals will become more fun and enjoyable.
Orange: Contains beta-carotene, an antioxidant that supports immune function.
Yellow-Orange: Provides vitamin C, which detoxifies and inhibits tumor cell growth.
Red: Holds lycopen, an antioxidant that reduces cancer risk.
Green: Contains folate and iron, which are essential to building healthy cells and genetic material.
Green-Light: Provide indoles and lutein, which eliminates excess estrogen and carcinogens.
Green-White: Hold allyl sulfides. These can destroy cancer cells and support a healthy immune system.
Blue (fruits): Contain anthocyanins that destroy free radicals.
Red-purple (fruits): Provide reservatrol, a plaque reducer and mineral chelator.
Brown (legumes, whole grains): Are high in fiber, carcinogen remover and digestive aid.
Filling your diet with many colorful fresh fruits and vegetables is a great way to ensure your body is getting all the vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients you need to stay healthy, happy, and vibrant. Think ‘rainbow’ the next time you prepare your plate.
For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama. Also available on iHeartRadio.
Fibromyalgia is an inflammatory condition that is related to chronic fatigue syndrome. People with fibromyalgia experience fatigue, sleep disorders, and muscle pain which tends to be located at specific points in the neck, shoulders, back, and buttocks. The underlying cause of fibromyalgia is unknown, but at least three important abnormalities have been found in people with fibromyalgia.
One of these is that there appears to be an underlying disorder in the metabolism of serotonin, a neurotransmitter associated with mood. The second is that many people with fibromyalgia have an underlying thyroid problem. The third is that abnormal sleep patterns, specifically something known as alpha wave intrusion, occurs in many people with fibromyalgia. Fortunately, there are whole health methods to correct these abnormalities.
Tryptophan is an amino acid (a type of nutrient that is a building block for protein) that has been used for years to treat depression. It is a precursor to serotonin, a neurotransmitter that has potent effects on mood. Many prescription anti-depressants such as Prozac and Zoloft act by modifying the metabolism of serotonin, resulting in increased levels of serotonin in the brain. Vitamin B6 can also increase serotonin levels, and certain forms of vitamin B6 can be very helpful with sleep.
Several studies have found low serum levels and decreased intestinal absorption of tryptophan in people with fibromyalgia. Inadequate levels of tryptophan in the body can lead to decreased levels of serotonin in the brain, whereas supplementation with tryptophan can increase brain levels of serotonin. This is the same thing that many of the antidepressants used in fibromyalgia do. Because tryptophan isn’t absorbed well by people with fibromyalgia, an alternate form known as 5-hydroxy tryptophan is recommended.
Several studies have demonstrated that many people with fibromyalgia have a sleep disorder known as alpha wave intrusion. This type of sleep disorder prevents the body from getting adequate rest during sleep. Experimental subjects who have had this type of sleep disorder artificially induced experience symptoms similar to that of fibromyalgia. Correcting this disorder has also been shown to help people with fibromyalgia.
Natural therapies that help to normalize sleep include tryptophan, certain forms of vitamin B6, melatonin, and herbs such as valerian and scuttelaria.
S-adenosyl methionine (SAM) is an amino acid derivative that has analgesic (pain relieving), anti-inflammatory, and anti-depressant effects. It is relatively free of side effects and has been found to improve depression, anxiety, and fatigue, and to reduce the number and severity of tender points in people with fibromyalgia.
Magnesium is deficient in the red blood cells of many people with fibromyalgia. Oral supplementation of highly absorbable form such as citrates, malates, aspartates, or Kreb’s cycle chelates can help correct this deficiency. Intravenous administration of magnesium is especially helpful. Epsom salt baths (1/2 – 2 cups of Epsom salt and 1/2 cup of baking soda in a hot bath) taken before bed time can also be useful. Epsom salt is high in magnesium.
Other nutrients which may be of benefit include Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and vitamins B1 and E. CoQ10 is a vitamin like substance which may be deficient in people with fibromyalgia. It is a cofactor in the energy producing pathways in the body, and hence fatigue is a common symptom of deficiency. Some research has also shown abnormalities in the metabolism of vitamins B1, B6, and E in people with fibromyalgia.
Capsaicin is a compound found in the cayenne pepper. Topical creams are now available that have been standardized to contain .025% capsaicin. This cream has been found to decrease tenderness when applied directly to tender points.
There is some belief that the accumulation of acidic and nitrogen containing wastes in the body promote fibromyalgia. Acid wastes tend to aggravate muscle inflammations and spasms, and may eventually lead to arthritic changes in the joints. Acid wastes are produced by the digestion of animal proteins (especially pork, milk, and cheese). Other acid forming foods are wheat, sugar, tea, coffee, alcohol, vinegar, pickles, processed and tinned foods, tomatoes, rhubarb, gooseberries, red and black currants, cooked spinach, margarine and all processed fats, eggs, chocolate, cod liver oil, and peanuts.
A maintenance diet would avoid all of the above foods and concentrate on fresh fruits and vegetables with limited amounts of cereals/grains, occasional fish and chicken, and no processed or artificial foods.
Fibromyalgia is a complex condition which is best managed using a comprehensive approach which includes dietary modifications, the appropriate use of herbal and nutritional supplements, and the treatment of any underlying conditions which may be exacerbating the condition.
Whole Health Approach To Fibromyalgia:
The most effect approaches to treating fibromyalgia based on the whole health model includes the following:
movement or aerobic exercise to assist in flushing out the tissue
behavior focused therapy to assist in reducing tension in the body
mild relaxants that do not cause secondary symptoms
information and education that can offer options for individual to choose from
Fibromyalgia is viewed as a stress-fueled condition. Therefore any approach or techniques directed at reducing stress and muscle tension are highly effective.
For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama available on iHeartRadio.
Most of us take our breathing for granted. We generally do not think about how our amazing brain automatically regulates the most urgent and important bodily function we have. If we do not breathe we do not live beyond a few short minutes. The ability to breathe and the quality of our breathing clearly has an important impact on our ability to live, but also expresses a great deal of information about the state of our nervous system and emotional health.
Breathing is such a critical function that in addition to being under the automatic control of our brain stem it is also a physical function we can control at will. We know that our breathing is affected by and directly affects our emotional states, exertion levels, nervous system fluctuations and overall whole health.
The affects of emotion on the respiratory system can readily been seen during an asthma attack, which can be very frightening and further reduces the individual’s ability to “catch their breath”. Many of us do not breathe freely. We are breathing freely when we breathe in and out through the muscles of our bellies. We tend to breathe through the chest muscles because we are tense and “holding our breath,” which starves our cells of energizing oxygen.
Deep breathing or relaxed breathing exercises can make an enormous difference in our health and vitality. By changing our breathing from shallow to deep, we can experience many whole health benefits:
> Breathing deeply rather than shallowly creates detoxification within our cells, bringing oxygen rich blood into our cells and cleansing out carbon dioxide.
> Breathing deeply into our bellies rather than our chest muscles produces a greater sense of calm and relaxation brought about through the increase of oxygen to the nervous system.
> This form of cleansing, nourishing breathing is conducive to whole body health and brings about a sense of inner peace.
> Deep breathing can help you sleep better and also feel more energetic because of the increase of oxygen to the brain
This is a great subject to review in your patient education. If you would like to re-train your breathing so that you derive the most benefit each day from this life-sustaining, automatic body function – start slowing. Take just five minutes twice a day to sit quietly in your chair with eyes closed, body relaxed. Allow yourself to focus on your breath. Rather than tensing your shoulders and back muscles, let your breathing rise and fall from your belly muscles. Slow, relaxed breathing for five minutes each day, twice a day, can re-train your automatic breathing patterns and help you to feel better, sleep better and be healthier and more energetic.
Join the conversation. If you enjoyed this article, be sure to follow NIWH on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates filled with useful accredited health program information for holistic nurses and health coaches.
Sodium is a naturally occurring, essential mineral that helps regulate body fluids and kidney function. Of concern to many is the fact that high doses can cause hypertension, kidney damage, and decrease of calcium absorption. It can cause bloating, fatigue and increase your risk for strokes and heart disease.
The Right Nutritional Value
The recommended daily intake of sodium is 2,300 mg per day. A low sodium diet is considered between 400 – 1000 mg a day. A normal sodium diet is considered between 1500 – 2,300 per day, and a high sodium diet between 2,500 and 4,000 mg per day. The average American diet contains over 3,500 mg per day, according to the U.S. Center for Disease Control. Experts agree that damage of high sodium accumulates and can have a long term, life threatening effect.
Even those of us who think we are eating well and are careful about our food choices, may not realize how much sodium is lurking in our foods. Processed, canned, jarred and frozen foods have high levels of sodium, as do most restaurant prepared meals and certainly “fast foods” where sodium and flavor enhancers are added for taste and texture.
Few of us realize that foods we eat every day are loaded with sodium. In considering the examples below, it becomes clear that, once again, the best foods to eat are fresh and unprocessed, which not only contains more nutrients, but contains much less sodium.
High Sodium Foods To Avoid:
> One cup of cocoa has 950 mg of sodium.
> A chicken fillet sandwich has 940 mg of sodium.
> Tomato ketchup has 1042 mg.
> Parmesan cheese contains 1862 mg.
> Processed cheese has 1189 mg.
The list goes on. The more processed the food, the more likely it is to contain high sodium levels. On the other hand, Fresh fish, fruits, nuts, eggs, beans, meats and vegetables have low levels of sodium.
For more whole health discussions like this, listen to my weekly radio show Living Above The Drama available on iHeartRadio.
One day I noticed my daughter was watching a reality television show about high school students. The lack of respect that many of them showed towards other students was stunning. What was even more disconcerting was their lack of awareness that the people they were taunting and verbally abusing had the same range of feeling they did; wanted to be accepted and valued as they did; and wanted to belong within their peer groups, just like they did.
The main theme of the program was having a facilitator come into the school and educate the verbally abusive students on the basics of how to have appropriate relationships. It was portrayed that these young people had never seen respect or compassion modeled for them at home. They were not “aware” that other students, young people like themselves, had essentially the same need to belong and the same feelings and desires that they did.
My daughter commented that it was obvious that these insensitive high school students were suffering from low self-esteem to be treating other people that way. This started a conversation about “where do we develop healthy self-esteem from” and why do some people develop it easily and others not at all.
Self-esteem is so intimately connected to whole health and how we treat ourselves; which is also connected to how we treat others. The role of a patient advocate is to instruct a patient on “how to be in the world” and to provide the training, if you will, to have the skills, tools and awareness to develop a strong sense of self and self esteem.
“Roots and wings” was the expression many years ago, which refers to the stability, discipline and security that allows us to go out into the world and have the confidence in ourselves to “spread our wings” and fly.
As parents we have the profound responsibility of modeling to our children what they need to learn to be both healthy and happy. Children learn with their eyes, their ears, and their hearts. It really does not matter what we say to our children, or what we say to others, it is what we do that counts. When we take the easy way out as parents and do not provide our children with a strong example and foundation of learning responsibility, integrity and how to respect others, we fail them and we hurt them.
To educate our children to be healthy and happy we must advocate the number one rule of liking themselves, which leads to liking others: When our behavior is congruent with our values, with what we know intellectually and intuitively is right and good, we like ourselves. When our behavior goes against our values and what we know is the right way to behave, we have low self-esteem. We don’t like ourselves when we behave in a way that directly or indirectly hurts ourselves and others.
I remember talking one time with one of my children who was complaining that they “didn’t like themselves.”
I asked them an appreciative inquiry question: “Do you think that feeling might come from something you know about yourself that the rest of us don’t?” Several days later he shared with me that it “was one of the best questions anyone had ever asked him” and that it helped him to stop doing something that he felt really bad about doing.
This is a question to ask ourselves and to model to our children, who learn more from our non-verbal communication than anything we might “tell” them about how to live a happy life and support their own whole person health.
For more whole health discussions, listen to Dr. Georgianna Donadio’s radio show Living Above The Drama.
For those us of old enough to remember Marcus Welby, MD and Dr. Kildare, the beloved TV docs we grew up with, we also remember a time when physicians ran healthcare. They set policy, budgets, insurance coverage guidelines and pretty much, back then, “everything healthcare” was directed by the doctors.
The insurance carriers, growing tired of paying for unnecessary surgery, warned the physician groups who ran the show that if they did not clean up the medical abuses taking place, the insurance industry would take away their decision making by enforced second opinions and limit paying for procedures that were being unnecessarily performed. Back in the 1970’s, there were millions of hysterectomies. Of these, 66% were deemed “unnecessary” by what has become the Medical Review Board watchdog.
Now in the U.K., to quote an article from English.news.cn, “The new British coalition government revealed on Friday that it planned to put doctors in charge of funding for frontline services in England’s National Health Service (NHS), in a change hailed as the biggest in 60 years.”
This is big! If this were to be enacted in the U.S., we could see a return of physician driven healthcare that is provided, determined and distributed by the same medical type of physician groups that were unable to police themselves a mere 30 years after the establishment of the American Medical Association and the mainstreaming of the pharmaceutical industry.
Granted, we have in place excellent watchdogs peer review boards and medical review requirements, but this works because of the lack of conflict of interest with the way these structures have been put in place.
The healthcare reform bill has yet to flex its muscles and most of us feel pretty much in the dark about what we can expect. No surprise since an overwhelming majority of politicos who voted on the bill had little to no idea what the bill contained!
The issues we see with today’s healthcare delivery simply reinforce the Whole Health vision of taking control of your body, preventing disease with common sense health hygiene and limiting the use of acute care medicine we as Americans are blessed to have available to us. Every day the news contains articles identifying the long-term use of even over the counter medications and caution us to realize we cannot repeatedly put these chemicals into our bodies and not experience consequences.
Chronic disease, which is the bulk of what is treated in healthcare today, is preventable and cost effective. Let’s create our own healthcare reform with self-directed whole person care – that means taking care of ourselves with consideration to all 5 aspects of health. In advocating this type of care through patient education, we all move toward living well and living long.
For more whole health discussions, listen to Dr. Georgianna Donadio’s radio show Living Above The Drama.
The Merriam Webster definition of self esteem is “a confidence and satisfaction in oneself; self respect.” Self-esteem and self-respect are two important aspects of whole person care at any age. During the years of adolescence, however, personal and social differentiation is at an all time high, with peers playing a significant role in how our self-esteem expresses itself. As you are probably very well aware, your self-esteem is especially a front and center issue from middle school through high school.
According to Marilyn J. Sorensen, PhD, author of numerous books on self-esteem, our self-esteem is formed in childhood, when we develop an initial conscious and unconscious impression of ourselves. What we hear said about ourselves has a lasting impact on the messages our brain records as being our worth or our value in the world. It is these messages or neurological records that get “triggered’ when our peers either respond positively or negatively to us.
During the adolescent years, as you are physically developing and becoming young women and men, your appearance and how others respond to you can certainly become important. Other peer related issues such as belonging or being part of a particular group or activity are, as well.
It may surprise you that current statistics show seven in ten females believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members. And for males, the statistics over the past 25 years have gone from 15% dissatisfaction to 45% dissatisfaction regarding how they feel about their physical appearance.
The developing and confusing years of adolescence are filled with exploring and identifying what you think of yourself or what social direction you may wish to go in. It is also a time that you can begin to know yourself outside your family environment and develop who you are in a more meaningful and realistic way. This means sorting through the many reflections of “who and how you are” in relationship to the large world around you.
It is during this time, no matter what kind of earlier conditioning you have received, that you can take control over your self-esteem and self-respect. I would like to share with you a story about one of my children. She has happily given permission for me to share this with you because she feels it is an important story to tell.
At the age of 15, my daughter was very unhappy and struggling with feeling badly about herself. That whole year for her was filled with tears and poor grades. One day, we took a walk and talked about what she was experiencing. She said many times during that conversation, “I hate myself. I don’t want to be me.” I gently asked her why and she said that she “she didn’t think she was a good enough person because of the problems she was having with her peers.”
Not wanting to pry, I did not ask for details and she did not offer them. Rather, I shared something with her I learned about whole health and self-esteem when I was much older than her 15 years of age. I shared with that what is important, at any time in our life for us to feel good about our self, is that when we behavior in a way towards ourselves and others that is in agreement, or congruent, with our personal values – we feel good about who we are. Bottom line: No matter what anyone else says or does towards us, when we act in concert with our personal values, we feel good. Our perception and expression of ourselves can largely impact our whole health, which is far more important than what others think. We many not like the way others treat us or how they hurt our feelings, but our self–esteem and self-respect are high.
When we do not act in agreement, or congruently, with our personal values and inner beliefs of right and wrong, then we feel badly about ourselves; no matter what positive or flattering things someone else may say about us. Self-esteem and self-respect, like beauty, start from the inside out. No one can make us feel badly about ourselves when we know, and are confident, that our behavior towards ourselves and others is from a place of our values and of respect.
If you are working through this natural adolescent sorting process, reflecting on this information may assist you in changing how you feel about yourself, how your treat yourself and how you create relationships with others. My daughter, who is now in college, told me our walk together that day was the most important thing she has ever earned about how to feel good about herself. I hope it is helpful for you as well.
