Macronutrients and micronutrients are classifications for the different types of nutrients found in food. Macronutrients include carbs, fats, and proteins and make up the bulk of our diet. Micronutrients, on the other hand, are required in smaller quantities but are no less important and include vitamins, minerals, and fatty acids to name a few.

Consuming the proper amounts of micronutrients can support optimal health and prevent disorders associated with nutritional deficiencies. The term bioavailability is the concept of how much can be absorbed in the body. Many factors influence how much of a given nutrient the body can absorb, including the source, combination and preparation of food. Vitamins and minerals interact in complex and unpredictable ways. After nutrients are digested, the amount absorbed and retained depends on your body’s needs, which are largely determined by age, sex, health, and the level of nutrients already in the body. A common example is iron. Women need much more iron rather than male. Therefore a healthy man absorbs less than one percent on the iron in a balanced diet while a woman with anemia (lack of iron) will absorb as much as 35 percent. Below are some of the most common and essential micronutrients and their benefits and sources.

Vitamin D

• Vitamin D is essential to absorb calcium and promote bone growth. Our skin naturally makes vitamin D and exposure to sunlight increases the amount our skin makes. Therefore, vitamin D supplementation could be important for those who get little or no sun exposure on a regular basis. Vitamin D is commonly found in fatty fish, egg yolks, and fortified foods like milk, juice and cereal. Not getting enough of this vitamin can increase your likelihood of getting sick, chances of bone and back pain, as well as bone and hair loss.

Magnesium

• Magnesium is an “essential” nutrient meaning our body cannot produce it naturally. We must get it from food or supplements. It is most important in bone health and energy production. A lot of people are magnesium deficient because they aren’t eating the right foods, not necessarily because they need supplements. Try eating more nuts, brown rice, spinach, kale, bananas, and raisins. We also lose magnesium through our sweat, which puts athletes at a higher risk of a deficiency. Experiencing fatigue, muscle weakness, or muscle twitches and cramps could be a sign of deficiency.  

Calcium

• Although you’ve been told to drink your milk as early as you can remember, it turns out 40 percent of the US population doesn’t get enough calcium. It is tremendously important to have sufficient calcium in the bone-building years as well as for older women to prevent losing bone density. Extreme fatigue and insomnia can be a sign you need to increase your salmon, kale, and broccoli intake. Milk containing “so much calcium” is in a sense a myth although dairy products do contain calcium.

Vitamin B

• There are eight B vitamins, and in short when you think of B vitamins you should think of energy. If you look at the back of your energy drink you will often notice the B vitamins on the nutrition labels. The B complex vitamin is a little factory that contains all eight types. However, B6 and B12 are the most essential. B6, otherwise known as Pyridoxine, helps brain processes and development and metabolizes carbohydrates and proteins. B12, or cobalamin, helps form red blood cells, improves mental ability and converts amino acids and fatty acids into energy that the body can use. Due to the oxalates which act as inhibitors in many of the B vitamin containing foods, as well as B vitamins being water soluble vitamins, meaning they cannot be stored in the body, our bodies usually have a deficiency. Therefore, a common B vitamin containing multivitamin could not cause harm.

While it’s always best to consume micronutrients through a healthy diet, in some circumstances supplementation of vitamins and minerals may be required. But it is also essential to keep in mind vitamin and mineral supplements should add to a nutritious diet, not replace healthy foods all together. You can’t undo the effect of a bad diet by supplementing with vitamins.

https://www.comvita.com/blog-article/10-essential-vitamins-your-body-needs/4100544

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/should-you-get-your-nutrients-from-food-or-from-supplements

https://www.compositionid.com/blog/dexa/what-are-micronutrients/

https://www.pranin.com/blog/what-does-vitamin-b-do/

So you hear it all the time. Keto keto keto. But what is keto exactly?

I am going to try to simplify this as much as possible. Now before I begin, I want to mention that there is a never ending amount of information and research about the ketogenic diet, otherwise known as the low carb and high fat diet. However, as I said, I am going to TRY to keep it as simply as possible.

Normally, our bodies run off of glucose as the primary fuel source. Glucose is the immediate source derived from the carbohydrates we eat, such as fruits, pasta, or even milk and yogurt. When we have excess glucose it is stored as glycogen in our muscles. When we tap out on glucose our body heads to the glycogen for its fuel, and what happens when we run out of both glucose and glycogen? Well that is where the beloved ketosis happens.

The process of ketosis works like this. When we run out of glucose and glycogen stores our body looks for an alternative source of fuel, such as fat. When fat is burned as fuel, our body makes a byproduct called ketones that move around the body and provide energy for the body and the brain. And note, both of these processes, glycolysis and ketosis, are perfectly normal metabolic processes.

So how do you start ketosis?

Generally the macronutrient ratio varies within 60-75% daily calories from fats and about 5-10% of calories from carbs. For perspective, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend 45-65% of your total daily calories from carbs for the average diet. Protein intake remains the same for keto. On average it takes about two days to get into full ketosis and the fewer carbs, the more effective it appears to be in reaching ketosis. The first 48 hours can definitely be hard. Your body will be a bit confused initially and needs a little time to switch processes.

Now I guess the real question is what the heck is the purpose of ketosis? I mean, I really love my never ending pasta bowl at Olive Garden, so ketosis better have some benefits.

Benefits of Ketosis:

• Decreased Body Fat
  • Now in general, that does not mean you can eat unlimited sticks of butter and continue to decrease body fat. Calorie intake versus calorie outtake is still essential to reap the benefits.

• Mental Focus
  • Our brain is actually 60% fat and therefore naturally prefers fat for fuel. The human body isn’t able to make fat on its own, so we must obtain it from the foods you eat, which makes the high fat portion of keto perfect.

• Longer Lasting Energy
  • Fat has the benefit of giving our bodies longer lasting and sustained energy than carbohydrates.

• Curbs Appetite
  • Through unique action, the ketogenic diet is able to balance hormones. Along with this, it suppresses the hunger hormone Ghrelin.

• Mood Stabilizing
  • Have you ever fed a kid a sugary treat, just to find them having a tantrum later. That is the result of their blood sugar dropping following the intake of carbohydrates. This can happen for adults too. So keto helps stabilize your mood by balancing blood sugar levels.

The bottom line is that just like any other eating plan, it’s essential that you can follow the diet plan; something that seems natural to you and not forced. Everybody is different, so some individuals may respond better to high fat diets, while some may respond to a high carb diet. Ultimately, would you really want to change your diet for a year, then be right back to where you began another year later because you couldn’t sustain it. On top of this, the ultimate priority should always be your health. If I were to say, “yeah I have been eating a lot of red meat, I am doing keto.” Yes, red meat is high in protein and fat but in the long run this is not healthy.  

Happy Eating!!

References:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/180858.php

https://perfectketo.com/guide/ultimate-guide-to-ketosis/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-benefits-of-low-carb-ketogenic-diets#section2

Blueberries are high in antioxidants, you should eat more of them…  but what does that mean? What are antioxidants?

To be exact, the book definition of antioxidants is a substance that reduces oxidative damage to cells, commonly caused by free radicals. Unless you are a doctor or really know the human body very well, this definition probably doesn’t mean much to you.  

The concept of antioxidants is fairly complex and to have a better understanding of these compounds it is essential to understand the molecules themselves, as well as free radicals and oxidative stress. And no, oxidative stress and the stress we get from looking at our to-do list is not the same.

For a little chemistry to begin, the body is continually undergoing chemical reactions involving molecules. Chemical reactions can involve our food being converted to energy, exercising, cigarette smoke and even when we are exposed to sunlight or pollution. The molecules in these reactions consist of substances like proteins, fats, and DNA. In order for a molecule to be stable, it needs to have the right amount of electrons. When the molecule loses an electron when it’s not supposed to, it becomes a free radical which are highly unstable. And once one free radical is formed, usually a domino effect takes place.

Free radicals (aka pro-oxidatives) are missing electrons. Therefore, they are greedy and looking throughout the body to find electrons to take from other molecules, which causes significant damage to cells in the body. This also sets off chain reactions which is known as oxidative stress.

Oxidative stress is the precursor to oxidative damage. Oxidative stress can damage DNA, correlating to the cause of cancer, compromise cell walls allowing wrong substances to enter, and make LDL cholesterol stick to blood vessels. So the answer to how to minimize the damage lies with antioxidants. Antioxidants donate the missing electrons to the free radicals to neutralize them. Thus they no longer become the enemy searching and causing havoc on their own.

However, free radicals are not always bad. After all, they are a natural occurrence in the body. Our body just needs the right amount of free radicals and the right amount of antioxidants. As our body ages, we lose the ability to fight off free radicals. Therefore, antioxidants play an essential role in the aging process as well.

Factors and lifestyle habits that promote excessive free radical formation and oxidative stress:

• Cigarette smoke
• Pollution
• Too much sunbathing
• High blood sugar
• Physical inactivity (creates long term free radicals)
• Prolonged or intense exercise (creates short term free radicals, and antioxidants long term)
• Fried foods
• Chronic psychological stress

Prolonged oxidative stress from factors may contribute to a higher risk of negative health outcomes. Cardiovascular disease and certain types of cancer are some of the more serious conditions.

Where do we find antioxidants?

Many chemicals can act as antioxidants, including enzymes, vitamin C and E, and beta carotene. Our diet is an essential source of antioxidants because they are naturally found in foods of both plant and animal origin.

Major contributors of antioxidants:

• Kale
• Spinach
• Red cabbage
• Citrus fruits
• Berries
• Carrots
• Beans
• Coffee & tea
• Dark chocolate
• Carrots

Antioxidants can also be taken in the form of supplements such as those found through Douglas Laboratories.

References:

https://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=11291

https://universityhealthnews.com/daily/nutrition/what-do-antioxidants-do-and-why-are-they-important/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/antioxidants-explained

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318652.php

https://kresserinstitute.com/what-really-causes-oxidative-damage/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/foods-high-in-antioxidants#section13

Your intestines have the surface area nearly the size of a tennis court. Your skin’s surface area falls right behind in size. All this surface area happens to be home to over 1,500 different species of bacteria, viruses, and fungi. That is trillions of microbes! Each species plays a different role and together they make up the microbiome. Most of these microbes exist in a lower portion of the large intestine in what is known as the “gut microbiome.”

More than ever, researchers and doctors are realizing how vital your gut microbiome is to overall health. The bacteria in the gut goes far beyond the digestive system. It also influences:

• Brain function —  that look for your glasses but they’re right on top of your head “brain fog”
• Immunity —  80% of your immune system resides in your gut!!
• Bone strength
• Hormones
• Depression
• Weight loss and weight gain
• Blood sugar —  those late night sugar cravings

This is all simply dependent on the type of microbes in there.

Okay, I guess not so “simply.”

The microbes in our digestive system are complex, affecting us from birth and throughout life. We usually don’t think of the microbes living inside us, and it’s easy to make the assumption that digestion is just food going in, turning to calories, and waste going out. There is so much more to it than that. These microbes are working hard, making enzymes to help digest food, activating and deactivating hormones, synthesizing vitamins, detoxing, and more.

There are also “bad” microbes that can cause havoc on the “good” health benefits mentioned above. Every time you eat, you are feeding somebody, either the bad guys or the good guys. The bad feed on sugar and unhealthy fats (so yes, junk food), and the single most important nutrient the good feed on is fiber.

Does it make sense now why you always hear “eat a fiber rich diet?”

So why do we first focus on the gut in terms of microbiome? Because that tennis size court of surface area and those 80% of immune cells in the gut are the biggest interface we have with the outside world. Patrolling and checking everything that comes through as your very own personal “ border control.” Your immune cells either respond violently resulting in a sanction of inflammation and havoc, or with a more healthy and balanced response. Because of this, the main source of inflammation in our body comes from our gut (this is why the “anti-inflammatory diet” exist). The belief is a lot of inflammatory diseases begin in the gut, even acne is an inflammatory disease.

You have probably heard of the healthy and good bacteria as probiotics. You can find probiotics in supplements and fermented foods. They aid in digestion and keep your tummy happy. Probiotics are a living thing, just like humans, they must be fed in order to remain active and prebiotics are what feed the existing probiotics.

Consuming probiotics in your daily routine to add to your existing healthy microbiome and adding prebiotics to feed your existing microbiome can be very beneficial from the bacterial perspective. It’s not always easy to eat naturally probiotic and prebiotic fiber rich foods. Therefore, there are many probiotic and prebiotics supplements on the market to make this easier.

Benefits of probiotics have been seen beneficial in:

• Diarrhea (caused by viruses, bacteria, or parasites)
• Diarrhea caused by antibiotics
• irritable bowel syndrome
• Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
• Crohn’s disease
• Urinary health
• Skin conditions like eczema
• Preventing allergies and cold
• Oral health

What else can we do for healthy gut microbiome?

Don’t feed the bad ones

• Sugar, unhealthy fats, and processed food

Feed the good ones

• Eat a fiber-rich, whole food diet
  • If you are just beginning to add a lot of fiber to your diet start slowly. Add a few grams daily and work up over time. Your gut microbes need to adapt.

• Add probiotics to your diet

• Add prebiotics to your diet. Prebiotics are the food that probiotics need to thrive. They are a plant fiber that humans cannot digest and they live in your large intestine. The more you feed your probiotics with prebiotics, the more efficiently work will be done.
• Consume fermented foods such as Greek yogurt, kefir, and sauerkraut

Don’t kill the good ones

• Stay away from unnecessary antibiotics. Antibiotics are integral in treating bacterial infections such as strep throat and most sinus infections. However, these antibiotics are very strong. While they are killing off the bad bacteria that is causing the infection, they are also killing many functional bacteria.

If you are looking to add probiotics to your diet, not all are the same. Different strains of bacteria have different effects. Most probiotics become active in the “gut microbiome” location in the lower portion of your intestines. To get there, they must survive the travel through the highly acidic and corrosive environment in your stomach. While another strain may fight against cavity-causing organisms in your mouth and don’t need to survive the trip.

Probiotics work best when consumed within 30 minutes of a meal or beverage that contained fat.

In conclusion, be in a symbiotic relationship with your gut. Treat it like you love it. Feel it’s your responsibility to protect and work in harmony with it for your own well-being.  After all, many suggest it as our “second brain.”

References:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/gut-microbiome-and-health

https://monq.com/eo/digestive-health/the-importance-gut-health/

https://www.drkellyann.com/all-about-collagen/healing-gut-important/

https://foodrevolution.org/blog/gut-health/

https://www.prebiotin.com/prebiotin-academy/probiotics/

https://www.webmd.com/digestive-disorders/what-are-probiotics#1

https://www.nhc.com/chaste-tree

Dear Ohio- your winters are not fun. Who wouldn’t be looking forward to spring at this time? Actually wait— allergies. Allergies might just be one of the only reasons you would dread spring after surviving an Ohio winter, or simple anywhere given these polar vortexes (eyes rolling). Allergies, the simplicity of everything blossoming again, including those darn pollens. Runny nose, itchy eyes, can I not be sneezing when I step outside?

Allergies are one of the most common chronic diseases (meaning lasting a long time or frequently), affecting a whopping 50 million Americans every year. How? Why? An allergy happens when an allergen, such as a pollen (in a food allergy case, could be simple a peanut or strawberry) gets into our body. When this pollen enters our body, it is seen as a disturbance or harmful. Out of nature we act to protect, and the release of histamine is our protection against this “foreign enemy.”

Now what the heck is histamine? Histamine is a natural chemical stored in all tissues of our body. Predominantly, in our lungs, skin, and gastrointestinal tract. On its release, it heads to the site of contact and works to help the body deal with the irritation from the allergen. However, its good intentions don’t always end up being so beneficial. This can cause an allergic reaction, such as watering eyes, sneezing, or even a more serious condition such as swelling of the throat. Medications such as Claritin or Zyrtec are known as antihistamines that aim to help regulate the the histamine response.

A few studies have shown that those who have histamine reactions often times have sensitivity within their stomach as well. Deficient flora (the natural bacteria that inhabit our stomachs), not enough stomach acid to break down our food, and damaged lining of the stomach may contribute to a sensitivity. Other factors such as poor digestion, parasites, yeast, malabsorption also contribute by putting additional pressure on the liver. This can block the liver, impairing its function, and not allowing it to properly break down excess histamine.

Enough learning, now lets look into how we can help our bodies to respond to allergens. Symptoms shouldn’t always mean a reliance on drugs. So what can we do besides medication? From a naturopathic viewpoint allergies are often associated with weak adrenal, immunes, and even digestive functions. Yeah, the body is a never-ending correlation. The most obvious thing we can do to help these stresses is simple good health. Good health can ease these pesky symptoms, and good health begins with nutrition. Often times people who are sensitive to pollen and all those other things flying around are also sensitive to specific foods.

To reduce allergy symptoms, try including more of the following into your diet on top of focusing on complex carbohydrates and lots of water.

• Dark leafy greens
• Deep yellow and orange veggies
• Cabbage, beets, carrots
• Onions, garlic, ginger, cayenne

And of course, we’ve got to add those foods to avoid:

• Alcohol, caffeine, and dairy products
• Bananas and citrus fruit
• Food colorings (tartrazine)
• Peanuts
• Red meat
• Sugar
• Wheat

A specific naturopathic topic involving allergies is an herb called blessed thistle. Herbs  are suggested to have fewer side effects when used appropriately. This herb has been very well known to not only support the immune system but also the digestive system, which we have learned  plays a role in how allergens affect the body. The herb contains an active ingredient called sesquiterpene lactones. This bitter substance keeps plants healthy because of their defense against mild microbial attack. When we consume these sesquiterpene lactones it can have similar effects for our own bodies. For digestion, blessed thistle contains a glycoside. This glycoside stimulates the gustatory nerves (aka saliva nerves) indirectly promoting gastric juice secretion in the stomach, as well as promoting appetite. It is believed that drinking blessed thistle in a tea or tonic may aid digestion and stimulate saliva.

Now let’s go enjoy some spring!

http://nhc.com/blessed-thistle

References:

1. www.pennmedicine.org/updates/blogs/health-and-wellness/2016/may/8-facts-about-seasonal-allergies.
2. www.naturopathic.org/content.asp?contentid=117.
3. www.webmd.com/allergies/what-are-histamines#1.