fbpx
  • 757-685-4325

Tag Archives: Gut health

Author Holistic Family Practice Categories Blog Posted on 0 Comments
Author Holistic Family Practice Categories Blog Posted on 0 Comments

Benefits of Green Tea

Introduction

Do you know that green tea has amazing health benefits? If not, where have you been hiding?

Japanese green tea

It is bonkers how beneficial green tea can be. The ability to lose weight, possibly prevent cancer, promote healthy teeth, and lower cholesterol, makes this tea, truly a miracle worker.

In recent times, the benefits of green tea have been widely reported in the media. In most cases, green tea enthusiasts base their opinions on personal experiences with the beverage, but it seems to be accepted globally that this is a healing tea.

China has long consumed green tea due to its miraculous properties.

In China, green tea is used to treat a wide range of ailments, from headaches to cancer prevention. Green tea has many health benefits, which are being revealed through various health studies. Although not a cure all, we are learning more and more about the use of this herbal tea every day. Many studies even have been shown to isolate out the healing properties of green tea such as the natural antioxidants.

In what ways can green tea benefit your life?

Four of green tea’s most significant benefits can substantially change your life.

  1. Weight Loss – The First Health Benefit of Green Tea
Healthy nutrition and weight loss.

As a result of the high polyphenol concentration in green tea, fat is oxidized, and thermogenesis is encouraged.

During thermogenesis, the body burns calories. Due to green tea’s energy boost, which raises the metabolism, more weight may be lost than normal.

Compared to most other beverages consumed in the morning, green tea contains fewer calories than most others.

In comparison to green tea, daily calories are higher if coffee is consumed daily as most people’s morning drink.

By switching from coffee to green tea, you might reduce your waistline significantly.

  1. Having healthy teeth is the second way in which green tea benefits you.
Lady eating healthy salad

Due to one of its ingredients, fluoride, green tea is said to help keep teeth clean.

Bacteria that cause plaque are killed by fluoride in the mouth due to its antimicrobial properties. According to Dentists, fluoride helps to maintain healthy, cavity-free teeth and prevents general tooth decay. Consuming green tea has been shown to improve tooth health significantly.

There are however a number of studies about fluoride, opposing its benefits and you may want to read around that if it concerns you, or just ensure that you do not drink too much green tea in that case. You may feel though that the other benefits of green tea outweigh the fluoride content.

Unlike coffee, which discolors the teeth with a yellow tinge, this will not stain the teeth like that.

  1. Green tea is believed to help prevent cancer as its third benefit

One of the benefits of green tea

Various studies have proven that green tea is an effective way of preventing free radical damage to the body.

Cancer and ageing are caused by free radicals.

The polyphenols found in green tea constantly monitor free radicals to prevent them from being formed into unstable oxygen molecules, in a process referred to as oxidation.

Upon oxidation of cells, proper tissue is damaged and has been related to ailments such as cancer, heart disease, and strokes.

In addition to preventing premature cell division and inflammation, green tea polyphenols have been shown to destroy most cancer-causing agents.

  1. Green Tea has a fourth benefit – it lowers cholesterol
Take care of your heart

High cholesterol sufferers may find relief from the effects of green tea.

Bad cholesterol is often linked to heart attacks and green tea may be able to reduce this high risk. During the circulating process of LDL cholesterol in the body, heavy deposits may be formed in the arteries. When a person drinks green tea, their levels of bad cholesterol, such as LDL cholesterol, drop. This is due to the various catechins present in green tea which are able to lower blood cholesterol levels.

Further, the catechins improve the body’s overall health by maintaining a healthy ratio of good to bad cholesterol.

Benefit of Green Tea Conclusion

If weight loss, cancer prevention, healthy teeth, and a low cholesterol level do not convince you that green tea is a miracle worker, you must be working with some pretty powerful spells.

A couple of cups of tea a day may help significantly decrease the risk of developing a few other health problems too.

Currently, the only side effect is possible excess caffeine, resulting in increased heart rate and blood pressure but one would have to drink a lot of tea for that. However, like anything with caffeine, it’s important to just be mindful not to overdo it.

The use of green tea extract has provided a solution to this problem.

It is possible to take green tea tablets with all its benefits.

I certainly love my morning cuppa with a dash of lemon, so let’s see if this is enough to convince you to start drinking green tea every day from now!

Disclaimer

Article for entertainment and information purposes only and is not meant to treat cure or diagnose. Please see your doctor if you are suffering from any of the above or associated issues. If you would like to see if it makes sense to add green tea to your healthcare regimen or if you would like a GMP certified brand of Green Tea please scheudule a complimentary wellness visit here.

 

 

Author Holistic Family Practice Categories Blog Posted on 0 Comments

How to Improve your Gut Health and Acne for Clear Skin

1.0 Clear Skin Starts with a Healthy Gut 2

All information about gut health and acne contained in this blog post is intended for informational and educational purposes only, and is neither intended nor suited to be a replacement or substitute for professional medical treatment nor for professional medical advice relative to a specific medical question or condition.

Learn how to improve your gut health and acne:

This month we have been focusing all on the skin. Various people are challenged with skin conditions. Some people suffer from dry skin, blemished skin, rashes, pumps, and the dis-ease processes that have manifested itself in the skin. But did you know that skin conditions do not often begin there? In fact, it has been found that many skin conditions are merely an expression of underlying root causes found in the digestive system. The digestive system houses the majority of the hormonal, nervous, and more importantly the immune system.

Once the immune system begins to develop immunological reactions it begins to manifest itself in the skin. Imbalances in the microbiome or the sensitive bacterial ecosystem found in the digestive system can lead to long-term chronic skin disorders. Gut flora can become compromised for various reasons. Poor diet, stress, inadequate sleep, heavy medication or antibiotic usage, poor digestion, and/or food sensitivities are just some of the many causes of skin imbalances. As these causes begin to erode the lining of the digestive system known as the secretory IgA, the lining becomes more permeable allowing toxicities to leak through into the bloodstream. This mechanism is often termed as leaky gut when the lining of the digestive system is allowing toxins to leak through into the bloodstream.

Over time, these immune system invaders seep into the bloodstream and can create many skin imbalances. When speaking with practice members who suffer from skin imbalances, I often describe first healing the GI system from the top down. The top meaning what the person is eating to how they are breaking down that diet to their digestion and assimilation as well as their elimination process. If there are imbalances along the way it can impair the body’s ability to break down digest and assimilate food creating issues within the digestive system.

1.0 Clear Skin Starts with a Healthy Gut II

Advanced testing is now available to uncover these imbalances right away in order to heal the burdens on the skin once and for all. Dunwoody Labs provides a comprehensive state of the art food sensitivity test that uncovers IgG, IgA, and IgM food responses. This takes the guesswork out of figuring out which foods the body is reacting to in order for the patient to eliminate them completely for a period of time. Dunwoody Labs advanced intestinal permeability test, looks at the lining of the digestive system and helps to understand what things are affecting the lining of the GI system.

Great Plains OAT test or Organic Acid testing helps to understand digestion, assimilation, and absorption of macro as well as micronutrients, while Greta Plains Comprehensive Stool Panel helps to discern any microorganisms that are present within the system that needs to be addressed. We offer these state of the art Functional Laboratory Assessments to help determine and address the root causes of why the body is out of balance.

Sometimes these lab panels can be covered under major medical insurances or can be paid for with an in-office payment plan. These lab tests provide incredible insight in terms of what is out of balance with the person and what needs to be addressed so the skin conditions can clear up once and for all.

*All information contained in this blog post is intended for informational and educational purposes only, and is neither intended nor suited to be a replacement or substitute for professional medical treatment nor for professional medical advice relative to a specific medical question or condition.

Author Holistic Family Practice Categories Blog Posted on 0 Comments

Listening to Your Gut; The Gut Health Connection

3.0 Listening to Your Gut

So, often people ignore proper gut health and may not know about gut health conditions. In fact, many people are completely oblivious to how their digestive system could be the cause of their various health complaints. Quite simply it all begins in the gut. Being present to your gut noises, gas, bloating, bowel habits, and more can be key indicators as to overall health and function of the system. The digestive systems house majority of our immune system, hormonal system, as well as our neurological system so keeping them in good health is key to maintaining our metabolic health. Let’s imagine every time that you eat you have heartburn or indigestion, or perhaps you feel a little nauseous, or maybe even vomit after meals. These are all signs that your digestive system may be off balance. Not having healthy bowel movements after drining plenty of water, as well as fiber can also prevent the body from being able to function on its own. Quite simply if your gut is off balance, then so is your health. Imagine that your gut is the foundation to which your health is built off of, kind of like your blood sugar. As an aspect of digestion if your blood sugar is off balance then so is the rest of your health. Naturopathic doctors, such as myself, work to stabilize and heal the digestive system in an effort to heal the overall system of the body. If a person is experiencing a thyroid complaint the first place we check is the balance in the gut. If a person is experiencing brain fog, to feeling fatigued, again our first check is the digestive system. If a person does not have healthy bowel movements without the assistance of a laxative, then we know the digestive system is off balance. our first priority must be to balance the gut, but how?

Listening to your gut II

I tend to approach gut healing from the top down. Meaning I begin with how a person is eating first by balancing their macronutrients. Are they eating too many fats and not enough carbs, or are they focusing mainly on protein and nothing else. Once we get a nice balance of carbohydrates, proteins, and fats then we can start the process of assisting someone in breaking their food down. This can look like enzymes, HCL support, or even food pairing and planning. This guidance is key to having a strong stable digestive system one that is a powerhouse of digestion and assimilation. As we continue to heal downward in the digestive tract we discover more imbalances such as in the small intestines as well as the large intestines which may be littered with infections and coinfections such as parasites, bacterias, fungus, or viruses. Working to heal the body of these foreign infections not only helps free up the digestive system but also the immune system which is commonly bogged down by these pathogens. Reinoculating the system with appropriate microbes such as pre and probiotics as well as key nutrients all found in the gut such as zinc, b complex, folic acid is critical in the restoration of total health and function of the digestive tract.

When healing the digestive system, we always look at the 4 R rule; Remove, Replace, Reinoculate, and Repair. Sometimes we Remove and then Repair while other times we always Reinoculate last. This is where the individual takes place. We focus on working with the individual with their own unique needs. Comprehensive Stool Analysis or Small Intestines Organic Acids Testing can all help to identify the underlying causes to which prevent the overall health and well being of the person. Evaluating nutrient deficiencies as well as increased toxic loads within the body can also help to support the imbalances within the system from both the GI system as well as any subsequent systems that may need support. Looking forward to teaching you more about the digestive system either in a class or a one on one consultation.

All information contained in this blog post is intended for informational and educational purposes only, and is neither intended nor suited to be a replacement or substitute for professional medical treatment nor for professional medical advice relative to a specific medical question or condition.