Do you hate going to the doctor but love feeling great? Here are a few simple tips to keep your energy and immune system up this winter, all year and generally healthy and medication free for a lifetime. 1. Six Major Supplements recommended by most health experts. I made hyperlinks for your further education and random information.
Our soil and food does not contain adequate amounts of vitamins and minerals. If you want to know for sure what you are lacking, here is what I recommend--
These are the average supplement recommendations that most functional medicine doctors would recommend but not necessarily the brand. If you want to make an appointment with the best functional medicine doctors in Des Moines they will have their nurse draw blood and send it away to do a thorough check on you. You will meet with the doctor a few weeks after the blood is drawn to discuss the results that come back from the lab. It is a wonderful way to learn more about your body and specific things going on with your health. It is not covered by most insurance but some people with insurance opt to use their HSA or flex spending account to cover the appointments and supplements which altogether can cost a minimum of about 3-5K for approximately 6-9 months of care. Otherwise, Viome is another option. They are running a $100 special through 1/1/19 (normally $300) to analyze your stool sample which you will mail in a special envelope they will mail you. That process could take up to a month or longer for the results; it is a nice option.
I have linked several of the supplements for your further education and reading pleasure. The D3/K2 is linked to Amazon and you can read the reviews to see what is being recommended and why.
In Iowa, a Campbell's or Natural Grocers staff nutritionist is a great place to consult about what is right for you and your options for supplements if you are not going the functional medicine route or Viome. I also have access to discounts on supplements through Nature's Sunshine and I have a wonderful health consultant I could recommend who can meet with you one on one with recommendations.1. Vitamin C (get the highest quality you can afford and take it daily).
2. Magnesium (Natural Calm powder or Country Life Magnesium) at bedtime. Start out slowly with recommendations on the bottle and work your way up over a week or two. It will help your muscles remain relaxed and you will sleep like a baby! If you don't remember anything else I say, this is the one to never skip and have been taking for many years.
3. D3 with K2 included (if it's not already in your supplement). D3 is something we don't get enough of in Iowa and having K2 included is becoming the recommendation after much new research from doctors.
4. A good quality multivitamin.
5. A probiotic at bedtime. Start out slowly with recommendations on the bottle. It helps to maintain the good bacteria in your gut and many other important functions. Most doctors will recommend one that is refrigerated but check with a nutritionist to see if what they would recommend for you.
6. Fish Oils. This is advice I have been hearing for about 20 years and now that I am a health coach, I have a better understanding of why it is extremely important!
Read the linked articles for more details.
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The hot news the last few years...
NO-NOs for anyone having random aches and pains (also known as inflammation) with no logical explanation. Also, many (including myself) have experienced a lifting of seasonal and environmental allergies after removing high inflammatory foods and beverages from the diet or greatly reducing. I had allergies all of my life up until the last two years. I was using a neti pot and meds daily. There are people whi have cured themselves of asthma as well. If you remove possible allergens and still have issues after removing these for a month, I would recommend going to a functional medicine doctor to be thoroughly examined.
THE NO-NOs: Conventional Dairy, Conventional Meat, Gluten and refined or chemical substitute sugar or sweetener in processed foods and beverages like sodas and baked goodies.
Also, alcoholic beverages have lots of sugar and beer has gluten. Many wines are high in sulfites which can trigger many different types of responses, including asthma. Both wine and beer give me headaches and so I abstain for the most part. I may have a sip or a 1/4 of a glass every month or so. I would recommend abstaining from alcohol for a month and slowly adding it back in moderation to see how your body reacts before adding anything else back into your diet. I make my own Jun Tea and Kombucha which is a great way to have something with some energy if you like a fizzy drink. It's great to have a little in the morning or a cold brew coffee with stevia. I will write a whole other post about the cold brew coffee making process. It is very simple and cheap! Otherwise, you can buy it at the store in the juice section; they have nondairy options---check the sugar content.
If you have to go out to eat try going to places with gluten-free options or choose grilled veggies and meat. For sweets try a juice or smoothie bar and go for the least processed options.
To keep things simple--
Pick grass-fed beef (or butter) or hormone free chicken and eggs (free-range eggs, if possible) and pair it with an organic fruit or veggie. Most Hy-Vee stores (except maybe MLK and 42nd/Univ) in Des Moines have these options but you may have to check with an associate to find them. Sometimes they are near the conventional items or in a separate section of the store called, Health Market. Also, many Hy-vees have a nutritionist on staff, if you are interested. We also go to Fresh Thyme and Natural Grocers for special items we need.
If you like rice, pick wild rice or brown rice instead of bread.Raw and organic nuts make a great snack!
For a sweet treat go for a frozen organic fruit paired with a little almond or coconut yogurt or Cocowhip (like Cool Whip but so much tastier!)
Go to the bottom of this section for recipes and other hacks.
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| Canyon Bake House 7 Grain Bread--Gluten Free (In the Gluten Free freezer section at Hy-Vee and Natural Grocers) |
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| Follow Your Heart is My FAVORITE vegan cheese. It works fine in sandwiches, lasagna or topped on casseroles. It seems to melt fine. It comes in slices plus other varieties besides mozzarella. |
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| Best power vegan breakfast with the same protein as an egg: A handful of frozen fruit, with 1/2 can of canned coconut milk in a blender with a little vanilla and stevia if you need sweet). Pour into a little glass bowl and add a tablespoon of chia seeds. Let sit overnight or 4 hours. (Chia seeds are great for B12 (max energy, lots of fiber plus magnesium!!! Chia is a great way to give your colon a facial. It's my new favorite thing.) |
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| The bottom right is the end result. |
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| Slice along the seed. Best picked when slightly soft. Great for guacamole, sliced and topped on soups, salads, sandwiches, eggs or alone! |
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| Bone broth or any kind of broth with chicken breast, carrots, organic potatoes and Redmond's Real Salt plus any type of rice noodle is my go-to quick dinner. I make enough for a few days. We use all sorts of spices and herbs as well. Be creative and experiment to see what you prefer. |
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| Almond Butter is my best friend. I use it in smoothies, sandwiches or plain on a banana or sliced organic apples. Honeycrisp and Fiji are two of my favorite apples. Most docs recommend using almond or cashew butter versus peanut butter which causes more inflammation plus conventional peanut butter is made with refined oils that can cause inflammation in the body. |
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| Great for stir fries and cooking over easy eggs. |
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| If you like avocados they are a wonderful source of vitamins and healthy fats |
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| Sweetener we are using now. Let me know if you have another favorite. Refined sugar is best kept to a minimum. |
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| Truvia--a natural source of sweetener |
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| I learned about Redmond's Real Salt from my doctor office. It has real minerals in it and some seasoning. I use about a teaspoon in my water to supplement my minerals and it helps me to hold onto my water so I don't just urinate it out. |
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| This is by far the best-tasting salt ever! I use it in all my recipes and on my food |
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| Comes in a small size and larger refill sizes above at Hy-Vee or on-line (maybe even found at the health food store) |
RECIPE HACKS
WHOLE 30 (read information on what Whole 30 is and you can even create a monthly meal plan for $30)
Here are some great places to look for vegan recipes:
https://bohobeautiful.life/videos/what-we-eat-in-a-day-%E2%99%A5-vegan-travel-eats-costa-rica/
Vegan plus Keto, Paleo, Vegetarian, Kid Friendly, Gluten Free--Dr Axe
Click=> PETA VEGAN RECIPES
Click=> Best Paleo Instant Pot (Lots of fish here). You can use a slow cooker or Dutch Oven if you don't have an Instant Pot.
We love roasting chopped, fresh or frozen broccoli (or whatever veggies you love) in the oven in baking dish on 400 degrees for about 30 mins with foil and then adding frozen (defrost first) Wild Caught Salmon and placing the foil back and cooking an additional 5-10 minutes.
Sometimes it is fun to buy grass-fed beef and organic potatoes to make burgers and fries. I cut my sweet or white potatoes into wedges and bake on 400 degrees for about 40 minutes with coconut oil and Redmond's Real Salt. Some folks love the air fryer to make fries.
Netflix also has a Paleo show called The Paleo Way. Paleo is gluten and dairy free with just natural sugars for sweet sources. It is a great lifestyle to learn more about. It is a lot like Keto but I believe Keto includes dairy.
Pinterest has tons of Paleo and Vegan recipes as well as YouTube.
Let me know if you need more information! I am happy to help.
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Seven to nine hours of sleep a night is recommended. Once your body is getting enough proper rest, supplements and nutrition most of your aches and pains will diminish unless you are overusing your body or something else is seriously happening. The body will heal and repair itself when possible. Your body repairs itself at night.
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4. Yoga
Many fitness trainers have switched to yoga for fitness to reduce stress on joints. Yoga is also a great way to detox the body and oxygenate the body and brain so we can function better. Here are a few great places to look on YouTube for Yoga:
https://www.youtube.com/user/cexercize/videos (yoga/pilates and vegan recipes)
https://www.youtube.com/user/yogawithadriene
There are many different fitness levels to choose from on YouTube, at studio classes, personal yoga instructors and gyms. There's even chair yoga for those unable to do regular yoga. You would be surprised at what is available.
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5. Meditation, Tai Chi or Qigong
There's a reason meditation is getting so much attention in the last 5 years. Doctors, counselors and other leading experts are recommending it to reduce chronic stress. Cortisol is a hormone that the body creates when it is stressed. It helps the body to flee from that bear or deal with other times of stress. Most of us have experienced car accidents or other traumas. Sometimes our bodies remain stuck in stress mode for all sorts of reasons and using regular meditation, yoga and other ancient methods like Tai Chi or Qigong moves us back into balance. Even just 5-15 minutes a day makes a huge difference. There are meditation phone apps and many local places to join a group to get started. It is a fun way to rediscover life and find new meaning in the world. If you need help finding a local group, let me know. I have meditated with several places in Des Moines, Iowa.
Also, some people like to use prayers or other mantras as a form of meditation. I have personally used Sanskrit mantras and even the Lord's Prayer as a way to clear my mind and connect with my higher power (a.k.a. source or God).
Thank you for reading my list! May your year be shiny and bright! Again, let me know if you have any questions or if you need further tips.
Much love and health,
Heather Leigh Brown
515/689-2001
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