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The Government rates vitamin C products by the amount of ascorbic acid contained in them. There are many other factors in vitamin C that are just as important. It is crucial to get all the nutrients and the synergistic cofactors, enzymes, and all the other unknown factors that are found along with it. So if you are interested in taking vitamin C, find a supplement that is a whole food supplement. In other words, it is the whole orange, lime, alfalfa, etc. It will list ingredients such as dried alfalfa leaf, carrot root, wheat germ. It will not mention ascorbic acid, although it is contained in the product. The brand I use for myself, my family, and my patients is Standard Process.
Are you interested in losing weight? Want to start right now? Then stop drinking sodas and sugary drinks, including juices. Juices are concentrated, so they have a lot of fructose in them. You can have an occasional juice, just cut it down to one 12ounce juice every other day. It's better to eat the fruit than drink it. You get all the nutrients, fiber and synergistic value in a fruit.
Stevia is a natural plant based sweetener that can be used instead of sugar. It is less calories, and better for you than the artificial sweeteners. So if you need to add sweetener, it's the healthier choice. Try substituting green tea, herbal teas, and water. It will take some getting used to, but you will be surprised as to how many empty calories there are in sugary drinks. You don't need them, and they are not healthy. And just by removing and substituting this one item from your daily routine, you will begin to lose a few pounds! People take antacids because they have an upset stomach, acid reflux and heart burn. The theory behind this is that the stomach is too acidic, so you need an antacid to calm the acid production-to make the stomach more alkaline. In most people, it's just the opposite. In most cases, there's not enough acid to break down the food, so it is the rancid food coming back up. Antacids help with the rancid food, but not digestion of the food itself. In order to break down food, you need an acidic environment in the stomach.
And what about Calcium in your antacid? Well you also need and acidic environment in your stomach to break down and absorb minerals such as Calcium. So if you take an antacid that makes the stomach alkaline, you can't absorb the calcium. Also, what if you're on a stronger antacid that you take daily? Are you absorbing any calcium? Is it any wonder that taking these may increase the risk of bone fractures by 30 percent? Do you know anyone with osteoporosis? Are they also taking prescribed antacids? Not a good combination. A well known remedy for this issue is organic apple cider vinegar. You can pick it up at any whole foods store. Taking at least one tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with meals, will increase the acidity in the stomach, and allow the food to break down easier. If this improves your digestion, you don't have enough acid, if causes burning, you may be the rare case that does have too much acid. Many people need more that 1 tablespoon, so you will have to experiment. A suggestion is to try 1, if there is no change, try 2, and so on until you get to the point where you can feel a little burning. Then back off one tablespoon. So if you get burning at 5 tablespoons, take 4 with each meal. You can mix with water, use as a salad dressing, or any way you can think to take it. I always here people talk about how insurance won't pay for certain things. Well, let's look at that a little closer. What are Insurance companies in business for? If you were a bank and an insurance company was trying to start up a new business and wanted a loan from you, what would their business goals be? What is their bottom line? Why are they in business? TO MAKE A PROFIT! They are responsible to share holders and they are in the business of making money. What does that have to do with your health? Not much. And let's look at the word health care. Is it really about health, or is it about trying to get you healthy when your sick or dying of a disease? If it were really healthcare, wouldn't they cover things like gym memberships, yoga, pilates classes? Or at least a discount? It's really not healthcare, it's sick care. When you get sick, you can use your insurance. Which brings up the next catch phrase I hear constantly, and that is preventive medicine. Does a mammogram prevent cancer? No. It has the potential to catch it at an earlier stage, but it doesn't prevent it. I'm not suggesting that mammograms are bad, and that you shouldn't get one, but to say that it prevents cancer is not true. You already have cancer by the time it shows up on the mammogram. Early detection medicine would be a more fitting title.
So what is Healthcare? It is caring for people's health. It consists of professionals, practitioners who are teaching people healthy lifestyle habits now, so that they can live a happy, healthy life. Unfortunately, your insurance company doesn't understand this, therefore, they won't pay for services that are truly healthy and preventive. This doesn't mean they are less effective than other treatments. It just means that what insurance pays for, and what will keep you healthy are two entirely different things. One question I am asked frequently is when to use ice or heat. There is a lot of confusion and a lot of varying opinions as to when to use ice as opposed to heat.
When you are injured, or your pain suddenly increases, you should use ice. This stops pain and slows down swelling. If you have the same achey, soreness day in and day out, you can use heat. Ice is used to slow down the blood flow by constricting the blood vessels, which slows down the swelling and inflammation. Heat increases blood flow by dialating the blood vessels, which increases inflammation and swelling. Therefore, in an acute situation (a new injury, increase in pain and swelling), you would want to use ice. I recommend using gel ice pacs because they are more comfortable. Also frozen peas or corn work well too. DON'T put ice directly on your skin! Always have a layer between your skin and the ice pac. You can actually burn your skin with direct contact. A paper towel, or thin dish cloth works best. Don't use a towel because of the thickness. You want the area to get cold. A thick towel won't allow the proper temperature change to the area. A good rule of thumb is 15 minutes after the area gets numb. First, you will feel a burning, then an ache, and then it will go numb. Ice doesn't feel as soothing as heat, but it works best for acute symptoms, and will help control swelling and inhance recovery. |
AuthorDr. Laura would like to share her knowledge so that everyone can live a healthier, happier life. Archives
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