Daily Mushroom Immune Support You Need in Your Wellness Routine

Dating back thousands of years, mushrooms have been used for their medicinal properties to improve energy and focus, as well as for their mushroom immune support properties. With clinically backed research, medicinal mushrooms may be something you want to consider adding to your life for the associated widespread health benefits.

What Are Medicinal Mushrooms?

Medicinal mushrooms are powerful fungi that are packed with antioxidants, polysaccharides and other health-benefiting compounds. These nutrients and compounds can help supply your body with brain-enhancing, mood-boosting, immune-strengthening, stress-relieving and anti-aging benefits. (Wow!)

Unlike psychedelics, medicinal mushrooms are safe to consume and don't have hallucinogenic properties. Mushrooms along with other herbs are also considered as "adaptogens" - natural substances derived from plants that work to counteract the effects of different types of stress on the body and help maintain balance. The effects of adaptogens develop slowly over time and while each has unique benefits, taking an effective dose of a high-quality blend can have the most powerful impact.

Top 8 Medicinal Mushrooms

While there are many types and varieties of mushrooms, not all of them are edible and there are a few that stand out for their mushroom immune support benefits. So let's review some of the more common and most beneficial mushrooms for mushroom immune support:

1. Reishi:This shiny, red, kidney-shaped mushroom can help boost your immunity and protect it from exposure to harmful microbes by elevating the activity of white blood cells and protecting them against free radicals. It also has benefits with relaxation and improving mood.

2. Chaga: This mushroom looks like burnt charcoal and has been shown to promote the production of cytokines, which boost immunity by enhancing your white blood cell's ability to defend against bacteria and viruses.

3. Cordyceps:This mushroom, which looks like a long, finger-like body, can help with energy and stamina by stimulating adenosine triphosphate (ATP)—the primary source of energy within cells. It can also help strengthen the immune system to fight harmful free radicals with its immunoregulatory compounds.

4. Lion's mane:This mushroom, which gets its name from its appearance (a white, globe-shaped fungus that has long spines, resembling a lion's mane), has been shown to help enhance brain function, memory, and concentration, help support mood, and even help reduce inflammation.

5. Maitake:This mushroom contains a number of vitamins, beta-glucans, and antioxidants, which can support your immune system. It's also a great adaptogen, which supports a balanced stress response.

6. Shiitake:These mushrooms contain an abundance of polysaccharides like lentinans and other beta-glucans, which are great for cell damage protection, boosting immune system function, and boosting white blood cell production for fighting off microbes.

7. Agaricus:This white cap mushroom can stimulate your immune system and help offset stress — physical and emotional. It is also associated with better-regulated blood sugar levels and a healthy cardiovascular system.

8. Turkey tail:This mushroom that contains large brown and tan rings (looking like a turkey tail) can also boost white blood cells to fight foreign invaders.

How Do You Consume Medicinal Mushrooms?

While you can buy the mushroom as a whole food, there are added benefits of consuming it in a high-quality, blended supplement. You don't have to worry about availability, cooking them up and keeping them fresh. Plus, when you eat them whole, it can be hard to consume the variety and also an effective dose of the compound that provides maximum health benefits.

Reap the Benefits of Mushroom Immune Support

Boost and balance your immunity, enhance your brain, cognitive performance and energy levels with a science-backed blend of powerful mushrooms you can easily incorporate into your daily nutritional supplement routine. This is what makes the Daily Mushroom Immune Support blend the perfect natural addition for overall health and well-being. (Blog source)

How Long Should You Wait Between Meals?

There is a strong — but often overlooked — correlation between how long you wait between meals and blood sugar regulation. Many health-conscious people follow an exercise regimen and eat a whole food diet rich in fiber and carbohydrates from fruit, vegetables and grains that help keep blood sugar levels balanced.

However, when you eat is also a key factor in keeping blood sugar levels within a healthy range. So, how long should you wait between meals?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a normal blood sugar range, measured against the time you last ate, is between 80 and 130 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) before a meal and less than 180 mg/dL two hours after eating. These ranges differ from person to person. Eating fiber rich foods can help support blood sugar levels within a normal range.

Your eating schedule affects your blood sugar levels, which in turn can influence your overall health, wellness and ability to lose weight. With some diets suggesting you eat six times a day and others claiming you should eat just once, it can be hard to know what's best for your body and why. Here's where to start.

How Eating and the Timing of Digestion Impact Your Body

Every time you eat, a host of metabolic processes begin to turn food into blood sugar. Cells must absorb the sugar (glucose) in the blood, which provide energy for the body to function. To support this, the pancreas releases the hormone insulin, which helps cells absorb glucose and then store the rest as glycogen in your liver and muscles for later use.

If there is excess glucose in the blood, i.e. more than the cells can absorb or need and the glycogen stores are full, additional glucose can be stored in fat cells. That's why and how high blood sugar levels can lead to weight gain — and why knowing how long to wait between meals can be important.

There are two other natural consequences of metabolism:

First, eating food results in by-products in the form of toxins known as free radicals. Free radicals cause oxidative damage by stealing electrons from cells, which can lead to higher levels of inflammation. That's why a diet rich in antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables are so important — they help protect against free radical damage and detox the body, as inflammation is often an underlying risk factor to other health issues.

Second, the energy that could be used for burning fat is diverted toward digestion. After food is digested and blood sugar returns to baseline levels, the body will tap into fat storage and burn fat cells rather than glucose.

Eating many times a day does not allow blood sugar levels enough time to return to normal, which means the body has less time to burn fat. Not just that, but the body could generate more fat because the liver is storing excess blood sugar in fat cells.

Why Leaving Time Between Meals Is a Smart Move

So, how long should you wait between meals? By leaving time between meals, even allowing yourself to feel hungry again before eating, you stall spikes in blood sugar and insulin while giving your body more time and energy to burn fat.

Generally, it takes two hours after a meal for blood sugar levels to return to normal. If you were eating every two hours, your blood sugar might always be elevated. And over time, this consistent elevation in blood sugar could lead to long-term health issues.

However, eating three meals a day allows three to four hours between meals, which gives the body time to restore its normal blood sugar levels.

Not only that, one research study conducted by the American Heart Association showed that eating at regular intervals with "mindful attention to timing and frequency" could support improved cardiovascular health and an overall healthier lifestyle.

If you are committing to positive change through healthy lifestyle choices, consider cultivating a daily regimen of habits that balance blood sugar to promote optimal functioning. Start by giving yourself plenty of time between meals, exercising and choosing foods high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. (Blog source)

Functional Medicine Lab Testing Explained

While a personalized nutritional plan, restorative sleep and supportive supplementation are three core foundations that go a long way to support our health, there is something even more powerful at your disposal: Functional Medicine Testing. This is a tool that gives you the deepest insight into your individual health data. Real-time, accurate information about what is going on inside your body holds the key to helping identify the underlying root cause behind any symptoms or health conditions you may be experiencing.

There is Always a Reason

When you experience any sign or symptom, it is not your body faltering, but rather a sign it needs additional support. Functional Medicine testing helps to identify nutritional deficiencies and accumulated toxicities in your body that are the reason you might not be feeling well. Once you understand these imbalances, you can then replenish any deficiencies and reduce toxicities through personalized diet and lifestyle adjustments to restore balance and embark on your path to wellness.

The Consideration With Most Laboratory Work

Anyone who has visited a doctor's office has probably been subject to lab tests at one time or another. Running your annual blood work is recommended, or other one-off tests may have been completed based on your current health concerns. But once the results were in, there's a good chance you didn't get to look at the raw data. Instead, your doctor probably gave you their interpretation of the data, with proposed treatment options – often in the form of pharmaceutical medication. There may not be anything inherently wrong with this, especially in the short term. Still, if you continue to experience symptoms after the prescribed recommendations, or where medication is often used to mask symptoms given to your diagnosis, you could be missing out on the invaluable piece you need on what the root cause of your symptoms are and how you can get well -- and that is possible through Functional Medicine lab testing.

Blood testing only looks at the blood at a specific time, and while there are certain blood markers that do hold valuable information about your health, and do form part of functional medicine testing – it is only one small part. Functional medicine testing also includes testing the urine, saliva, and hair samples that take your health data to a whole new level. Blood is a homeostatic fluid that always tries to maintain balance in the body and the range that may suggest "dis-ease" can be far off the optimal range you should try to maintain for your body to function at its best, so you feel your best.

The "Don't Guess, Test" Approach

Functional medicine testing enables you to take an in-depth look at any deficiencies in vitamins and minerals levels, hormone imbalances, gut and digestive function, how your body is coping (or not coping) with stress, overall metabolism and mood. It also identifies accumulated toxicities and when you have all of this information at your disposal, it can clearly outline the underlying reason why you may be suffering from brain fog and low mood, have difficulty losing weight, experience extreme tiredness, headaches, skin issues, digestive upset, reproductive imbalances like menstrual irregularity or low libido and any other health issue.

Take Control of Your Health

Disease is defined as a collection of symptoms and based on a diagnosis you are often given a treatment plan to mask the symptoms instead of identifying the root cause of why this has happened to begin with. At EquiLife, we have seen over and over again how quickly our clients' lives can turn around once they have completed the appropriate Functional Medicine lab testing. When you understand how your body has become imbalanced in the first place, you can then learn what you need to do to restore balance and get well. This is why Functional Medicine lab testing is one of the most popular and effective services we offer – right from the comfort of your own home.

Every test comes with a one-on-one coaching call with one of our certified health practitioners so that you can fully understand your lab results and armed with this data, begin to implement a comprehensive individualized wellness plan that best supports you. After following the recommendations, you have your initial base point and can do follow-up tests that assess your progress and any further adjustments that may be needed.

And if you aren't sure where to start, we have you covered and offer a Free Lab Selection call where you can explain your primary health issue and have the expertise of one of our certified coaches to guide you in the right direction. After your call, you will get the total value back as a credit toward the purchase of any lab or protocol recommended because our aim is for you to take back the control of your health, with the information you need to rebalance your body and live longer, stronger for life.

If you are ready to take your health to the next level – running the Big 5 lab tests will give you the most comprehensive look at your overall health and wellness. You can learn more about why using at-home lab tests to uncover your hidden health issues is so powerful from Dr. Cabral in this podcast. (Blog source)

Ready to learn more? Schedule a complimentary consultation here and we can discuss which lab is right for you!

Food and Mental Health: 5 Small Steps to Get Back on Track

If you find yourself in a mental rut and feeling particularly stressed or anxious, you might gravitate toward sugary, salty or fatty foods. But this so-called pattern of "comfort eating" can make us feel even worse, wherein we continue to eat poorly to offset those feelings and create a vicious cycle.

There is a growing body of evidence on the connection between food and mental health: What you eat can affect your mood. What is great is that with some simple daily changes, you can break this cycle and improve your mood and how you feel.

The Gut-Brain Connection

Your digestive tract has a direct line of communication with your brain and plays a considerable role in your overall emotional well being.

Your gut contains trillions of organisms, including yeast and bacteria, that constitute its microbiome. An imbalance in the gut microbiome can contribute to mood changes, according to Frontiers in Genetics. In addition, over 90 percent of your body's serotonin production happens in the gut thanks to bacteria. Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that helps your body regulate mood. It also affects your eating habits, potentially putting you in a positive or negative eating pattern, according to Frontiers in Psychology.

Eating a healthy and balanced diet helps your gut function optimally and can ensure that it is sending the proper signals to the rest of your body.

5 Ways to Get Back on Track

It's not always easy to stop the cycle of turning to food when stressed. The good news? You can always get back on track. You can ease your way into healthier habits by taking small steps. Here are five simple ways to start:

1. Eat more fresh produce: Eating more fruits and vegetables could be the key to improving your mood. Research in the American Journal of Public Health found that getting eight servings of fruits and vegetables a day had a positive impact on mood. If you find this challenging, incorporating a smoothie is great way to boost your intake. Use fresh or frozen fruit, or simply add a scoop of our Daily Fruit and Vegetable Blend. To create a balanced meal with even more nutritional value, include a scoop of our Daily Nutritional Support powder, which contains 15g of protein as well as your daily dose of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, electrolytes and detoxification support.

2. Hold the sugar. When you're sad, stressed or frustrated, you might crave rich, sugary foods. But Harvard Health finds that eating a lot of refined sugar can worsen your mood. Opt for a square or two of dark chocolate, some fruit or try one of our Whole Food Bars instead.

3. Cook dinner at home. Meals at a restaurant often tend to be larger in portions and have higher quantities of salt and sugar. Preparing your meals at home is a great way to know what ingredients are going into your food and how much you are eating. It can also save you money too. If you're someone who frequently eats out, start by cooking just one or two additional meals per week. If you're short on time, create a meal plan and take an hour or two once a week to prep ingredients.

4. Take a probiotic. Your gut bacteria can play a significant role in your mental and emotional health. Taking a probiotic supplement can help maintain the diverse range of bacteria to support your optimal gut environment. There is increasing research and findings that a healthy gut may improve mood and support your mental health, according to Annals of General Psychiatry.

5. Follow a Mediterranean diet. A wide variety and color of fresh produce, fish, healthy fats, lean meat and gluten-free wholegrains may constitute the best diet for your mental health, suggests Harvard Health. Omega-3s from wild fish, pasture raised eggs and grass fed meat, fiber from fruits and vegetables, and reduced sugar can all contribute to better health and a more balanced mood overall.

We cannot ignore the connection between food and mental health as more and more research points to the significant gut-brain connection. Take small steps to reduce consumption of processed foods and start to incorporate healthier choices. Good food translates into a good mood. Your mind and body will thank you. (Blog source)

What Is the Function of Digestive Enzymes?

When you eat a meal, your body needs to break it down into smaller nutrients, so your cells can use these nutrients from your food for energy and function. However, the process of breaking down food is highly impacted by one thing: the function of digestive enzymes.

The function of digestion enzymes depends on which specific enzyme it is. For example, certain enzymes help break down each food type, like carbohydrates, fiber, protein and fats.

Top Enzymes That Help With Digesting Foods

Here's a quick look at the most common enzymes and what foods they break down:

• Amylase breaks down complex carbohydrates, like potatoes and rice, into simple sugar molecules.

• Protease breaks down proteins, like chicken, into amino acids and peptides.

• Lipase breaks down fats, like avocado, into smaller fatty acids that the body can use.

• Lactase breaks down lactose found in dairy products for proper digestion.

• Papain helps break down proteins into amino acids.

• Xylanase breaks down plant fibers found in beans, legumes, and fibrous vegetables into sugar molecules.

• Bromelain helps break down proteins into amino acids

Should You Be Using Digestive Enzymes?

Your body produces some of these enzymes naturally, like amylase, protease and lipase — but only if it's functioning optimally. You can receive other enzymes through the food you eat. It's also important to note the production of your enzymes can be affected by many things, including:

• Your age; as you age, your internal production of digestive enzymes starts to decline.

• If you have common food sensitivities, like lactose (dairy) or gluten, it can be linked to lower enzyme production or other digestive imbalances.

• Imbalances within your body, like low stomach acid, can lead to weakened digestion and also affect enzyme production and their effectiveness.

• Underlying digestive imbalances or diagnosed digestive issues conditions.

• Unhealthy lifestyle choices can increase stress and lower enzyme production and function.

This is why taking a digestive enzyme with whole food meals can provide additional digestive support and increased nutrient absorption and bowel regularity.

How Digestive Enzymes Can Help Your Health

If the production or function of digestive enzymes isn't optimal, it could lead to digestive discomfort, including gas and bloating. If you experience disconfort after eating, consuming a digestive enzyme could support this issue. Let's take a look at how and why this is the case.

Improves Digestion and Absorption

Digestive enzymes can break down food to help with digestion and absorption, as you need first to be able to digest foods before you can optimally absorb the nutrients. This will allow your body to turn the food into usable nutrients to receive more vitamins and minerals required for energy and optimal functioning.

Supports Regular Bowel Movements

Digestive enzymes can also support bowel movements. Proper digestion means your body can break down the food you eat, absorb nutrients and eliminate the rest.

If your body isn't breaking down the food optimally and at an efficient rate, then that food may sit in your digestive system for an extended period. This could lead to slower transport time, the reuptake of toxins into the body, and bacteria to ferment, contributing to increased gas buildup. Taking digestive enzymes may help support slower transport time and increase bowel regularity.

How to Enhance Internal Enzyme Production and External Supportive Supplementation of Digestive Enzymes

Here are a few ways you can improve your internal production of digestive enzymes or look at supportive supplementation as needed:

• Practice mindful eating: this starts with chewing your food properly as digestion begins in the mouth. Chew your food into a paste before swallowing to enable the digestive enzymes to work more effectively.

• Consume foods that contain natural enzymes. For example, bromelain from pineapple, papain from papaya and zingibainfrom ginger.

• Manage your stress: high-stress levels can inhibit the proper breakdown of food as your body needs to be in a relaxed 'rest-and-digest' state to support digestion.

• Take time to eat your meal slowly to avoid overeating

• Incorporate fermented foods as part of your meal, including sauerkraut, kimchi and kefir as they contain natural digestive enzymes.

• Take a daily digestive enzyme with your whole food meals or a supportive supplement with enzymes aimed at specific food sensitivities like dairy and gluten that are often harder to digest and can lead to digestive discomfort

The function of digestive enzymes is vital for optimal health. Supplementing with enzymes can help your body absorb the nutrients it needs from your meals efficiently, enabling your body to function at its best and avoiding digestive upset in the process. (Blog source)

Healthy Lifestyle Stress Management

When we have too much to do and not enough time to do it all, it's a recipe for stress. To keep stress in check, you may have been advised to follow a healthy diet and exercise regularly. But there are additional healthy lifestyle stress management tools you can use to help manage stress further.

Modern-day living can be overwhelming. It can be easy to slide into an unhealthy stress-fueled cycle that can lead to an adverse physical and emotional state. Long-term (chronic) stress can take its toll on the body making it essential to build a healthy day-to-day lifestyle to manage stress before it becomes consuming. Here are some helpful tips to get you started or to regain control if you need some added support with healthy lifestyle stress management.

Make a Stress Management Game Plan

When people are stressed and/or burning the candle at both ends, they can set themselves up for health issues. Create balance and alleviate stress by creating a realistic daily plan to stay on track. Having a plan ahead of starting your day can help manage stress by getting clear on what you need to do and what is achievable. Taking on too much can lead to an overproduction of stress hormones and leave you feeling burnt out. Many people wait until stress has taken over, but taking a proactive approach can support the harmful effects of excessive stress. A nutritional diet and daily movement or exercise are also effective ways to manage overall stress. You may also want to consider the following supportive strategies to help manage stress and any possible imbalance.

Stress Hormone Imbalance

Stress triggers a natural response in the body with the release of stress hormones. The body is designed to deal with acute (short-term) stress, and in the event of a threat, cortisol and adrenalin are released to propel us into action. The body cannot distinguish between different types of stressors, and ongoing stress can cause the hypothalamic, pituitary and adrenal glands to continue to release stress hormones, keeping levels elevated. The persistent effect of elevated stress hormones can lead to an imbalance as the body is not able to get back into a more relaxed state.

Calming down the adrenal gland response and balancing stress hormones can be powerful factors in managing chronic stress. If you feel that stress may be having an effect on your mood, energy levels, sleep, weight management and how you feel overall, a simple at-home functional medicine lab test can help to identify any imbalance in hormones that can be the result of various stressors. You can also work with an Integrative Health Practitioner to understand this at a deeper level with a personalized plan on how to support it and move forward in the right way for you.

Monitor Your Sleep Cycle

Quality sleep is vital to your overall health, so it's no surprise that sleep habits and cycles are directly related to stress levels. The American Psychological Association states that when stress increases, sleep length and quality decrease. This can set you up for further health problems and imbalances that affect energy, memory, mood, metabolism, and many other bodily functions.

The National Sleep Foundation suggests that adults get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night. Proper sleep, including quality and quantity, supports a calm body and mind. Follow a healthy sleep protocol that includes supportive nutrients to help get you back on track when managing stress.

Keep Calm: Breathe and Meditate

Meditation has also shown to have a positive effect on psychological stress and other stress-related health problems, according to a study on mindfulness meditation programs published in JAMA Internal Medicine. There are many types of meditation techniques — mindfulness, transcendental, relaxation, walking and guided — to help you practice being fully present and aware.

A study published in Frontiers in Psychology found that breathwork like diaphragmatic breathing, or deep breathing, may trigger a relaxation response and improve mental function. Deep breathing can also positively affect cortisol levels.

Express Your Emotions Through Writing

An effective way to help reduce stress is to write about your emotions, worries and difficulties. Further studies have found that writing about stressful or emotional events actually improved psychological and physical health. Set aside time to write in a journal, blank notebook, or even just jot your thoughts down on a piece of paper if something is worrying you. Releasing these emotions with pen and paper can also be quite cathartic.

Foster a Positive Mindset

Looking on the bright side is good for you and studies have found that optimism has an effect on the quality of life. This confirms that a positive mindset may be a useful coping mechanism in combating and preventing stress. Practice optimism by expressing daily gratitude in a journal, spend more time with positive friends and family, be aware of negative self-talk and how this may be affecting your mood, speak to a professional who can help you find supportive mindset strategies, and find time for plenty of laughter and doing things you enjoy.

Although it's impossible to avoid all stress, the good news is that not all stress is bad. In fact, "good stress" — also known as eustress — is responsible for motivation and the feelings you have during exciting experiences. Roller coaster rides, challenging work projects, and planning surprises can fall into this category, with eustress working to help you stay engaged and continue with day-to-day life, even during the more challenging times.

It's important to consider all aspects of your current routine and decide where you can implement supportive changes and tweaks that create a healthy lifestyle to manage stress. When you pay attention to both your physical and emotional well-being, it may help you identify any warning signs of stress, making it easier to support them sooner and prevent potential health problems by getting them under control. (Blog source)

It’s easy to see how important sleep is on your stress levels, isn’t it? When you’re ready to get deep, restful sleep so you can finally feel what it’s like to be energized throughout your day, book a complimentary consultation here.

Understanding Toxins and Detox

In our increasingly industrialized world, chemicals are everywhere. We have relied upon these chemicals to help us grow our food, provide our water supply, build our homes, and cure our diseases.

In many ways, these chemicals have been crucial to our development and growth in modern society. But many doctors and researchers have also recognized that some of these chemicals can be toxic and cause serious health problems for those who are exposed to them over time.

The good news is that by understanding the effect of these toxic chemicals, you take steps to avoid an abundance of toxins in your system so that you can feel balanced and well.

Our Body's Response to Toxicity

When many are first introduced to the idea of toxicity as a health issue, they often wonder why their body can't process the chemicals they encounter. After all, if we are all being exposed to the same chemicals, why isn't everyone sick? Doesn't our body filter out toxins?

The short answer is yes. In fact, keeping toxins out of the blood is one of the primary roles your kidneys and liver play in your body. Detoxifying the body is an essential function, and when you are properly nourished, well-rested, and have access vitality in your cells, your body can keep the toxins at bay.

However, when there is a toxicity overload, symptoms can include fatigue, skin issues and unusual body odors.

Identifying Toxicity In Your Environment

Below are some sources of toxicity that may be contributing to your symptoms.

1. Heavy Metals

Heavy metals are an often overlooked source of toxicity, especially because some amount of these metals is present in everyone's body. Toxicity is a matter of the body becoming overloaded by these heavy metals. The biggest culprits are arsenic, cadmium, chromium, lead, and mercury.

While regulators have caught on to the dangers of many of these heavy metals and have taken some steps to reduce our exposure, all of these compounds were used for decades in everything from lead pipes carrying our drinking water to mercury fillings inside our teeth.

2. Synthetic Foods

The foods we eat on a daily basis can be another source of toxicity. Genetically modified organisms (GMOs) are developed in a lab in order to tolerate pesticide use and are prominently used in the production of staple crops like soy and corn, ultimately finding their way into almost all processed foods.

Other toxins in our foods include hormones, preservatives, and artificial sweeteners. In general, if you are ingesting a diet high in processed foods, fast foods, and industrially raised meat or dairy products, there's a good chance that the food you're eating is making you feel unwell.

3. Occupational Risks and Home Environment

Millions of workers in the United States are exposed to chemicals that can cause system toxicity, including those in food services, cosmetology, health care, mechanics, and construction.

And it's not just at work. Our home environment is rife with toxic exposure from the synthetic carpets we walk on to the metal fixtures in our showers. Compounded with the fact that we spend the majority of our time at home indoors, the result is increased exposure to toxic chemicals.

4. Electrosmog (EMFs)

The level of exposure to electromagnetic frequencies in our world today — from computers to cell phones to television sets — is unprecedented in the history of humanity. However, researchers are only just beginning to understand how this exposure can cause increased toxicity in the body.

Toxicity and Your Gut

All of this toxic exposure can cause ongoing damage inside of your gut, which is inextricably linked to your immune system, with about 80% of the cells in your immune system residing in your gut.

When your body is inundated with toxins, your immune system unsuccessfully tries to manage the onslaught. This can lead to an overgrowth of the bacteria and fungi that naturally populate your gut and aid digestion. Eventually, your body must deal with two levels of invasion: clearing toxins from external sources and then managing the overgrowth of bacteria or Candida in your gut.

Ultimately, your digestive system can stop functioning properly and you end up without the nutrients you need to properly energize your cells — making it even more difficult for your body to maintain a healthy balance.

Getting on the Path to Wellness

If you think you're suffering from a toxin overload, you may want to perform a Functional Medicine detox, which can decrease inflammation and toxins in your body. It does so by temporarily removing problematic foods while simultaneously improving the detoxifying power of your liver.

Another option is an at-home toxicity test. Take Casey, for example. Casey was a 45-year-old accountant who had to walk on crutches, was barely able to eat solid foods, and had no answers in terms of what could be making him sick. Before his career in accounting, he had spent several years in his youth working as a firefighter. The amount of toxic exposure firefighters experience can be extremely high, especially since when homes burn, and a wide variety of toxic chemicals are released.

When he completed his toxicity test, it became clear that toxic exposure was wreaking havoc on his body.

Casey was then given a personalized protocol to help him rid his body of these chemicals and fortify it with the missing minerals and vitamins he needed to rebuild. In a few months, he was back on his feet and feeling better than he had in years.

Through our understanding of toxicity in our environment and how toxic exposure happens, we can mitigate and manage how much toxicity we subject our bodies to, find ways to detoxify and finally feel well. (Blog source)

If you’re the type of person who values their health and wellbeing, click here to schedule a complimentary consultation today.

Zinc for Immunity: The Mineral for Robust Immune Health

Zinc is a mineral that the body only needs in small amounts, but is required for many vital functions, including being a key player in cell growth and development, thyroid hormone production, also how quickly damaged tissue or wounds repair and heal. Perhaps most important, though, is the role of zinc for immunity. It's key to warding off harmful germs we are exposed to, and research has shown that zinc can shorten the duration of common seasonal respiratory issues.

As an essential trace mineral, zinc must be obtained through dietary intake or supplementation since the body doesn't produce or store it on its own. It is found naturally in many foods and also added to others. Read on to learn more about how to ensure your body is getting enough zinc and how this crucial nutrient can boost your immune health.

Zinc and Immune Health

Zinc's immune-boosting power comes in its ability to create immune cells that fight foreign invaders like bacteria and viruses. It acts as a germ roadblock, helping to protect the body from illness. That's why it's important to maintain normal levels of zinc in the body and to supplement when necessary. If your body doesn't receive enough zinc, your immune response can be reduced increasing your risk of feeling unwell.

In addition to supporting a healthy immune system, having adequate levels of Zinc is important for its role in many more functions including:

• It is a key player in the creation of our DNA and how genes are expressed

• Supports growth and development during pregnancy, childhood, and adolescence

• Helps balance healthy levels of inflammation

• Supports a healthy gut environment - digestion and absorption

• Promotes efficient wound healing and skin health

• Supports eye health

• Supports metabolic and hormonal function

• Is needed for sense of smell and taste

Sources of Zinc

Dietary Sources

Because the body doesn't produce zinc on its own, we must include foods that are a source of this essential mineral. As it is only required in small amounts, as long as you're eating a variety of zinc-containing foods daily, there's no need to overload on any one type. The following foods are all rich in zinc, and if consumed regularly, can help maintain optimal levels:

• Shellfish including oysters, crab, and lobster

• Chicken

• Red meat

• Whole grains

• Beans and legumes

• Nuts and seeds

Supplementation

While Zinc is found in a wide variety of foods, some plant-based sources can be less utilized by the body than animal foods. If dietary intake of zinc-rich foods is low or a deficiency is confirmed, supplementing with Zinc is important. It is also a powerful immune booster to use at the first signs of illness or to support a healthy immune system all year round.

Your Zinc Solutions

Zinc has been shown in studies to have the ability to function as an antioxidant, stabilize membranes and take on therapeutic roles with positive effects on immune cells. It is just one of three key immunity essentials, the other two being vitamin C and vitamin D.

Zinc comes in several different forms and preparations. Highly absorbable forms include picolinate, citrate, gluconate and acetate; the latter two are more common in lozenges. Common preparations can include capsules, tablets, melts and nasal sprays.

While Zinc is essential for a healthy immune system, long-term supplementation can deplete other nutrients in the body and lead to further imbalances. Choosing a formula that contains the appropriate co-factors including copper, vitamins C and vitamin B6 and is a great choice for long-term use. As the body has no mechanism to store zinc, if levels are low you may want to consider a highly absorbable and usable form to restore levels more efficiently in the short term or to give the immune system a boost if it needs additional support. Adding the powerful immune-boosting trio of vitamin C, Vitamin D and zinc is one of the best ways to give your body the best chance at defending itself against harmful invaders all year long.

Having adequate levels of Zinc is essential from the wide range of functions it supports and if you are unsure whether you are getting enough from your diet or what supplement is right for you, knowing your individual levels is the best way to avoid guessing. You can run a simple at-home lab test to assess all your mineral and electrolyte levels as well as identify if there is a build-up of any heavy metals that can increase the burden on the immune system. Working alongside a certified health practitioner, your results will give you a deeper understanding of your current health and how to restore any imbalances using a personalized wellness plan designed to best support you, your immunity and your overall health. (Blog source)

Understanding Low Thyroid Symptoms

by Caitlin Beale, MS, RDN

Your thyroid, the butterfly-shaped gland found at the base of your neck, is the body's metabolic master. It helps regulate every process in the body — from the number of calories you burn to your internal thermometer, heart rate, and even your digestive tract. So when it isn't working optimally, your body will start to send signals that something is off.

What Are Common Low Thyroid Symptoms?

An under active thyroid is very common, affecting nearly five out of every hundred people in the U.S., with women being more likely to be diagnosed than men.

There are a number of key hormones involved in thyroid function. Your hypothalamus in the brain releases thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), which tells your thyroid gland to make Thyroxine (T4). Triiodothyronine (T3) is also produced by the thyroid gland, but in much lower amounts than T4. Because T3 is the active form, and mostly what the body uses metabolically, an important conversion process that converts T4 into active T3 needs to happen.

Thyroid symptoms occur when these hormones are no longer at optimal levels. A common reason for an imbalance can be linked to the body not being able to convert the hormone into its active usable form (T3), or that thyroid receptors become resistant to the hormones, affecting the signaling pathways.

Without our master metabolism regulator working well, everything slows down, causing symptoms like:

• Moodiness and irritability

• Weight gain, or difficulty keeping weight off

• Cloudy thinking

• Constipation

• Sleep issues

• Higher cholesterol levels

• Hair thinning

• Fatigue

• Dry skin

• Fertility issues

What Are Possible Causes of Low Thyroid?

The problem is that many low thyroid symptoms are subtle, making them easy to overlook. It's often not until symptoms start to compound that you realize something is off. Unfortunately, this delay also allows for certain lifestyle factors that could be causing the issue to go unaddressed.

So what are the possible root causes? While every person's experience is different, low thyroid function can be caused by a range of factors from nutrient deficiencies and increased stress to poor gut health. Unresolved issues in the gut are one of the most common issues that can impact the thyroid. This is because approximately 80% of the immune system resides in the gut, and gut bacteria play a key role in converting T4 into T3.

Deficiencies in the diet — from micronutrients to antioxidants — can also be a reason for a sluggish thyroid. Certain nutrients like iodine and iron are necessary for optimal thyroid health and hormone production. These deficiencies can be related to food choices and can be further compounded by poor gut health.

Lifestyle Factors to Address Low Thyroid

Fortunately, lifestyle changes can reduce symptoms and help bring your body back to a state of balance.

As a first step, you can start to rebalance your hormones with thyroid supporting foods such as pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, Brazil nuts, dark leafy vegetables, mushrooms, lima beans, and certain types of wild caught seafood. These foods and more provide key sources of thyroid supportive minerals such as iodine and selenium.

Next, it's essential to understand your lab values. By doing a Functional Medicine lab test at home, you can look at exactly where you stand when it comes to the key hormones that impact stress, mood and metabolism. Based on these results, you can address hormone imbalances that may be interfering with your body's ability to achieve optimal thyroid levels.

If you feel overwhelmed or are not sure where to start, a comprehensive educational program that outlines and explains all aspects of thyroid health can help give you the confidence you need to understand the reasons behind any imbalance and empower you to take control over your body and your health. (Blog source)

When you’re ready to take the next step, schedule your complimentary call so you can finally uncover the root causes to your symptoms!

Do You Really have a Slow Metabolism?

by Joanna Foley, RD, CLT

You've probably heard that eating less and moving more is all it takes to lose weight. Therefore, you may be surprised to hear that following that method can actually have the opposite effect on your weight and can lead to a slow metabolism.

What you eat plays a large role in how you look and feel, but achieving a healthy body weight is about much more than food and exercise. This article will help explain exactly what your metabolism is, the factors that influence it, and what you can do to promote a healthy metabolism and a healthy weight.

What Is Metabolism?

The term metabolism refers to all the processes that go on inside your body to keep you alive and your organs functioning normally. In addition to things like repairing cells, it is in charge of converting the calories you consume from food and beverages into energy. A healthy metabolism is required to use this energy efficiently and plays a role in your ability to lose, maintain and gain weight.

What Causes a Slow Metabolism?

Factors such as age, body size, gender, genetics, and the amount of muscle mass can all influence the speed of your metabolism. Yet many other things can influence your metabolism as well.

Lesser-known factors that contribute to a slower metabolism include:

• Significant calorie restriction and "yo-yo dieting." Fad diets that promise quick results can be tempting to follow. However, years of going on and off diets, and thus losing weight in an unsustainable way, negatively affects your metabolism and can have the opposite effect than you desired. Drastically reducing calories can cause your body to think you are starving. As a protective mechanism, your metabolism will slow down, making it harder to keep losing weight even on fewer calories.

• Metabolic and toxic imbalances. persistent levels of high stress and an accumulation of toxin exposure can alter your hormones, increase levels of inflammation in your body and interfere with your body's ability to burn calories efficiently. These imbalances are often the hidden root cause of many health ailments, including an undesirable metabolism.

If you suspect you have a slow metabolism, you can run a simple at-home lab test to help identify any possible imbalances. Then working alongside a qualified practitioner you can implement the appropriate diet and lifestyle strategy you need.

How Do You Know if You Have a Slow Metabolism?

It's common to think that weight gain or difficulty losing weight are the only signs of slow metabolism, but there are other common signs and symptoms that may be involved as well, such as:

• Low energy and extreme tiredness

• Cold intolerance

• Irregular bowel movements

• Low mood

How Can You Boost Your Metabolism?

Supporting a healthy metabolism requires a whole-body approach. Here are some things to focus on:

• Focus on your diet. Unhealthy levels of inflammation are often an underlying root cause of slow metabolism and weight gain or the ability to lose weight and keep it off. That's why it is important to prioritize the majority of your diet from anti-inflammatory whole foods. Examples include olive oil, tomatoes, nuts and seeds, leafy greens, oily fish and berries. In addition, taking supportive daily nutritional supplements, can help replenish your nutrient reserves, support natural detoxification, and rebalance your body at the deepest level.

• Balance your blood sugar. Having high levels of blood sugar from eating too many processed carbohydrates and sugar can lead to persistently high levels of insulin in your body. Since insulin promotes the storage of fat, this can lead to weight gain if elevated levels of blood sugar aren't cleared efficiently.. You can help balance your blood sugar by including enough protein and healthy fats in each meal and snack, eating three balanced meals works best for most throughout the day, choosing whole-food carbohydrates high in fiber, reducing your intake of processed sugar and being physically active.

• Balance your hormones. Your hormones are a key player in nearly every process in your body. Balancing your hormones can help support a healthy metabolism overall. The best way to uncover any possible hormone imbalances that might be impacting your ability to lose weight is through testing your individual levels. A qualified healthcare practitioner can then help interpret your results and guide you through a strategy right for you.

• Consider reverse dieting. This is the concept of gradually eating more, not less over a period of time to increase your body's ability to burn calories. Contrary to common belief, this can actually help speed up your metabolism and lead to weight loss if your metabolism has slowed down due to prolonged calorie restriction, long-term low carb diets, or other factors. The key is to eat the right amount of food and type of food to support your body's energy requirements in the context of an overall healthy lifestyle to restore hormone balance and support a healthy metabolism.

• Be active, but don't overdo it. There are so many benefits to exercise, and we all should strive to move our bodies every day. However, this doesn't mean putting in long hours at the gym or participating in overly strenuous forms of exercise. Too much exercise, or workouts that are too intense, can be a source of stress on your body, especially if you are already in an imbalanced state. It's best to choose a variety of workouts you enjoy so you are more likely to stick to them. Remember that little movements add up, so simply being more intentional to move your body more often can make a big difference in your metabolism and overall physical health.

Bottom Line

There may be more behind a perceived slow metabolism than you realize. Focusing on your diet, hormones, exposure to toxins, and level of activity are all effective ways to help rebalance your body and improve your metabolism. (Blog source)

Eventually, you’ll get frustrated with conventional methods of trying to lose weight. If you’re ready to uncover the root causes of your slow metabolism and drop the weight for good, click here to schedule your complimentary consultation.

Immune System Basics: Why Do I Get Sick?

Catching a cold is bound to happen occasionally — it's also a natural part of building immunity. Our immune system is constantly at work to keep us healthy by avoiding germs, defending against them if they do get inside our body and minimizing the extent of possible harm they can cause. If you get ill frequently, it can be a sign your immune system needs additional support.

That's why it's important to understand how you get sick, how your immune system works to fight off illness, and what you can do prevent feeling unwell. Let's dive into some immune system basics.

How You Get Sick in the First Place

Your body is exposed to billions of foreign invaders at any moment including viruses, bacteria, parasites and fungi that can lead to illness, infections and more serious diseases. You are breathing them in and swallowing them. They are on your skin and located in your mucus membranes. However, this doesn't mean you get sick every time. It depends on the strength of the specific pathogen and how well your immune system can respond to it – this is immune system basics.

How Your Body Protects You Against Harmful Invaders

Your immune system responds in two ways when it comes into contact with foreign pathogens:

• Your innate immune response is your body's first line of defense and reacts immediately.

• Your specific immune response develops over time and is specific to certain pathogens (like bacteria and viruses). This response learns, adapts, and remembers the pathogen to fight it better and faster next time.

If it's the first time your body is encountering a foreign invader, your innate immune system will respond. But remember, this is just a general response and it's not as strong in fighting specific invaders.

Your specific, or secondary, immune response then gets notified of this invader, learns how to fight it, and makes appropriate antibodies. The first time it is exposed, it can take some time for your specific immune response to combat the invader and create antibodies. As a result, your symptoms may be more severe.

However, the next time your body is exposed to that specific invader (bacteria, virus, etc.), your immune system may be able to fight the pathogen more effectively. The antibodies created earlier will attach to the pathogen and inactivate it, allowing your immune cells to come in and destroy it faster. This time, you may just have minor symptoms or could avoid them altogether.

Different Types of Immune Cells and How They Work

Your innate immune response uses white blood cells like neutrophils, phagocytes, macrophages, and basophils and sends them to the infected area. These immune cells can open up blood vessels, allowing more immune cells to come rushing in to attack the bacteria. Some white blood cells release chemicals to kill the bacteria; phagocytes can even enclose these germs and "eat" them.

Your specific immune response consists of the B and T lymphocytes. Your B lymphocytes produce antibodies when they come into contact with a foreign invader. When your B cells come into contact with that pathogen again in the future, they alert your T lymphocytes into action to destroy the pathogen quicker. This is why you may experience less severe or no symptoms the second time around.

Why You Could Be Getting Sick More Frequently Than Others

While we all get sick from time to time, some people are more susceptible. Here are a few reasons why:

• Micronutrient deficiency. Vitamin C, vitamin D, vitamin E, zinc, and magnesium all play a vital role in supporting a healthy immune system. If your body doesn't have adequate stores of key nutrients, then the immune response may be impaired.

• Hidden stressors. Your body could be putting its energy and resources into hidden stressors, like trying to overcome an infection, a traumatic event or injury, even digestive imbalances. This can weaken the immune system's ability to respond appropriately and effectively to foreign invaders.

• Environmental toxins or food sensitivities. These could be constantly activating your immune system, using up resources, and leaving your body more vulnerable to other harmful invaders.

Tips To Support Your Immune Response

Now that you understand how you get sick, here's what you can do to help prevent your body from getting sick and how you can best support your body when you do.

• Restore your micronutrient levels. For example, vitamin D is essential for the growth and function of immune cells. You can run a simple at-home lab test to assess your levels and work alongside a health practitioner on a personalized wellness protocol to ensure your body has the necessary components for optimal immune function.

• Reduce and manage stress in your life. High levels of stress place a large demand on your nutrient stores. Taking a daily activated multi-vitamin and mineral and including additional supportive supplementation like magnesium, B vitamins and vitamin C, can help to buffer the demands of increased stress on the body.

• Address underlying stressors. Underlying gut imbalances, infections, or high levels of inflammation could reduce the absorption of key nutrients needed for healthy immune function and overall health. Even if you are eating a healthy balanced diet, underlying issues could inhibit your body from being able to utilize the nutrients that support robust immunity.

• Address underlying symptoms. Underlying gut overgrowth, infections, or inflammation could reduce gut absorption. Even if you are eating healthily, hidden issues could inhibit your body from receiving those nutrients needed for immune function.

• Prioritize sleep. Studies show people who don't get enough quality sleep are more prone to sickness when faced with a virus. Less sleep can reduce natural killer cells and can promote inflammation, which can both inhibit proper immune response.

When you understand the basics of immune health, you'll feel confident in the power of your innate immune system to do its job of fighting off unwanted germs. It's also empowering to know there is so much we can do to support a healthy immune system and enable it to function at its best all year long. (Blog source)

It’s easy to see the importance of a healthy immune system, is it not? When you’re ready to take the next steps to empowering yourself with a healthier YOU, click here to schedule your complimentary consultation with a certified level 2 Integrative Health Practitioner.

What is a TRUE detox?

When you hear “detox” you probably think of the ads you’ve seen for those gimmicky “detox” teas/smoothies, or even diet pills. These products couldn’t be any further from a true Functional Medicine Detox. A lot of people ask, “Why do you need to do a liver detox? Doesn’t your liver do that on its own?” Well, yes… BUT it’s not that simple.

Fat soluble toxins enter the liver including pesticides, pharmaceuticals, food additives, alcohol, heavy metals, and more. The 1st phase of detoxification requires nutrients like B2, B3, B6, B12, Folic acid, and Glutathione, just to name a few. The 2nd phase requires amino acids like NAC, Glycine, Taurine, Glutamine, Cysteine, and Methionine. This turns toxins into water-soluble waste that can then be excreted via urine, sweat, breath, bile, and stool.

This is an oversimplification of the detox process but helps to understand what the body NEEDS to complete this essential process. You won’t get these crucial nutrients in those gimmicky products mentioned above.

Ideally, you’re eating a plenty of fruits and vegetables to support the liver’s function. Unfortunately this isn’t the case if you’re used to eating the Standard American Diet, so these toxins start to pile up into what I call the “Toxin Tank.” With over 200,000 man-made chemicals in the world today, and about half of those being listed as possible carcinogens, and even some approved for consumption, it’s no wonder our bodies are having more and more difficulty staying healthy.

When our "toxin tank" fills so much that it begins to overflow, that's when we start to see disease. It’s a common misconception that genetics determine our fate, however there’s a saying that says, “Genetics loads the gun, environment pulls the trigger.” Essentially, your environment determines whether you’re in a state of health or dis-ease, and genetics determine how that dis-ease presents itself — whether it’s heart disease, Alzheimers, arthritis, or something else that runs in your family.

Additionally, even if you ARE eating a whole foods diet that contains phase 1 & 2 nutrients, our soil has become so depleted through mono-cropping and mistreatment of our earth, that our crops just don’t contain the same amount of nutrients that they once did.

By now, you’re probably realizing that our livers are overloaded and need support. This is why quarterly Functional Medicine Liver Detoxes are NECESSARY. Only a true Functional Medicine Detox will contain the Phase 1 and 2 nutrients mentioned above to support the liver in its natural processes.

Lucky for you, you don’t have to do them alone. Every quarter, the Love Energy Wellness community completes a detox together. When you join our private Facebook group, you’ll have the opportunity to ask questions, get access to live videos each day of the detox, and connect with others on the same journey to make lasting connections. Also within the group, you’ll find a FREE detox course — so if you’re ready to learn more be sure to join today.

If you want to stay in the know of when our community comes to together to detox, be sure to join our email list below.

If you’re curious about how else Integrative Health can help you sleep deeper, find your ideal weight, slow the aging process, and increase your energy levels, click below to sign up for your complimentary consultation!

How To Finally Get Well

How To Finally Get Well

By the time many of my clients come to me they’ve reached the old adage that goes, “I’m just sick and tired of being sick and tired…”

I’ve heard this hundreds of times over my coaching career and I’ve experienced it myself as well. The problem is that you have most likely never been shown how to finally figure out how to get well, lose the weight, or grow younger. The reason I say this is that before I discovered this myself more than 10 years ago I just thought I was going to have to live with my genetics, current ailments, and the fact that I may never have the energy, ambition, or life I truly desire.

What You’re Missing

What changed my life and what I think may be missing for you as well is the fact that everything we suffer from comes down to one or more underlying root causes that are creating imbalances in your body. You see, underlying imbalances caused by certain vitamin, mineral, or other deficiencies do not enable your body to have the raw material it needs as you age in order to slow the inflammation and repair as quickly as you once did when you were younger.

When you combine these deficiencies along with all of the environmental toxins we are exposed to and hormonal and balances that can come as a result you are dealing with a two-front battle that is causing you to feel the outward symptoms of poor health, fatigue, weight gain, or rapid aging.

Although none of this sounds like good news, there is hope. The reason why I say this is that for myself and the thousands of others I’ve worked with, once we discover your unique underlying root cause imbalances (which are your specific deficiencies and toxicities) we can go about rebalancing those. Because remember, when you bring up your deficiencies your body now has the raw material it needs in order to be able to provide energy for your system. And when you remove a lot of the toxicities, the blockages that were once holding you back have now gotten out of the way.

How to Figure It Out

So now that you know how to go about getting well once and for all, the next step is figuring out what your specific deficiencies and toxicities are that lead to a dis-ease of the body in the first place. What I did, and what I now share with my clients is using simple to complete, at home health tests that show you what your current levels are of all of these biomarkers in your body:

●      Digestive imbalances

●      Hormone levels

●      Stress levels

●      Neurotransmitter mood levels

●      Vitamin levels

●      Mineral levels

●      Omega-3 inflammatory levels

●      Heavy-metal toxicities

●      Food sensitivities

●      And so much more

This Makes All the Difference

To be honest any program you begin that doesn’t look at you as an individual is going to be hit or miss in terms of being able to promise results. The difference with what myself and other Integrative Health Practitioners do is that we take the guesswork out of the equation and instead figure out what it is that’s holding your body back from becoming well again.

Once you have knowledge of your individual deficiencies and toxicities, a personalized plan can then be developed in order to go about rebalancing your body and mind. When an Integrative Health Practitioner works with the client they don’t just provide you with your testing results, but they empower you with a knowledge of what your numbers actually mean. After that, you can then easily see for yourself what needs to be done in order to bring life and vitality back to your body.

It Will Work for You Too

All of this is truly an amazing process and with the help of the right IHP Certified Health Coach to guide you along the way you will learn more about yourself in the next 12 weeks than you may possibly ever have. This exact process has worked for me and my clients and that is why I can’t wait to share those same results with you.

For more information on this exact process simply book a complimentary consultation!