HAP And Taking Charge of Your Health

Ultimately, participating in the Healthy and Active Lifestyle Program is all about taking charge of your health. Everybody has a digestive system, hormones, and nervous system but how these systems behave is influenced by many factors, some that we can control and others that we can’t.

When it comes to our health we are not able to control genetics that give us predispositions to certain health problems however we can control our diet, how much we can exercise and what we eat.

HAP Teaches You How to Live

Nutrition is comprised of the food we put into our body, but also what we don’t consume. When you take part in the Healthy and Active Program, your trained health care provider will be able to assess, through blood analysis, what foods you need to eat to optimize your overall health, lose weight and rev up your metabolism so that it works perfectly. You will be prescribed specific foods to eat that support your health, based on the results of your own  blood chemistry analysis as well as be coached about your lifestyle in general. This coaching includes advice about how to stay away from foods that do not support your health as well as advice about exercise, sleeping, work habits and controlling chronic healthy conditions.

HAP Eliminates Guesswork About Your Health

There is no guess work in this process. You are told exactly what to do so you can thrive in the future.

The Healthy and Active Program was developed by naturopathic doctor Dr. Michael Rahman and a team of experienced nutritionists. It combines the best of both worlds; advanced medicinal practices such as blood diagnostics and knowledge about our body system, with the naturopathic model of health care, which interprets the advances of modern blood diagnostics, knowledge about our body systems, and effectiveness of sound nutritional principles.

The Healthy and Active Program offers a unique opportunity for you to take a peek inside your body and discover your nutritional needs. It then provides a personalized blueprint, teaching you exactly how to make changes to your diet and lifestyle.  All you need to do as a recipient of the plan is follow “the map” that is provided to you so that you can embark on your own journey towards wellness.

In order to generate your unique plan, Healthy and Active uses the results of a combination of diagnostics; blood test, medical history, and your current health needs and goals. Combined, the results will reveal patterns that indicate what your nutritional needs are. These patterns unlock the mysteries of your body – they can indicate the functioning of your organs, internal systems, thyroid and hormone functioning, and more.

For more information about the Healthy & Active Program please visit our website at www.healthy-active.com. You may also call us in Toronto at (41) 440-2217 and ask for Adrienne Wright Bulow or Dr. Michael Rahman or email us at adrienne@healthy-active.com.

How To Choose a Great Prenatal Vitamin Supplement Formula

If you are planning to have a baby, it is a really good idea to take prenatal vitamins.  Even though a well-balanced healthy diet, full of natural, raw nutritious foods is important it is also a good idea to optimize your baby’s healthy by making sure that all of your nutritional needs are “covered” by taking prenatal vitamins. This could be especially crucial if you are a vegan.

How Prenatal Vitamins Differ From Others

Read Prenatal Vitamin Labels!

Prenatal vitamin formulas differ from other regular vitamins because that they contain more folic acid and iron then other standard multivitamins.

·      The folic acid helps prevent abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord.

·      The iron assists with the fetus’ normal growth and development and helps prevent anemia in both mom and baby

Supplementation with both iron and folic acid helps prevent the risk of the baby developing low birth weight.

How to Choose A Quality Prenatal Vitamin Formula

At the very least, the prenatal vitamins chosen should include folic acid and iron. However there are quite a few other nutrients that should be on the formula label.

A great prenatal vitamin supplement will also include omega 3 fatty acids, which are found in fish, nuts and avocadoes.  Omega-3 fatty acids are crucial to your baby’s brain development and the active component is usually labelled as DHA on the vitamin bottle label.

It is also crucial that the calcium and vitamin D are in the formula as well especially if you do not drink milk or eat calcium rich foods such as calcium, kale or grapefruit.

Reading The Prenatal Vitamin Label

You can buy prenatal vitamins in just about any drugstore.  Look for a prenatal vitamin supplement that contains:

Folic acid       400 to 800 mcg

Iron                 30 mg

Vitamin D      400 IU

Calcium         250 mg

Vitamin C         50 mg

Zinc                  15 mg

Vitamin B-6        2 mg

Copper               2 mg

DHA                 250 mg   

Taking Vitamins Before And During Pregnancy

Ideally, pregnant women should not be taking prenatal vitamins “after the fact” of conception. It is best to start taking them before conception to ensure normal brain and spinal cord development.

It is also bees to take the prenatal vitamins throughout your entire pregnancy, drink plenty of fluids and include more fibre in your diet because the extra iron in prenatal vitamins can promote constipation. Taking a daily walk can also help with the constipation.

Although it is true that the best sources of vitamins will always be from fresh, preferably organic and natural whole food sources but a little insurance (n the form of prenatal supplements) against the development of spinal and neural defects is highly recommended.

For more information about the Healthy & Active Program please visit our website at www.healthy-active.com. You may also call us in Toronto at (41) 440-2217 and ask for Adrienne Wright Bulow or Dr. Michael Rahman or email us at adrienne@healthy-active.com.

Metabolism: You Are What You Eat

Food is Fuel!

The old saying “You are what you eat” is not just a cliché. It is absolutely true! The best way to look at this metaphor is to view your calories as fuel and your body as the vehicle that needs something to run on.  Just like a car, if you fuel your body with premium fuel, you will get a body that lasts longer, runs more efficiently and gets more mileage out of smaller amounts of eaten calories. However, if you fuel your body with less than nourishing foods, you are in essence wearing it out, depriving it of it’s power and degrading your fuel lines (that in this case would be your circulatory system, digestive system and nervous system.)

Metabolism is the word that describes the process of our bodies breaking down food to obtain energy, which is necessary so that our bodies can create the essential chemicals it needs to function properly. It slows and you gain weight when it is not nourished properly.

Your metabolism basically performs two functions:

1.     Anabolism in which smaller molecules from food are transformed into larger molecules of carbohydrates, fats and proteins.

2.     Catabolism in which large molecules are broken down to release energy for muscle function, body temperature regulation and more. Through the process of catabolism, our bodies create waste.

It is your pancreas that decides whether or not a process should be anabolic or catabolic depending on what you have eaten.

Your metabolism also enables thyroxin to be released by the thyroid, which in turns determines how speedy these processes will occur.

This is why good nutrition is so important. You need to consume foods that are rich in the nutrients that your body needs to function optimally such as nitrogen, sulphur, oxygen and hydrogen.

You also need to eat a diet that is balanced with the big four components that make up that quality fuel that your body needs to run on including:

1.     carbohydrates (starch sugar and fibre) that the body converts into glucose for energy

2.     proteins for supplying the amino acids that build the proteins that make up all of our tissues

3.     fats to help form cells, absorb nutrients and reduce inflammation

4.     vitamins and minerals to help body regulate the metabolism so that nutrients are produced so the body runs smoothly

When you revise your lifestyle, by taking part in a Healthy and Active Metabolism Program, you learn what fuels a.k.a. foods are best to fuel your body so that it just doesn’t run, it practically purrs with good health. To learn more about Healthy and Active visit the website.. www. healthy-active.com

M.R.

Winter Comfort Foods And Inflammation

As the weather gets colder, many of us find ourselves succumbing to a craving for food that are heavier in carbs and fats. However, as most of us already know, doing so not only add extra pounds but also causes other symptoms such as joint and muscle pain, fatigue or bowel disturbances. This is because many of foods that we crave in the winter are also those can cause inflammation just about anywhere in the body.

Avoid High Glycemic Starches

The main culprits in the Winter are the processed sugars and other high-glycemic starches that we love to eat in the winter.  This would include things like savoury pastries, mashed potatoes, gravy pudding, cakes and other comfort foods. 

Processed sugars, flours and even unprocessed ones like yams, beets and potatoes, can destabilize your insulin and raise your blood sugar.  The high level of insulin racing through your bloodstream as the result of eating these comfort foods can also raise levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which puts your body in a state of physical alarm.  When cortisol is released, your body holds onto  deposits fat rather than uses it for resistance. Your body, overall reads the release of cortisol as an emergency situation and your metabolism automatically slows down.

Foods That Slow Down Metabolism

The main culprits that slow down metabolism are

• Alcohol and caffeine, which can irritate stomach walls and cause the body to produce stress hormones
• Refined sugars such as candies, sodas, cookies and white bread
• Allergenic foods such as wheat or soy that cause you personally to experience inflammation in the gut

Be aware that inflammation of any kind can slow down your metabolism but the worst cases of chronic inflammation are usually caused by the foods we eat. Therefore, if you think that it is the cold weather giving you that case of sore joints you might be wrong. It could simply be that you are creating more comfort foods that are naturally glycemic.

Foods That Comfort and Speed Up Metabolism

Foods that are ideal to eat in winter because they comfort but also speed up the metabolism include:

Asparagus: These tasty spears are a rich source of glutathione that helps ward off inflammation and invading pathogens as well as boosts your thyroid (because it is contains so much selenium.

Blueberries and Blackberries: These fruits can satisfy a craving for sweets and are high in superoxide dismutase which can help reduce oxidative stress in the body and reduce inflammation.

Flax seeds: Flax is high in alpha linoleic acid that is a type of helpful Omega 3 fat. They also contain immune modulators that are potent immune modulators.

Fish: Fish is a good source of omega-3 fatty acids that help increase metabolism and reduce inflammation in the body. Shellfish however can cause inflammation in the body for some people.

Ginger Root:  Ginger is a warming food that is high in arachadonic acid, which reduces pain and inflammation and helps boost your metabolic rate.

Turmeric: Turmeric is found in most curries and also contains archadonic acid that can help reduce inflammation and kick your metabolism into high gear.

For more information or to book a consultation about anti-aging, diet and weight loss programs or any health issue you may be experiencing, visit the Pinewood Natural Health Clinic website that has a list of full services and products at www.pinewood.ca or call our Toronto Office at  (416)-656- 8100.  We also have an office in Pickering, Ontario at (905)-427-0057. You can also email us at info@pinewoodhealth.ca and we would be happy to answer any question that you have about our holistic health services.