Healthy & Active Program Help Balance Blood Sugar

One goal that you could accomplish by embarking on the the Healthy and Active Program is the balancing of your blood sugar.  Note that this has been accomplished by many with Type 2 diabetes as that is a condition that is reversible and the program can help prevent an eventual dependence on insulin. If you have Type 1 diabetes your constitution in general can be greatly improved.

Insulin is a hormone that plays a key role in the regulation of blood glucose levels, which is important because every cell in your body relies on insulin to transport glucose to them from the body.   If the body has sufficient energy, then insulin signals the liver to take up glucose and store it as glycogen. The liver can store up to about 5% of its mass as glycogen.

When there is a malfunction of insulin production, the person develops what is called a metabolic disorder.  Eventually this results in either Type 1 or Type 2 Diabetes.

How Insulin Resistance Works

Understanding Type 1 Diabetes

In Type 1 Diabetes the body does not produce enough insulin to regulate blood glucose and the body uses other sources of energy to keep running, including ketones that are produced by the liver to compensate for the absence of glucose.  Type 1 diabetics must inject insulin to keep skyrocketing glucose in the blood that cannot be utilized by the body, from damaging their body’s systems.

Understanding Type 2 Diabetes

In Type 2 diabetes the body is experiencing a condition called insulin resistance, meaning that it is less able to take up glucose from the blood.  In the earlier stage of this disease the body responds by producing more insulin than it would normally need to eventually putting such a strain on the pancreas that it is no longer able to reproduce any insulin at all.

How HAP Can Help These Conditions

These diabetic  conditions or a predisposition towards them also have a lot of impact on how your body will store and use fat.  When the liver has talent up its capacity of glycogen, insulin signals fat cells to store the sugars as fat (as triglycerides) instead.

This is also why it is very important for you to avoid eating foods that could wear out your pancreas by forcing it to react to high levels of sugar in the blood.  One of the miraculous things about the Healthy and Active Program is that it has been known to reverse high blood sugar in Type 2 diabetics.  You will be prescribed a diet and lifestyle plan that is devised specifically for your particular situation.

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.

Healthy And Active Program Helps Correct Hormonal Imbalance

Hormones are chemicals that occur naturally within the body. They act as messengers that simultaneously carry information through the bloodstream to organs and cells to make sure that every aspect of physical functioning is integrated and working smoothly together.

Each hormone has a specific message, designed to affect only certain parts of the body. These messages carry important information about everything from growth and development to sexual function to mood.

The Heirachy of Hormonal Balance

When Hormonal Messages Become Scrambled

During different stages of human life, different hormones are active. Some enable functions during growing phases, others are important during puberty, and still others are responsible for reproduction. There are hundreds of hormones that facilitate the healthy operating of the human body.

Hormones are vitally important to our health. However, they are also very delicate. They require a specific balance to be present in the body before they are effective but they can be affected by the slightest change in toxicity to our body. When hormones are out of balance or being negatively affected by our lifestyle, we will immediately notice the effects through a diminishment of functioning or as a change of mood. Signals do not reach the right place at the right time resulting in the overstimulation of certain functions or the shutting down of certain functions completely.

A good example of how hormones become out of balance is demonstrated by the example of what happens during menopause.  During a woman’s life, the ovaries are stimulated by two hormones that are produced by the brain FSH called (follicle stimulating hormones) and LH (luteinizing hormone). These hormones coordinate a woman’s menstrual cycle during her reproductive years. During menopause these two hormones are no longer produced causing symptoms of imbalance that can include bloating, bone loss, loss of fertility, hot flashes, irregular periods, loss of muscle mass, loss of scalp hair, loss of memory, mood swings, anxiety, night sweats, urinary incontinence, vaginal dryness and weight gain.

Imbalanced Hormones and Weight Gain

Our lifestyle and diet can have a direct impact on how well – or not – hormones are able to do their job. Many hormones control the processing and burning of food.  If our hormones become out of balance then it can become a challenge for the body to metabolize carbohydrates.  This can cause our metabolism to turn potatoes, grains, and other carbohydrates into fat instead of energy.  The result is weight gain and feeling unwell.  One of the points of embarking on a Healthy and Active Lifestyle is to rebalance your hormones so that your body is in good working order once again.

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.

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.