Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Nutrition. Vitamins. You.
Kidney Health Part 3 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In this blog on kidney health, I will be reviewing polycystic kidney disease (PKD), chronic kidney disease (CKD) and even kidney failure. The reason I have for putting these 3 disorders in one blog is that …
Kidneys Part 2 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND In the first part of our discussion on kidney health we reviewed basic information such as what the kidneys do for us and tests that can measure our kidney health. (1) In this blog we will review the …
PRIMARY FOOD, LIFESTYLE AND OUR HEALTH~JOY
by: Allie Might, FMC, INHC, ATT
“The best way to choose what to keep and what to throw away is to take each item in one’s hand and ask: ‘Does this spark joy?’ If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it. This is not only the simplest but also the most accurate yardstick by which to judge.” —Marie Kondo
“If you carry joy in your heart, you can heal any moment.” —Carlos Santana
Joy…it is such an interesting topic when exploring one’s health and wellness. I love the two quotes above as it shows how everyone has a different view on joy. Joy and happiness, while similar, have different definitions. Happiness is something that gives you a short term, outward reaction. Joy is a more internal and long-term emotion. For example, having a delicious meal makes you happy, but meeting friends for dinner and having enjoyable conversation and laughs gives you joy.
So why is JOY so important for health and wellness? It has to do with serotonin, or the happiness hormone. Serotonin helps regulate such areas like sleep, digestion, sexual health and, of course, mood. The more balanced your serotonin, the more balanced the areas of your life become…in turn elevating joy and happiness.
According to articles from both Psychology Today and Harvard Medical School, joy and happiness have a direct effect on our health and well-being. Joy and happiness can lead to creating better eating habits, enthusiasm for exercise and even experiencing less pain. This is in addition to better mental health and lowering the risk of chronic illness and disease.
While having a joyful lifestyle can sound easy, it can sometimes be stressful when one is trying to figure out joy as it pertains to themselves. Just like so many things, we are all different, so we’re going find joy in different ways. It can be simple like smiling or saying “hello” to someone, having realistic goals and perspective, or even cozying up with a cup of tea and a book or a favorite TV show or movie. Some of my favorite ways to bring joy to my life is to look though old pictures and relive the memories, connecting with a friend for conversation or going for a walk to breathe in some fresh air. How will you incorporate joy into your week?
RHODIOLA is an herb commonly used to help support those who suffer from stress and anxiety. Rhodiola can even be beneficial for those struggling from cognitive fatigue. Using rhodiola to help manage any of these issues can help any of us to enjoy life on a weekly basis.
ALCAR/ALA or Acetyl L-Carnitine with Alpha Lipoic Acid are nutrients that many people are familiar with regarding brain health and memory. ALCAR has been shown to be helpful in increasing serotonin levels. This is important for those dealing with anxiety or depression. As ALCAR helps to increase the serotonin levels, one’s anxiety can start to balance out, therefore allowing us to become happier and more joyful.
When you have the ability to have joy throughout, you’re life, you can set yourself up for a happy and healthy life. How will you incorporate more joy into your week?
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9228580/
www.webmd.com/diet/health-benefits-rhodiola
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22549035/
pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32408706/
my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/22572-serotonin
www.health.harvard.edu/healthbeat/the-happiness-health-connection#:~:text=Scientific%20evidence%20suggests%20that%20positive HYPERLINK
www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-happiness-health-connection/202104/the-happiness-health-connection?msockid=102ffcee009769fa30f8f11d011f685e
Kidney Health Part 1 Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND No conversation about the liver would be complete without talking about the kidneys since one of the functions of the kidneys is to help remove waste from our body. Now I understand that kidney health can be …
Prozyme Digest Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND As a Naturopathic doctor I find myself often recommending that people use a probiotic and a digestive enzyme. These each have many benefits for our health. That is why I have chosen to highlight a product that contains …
Gallbladder: What is it? And what does it do?
Dr. Claire Arcidiacono, ND
In this current series we have mostly focused on liver and kidney health. In this blog we will be taking a left turn and focusing on the gallbladder since the overall health of the gallbladder can and does impact the health of the liver. But just what is the gallbladder and what does it even do for us? Let us get into it shall we?
Well, the gallbladder is a small organ that is located under the liver. It is like a pear-shaped balloon. Its job in the body is to store bile and release it when needed. The bile gets is made in the liver and is only stored in the gallbladder.
So how exactly does this process work? Well to put it simply the gallbladder connects to the various parts of your digestive system via the biliary tract (also called bile ducts). You can think of this pathway as a highway for bile to travel. Our liver produces bile and then it goes into the gallbladder for use later. When you eat the gallbladder gets a message to release the bile. Bile travels via the biliary tract to eventually end up in the duodenum where it helps to digest any fats you may have consumed. (1)
I bet I know what you are thinking, this process seems like such a simple system. What could go wrong? I am glad you asked! The first thing is you may form gallstones. Gallstones are like little rocks of bile that form either in the gallbladder or in the bile tract (bile duct).
Depending on the number of stones and how large they are they may or may not cause symptoms. A large stone can block the biliary tract causing a problem because of the regurgitation of the bile. For example, you may have cholecystitis (gallbladder inflammation), pancreatitis (inflamed pancreases) and cholangitis (bile duct inflammation). Gallstones also increase the risk of hepatitis (inflamed liver). For more information, please see my blog on this topic. Gallstones can also increase the risk of both jaundice and septicemia. (1)
Now what are the signs of gallbladder concerns? Well, you may have upper abdominal pain and nausea. You may have sweating, fever, and a rapid heart rate. Your abdomen may even swell and feel tender. You may have jaundice and even change the color of your urine/stool. (2) The abdominal muscles on the right side of the body may be stiff. Older individuals may have overall weakness and even increased fatigue. (3) Other signs can include pain after eating a fatty meal. The upper right abdominal pain may radiate to the right shoulder/ back. In addition to the fever, you may have chills. (1) If these sound like the signs and symptoms of hepatitis that is because they are. Remember as I said in my blog on hepatitis it is inflammation in the liver and when you have any inflammation in the gallbladder it increases the risk of inflammation in the liver.
Now what are the most common risk factors for gallbladder concerns? Well, these include being female, being over 40 y/o and being of Hispanic or Native American descent. Pregnancy is also a risk factor. Having high cholesterol, diabetes or obesity are all risk factors. Interestingly losing weight rapidly is also a risk factor. (3)
Gallbladder dysfunction may require surgery. Talk to your doctor about the different options. As for supplements, let us review our options, shall we?
Our product highlight will be Prozyme Digest!
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