Hyvin
A Natural Health and Wellness Blog

Ready or not, we’re entering the holiday season. Stress is a huge health issue during the holidays. The body’s stress response (extra adrenaline, muscle tension, rising blood pressure) can help you get a lot accomplished! But, it can also take its toll on your health both short and long-term. There are a number of ways you can help the body deal with stress without losing the positive side of helping you through the additional demands of the holidays.

1) Take extra B-Complex. Known as the “happy vitamin”, B nutrients are rapidly depleted by stress, yet they are needed to convert food into energy, for brain function, learning & memory, digestion, and many other functions.

2) Breathe deeply. I’ve been trying this myself lately and notice that I normally do not fill my entire chest cavity when I breathe. When I DO breathe deeply enough to fill-’er-up, I can almost feel the oxygen push into the tips of my extremities

3) Sleep! Be sure to get enough of it. It’s truly a “wonder drug”… if only we would take enough of it! And if you’re having trouble sleeping, try a valeriarn supplement and/or some calcium, nature’s tranquilizer and a natural muscle relaxant.

4) Exercise – There are scientific reasons why it helps de-stress, but the best explanation is that it just does!

5) Lighten up – I know that I take myself and my to-do list way too seriously sometimes. That self-imposed stress rarely helps. Smile. Laugh. Count your blessings. Think about something pleasant for a few moments. Remember the “reason for the season.” Try it!

6) Try an herbal formula designed to relieve stress without causing drowsiness. Be sure, though, that the manufacturer can be trusted to use only ingredients that are completely safe and natural. Even better yet, use one that provides stress relief and also addresses the short-term and long-term damage to the body that stress can cause!

May you enjoy a stress-free, peaceful and blessed Thanksgiving!

This is an encouraging little piece of news recently reported by Reuters Health. Researchers have identified a natural painkiller in human saliva that is “several times more powerful than morphine” (at least when used in rats). Researchers now hope to study what triggers the natural release of this substance, called opiorphin (what a fun name , and its possible applications. I’m always glad to see research directed at working with our bodies (amazing creations that they are)!

Fox News just reported on a Harvard study concluding that high blood sugar is among the world’s top five killers, even before it registers as diabetes! Goodarz Danaei, MD, of Harvard School of Public Health, and colleagues, state: “Our results show that one in five deaths from heart disease and one in eight from stroke worldwide are attributable to higher-than-optimum blood [sugar].”

The risk apparently increases the higher-above-normal the blood sugar levels climb. So many people are killed long before they get diabetes, the disease commonly associated with high blood sugar. The researchers estimated 3.16 million annual deaths worldwide caused by high blood sugar.

Wow! That is a startling number AND this is very important information to know. I did not realize how critical it was to being hyvin (well) to monitor and control blood sugar levels. Now I know.

Dr. Jamie McManus, MD, FAAFP, discusses the importance of including probiotics proven to survive until reaching the colon as part of one’s core nutritional wellness plan: “Our bodies are constantly detoxifying via our digestive system, genitourinary system, lungs and skin. There is a growing amount of evidence supporting the benefits of probiotics in supporting healthy digestion. And, when your digestive system is functioning well, many people will notice positive effects on energy and even the appearance of your skin!” I agree – probiotics are an important player in being hyvin (well)!

I’m sure you’ve heard news reports of the recent E-coli contamination of spinach and lettuce. What are you missing if you choose to avoid spinach and other greens?

Spinach and other greens are rich in B-vitamins and Vitamin K, as well as being reasonable vegetarian options for providing iron and calcium. Also, spinach has become a favored green vegetable in recent years because of its lutein content. Lutein has been shown to help maintain eye health.

What to do? Be sure to supplement with a baseline of foundational nutrients, including those in spinach, and add the clinically relevant amount of lutein to your daily regime. “Clinically relevant” is important, because you cannot get enough lutein to provide the benefits demonstrated from research in a multi-vitamin. A carotenoid-only supplement is the only way to get adequate amounts.

A new Australian study suggests that expectant moms who eat a low glycemic index diet give birth to healthier babies, while the infants of those who eat a moderate to high glycemic index diet are heavy for their gestational age. According to the Reuters Health report of the study, researchers suggest that there may be longer term risks of chronic disease or obesity at play in the heavier infants. The study appeared in the October 2006 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

Considering the all around benefits of eating foods with a low glycemic index, it would seem a good idea for moms-to-be.

There is a growing consensus about the wisdom of daily supplementation.

The American Medical Association, the Harvard School of Public Health, and the Berkeley Wellness Letter all now recommend multi-vitamins.

According to the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), everyone, regardless of age or health status, should supplement their diet with a daily multivitamin. That would include infants, kids, men, women, and seniors.

Research also shows, of course, that intake of some vitamins strengthens the immune system and helps promote long-term health. Supplementation is definitely a key to being Hyvin (well)!