by dnshah | Sep 2, 2019 | Stress Management
We all need stress to survive. Stress activates our body’s nervous system’s responses so we can optimally respond to danger and survive. You may have heard it called “Fight or Flight” response. If we see a bear coming after us, our body goes through changes so we can run away from it, like our blood will redirect away from digestion and go towards our limbs so we can RUN. Our body changes upon the appearance of a threat. Cortisol and adrenaline levels (stress hormones) can surge with stress, and later this can impact our sleep, mood, performance, and brain fog.
The occasional stressful situation is fine; but what happens when we are CONSTANTLY under stress due to unforeseen crisis? Maintaining optimal health in the midst of a long stressful situation will require a mindful response. While we don’t have control over all situational events, we DO have control over how we respond. Being in chronic stress impairs overall health, but there are techniques that can help us counter chronic stress.
By understanding our natural personalities and “doshas” (nature), we can identify our “stress type”. One we establish our stress type, we can determine which strategy (nutrition, exercise, mindfulness, social support, etc.) or combinations will help us tackle our stress pressure.
Stress Response Types & Best Relief Techniques
- Wired & Tired: Life is so hectic we forget to take care of ourselves. We burn out easily. Sleep is difficult, and it’s hard to calm down.
- Grab that oxygen mask and put it on ourselves first. The better our shape, the better our responses. We can try a yogic breathing exercise (pranayama) several times/week to get rich oxygen deep into our tissues and organs so we can tackle each day better.
- Woe Is Me: Sleep is difficult, our minds won’t shut off because we are worried about everything. Our muscles are tight. We are frequently angry.
- Documenting the list of worry- or anxiety-creating situations allows our minds to stop obsessing about the troubles.
- Some mindful activities such as quiet time/meditation allows a connection between our conscious and subconscious selves so we can evaluate the best ways to tackle our troubles.
- Exercise helps channel our anxiety in a productive place.
- The heat is on: Stress is on-going. It’s hard to cope with life. We are tired and have nothing left to give.
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- Grab that oxygen mask and put it on ourselves first. The better our shape, the better our responses. We can try a yogic breathing exercise (pranayama) several times/week to get rich oxygen deep into our tissues and organs so we can tackle each day better.
- Some mindful activities such as quiet time/meditation allows a connection between our conscious and subconscious selves so we can evaluate the best ways to tackle our troubles.
- Minimize sugar-laden foods
- Mentally exhausted: Stress is on-going. Our mental capacities are stretched too thin, so it’s hard to think clearly.
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- Grab that oxygen mask and put it on ourselves first. The better our shape, the better our responses. We can try a yogic breathing exercise (pranayama) several times/week to get rich oxygen deep into our tissues and organs so we can tackle each day better.
- Minimize sugar-laden foods.
- Tired: Stress is on-going. Our physical energy is exhausted. We’ve started gaining weight. We don’t look or feel well. We feel weak and tired.
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- Grab that oxygen mask and put it on ourselves first. The better our shape, the better our responses. We can try a yogic breathing exercise (pranayama) several times/week to get rich oxygen deep into our tissues and organs so we can tackle each day better.
- Taking short walks in nature, absorbing some vitamin D along the way, will help nourish our mind and body enabling us to tackle the source of stress better.
- Social breaks will help our brains better handle the root cause of stress.
Finding relief from your constant stress depends upon the best strategy for your stress type. Usually it’s a combined effort of lifestyle changes (exercise, diet, meditation, pranayam, etc.) along with the awareness of what’s happening inside your body. If you suffer from chronic stress issues, reach out to your healthcare practitioner or your health coach and brainstorm the different ways to address the changes within your body. Be empowered with information that will help maintain your optimal health.
by dnshah | Sep 2, 2019 | Health and Wellness Tips, Stress Management
By Alya Azar, INHC & Darshi Shah, INHC/CNT
Screen time is one of the hottest topics amongst parents, and they want to know how much screen time is appropriate for their young children. We receive questions such as: how many hours should I allow my kids to use their phones? At what age should children start using a phone? And Is social media dangerous to kids?
The truth is that these electronic screens aren’t going away and they’re everywhere -even on a cruise ship in the middle of nowhere! Looking at recent data, we see that 98% of homes in the US with young children have a mobile-touch screen device. Children (aged 8-10) spend an average of 6 hours/ day on screen time (includes 4 hours of TV); and children (aged 11-18) spend an average of 9 hours/day (includes 5 hours of TV).
Why is this not a good thing?
- Less time for physical movement can increases our risk of cardio-metabolic diseases and obesity.
- Less time for academic goals can lower academic achievement.
- Less time for face to face conversations, relationship building, and service to others.
- Less time for relaxed activities like neighborhood play and quiet down time with oneself.
- Less quality time with loved ones.
- Screen time affectspsychological wellbeing: A study cited 1 or more hours of screen time was generally linked to progressively lower psychological well-being: not being curious, having less self-control, having less emotional stability, more difficult to, care for, anxiety or depression.
- Worsening sleep patterns: A meta-analysis of 67 studies cited increased screen time can result in shortened durations and delayed timings of sleep in children and adolescents. This outcome in children impacts future risk of obesity, psychological well-being, improved cognitive functions, and lower risk-taking behaviors.
We don’t see Apple making it easier for parental controls any time soon, so strategies to reduce screen time MUST come from within the home. The best tips to empower our children to make a change start with:
- Children model parents. Parents must limit their screen times and set rules about dining times and quality family times
- Set a daily screen time limit and empower children to prioritize screen activities.
So what is the appropriate amount of screen time for our children?
- Children (aged < 18 months) should not be having screen time, except for video chatting
- Children (aged 2-5) can have up to 1 hour/day of quality programs with parental supervision for better comprehension of program content.
- Children (aged > 5) can have up to 2hours/day NOT including educational screen time.
- Screen time before bed can impact melatonin production and impact sleep.
It is our responsibilities as parents to protect our children from the potential “health risks” associated with screen time and we need to persevere until we set the proper limits, especially when we parents are sometimes as addicted to technology as our children are. At the end of the day we want to raise emotional intelligent children who are well rounded. Remember aside from screen time, it’s important to encourage face-to-face interactions and regular physical movement.
by dnshah | Sep 2, 2019 | Health and Wellness Tips
According to a little known study, eating only 4 Brazil nuts per month significantly lowered, up to 20 points, serum LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). Some incredulous doctors state this is faster than drugs. But just that single serving, let’s say on the 1st of the month, kept the cholesterol down 5 days later… and even 30 days later. No one tested beyond the 30 days. But the fascinating thing is that people were not still eating Brazil nuts… just that one serving that one day.
Remember I said “incredulous” doctor… because when studies involve a small population – it isn’t always respected. But the more integrative doctors I know believe that when the scientific studies show SIGNIFICANT improvement and the action required is:
- Convenient
- Inexpensive
- Not showing adverse health effects (no liver or kidney issues due to high selenium)
Then they absolutely recommend their patients take the action. In this case eating just 4 Brazil nuts seems to lower serum LDL cholesterol and increase serum HDL cholesterol for 30 days. Easy, convenient, inexpensive action for a big result. I love easy steps toward health!
by dnshah | Jul 24, 2019 | Age Defying, Diet and Weight Loss, Health and Wellness Tips, Obesity
I am admitting it. I’m addicted to sugar. Many Americans agree with me. I always thought it was because there are so many delectable American desserts (compared to other cuisines). And considering that the Western American diet is highly processed and overly sweetened, it is no wonder. Even food advertisers captivate audiences with taste, taste, taste as though that is the ONLY criterion for consumption. Sugar has gone from a side role to the main focus of ALL foods. Americans consume far more sugar than is recommended for our health. But this is not just a problem in the US, as other societies also have the sugar blues. Last week my aunt from Mumbai was visiting and she checked her blood sugar daily while consuming the meals I prepared for her. For the first time I was able to see the impacts of the meals I was making for her.
It empowered me to challenge my meals in such a way to lower her blood sugar. But in doing so, I saw what can only be described as “withdrawal” symptoms. This made me look at sugar as though it was a drug – complete with addiction and withdrawal issues. So now I ask the question, “Are we all addicted?”
“More, please!”
In order for a substance to be addictive, there should be an effect on the brain which stimulates the release of dopamine. Dopamine of one type of neurotransmitter that gives us a heightened sense of pleasure. Sugar does this… and it feels so good that over time we want more to get the same “high” (buzz/pleasure).
In nutrition school I learned that humans are programmed to love sweetness. Appreciation of the sweet taste of berries/fruits picked off trees was a survival sense to avoid starvation. That same survival sense has evolved today, and now it is expected to have that pleasant aroma and taste at practically every meal, every snack, and every beverage.
Psychological Behavior Change
If the consumption of a substance can initiate a behavior change, it may be considered as addictive. In animal studies, sugar consumption is shown to have drug-like effects as it is associated with sugar-related binges, cravings, tolerance, and withdrawal. There was even one rat study that showed Oreo cookies causing more neural activity than cocaine.
Acceptance
My clients with sugar-related health goals have made overcoming the cravings a primary focus. But how does one do this? The only way is the cut out all sugar, and neutralize the palate. Yes, this means withdrawal. The challenge is often met with scurrying in the kitchen in search of something sweet. I saw this with my aunt’s withdrawal this past week, and as hard as it was to watch – I remained patient and gave her daily goals to work toward. We were duly rewarded with a lowering of her blood sugar levels. But, this is not a 1-day fix, but a lifestyle change to stop the cravings AND keep them away.
Actions
I will not say these are easy actions to take; but if you challenge yourself with them, rewards will follow. They all deal with labels.
- Don’t flock to “diet” labelled foods. Dietary foods are marketing a lower fat or calorie content, but in order to achieve this, they use other flavors/ingredients (usually sugars) to compensate. (think yogurts).
- Check for sugar in the ingredients list and ensure it is not in the first 5 ingredients. If it is (as in sweet yogurt), stop buying/eating these items. Replace them with wholesome ingredients without the sugars.
- Become knowledgeable about the different names for sugar: cane sugar, cane juice, cane juice solids, cane juice crystals, dextrin, maltodextrin, dextran, barley malt, beet sugar, corn syrup, caramel, carob syrup, brown sugar, date sugar, malt sugar, diatastic malt, fruit juice, fruit juice crystals, golden syrup, turbinado, sorghum syrup, refiner’s syrup, ethyl maltol, maple syrup, yellow sugar, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and many more.
- Understand the difference between Natural and Added- sugars.
- Natural sugars from fruits, veggies are usually not an issue because of the FIBER they are contained in. The fiber slows the absorption of the sugars. In the case of 100% fruit juice, if the fibers are removed then the end product becomes refined and harmful to sugar addicts.
- Natural sugars from dairy contain lactose – a milk sugar. While this is not an added sugar, be aware that it can increase blood sugar and should be used sparingly. Yogurts that also add sweeteners should be avoided as this will combine lactose and more concentrated sugars.
- Natural sugars from honey and syrups will increase blood-sugar concentrations, AND keep the palette wanting more sugar later in the day. It doesn’t help to add “a little bit” of these to the diet if one is trying to stop the cravings.
- Words ending in –ose and –ol are sugar alcohols and should be avoided for those trying to stop sugar cravings.
I empower you to challenge yourself to a clean eating week without refined sugars. Even if you don’t have lofty health goals, and don’t for see a problem with your sugar consumption, consider just a week of some healthy meals to neutralize your palette and see if you show any signs of withdrawal. Sign up for the next clean eating challenge here.
by dnshah | Jul 24, 2019 | Age Defying, Health and Wellness Tips
Since the last 20 years over 73,000 research articles have been published on AD, but little progress has been done to cure this disease. While it still remains incurable, it IS PREVENTABLE.
Alzheimer’s Disease can be thought of as a “mind attack,” since we have other medical terms such as “heart attack” or brain attack (stroke). To protect oneself from a mind attack, we have to take preventative actions to keep the mind functioning optimally. These actions include controlling vascular risk factors (high blood pressure & cholesterol), and controlling chronic brain hypoperfusion (lack of adequate blood flow to the brain). All of this translates into:
- A healthy diet
- Physical exercise
- Mental exercise
The combination of these three items means you reduce your risk of the major risk factors for AD. These risk factors are:
- Diabetes
- Hypertension
- Obesity
- Depression
- Lack of Physical Exercise
- Smoking
- Lack of Mental Exercise
Up to 50% of AD are attributable to these 7 risk factors. This didn’t even factor in specific diet patterns. However it has been shown that diet plays a big role in AD. For example Mediterranean diet eaters are associated with a lower incidence of AD and slower cognitive decline. The Mediterranean diet is high in vegetables, beans, fruits, & nuts; and low in meats and dairy. Studies have shown the main constituents of this diet that show benefits are the high vegetable consumption and the ratio of fats (plant-based vs animal based).
Looking across 11 countries, the main indicator of the prevalence of AD is fat consumption. Higher saturated fat intake was associated with a poorer trajectory of cognition and memory. The study showed that women with the lowest saturated fat intakes had the brain function of women 6 years younger! If having younger brain function appeals to you, listen up! Eating healthy pays you back in big ways.
Adherence to a healthy diet, such as the Mediterranean Diet, was associated with longevity of life. In fact a decade after the study was started, the only remaining participants were the ones that were strictly eating healthy.
Eating healthy can mean a variety of things. The keys factors for AD in these studies were:
- Vegetable Consumption
- Fat Consumption (Plant-based vs Animal-based)
This proves yet again that plant-based diets are the crème de la crème of healthy eating. Time to consider meatless Mondays!
