Demyelinating diseases include any issue where there is damage to a myelin sheath. A myelin sheath is the protective fatty layer that surrounds nerve fibers which connect the brain and spinal cord. Some of these diseases include multiple sclerosis, transverse myelitis, and neuromyelitis optica. In these conditions the body’s immune system attacks the myelin sheath, and the result is increasing pain and dysfunction with thinking, speaking, seeing, moving, eating, or walking – and it’s progressive.
So that made me think HOW can we protect or increase myelin? My research has brought me to these items listed as nutrition for our myelin. For those most at risk for these demyelinating disease, THIS is what you can focus on for the best way to nourish your myelin.
Omega-3 fatty acids; especially DHA
Vitamin D
Vitamin C
Iodine
Zinc
Choline
Lecithin
Vitamin B12
Cholesterol
Iron
Lithium
Vitamin K2
Biotin
Folate/Vitamin B9
Pantothenic Acid/Vitamin B5
Copper
Phosphatidylserine
There are so many foods that make up these nutrients, so work with a nutritional therapist to get a meal plan that ensures optimal nutrition for increasing your myelin. The thought is that the disease will be damaging some, so the theory is that your body is busy increasing it at a faster rate and delaying major damage.
Some supplements that also increase myelin include:
Ashwagandha
SAMe
Grape Seed Extract
Lion’s Mane
Ginkgo
Quercetin
There are food sources for some of these to keep in mind, and for the supplements – please contact a professional trained in naturopathic supplements who can prescribe and offer you locations where the standard and purity of the supplement is top-notch. I can connect you to a naturopathic practitioner if you reach out to me and tell me your general location. Remember to discuss all dietary changes with your practitioner – because your practitioner will know best about your illnesses, medications, and any interactions.
Grains, nuts, and true seeds are all edible little nutrient dense gems with compounds that boost health. Some are more potent than others, but they all supply minerals, fiber, and healthy omega-3 fats. Many provide plant-based proteins too. Here are my favorite seeds to incorporate weekly into your diet. Remember to discuss dietary changes with your practitioner, who would know the best for you regarding your bio-individual conditions, medications, and any interactions.
Seeds still support our health today. Learn more about these five superfood seeds and how you can enjoy them more often. These seeds are often used as toppings for salads, yogurt, toast, cereal, grain bowls, and blended into sauces, dressings, puddings, and smoothies. There are some egg alternatives made from these seeds and water!
Chia Seeds
They are 40% fiber and 60% nutrient filled gems that help with digestion, heart disease, diabetes, muscle building, and high blood pressure. The fiber helps satisfy the appetite and feed the good gut bacteria.
A 1-oz serving of chia seeds contains 4 g of protein, 9 g of fat. It is full of omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants and is a complete protein, which is rare for a plant-based protein. It supports bone health and muscle building.
Hemp Seeds
A cousin to cannabis/marijuana, hemp is trendy. As a supplement it’s used for a variety of anxiety-related issues. It’s a complete protein, which is rare for plant-based proteins. It’s 25% protein and 75% fiber- and nutrient-dense gems containing all nine amino acids, omega-3 fatty acids in a ratio with omega-6 that is optimal for health (anti-inflammatory).
It is known to boost health: heart health, stress response, relaxation, optimal hormone and brain health. The fiber helps with microbiome nourishment, motility, and overall GI issues.
Flaxseeds
“Liquid Gold” is the way flaxseed meal was described to me. The meal is not a liquid but a powder; but the expression ‘liquid gold’ refers to oil. Flaxseed oil is rich in omega-3 fatty acids. The meal, ground flaxseeds, is an easy form to eat and doesn’t get stuck in your teeth which can be annoying.
It’s 40% oil – mostly omega-3 fatty acids so very anti-inflammatory. It’s 60% fiber- and nutrient-dense. It’s used to boost digestion, bowel regularity, weight loss/maintenance, & detoxification. It contains components that help reduce your risk of estrogen-related cancers, and help stabilize your blood-sugar.
Sesame Seeds
Tahini is sesame butter, and used as a staple in Middle Eastern recipes. These seeds are nutrient dense gems of minerals, antioxidants, and contain anti-inflammatory properties. They are known to help with hypertension, relaxing, sleep, free-radical damages, brain- and heart- health.
Pumpkin Seeds
Pepitas are pumpkin seeds without the husks. Having been used for thousands of years, they are nutrient dense with minerals and vitamin E. They are known for fighting radical damage, boosting immune function, and reducing the risk of various cancers. They are also known for being delicious- especially when slightly roasted.
Out of control blood sugar fluctuations compromises normal bone modeling and that can increase the risk of fractures. Post-menopausal women with poor glycemic control are at high risk for bone fractures.
Bone mass or bone density are different from bone architecture and functional strength. While many post-menopausal women show to have a normal range of bone mass or density, they do feel some weakening of bone architecture. Researchers believe that poor glycemic control increases AGEs (advanced glycation end products) in the bone, which impacts the collagen network and function of the bone cells. This is based on studies showing:
Low bone mass (63%) and bone architecture deterioration (73%) are observed in postmenopausal women with T2D
If you are a postmenopausal women with T2D, talk to your doctor about methods of fracture assessment like FRAX or TBS-adjusted FRAX.
Maybe something important came up, and you had to miss your second COVID vaccine appointment. Don’t panic if you missed your designated second vaccine dose. The recommended interval between Pfizer vaccines are 21 days apart. The recommended interval between the Moderna vaccines are 28 days apart. This means that it’s optimal to get your shot in that interval. But if you couldn’t make it and you missed it, and your new challenge is to get back into the scheduling window… as long as you are able to get your second dose within 6 weeks of your scheduled date – you are fine according to the CDC. The new goal would be to get your second vaccine as close as possible to the original date you were scheduled to: 21-day interval for Pfizer and 28-day interval for Moderna.
That said, it is unknown how effective the vaccine will be when it is delayed beyond the 6-week interval. Contact your vaccine distributor for scheduling/re-scheduling your second dose if you have missed that date.
Lastly, Please be sure and take a picture of your COVID vaccine card so you always have a picture on your phone in case you lose it.
Since sugar has been linked to obesity, heart disease, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, and Type 2 diabetes – the healthful path is to avoid or break-up with sugar. Easier said than done… but not impossible! Sugars are short chain To do it effectively one should become an expert at reading nutrition labels AND know all of sugar’s aliases:
Glucose: sugar metabolized by every cell in your body
Barley malt
Brown rice syrup
Corn syrup
Dextrin
Dextrose
Diastatic malt
Ethyl maltol
Lactose
Malt syrup
Maltodextrin
Maltose
Rice syrup
Fructose: sugar metabolized by the liver
Combinations of Glucose and Fructose
Sucrose: table sugar (composed of glucose and fructose evenly); extracted from sugar cane/beets; a refined sugar: not considered healthy.
High fructose corn syrup (HFCS): an almost even mix of glucose and fructose made from corn starch processing used in foods and beverages
Agave nectar: produced by an agave plant; consists of 80% fructose and 20% glucose and doesn’t spike blood sugar; used in healthier foods like cereal bars and yogurts
Beet Sugar
Birch Syrup
Blackstrap molasses
Brown Sugar
Buttered Syrup
Can juice crystals
Cane sugar
Caramel
Carob syrup
Castor sugar
Coconut sugar
Confectioner’s sugar / Powdered sugar
Date sugar
Demerara sugar
Florida crystals
Fruit juice & concentrate
Golden sugar
Gord
Grape sugar
Honey
Icing sugar
Invert sugar
Maple syrup
Muscovado sugar
Panela sugar
Rapadura
Raw sugar
Refiner’s syrup
Sorghum syrup
Sucanat
Sugar beet syrup
Treacle sugar
Turbinado sugar
Yellow sugar
Sweetener without glucose & fructose
D-ribose: not as sweet
Galactose: not as sweet
If you are new to label reading, you will be amazed at how many foods contain sugars… such as condiments, spaghetti sauces, soups, and yogurts. When an alias is used on the label, it’s difficult to understand if the food is fortified with sugar unless you are familiar with the aliases. When more than one sugar is used, then the sugars can be listed further down in the ingredient list giving a misconception that the quantity of sugar used must be quite low… even when the product is mostly sugar.
The main takeaway from this is to limit the amount of sugar you consume and to be aware of all the aliases.
There’s a new blood test coming your way soon called Galleri. It has the ability to detect more than 50 types of cancer and WHERE the cancer is growing from a single blood draw. It’s going to revolutionize cancer screenings. It was researched and produced from a company called GRAIL. They have performed successful clinical trials and formed partnerships with Amgen, AstraZeneca, and Bristol Myers Squibb. In 2014 Illumina began doing DNA sequencing studies and suspected certain markers may be cancer-identifying, so they formed the spin-off company, GRAIL. Now GRAIL’s technology has been reacquired by Illumina for $8 Billion. Holy GRAIL!!
What this means for us is that the UK will have some immediate plans for cancer screenings via the NHS (UK National Health Services). Then Galleri will be coming to the US via Providence clinics (50 hospitals & 1100 health clinics serving over 5 million patients in California, Washington, and Oregon).
Blood tests have come a LONG way, and I believe this is only the beginning of how genetics are going to change cancer screenings and care. It’s a very exciting time we are living in! See your holistic practitioner for more information of this type of screening.
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