One of the best things you can do to improve your immune system is to start taking a quality probiotic. Probiotics are good organisms that are beneficial to our health. They are the healthy gut flora people strive for. They exist in cultured and fermented foods – think yogurt or kombucha. They also exist in supplement form. There are good probiotics at most drug stores or grocers – and you can even find them on Amazon.com. But I want to let you know that Fortify is offering one of the best probiotics (Pure Probiotics) which is free of GMO, Gluten, Dairy, and Soy at a 30% off Amazon pricing. So if you’d love to try a Fortify-recommended brand of probiotics, send me your email address and I’ll send you a recommendation to purchase at that discounted price! (mailto: darshis@gmail.com )
Possible Benefits of Probiotics:
Improve digestive health
Shape the body’s immune system
Produce antimicrobial substances
Ferment dietary fiber to generate nutrients for intestinal cells
Selection Criteria:
A variety of bacteria types (more than just the common ones like Lactobacillus and Bifidobacterium)
Quantity of the various types
Active strains
Allergen friendly (especially for those that are dairy-free)
Texas and the US loves to consume its tea… iced and usually in the summers; but outside the US, hot tea is common and almost known as medicine in a cup. There are literally endless number of ways to create a hot flavored drink that can bring heat into the body and have a health impact. So what are the best herbal teas one can create or drink? From a nutritional therapist’s point of view – who has experience living in both the UK and India – these are my suggestions.
Herbal teas can contain flowers, herbs, spices, and other roots; but do not typically contain “tea” which is anything derived from the Camellia Sinensis plant (green, white, black, oolong tea variations). Most herbal teas are caffeine-free and gluten-free… but NOT ALL. So if that is important to you, then you must read the ingredients and certified designations of any new tea you introduce. The benefits of herbal teas are:
Positive health impact
Won’t keep you up at night
Can be used as a smoothie base
Can be used to flavor cooking (oatmeal, soup, marinades, grains)
Can be used as a cocktail mixer
Loose herbal teas can be used as garnish (salads, desserts)
Darshi’s Suggestions:
Ginger: A pungent taste best known to help with supporting immunity, reducing nausea, reducing motion sickness, creating inner heat, fighting inflammation, reducing pain (post-workout, osteoarthritis, menstruation). You don’t have to buy tea bags if you already stock fresh ginger. Simply grate washed ginger (skin and all) into boiling water and boil or steep for a few minutes. I like to instant pot my tea on the soup cycle to intensify the flavor and make larger portions to use throughout the week (hot or iced).
Mint: A sweet taste best known to help with easing indigestion, enhanced breathing/ bronchial relaxation, and better muscle repair/ increased oxygen levels to the brain and other organs. You don’t have to buy tea bags if you already stock or grow fresh mint. Simply add washed mint leaves into boiling water and boil or steep for a few minutes. There are new varieties of mint plants, including a chocolate mint plant that makes minty chocolate tea or cocktails.
Hibiscus: A tart taste best known to help with promoting weight loss, boosting good cholesterol (HDL), lowering bad cholesterol (LDL), lowering triglycerides in diabetics, and protecting the liver. It is also immune-supporting and anti-bacterial. You have to buy tea bags here for full impact.
Roobios: An earthy taste best known to help with fighting inflammation, protecting bone health, improving digestion, and preventing obesity. It has some important minerals too (iron, calcium, potassium, copper, manganese, zinc, and magnesium).
Chamomile: A floral taste best known to help with calming/inducing sleep, fighting inflammation, easing menstrual cramps, regulating blood sugar and protecting bone density
Several decades ago, it was regarded as a food for the elderly who may want more regularity in digestion; but today we recognize it as a PREBIOTIC, which means it serves as food for our microbiome – the bacteria that live in our gut. It’s called psyllium husk and about Keeping our digestive flora healthy is a great way to boost our immunity and our overall health. India dominates this market by providing 80% of the psyllium available in the world market.
It comes from a shrub-like herb (Plantago Ovata) that is very common in India. This fiber has been shown to lower cholesterol, lower heart disease risk, lower triglyceride levels, lower risk of cardiovascular disease, relieve constipation/diarrhea, regulate blood sugar levels in diabetics, and it’s a fiber so is used to treat IBS, hemorrhoids, and other common intestinal issues. While studies are not fully conclusive (yet), it may be that adding fiber such as psyllium husk may help lower blood pressure.
When mixed with water it swells and bulks out. This creates a more “filling” effect after consumption delaying hunger longer and reduce cravings, and it stimulates motility in the intestine so one can become more regular with consistent use.
The only precautions are that it can reduce/delay the absorption of certain medications so you shouldn’t take it within 2-4 hours of taking your medicines; and that you must drink plenty of water to prevent a bowel obstruction or choking hazard (since it does absorb and swell).
I have had a client tell me that they get severe gas and bloating with psyllium husk but I believe this to be very rare. Remember to talk with your doctor before adding anything to your diet – as only they will be fully aware of your medications and any interactions
1 teaspoon chia seeds (you can pre-soak them for 15 minutes to soften)
METHOD
If you feel a bit strange putting cabbage into the blender, don’t worry, this smoothie is absolutely delicious. Cabbage is a severely underrated vegetable and when you see its beautiful purple color when combined with the blueberries, you may decide to make it a regular indulgence.
Many clients are talking to me about losing their hair… and finding it on the ground and in the hairbrush. What’s happening to them all?
Hellllllooooo – we’re in a pandemic still. And all the stress and uncertainty in life does take a toll on EVERYONE. While men are more likely to lose their hair, women are experiencing thinning of the hair also. Stress does wreak havoc in the body; but there are actually many reasons for the hair lost & found to be occurring in your life.
Some of the general reasons for excessive shedding are listed here, , but if you have severe hair loss you will need to find a trichologist who can examine and evaluate you.
• Stress
• Illness
• Post-Pregnancy
• Over-styling & treatments
• Compulsive hair pulling
• Excessive vitamin A intake
• Deficiency of protein
• Deficiency of iron
• Change in eating habits
• Sudden weight loss
• Chemotherapy
• Rx side effect
• Anabolic steroids
• Genetic predisposition to baldness
• Your mom had thinning hair
• Your hormones are changing
• A variety of diseases (thyroid condition, Alopecia areata, Lupus, PCOS)
• Age
Does the status of your BMI (body mass index) affect your immunity? Health professionals use the BMI as a measurement of how healthy one is and what category of health risk they are in especially for cardiac complications.
The CDC has suggested that “as BMI increases, the risk of death from COVID19 also increases” which aligns with a May/2020 cohort study. Obese patients may have three times the hospitalization risk, which is similar to having diabetes or hypertension. Additionally, mechanical ventilation may be more difficult and less effective with obese patients’ decreased lung capacity. Additionally, obesity impacts the immune system, especially with T-lymphocyte dysfunction. T Lymphocytes are important to the adaptive immune system, and specifically for killing infected host cells and regulating the immune process. Obesity can sometimes increase chronic inflammation.
Despite all these negative factors, there is hope. Because weight loss removes these risks entirely. So there is a push for weight loss in light of the pandemic. If you know of anyone that could benefit from a meeting with a nutritional therapist, health coach, or a naturopathic doctor, send them our way and drop me an email. We will give them a complimentary session and help them get started on their new health goals.
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