by dnshah | May 4, 2020 | Age Defying, Diet and Weight Loss, Health and Wellness Tips, Obesity, Stress Management
Sounds awful… but many are enhancing their cup of Java – not for flavor, but to increase health benefits. There are several different ideas floating around… Mushroom coffee is one that seems to have gained popularity, as now some cafes across the country are carrying it.
Mushroom coffee is basically a regular coffee that has been combined with powerful medicinal mushrooms, such as cordyceps, lion’s main, and chaga, to boost health benefits and brain function. Can there really be merit to this fad?
Benefits
Side Effects
One should ALWAYS consult their doctor before taking any supplements.
- Mushroom coffee can interact with various drugs and prescription medications.
- For some people, the caffeine in coffee can cause jitteriness, nervousness, insomnia, and nausea. For some people, mushroom coffee can cause IBS type of symptoms.
- There are rare cases of side effects with medicinal mushroom supplements. One example of an adverse reaction involves Reishi mushrooms. It was linked to fatal hepatitis for a small percentage of consumers. Researchers attribute this to some interaction with prescription medications.
Special note that this is a new concept to the US, and mushroom coffee has not been studied directly in controlled scientific studies, so optimal dosages for coffee in combination with medicinal mushrooms have not been established. Nutritionists have referred to the recommended doses of coffee and respective mushrooms separately to create this products for the effective purpose of boosting immunity and cognitive function.
Available Products
I believe mushroom coffee is great during flu season (or a pandemic/endemic) or for anyone with a compromised immune system due to its immune-boosting properties. I especially like the easy delivery system for those of us with a daily habit of a hot beverage in the mornings. I don’t get any incentives for talking about these products, but I do use the last one mentioned!
- Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee Mix is ideal if you want to swap in mushroom coffee into an already-established coffee routine, and can be made with any standard coffee maker. You can even use it to make a cold brew if that’s what you prefer.
- SOLLO Chaga Immunity is a K-cup style mushroom coffee that combines arabica coffee with chaga mushroom extract.
- Four Sigmatic Mushroom Coffee Instant Mix is best-suited for making instant coffee on the go. It contains a blend of lion’s Mane, chaga, rhodiola and instant coffee powder.
- Super Organics Energy Boost Coffee uses fair trade and organic coffee with extracts of cordyceps maca root, other herbals, and probiotics.
- Naturealm Mushroom Coffee Creamer (what I use) is a dairy-free creamer (coconut milk) with a blend of maitake, cordyceps, and lion’s mane, so you can turn your favorite coffee beans into a mushroom coffee. If you typically don’t use a coffee creamer, then this is not for you.
by dnshah | Mar 6, 2020 | Diet and Weight Loss, Health and Wellness Tips, Obesity, Stress Management
For those of us that want more control over our blood-sugar, did you know that our ability to handle sugar (“glucose tolerance”) goes down over the day? This means that the same amount of sugar eaten at 8am and eaten at 8pm causes a different fluctuation of blood sugar. The 8pm sugar dose may actually cause twice the response that the 8am dose does!
This can mean:
- A person who tests normal for diabetes in the morning, may not test normal mid-day. Something to consider if tested negative for diabetes but still have issues.
- Eating sugary foods at night creates a bigger sugar spike than if it had been eaten earlier in the day. So if you’re definitely going to eat sugar, have it early.
- Eating more food earlier in the day is actually better, since most carbohydrates convert to sugar. “Feast like a king in the morning and a pauper at evening”
- Breakfast skippers appear to be at a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and have higher rates of heart disease/atherosclerosis in general. In a randomized test, breakfast skippers had about 10 point higher LDL (bad) cholesterol.
- Eating more calories earlier may have benefits! (better weight management, more weight loss, better blood-sugar control, and lower heart disease risks. On that note, it may be wiser to skip dinner than breakfast.
by dnshah | Sep 13, 2019 | Age Defying, Diet and Weight Loss, Health and Wellness Tips, Stress Management
Previously I have discussed the benefits of intermittent fasting, but haven’t yet discussed the experience of fasting. There are many different ways of fasting (refraining from consuming any food for a specified time frame):
- Fasting every other day
- Fasting one day/week
- 12-hour fast (8pm-8am)
- 16-hour fast (8pm-12pm)
Benefits range from improved cognitive function to increased longevity. But how do you manage hunger pangs and cravings? What does it feel like to literally starve? What is normal, and what is above and beyond your capacity? Here are some common questions, and answers based on my experiences.
- Can anyone fast? Fasting has been done for hundreds (maybe thousands) of years. But it is not for everyone. People that are malnourished, women that are missing monthly periods, women with bad PMS, pregnant or nursing women, or people with hormone issues should not try out fasting. Additionally if you are on medications, you need to check with your doctor and ensure the medications/dosages will not be affected by your fast.
- Are you always hungry on a fast? Initially when you change your eating habits – it’s normal to feel hungry if you reduce the amount of food you usually eat. It takes some discipline or motivation to do it at the beginning. But once you get into that routine, then you don’t feel the hunger nor get cravings.
- What’s the best preparation work to help start a fast? Get rid of the sugar 2-3 weeks before you begin a new diet involving fasting. It helps stop the blood-sugar fluctuations which make fasting difficult.
- How should I start an intermittent fast? First, reduce sugars from your diet in general. Then start slow by not eating after 8pm. After a few weeks, don’t eat before 8am and continue this 12 hours fast for several weeks. Track your energy, mood, and overall wellness. Then if you desire more, select a few days/week to try a 16 hour fast (12pm – 8pm). Again track your energy, mood, sleep patterns, and make sure the fast is benefitting you.
NOTE: it takes 8 weeks for a new habit to become routine.
NOTE: If you feel dizziness or start experiencing any other worrisome symptoms, stop fasting and consult with your health practitioner.
Fasting can be part of any of our clean eating events, so if your doctor okays you for trying it out… join us on our next clean eating event in November! There is plenty of time for preparations, and shopping, and even getting a few friends to join you!
by dnshah | Sep 5, 2019 | Age Defying, Diet and Weight Loss, Health and Wellness Tips, Stress Management
With the exception of raw vegans, most of us eat cooked foods. Heat can destroy nutrients; but sometimes it will softening food tissue making the nutrition more bio-available. Research shows that cooking definitely changes the nutrient and antioxidant values of foods, so what is the best way to cook our foods to preserve as much nutrition as possible?
Looking at nutrition values of foods that are raw, steamed, microwaved, boiled; steaming is considered the best cooking method to preserve nutrition because food’s not water-dunked enabling leaching of nutrients in water nor cooked at excessive temperatures causing negative chemical changes. Microwaving came in second previously. But with new cooking technologies and tools (like the instant pot – pressure cooker), we have to consider if this beats steaming.
So for most food, the longer you cook it, the more antioxidants you can lose. So if you can cook food faster without higher temperatures, theoretically you can preserve the most antioxidants.
- With dried beans/legumes, it’s a no-brainer. Studies show the antioxidant levels of black beans, for example, are 6 times higher for pressure cooking 15 minutes vs. boiling for 1 hour. 3 of 17 amino acids (lysine, cysteine, and arginine) were significantly reduced.
- With vegetables, research showed that cooking did not significantly decrease the phytonutrient content, and it generally increases antioxidant values. Sautéing and pressure-cooking had the strongest values and so similar that they tie for first place, followed closely by boiling. With vegetables however, there was a significant loss of certain amino acids by pressure-cooking vs. blanching. Two out of 17 amino acids (lysine & arginine) were generally reduced in the vegetables.
- With greens, pressure cooking is the best overall, with steaming at #2 with higher ORAC than boiling. How does one pressure cook greens and still have something to eat when it’s all over? Michael Greger’s method to put a layer of water down at the bottom of an electric pressure cooker, drop in a metal steaming basket on top, and then put the greens in and steam under pressure for zero minutes so it shuts off as soon as it reaches the cooking pressure. Then quick release valve it immediately to release the steam. Voila! The greens turn out perfect—bright & tender.
In summary, the instant pot is gaining fame among most health practitioners as a preferred method of cooking plant-based proteins, vegetables, and greens. The only negative thing I found was a decrease of a few amino acids, of which lysine es the only essential amino acid. Lysine is important for supporting a healthy immune system and for boosting athletic performance. Animal-proteins are the well-known sources but since most cooking methods will decrease the value of it, we’ll look at plant-based foods that we may not have to cook. Lysine can be found in dried apricots, avocados, mangoes, beets, leeks, tomatoes, pears, green & red peppers, soy milk, pumpkin seeds, pistachios, cashews, macadamia nuts, yogurt, cheese, butter, and milk.
My life with an instant pot began about a year ago, and it’s been bliss ever since. It’s great for cooking dried beans, lentils, dals, legumes, grains like rice or quinoa, or cultures like yogurts, or soups, or one-dish meals. The best bit is that you can schedule when it should cook your food, so if you’re going to be gone all day, you can fill it and schedule when it should start/finish.
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.
