Cooking Oils and Fats: How to Use Them In Your Diet Hi, I’m Dr. Marie Starling As your functional medicine specialist in Denver, we help people like you reach their full potential. We specialize in adjunctive care for internal disorders, autoimmune conditions, IBS, thyroid symptoms, diabetes, and other complex health issues. By: Mary Beth Gudewicz, CNTP, MNT There is so much information on the market about which oils and fats can be used for cooking and which ones should be used in a salad or drizzled on top of cooked vegetables. Handling of nuts, seeds and their oils require extreme care. When oils and fats are either heated past their smoke point or used in high heat cooking, the fats start to break down releasing free radicals. Free radicals will attack your body’s cells leading to inflammation and eventually diseases such as heart disease, cancer, ulcerative colitis, multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s and rheumatoid arthritis. Oils, nuts and seeds that are not properly stored or packaged go rancid. For example, flaxseed oil needs to be stored in the refrigerator and must be kept in light, protective, opaque containers. On the other hand, olive oil does not need to be refrigerated. Some oils should be used in high-heat cooking and others in medium-heat cooking (200-300 degrees Fahrenheit) and others should only be used in low-heating conditions such as when you make soup or as part of your salad dressing. Believe it or not handling fats and oils requires extreme care, so let’s explore which ones are best for the job. The key is to choose unprocessed fats over processed fats because processed fats are...
Food is Your Best Medicine: The Benefits of Bone Broth Hi, I’m Dr. Marie Starling At The Healing Center Denver, we help people like you reach their full potential. I specialize in adjunctive care for internal disorders, autoimmune conditions, IBS, thyroid symptoms, diabetes, and other complex health issues. By Jessica Yoches, CNTP While cooler, Fall weather calls for nourishing soups and stews and the pleasant smells of them warming on the stove, it also invokes the worry of possible colds and the flu. Turns out soup is just what the body is asking for: homemade bone broth is an inexpensive, effective antidote for preventing and healing colds or the flu, while also supplying important minerals and nutrients for overall health. As the popular book series indicates, chicken soup is good for the soul! Bone broth has remained a traditional household staple across many cultures and countries since the 12th Century and is just as therapeutic even after 2000 years. The elimination of bone broth in the diet correlates with comprised health and disease. Canned broth or bouillon cubes won’t cut it; no substitute can recreate the magic of homemade broth. But why is homemade bone broth so beneficial? Benefits The benefits of homemade bone broth are numerous and include: Easy to digest and rich in highly absorbable minerals. Full of bone-building minerals like Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Silicon, Sulphur, and other trace minerals that support healthy bone formation. No artificial ingredients, preservatives, or side effects Contains boiled down cartilage and tendons that support joint health. Compounds such as glycosaminoglycan’s, glucosamine, and chondroitin sulphates are released while cooking. These compounds alleviate joint pain and arthritis more...
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Food Sensitivities -Your Guide to Eliminating Chronic Fatigue (Part 3 of 10) By Michal Cooling, CNTP At The Healing Center Denver we have a holistic, whole-person view as well as molecular view, with tools and testing to evaluate the biochemistry of cells, tissues, and organs. We seek to find the exact imbalance in your body, the underlying cause for that imbalance, and the individualized solution. With this approach, we view fatigue differently than traditional medicine, and usually find there is a network of things contributing towards this fatigue and other related symptoms. Our Top Ten Strategies for Eliminating Chronic Fatigue These are the top ten most common causes of chronic fatigue that we see, which are often not addressed by conventional or even holistic practitioners: Auto-Immunity Gut Function / Nutrient Imbalances / Poor Absorption Hidden Food Sensitivities Hidden Infections Brain Imbalance Emotional / Stress/ Post-Trauma Sleep Issues and Their Underlying Causes Hormone Imbalances (Thyroid, Adrenal, Sex) Toxicity Detoxification and Metabolism Impairment Food Sensitivities Food Sensitivities can also contribute to Chronic Fatigue. Delayed Reaction Food Sensitivities are common and most people don’t know they have them. Unlike the scary Food Allergies we all hear about, they usually don’t result in a quick rash or trouble breathing or outward sign that sends someone to the Emergency Room for life saving treatment. They can just cause a low grade inflammation that may only be felt 5 days later as fatigue. The resulting gastrointestinal inflammation can decrease absorption in the GI tract, resulting in many deficiencies we have already discussed. Many people are just tired, overweight, retain water, have redness to the face,...
Is Sugar Robbing You of Your Immunity? Hi, I’m Dr. Marie Starling At The Healing Center Denver, we help people like you reach their full potential. I specialize in adjunctive care for internal disorders, autoimmune conditions, IBS, thyroid symptoms, diabetes, and other complex health issues. By LuCinda Miller As we embark on cold and flu season, it’s a good time to consider introducing immune boosting strategies to protect your health. One common practice is to reach for extra vitamin C at the sign of the first sniffle, but is this an effective strategy? It can be if you cut out the sugar. Your Immune System at Work When exposed to bacteria, viruses and other foreign invaders, your body goes on attack. The white blood cells (WBC’s) of your immune system are called into action to gobble up these invaders. This is called phagocytosis. If your immune system is strong, your WBC’s will get their job done and the pathogen will never take hold, keeping you from getting sick! The Vitamin C Connection to Immunity It has been known since the 1970’s that vitamin C is critical to the function of our WBC’s through the work of Linus Pauling. Through his research he discovered that WBC’s must contain 50 times the concentration of vitamin C on the inside of the cell than the outside. Therefore it is critical for WBC’s to accumulate vitamin C to maintain their phagocytic function. The Problem with Sugar Here is where the problem with sugar arises. Sugar (glucose) and vitamin C have a similar chemical structure. They also share the same receptor sites for entry into the cells. This puts...
Flip Your Energy Switch - Stay Awake and Focused By LuCinda Miller “I can’t keep my eyes open.” “I can’t seem to focus.” “I can’t concentrate.” Most of us have experienced these feelings even when we have had plenty of sleep and most of us can attest to these feelings coming at the most inopportune times, such as right before a big test or right in the middle of a meeting. Sometimes it makes sense, you were up late the night before or you just completed a big project or assignment that required a lot of mental energy. And then there are the times you did get a good night’s sleep and work has been light. How do you get through that test, how do you get through that meeting? Today we will introduce you to an energy switch that can do just that. Our bodies are amazing at adapting and responding to our environment. In an effort to maintain balance, we have a built in mechanism that essentially forces us to slow down, conserve energy, and prevent exhaustion. When this mechanism is engaged, the body’s energy flow is running in reverse. You will feel sluggish and find it difficult to move forward and get things done. This is your body’s alarm telling you to rest and slow down so it can repair itself and reset. For instances when we can’t stop what we are doing and recharge, we can override this mechanism and simply flip the energy switch to get through the task at hand and keep you awake and focused. It is important to note that there may come a time in...
Abdominal Pain, Fatigue, Constipation, Diarrhea: Could your symptoms be from Small Intestinal Bacteria Overgrowth (SIBO)? Written By Jessica Yoches, CNTP The importance of healthy digestion is known to be a crucial component for overall health, as is the balance of microbes in the gut between good, gut friendly bacteria and “bad” or pathogenic bacteria. Large amounts of gut friendly bacteria reside in the large intestine carrying out vital functions such as synthesizing vitamins; stimulating growth of the gut lining and immune system; and improving muscular activity. In a healthy digestive system however, minimal amounts of bacteria reside in the small intestine so problems arise when bacteria begins to colonize there. Small intestine bacteria overgrowth (SIBO) is difficult to diagnose because its symptoms are similar to other gut issues such as IBS, and it often gets overlooked. Let’s explore what SIBO is, the causes, common symptoms, and how to diagnose and treat it. What is SIBO? SIBO is defined as the “presence of abnormally high bacteria in the small intestine.” The surfaces of the cells lining the small intestinal tract are normally free from colonized clusters of bacteria, and are separated from the inner lining by a layer of mucus. Bacteria entering the digestive tract from the mouth get attacked first by hydrochloric acid (HCl) in the stomach, and then again in the small intestine via enzymes and immunoglobulin secretions. 70% of the immune system resides in the gut, meaning the integrity of the gut’s immune system is crucial in fighting off viruses, bacteria, and parasites entering the small intestine. Intestinal motility is also important for preventing SIBO. The muscularis layer of the gut wall contains...
Your Guide to Eliminating Chronic Fatigue (Part 2 of 10) Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Your Gut By Michal Cooling, CNTP As your functional medicine specialist in Denver, we have a holistic, whole-person view as well as molecular view, with tools and testing to evaluate the biochemistry of cells, tissues, and organs. We seek to find the exact imbalance in your body, the underlying cause for that imbalance, and the individualized solution. With this approach, we view chronic fatigue differently than traditional medicine does, and usually find there is usually a network of things contributing towards this fatigue and other related symptoms. Our Top Ten Strategies for Eliminating Chronic Fatigue These are the top ten most common causes of chronic fatigue that we see, which are often not addressed by conventional or even holistic practitioners: Auto-Immunity Gut Function / Nutrient Imbalances / Poor Absorption Hidden Food Sensitivities Hidden Infections Brain Imbalance Emotional / Stress/ Post-Trauma Sleep Issues and Their Underlying Causes Hormone Imbalances (Thyroid, Adrenal, Sex) Toxicity Detoxification and Metabolism Impairment Today, Our Focus is on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) and Your Gut A little bloating, heartburn, constipation, gas, or diarrhea, though annoying, may not seem that significant. But in reality, it is central to your entire health and connected to everything that happens in your body. All systems rely on a healthy digestive system. The link between gut function and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) has been proven, but why haven’t we heard about it in conventional medicine? Perhaps, there just simply is no model in conventional medicine for successfully addressing the underlying causes. Nevertheless, we can’t ignore the connection or its impact on full recovery. Let’s explore the basis for this connection. Physician...
Trapped Emotions and Your Health Healing and Processing Emotions For any illness, part of the healing process includes addressing the mind-body connection and revitalizing mental and emotional health. Emotions are more than just mere feelings; rather they expose underlying thoughts and beliefs that drive our decisions and dictate how we interact with and interpret our world. Not all of these values and beliefs are true or realistic, prompting harmful emotional responses that affect our health and environment. In today’s fast paced world, we are out of touch with our emotions. Insufficient credit is given to their impact on our overall wellbeing. Unhealthy or unprocessed emotions become stressors in the body, acting as pathogens similar to bacteria; fungi/molds; mycotoxins; viruses; parasites; chemicals/pesticides; and other toxins that can accumulate in the body and manifest symptoms. Each emotion we experience is triggered from a distinctive feeling and releases different chemicals that affect the body; thoughts and beliefs generate chemical responses in the body and our emotions follow. If these chemicals are not properly processed, toxic byproduct substances are produced that the body must process and release, just as it must detox environmental and pathogenic toxins. Emotions affect genetic expression and carry with them energy that, when trapped, gets stored in our body’s cellular memory. The energy from that experience remains in the body where the incident occurred until it is released. These unreleased emotions cause symptoms such as chronic aches and pains in the location where the emotions are trapped. According to David Suzuki in his book Sacred Balance, condensed molecules collected from the exhalation of expressing anger, hatred, fear, anxiety, guilt, and jealousy contained...
Fall allergy season got you down? Come see us, we can help! Hi, I’m Dr. Marie Starling At The Healing Center Denver, we help people like you reach their full potential. I specialize in adjunctive care for internal disorders, autoimmune conditions, IBS, thyroid symptoms, diabetes, and other complex health issues. It’s that time of year again and weeds are in the air! Late summer into fall marks the pollination of weeds. Some may breeze through the Colorado allergy seasons without a problem while others are left to suffer with itchy watery eyes, sneezing, runny or stuffy nose, coughing, wheezing and/or trouble breathing. Allergies trigger an overreaction of the immune system to something the brain has perceived as harmful and threatening to the individual. These allergies become blockages in the body’s energy pathways. NAET is a noninvasive technique utilizing kinesiology, acupuncture and chiropractic methodology to remove these blockages, thus restoring the body to balance and stopping the allergy symptoms. Dr. Starling has advanced the techniques of NAET allergy elimination to provide an effective, noninvasive way to address seasonal allergies in Colorado. Contact Us Today For current patients, it may just be time for a booster. For new patients, make an appointment for a new patient exam with Dr. Starling. Her new patient exams are comprehensive covering allergies, blood work, past history, neurological assessment, chiropractic assessment, and proposed treatment plan. Call us today 303-721-9800! CONTACT US
A Functional Medicine Perspective on Gout By Michal Cooling, CNTP Gout is very much a lifestyle-based condition; however, there can be some deeper issues at hand. For example, people who have had gout have an increased risk of developing kidney stones, high blood pressure, kidney disease, diabetes, high levels of triglycerides, and atherosclerosis. My goal is to offer general information on nutrition and lifestyle principals as well as clinical considerations. Here’s the scenario… When your body is filled with toxic acidity from: Foods and drinks Poor breathing habits Breathing in poor-quality air Toxic chemical exposure (both from breathing and contact with your skin) Metabolic acidity that is created by chronic stress … then the uric acid is just one more assault on your hard-working kidneys! So the answer to “what is gout?” lies in the lifestyle you’re living. Ask Yourself: What am I eating today? What am I drinking today? Am I breathing as well as I could be? What’s in this air I’m breathing? What am I putting on my skin? What am I thinking today? By asking yourself these questions you’ll start to get a whole new perspective about gout symptoms and the causes – and it will change the way you go about your day. Ask yourself these questions every day, because as soon as you get over the gout attack you’re having now, you’ll stop thinking about gout altogether . . . until the next gout attack hits. Risk Factors: Family history of gout Kidney issues (found on a blood test) High levels of triglycerides (found on blood test) Drinking too much alcohol Eating foods rich...
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