Inflammation... Good or Bad? 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, adrenal fatigue and other complex health issues. Inflammation is part of the body’s immune system. It is the body’s normal, biological response when something harmful or irritating affects a part of our body. There are two classifications: acute inflammation, which occurs over seconds, minutes, hours, and days, and chronic inflammation, which occurs over a longer period of time. Although acute inflammation is a healthy physiological response indicative of wound healing, chronic inflammation has been directly implicated in a wide range of degenerative human health disorders encompassing almost all present day diseases including autoimmune diseases, obesity, diabetes and atherosclerosis. In the book, Chronic Inflammation: Molecular Pathophysiology, Nutritional and Therapeutic Interventions by Sashwati Roy; Debasis Bagchi; Siba P. Raychaudhuri, University of California, Davis, USA and VA Medical Center Sacramento, California, USA, the authors cover several pathologies associated with inflammation, including aging, allergies, autoimmune disorders, atherosclerosis, cancer, chronic wounds, metabolic syndrome, and obesity. “For many years, chronic and acute inflammatory processes were thought to be driven by different causes, through the activity of different cells and inflammation mediators, and to result in quite different outcomes. However, a more modern view suggests that these processes are interlinked. Moreover, in the setting of acute inflammation, well-regulated tissue healing can go awry and drive a chronic inflammation process intertwined with fibrosis and related processes. In hepatic, pancreatic, and gastrointestinal issues, among others, this pro inflammatory pro-fibrotic environment can stimulate carcinogenesis which in turn, can lead to an altered immune/inflammatory...
Benefits To Intermittent Fasting By Lisa Biederman, CNTP Intermittent fasting is a tool we use as your Functional Medicine specialist to break vicious cycles in regards to blood sugar spikes and crashes. It is helpful for resetting insulin sensitivity, managing hypoglycemia, and regulating blood sugar. It teaches your body to use ketones, produced from fat, as fuel. There are two main energy pathways: sugar and ketones. Your body must be able to utilize both effectively for your body to function optimally. Fasting also signals protein clean up in the neuronal cells of the brain. Intermittent fasting usually consists of a fast for 16 – 24 hours. If you have hypoglycemic tendencies, we often recommend sipping on tea with 1-2 tsp of coconut or MCT oil or eating ½ an avocado during the fast to help keep blood sugar stable without disrupting ketone production. It is best to do only light exercise such as yoga or walking on fast days and be sure to stay hydrated by drinking plenty of water. Good: Stop eating: 7PM Start Eating: 11AM Ideal: Stop eating: 7PM Start Eating: 7PM Benefits of Intermittent Fasting Studies show that intermittent fasting can: Increase energy Improves cognition, memory and clear-thinking Improve insulin resistance Reduces levels of circulating IGF-1 and increasing insulin sensitivity without lowering metabolic rate May improve immunity, lower diabetes risk, and improve heart health Increase production of BDNF ( brain-derived neurotropic factor — a protein that promotes neuron growth and protects the brain from dysfunction and degeneration Promote longevity Resources: https://jamesclear.com/the-beginners-guide-to-intermittent-fasting https://draxe.com/intermittent-fasting-women/
Summer Eating, Recipes, and Grilling Tips By Jessica Yoches, MNT What are the best foods to consume in the hot summer months? According to Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body craves light, cooling, and refreshing foods in the summer, such as the abundance of fruits and vegetables in season. Plants go through the cycle of sprouting, leafing, flowering, and fruiting. Sprouts and leafy greens debut in the Spring, followed by the flowering or fruiting of the plant in the summer when we get to enjoy broccoli “flowers”and fruits like peaches and watermelon. Summer grilling is a popular way to cook both meat and vegetables as it is outside, out of the kitchen, and easy to cook for crowds or entertaining. Grilling is a healthy way to cook food if done correctly; a few tips for optimal grilling methods follow: Well done meat contains toxic compounds called heterocyclic amines, or HCAs, that are produced from the meat’s amino acids and sugars when exposed to high temperatures. Cut off the charred parts of the meat as they contain the highest HCA levels. Bacon and pork have the highest HCA levels, followed by beef, chicken, and fish. Grilled fruits and vegetables are non-toxic as they do not contain amino acids; they are fine cooked at high temperatures. Marinating meat, even just for a few minutes, significantly reduces HCAs. Use a vinegar-based but sugarless marinade; sugar from conventional barbeque sauces contain triple the HCA levels. Turmeric, garlic, spices, gluten-free soy sauce or coconut aminos, lemon or citrus, and fresh herbs are tasty and anti-carcinogenic marinade options. At The Healing Center Denver we help distinguish individual food allergies and sensitivities . Because many...
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