by Kirsten Chesney | Sep 2, 2020 | COVID-19 Health Tips
For many of us, it feels as if this pandemic has been with us forever. When I watch a movie I can’t help but feel a bit uncomfortable when there’s a scene of a group of people chatting. “Where are their masks?!” I think to myself. Anymore, it’s only in movies where we see people without masks on. Such scenes seem out of place now.
And masks are just a small part of the changes we’ve seen over the last 6 months. Social distancing rules are posted in every store window and colored tape is measured out on every store floor. We are discouraged from connecting with others…and this can be discouraging.
The Effects of Being Lonely
Older adults, whose children have long left home, are at increased risk of becoming lonely. In fact, more than 40% of seniors regularly experience loneliness (according to a study performed by the University of California, San Francisco). And this statistic was before the pandemic. Furthermore, the feelings of disconnection may lead to serious health problems:
- Lonely individuals have a 26% increased chance of mortality
- Lacking social connection raises the chance of developing dementia by 64%
- Loneliness can lead to 5% more severe symptoms when sick
- Loneliness is just as damaging to our health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day
It’s clear that loneliness has many damaging effects and that older adults are at increased risk. The rate of loneliness for older adults has only increased since the pandemic, as friends and family members keep their distance in efforts to protect seniors from getting sick.
How to Keep Connected and Healthy
The good news is that loneliness can be prevented and reversed. Here are a few ways to keep yourself going strong, mentally, emotionally, and physically.
Follow a Schedule
Remain accountable to yourself by creating a daily schedule. This will help things feel more normal as well as keeping you busy with tasks and projects. The key is to be an instigator of your day rather than a passive bystander. Proactively planning out your day and making a list of tasks puts you back in control.
Keep Your Mind Sharp
Learning something new engages your brain, fights boredom, and improves self-confidence. Signing up for an online course on history, nature, art, photography, or travel are all wonderful ways to learn new facts and excite your mind. You can find free learning lectures at Road Scholar.
Besides learning something new, doing simple puzzles are wonderful ways to focus your brain. Sudoku, crossword puzzles, word search, solitaire, MaJong or Tetris online, and adult coloring books are some examples of mental exercises for your day.
Tap Into Your Strengths
Don’t lose sight of your passions during this pandemic. Make a list of things you enjoy doing, even if you haven’t done them in a while, and pick them up again. That might be cooking, gardening, needlework, compiling a photo album, writing, jewelry making, researching your ancestry to create a family tree, or reading a new book by your favorite author.
If you’re looking to help out other people, VolunteerMatch lists thousands of volunteer projects that are needed across the country. And they can all be done virtually! Examples include teaching children, lending expertise to organizations, creating birthday cards, researching for a podcast show, managing Red Cross volunteers via phone and email, and much more! Learn more, here
Check-In With Friends and Family
There are countless ways to stay in touch with loved ones these days. Calling them on the phone will always work well. Texting, emailing, or mailing them a letter are other wonderful ways to stay in touch. Video chat apps are other great tools, allowing you to see the person you’re talking with. FaceTime, Google Hangouts, Google Duo, Facebook Messenger, and Skype, are all great apps for video chatting.
More and more, people are organizing virtual get-togethers using these video chat platforms. Group sessions like this allow you to play cards, board games, swap stories, etc with several people each from their own home.
Stay Active
Last but not least, keep up a physical exercise routine and write it in your schedule. This can be outside activities such as, riding your bike, walking around the neighborhood, trying out a local trail, or playing fetch with your dog. Activities indoors can include lifting hand weights, using stretchy exercise bands, balancing on a large yoga ball, or following along with a YouTube exercise class. Lastly, physical activity also includes those activities of regular living such as vacuuming, sweeping, carrying laundry downstairs, or home repair or design projects (like painting or building a bench).
Older adults are at higher risk of loneliness, even before the pandemic. Today more than ever, it is important for older adults to keep engaged with the world and with people as much as possible. There are several ways to accomplish this and create healthy habits mentally, emotionally, and physically. Adapting to a new routine and a new definition of “normal” is the only way to conquer loneliness and stay proactive.
by Kirsten Chesney | Jul 24, 2020 | Chronic Health Conditions
So you’re being treated for a digestive disorder and are learning a lot about how all the anatomy works (perhaps even more than you cared to know!). Or perhaps you aren’t sure what you have but you’re struggling with a myriad of digestive symptoms such as chronic constipation, bloating, vomiting, nausea, or upper abdominal pain after eating. Digestive disorders and digestive symptoms often have a common thread among them that is easily treatable.
One aspect of our digestive system is very important but rarely gets the attention it should. What I’m talking about has likely played a large roll in the development of your digestive concerns in the first place. What is this important topic? Motility.
Motility is simply the movement of your digestive organs that brings food down, through each stage of digestion until it is eliminated. Specifically, motility is the muscular movements and contractions of your esophagus, stomach, small intestine, and large intestine.
Migrating Motor Complex (MMC)
When motility occurs in the stomach and small intestine it is part of what’s called the “migrating motor complex (MMC).” This complex moves (or migrates) food down the digestive tract using muscular contractions (motor) in a cyclic pattern. This pattern of contractions only occurs while fasting, sleeping, or when there’s a long enough time between meals.
The MMC begins moving food down 1.5 to 2 hours after we eat and takes approximately an hour and 45 minutes to complete the entire phase. This process is interrupted as soon as you eat food!
When the nerves or muscles of digestive organs are not working properly, motility is stalled and people can suffer from a range of symptoms as well as digestive disorders:
Symptoms of Impaired Motility
Indigestion or heartburn
Bloating
Severe constipation
Recurrent vomiting
Digestive Disorders Associated With Impaired Motility
Esophagus:
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)
Dysphagia
Achalasia (swallowing disorder)
Functional Chest Pain
Stomach:
Gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying)
Dumping Syndrome (rapid gastric emptying)
Indigestion
Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome
Small Intestine:
Intestinal Dysmotility
Small Intestine Bacterial Overgrowth (SIBO)
Large Intestine:
Constipation
Diarrhea
Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS)
Rectum:
Fecal incontinence
Hirschsprung’s Disease (megacolon, unable to pass stool)
Outlet Obstruction Syndrome (straining muscles fail to relax)
MMC and SIBO
We blog a lot about SIBO on this site, so it deserves a special mention as it relates to the migrating motor complex (MMC). As we learned, the MMC is the cyclic contractions of the stomach and small intestine that pushes food through our digestive tract. When this process is disrupted, it can cause intestinal dysmotility over time. This impaired motility plays into the severity of SIBO symptoms such as diarrhea, abdominal pain, and bloating.
Secondly, when your small intestine is not having its regular MMC contractions, food (and bacteria) become stagnated in place and the risk of bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) increases dramatically. Thus, the MMC not only controls the motility of food through our system, but it also acts as an intestinal housekeeper, controlling bacterial growth in our small intestine by migrating it towards our large intestine where it should be. Therefore, it is critical to correct any impaired motility as part of your SIBO treatment.
How to Promote Healthy Motility
Motility regulation should be part of any treatment for digestive disorders. Anybody with SIBO, IBS, bacterial overgrowth, constipation, or very slow transit time of food through the gut, can benefit from the stimulation of healthy motility.
Prokinetics:
There are several ways to induce motility and promote our MMC to having regular contractions. One way is to take a prokinetic. Prokinetics are supplements or medications that promote motility and help manage associated symptoms.
Prokinetic medications have several unintended side effects, specifically affecting mood, digestive discomfort, sleep quality, energy levels, and appetite.
Prokinetic supplements are herbal remedies that have been long used to promote gut motility. Some examples of prokinetic herbs are: ginger, milk thistle, lemon balm, peppermint, licorice root, ginseng, and various herbal fruits and dried roots. Prokinetic supplements are usually proprietary blends of several herbs. They work together to activate contractions of the gut muscles, speed up stomach emptying, and act as anti-inflammatory agents. Prokinetics also provide relief for multiple digestive symptoms.
Make sure to talk with our team at CustomCare Nutrition to ensure you are taking the right prokinetic and at the right time in your treatment schedule.
Stress Management:
Another way to promote healthy motility is to reduce your stress levels. Stress disrupts many of our body’s normal processes, including digestion. Chronic psychological stress slows digestion and can lead to constipation and a slowed MMC. Relaxation techniques help lower our stress levels. Try meditation, deep breathing, and yoga or gentle stretching to ease your stress.
Meal Spacing:
As we learned, the MMC is activated by having an empty stomach. MMC contractions take place 1.5 to 2 hours after we eat, as well as overnight. The whole process lasts for an hour and 45 minutes, provided that food is not eaten during this time! To give your MMC the best chance at doing its job, its best to wait at least 3 hours and 45 minutes between meals/snacks. Any food eaten within this time frame will disrupt your MMC. Most beverages will also disrupt this process, however black coffee, herbal teas, and water, are all okay to have between meals. This can be a difficult habit to adopt, but it will work wonders for your digestion! When practicing meal spacing, it’s best to eat nutrient-dense meals that won’t leave you hungry in an hour. Eating only grains (like cereal or toast for breakfast) will not be filling enough and you’ll be ready for a snack soon after. Instead, maximize each meal by including healthy fat, protein, and high-fiber vegetables. This will create long-lasting satiety (fullness) for several hours without feeling the need to snack.
Not everyone should practice meal spacing, however. Infants, children, and pregnant women should eat more frequently to meet their growing nutrient needs. Those with diabetes are also excluded as they usually need to eat more often to balance their blood sugar.
Overnight Fasting:
Our MMC not only works between meals on an empty stomach. It also works overnight while we are sleeping. For this reason, a 12 hour overnight fast will allow our MMC to work effectively without regular food interruptions. An example of a 12 hour overnight fast would be to finish eating dinner at 7-8 pm, going to sleep, and then eating breakfast between 7-8 am the next morning. This is not an unusual routine for most people, so you might find that going 12 hours with overnight fasting isn’t difficult to achieve.
Motility and the actions of our MMC play a crucial role in our digestive system. They ensure that the food we eat gets moved through our GI tract at the proper speed, which in turn prevents bacteria from stagnating in one place and causing an overgrowth. Having proper motility will prevent (and treat) digestive disorders, like SIBO, as well as a myriad of GI symptoms such as constipation, bloating, and abdominal pain. Prokinetic supplements are herbs that activate motility in our gut and are useful for treating digestive disorders. Stress management, meal spacing, and overnight fasting are other ways we can promote healthy motility. Talk to our team at CustomCare Nutrition on how your motility might be paying a part in your digestive symptoms!
by Kirsten Chesney | Jul 24, 2020 | COVID-19 Health Tips
Most of us are familiar with the common symptoms of COVID-19. These include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. However, don’t take this to the bank! COVID-19 does not always present with these symptoms! Some people with COVID experience different symptoms altogether. A recent study has revealed a variety of additional symptoms that can present themselves including, loss of appetite, loss of smell, diarrhea, fatigue, confusion, headaches, and muscle pain.
The COVID Symptom Study:
The COVID Symptom Study has been ongoing since March and over 4 million people in the US and UK are participating. This makes it the largest study in the world of its kind. Participating is easy: people simply log their health and symptoms on a daily basis through the COVID Symptom Study app (even if they are feeling well). Scientists have been analyzing this self-reported data from the app users and are making several new discoveries.
One such discovery is the finding that there are six distinct clusters of symptoms that those with COVID-19 can present with. Each cluster also dictates how severely the virus will act upon a person and whether they need respiratory support. This particular study looked at 2,700 app users and their self-reported symptoms between May 1–28, 2020. The vast majority of these participants were from the UK with nearly 8% from the United States.
While the severity of these symptom clusters varies among COVID-infected people, the first three clusters are statistically less severe than the last three clusters. Let’s take a look:
Six Clusters of Symptoms for COVID:
1) Flu-like with no fever: loss of smell, headache, cough, chest pain, sore throat, muscle pain, no fever. 1.5% need respiratory support
2) Flu-like with fever: loss of smell, headache, cough, sore throat, hoarseness, loss of appetite, fever. 4.4% need respiratory support
3) Gastrointestinal: loss of smell, headache, no cough, no fever, chest pain, sore throat, diarrhea. 3% need respiratory support
4) Severe level 1- Fatigue: loss of smell, headache, cough, chest pain, hoarseness, fever, fatigue. 6% need respiratory support
5) Severe level 2- Confusion: loss of smell, headache, cough, chest pain, sore throat, hoarseness, loss of appetite, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, confusion. 9.9% need respiratory support
6) Severe level 3- Abdominal and Respiratory: loss of smell, headache, cough, chest pain, sore throat, hoarseness, loss of appetite, fever, fatigue, muscle pain, confusion, shortness of breath, diarrhea, abdominal pain. 19.8% need respiratory support
As you can see, loss of smell and headache are the only symptoms common in all six clusters, while cough, fever, chest pain, and sore throat are common to five of the six clusters. Two to three of the clusters include abdominal symptoms, hoarseness, loss of appetite, confusion, fatigue, and muscle pain. Surprisingly, shortness of breath is only found in one cluster.
Cluster Severity and Who is at Risk:
These symptom clusters were further broken down by the likelihood of patients needing respiratory support. It is clear that cluster 6 patients have a much higher rate of needing support than those of other clusters. Of the study participants in cluster 6, almost 50% of them had to go to the hospital. This is compared to 16% hospitalized from cluster 1.
Those participants who were in clusters 4, 5, and 6 were statistically older and more fragile than those in clusters 1, 2, and 3. They were also commonly overweight or had a chronic health condition such as diabetes or lung disease.
The importance of this study is to help doctors and patients be aware of the various levels of COVID symptoms, and to act quickly if a person falls into a high-risk symptom cluster. For each of us, it’s ever more important to take note of any symptoms we’re having. Even if our symptoms are not “classic” COVID symptoms, they may be part of a different symptom cluster of lesser severity. Let’s remain alert, informed, and always strengthen our immune system!
The full study can be found at:
https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.06.12.20129056v1.full.pdf
by Kirsten Chesney | Apr 29, 2020 | Wellness Foods
How are things going with establishing a social distancing routine? If you’re like many people, you might find yourself missing the small joys of life that are tough to find today. Things like a hair cut and color, a pedicure, and coffee from the local shop may have been put to the side while we wait for things to reopen.
Indulging in simple things like these can be our saving grace on a stressful day. While some things are impossible to replace (like our beloved hair dresser!), other things can be turned into a DIY project and done at home!
If you’re getting tired of the ol’ drip coffee maker and want to get some pampering back, we have a recipe for cold brew coffee at the end of this blog! But I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about nutrition first! I want to share the several health benefits of coffee and how best to drink it.
HEALTH BENEFITS OF COFFEE
Let’s begin with the best news about coffee: it may increase your lifespan! A study was published in an internal medicine journal (JAMA Internal Medicine), that associated coffee with a longer lifespan and a lower risk of death from cancer and cardiovascular disease (these are two of the top five killers in the United States). Those participants who drank one cup of coffee per day had a 6% lower risk of death over ten years than those who drank less. Further, people who consumed more coffee per day had a greater protection (it capped out at eight cups per day for 14% lower risk of death). Other studies have been done and have found similar results, including a protective effect against death from heart disease, stroke, diabetes, kidney disease, and respiratory disease.
Okay, so maybe coffee helps prevent death from a number of diseases, but what about getting the diseases in the first place? Well, coffee may help prevent that too. Studies have shown that coffee may reduce the risk of developing Alzheimer’s, depression, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, Parkinson’s disease, and certain cancers (breast, prostate, liver, and colorectal). While the reason isn’t always clear, researchers believe it’s the antioxidant compounds called polyphenols that trigger gene expression. It may also be the anti-inflammatory nature of coffee that protects us from disease development.
As mentioned, coffee is packed with antioxidants, namely polyphenols. These compounds, found in fruit and vegetables, fight off free-radicals in our body. Free-radicals damage molecules in our body such as DNA and proteins. It is these antioxidants that scientists believe are the main factors of coffee that make it so health-promoting (and disease-avoiding). Several foods rank as containing high amounts of antioxidants such as various spices, berries, nuts, and dark chocolate. These foods contain more polyphenols per serving than coffee, however, most people drink far more coffee than they eat blueberries, chestnuts, or cloves (all of which contain more antioxidants than coffee). The typical person may be lucky to eat a handful of blueberries per day (and much less chestnuts or cloves), but he will statistically drink 2 to 4 cups of coffee per day. This makes coffee a much greater source of antioxidants than blueberries (even though blueberries contain more antioxidants per serving).
NEGATING THE HEALTH BENEFITS OF COFFEE
Although research shows that coffee confers healthy benefits, it does not necessarily mean that coffee is a healthy choice for you. Everyone is different in how they handle caffeine, so if you know you are a slow metabolizer of caffeine, struggle with insomnia, have hypertension, get jittery after drinking coffee, or have a cortisol imbalance, coffee may not be right for you. For these people, drinking coffee can perpetuate these conditions.
Further, be aware of what you put into your coffee that you aren’t negating its positive effects. Squashing the health benefits of coffee is done by adding a lot of sugar, artificial sweetener, and processed non-dairy creamers. Pesticides also blunt coffee’s benefits. If you drink coffee, only choose organic. Conventional coffee is one of the most chemically treated foods in the world.
THE COFFEE BRAND THAT WE RECOMMEND
In discussing the health benefits of coffee, keep in mind that not all coffee is created equal. Unfortunately, the way in which coffee is produced and processed can compromise it’s health benefits. For example, PAH’s (polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) are compounds that are created when a food is smoked, roasted, or barbequed. These harmful compounds are classified as persistent organic pollutants and are harmful to human health. When coffee manufacturers use high temperatures during the roasting process, PAH’s can form. At CustomCare Nutrition, it is our goal to find and recommend the highest quality products for your health.
This is why we have sampled, researched, and can highly recommend Purity Coffee. Crafted consciously for health, Purity Coffee is a company that sources, processes, and roasts coffee beans in a way that focuses on its benefits through every step of production.
Purity Coffee is first of all organically grown, starting with green (raw) coffee beans that are free of pesticides. Then they take it a step further. Not only is their coffee free from pesticides, but it is also free from contaminants such as mold spores, mycotoxins, fungus, insect damage, and microorganisms.
Additionally, the acidic level of Purity Coffee is very low as compared to other coffees. Low acidic coffee is easy on the stomach and small intestine, making it an excellent choice for those with digestive problems or heartburn.
Further, Purity Coffee uses a roasting process that is smokeless and computer regulated. This results in coffee beans that contain only very low amounts of harmful PAH’s and acrylamides, while retaining their high amount of antioxidants.
Lastly, Purity Coffee ensures that their beans do not become oxidized and stale. These can occur when beans are introduced to oxygen (usually through grinding whole beans and through sitting on a shelf, in contact with oxygen). For this reason, Purity Coffee only sells whole beans, never ground. And they use nitrogen, rather than oxygen, in their roasting and packaging process.
Coffee has several health benefits, as we have seen. Not only can it lead to a longer lifespan but coffee can also reduce the risk of getting a variety of chronic diseases. Coffee is also packed with antioxidants that are thought to be the main driver behind all these benefits. However, these benefits can be minimized or even destroyed by the quality of coffee we consume (and by all the sugar we put into it). This is why CustomCare Nutrition has researched the best quality coffee manufacturer and can proudly recommend Purity Coffee as carrying the highest standards of quality and who focuses on the maximizing the health benefits of their product from start to smooth finish.
Right now, and for the foreseeable future, Purity Coffee is matching all orders with an equal donation of coffee to our medical professionals. These respected men and women are fighting to keep our country safe and healthy amidst this crisis. Help keep them energized and focused by allowing Purity Coffee to match your order!
by Kirsten Chesney | Apr 16, 2020 | COVID-19 Health Tips
Be sure you are taking steps to minimize your risk of being exposed to the COVID-19 virus, and to strengthen your immunity in case you are exposed.
Best Daily Practices:
–Wash your hands! This bears repeating since it is the most well-established way to ward off bacterial and viral infections. Be sure to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly with warm water and soap for at least 20 seconds. If soap and water is not available, hand sanitizer will also work. Ensure it contains at least 60% alcohol. Do your best to avoid hand sanitizer that contains Triclosan, as this chemical is known to disrupt our hormone balance.
–Cover your nose and mouth: When sneezing or coughing, cover your nose and mouth with the crook of your arm and sleeve (do not use your hand!)
–Avoid touching your face: If you have the virus on your fingers and then touch your eyes, nose, or mouth, the virus is now able to enter your body. Avoiding touching your face is tricky to do, but it is important to heed. If you have an itch, use your sleeve or your shoulder to scratch it.
–Clean high-touch surfaces: Disinfect surfaces that are frequently touched, such as doorknobs, keyboards, TV remotes, phones, and kitchen and bathroom counters. The virus can remain on surfaces for up to several days after an unwashed hand touches them.
If You Get Sick:
–Respiratory infection: If you develop an upper respiratory infection, aiming for over-the-counter medications will only abate your symptoms but without boosting your immune system. For immune-fighting modalities, focus on getting rest and drinking fluids. Good immune-boosting fluids would be, vegetable broth, bone broth, and herbal teas. Specific herbal teas to try include, ginger, peppermint, chamomile, eucalyptus, and hot water with lemon, honey, and cinnamon sprinkled in.
–Sore throat: If you feel a sore throat coming on, you’ll want to fend off any looming bacterial infection quickly. Although this isn’t the Corona virus, it still should be taken seriously since any illness will tax the immune system, making it difficult to fight off Corona virus germs. Taking slippery elm, whether in a hot tea or as a throat lozenge, is wonderful for easing sore throats. Sipping hot water with two tablespoons of honey will also be soothing and decrease inflammation in the throat. Lastly, herbal teas such as chamomile, peppermint, or those that contain marshmallow root or licorice root will all sooth and relieve pain from a sore throat.
–Sinus congestion: Decongestant remedies are found in a variety of essential oils such as, menthol, peppermint, eucalyptus, and frankincense. Find ways to use these oils in your vaporizer or steam inhaler. A neti pot or nasal irrigation bottle is another way to alleviate congestion. Buffered saline can be used in the neti pot to soothe irritated mucous membranes. Lastly, nasal sprays with xylitol will further soothe and moisturize nasal passages.
Supplements and Foods:
–Vitamin C: This might be a no-brainer, but vitamin C remains a top-player for it’s immune-boosting and antioxidant activities. It is key to fighting off bacterial and viral infections and can shorten the duration of colds.
–Vitamin D3: This mighty vitamin is notoriously low in most people, due to less time spent out in the sun coupled with a slow/poor ability to convert sunlight into active vitamin D. This nutrient also happens to be a very powerful supporter of the immune system as it reduces the risk of getting colds and the flu.
–Zinc: This mineral plays a vital role in strengthening the immune system (to the point that people created zinc lozenges as a cold remedy). It also helps reduce the number of times a person gets sick, as well as lessens the severity of cold symptoms.
–Selenium: Another important nutrient for our immune system, selenium is an antioxidant and strengthens our ability to fight bacteria, viruses, and even cancer cells! The easiest way to take Selenium is by eating two Brazil nuts per day. That was easy!
–Garlic: A compound, called allicin, is what makes garlic a powerful antimicrobial food. Garlic has been shown to reduce the severity of viral infections as well as upper respiratory infections. It can also help prevent the common cold virus from taking hold.
**Note that these suggestions, and others that are presented to you throughout the media and internet, are best practices for decreasing your risk of contracting bacterial and viral infections in general, as well as boosting the immune system overall. These are not proven practices against the COVID-19 virus specifically, as there is not yet a proven way to ward off the COVID-19 virus in particular.
