The Digestive Detective: Chew on this!

6:09 PM Jenniferlyn 0 Comments


Digestion is critical for overall health.  Our immune system and our ability to absorb nutrients all depend on a top notch digestive system.

One of the easiest improvements you can make you can start immediately with the next bite that you take - chew your food!  Due to our fast paced lives we tend to spend little time chewing the foods we eat, instead we shovel the food in barely sensing its presence let alone think about what we are eating or listening to our body's response to it.

I am guilty of this myself and have been trying to focus on the second stage of digestion - chewing. (Later in the Digestion Detectives series I will go over the other stages, with the first being mental!)

Some quick tips to get you on the way to proper mastication are:

Chew 20 times per bite.  This gives us ability to enjoy food as well as to feel satiated without over eating (win win!)

Cover your plate with your hands in between bites.  This serves as a gentle reminder to chew. Another good practice is putting down your fork in between bites.

Slow down the pace of eating.  Even if you only have 5 minutes for a quick bite to eat,  throwing a combo #5 down your throat chased with a diet Coke may not be the best option.  For many reasons.
If you cannot taste or feel what you eating then you are eating too fast. Slow down you pace. If you are eating a hand-held item try eating it with a fork and knife, or putting it down completely in between bites. 


BONUS:

Eat your greens instead of drinking them
Drinking a mass volume of shredded greens ala the morning smoothie, while a good start on the path of adding more plants into the diet, has a draw back of digesting much quicker and tending to be higher in calories and sugars than we may realize.  Chewing you greens allows you to connect with the foods you are eating!



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Phyt Bit: Movement!

12:39 PM Jenniferlyn 0 Comments



Did you know that people who get in movement throughout the day are shown to be more likely to lose weight and keep it off than the person who runs 5 times a week? 

Do not think that this means to stop exercising, however in ADDITION to your exercise routine, incorporate these short and sweet bursts of movement throughout your day to help you achieve your goals!

  • Every hour get up and walk around for a few minutes
  • If able to incorporate some squats and lunges.
  • Take the stairs not the elevator - even if for 1 flight - it adds up!
  • Walk or ride your bike to places that you would otherwise drive to.
  • Go for a nice long walk every day to help clear your mind

The list goes on and on if you think about it. They key is to make it work FOR you not against you. 


ACTION: Think of 1-3 ways each day that you can add movement and start to incorporate them into your daily routine.

Post up your suggestions and what you have found that works for you in the comment section below.

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A Deeper Look into Integrated Healthcare: Naturopathy Practitioners and Doctors

12:13 PM Jenniferlyn 0 Comments

You are most likely familiar with the terms MD, RN, DDS, and multitudes of other medical professional designations, but are you familiar with the alternative, holistic practices?

In this series I will take a deeper look into alternative and holistic health care options that work IN CONJUNCTION with Allopathic Physicians.  These are health coaches, personal trainers, certified weight loss experts, Naturopath Practitioners and Naturopath Doctors, Holistic Nutritionists, etc. 


Today, let's take a look into Traditional Naturopathy.  We will discuss Naturopathic Physicians, which are medically licensed, in another post.

What is Traditional Naturopathy?

“Naturopathy is a philosophy which encompasses a view of life, a model for living a full life. The word naturopathy is a Latin-Greek hybrid which can be defined as ‘being close to or benefiting from nature.’” — Stewart Mitchell, Naturopathy: Understanding the Healing Power of Nature
 
A Doctor of Traditional Naturopathy, ( designated as DTN, alternately titled ND - Naturopathic Doctor, or DNM - Doctor of Natural Medicine) is a doctor in the sense of a teacher, mentor, educator.  They are not medical professionals and as such cannot diagnose or treat medical conditions.  They can, however, work beside the doctors, chiropractors, and nurses to create a complete wellness program focusing on holistic ways of living a healthy life.
 
In their solo practices, Traditional Naturopaths guide and teach their client in natural health approaches such as fasting and detoxification, dietary improvements, the use of herbs, hot baths, aromatherapy, exercise, rest, sunshine, and many other natural health modalities.
 
 
Aside from Doctorate level Naturopaths, there are Naturopathic Counselors, (NC) and Naturopathic Practitioners (NP)
 
The Naturopathic Practitioner goes through much of the same training as the ND, however without the clinical and medical sciences.  The Naturopathic Counselor is the first step in understanding Naturopathic practices.
 
 
Why would I see a Naturopath?

People choose to see naturopaths for various reasons from the management of everyday issues such as headaches and stress to the treatment of debilitating autoimmune conditions.

Many Naturopathic Clients come to ND's, NP's, and NC's for the following reasons:

  • you may be very unwell and conventional medicine has been unable to help you
  • you don't feel 100% and know that you should and could be feeling a lot better or
  • you would simply like to have your general state of health and diet reviewed
 
 
Your initial consultation will always involve a thorough case history analysis enabling your naturopath to determine whether things such diet, lifestyle, family history, hormones and infection have contributed to the way that you are feeling today.

 
Your naturopath will listen to you and where relevant, explain possible reasons as to how you have come to feel the way that you do.  She will work through a dietary and lifestyle plan with you to ensure that you receive practical advice that is easy to follow.
 
 
If you want to see a medically listened allopathic physician (such as your traditional MD), but still want the holistic approaches of a Naturopathic practitioner, then you should seek out a Naturopathic Physician. 

 

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The contents of this website are for informational purposes only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.