Combating Autoimmunity Naturally

Claim Your Health Back

Are you ready to reach your optimal health?

Do you want to regain your vitality? 

Have you been begging for your issues to be truly heard?

What is stopping you from getting the help you deserve?

According to The American Autoimmune Related Diseases Association (AARDA), there are approximately 50 million Americans suffering from autoimmune diseases. That equates to 20 percent of the population!

With over 100 known autoimmune diseases today, autoimmunity has become a major chronic health problem and diagnosis for these diseases are difficult, research is limited, and conventional treatment is often counterintuitive.

The Functional Health Alternative

During Combat Autoimmune Challenges Naturally, we will discuss strategies to overcome these obstacles with the help of functional health approaches.

Functional health approaches focus on:

• The individuality of each individual, based on their genetics, environment, and unique health history.
• An individual-centered approach, rather than simply treating the symptoms of the disease.
• The identification of health as a dynamic balance of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual well being, rather than just the absence of disease.
• The complex mix of interactions of nutrition, physical activity, organ integrity, and stress management.
• Prevention of complex, chronic conditions that need specialized care.

Join us to get clear on how you can reverse (and even prevent!) autoimmune complications at our next online webinar, Combat Autoimmune Challenges Naturally, on Saturday, November 17th at 1:00 pm CST.

REGISTER HERE

 

Essential Oils 101

Did you know essential oils have been healing people of all cultures around the world for centuries?

From Energizing to Calming… Essential Oils Can Help!

Some oils are noted for their ability to heal, aid digestion, alleviate pain, and soothe sore muscles while others are amazing for toxin-free cleaning and bug deterrent.

Are you aware that essential oils have the ability to…

-Boost your immune system and fight cold and flu symptoms
-Relax and soothe sore muscles
-Alleviate headaches and minor aches and pains
-Improve cognitive ability and brain function
-Reduce toxicity and heal digestive concerns

No matter what you’re in need of, essential oils can improve your overall well-being of mind, body, and soul naturally!

Did you also know essential oils can benefit your pets? Our webinar on Saturday, October 13th will also discuss what oils to avoid as well as how to safely apply them to your furry friends.

DURING THIS FREE WORKSHOP 
YOU WILL LEARN:

 

**Various application techniques**

**Essential oils for balancing hormones**

**Ways to boost immunity with essential oils**

**Supporting digestion, improving brain function, and many more ways to use essential oils to restore health and vitality**

**Essential oils for pets**

**Quick reference guides and recipes to get you started making custom essential oil blends today!**

 

REGISTER HERE

 

Sensational Tuna Salad

Look what my children surprised me with for lunch today!  It was absolutely SENSATIONAL!  I think they are ready to use our summer vegetables and couldn’t pass up this colorful, scrumptious combination!

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: approx 15 min
• Difficulty: super easy
• Print

Sensational, super easy tuna salad.

Credit: The Functional Perspective
Inspired by: Family original!

Ingredients

• 2 cans of Tuna
• 1-2 Apples – diced
• 5-6 Sweet Peppers – diced
• 3 Stalks of Celery – diced
• 1/2 can of Olives – chopped
• 1/8 cup of Onion – chopped
• Olive oil or other oil to taste
• optional: Sesame seeds, sunflower seeds, cranberries

Directions

1. Rinse and chop vegetables and mix all ingredients in a bowl. Serve with lettuce for a great lunch during hot summer months!

Food for LIFE! FREE Lunch & Learn

Struggling with Diabetes or other chronic health issue? Looking for natural ways to restore health and vitality? Join me at Magnolia Court where Lucy Richardson, RN and I will share simple ways to improve health through not just food but also by supporting other areas of our life.

This is a FREE event but you MUST RSVP as there will be food and we need to know how many to prepare for. (Be sure to share this with friends and family!)

 

 

You may call or text either: 936-463-0272 or 936-371-9428 to RSVP

Cardiovasular Disease & Diabetes: What is the connection?

The primary health concerns of the late 19th and early 20th centuries were infections diseases.  A shift in adverse health came about after the fortification and enrichment of foods.  Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, cancer and stroke became the prevailing ailments.  These diseases continue to rise, some at alarming rates.  Let’s take a quick look between two prevalent diseases today: Heart Disease and Diabetes. I am going to especially look at the incidents in Nacogdoches County in the State of Texas.  [PDF of this post here]

Some quick stats:

Is this a sign of malfunction in the bodies of the population?

Maintaining a healthy status requires a homeostasis of the bodily systems. Having healthy levels of glucose in our blood is vital for proper balance. When we eat, signals are sent in our body to aid in the metabolizing of the food we just ate.  Insulin is secreted as a result of some of those signals.  It is the “key” which allows glucose to enter the cells.  Without proper signaling of insulin, glucose cannot enter the cells.  This results in glucose going to other parts of the body.  For our body to function properly it is important to keep glucose levels stable.

When our glucose levels are outside a healthy range it attaches to proteins resulting in Advanced Glycation End Products (AGEs).  Excessive AGEs leads to plaque forming in the blood vessels.  One consequence is an impairment of the endothelium which lines the blood vessels.  It is hindered in releasing nitric oxide into the blood stream.  With this compromised cardiovascular system, the body has a difficult time repairing daily wear and tear.  Thus an increase in inflammation.  Heart disease often ensues.

In fact…. Studies have shown an increased incidence of heart disease in the presence of diabetes! 

With a high prevalence of heart disease and diabetes there is a need to understand the role of a proper functioning body. In regards to diabetes and cardiovascular disease the role of glucose balance is of marked importance.  Maintaining proper levels eliminates an exacerbating risk factor for both diabetes and cardiovascular disease.  A body which is in homeostasis is free of disease contrasted with a body where malfunction is present, disease emanates.

What can you do today to ensure a proper functioning body?

Begin practicing the 5 Pillars to Healthy Function!!!

Eat Quality Foods

Get Adequate Sleep

Be Active

Promote Healthy Digestion

Embrace Peace & a Spiritual Connection (Eliminate Stress)

Related Research:

A.G.E. Foundation. What are AGEs http://agefoundation.com/age/

CDC Interactive Atlas of Heart Disease and Stroke TablesGeographic Area 2010-2012.

Davis, C., and E. Saltos. (May 1999) “Dietary Recommendations and How They Have Changed Over Time,” America’s Eating Habits: Changes and Consequences, Agriculture Information Bulletin No. 750, USDA, ERS. Chapter 2.

Texas Department of State Health Services. (2012). 2012 Texas Heart Disease and Stroke

Fact Sheets, (2013). Diabetes Prevalence Among Adults BRFSS data Tables

Yamagishi, S-i., Nakamura, N., and Matsui, T. (2016) Glycation and cardiovascular disease in diabetes: A perspective on the concept of metabolic memory. J Diabetes, doi: 10.1111/1753-0407.12475.

5 Benefits of Ginger

Great post on one of our favorite ‘herbs’

Spectacular Kohlrabi & Beef Vegetable Medley Quiche

The weather has turned brisk which calls for warm delicious snacks.  We had some kohlrabi that I needed to do something with so a quick search on pinterest and thus the inspiration for our afternoon snack!

• Servings: 4-6
• Time: approx 1 1/2 hour
• Difficulty: easy
• Print

Spectacular combination for those brisk winter days.

Credit: The Functional Perspective Inspired by: Flavor and Savour

Ingredients

• 2 Small Kohlrabi – grated
• 1 cup grated Carrot
• 1 small Leek
• 1 cup Baby Spinach leaves(before chopping)
• 13 Eggs
• 1/2 lb ground Beef (I used grass-fed)
• 1 1/2 tsp Salt (I most often use “Real Salt”)
• optional garnish: Avocado slices

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375
2. Rinse and grate Kohlrabi, add 1 tsp of salt – mix well and sit aside while preparing the rest of the ingredients.
3. Brown the Ground Beef on medium low with 1/2 tsp Salt while preparing the rest. Remember to check for being fully cooked while preparing the other ingredients.
4. Crack eggs and mix well in large mixing bowl
5. Peel and grate Carrots – add to eggs.
6. Rinse and chop Leek – add to egg mixture.
7. Chop the Baby Spinach and add to the egg mixture.
8. Finish cooking the ground meat, if it is not done yet and then set aside in a small bowl to cool off a little before adding to the eggs.
9. With a cheese cloth or by another method – squeeze out as much water from the Kohlrabi as you can before adding it to the mixture. Then add to egg mixture
10. Add the Beef to the egg mixture.
11. Mix all of the ingredients together well. Be sure to stir from the bottom as the eggs will sink to the bottom of the mixture.
12. Spoon mixture into 3 individual large ramekins.(again making sure to get at least one spoonful from the bottom of the bowl. Place remainder into a quiche or small pie pan. Place ramekins on a baking sheet, optional for pie plate, and place in oven for about 45 minutes.
13.TIPS: Keep some ground beef cooked in your freezer in 1/2 to 1 lb packages, when you are in the need for a quick meal you can pull them out and make a casserole or simple quiche. When preparing leeks make one slice long ways and that will allow you to rinse any dirt that may get down in the lower layers, this also makes it easier to chop them by laying them on the flat side.

Expert Talk: David Perlmutter, MD Brain Inflammation, Autoimmune Disease and Nutrition

I just listened to the first ‘bonus’ video from the Autoimmune Revolution and I was STUNNED! ABSOLUTELY FABULOUS!!!  I am looking forward to the rest of the videos – I have a feeling it is going to end up being a great resource for me on this journey…  If you missed my previous post here is another link below to sign up for the free content!

After registering you will get an email confirmation with a link to the bonus content – The video I just watched was:

(Here is Dr. Perlmutters website http://www.drperlmutter.com/

https://www.thunderclap.it/projects/50763-the-autoimmune-revolution/embed

So, which came first?

Which came first – autoimmune disease or malfunction in the body?

(Update 4/11/2017: Check out this post for a hint)

Beta cell regeneration – Hope for T1 Diabetics

I was at a wedding this evening and as our creator would have it my path crossed with another functional medicine minded individual with a Type 1 Diabetic family member!  One of the tidbits I picked up from this blessed encounter was the role the spleen plays in beta cell regeneration.. So you all can probably guess one of the first things that I did upon returning home was head to the research portals to see what I could dig up.. Well this was the first one I came across (while I was munching on leftover chili)

Here is the abstract:

Approaches Towards Endogenous Pancreatic Regeneration

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1783561/
Banerjee M, Kanitkar M, Bhonde RR. Approaches Towards Endogenous Pancreatic Regeneration. The Review of Diabetic Studies. 2005;2(3):165-176. doi:10.1900/RDS.2005.2.165.

The phenomenon of pancreatic regeneration in mammals has been well documented. It has been shown that pancreatic tissue is able to regenerate in several species of mammal after surgical insult. This tissue is also known to have the potential to maintain or increase its β-cell mass in response to metabolic demands during pregnancy and obesity. Since deficiency in β-cell mass is the hallmark of most forms of diabetes, it is worthwhile understanding pancreatic regeneration in the context of this disease. With this view in mind, this article aims to discuss the potential use in clinical strategies of knowledge that we obtained from studies carried out in animal models of diabetes. Approaches to achieve this goal involve the use of biomolecules, adult stem cells and gene therapy. Various molecules, such as glucagon-like peptide-1, β-cellulin, nicotinamide, gastrin, epidermal growth factor-1 and thyroid hormone, play major roles in the initiation of endogenous islet regeneration in diabetes. The most accepted hypothesis is that these molecules stimulate islet precursor cells to undergo neogenesis or to induce replication of existing β-cells, emphasizing the importance of pancreas-resident stem/progenitor cells in islet regeneration. Moreover, the potential of adult stem cell population from bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, liver, spleen, or amniotic membrane, is also discussed with regard to their potential to induce pancreatic regeneration.

Did you catch that?  Look at several factors which play a role in the regeneration…

“Various molecules, such as glucagon-like peptide-1, β-cellulin, nicotinamide, gastrin, epidermal growth factor-1 and thyroid hormone, play major roles in the initiation of endogenous islet regeneration in diabetes.”

Looks like I have the next few days cut out looking more in-depth as to what gets those things out of balance, what is needed to return those molecules to a homeostasis, what tests available to determine the status of those molecules in our system… my list will grow!

Anyway – just had to share as it’s another confirmation of hope for T1’s – when our perspective is changed from symptom management to system restoration our health takes on a whole new meaning!  Hope you all are excited about our upcoming new year – I know I am!  That’s it for now…