Editors note: This article is adapted from an article written by herbal expert Steven Horne and is reprinted with permission. Please note that it is for informational purposes only.

If you missed part 1 of this discussion, you can catch up here.

Respiratory Recovery for Long COVID

The SARS-Cov-2 virus has a spike protein on its surface that attaches to a cell receptor known as ACE2. ACE2 receptors are found in many systems of the body, but are prominent in lung, heart, and kidney cells. As the virus attaches to the cell receptor it is able to inject its DNA or RNA into the cell and highjack the cellular mechanisms for DNA or RNA replication.

This damages the cells and triggers an inflammatory reaction that activates the innate immune system. The immune system may also overreact, which can lead to tissue damage. Since the lungs were a major site of COVID infection, we’ll start by looking at respiratory symptoms from long COVID.

Aids to Respiratory Recovery
People who were seriously ill with COVID may have some residual lung damage, often in the form of a scarring of lung tissue known as fibrosis. Pulmonary fibrosis makes lung tissue less elastic and more rigid, which decreases the ability of the tissue to expand and contract, lowering the exchange of oxygen. This can lead to shortness of breath, becoming fatigued during exercise, and eventually respiratory failure. This also happens in emphysema or COPD.

Working with respiratory symptoms that are the aftermath of COVID is no different than working with other respiratory problems. It starts with assessing the state of the respiratory system. Here are the things to look at.

Assessing Respiratory Status
First, is the mucus production abundant? Is there an excess of mucus drainage or mucus being coughed out of the lungs? Or, is mucus production deficient? Is there is a dry, hacking cough or sinus irritation with very little drainage. One can also use the tongue to help determine this. If the tongue is moist, with a heavy coating the system is congested. If it is dry with a scant coating, there is a lack of mucus secretion. If the mucus is abundant, drying remedies are needed. If it is deficient, moistening remedies are needed.

Second, what is the color of the mucus? Yellow or green mucus generally indicates infection and heat (irritation). This is often caused by a bacterial infection or severe allergic reaction. White or pale mucus is associated with a more cold condition, and is typical of viral infections or mild allergic reactions. These indications can often be seen on the tongue as well, which may have a white or yellow coloring. Yellow or greenish mucus calls for cooling remedies, while white or pale mucus calls for warming remedies.

Two other factors that help determine the appropriate remedies are bronchial constriction and a lack of elasticity in the lungs. Constriction is characterized by asthma-like symptoms which involve a feeling of constriction in the respiratory passages that inhibits breathing. Inhalation tends to be difficult. When there is a lack of elasticity, there is typically wheezing and exhaling may also be difficult. Constriction requires antispasmodic remedies. A lack of elasticity requires lung tonics that aid healing of damaged lung tissue.

Selecting Respiratory Remedies
With this understanding, here are some of the remedies that can be used to aid the respiratory system following COVID or any other lung infection. In addition to the list of remedies for each category, you’ll also find secondary properties of some of the remedies, which helps you see how they work on more than one category of symptoms.

To get rid of excess mucus you can use warming (stimulating) expectorants. These are herbs with an aromatic quality that help to move congested mucus out of the respiratory passages. They may temporarily increase coughing or sneezing as they aid the expulsion of congested mucus. Remedies include fenugreek (moistening), onion, grindelia or gumweed, pine bark or resin (drying), yerba santa (drying, relaxing), thyme, myrrh (drying), and horseradish.

If the lungs are dry, you need moistening expectorants. These remedies are demulcent in nature and help to increase and thin mucus secretions. They should be taken with plenty of water to help hydrate the lung tissue. These include fenugreek, marshmallow, licorice (cooling), plantain, and mullein.

When mucus is yellow or greenish in color, herbs containing berberine are often indicated. These include goldenseal, Oregon grape, or barberry. Inhaling the essential oils of eucalyptus or pine may also help.

If airways are constricted, antispasmodics may be helpful for opening air passages. These include lobelia, khella, and skunk cabbage.

Finally, nourishing and supporting lung tissue with herbs that act as respiratory tonics are also helpful. These include cordyceps, astragalus (moistening), elecampane, and prince seng.

Additional Aids for Long COVID

In addition to problems with respiratory recovery, there are several other areas that may need support when dealing with long COVID. These include the cardiovascular system, autonomic nervous system, glandular system, and digestive system.

Aids to Cardiovascular Care
One of the problems people have reported with long COVID is increased blood clot formation, which can lead to pulmonary embolism, stroke, and sudden death. The mechanism for this is not fully understood, but suggests that people who are experiencing cardiovascular symptoms from long COVID may need blood thinners to support their health and recovery. Natural remedies that can help prevent blood clots in the cardiovascular system include nattokinase, fish oil (omega-3 essential fatty acids), and vitamin E.

There may also be residual heart damage due to COVID. This may have been caused by a lack of oxygen due to the respiratory problems caused by COVID infections, but it’s also possible that the virus may have directly infected the heart and or blood vessels causing inflammation to these tissues. For these problems herbs that act as tonics to the cardiovascular system may aid healing. These include hawthorn, arjuna, and linden. Also helpful will be antioxidant fruits such as bilberry, blueberries, black cherry, pomegranate, and cranberry juice.

Stress and neurological damage may also result in problems with heart rhythm. In this case, working on restoring balance to the nervous and glandular system will be helpful as is discussed next.

Neuroendocrine Rebalancing
Following a serious viral infection like COVID, the autonomic nervous system (ANS) can become dysregulated, a condition called dysautonomia. The glandular system may also be disturbed causing neuroendocrine (nervous and glandular) disfunction. A variety of symptoms can emerge from this neuroendocrine dysfunction. These include circulatory problems, heart rate and blood pressure variability, fatigue and intolerance for exercise, sleep disturbances, difficulty concentrating or remembering things (brain fog), and gastrointestinal upset.

If you’re experiencing any of these symptoms rest is very important, especially getting a good night’s sleep. If you’re having difficulty getting to sleep, melatonin may be helpful. To help sleep try taking both a 5 mg sublingual melatonin, which is fast acting for getting to sleep, along with a 5 mg sustained release melatonin to help you stay asleep. Melatonin is also helpful for reducing blood levels of the excessive inflammatory messengers called cytokines, which was often a problem with COVID.

Magnesium is another important nutrient that may help the nervous system. A large percentage of the population is deficient in magnesium and adequate levels improve sleep, reduce anxiety and irritability, and relieve muscle tension.

You can reduce inflammation in the nervous system with curcumin, which has also been helpful for many people suffering from cognitive issues after COVID. Curcumin also helps control inflammatory cytokines and helps block viral replication.

Zinc and quercitin may also be helpful. Quercitin can help reduce inflammation in the nervous system and brain fog. It also helps zinc get into the cells where it can inhibit viral replication. The World Health Organization suggests that one out of six respiratory infections world-wide are caused by zinc deficiencies.1

Thomas Easley reports that lithium orotate can be helpful for long COVID problems involving anxiety, depression, and sleep disturbance. He recommends taking 5 mg per day and upping the dose every few days until sleep quality improves or the maximum dose of 20 mg. per day is reached. Lithium can help reduce neuro-inflammation and improve mood.

Adaptogens and tonics for the adrenal glands may also be helpful for rebalancing the nervous and glandular system. Ashwagandha root is a good choice. It’s a slow-acting tonic for anxiety and needs to be taken in larger doses (5-15 grams per day) for several weeks to see the best results. Thereafter, a maintenance dose of 1-2 grams per day should sustain the effect.

Another option is cordyceps. Cordyceps is a tonic for balancing nervous function and is also a beneficial tonic for weakened lung and kidney tissue.

Aids to Reviving Gut Health
Mood can also affect gut health and gut health can affect mood. About 30% of people will have digestive problems after COVID. Many people experience loose stools and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) after COVID.

This appears to be related to changes in the microbiome. Thomas Easley found that andrographis (3 or 4 capsules several times a day) and cinnamon (1 capsule several times a day) could help correct the loose stool problems.

Probiotics will also be helpful for restoring gut health, but they need to be taken in large doses to be effective, up to 50 billion bacteria or more each day. It’s also important to increase intake of prebiotics, which act as food for these intestinal bacteria.

Fruits and vegetables contain indigestible fibers that help to feed friendly bacteria, which is why a mild food diet, mentioned earlier, is probably helpful during convalescence. It also helps to consume herbs high in inulin, such as burdock, dandelion root, and chicory. Jerusalem artichokes are a vegetable that is high in the prebiotic inulin. Start slowly with these remedies as you may experience excessive gas at first.

Generally speaking, most of these issues will resolve themselves over time as the nervous system is able to rebalance itself. Some general health practices that will aid this process include moderate exercise, eating smaller meals, drinking more water along with taking some natural salt, and working to manage stress.

Parting Thoughts

Although there are more possible symptoms associated with long COVID, this information is enough to get started. If you’re suffering from long COVID, be assured that there is hope and seek professional assistance to help you complete your COVID convalescence successfully.

 

Photo by Robina Weermeijer on Unsplash

Editors note: This article is adapted from an article written by herbal expert Steven Horne and is reprinted with permission. Please note that it is for informational purposes only. 

Although many people who caught COVID-19 recovered within a couple of weeks, others are reporting symptoms that have lasted long after the acute infection. This problem is commonly called post- or long-term COVID-19. It happens to about one in five people who have the infection, with slightly higher rates in the elderly.

The most common symptoms of long COVID-19 include ongoing respiratory problems, like shortness of breath and chronic cough. Neurological problems, such as fatigue, anxiety, depression, insomnia, difficulty concentrating, dizziness upon standing, and headaches are also common. Some people have problems with their digestive system, such as diarrhea. Still others experience circulatory issues like increased blood clotting, rapid heart rate, and chest pain.

If you had COVID-19 and feel like you’ve never recovered, this article may help. We’ll take a look at a process called convalescence and how it applies to long Covid. We’ll talk about reasons why you might be having continuing problems and what you can do to aid your recovery.

Why Persistent Symptoms?
There are a couple of reasons why an illness like COVID-19 might have residual effects. First, tissue responds to infection through an inflammatory process. COVID-19 can cause severe inflammation, which may have damaged various tissues, which need time and support to heal properly.

The symptoms you experience from inflammatory damage will depend on which tissues were severely inflamed. Severe respiratory inflammation may cause scarring in the lungs which can cause chronic cough and make breathing more difficult. Intestinal inflammation may damage the gut lining and microbiome, causing dysbiosis, leaky gut, diarrhea, or constipation. Cardiovascular inflammation can damage the heart and arterial lining, affecting blood circulation, blood pressure, and heart function. Damage to the nervous system can affect things like your mood, sense of balance, and sleep cycle.

Secondly, serious illness is stressful, and high levels of stress disrupt nervous and glandular function. Getting back to normal after suffering any extreme stress takes extra rest, time, and perhaps even counseling or therapy. Herbal and/or nutritional support can also help.

Finally, it has long been recognized that recovery from any illness requires a period of convalescence. Convalescence is the period of time between feeling acutely ill and feeling completely healthy. For example, if you get food poisoning, you start to feel better after you throw up. That’s the turning point of the disease, traditionally called the disease crisis. After the crisis has passed, you’ll start to feel better, but you’ll still feel tired and need a period of time to regain your former health and strength.

Supporting Convalescence
Part of the reason why COVID-19 may have left persistent symptoms is many people don’t understand the importance of convalescence or aren’t able to give adequate time to this part of the recovery process.

Convalescence requires time. The time required for patients to recover their strength used to be accounted for in the practice of medicine. In fact, there were sanitariums where sick people could spend time recovering under continued medical care. But. due to a combination of lack of space, inadequate funds, and a loss of understanding, patients are often sent home from the hospital when they really still need care.

Over time, hospital stays have shortened to make room for new patients. Today, as soon as a person is stable, they will be discharged from the hospital, even though they are not completely well. They may be sent home with no clear suggestions on what they can do to restore their health. If they’re lucky, they may have a loved one who can spend time nursing them back to health, but this doesn’t always happen.

As a result, many people may be faced with having to take care of themselves even though they do not feel completely well. This has resulted in an increasing number of re-admissions where people suffer a relapse and need to be put back into the hospital. And, it may also be why people don’t ever completely heal.

With that problem in mind, here are some basic suggestions for convalescence.

Take it Easy
You need to get extra rest after any serious illness until you have fully recovered. It is a big advantage to have someone to help take care of you during this period.

If you’re having problems sleeping, start by establishing a set routine. This helps train your body to fall into a natural circadian rhythm, a natural oscillation between sleeping and waking.

Do things to relax before your scheduled bedtime. Don’t watch, read, or listen to anything disturbing such as news or even dramatic movies or TV shows. Listen to soft music, read an uplifting book, take a warm bath, or even get a loved one to rub your back to help you naturally unwind and prepare for sleep.

Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and nicotine and don’t eat heavy meals before bedtime. Darken your room as much as possible and don’t watch TV, work on a computer, or use your smartphone for 30-60 minutes prior to bedtime. This aids the natural production of melatonin to help you get to sleep.

Eat Mild Foods
After being sick, a person may not be able to properly digest heavy foods. A mild food diet is a good strategy to help aid recovery. This involves a diet primarily of cooked vegetables with some fruits, perhaps a little fermented dairy (like yogurt or Kiefer), and mild grains like rice or millet.

The phytochemicals present in brightly colored fruits and vegetables will reduce inflammation and aid tissue healing. The fiber in these foods will also help restore gut flora, which makes this diet helpful in recovery.

Some herbalists have also advocated diets of mucilaginous herbs for recovery, such as slippery elm gruel, barley water, or marshmallow. These help restore gut flora, reduce inflammation, and speed healing.

Get Emotional Support
If illness has left you in an emotionally disturbed state, you should seek emotional support from loved ones or friends. If this is not available, seek help from professionals. It may also help to take some relaxing nervines if you’re feeling anxious, such as hops, valerian, skullcap, or passionflower. Nourishing adaptogens like ashwagandha, holy basil, or cordyceps may also be helpful, especially if taken regularly for several months. If depression is a problem, mild mood-elevating herbs like rosemary, mimosa, or St. John’s wort may be helpful.

Next week, we will explore this topic further, focusing on respiratory, cardiovascular, and gut recovery. See you then.

 

 

 

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

Tea is the most widely consumed beverage in the world, and it has many potential health benefits. For starters, it has powerful antioxidant properties. It may also aid mental alertness, fight fatigue, and may aid in weight loss. It even appears to help fight cavities and gum disease. Today, I want to talk about how tea can be used to improve your health.

Tea and Mental Focus
Like coffee and cola drinks, tea contains caffeine, but usually not in high quantities. It is less likely to make you jittery or anxious because it contains a unique amino acid, l-theanine, which has a calming effect.

L-theanine is often found in supplements, including sleep formulas and other products designed to reduce anxiety and boost mental clarity. The combination of caffeine and l-theanine in tea, appears to improve mental focus without being overstimulating.

Black tea comes from the same plant as green tea, but it is allowed to oxidize, which turns the tea leaves black. In traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), black tea is used to revive the shen (spirit) and clear the head. In TCM, it can be used alone, or in combination with other herbs, to aid mental focus, help to overcome fatigue, and relieve dizziness. Here in the West you’ll often see it as an ingredient in herbal formulas designed to overcome fatigue, and aid concentration and mental focus.

If you want a caffeinated beverage to help you stay awake and alert, tea is probably the best choice.

An Astringent Remedy
Tea is an astringent herb, which means it contains tannins. These tannins along with antioxidants found in tea make it useful as a topical remedy to reduce swelling and inflammation. You can use green tea bags to make compresses by dipping them in hot water just long enough to wet and warm them and then applying them to afflicted areas.

Warm tea bags can be used as a compress for red, irritated eyes and even to help heal conjunctivitis. Simply place them over the closed eyelid. Tea bags also make a good compress for insect bites and stings and minor skin irritations.

Tea and the Digestive Tract
The astringent nature of tea makes it useful as a remedy for settling the stomach when there is nausea, vomiting, and mild diarrhea. It can be used along with peppermint to settle the stomach after throwing up.

Black tea also appears to aid the digestion of fatty foods. Try drinking tea in a restaurant where the food is greasy and see if it helps you digest food easier.

Tea as an Aid to Weight Loss
There is some evidence that drinking tea can help with weight loss by curbing the appetite and boosting metabolism. In fact, it is recognized in TCM as an aid to overcoming obesity. You will, in fact, see green tea extract in many weight loss formulas. Don’t expect it to be a miracle worker, but tea can probably help you reach weight goals when used in conjunction with healthy eating and exercise.

Antioxidants in Green Tea
All forms of tea (green, black, white, and oolong) are rich in polyphenols that act as antioxidants. The specific polyphenols in green tea are called catechins, and the most well-known and abundant catechin in green tea is epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG). Research suggests that EGCG can reduce chronic inflammation, which can help prevent many chronic diseases including heart disease and degenerative diseases of the brain.

EGCG acts as a zinc ionophore, just like quercetin, and a standardized extract of green tea containing EGCG could be taken with zinc to help fight viral infections. However, there are some risks with taking EGCG as a supplement in high doses. It has been associated with dizziness, anemia, low blood sugar, and liver problems.

Tea and Dental Health
Tea is antimicrobial and can help with dental health by inhibiting the growth of bacteria associated with gum disease, bad breath, and cavities. In addition, the astringent properties of green tea make it an excellent mouthwash for toning the gums.

Tea also contains natural fluorine which may strengthen tooth enamel.

Here is a tip to get some tea into your diet. For many of us, coffee shops are a great way to socialize, but almost all coffee shops now offer chai tea options. If you have not tried, chai drinks, you should.

Chai tea combines tea with spices like ginger, cardamom, fennel, cinnamon, clove, and black pepper. It is a great energy booster, but it’s also loaded with antioxidants and stimulates digestion and intestinal motility to ease gas and bloating. Try chai and coffee combinations and don’t be afraid of the added milk.

I am a coffee lover but am almost never disappointed by the taste of chai/coffee drinks. Give them a try.

 

 

Photo by Svitlana on Unsplash

Whether you enjoy chocolate, coffee, tea, or energy drinks, chances are good you’re among the 89% of American adults who regularly consume caffeine.

It’s no surprise that this chemical stimulant is so commonly used. Many of us grew up munching on chocolate and watching adults kick off their days with coffee or tea. As adults ourselves, some of us rely on caffeine to get us through our workdays, while others enjoy the ritual of a morning cup of coffee.

But is caffeine good for us? The answer is complicated.

The pros of caffeine

As long as you’re consuming under 400 mg of caffeine per day (200 mg per day if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding), the benefits can be significant. Caffeine can:

• Increase alertness and reduce drowsiness
• Improve cognitive functions like reaction time, memory, and reasoning
• Provide mild pain relief
• Improve athletic performance

The cons of caffeine

All chemical substances, natural or otherwise, should be considered carefully before use. Although caffeine comes with a lot of benefits, it can also have negative effects, including:

• Temporarily increased heart rate, blood pressure, and urination
• Impaired quality of sleep, especially if caffeine is consumed less than nine hours before bedtime
• Caffeine toxicity—although it’s important to note that this is extremely uncommon. These rare occurrences are typically caused by ingesting caffeine at the same time as another natural or unnatural stimulant, alcohol, or a contraindicated drug.

Caffeine caveats

That 400 mg per day limit isn’t for everyone. People with certain health concerns (like heart conditions, for example) shouldn’t have caffeine at all. The jury’s also out on whether children and teens should be allowed caffeine—some experts completely advise against it, while other sources (like this systematic review) suggest limiting consumption based on body weight.

Some energy drinks pose a particular concern, especially for children and teens, because the caffeine levels are often high and/or combined with other stimulants. Caffeine supplements also come with increased risk due to the high amount of caffeine in each dose.

 

Photo by Nathan Dumlao on Unsplash

“Sleep is the single most effective thing we can do to reset our brain and body health each day.”

Wise words from Matthew Walker, neuroscientist and author of Why We Sleep. Most adults should get between six and nine hours of sleep every night, but unfortunately, a good night’s rest simply isn’t that easy to achieve for many people.

If you fall into that category, you’re not alone. About 10-15% of adults experience symptoms of insomnia, which can include:

• Brief, interrupted periods of sleep throughout the night
• Mostly (or completely!) sleepless nights
• Feeling tired in the morning, despite sleeping
• Staying awake too long at night or waking up too early

4 Ways to Improve the Quality of Your Sleep

Assess your diet

Throughout the week, make sure to incorporate plenty of fruits, vegetables, and other high-nutrient foods into your meals and snacks, and limit (or avoid) refined sugar, caffeine, and alcohol. And if you’re craving a snack close to bedtime, grab something small, like a glass of milk or a small handful of almonds.

Get some sun

Did you know that sunlight directly impacts your circadian rhythm? That’s the internal clock that, among other things, helps regulate our sleep-wake cycles. Studies show that increased exposure to real sunlight or a sun lamp can improve quality of sleep—and the increased vitamin D may help, too.

Avoid tech before bed

People are increasingly using their phones and tablets in bed, whether they’re clearing up the last couple of emails of the day, or scrolling through social media. Unfortunately, bedtime exposure to the blue light from our devices can make it difficult to fall and stay asleep.

Try a supplement

Still can’t fall asleep? There are a range of supplements that can support relaxation and promote sleep, including melatonin, chamomile, lavender, and kava kava.

 

 

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I have talked before about the primary ways that supplement companies sell their products to you:

• Traditional/historical use: A group of people has historically used a particular herb or nutrient for a specific reason. The ancient Indian tradition of Ayurveda is a great example of this.
• Para-normal: An ingredient has mystical powers that cannot be explained by humans. Some homeopathic products (such as the ones made with the dilution process) fall into this category.
• Sizzle: Beautiful marketing and an exotic story. When you look under the hood, you realize that the product has nothing much going on at all. I will not mention names, but these products are everywhere.
• Science: Product development based on modern science. These products rely on research from the holy grail of modern medicine: clinical studies.
  Many companies use a variety of these four methods in their product development and marketing. Nature’s Sunshine for example develops and sells products primarily with science but also has products that are inspired by traditional/historical use (such as the Ayurvedic line). In fact, modern science often backs up the historical use of certain herbs for specific conditions.

I unequivocally lean toward science. I like products that are developed with science and marketed that way. The alternatives are pretty bleak with the exception of historical use, and even then, historical use claims should be validated with science. Just because someone used an herb to treat a headache a few thousand years ago does not mean that it worked very well. There were all kinds of crazy remedies used a few thousand years ago.

But, even in the world of science, you have to be careful. There is plenty of science to draw on. In fact, there are numerous studies being done on every ingredient you can imagine. But, companies are very quick to misuse the data.

Let’s take a study that was just released last month. To summarize, a group of older people was given Centrum Silver (an inexpensive multivitamin) for two years and another group was given a placebo. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the effects of a multivitamin on the brain.

Now, here were the conclusions:

• There was an improvement in cognitive (language-oriented) ability. However, this improvement was statistically insignificant.
• There was no improvement in brain function or attention (ability to focus).
• There was a statistically-significant improvement in memory.

So, what can we take away from this clinical? I know what many multivitamin companies will say: a new study proves that using our multivitamin will keep you smart as you age!

Realistically though, the results of this study are far more narrow and come down to this: a new study suggests that Centrum Silver may help older people improve their memory.

Now, it may be entirely reasonable to extrapolate that if Centrum Silver improves memory, many other multivitamins would improve memory too. After all, Centrum Silver is a very low-grade multivitamin. But, truthfully, the study does not prove that.

Also, no claim regarding cognitive improvement is appropriate because the improvement noted in the study was not statistically significant.

Clinical studies tend to be narrow in what they evaluate and they tend to come to narrow conclusions. Unfortunately, supplement companies very often overstate clinical study results to sell products to you. Be wary of that.

You may wonder what you can do to protect yourself from false science claims. I would just say that before buying an expensive supplement, it might be worth your while to do a bit of research on the claims. Typically, you can find easy-to-understand summaries of most clinical studies online. Then, just compare the actual study conclusion to what the supplement company is telling you.

If you have specific questions about the products you take, please reach out to us. We will do our best to help.

One of the biggest reasons that people turn to supplements is that they are not drugs. Supplements are considered natural and less risky, making them appealing especially to those who distrust the government or large pharmaceutical companies.

We at Caring Sunshine understand the distrust of the government and large pharma. But that does not mean you should trust all supplement companies. In fact, we would encourage you to be very skeptical of any company trying to sell you something.

One of the big risks associated with supplements is undeclared ingredients, including (ironically) drugs. In fact, you may have noticed that there have been several cases over the recent years of professional athletes testing positive for unapproved drugs because they consumed adulterated dietary supplements.

Research shows that a significant percentage of tested supplements contain undeclared drugs, especially in weight loss and exercise performance. Many other tested supplements across all categories contained ingredients not found on the label and/or did not contain the levels of beneficial ingredients claimed on the label.

Why is this? The answer is very simple. There is no government regulatory body that holds supplement companies accountable. The FDA very rarely tests supplements. In fact, if you buy inexpensive brands on places like Amazon, there is a great chance that the products are being shipped to you from outside the US (usually Asia), completely bypassing any US regulation of any kind.

I am not suggesting that Nature’s Sunshine is the only quality supplement brand; there are several other great brands. I will state unequivocally however that most brands on the market should be avoided, especially those that you do not recognize. The easiest way to determine if a brand is reputable is by looking on the label for evidence that they voluntarily submit to reputable third-party testing and/or certification organizations like these:

• Informed Choice
• Informed Sport
• NSF Certified for Sport®
• Banned Substances Control Group (BSCG) certifications (e.g., Certified Drug Free®)
• United States Pharmacopeia (USP)
• ConsumerLab
• Labdoor

Be very wary. Not only can supplements be a complete waste of money because the label is not accurate, but they can also endanger your health. Inexpensive supplements are often cheap for a reason.

 

 

We all have frustrations with doctor visits from time to time. Very often, the visit feels short and rushed while the bill for the visit feels large and exorbitant.

Visiting a doctor is a two-way street and both sides bear some responsibility. Doing your part can make a big difference. So, let’s talk about some ways to flip the script so that you are getting your money’s worth from your doctor visits.

Get organized
Create a three-ring binder with tabs to organize your medical information. This keeps you organized and can be extremely helpful for any emergencies.

While you may want to take this binder to appointments, this is not something you want to present to your doctor. It is rather a way to stay on top of your own health. Remember: Health care today often involves changing primary physicians often and using lots of referrals. As you know, information is not shared between these doctors very often. Keeping up with your health is up to you.

Your binder should include the following tabs:
1. Your personal health history of any prior conditions, surgeries, and hospitalizations.
2. List of medications and supplements you use.
3. Your doctors and their information.
4. Labs and imaging that have been done in the last year and any unusual labs from your past.
5. Care plans from your provider(s).
6. Your concerns, questions you do not want to forget to ask, and paper to write the answers down.

Make sure you know your weight before going to the doctor. If you are taking a child to the doctor, this is especially important. The weight listed in your chart is used for any calculations for medications, prescriptions, and supplements. If incorrect, you may have unnecessary side effects or you may end up with too low of a dose to be effective.

Be conscious about recording your care plans in your binder. The instructions matter. Take prescriptions and supplements as specified (with/without food, at certain times of day, etc.). If this level of instruction is not provided, ask.

Do your part
A doctor/patient relationship requires both sides to meet half-way. Be open and honest with your doctor about what you are able to do and even what you are not willing to do. This allows both sides to manage expectations and work together to figure out solutions.

At the end of your appointment, make sure you know what the next steps are, and make sure you fully understand the instructions. Ask your questions, and ask if there are ways you can further educate yourself.

Imagine you are a teacher and your students never care enough to do their homework. That is often how doctors feel about patients. It is discouraging when patients do not do their part to help themselves.

Be focused
There are a lot of topics to cover in an appointment including diet changes, medicine reactions, lab reviews, etc. Do your part to help the appointment stay on track and on topic. Focus on the health concern for which you made the appointment and keep your questions and answers on topic.

Health is complicated. Work together with the health professionals in your life and in the long run, you should be more satisfied with your visits.

If you have thoughts or additions to this list, please feel free to let me know at nd@caringsunshine.com.

 

Photo by Matheus Ferrero on Unsplash

Some things seem too good to be true. The idea that chocolate is good for you falls into that category.

Regardless, it is absolutely true that chocolate will improve your health (with a few caveats). One of the richest sources of flavanols, chocolate plant compounds protect the heart and provide other important health benefits.

Specifically, flavanols prevent plaque buildup in the arteries, which can be responsible for strokes, cardiovascular disease, and clots. They also improve blood flow to the heart and lower blood pressure. Cocoa flavanols preserve cells, protect DNA, and fight off radical damage to cellular structures.

In the 1970s, Kuna Indians in Panama were studied for their abnormal cocoa consumption (4-5 cups of cocoa daily with additional cocoa in their meals). The results were astounding. High blood pressure was almost extinct in that population, and stroke, heart disease, cancer, and diabetes rates were all far lower than rates among those living on the mainland in Panama.

There are more benefits… Flavanols help to protect your skin from UV light, which prevents wrinkles. They also increase blood flow to the gray matter of the brain, increasing mental acuity.

Now before you buy out the chocolate aisle at the local health food store, understand that not all chocolate is created equal. So, let’s talk about how chocolate products are made.

Cocoa beans are very bitter and inedible until they are fermented, dried, and roasted. The shells are then removed, revealing the nibs which are ground and liquefied into a liquor and refined again into solids or butter. At this point, the chocolate is diluted with sugar and milk, and the benefits are also diluted. This is why dark chocolate is considered superior to milk chocolate. You may see the actual amount of cocoa in a product represented as a percentage on the packaging. The higher this percentage is, the better, though you will find that products become more bitter as the percentage gets higher. Aim for chocolate that is at least 60% cocoa.

Even with its astringent flavor, chocolate takes on a sweet flavor in the kitchen. It works wonders in many foods and melds nicely with other spices in savory dishes. Cinnamon and cocoa are a dynamic duo for meats and vegetables.

Flavanols are not lost or decreased in the baking process or cooking process unless baking soda is used. However, the Journal of Food Science found that if you substitute ½ of the baking soda with baking powder, you will retain more of those flavanol benefits.

Here is a healthy hot chocolate recipe. This is best done on the stovetop in a pan so the flavors can melt into each other, but just mixing these ingredients in hot water works too.

1.5 Tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tablespoon sugar or substitute
½ teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ teaspoon of cinnamon
Pinch of cloves
8 ounces of hot water

Happy cocoa cooking!

Note: Chocolate contains calories, and lots of them, so take this into account if you are interested in weight management.

Photo by Rodrigo Flores on Unsplash

Note: Dr. Shannyn is off this week. This article was written by Greg.

Here is a general rule about diets: if they are too weird, avoid them. If they feel trendy and faddish, avoid them. If they seem unbalanced (with a focus on specific foods), avoid them.

So, how does the paleo diet match up against this criteria? On the surface, not very well…

The paleo diet is trendy with some hints of weirdness; the general idea is you are supposed to eat as ancient people who hunted/gathered would have eaten. Many meats are considered OK (especially fish/poultry) and many vegetables as well (but not vegetables such as beans that would not have been grown in the wild). Grains, dairy, and other even mildly processed foods are considered off-limits. Salt and sugar are avoided.

There are some problems with this kind of thinking. First, we don’t really know too much about how ancient people ate, and second, even if we did, it is unclear whether there would be any major benefits from their diet. In fact, the average lifespan has historically been quite short in hunter-gatherer cultures. While that cannot be completely blamed on their diets, I am skeptical of the idea that just because something is old, it is better. There is actually all kinds of evidence that, in regard to health, the opposite is true.

At this point, those who love the idea of an ancient diet have probably written me off and are no longer reading 🙂 For those that are left, let’s turn the corner and examine the benefits of this kind of diet.

Examine.com (which requires a subscription) is a fabulous resource for consolidating research studies and cutting through the noisy claims about everything health-related. Based on actual research, they rate diets, nutritional supplements, and ingredients in respect to health claims on a scale of A to F. Here is how they rate the paleo diet in major areas:

• There is very significant evidence (A rating) that the diet will at least moderately improve blood pressure, triglycerides, and total cholesterol. There is also very solid evidence that it will help with weight management.
• There is significant evidence (B rating) that the diet will improve HDL and LDL levels, blood glucose, and body fat.
• There is some (but not significant) evidence that the diet may improve insulin levels, heart rate, and heart health.

Generally speaking, these results are pretty good. You could do a lot worse than this diet, and in fact, the vast majority of the people you know are eating way worse. Modern science obviously backs up a diet that limits processed foods, and paleo diets naturally reduce carbs, which is another concept that is widely studied and validated in modern science. And, paleo diets tend to be low in calories, which supports weight management.

So really, the paleo diet label is sort of a misnomer; it is just a clever repackaging of what science has been saying for decades. This kind of diet does not work because it is ancient. It works because it promotes healthy eating.

• There are few dangers to warn you about, but here are some considerations if you decide to do paleo:
  Be careful to get a wide range of nutrition. Potential trouble spots include iodine, calcium, and vitamin D. Be sure you are eating to get these nutrients.
• While I am pro-protein, be careful not to overdo protein (more than 2.5 grams per kilo of body weight) for long periods of time. That is especially true if you have kidney problems.
• If you are pregnant or lactating, be careful not to overly limit carbs.

The key (as always) is balance. Eat a wide range of foods allowed by the diet and avoid versions of the paleo diet that are overly restrictive. Remember: you do not have to follow any person or trend, regardless of how credible they sound. If some guru is advocating based on tradition alone, be wary. Just because something sounds exotic does not make it wise.

But, all warnings aside, is eating a low-carb diet with lots of vegetables and very few processed foods generally going to help you? Of course it will! Have at it!

 

Photo by Kim Daniels on Unsplash