Dr. Ross tells us about how poor sleep can be linked to many other serious health issues, Dr. Orona informs us of the how hidden allergic reactions could be affecting us and Dr. DiCampli explains how vital fish oils are for health and well being.
Dont miss out on the great info bellow!
If you have questions about any of the following articles or would like to speak to someone about Naturopathic Care in general, please call us at 602.493.2273
Weight gain, snoring and health risks:
Do I have sleep apnea?
Ross Kerievsky DC ND
Many people snore at night or wake feeling that they didn’t get a good night sleep. Is it possible that a poor amount or quality of sleep can affect your health and risk of developing high blood pressure, pre-diabetes or diabetes? The answer may be surprising. Recent research has been demonstrating that a poor sleep pattern or having undiagnosed sleep apnea can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
What is sleep apnea? To simplify things, sleep apnea occurs when your airway becomes blocked while sleeping. There are a number of factors that can be associated with having this occur including your weight, your sleep position, some anatomical soft tissue problems, etc. Also as you age, your risk for developing the problem can greatly increase.
A recent study found that your risk for having sleep apnea is approximately 57% if you are obese. That number jumps to between 75-98% if you are obese and diabetic.
While these numbers are sobering, there is good news. Firstly, if you are suffering from poor sleep, fatigue, snoring or waking unrefreshed, you need to have a health screen to see whether sleep study testing is warranted. If you also are overweight, obese or are suffering from hypertension, pre-diabetes or diabetes, this screen is even more vital.
Allergy Alert!
Shahrzad Orona NMD
Do fresh-picked peaches make you sneeze?
Does eating celery tickle your tongue?
Studies show that if you’re allergic to seasonal pollens, your immune system may mistake the proteins of certain raw fruits and vegetables for those in pollen, causing you to wheeze, itch or swell. These proteins are in fruit and vegetable skins, so cooking and peeling produce may help reduce reactions.
If you have experienced a rash, shortness of breath, wheezing, swelling or difficulty breathing after eating certain foods, you should remove them from your diet.
People have experienced severe symptoms after exposure to even minute amounts of a food to which they are allergic.. A person allergic to wheat can have a serious reaction after eating french fries cooked in oil that was used to cook breaded foods.
Sometimes, certain foods cause symptoms that may be misdiagnosed. Heartburn often is misdiagnosed as too much stomach acid or the regurgitation of food into the esophagus when it really may be a food allergy. Other commonly misdiagnosed symptoms include bloating, diarrhea, constipation or canker sores.
If your symptoms indicate food allergies, we can do several different types of testing to determine which foods cause allergic reactions or sensitivities.
Allergies: what they may be associated with. . .
BirchApple: carrot, cherry, pear, peach, plum, fennel, walnut, potato, spinach, wheat, buckwheat, peanut, honey, celery, kiwi fruit, hazelnut, anise, coriander, cumin
Mugwort Sage: Celery, carrot, spices, melon, watermelon, apple, chamomile, hazelnut, anise, fennel, coriander, cumin
GrassPotato: Melon, tomato, watermelon, orange, cherry, peanut, celery
Ragweed: Chamomile, honey, banana, sunflower seeds, cucumbers, cantaloupe or other melon, zucchini
Latex: Avocado, potato, banana, tomato, chestnut, kiwi fruit, herbs, carrot
Peanuts: Legumes, grass, wheat, corn
Ross Kerievsky DC ND
Many people snore at night or wake feeling that they didn’t get a good night sleep. Is it possible that a poor amount or quality of sleep can affect your health and risk of developing high blood pressure, pre-diabetes or diabetes? The answer may be surprising. Recent research has been demonstrating that a poor sleep pattern or having undiagnosed sleep apnea can increase your risk for heart attack and stroke.
What is sleep apnea? To simplify things, sleep apnea occurs when your airway becomes blocked while sleeping. There are a number of factors that can be associated with having this occur including your weight, your sleep position, some anatomical soft tissue problems, etc. Also as you age, your risk for developing the problem can greatly increase.
A recent study found that your risk for having sleep apnea is approximately 57% if you are obese. That number jumps to between 75-98% if you are obese and diabetic.
While these numbers are sobering, there is good news. Firstly, if you are suffering from poor sleep, fatigue, snoring or waking unrefreshed, you need to have a health screen to see whether sleep study testing is warranted. If you also are overweight, obese or are suffering from hypertension, pre-diabetes or diabetes, this screen is even more vital.
Allergy Alert!
Shahrzad Orona NMD
Do fresh-picked peaches make you sneeze?
Does eating celery tickle your tongue?
Studies show that if you’re allergic to seasonal pollens, your immune system may mistake the proteins of certain raw fruits and vegetables for those in pollen, causing you to wheeze, itch or swell. These proteins are in fruit and vegetable skins, so cooking and peeling produce may help reduce reactions.
If you have experienced a rash, shortness of breath, wheezing, swelling or difficulty breathing after eating certain foods, you should remove them from your diet.
People have experienced severe symptoms after exposure to even minute amounts of a food to which they are allergic.. A person allergic to wheat can have a serious reaction after eating french fries cooked in oil that was used to cook breaded foods.
Sometimes, certain foods cause symptoms that may be misdiagnosed. Heartburn often is misdiagnosed as too much stomach acid or the regurgitation of food into the esophagus when it really may be a food allergy. Other commonly misdiagnosed symptoms include bloating, diarrhea, constipation or canker sores.
If your symptoms indicate food allergies, we can do several different types of testing to determine which foods cause allergic reactions or sensitivities.
Allergies: what they may be associated with. . .
BirchApple: carrot, cherry, pear, peach, plum, fennel, walnut, potato, spinach, wheat, buckwheat, peanut, honey, celery, kiwi fruit, hazelnut, anise, coriander, cumin
Mugwort Sage: Celery, carrot, spices, melon, watermelon, apple, chamomile, hazelnut, anise, fennel, coriander, cumin
GrassPotato: Melon, tomato, watermelon, orange, cherry, peanut, celery
Ragweed: Chamomile, honey, banana, sunflower seeds, cucumbers, cantaloupe or other melon, zucchini
Latex: Avocado, potato, banana, tomato, chestnut, kiwi fruit, herbs, carrot
Peanuts: Legumes, grass, wheat, corn
Plantains: Melon
Cats: Camels (hair may be woven into rugs)
How Important is Omega-3 Fatty Acids in Pregnancy, Infancy, and Childhood?
Jesika DiCampli, NMD
Omega-3s (EPA & DHA) most important benefit is to properly regulate immune function, metabolism, cellular fluidity, signaling, mediation, and gene expression. DHA has a positive effect on cell membranes and neurotransmitter signaling in the brain making it of significant importance to neural protection and development. Omega-3s also have a role in reducing many forms of cancer by increasing the rate of tumor cell death and reducing oxidative stress that contributes to the formation of cancer.
Omega-3s are converted to DHA & EPA as Omega-6s are converted into arachadonic acid. This means that EPA & DHA act to be ANTI-INFLAMMATORY throughout the entire body. In contrast, Arachadonic acid from O-6s is INFLAMMATORY.
Dietary sources of α-linolenic acid (Omega-3), the precursor of DHA and EPA, include walnuts, rapeseed and flax seed oils, and green leafy vegetables. However, the conversion from these foods to EPA & DHA can be challenging for most individuals who are deficient in an enzyme (delta 6 desaturase). This is why most Omega-3s must be obtained from fish which does not rely on delta 6 desaturase
The American diet is focused on grain products, dairy, and meats. This type of diet is heavy with omega-6 oils (saturated fats, vegetable oil, linoleic acid) and not the omega-3s (fish, a-linoleic acid). This western diet leads to an imbalance of the fatty acids causing elevated levels of O-6 versus O-3.
Most pregnant women avoid ingestion of fish due to the concern of chemical contaminants and high mercury levels. This imbalance of oils can cause an inflammatory effect through out the body and possibly contribute to infertility, preterm birth, pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, lower birth weight, post partum depression, and other complications.
In the third trimester of pregnancy, omega-3 fatty acids are selectively transferred to the fetus to meet the demands of rapid brain growth, and DHA accumulates in the fetal brain at a rate of approximately 15 mg/week. DHA is the predominant fatty acid found in the brain, requiring maternal mobilization of essential fatty acids at an estimated 70 mg/day. If there is a deficiency in maternal intake, a depletion can occur during pregnancy and lactation leading to an increased risk for depression.
Decreased Omega-3 oils in infants can contribute to allergic responses and suboptimal neurological development. Children who received DHA via cod liver oil from birth until age 4 had higher test scores reflecting mental development than children who received corn oil or no supplementation. Also, there is evidence that children with low O-3 fatty acid consumption was more at risk for developing attention and mood disorders.
How much Omega-3s should you and your children be ingesting? Find out! Dr. DiCampli offers EFA testing and she can determine the proper amount of Omegas that you and your family need, and which supplements are of the highest quality.
Omega-3s (EPA & DHA) most important benefit is to properly regulate immune function, metabolism, cellular fluidity, signaling, mediation, and gene expression. DHA has a positive effect on cell membranes and neurotransmitter signaling in the brain making it of significant importance to neural protection and development. Omega-3s also have a role in reducing many forms of cancer by increasing the rate of tumor cell death and reducing oxidative stress that contributes to the formation of cancer.
Omega-3s are converted to DHA & EPA as Omega-6s are converted into arachadonic acid. This means that EPA & DHA act to be ANTI-INFLAMMATORY throughout the entire body. In contrast, Arachadonic acid from O-6s is INFLAMMATORY.
Dietary sources of α-linolenic acid (Omega-3), the precursor of DHA and EPA, include walnuts, rapeseed and flax seed oils, and green leafy vegetables. However, the conversion from these foods to EPA & DHA can be challenging for most individuals who are deficient in an enzyme (delta 6 desaturase). This is why most Omega-3s must be obtained from fish which does not rely on delta 6 desaturase
The American diet is focused on grain products, dairy, and meats. This type of diet is heavy with omega-6 oils (saturated fats, vegetable oil, linoleic acid) and not the omega-3s (fish, a-linoleic acid). This western diet leads to an imbalance of the fatty acids causing elevated levels of O-6 versus O-3.
Most pregnant women avoid ingestion of fish due to the concern of chemical contaminants and high mercury levels. This imbalance of oils can cause an inflammatory effect through out the body and possibly contribute to infertility, preterm birth, pregnancy-induced hypertension, preeclampsia, lower birth weight, post partum depression, and other complications.
In the third trimester of pregnancy, omega-3 fatty acids are selectively transferred to the fetus to meet the demands of rapid brain growth, and DHA accumulates in the fetal brain at a rate of approximately 15 mg/week. DHA is the predominant fatty acid found in the brain, requiring maternal mobilization of essential fatty acids at an estimated 70 mg/day. If there is a deficiency in maternal intake, a depletion can occur during pregnancy and lactation leading to an increased risk for depression.
Decreased Omega-3 oils in infants can contribute to allergic responses and suboptimal neurological development. Children who received DHA via cod liver oil from birth until age 4 had higher test scores reflecting mental development than children who received corn oil or no supplementation. Also, there is evidence that children with low O-3 fatty acid consumption was more at risk for developing attention and mood disorders.
How much Omega-3s should you and your children be ingesting? Find out! Dr. DiCampli offers EFA testing and she can determine the proper amount of Omegas that you and your family need, and which supplements are of the highest quality.
