Author Archives: Eric Mazzoni

Post-Holiday Gut Soothing Drinks

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Are you dealing with the after-effects of holiday food and drinks? While the wining and dining of the season has died down, you may now find yourself facing some of the gastrointestinal consequences of all the rich food, drinks, and desserts that often accompany the holiday season.

If you find yourself experiencing bloating, gas, heartburn, acid reflux, and indigestion after the holidays, then you aren’t alone.

Our diets during the entire holiday season can wreak havoc on our digestive health. On Thanksgiving Day alone, the average American consumes about 4,500 calories total, with around 2,061 calories of that coming from fat.

So whether you are dealing with post-holiday stomach discomfort, or just looking for drinks that will help support a healthy gut and digestion throughout the year, then you can’t go wrong with these post-holiday gut-soothing drinks.

Post-Holiday Gut-Soothing Drinks

Ginger Tea

Ginger is one of nature’s best tools to help us fight nausea and indigestion. Just ask any mom who has experienced morning sickness. But the benefits of ginger are not just for pregnancy. Drinking warm ginger tea right before or during a meal may improve your digestive health and even prevent symptoms from heartburn, stomachache, and indigestion.

Kombucha

Kombucha is a drink made by fermenting yeasts and bacteria along with sweetened tea. The result is a sweet, refreshing, lightly carbonated drink that can come in a wide variety of flavors, depending on the tea used. But even more than that, kombucha is rich in antioxidants and

Kiefer

Kiefer is another drink on the list of fermented drinks rich in probiotics. Kiefer tastes similar to yogurt and is relatively easy to either make it home or find at your local grocery store. Kiefer is chock-full of a symbiotic collection of bacteria and yeast that will help replenish the bacteria in your gut.

Celery Juice

Celery juice has a number of health benefits. Not only is it rich in vitamin A, vitamin C, and vitamin K, but it is also an antioxidant and can support reducing gut inflammation. According to nutritionist Lisa Richards, “It contains a flavonoid named luteolin, which has been proven to inhibit gut inflammation.”

Along with those gut soothing drinks, you can support your gastrointestinal health after the holidays with these probiotic supplements from Klaire Labs, Douglas Laboratories, and Microbiome Labs.

Ther-Biotic Complete – Klaire Labs

Ther-Biotic Complete from Klaire Labs is a high-potency, hypoallergenic blend of 12 certified probiotic species that offers the most complete spectrum of microorganisms in the Klaire line. Ther-Biotic Complete is designed for individuals who require significantly higher amounts of several different types of probiotic species to help support intestinal health, which is why it is formulated with 25 billion CFUs per capsule. It supports innate and acquired immune defense mechanisms and overall colon health, helps synthesize vitamin K and B vitamins, boosts immunological gut barrier function, and encourages a healthy inflammatory response.

Multi-Probiotic 15 Billion – Douglas Laboratories

Support your gut around the year with Multi-Probiotic 15 Billion from Douglas Laboratories. Multi-Probiotic 15 Billion’s Multi-Strain proprietary probiotic blend provides 15 billion beneficial organisms to support intestinal flora with a full amount of live beneficial prebiotics and probiotics. Also containing prebiotic fructooligosaccharides (FOS) to maintain intestinal microorganisms, this probiotic supplement helps establish and maintain a healthy intestinal population of helpful organisms and creates an acidic environment unfavorable to organisms in the gut.

Mega SporeBiotic – Microbiome Labs

Mega SporeBiotic from Microbiome Labs contains a patented probiotic strain that produces antioxidants in the gut. It may support digestion, reduction of inflammation, regularity, and promote a healthy intestinal tract.

What are your favorite post-holiday gut soothing drinks?

Eat These Foods to Get More Vitamin D During the Winter

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According to Canton Mercy Medical Center, 42% of Americans are deficient in vitamin D. This issue can result in many problems affecting most body systems and processes, including bone growth, immunity, heart disease, childhood asthma, and other issues. 

Anyone can be vitamin D deficient, but certain populations are more at risk than others. Those who do not frequently go out in the sun (sunlight being one of human’s most important sources of vitamin D) will be at risk, as will older people and anyone on long-term prescription medications of various types (for heartburn or constipation, to name just two). People with dark skin also run the risk of being low in vitamin D because the increased melanin in their skin prevents sunlight from affecting it as quickly as it would in lighter skin. 

The point is, if you’re reading this, you’re either vitamin D deficient or at risk of becoming that way. This is especially true in the winter, because most of us spend more time indoors due to cold weather, and may experience fewer less time in the sun when outside due to shorter days. 

All things considered, the best way to make sure that your vitamin D levels are to eat the right foods. Fortunately, there is something for everyone when it comes to creating a vitamin D menu. Here are some of our best recommendations, which you can source from a local grocer at any time of year. 

Fatty Fish

Fatty fish has numerous benefits unrelated to vitamin D (omega-3’s, we’re looking at you!), but vitamin D is a perk all its own. Fatty fish tend to contain a lot of vitamin D, so consider making fish a part of your schedule at least once per week. Salmon is an obvious contender for the dinner table, but you can also snack on fish in the form of herring and sardines, with much the same effect. 

Harvard notes that most people low in vitamin D will need between 600 to 800 IU of vitamin D daily, though some people will need much more. It’s important that you know where you stand, so get a blood test from your doctor at your next checkup to see where your baseline is. From there, one serving of salmon can give you almost 1000 IU, and herring (and other small, oily, snackable fish) can give you about 300 IU in a 3.5-gram serving. Cod liver oil and tuna are more excellent fatty fish sources.

Cage-Free Egg Yolks

Regular commercial egg yolks significantly less vitamin D and other essential nutrients – hardly worth your while – which pasture-raised chicken eggs contain far more. This may be due to pasture raised chickens having access to sunlight, natural seeds and plants, and bugs for food; compared to chickens kept in a dark barn and fed inexpensive corn-based feed. 

Mushrooms

Mushrooms produce vitamin D when they’re exposed to UV light. What might surprise you, though, is that fresh mushrooms demonstrate this property even after they’ve been picked. So the next time you’re about to prepare a mushroom dish, set those fungi puppies out in the sunlight for an hour before you slice them up. You’ll literally be increasing their vitamin D nutritional value by taking this extra step. Vitamin D levels vary wildly by type and freshness, but always try to get the best quality available in your area for the best results.

Fortified Foods

Fortified foods like pasta and cereals have vitamin D added to them during production, so how much you can get from them will depend on several factors. If you eat certain staple foods daily, look for fortified versions that contain vitamin D. 

If you can’t find enough Vitamin D in your daily diet, it’s time to reach for the supplement bottle. We specifically recommend considering Vitamin D3 Complete from Nutricology, Liquid D and K from Douglas Laboratories, or d-Pinitol 600 mg from Vital Nutrients. These products offer a few variations of the same idea: provide you the vitamin D you need this winter. Check them out and see which one works best for you, in addition to the foods mentioned above.

Tips for Improving Your Mood During the Winter Months

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The long, dark winter months can take a toll on our emotional well-being. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that most commonly begins during the fall months and lasts throughout the winter.

Psychology Today estimates that 10 million Americans are affected by SAD every year. Even for those who may not have been formally diagnosed, it is estimated that 10 to 20 percent of the population has a form of mild SAD.

While symptoms of SAD (and their severity) can vary, symptoms commonly associated with SAD – sometimes also called “the winter blues” – include:

  • Decreased energy
  • Feeling depressed
  • Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy
  • Loss of motivation
  • Sleeping too much or feeling constantly exhausted
  • Experiencing changes in appetite or weight (winter SAD frequently results in craving starchy, high-carb foods, and weight gain)
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Frequent thoughts of death or suicide
  • Irritability
  • Avoidance of social situations

Whether or not you think you have SAD, The Mayo Clinic reminds everyone that it’s important to see a doctor “if your sleep patterns and appetite have changed, you turn to alcohol for comfort or relaxation, or you feel hopeless or think about suicide.”

Thankfully, there are simple things you can do to help improve your mood during the winter months. While none of these alone should be thought of as a cure, they may be ideal supportive aids to therapies and treatments recommended by a healthcare professional.

Light Therapy

Light therapy, also known as phototherapy, requires sitting or working near a light therapy box, a kind of lamp that emits a bright light that mimics natural outdoor light. Make sure to purchase a light or lightbox specifically made for this purpose – there is a wide variety, and your doctor may be able to help recommend one.

A good light therapy lamp should generally have 10,000 LUX, although your doctor may recommend something different. The lightbox should be about 16-24 inches from your face during daily sessions (generally about 20-30 minutes) to get the most out of light therapy. Light therapy is often most effective when done first thing in the morning.

Get Outside

Even if you’re using a light therapy lamp, try to get outside for more natural light. Ten to 15 minutes is enough each day. Schedule a regular short walk with a group of friends or a neighbor. Shovel snow if possible. Go for a wintery walk in the woods. Getting exercise, fresh air, exposure to sunlight, and time with friends are important ways to support a healthy, balanced mood.

Get Light Exercise

It can be harder to exercise during the winter. But exercising releases endorphins, which helps boost energy and mood. If it’s too cold to get your heart rate up outside regularly, there are plenty of indoor options. Dance, do push-ups and jumping jacks, or try streaming a yoga or Pilates class.

Eat a Balanced Diet

The starchy carbohydrates we crave (and sometimes overindulge on) during the winter can wreak havoc on our moods, and make that sluggish, exhausted feeling worse. It’s essential to do your best to eat a balanced diet full of a variety of vegetables, fruits, proteins, and healthy fats during the winter.

Along with the above tips, try these natural supplements from Nutricology, Quicksilver Scientific, and Priority One.

Seratonin – Nutricology

Seratonin from Nutricology is a patented formula to support serotonin, a neurotransmitter that helps to regulate a healthy mood and sound sleep. Balancing serotonin in the body is thought to support the body’s ability to better deal with challenges such as stress. This formula also contains vitamin C, niacin, folate, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and more.

Nanoemulsified Noto Bravi – Quicksilver Scientific

Nanoemulsified Noto Bravi from Quicksilver Scientific is a supplement formula that includes four adaptogenic botanicals that have been shown to support cognition and blood flow to the brain, two types of ginseng for greater energy and oxygen circulation, as well as a Chinese herb, horny goat weed, that increases neuro-vascularity. Altogether, this supplement formula may support learning, acuity, attention, and a healthy mood.

5-Hydroxy-Tryptophan 100 Mg – Priority One

5-Hydroxy-Tryptophan 100 Mg from Priority One is a supplement that promotes serotonin levels in the brain to support emotional well-being, healthy eating behavior, and healthy sleep.

What are your best tips for improving your mood during the winter months?