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Not surprising, a recent study in JAMA found that the risk of testing positive for COVID-19 was 1.77 times greater for those with vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/ml)! 😲 The study also went on to state that vitamin D: ✔️strengthens innate immunity so it might decrease C🦠vid-19 infection & transmission ✔️affects metabolism of zinc, which decreases replication of c0r0navirvses The study did have limitations but you can’t argue with the benefits optimal vitamin D status has on overall health.🙌🏻 So step 1. Test your levels! “Vitamin” D is actually a pro-hormone. Do not start supplementing blindly, especially with high doses (10k+ IU) without working with a practitioner. Too much can suppress immune function! If your vitamin D is below 50ng/ml, consider boosting it. 👉🏻What is the best form? The sun – hands down! And you can’t overdose! Dminder is an amazing free app that helps you track your vitamin D status from the sun based on different variables. I realize there are limitations; some can’t tolerate the sun due to health conditions, or the geographical location and time of year limit D production. If the sun isn’t an option and you don’t consume eggs, liver and fatty fish regularly, supplementation can help (see post pic). I researched the best delivery forms of vitamin D in terms of absorbability, but the data is inconsistent due to individual variability (i.e. weight, liver and kidney health, nutrient status, cholesterol status, etc).🤷♀️ Since vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, those with fat or overall malabsorption issues may benefit from liposomal (vitamin D wrapped in a type of fat) and emulsified (mixed with fat) delivery forms. And it seems sublingually (under the tongue), the absorption is enhanced even more since it bypasses the GI tract and goes straight into circulation through the oral cavity.🙌🏻 Comments/questions?👇🏻 Please share ❤️ #vitaminD #holistichealth #holistichealing #functionalmedicinedubai #nutritionaltherapy #dubainutritionist #uaehealth #healthawareness #askb
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PART 2 Many of you wanted to know more about inflammation & my favorite anti-inflammatories. To recap Part 1, chronic inflammation, not cholesterol is the true villain when it comes to heart disease. There.💁♀️ So why do we refer to cholesterol as “good” and “bad” then? Well imagine 2 little boats. 🚤🚣♀️ In the LDL boat, it carries cholesterol to the scene of the crime where inflammation left its mark & cholesterol patches up the damages.🛠 When it’s done repairing, all of the debris and rubbish get filled into the HDL boat and then get taken away.🚣♀️ This is why elevated LDL is seen as the bad guy – the patches can build up and clog arteries over time. But without chronic inflammation and oxidative stress in the body, cholesterol isn’t a problem, and this is in large part dependent on other factors such as: ✔️Blood sugar control (are you insulin resistant?) ✔️Antioxidant status (is your diet rich in colorful bioflavonoids?) ✔️Immune system strength (how’s your vit D, A, zinc and overall gut health?) ✔️Detoxification capability (how’s your gallbladder, liver & kidney function?) ✔️Gut health (how’s your digestion and microbiome health?) ✔️Nutrient sufficiency (how’s your diet & ability to absorb nutrients?) ✔️Activity level (do you move daily?) In fact, a large analysis shows that 50% of those who had a heart attack had “optimal” LDL levels prior to their cardiac event (my dad included!). PMID: 19081406 Smoking, processed vegetable oils (canola, corn, soy, etc), a high refined carb/sugar diet, toxins (plastic, non-organic food, meds, etc), stress, leaky gut, food sensitivities – all of these can be sources of chronic inflammation.🙅♀️ Reduce inflammation by addressing the questions above and fight back by including as many anti-inflammatory foods/supplements as possible into your daily diet (see post pic).💪🏼 How many of these do you incorporate already?👇🏻 Comments/questions?👇🏻 Please share ❤️ #heartdiseaseawareness #heartdiseaseprevention #antiinflammatorydiet
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Three years ago, I dropped everything I was doing and flew to Canada on a whim to be with my father as he underwent emergency open heart surgery.💔 Luckily the procedure was successful but I was so angry because the medical community still uses cholesterol as a sole risk factor for heart disease - WHEN IT’S NOT! Without chronic inflammation, cholesterol isn’t a problem in the body. And my dad’s doctor never once tested inflammatory markers like CRP, homocysteine or fibrinogen.😡 What is inflammation? Take a piece of sand paper and rub it on your skin continuously, day in, day out for years.🔥 That’s what you can imagine chronic inflammation looks like inside the body. And in response, our body uses cholesterol to patch up the inflamed tissues which clog up the arteries. But blaming cholesterol for heart disease is like blaming a fire truck at the scene of a fire! It’s not the one to blame – what caused the fire is!💁♀️ Our best defense is to get rid of sources of inflammation. Not a statin drug to lower cholesterol and a low-fat diet which unfortunately are still the standard recommendations (even though the science linking saturated fat, cholesterol and heart disease is very weak).😤 What are common sources of inflammation? ✖️Smoking! Shisha & cigars included. Consider laser therapy to help you quit. ✖️Eating too many refined carbs like sugar and anything made with flour. Try going flour-free and minimize sweets. ✖️Eating out a lot. Why? Because of the use of cheap omega-6 vegetable oils like canola, corn, sunflower and soybean. Also avoid fried foods and consume more omega-3 fats. ✖️Toxins (plastic, non-organic food, hygiene products, over the counter pain meds, etc), stress, leaky gut, food sensitivities – all sources that can lead to chronic inflammation. These are the true culprits. Let’s stop blaming cholesterol please. Care for a part 2? Comments/questions?👇🏻 Please share❤️ #heartdisease #heartdiseaseawareness #heartdiseases #heartdiseaseprevention #preventandreverseheartdisease #cholesterol #inflammation #askb #functionalmedicinedubai #dubainutritionist #uaehealth
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I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve helped clients avoid courses of antibiotics for a brewing urinary tract infection (UTI). I’m not against antibiotics (they can be life-saving) but my goal is to give you other natural options and explain the rationale. UTIs are typically caused by a specific type of E coli bacteria colonizing the urinary tract. A combination of d-mannose, uva ursi, hydration, and alkalizing the urine can help! 1️⃣ D-mannose is a natural sugar that doesn’t get absorbed in the human digestive tract but instead provides desirable food for bacteria. This causes them to release their grip of the urinary tract lining and get flushed out in urine. 👋🏻 Hence the importance of drinking plenty of fresh filtered water. SCORE? Bacteria 0, Human 1 💪🏼 👉🏻Dosing needs to be discussed with your practitioner but on average, 1-2g daily has been shown to help with prevention and 2 x daily to counter an existing infection. 2️⃣ Similarly, cranberry metabolites impair e-coli adhesion to the urinary tract wall. But make sure it’s cranberry EXTRACT and not cranberry JUICE, which is high in sugar and feeds bacteria! 3️⃣ Uva ursi, an herbal anti-microbial, is believed to be more effective at an alkaline pH which is why it is encouraged to eliminate (at least temporarily) anything acidic (see the list of avoids in the post pic). 👉🏻At the first “twinge”, uva ursi at the maximum recommended dose on the supplement label can help stop it in its track. ⚠️ NOTE: While d-mannose is quite safe for everyone, uva ursi is not recommended for children or those with liver disease. 4️⃣ Also important – if sexually active, please urinate as soon as possible after intercourse. As always, please consult with a practitioner before taking any supplements. Hope this was helpful. Comments/questions?👇🏻 Please save this one & share ❤️ #uti #urinarytractinfection #urinaryhealth #urinaryinfection #uvaursi #dmannose #holistichealth #functionalmedicinedubai #functionalmedicine #nutritionaltherapypractitioner #dubainutritionist #uaehealthmovement #healthawareness #askb
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PART 3 In part 2, many of you asked about the best diet to help reverse insulin resistance. Well here’s the thing. Even the best functional medicine professionals cannot agree on THE best diet because ultimately, it boils down to bio-individuality, which means: ✔️Your genetics ✔️What you have access to ✔️What you can afford ✔️What you can prepare, palate, and ultimately sustain with pleasure and commitment that reduces sugar and ectopic fat, allows the liver & pancreas to recover, and stops the cycle of dysfunction. I think the biggest confusion around blood sugar control is carbs (see post pic) so let’s start there. Foods vary in their carbohydrate density (i.e. percentage of the food that is made up of carbs minus fiber) and how quickly they are digested and absorbed to affect blood sugar. The more carb dense, the easier it is for the body to convert it into sugar. Fiber plays a key role and so does bio-individuality! Whole grains for example are carb dense and can spike blood sugar quickly in some people but not in others. The type of grain also makes a difference (ex. rye is slower, whole wheat is faster acting). You can begin to see all of the possible nuances.🤷♀️ In my experience however, including plenty of non-starchy vegetables, moderate amounts of protein and fat (again, so many nuances), and avoiding dense/fast acting carbs is a helpful guide to reverse insulin resistance. 👉🏻Here’s a practical example: ✅Breakfast: Eggs, bowl of leafy greens, avocado, sprinkle of pine nuts ✅AM Snack: Green tea & 10 almonds (for high fasting insulin or medication induced hypoglycemia tendency) ✅Lunch: Mixed green salad, olives, lemon/EVOO dressing, black beans, grilled chicken, sunflower seeds ✅PM Snack: Green tea, apple with hummus (for high fasting insulin or medication induced hypoglycemia tendency) ✅Dinner: Baked salmon, sautéed spinach with onion and sweet potato cubes Hope this helps. Please share❤️ #insulinresistance #insulinresistancediet #carbs #bloodsugarbalance #bloodsugardiet #functionalmedicinedubai #dubainutritionist #uaehealthmovement #askb
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PART 2 I’m not gonna sugarcoat it – insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes are totally reversible but it takes SERIOUS dietary/lifestyle modifications, and targeted supplementation. As a reminder from Part 1, fasting insulin can help identify insulin resistance early on and optimal levels are typically 4-7 mIU/L. Anything higher indicates insulin resistance and levels much lower can indicate pancreatic dysfunction or unmanaged Type 2 Diabetes. So step 1️⃣ Test and address diet for a MINIMUM of 3 months to give the organs a well-deserved vacation, then re-test. Meals should include plenty of fibrous veggies, quality proteins and healthy fats. Limit grains to ½ cup per day (cooked) and root vegetables to 1 cup per day. 2️⃣ ZERO SWEETENERS and flour of any kind (bye bye bread, cereal & pasta👋🏻). Fruits are the exception; 1-2 low-glycemic whole fruits per day or 1 cup cut up. 3️⃣ Control inflammation. Replace inflammatory vegetable oils like canola and corn oils with extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil. Also incorporate anti-inflammatory foods rich in omega-3 (e.g. sardines, flax seeds, walnuts) and antioxidants (e.g. curcumin, garlic, ginger), and eliminate food sensitivities. 4️⃣ Prioritize sleep to normalize insulin levels. Avoid eating at least 2 hours before bed, sleep by 10/10:30pm and wake up at consistent times. 5️⃣ Address stress. Ongoing high cortisol can raise blood sugar and yes, cause insulin resistance! Remember stress can be mental/emotional but also physiological (e.g. heavy metal toxicity, fungal overgrowths). 6️⃣ Supplement considerations: magnesium, vitamin D, chromium, biotin, alpha lipoic acid, l-carnitine all play a role with insulin management. And we can’t forget inositol, which also alleviates PCOS in women by improving insulin resistance and finally, berberine – a phytonutrient proven to be just as effective at regulating blood sugar in Type 2 diabetes as the drug metformin (minus side effects)!💪🏼 Out of space 😅 Questions?👇🏻 Want a Part 3? Please tag & share❤️ #insulinresistance
