Integrative Health Blog

I wanted to share with you this fun, delicious, raw cookie/trail mix ball recipe! 

They make a great snack or healthy school lunch treat.

Despite the lengthy dry ingredient list, they are a breeze to throw together. Plus, how hard is it to throw seeds into a bowl?

Raw, Chewy Trail Mix Recipe                   

Ingredients:

10 pitted dates

1/4 cup almonds

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup pumpkin (pepita seeds)

2 tbsp chia seeds

2 tbsp bee pollen (optional)

2 tbsp shredded coconut

Pinch of sea salt

Pinch of cinnamon

If you are feeling fancy, add some cacao nibs!

Autumn Frandsen ND

Natural, Effective Solutions

Many people are looking for healthier options to common problems that may be as as effective as pharmaceuticals but not have side effects, and may resolve the underlying cause of the health challenge.

The following natural remedies are what I use in my naturopathic practice at National Integrated Health Associates (NIHA) with great success. While these are generally very safe in small dosages, as with any herbal or homeopathic or medication you should first consult your naturopathic physician before using these recommendations.

While natural medicine’s efficacy lends itself to both the expertise of the doctor and the commitment of the patient to take care of themselves, many natural remedies are quite effective in time of acute need.

Natural Options for Common Ailments

Laurie DeRosa RDH

Healthy Saliva = Healthy Mouth

In order for us to have a healthy mouth we need to have healthy saliva.

Saliva helps us to chew, taste and swallow.  It keeps our mouths moist, fights bacteria and helps to prevent bad breath, gum disease and decay.

If your salivary glands are healthy, your body could make up to two to four pints of saliva per day.  Most of your saliva is made during the day.  At night our mouths tend to be more dry. 

A Dry Mouth Can Lead to Dental Problems

Xerostomia is a condition also known as dry mouth and it occurs when our bodies do not produce enough salvia.  When this occurs the gums, tongue, and other tissues in the mouth can become swollen and cause discomfort.  Since bacteria are partial to this environment a dry mouth also leads to bad breath or halitosis. 

When I was little I loved to read science fiction. But had I picked up a comic or book with a suggestion that in the future, my food will have poison and toxins sprayed on it, and that this was legal, and that I would have to pay extra to not have poison in my food, and that this ‘safe’ food would have a special name, ‘organic’,  I would not have believed it... nor would I have bothered to read it. Mark Twain once said that truth is stranger than fiction… because fiction has to be credible. 

Did you know that according to TIME magazine, 97% of Americans can not remember the last time they ate a salad?

 

As we age, typically, our bodies produce 13% fewer enzymes than the decade before. Yikes !!

Sort of explains why we are enzyme deficient, right?

Your body has many types of digestive enzymes. RAW food is abundant in digestive enzymes.

Enzymes help break the food down so we can actually use the nutrients in the food.

Bob Johnson DMD

 

Health is the most important “possession” you have.  Unfortunately, health comes with a price in time, energy and money.  Additionally we all have certain handicaps that we begin the health and life journey which must be overcome to live a healthier life.

These handicaps include genetics, toxins, infections, lifestyle and mindset into which we are born.  The good news is that limitations in time, energy and money can be overcome while the handicaps we acquire in utero up to the point at which we make our own health decisions don’t necessarily prevent us from reaching a healthy ripe old age.

An  integrative health  natural approach incorporates nutrition, lifestyle, exercise, and integrative medicine as the building blocks of your healthy life. Start slowly. Try working one  nutrition tip (e.g. cutting back on sugar) into your daily routine until it becomes a habit. It is never too late to quit smoking or start eating more vegetables.

Are You Blessed with Good Genetics?

Ginger is a potent spice with wonderful health benefits.

There are many reasons to use this amazing spice and with cold and flu season looming just around the corner, it is a good time to talk about ginger's health benefits and uses.

Healing Properties of Ginger

Ginger tastes great and it has anti-inflammatory and anti-viral effects in the body. Gingerols are the potent anti-inflammatory component in ginger responsible for reducing pain and increasing mobility. Inflammation can sometimes be silent in the body, on a cellular level, without our noticing it, setting the stage for disease formation.

When consumed on a regular basis, people with osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis may experience less joint pain and find that it’s easier to move around.