Here, Dr Sarah talks about some of the triggers of hot flashes and some strategies that we can employ to cope with hot flashes that support body wellness.

And here are some of Dr Sarah’s suggestions for women suffering from hot flashes:

start with cleaning up the diet, avoiding processed foods in favor of whole natural and organic foods

getting enough sleep

exercising regularly

stress reduction techniques

social and emotional support

If these strategies are not effective then a visit to a Doctor of Naturapothic Medicine may be necessary to determine the underlying cause for the hot flashes. Remember just because the symptoms (hot flashes) are the same does not mean that the underlying cause is the same!

A Naturopathic Approach to hot flashes allows for further analysis and “detective work” to help each woman on a case by case basis.

Watch Part II of our interview with Sarah LoBisco, ND below.  Dr Sarah can be reached at 518-885-9145.

And organic farming is also supposed to be better for the environment.  Many, including myself agree that these benefits are well worth the additional expense.

With the FDA having so many problems with items being imported from China, including food items, the question is: Would you buy organic foods from China?

What if you were told that Whole Foods – the leading retailer of organic and natural food was sourcing a number of its products from China? Sadly, this is true. And quite frankly as a consumer I feel let down and disappointed.

Foods like Edamame Blanched Shelled Soybeans, Organic Broccoli Florets , Organic Asparagus Spears and get this – California Blend Vegetables – all sourced from China and being marketed under the Whole Foods Brand – 365 Organic.

I think that Whole Foods has some explaining to do.   ABC News has revealed some disturbing questions about the validity of the organic certification of these products.  Whole Foods continued silence on the matter is also very unsettling.

The bottom line: Buyer Beware – read your food labels, even on things that we once considered sacrosanct.

Have a look at this ABC News 7 I-Team Report to find out the full details of this story. Be sure to download the Whole Foods – Product of Origin document as well. And please share this information with your family and friends.

I would love to hear your comments regarding this story. Are you a Whole Foods customer and what are your feelings about “organic” foods from China being sold at Whole Foods?

It is thought that the estrogen reduction experienced during menopause may disrupt the function of the hypothalamus which in turn leads to hot flashes.

Despite the fact that hot flashes are common, they are not natural, according to Sarah LoBisco, ND, Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine.  Dr Sarah has over 8 years experience in wellness and is a graduate of the accredited four year post-graduate program in naturopathic medicine at the University of Bridgeport in Connecticut.  She is also trained in whole foods supplements, herbal and essential oils therapy.

Dr Sarah believes in listening to her clients and working with them in order to facilitate wellness. She uses her background of essential oils, herbs, whole food supplements and psychology to form an integrated approach to each individual client.

And what does Dr Sarah have to say about hot flashes? Lots…..join me for a Natropathic look at hot flashes in Part 1 of my interview with Sarah LoBosco, ND.

Sarah LoBisco, ND

Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine

18 Low St

Ballston Spa, NY 12020

518-885-9145

nd@dr-lobisco.com

Stay tuned for Part 2 in this interview series where Sarah LoBisco, ND discusses coping mechanisms for hot flashes, common triggers and lots more.

According to the experts, staying physically active ensures that our brain continues to receive and maintain good blood flow as well as encouraging new brain cell growth.

There have also been a number of studies which link low levels of Vitamin D to Alzheimer’s. It’s a good idea to get your Vitamin D levels checked and to supplement during the winter months. Hey it’s summer – get out and soak up some of that vital Vitamin D!

Protect your brain cells by adopting a brain healthy diet. As you would guess this includes loads of dark-skinned fruits and veggies which have the highest levels of antioxidants. Nuts that contain a good source of Vitamin E like almonds, walnuts and pecans are also recommended as well as cold water fish containing omega-3 fatty acids.

Keeping socially active as well as feeling a sense of community are other critical components for brain wellness as well as keeping mentally active. And here’s an interesting tidbit – higher levels of education appear to be somewhat protective against Alzheimer’s, possibly because brain cells and their connections are stronger.

Bottom Line: Get moving, stay mentally active, eat a healthy diet, and know your Vitamin D levels. Isn’t it funny that we keep getting the same advice over and over again to starve off a variety of illnesses?

In this study some 500 mothers were rated on their ability to comfort and respond to the needs of their babies. Thirty years later, the researchers approached the children, who were now adults, and asked them to take part in a survey about their well-being and emotions. The results showed that the children whose mothers gave them lots of love and affectionate were better able to cope as adults with all kinds of distress.

Read the full story on BBC Health: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-10759511

What is Stroke?

Stroke is literally a brain attack which cuts off vital blood flow and oxygen to the brain. During a stroke two million brain cells die every minute, increasing risk of permanent brain damage, disability or death. A stroke can happen to anyone at anytime.

Unfortunately, I have first hand experience with strokes. My father suffered a Hemorrhagic stoke at the early age of 55. This means that a blood vessel in his brain broke and leaked blood into his brain.

In my Dad’s case, he had been having severe headaches for a few of days prior to his stroke. But we all thought that they were just that – headaches, possibly caused by stress. Dad was found unconscious on the floor in his office a few days later. No one knows for sure how long he had been lying there.

And I have yet another unfortunate experience with stroke. My sister-in-law recently suffered a stroke during a medical procedure about a month ago. This was an Ischemic stoke which occurs when arteries are blocked by blood clots or by the build-up of plaque and fatty deposits. Approximately 87% of all strokes are Ischemic strokes.

In my sister-in-law’s case, she has a long history of high blood pressure and being overweight – 2 common contributing factors for stroke.

Are you are risk for having a stroke?

Here are some public stoke prevention guidelines published by the National Stroke Association:

• Know your blood pressure. If it is elevated, work with your doctor to keep in under control because high blood pressure is the leading cause of stroke.

• Find out if you have arterial fibrillation (AF). AF is a cardiac rhythm disorder which can cause blood to collect in the chambers of the heart. And this blood can form clots and cause stroke. Your doctor will be able to detect AF by a careful check of the pulse.

• Smoking: If you smoke you are twice as likely to have a stroke. Stop smoking!

• Drinking: Drink in moderation. According to the National Stroke Association, moderate drinking (a glass of wine or beer a day) may actually lower our risk of stroke. But too much drinking increases our risk.

• High Cholesterol:  Again, like blood pressure – know your number. If it is high, diet and exercise is the first line of defense. High cholesterol can also indirectly increase stroke risk by putting you at greater risk of heart disease – an important stroke risk factor.

• Control Diabetes: Diabetes can put us at increased risk for stroke. Here again, lifestyle changes of diet and exercise are key.

• Exercise: 30 minutes a day is recommended and may reduce our risk for stroke.

• Lower fat/ lower salt:  Lower salt and lower fat may lower blood pressure and in turn lower our risk for stroke.

• If you have circulation problems work with your doctor to control them.

Most stroke is preventable. It’s really a matter of knowing your risk factors and implementing lifestyle changes to manage and mitigate risk.

Stay tuned for more in this series on stroke.

The Alzheimer’s Association has some very useful tips in detecting this disease by comparing Alzheimer’s behavior to typical age related changes in behavior.

And yes early detection is a good thing even though there is no cure because it allows the person and their family to make plans and to obtain support and counseling which is often necessary when living with this disease.

Let’s have a look at those 10 warning signs:

1. Memory loss that disrupts daily life as opposed to sometimes forgetting things, like appointments, but remembering them later.
2. Challenges in planning or solving problems as opposed to making occasional errors when say, balancing a checkbook.
3. Difficulty completing familiar tasks at home, at work or at play, as opposed to to occasionally needing help to use setting on electronic equipment.
4. Confusion with time or place, as opposed to getting confused about the day of the week but figuring it out later.
5. Trouble understanding visual images and spatial relationships as opposed to vision changes related to cataracts.
6. New problems with words whether speaking or writing, as opposed to sometimes having trouble finding the right word.
7. Misplacing things and losing the ability to retrace steps as opposed to misplacing things from time to time (glasses and keys)
8. Decreased or poor judgment as apposed to making a bad decision every now and then.
9. Withdrawal from work or social activities as opposed to sometimes feeling weary of work or social obligations.
10. Changes in mood and personality as opposed to developing specific ways of doing things and becoming irritable when a routine is disrupted.

If you notice any of these signs, please see your doctor immediately. The Alzheimer’s Association’s website has loads of other helpful information about this disease. You can visit them here:  http://www.alz.org/index.asp

Source: Alzheimer’s Association

You can read the full story here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-tyne-10687910

How bad can a bowl of KFC mashed potato with gravy be? Pretty darn bad. Ridiculously bad. Heart stopping bad….insanely bad. This “bowl” is described as a combination of popcorn chicken, gravy, mashed potatoes and corn topped with a three cheese blend. And if that description isn’t enough to turn you off, let’s have a closer look at the KFC Nutrition Guide.

Calories:  700   If we eat approximately 1,800 calories/day, this meal represents 40% of our daily intake – but that’s not counting a drink. And I’m figuring that we are going to need a very large drink once we see just how much sodium is in this baby.

Calories from Fat:  290 This is really high because 41% of the calories in this blow comes from fat.

Total fat:  32 (g)   The recommended daily fat intake is around 65 grams. So this bowl provides almost half of this amount in just one meal. Not good.

Saturated Fat: 8 (g) Less is more here because foods high in saturated fats are also high in cholesterol. The American Heart Association sets a daily limit of 16 (g) of saturated fat daily and this bowl provides half of this amount.

Cholesterol: 55 (mg)   Again, according to the American Heart Association we should be eating no more that 200 mg of cholesterol daily. This bowl provides more that a quarter of this allotment.

Sodium:   2,260 (mg)  Are you kidding me?  The amount of sodium in this meal is totally out of the ball park given that our recommended daily sodium intake is around 1,500 mg.

Carbohydrates: 57 (mg)  This one is a little tricky because it depends on how many calories we eat daily. What’s more important is the kind of carbs that we consume and we should be consuming unprocessed carbs for optimum nutrition. The carbs in this KFC bowl are highly processed. And how do we know that? By having a look at the ingredient list….but we’re not there yet.

Dietary Fiber:  6 (g) is woefully short of the recommended 21 – 38 grams required daily.

Protein:  27 (g) This is really quite high. We should be consuming about 15 (g) of protein with each meal or about 45 (g) daily.

When we ad up the ingredients listed for the popcorn chicken, the mashed potatoes, the gravy, corn and the three cheese blend, we come in at about 150 ingredients. But I’m going to give myself a 10% margin for error here because my eyes really did begin to gloss  over during the whole counting process.

Suffice it to say that a number of these ingredients are chemicals and chemical preservatives. Creepy unhealthy ingredients.

Bottom Line: the KFC Famous Bowls – Mashed Potato with Gravy is a no go. It’s not real food, it’s unhealthy, highly processed and loaded with fat and sodium. It’s absolutely not the kind of food that supports health and wellness.  KFC Nutrition?  I think we should pass on this one.

It seems that having a big head is an indication that there are more brain reserves to “buffer against dementia-related brain cell death.”

Read the full story on BBC Health: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/10596344.stm