Summit Total Health

Prebiotics - Food for a Healthy Gut

Awareness of the link between diet and health has led to an increase in foods that promote wellbeing. Prebiotics are components present in food which give health by supporting the gastrointestinal tract (GI), and by giving the body what it needs to defend itself and promote health and wellbeing.

Prebiotics are a type of fiber which can help protect the body against food poisoning and intestinal and colon problems. Most importantly, pre-biotics are food for our “good” gut bacteria. As a result they promote the growth of these healthy bacteria and help inhibit overgrowth of pathogenic ones.

Give Your Children Water Instead of Soft Drinks

It’s not just American adults who are faced with an epidemic of obesity. Children and adolescents are becoming overweight at an alarming rate. In fact, Centers for Disease Control (CDC) statistics show the prevalence of obesity among children between the ages of 6 to 11 has more than doubled in the past 20 years.

The Dangers of Eating Fish

Fish is beyond compare as a source of many nutrients vital to the developing infant, some of which may actually enhance development of the nervous system in babies and young children.

Widespread contamination of fish with toxic mercury, however, has cast a shadow over the nutritional benefits of fish.

Exposure to mercury in the womb can cause learning deficits, delay the mental development of children, and cause other neurological problems. Mercury consumed by a pregnant woman through contaminated fish can cross her placenta to damage the brain of her baby.

A Walk a Day Keeps the Colds Away

Engaging in regular moderate exercise may significantly reduce the risk of catching a cold, according to new research published in the American Journal of Medicine.

Researchers from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle conducted a study of the effects of regular exercise on breast cancer in post-menopausal women. Half of the 115 women involved in the study were put on a program in which they exercised moderately for 45 minutes a day, five times a week. The other group did not engage in exercise, but participated in a weekly stretching class for the duration of the yearlong study.

The Advantages of Interval Training

It’s not as complicated as you might think. Interval training is simply alternating bursts of intense activity with intervals of lighter activity.
Take walking. If you’re in good shape, you might incorporate short bursts of jogging into your regular brisk walks. If you’re less fit, you might alternate leisurely walking with periods of faster walking. For example, if you’re walking outdoors, you could walk faster between certain mailboxes, trees or other landmarks.
What can interval training do for me?
Whether you’re a novice exerciser or you’ve been exercising for years, interval training can help you jazz up your workout routine. Consider the benefits:
• You’ll burn more calories. The more vigorously you exercise, the more calories you’ll burn — even if you increase intensity for just a few minutes at a time.
• You’ll improve your aerobic capacity. As your cardiovascular fitness improves, you’ll be able to exercise longer or with more intensity. Imagine finishing your 60-minute walk in 45 minutes — or the additional calories you’ll burn by keeping up the pace for the full 60 minutes.
• You’ll keep boredom at bay. Turning up your intensity in short intervals can add variety to your exercise routine.
You don’t need special equipment. You can simply modify your current routine.

Ways to Save Money Eating Healthy

1. Invest in a dehydrator and make your own chips, crackers, cookies, dehydrated nuts, etc. A good idea would be to copy down the ingredients of packaged raw food snacks and make your own version of them at home. It can be more fun this way and you can make enough for some friends too.

2. Borrow raw food and other health books from the library instead of buying them and reading them once from the bookstore or online. You’d be surprised at how many raw food books the library system has. Most library websites have a request function that will transfer the book(s) you want to your local branch and notify you when it’s ready to pick up.

An Apple a Day Keeps The Kidney Stones Away

Researchers have found another reason to eat well: a healthy diet helps prevent kidney stones. Loading up on fruits, vegetables, nuts, low-fat dairy products, and whole grains, while limiting salt, red and processed meats, and sweetened beverages is an effective way to ward off kidney stones, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Journal of the American Society Nephrology (JASN).

Probiotics - The Good Bacteria

The human body is made up of an estimated 100 trillion bacterial cells from at least 500 species, not including viruses and fungi. These bacterias (probiotics) are referred to as “friendly” bacteria and are responsible for several important biological functions. Some of these functions include assisting with digestion, keeping other harmful bacteria at bay and stimulating the immune system.

Researchers are hopeful that probiotics hold the answer to the growing number of cases of antibiotic resistance and abuse. This has caused consumers to search for other natural alternatives to treating various health conditions.

The Older You Get the More You Need to Exercise

 
There is a enzyme in our bodies called AMPK (AMP-adenosine monophosphate-activated protein kinase), this enzyme boosts muscle function and metabolism. AMPK also boosts the level of mitochondria function in our bodies. Mitochondria are the power plants for our cells. As we grow older these mitochondria don’t work as efficiently, this is called mitochondria disfunction. A result of this can be muscle loss and a slower metabolism.

A Guide to Vitamin Supplements

I am of the firm opinion that your diet is the most important source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. In spite of a good diet supplementing with various vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, herbs and other nutrients offers a valuable adjunct in our efforts to achieve Total Health. At times I will recommend supplements in therapeutic dosages. When we use foods, herbs, vitamins or other supplements to treat a particular problem that is what I mean by nutraceuticals.