Irritable Bowel Syndrome is a chronic condition estimated to impact 10% of people worldwide, and IBS symptoms can get in the way of one’s quality of life. A naturopathic approach to IBS helps address symptoms in the short-term and focuses on re-establishing the foundation for health, stimulating the body’s innate ability to heal itself.
IBS symptoms include: abdominal pain, change in bowel movements, constipation, diarrhea, gas, bloating, changes in stool appearance, urgency, incomplete evacuation, mucus in stool, fatigue, insomnia, anxiety, and depression. Common triggers for IBS include: stress, inflammatory foods, microbial deficiencies, and leaky gut. One of the best ways to investigate root causes of IBS is with a stool sample test to evaluate gut microbiome health. Our NDs often recommend the GI Effects test from Genova Laboratories. This test evaluates gut microbiome health and uncovers problems absorbing food and gut bacteria imbalances. Learn more about the GI Effects test on Genova’s website here. Once gut microbiome health has been evaluated, the next step is to identify the underlying root cause(s). These include: altered gut motility, intestinal inflammation, changes in the gut microbiota (dysbiosis), or presence of intestinal candida or parasites. Stress also has a major impact on the aforementioned factors and can also impact visceral perception (hypersensitivity to pain), changes in secretion of gastrointestinal enzymes, increased intestinal permeability (triggering sensitivities to food), and the function of your immune system. Lifestyle factors also contribute to gastrointestinal health. Due to the connection between the brain and the gut, it’s important to utilize stress management techniques to help manage IBS symptoms. The goal is to shift from a sympathetic state “fight or flight” to a parasympathetic state “rest and digest.” Stress management looks different for everyone, but a few examples are: practicing mindfulness, daily movement, grounding, journaling & emotional freedom technique (“tapping”). Try breathwork as a mindfulness practice. Alternate nostril breathing technique is energizing and helps balance an overactive nervous system:
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Chronic Kidney Disease It’s National Kidney Month, so let's get real about Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), or chronic renal failure. Trust us, We all know about screening for heart disease and cancers, yet as the 6th leading cause of death in the US, kidney disease kills more Americans and creates more years of disability than both colon and breast cancers. Why aren’t we talking more about this?
While a common blood test can detect early stages of kidney dysfunction, these early warning signs often go overlooked. Patients are too often not alerted of this diagnosis until it has progressed to later stages, when greater medical intervention is necessary. The information below will help you understand your lab tests, know when to talk to your doctor about further testing, and steps you can take now to keep your kidneys healthy for decades to come. Diagnosis and Staging: Am I at risk? Kidney disease is diagnosed and staged using two simple lab tests:
Stages of CKD
You must have consistently abnormal result over at least 3 months for diagnosis. If you have a GFR less than 90 at any point, consider asking your medical provider to repeat the testing and include an ACR test to confirm a diagnosis and get a full understanding of your risk. An important note on lab testing: GFR is considered “normal” on standard lab ranges until it drops below 60. As you see from the staging criteria above, once you drop below 60 you are already at moderate disease activity, and this value correlates with 75% loss of kidney function! Because your lab test reads “normal,” many people are not alerted to declining kidney function until later stages. However, the good news is that because GFR declines with age, having a modestly low GFR without a high ACR means that you are very unlikely to develop more severe kidney disease. Preventative and Naturopathic Treatment: Early detection of kidney dysfunction is critical, as there are many proactive steps you can take to protect your kidneys and prevent further damage. Here I review some of the most important preventative actions to protect your kidneys:
Not every delicious meal is super photogenic. While the filling and sauce in this recipe is a pleasing orangey yellow color, this meal doesn't photograph great. But trust us. The first time I made this meal I thought it was a long shot that anyone would happily eat it, but I thought I'd try it anyway. Before I knew it, everyone was helping themselves to seconds, and it has been a family favorite ever since. You can be pretty flexible about the filling ingredients (the protein, the type of apple, the type of rice, the type of nut butter) and the recipe still comes out well, and if you don't care for peppers, you can scoop out tomatoes or eggplants to stuff instead.
Coconut oil to coat glass 9x13 inch baking dish 4 large bell peppers - green, yellow, orange, or red 1 pound ground beef, ground turkey, or 2 cups cooked chick peas 1 medium Granny Smith (or other crisp, tart apple) apple, cored and chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or grated ¼ cup chopped shallots ¼ cup fresh curly parsley 1 ½ cups cooked wild rice 1 can coconut milk 2 large tomatoes, diced ¼ cup peanut, almond, cashew or sunflower seed butter 2 teaspoons maple syrup 1 tablespoon curry powder ½ teaspoon turmeric ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper 1 teaspoon sea salt ½ teaspoon ground black pepper 2 teaspoons dried basil 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
Makes 4 servings Adapted from 500 Vegan Recipes by Celine Steen and Joni Marie Newman Nothing says October like pumpkins! If you've carved your jack o'lanterns and have more pumpkin seeds than you know what to do with, this recipe is for you. This pumpkin pie granola is tasty and easy to make, and the house smells great while it's baking. The recipe below is delicious and nutritious, and one of the great things about granola is that you can add in whatever you what - nuts, seeds, or dried fruit. We eat it with homemade cashew milk (recipe included), but of course you can eat it with whatever you like with your granola.
Dry ingredients: 3 cups rolled oats 2 cups raw pumpkin seeds 1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice 1/2 teaspoon sea salt Wet ingredients: 1/2 cup melted coconut oil 1/2 cup maple syrup 1/2 cup pureed pumpkin (either canned or fresh) 1 teaspoon vanilla Additions 1/2 to 1 cup raisins, currants, dried apples, etc.
Makes 5 to 6 cups From Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre Cashew Milk 1/2 cup raw cashews 2 cups water 2 tablespoons maple syrup pinch sea salt
Makes 2 1/2 cups From Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre Fall brings chilly weather and, for many of us, a busy schedule. This recipe is perfect for both. With only a few minutes of work in the morning, all the ingredients for this hearty, satisfying stew can be put in a crock pot and left to cook for the day. When everyone returns from work and school, they will be greeted by the rich, delicious smell of a hot dinner. Enjoy!
1 medium onion, diced 4 large carrots, cut into 1/4 inch rounds 1/2 pound mushrooms, sliced or quartered 1 pound organic, grass-fed beef stew meat 1/2 cup water 1/4 cup dry red wine 1/4 cup tomato sauce 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder or sweet rice flour 1 1/4 teaspoons sea salt 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
Makes 4 servings From Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre If you've eaten any Vietnamese food, this is probably it. Pho is a delicious, fragrant noodle soup filled with fresh vegetables and garnished however you like, which makes it a great meal if everyone in your family has differing palates. It's traditionally made with meat and is often eaten for breakfast, but we skip the meat and have it at dinner instead. If you'd rather, substitute chicken or beef for the tofu. After cubing the tofu we sometimes fry it in a skillet with 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil. After cutting it, be sure to pat it dry with a dishtowel or paper towels. Put it in the skillet on medium heat and turn it once one side has browned. Keep turning it until they are fried to your liking. Alternatively, you can toss the plain, uncooked tofu into the broth which will save you some time. We use pad thai brown rice noodles for this recipe, which are wide and flat, similar to linguine.
Broth: 1 small onion, unpeeled and quartered 2 shallots, unpeeled, halved 8 cloves garlic, halved 1-2 inch piece ginger root, coarsely sliced 2 cinnamon sticks 1 teaspoon fennel seeds 10 cloves 10 cups water or clear vegetable stock 3 tablespoons soy sauce or Bragg’s liquid aminos Other ingredients: 1 pound pad thai brown rice noodles 4 cups baby spinach, green cabbage, bok choy or other dark greens, chopped 2 14 oz. containers extra-firm tofu, cubed, and fried in coconut oil if desired 6 scallions, thinly sliced, both green and white parts 1 ½ cups mung bean sprouts 1 jalepeno pepper, sliced 1 cup chopped and toasted cashews or peanuts 1 lime, cut into wedges cilantro, to taste basil or mint, to taste sriracha sauce or crushed red pepper hoisin or plum sauce
Serves 6 Adapted from the Vegetarian Pho recipe at http://www.food.com/recipe/vegetarian-pho-238765. Maybe you're not so sure about Indian food. Maybe its usually too spicy for you. Or maybe you've heard that its complicated to make. Both can be true, but never fear. This dish is a tasty, mild, and easy-to-make introduction for kids and adults alike. The only ingredients that may be hard to find at a conventional grocery store are dried fenugreek leaves and garam masala. Garam masala is a spice mix made with common spices. If you can't find it in the store, look for a garam masala recipe online and make it yourself! (This way you can make it as mild as you want, too). You can omit the dried fenugreek leaves, but they really give this dish the aroma and flavor I associate with Indian dishes, and they give you an excuse to explore an Indian grocery store. In Colorado Springs, go to India Bazaar on Austin Bluffs Parkway or Little Nepal on South 8th St. or on Flintridge. And if you do like spicy, pick up some chutney or hot sauce while you're there. Served with brown rice, preferably basmati, this is a nutritionally complete meal.
1 onion, diced very fine or grated into a paste ½ teaspoon finely grated fresh ginger root ½ teaspoon finely grated garlic 3 tablespoons coconut oil 1½ teaspoons sea salt ½ teaspoon turmeric ½ teaspoon red chili powder 1 teaspoon garam masala 1½ teaspoons cumin powder 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro 1 cup organic whole milk or coconut milk 1 tablespoon dried fenugreek leaves (kasoori methi) Tomato Paste: ½ cup whole milk yogurt or coconut cream (the solids on the top of a can of coconut milk) 2 teaspoons cornmeal or other thickener 2 tomatoes, chopped Vegetables: 1 head cauliflower, cut into florets 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into rounds 1 cup green beans, cut into 1” pieces ½ cup peas 1-2 cups cooked chickpeas
Serves 6 Adapted from Vegetarian Mughlai by Nita Mehta Intrigued? Our kids love that the color and texture of this soup allow them to pretend that they are blood-sucking vampires. It makes dinner fun and exciting - and a little gross. And we all love this soup, which is a tasty and healthy combination of beets, red lentils, rosemary, and miso paste.
3 medium carrots, peeled or scrubbed and chopped 2 beets, peeled or scrubbed and chopped 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 1 large onion, diced 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary or 2 teaspoons dried 1 tablespoon fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried 1 cup dried red lentils 2 bay leaves 6 cups water or stock 3 tablespoons light miso paste
Makes 6-8 servings. From Feeding the Whole Family by Cynthia Lair I just found out a year or two ago that today is actually a day people celebrate, and I'm all for a pie-based holiday! Pi is, of course, the Greek number you probably remember from high school math - as in, the area of a circle equals π times the circle's radius squared. π = 3.1415926 and on into infinity in a non-repeating sequence of numbers. Pi Day falls on the fourteenth day of the third month - 3/14. And this year is special because if you round up the next digits, you'll get 3/14/16! Any excuse to enjoy a pie! Here is a rich and healthy option.
Raw Vegan Chocolate Avocado Mousse Pie with Pecan Crust Crust: 2 cups pecans, divided 4-6 soft dates, pitted 1 tablespoon maple syrup 2 tablespoon cocoa powder 1 tablespoon cinnamon 2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 tablespoon vanilla extract pinch of pink himalayan sea salt (or substitute other sea salt) Filling: 2-3 medium-sized ripe avocados 1/2 cup raw cacoa powder 2-3 tablespoon raw honey 1 teaspoon almond extract 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1/2 cup full fat coconut milk
Crust from http://vegweb.com/recipes/amazing-chocolate-avocado-pie Filling adapted from http://www.vegetarianyums.com/healthy-dessert-recipe.html For our last dinner recommendation of the week, may we suggest a mouth-watering chicken stew that can be thrown into your crock pot by lunch time and that will be ready for dinner. Enjoy!
1 cup diced shallots 3 stalks celery, diced 4 carrots, peeled and diced 1½ pounds boneless organic chicken breasts, cut into chunks 2 cups diced tomatoes 1 cup water ¼ to ½ cup dry white wine ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon Italian seasoning 1-2 teaspoons sea salt black pepper, to taste
Makes 4-6 servings. From Nourishing Meals by Alyssa Segersten and Tom Malterre |
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