Sum Total of Nutrition
Gut Health
- The Gut houses approximately 70% of the body’s immune system.
- About 100 trillion diverse microorganisms live in the Gut.
- Human genes to organismal genes are about 23 to 3000.
- The organism’s functions influence a person’s fitness, phenotype, and health.
- The gut-microbes collectively communicate with the brian influencing protein metabolism, the nervous system function, and especially mental health.
Key takeaway - It has been found that an unhealthy gut influences many autoimmune and chronic diseases. Treat your gut well with proper nutrition for optimal health outcomes.
Herbs & Nutrition
- Turmeric - Anti-inflammatory and depression. It contains flavonoids, iron, niacin, potassium, and zinc
- Basil - Antioxidant an anti-inflammatory. It contains vitamin A, K, calcium, iron, and manganese.
- Black pepper - Helps mediate the absorption of iron and beta-carotene
- Cinnamon - Lowers blood sugar. It contains iron, calcium, and magnesium.
Eat the Rainbow
It’s simply eating a variety of whole fruits and whole vegetables ranging in all colors from purple cabbage to a yellow pair.
- The human gut microbiome requires a variety of nutrients to function properly. Including various fruits, vegetables, proteins, nuts, herbs, spices, and grains that help maintain the metabolizing process needed for a properly functioning body.
- A varying diet will ensure the body receives adequate amounts of fiber, potassium, magnesium, calcium, folate, iron, and vitamins A and C to name a few.
- Many people assume a diet of vegetables and fruit alone can cause a lack or excess of one or more macro-nutrients such as proteins; however, this is completely untrue.
- Different vegetables and fruits vary in the quantity of macronutrients and micronutrients but they all have their role in building the body’s health.
Pill Mill
Some older adults refer to a “pill mill” as a place where people receive pills but no cure. The words alone remit a cadence of repetitive hopelessness. One may ask, how can Americans have so much freedom but somehow missed the bus for top-tier healthcare. Unfortunately, it’s quite complicated and hovers around pharmaceuticals, finances, and industry.
Resistant Hypertension
According to the American heart Association (2018), persons are considered to have resistant hypertension when they have the following:
- Hypertension despite the concurrent use of 3 antihypertensive drug classes.
- The three or more medications are administered at maximum or maximally tolerated daily doses.
- Patients meeting goal blood pressure parameters on 4 or more medications are considered to have resistant hypertension.
- “White coat” phenomenon has been excluded by monitoring home blood pressures that are above goal.
Healthcare providers response:
- Identify contributing lifestyle factors (Poor nutrition, smoking etc…)
- Detect other drugs that interfere with blood pressure medication.
- Causes of secondary hypertension (sleep apnea and endocrine problems)
- Assessment organ damage (kidney failure).
The examples ( ) listed are not all inclusive.
What should you do:
- Limit Salt to 2000-2400 mg daily (FYI:1 serving of spaghetti sauce 500 mg)
- Achieve 6-8 hours of uninterrupted sleep
- Weight loss: At least 5% of current wait to start
- Exercise: 150 minutes per week for adults
- Lifestyle diet: Whole food plant-based (WFPBD), mediterranean diet, debt Dash Diet (Remove saturated fats, Hidden salt, boxed/canned items)
Definitions:
- Hypertension: Blood pressure greater than 130/80.
- Antihypertensive: Against or a lowering high blood pressure.
- Antihypertensive drug classes: Calcium channel blocker (“pine”), angiotensin-renin blocker (“artans”) or angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (“pril”) or angiotensin receptor blocker), and a diuretic (“Water-pill”).
A Health coach can assist you with meeting these achievable lifestyle changes and getting your blood pressure to goal. Even in people diagnosed with secondary causes of hypertension can better their outcomes with the strategic plan.