LETS TALK ABOUT INFLAMMATION.

INFLAMMATION:

We all have inflammation every day. When our tissues get damaged or even irritated, our body sends immune cells to the area to launch an attack on whatever’s causing trouble. This is what an inflammatory response is, and it causes redness, swelling and pain.

Inflammation is usually caused by a temporary trigger -- a virus causing a sore throat or stubbing your toe, the inflammation goes away once the area is healed. Inflammation can also be caused by more subtle things like the food we eat and toxins that we touch.  These small things can irritate our body and trigger a small immune response.  When these triggers happen often and are part of our usual routine, the inflammation can become chronic.

CHRONIC INFLAMMATION:

When we trigger and re trigger an inflammatory response, we develop chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation is bad for your body. Chronic inflammation can make you tired and achey and is related to chronic disease like diabetes, cancer, dementia, depression, and obesity.

What should we do about it?  Lets find its causes.

DIET, INACTIVITY, AND TOXINS CAUSE CHRONIC INFLAMMATION:

Consuming excessive calories or sugars, salt, alcohol, and saturated or trans fats can trigger inflammation. The absence of fiber and nutrients in the diet can also trigger inflammation. Mediterranean diets, which are high in plant-based foods, omega-3 fatty acids, and healthy fats, can help fight inflammation.  Certain very specific types of fasts are being studied to measure the impact on decreasing inflammation.

Under working your body can cause inflammation.  No matter what your weight, being sedentary causes inflammation.  The specific mechanisms linking being sedentary and inflammation are still unclear. 

Smoking and air pollutants can impact inflammatory markers.  A common exposure are the many common household cleaning products that contain high amounts of toxins that can trigger inflammation.

DETECTING AND FIGHTING CHRONIC INFLAMMATION:

Detecting chronic inflammation can be difficult without looking to your actual blood markers, as many sufferers might not yet present any physical symptoms. Several blood markers can indicate chronic inflammation, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, a substance formed by the liver in response to inflammation, and IL-8, a protein involved in systemic inflammation. Furthermore, you can also be genetically predisposed to chronic inflammation.

Whether or not you have high inflammation markers, the steps to fight inflammation go hand in hand with optimizing your wellness. Learn more about fighting chronic inflammation through diet, lifestyle, and very specific types of fasting.  A licensed CN Certified Nutritionist can help integrate your nutrition care plan as part of your medical team.

   Annette Marsden, M.S., C.N.     360.376.6745      hometownnutrition.com

REFERENCES

1. Fernández-Real JM, Pickup JC. Innate immunity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Diabetologia. 2012 Feb;55(2):273-8.
2. Grivennikov SI, Greten FR, Karin M. Immunity, inflammation, and cancer. Cell. 2010 Mar 19;140(6):883-99.
3. Dregan A, Chowienczyk P, Gulliford MC. Are Inflammation and Related Therapy Associated with All-Cause Dementia in a Primary Care Population? J Alzheimers Dis. 2015;46(4):1039-47
4. Maes M. Evidence for an immune response in major depression: a review and hypothesis. Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry. 1995 Jan;19(1):11-38.
5. Weisberg SP, McCann D, Desai M, Rosenbaum M, Leibel RL, Ferrante AW Jr. Obesity is associated with macrophage accumulation in adipose tissue. J Clin Invest. 2003 Dec;112(12):1796-808.
6. Esmaillzadeh A, Kimiagar M, Mehrabi Y, et al. Dietary patterns and markers of systemic inflammation among Iranian women. J Nutr. 2007; 137:992–998. [PubMed: 17374666]
7. Turner-McGrievy GM, Wirth MD, Shivappa N, et al. Randomization to plant-based dietary approaches leads to larger short-term improvements in dietary inflammatory index scores and macronutrient intake compared with diets that contain meat. Nutr Res. 2015;35(2):97–106. [PubMed]
8. Chrysohoou C, Panagiotakos DB, Pitsavos C, et al. Adherence to the Mediterranean diet attenuates
   inflammation and coagulation process in healthy adults: the ATTICA Study. J Am Coll Cardiol.
   2004; 44:152–158. [PubMed: 15234425]
9. Shivappa N, Steck SE, Hurley TG, et al. Designing and developing a literature-derived, population-based dietary inflammatory index. Public Health Nutr [Internet]. 2014;17(8):1689–1696. Available from:http://www.journals.cambridge.org/abstract_S1368980013002115[PMC free article] [PubMed]

10. Henson J, Yates T, Edwardson C, et al. Sedentary Time and Markers of Chronic Low-Grade Inflammation in a High Risk Population. Published online 2013 Oct 29. doi:  10.1371/journal.pone.0078350

11. Shiels MS, Katki HA, Freedman ND, et al. Cigarette smoking and variations in systemic immune and inflammation markers. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2014 Oct 1;106(11).

12. van den Hooven EH, de Kluizenaar Y, Pierik FH, et al. Chronic air pollution exposure during pregnancy and maternal and fetal C-reactive protein levels: the Generation R Study. Environ Health Perspect. 2012 May;120(5):746-51.

13. Chemical pneumonitis https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/000143.htm

14. Mraz M, Haluzik M. The role of adipose tissue immune cells in obesity and low-grade inflammation. J Endocrinol. 2014 Sep;222(3):R113-27

15. Herbert Tilg and Alexander R Moschen. Inflammatory Mechanisms in the Regulation of Insulin Resistance. Mol Med. 2008 Mar-Apr; 14(3-4): 222–231.

16. Plaque Psoriasis – National Library of Medicine – PubMed Health https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0022696/

17. Ulcerative Colitis – National Library of Medicine – PubMed Health https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMHT0022830/

18. Bergmans RS, Malecki KM. The association of dietaryinflammatory potential with depression and mental well-being among U.S. adults. Prev Med. 2017 Jun;99:313-319. PMID: 28342730.
19. Naitza S, Porcu E, Steri Mm et al. A genome-wide association scan on the levels of markers of inflammation in Sardinians reveals associations that underpin its complex regulation. PLoS Genet. 2012 Jan;8(1):e1002480. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1002480. PMID:22291609
20. Ferreira RC, Freitag DF, Cutler AJ, et, al. Functional IL6R 358Ala allele impairs classical IL-6 receptor signaling and influences risk of diverse inflammatory diseases. PLoS Genet. 2013 Apr;9(4):e1003444. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1003444. PMID:23593036

Learn about ketogenic diets from a professional--there is a safer way to proceed.

There is a safer way to proceed with a ketogenic diet.  Done right, you can burn visceral fat (the fat on your abdomen) and give your immune system a boost.  The fat on your abdomen may be the reservoir where your body goes for energy when the glucose is no longer coming in.  Creating an artificial situation where you have a temporary reduction in white blood cells and giving the body an opportunity to clear out damaged cells, while turning on the homopoetic stem cells to eventually create new white blood cells - this is what happens in mice and in human's in certain situations where the body is using ketones for fuel -- but it has been only been studied so far under very specific conditions.   If you are going to proceed with a ketogenic diet, look to a professional in the field of nutrition for help.  To be honest, recently It has come to my attention that a person with absolutely no formal accredited nutrition education is teaching a class in my community on how to do ketogenic diets.    After learning some of the details from one of the students, I want to let my community know that there is a much safer way to proceed.  Too much glucose restriction can be counter productive.  If you don't understand exactly what is going on you may get surprises.  A little bit of information about ketosis is, well -  sometimes a little bit of information is dangerous -- it is like trying to fly a plane but you have only been taught how to take off.  Talk with your doctor or be under the supervision of someone who the state has given a license to practice Medical Nutrition Therapy (MNT).  There is a safer way to proceed.  

For more information or if you have questions, contact:

Annette Marsden, M.S., C.N., has a CN (Certified Nutritionist) license from the Washington State Department of Health.

360.376.6745

Survival Guide for the Sugar Addict by Annette Marsden M.S., C.N.

Sugar addiction is real.  The easiest thing to do is to be hard on yourself when you eat refined sugar after vowing that you are going to stop.  This is one of the most difficult diet/lifestyle changes out there, so when you mess up, just keep on trying.  Every day is a new day.

1. Step one - make the decision to get refined sugar out of your diet and to get your sugar from fruits.   Eating refined sugar keeps the sugar craving cycle active.  Eating fruit, especially small fruits like blackberries, blueberries and cherries, satisfies your cravings, and help you to create a more healthy eating cycle.  Make sure to read ingredient lists and look for words like sucrose, evaporated cane juice, agave, maple syrup, and high fructose corn syrup.  Avoid those products and head to the produce section of the market.  Again, it is OK to load up on some fresh fruit to curb the sugar cravings - fruit is good for you.  For occasional more concentrated sugar use molasses or whole date sugar.
2. Fast each night and then eat breakfast - Make your breakfast count nutritionally.  It is a meal that you are typically home for and have control over.  Fast for 12 hours each night.  If you eat breakfast at 7 am then do not eat any food after 7 pm.  Did you know that your body is primed to absorb nutrients in the morning after your night time fast? This "re-fasting" is important.  Instead of a white flour bagel or processed muffins or cereal, try eating fresh.  Add some type of fresh fruit or vegetables to every breakfast.  How about some fresh spinach or mushrooms with your eggs?  
3. Hydrate between meals - sip on plain old water, fruit infused water, or tea throughout the day, before and after meals. 
4. Check in with your emotions - When you first try to make a new change you might mess up fairly often.  Just when you were doing well you could not resist that ice cream.  That is the time to become curious about your own journey towards healthy eating, and curious about your past habits.  Cultivate this natural curiosity, give yourself a break, and have fun with it.  You might try journaling, or talking with a friend about your experience.  You may wish to talk with a professional.  

    For more information, contact:

   Annette Marsden, M.S., C.N., has a CN (Certified Nutritionist) license from the Washington State Department of Health.

   360.376.6745

 

Feel free to leave comments below.  Quitting refined sugar is an ongoing process and it helps to encourage each other!  

Exercise your brain for better nutrition? How does that work?

Exercise your brain for better nutrition?  

We have learned to have a passive attitude towards feeding ourselves.  Many of us have been taught that we can take a pill to counter any damage we are doing to our body from inactivity and eating junky foods.  When we do decide to try to get healthy with NUTRITION, many of us have attempted making dietary changes only to end up feeling like a failure when we couldn't stick to the new program.   What if there was a way to change this cycle of attempting to change, experiencing setbacks, and feeling like a failure?   We know that food can be our medicine, and we try to eat mostly healthy foods, but we have a hard time making lasting changes.  What if there was something that could give us a boost into that upward spiral towards better habits?  What if there was a way to maintain motivation to change habits?  What if it wasn't about willpower or motivation at all, but about a habit being wired into our brain?

Embrace the idea, if you can, of a more concentrated focused approach to habit change.  Instead of coaching you and encouraging you to change habits, and giving you a plan of action for those times when you are about to succumb to an unhealthy habit, I will give you assignments that will be the beginning of a new healthy habit.  You can become more focused on changing habits that are, for good or for bad, wired into our brains.  This approach enables you to be more active and take charge of your treatment of your body, .  I have noticed that when my clients experience setbacks after the initial success with a new program, that they often feel helpless and hopeless.  It is not that we can prevent setbacks, but using  exercises for the brain, we will use each "setback" as a motivator, as an opportunity to apply the technique's, which will ultimately work to help you establish new habits. You can exercise your brain to get better eating habits!!

Whenever an activity that links neurons is repeated, those neurons fire faster and stronger.  The circuit gets more and more efficient and better at performing the skill.  This is great if we are learning to swim, and get more efficient and better at swimming.  This works against us when we eat a chocolate bar in the car on the way home from the grocery store.  We wire habits into our brains, and we are likely to continue the habit.

The converse is also true.  When a person stops performing an activity for an extended period, those connections are weakened, and over time many are lost.  For example, if you are used to always getting a large sized popcorn at the movies, and 10 times in a row, you get a small bag of peanuts instead, you are weakening a connection in your brain that tells you to get a popcorn when you walk into the theater.  After some time, the bag of peanuts, is your new habit.  What we can do in this program, is to do exercises that can help you speed up the process, so that it may shorten the amount of time it takes to create a new circuit!   With exercises for your brain, you reinforce the new healthier habits until they become just that; your new habit!

When you establish good habits, your good habits take up space in your brain.  This is physical space, sort of like real estate in your body.  Not only can one strengthen our good habits, but we can weaken our not so great habits, by literally weakening those connections in our brains.  Our positive habits feed circuits in our brain, and our not so great habits strengthen circuits as well.  There are exercises we can do, to strengthen the circuits we want to encourage, do develop habits that we have not yet developed, and to discourage the habits that are not serving us well. 

Are you ready??  Make a list of your positive habits relating to food and eating and lifestyle.  This will take a while.  Now make a list of your negative habits relating to food and eating and lifestyle.  This is a great place to begin.  The next step we do together.   You will be coached on how to work to exercise your brain in a way that is consciously targeting your positive and your negative eating habits.  We can work towards literally shrinking or growing the amount of space the different cycles take up in the body.  The exercise for your brain that will be used to change your habits, will be unique to you, just as your daily routine is unique to you.  No one else occupies the exact same physical space as you, and no one else has the exact brain wiring as you.   Changing habits takes work, but it is creative, and you will be in charge, and (with a little sense of humor) it will even be fun.  Anytime we try to learn something new, we experience setbacks.  They are inevitable!   After using the brain exercise techniques you will still experience setbacks.  After a not so great eating episode, the reward is to be able to say, "I ate poorly, and I used it as an opportunity to exercise mental effort, and to develop new connections in my brain to help me in the long run".    

You have probably gotten lots of nutrition advice in the past.  From magazines, on the radio, from your chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapist, hairstylist, the nice guy at the health food store, your sister......all of these people can give you "nutrition advice" in the state of WA, but none of them can legally offer you Medical Nutrition Therapy.   When you have a toothache, you go to the dentist.  When you have a broken leg, you go to the doctor.   When you have difficulty in changing your lifestyle and want to improve your nutrition, see a provider who can offer you Medical Nutrition Therapy.  In the state of Washington, this would be your Medical Doctor (M.D.), Naturopath (N.D), Nurse Practitioner, your Certified Dietitian (CD) or your Certified Nutritionist (CN).

Exercise your brain to find greater ease in forming new eating habits!

 For more information, contact:

Annette Marsden, M.S., C.N., has a CN (Certified Nutritionist) license from the Washington State Department of Health.

360.376.6745

annettenutritionist@gmail.com               360.376.6745

Health care professionals selling supplements? This represents a conflict of interest.

It is commonplace for healthcare professionals to sell supplements, however, this practice represents a serious conflict of interest.  In view of this, the American Medical Association (AMA), among other professional organizations, considers this an ethical violation.

I do want to ensure that my clients have access to the best quality supplements at a fair price.  My office sells dietary supplements to clients at a 15% markup from cost. This represents a discount to my clients of 35% from what you would pay for the same products as a retail customer. You are under no obligation to purchase these products from my office, and your quality of care in my office will not be affected by your decision to purchase or not purchase products from my office. The 15% charge covers shipping costs and my costs involved in coordinating pick up of your supplement purchase.  The recommending of supplements commonly a part of the practice of a nutritionist.  The brands I carry are not available at most health food stores.

Selling supplements at a discount to my clients is a service to my clients.  Professional brands such as Metagenics, Douglas Labs, Scientific Botanicals, Allergy Research Group, Enzymatic Therapy, DaVinci Labs, and Ecological Formulas are available at the discounted price.

Questions or comments can be made by contacting Annette Marsden, M.S., Certified Nutritionist, at annettenutritionist@gmail.com or by calling 360.376.6745

Will taking zinc for colds make my colds go away faster?

Will taking zinc for colds make my colds go away faster?

Since 1984, when a study showed zinc supplements kept people from getting as sick from colds, there has been a lot of talk about taking zinc for colds.  Since 1984, the research has turned up mixed results about zinc and colds.

More recent studies (1) showed that zinc lozenges or syrup reduced the length of a cold by one day, especially when taken within 24 hours of the first  symptoms of a cold.  Studies also showed, that taking a regular zinc supplement, might reduce the number of colds each year.  Children taking zinc regularly missed less school, and required less antibiotics than otherwise healthy children.

Most colds are caused by a type of virus called rhinovirus, which thrives and multiplies in the upper respiratory system (nasal passages and throat).  It has been suggested that  zinc may work by preventing the rhinovirus from multiplying. It may also stop the rhinovirus from lodging in the mucous membranes of the throat and nose, which is why a lozenge form may be more effective than a spray or syrup.

I would put using zinc, officially, in the "wait for more research and see" category, as none of the studies analyzed had enough participants to meet a high standard of proof. Also, the studies used different zinc dosages and preparations (lozenges or syrup) for different lengths of time. As a result, it's not clear what the effective dose and treatment schedule would be.  Unofficially, however, the use of zinc to shorten the duration of colds seems incredibly promising, and the side effects for a short term use of a zinc lozenge, looks minimal.   Side effects (2) include nausea or a bad taste in the mouth. Studies do show, however, that many people who used zinc nasal sprays suffered permanent loss of smell. For this reason, (Mayo Clinic) doctors suggest using caution with such sprays.

Large amounts of zinc are toxic and can cause copper deficiency, anemia and damage to the nervous system.

Annette Marsden, M.S., C.N., recommends you talk to your doctor before considering the use of zinc to prevent or reduce the length of colds.

references:

1.  http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24715076   

2.  http://www.fda.gov/Newsevents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm167065.htm

Of twelve sweeteners studied for antioxidant values...only two are actually good for you. . .

---

M. P. Katherine and H. C. Monica. Total antioxidant content of alternatives to refined sugar. J Am Diet Assoc. 2009 Jan;109(1):64-71.

Blog post by Annette Marsden M.S., C.N., Washington State Certified Nutritionist

I often get asked which sweetener to use?  Well, there are some sweeteners that offer some nutrition!  Which would you choose?  Cane sugar or agave syrup??  After reading the above journal article, hopefully you would choose neither!  Neither has any nutritional value!  How about Honey or Maple syrup??  Honey beats out maple syrup in nutritional value, but only by a little bit, and they are both only slightly better in antioxidant values than cane sugar!  

This study was designed to measure the levels of antioxidants in these many sugar alternatives. so that the consumer can choose a sweetener with the most antioxidants for better health.

When they compared the total antioxidant content of natural sweeteners as alternatives to refined sugar, they found substantial differences in total antioxidant content.  The sweeteners with the least antioxidant power were refined sugar, corn syrup, rice syrup, and agave nectar, all showing minimal antioxidant activity.  Slightly higher in antioxidant activity were raw cane sugar, turbinado sugar, maple syrup, brown sugar, and honey.  Scoring the highest by far, were molasses and unrefined date sugar (a whole plant food).  

Hurray for blackstrap molasses and date sugar!  These are the only two sugars, (of the 12) according to this study, that are health promoting, if antioxidant content is what we see as good nutrition. Whole dried dates are a whole plant food.  They are the only whole plant food on the list.  

When you are reading food labels, remember that 4 grams of sugar is one teaspoon (one sugar cube).  Keep your "added" sugar intake quite low - at 3 tsp. or less per day.   By "added" sugar, I mean the refined sugars (brown sugar, turbinado, coconut sugar, agave, rice syrup......), and, yes, the unrefined sugars (honey, maple syrup, fruit juice.... ).   Yes, I consider fruit juice to be an "added" sugar.  An eight ounce glass of orange juice has 22 grams of sugar.  If you can, use fresh or frozen fruit to satisfy your sweet craving.   

I hope this helps you in making a healthy sweet choice, makes your cake taste great, and your day (and your health) a little sweeter!  

LACTOSE INTOLERANT OR DAIRY ALLERGY?

Q & A    What is the difference between lactose intolerance and a dairy allergy?

LACTOSE INTOLERANCE OR DAIRY ALLERGY?

The terms "lactose intolerance" and "dairy allergy" are often mis-understood. They engage very different body processes.

Lactose is milk sugar, a naturally occurring carbohydrate in milk. This milk sugar is digested in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract by an enzyme called lactase.  If your body does not produce enough of this enzyme, the milk sugar ends up further down the GI tract and bacteria interact with the lactose and create the upset symptoms of gas, cramping, bloat, diarrhea and even nausea.  This describes lactose intolerance.

A dairy allergy, on the other hand, will trigger an immune system IgE response to the dairy proteins. Though rare, this type of response can be an anaphylactic reaction, which is immediate and life threatening. Or, it can be delayed and lead to a host of symptoms, including diarrhea, cramps, coughing, wheezing, runny nose, or a skin rash around the mouth.