Author: KM Foodservice

The Paleo Nurse ✚ Presents: Top Natural Cold and Flu Remedies: Part II

Published by

by Katy Haldiman, MS, RN Top Natural Cold and Flu Remedies: Part II Part 1 of this series discussed several holistic remedies that can help you to recover more quickly from the cold or flu. Find the remaining top remedies below: 7) Nasal Irrigation If you have a runny or stuffy nose that is accompanying a cold or flu, nasal irrigation can help.  The use of a neti pot for nasal irrigation comes from the ancient practice of Ayurveda and it involves using a small ceramic pot filled with a salt water solution in conjunction with head positioning and gravity to flush the sinus cavities (this is easier and much less traumatizing than it may sound).  You can find a neti pot in most health food stores or online.  If the thought of a neti pot intimidates you, most pharmacies carry nasal irrigation devices that some people may find easier to use.  Some studies have found that nasal irrigation can shorten the duration of a cold and prevent complications. 8) Vitamin D Vitamin D is a hormone precursor …

The Paleo Nurse ✚ Presents: Is Low Stomach Acid Bad For Your Health? Part 2

Published by

by Katy Haldiman, MS, RN   In Part 1 of this blog series, we discussed why stomach acid is important and what happens when stomach acid is low. Now that you know how critical adequate stomach acid is to overall health, how can you recognize the signs and symptoms of stomach acid that is too low?   Prevalence and symptoms of low stomach acid   Low stomach acid is a common problem in developed nations.  According to Jonathon Wright, MD (author of “Why Stomach Acid is Good for You“), approximately 90% of Americans produce too little stomach acid.  He arrived at this conclusion after measuring the stomach pH of thousands of patients in his clinic.  While conventional medical doctors sometimes measure esophageal pH levels in particularly difficult cases of acid reflux, they never measure stomach pH levels.  As mentioned above, any amount of acid in the esophagus is abnormal and will cause symptoms. Because low stomach acid has such a profound impact on overall health, symptoms may affect a variety of body systems and result in conditions that include: Heartburn GERD Indigestion and bloating Burping or …

The Paleo Nurse ✚ Presents: Is Low Stomach Acid Bad For Your Health? Part 1

Published by

by Katy Haldiman, MS, RN   If you have ever watched television during the weeknight evening hours or had your regular radio programming interrupted by some messages from the sponsors, it is likely that you have been inundated with a slew of advertisements for antacids and acid-suppressing drugs, including the “purple pill” (Nexium), Prilosec, Prevacid, Pepcid AC, Zantac, and numerous other medications that lower stomach acid. Understandably, you may be under the impression that the symptoms of heartburn, indigestion, and gastrointestinal acid reflux disease (GERD) are caused by too much stomach acid. As acid-suppressing drugs are among the most commonly used prescription and over-the-counter medications, the pharmaceutical companies are banking on acceptance of the idea that stomach acid is something that needs to be kept in check. However, in reality, stomach acid is necessary for digestion to work properly and it is not something to be feared! It is much more likely that your symptoms are being caused by low stomach acid, instead of an overproduction of stomach acid.   Why stomach acid is important   …

The Paleo Nurse ✚ Presents: Top Natural Cold and Flu Remedies: Part I

Published by

by Katy Haldiman, MS, RN   Top Natural Cold and Flu Remedies: Part I A healthy, real food lifestyle can go a long way in helping to boost your immune system and prevent you from getting a cold or flu virus. But sometimes, no matter how squeaky clean your diet is or how well you are taking care of yourself, you may find that you have succumbed to the latest virus that is making its rounds in your community.  If you do find yourself under the weather during this cold and flu season, these holistic remedies can help you to recover faster while maintaining an all-natural approach. 1) Sleep & Rest Getting extra sleep and rest is probably the most important thing that you can do to strengthen and support your immune system as it is actively fighting an infection.  There is a complex relationship between sleep and the immune system, with certain disease-fighting substances being created or released only during sleep.  Most people feel a greater need to sleep during times of illness, but taking non-drowsy, …

The Paleo Nurse ✚ Presents: Vitamin D Supplementation: What You Need to Know

Published by

by Katy Haldiman, MS, RN   Vitamin D Supplementation: What You Need to Know What is vitamin D? Vitamin D is a hormone precursor that has a primary function of promoting healthy bone formation by regulating calcium absorption in the gut and maintaining adequate calcium and phosphorus levels in the bloodstream.  Vitamin D also plays a number of other critical roles in the body, including modulation of the immune system, cell growth, the inflammatory response, and neuromuscular function.  It has been associated with health benefits in the prevention and treatment of many different chronic disease. Is it necessary to supplement with vitamin D? While it has become increasingly common for conventional and functional medicine practitioners alike to recommend vitamin D supplementation, there is still quite a bit that modern science does not fully understand about vitamin D, including what constitutes an adequate vitamin D level and if it is necessary for everyone to supplement with it.  It is certainly clear that vitamin D plays a vital role in health, but the evidence is building to suggest that low vitamin D …

The Paleo Nurse ✚ Presents: What is Lurking in Your Tea?

Published by

by Katy Haldiman, MS, RN   Tea has a rich history with the earliest Chinese legends about tea dating back to 2700 BC in connection to the mythical emperor Shennong, who is regarded as the father of Chinese medicine and agriculture.  Scholars believe that tea drinking originated in southwest China.  In ancient times, tea was used for its medicinal properties and the tea leaves were consumed whole or infused in herbal medicines.  Around 600 BC, tea drinking became an art form and the loose leaves were infused into water or the leaves were ground into a powder that was steeped with water. I am a tea connoisseur.  Although I can appreciate a good cup of coffee on occasion (tempered with lots of ghee/grassfed butter and honey), tea is a part of my daily life.  I enjoy the ritual, the comfort, and the taste that drinking tea brings.  So, quite understandably, I was pretty distraught when I began to suspect shortly after I became Paleo that there was something about my tea that was exacerbating my migraines.  An Internet …

The Paleo Nurse ✚ Presents: How to Restore the Gut When Taking Probiotics

Published by

by Katy Haldiman, MS, RN    For people in the ancestral health community, making the decision to take a course of antibiotics can be scary and discouraging.  Many of us are aware that the overuse and misuse of antibiotics is a major public health issue that contributes to antimicrobial resistance.  We may also know that antibiotics can significantly alter the diversity and composition of the gut flora in a way that might never fully return to its baseline.  Before taking an antibiotic, you should carefully consider the advice of your prescriber to determine if it is truly necessary, and if so, if there is any additional testing that can be done to target the specific type of antibiotic prescribed.  That being said, antibiotics can be lifesaving and if you need to take them, do so without unproductive guilt and fear.  There are steps that you can take to restore your gut while taking antibiotics order to optimize your recovery. Probiotics:  It is critical to supplement with probiotics while taking antibiotics.  This is a common area of confusion as many people believe that there will …

The Paleo Nurse ✚ Presents: 5 Tips for Hormonal Balance for Women

Published by

by Katy Haldiman, MS, RN   Hormonal imbalance is an epidemic in our modern society that can wreak havoc on women in a multitude of ways. Hormones are chemical messengers that are produced by endocrine glands and they act to regulate several critical processes in the body, including metabolism, growth and development, mood, sexual function, and reproduction.   All hormones work together in a complex system of delicate, interconnected relationships, much like a symphony. In an orchestra, if just one instrument is out of tune, not functioning, or overpowers others, it can compromise the entire performance. Hormones that are not finely balanced in the body result in suboptimal health and reduced quality of life, as well as wide variety of symptoms and conditions that may include:   Mood Swings   Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)   Weight Gain   Fatigue   Acne and Other Skin Concerns   Headaches/ Migraines   Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)   Infertility and Reproductive Issues   Low Libido   Insomnia   Mood Swings   Depression/ Anxiety   Thyroid Disease   Insulin Resistance/ Metabolic Syndrome/ Type …

The Paleo Nurse ✚ Presents: Fish Oil: Do You Need to Supplement?

Published by

by Katy Haldiman, MS, RN   Fish oil is a supplement with a history that both predates the modern pharmaceutical industry and is widely accepted today for therapeutic use in mainstream medicine. The benefits of fish oil come from the omega-3 fatty acids that it contains. These polyunsaturated fats cannot be manufactured by the body, but must be obtained from dietary sources. Omega-3s are necessary for numerous body functions and normal growth and development, and research suggests that a diet high in omega-3s is associated with many health benefits, including protection against heart attacks, stroke, autoimmune disease, and cancer. As fish oil is derived from fish, one of the most nutrient-dense foods, many people may be under the assumption that supplementing with fish oil is safe and beneficial. But don’t grab the first bottle off the shelf too quickly—in the case of fish oil supplementation, there is much more to the story.   Types of Omega-3 Fatty Acids   There are three types of omega-3 fatty acids, including alpha-linolenic acid (ALA), eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic …

The Paleo Nurse ✚ Presents: Tips For Choosing An Integrative Practitioner

Published by

by Katy Haldiman, MS, RN Top 7 Questions to Ask Before Choosing a Holistic Health Care Practitioner Choosing a health care practitioner is one of the most important decisions that you can make. When you work with a health care provider, you trust that clinician to provide expertise, guidance, and treatment that affects your overall health and wellness. In many cases, those seeking various forms of holistic health care are doing so because they have discovered that conventional health care simply treats symptoms, rather than addressing the root causes of disease, and does not focus on promotion of healthy lifestyle choices that prevent disease. Choosing any type of health care provider to work with can be overwhelming and it can be difficult to know where to start. Getting referrals from friends and family or using online holistic health referral networks such as Primal Docs can be helpful, but it may still be challenging to narrow down the options. The following questions will assist you in choosing a holistic health care practitioner that you can trust to …