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Healthy New Year! 12 Hacks to Make Every 2022 Month Healthier

AHA Publisher — Thu, 30 Dec 2021 08:00:16 +0000

Dr. Don Colbert – Every new year, you have a blank calendar before you. You have amazing opportunities to choose your dreams, goals and habits. You can also choose to support your health. You can make it a Healthy New Year! What do you want 2022 to be for you? How can you end 2022 healthier than you’re starting? Here is a month-by-month guide. Go through it quicker or slower, but use it to hit some of the hallmark goals for a healthy new year. Use this guide as a reference as you set your goals, and then move through healthy habits each month. JANUARY: DETERMINE WHAT YOU WANT IN YOUR HEALTHY NEW YEAR One of my favorite things about a New Year is the new beginning. To me, it feels like a gift. A blank story laid out before me, and I get to write the chapters. In January, take some time to decide what you want your 2022 story to be. Some people might call these goals or resolutions. I recommend starting with dreams and adventures. What do you want to accomplish? What dream do you want to make a reality? Is there an adventure you want to tackle? Write these down. Then, write what you need to change in your life, schedule or habits to accomplish them. Some tips for this part include: Dream Big. Shoot for the stars. It’s okay if it takes more than one year. But, aim for something that motivates you and puts a smile on your face. Determine if there’s one change you need to make in order to make it possible. Do you need to wake up 15 minutes earlier? Do you need to prioritize your own health? Do you need to set aside 20 minutes per day to start writing that book? Usually, there’s one big shift that allows other habits to flow more easily. Name the habits needed to accomplish your dream. Do you need to take class? Eat differently? Locate a friend? Be specific here. Are you stuck? Do you have a hard time sticking to new habits? No problem! Here are some great, actionable tips to help you! Whatever your goals and dreams, go for it! January is for new beginnings and an optimistic outlook for a New Year! FEBRUARY: NO EXCUSES – PRIORITIZE SLEEP Believe it or not, one of the best healthy habits you can develop is more sleep! Why? Sleep is one of the strongest immune-boosters available to you. It can support your immune function through your lymph system and help your body restore itself each day. In fact, it allows your body and brain to recoup, restore, and fight chronic illness. During sleep, your immune system releases cytokines which both promote sleep and fight illness. When you are awake, your body must do the work of being awake, moving, and maintaining an active brain. This takes most of its resources. When you are asleep, it can do maintenance on your body (1). Studies have found that sleep also promotes heart health, brain health, normalized blood sugars, and healthy blood pressure (2). What’s more, it encourages healthy moods and mental health, especially in the winter months (3). That’s a lot accomplished from this one change! To learn tips for improving sleep, check out thisarticle. MARCH: REVAMP YOUR DIET Of course, healthy habits have to include a great diet. If you’re ready to really support your health, from head to toe, consider getting into the Keto Zone® this year and adding intermittent fasting. First, the Keto Zone can help you obtain a healthy weight, omit harmful sugars, reduce carbohydrates, support healthy blood sugars, and support heart health (4, 5). The best way to get started is to get the book: Dr. Colbert’s Keto Zone Diet Book. You will find how to cut carbs and get into ketosis. Then, continue to follow our posts, recipes, Facebook groups, and more to keep going. You can also join our FREE 21-Day Keto Zone Challenge! To help you get into ketosis quickly, make sure you add Keto Zone® Instant Exogenous Ketone Powder. Exogenous ketones can boost energy, vastly reduce ketone flu, and slow cell aging (5). Then, you can take it a step farther and enjoy the benefits of intermittent fasting. Here’s a simple way: To fast 15-16 out of the 24 hours per day, finish eating at 7 pm each day, and fast with only non-carbohydrate liquids (like coffee) until 10 am or so. Then, utilize Keto Zone eating for 8 hours per day. There are many documented benefits to intermittent fasting. In fact, study after study has shown that intermittent fasting benefits body systems often affected by aging, including brain health, heart health, and blood sugars (6). APRIL: DRINK UP AND ADD ICE Drinking more water is a simple habit, but not necessarily an easy one. Throughout your day, drink 80 ounces or more water. It’s important to your health! In fact, one study found that increasing water consumption by 2 liters per day improved skin condition and physiology, even in those who already consumed high amounts of water (7). It can also improve digestive health, reduce incidence of headaches, reduce stressful moods and feelings of overwhelm, and boost metabolism (if you’re drinking ice-water) (8). Next, you can use ice-water in an altogether different way. Try ice-water showers (or at least a cold blast during your shower). Why? When your body is exposed to very cold water, it uses brown fat cells to warm itself. These cells are extremely advantageous for metabolism. What’s more, ice-cold showers have been found in studies to activate “white fat” by making it act more like “brown fat”(9). In time, your body will naturally burn more calories the more brown fat you have. Studies have also found that ice-cold plunges reduce sick days (10). MAY: GROW A GARDEN OR AT LEAST GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY While you may think the only benefit of gardening is the food you harvest, there’s actually many healthy benefits when you put your hands in soil. In fact, studies have found that gardening is a great stress reducer and promotes feelings of calm and well-being (11). What’s more, gardening is a great excuse to get outside and be active. Take advantage of the time using your muscles and increasing vitamin D production from the sun. Of course, the harvest is great, too. When you add more greens, herbs, and vegetables to your diet, you consume the same components plants use to grow and flourish, like chlorophyll. You can get these amazing components from your bounty or Divine Health® Organic Fermented Green Supremefood®. Plant compounds are great for plants and humans alike (12)! JUNE: GET MOVING AND GET OUTSIDE There are so many great options for exercise and movement. The key is to find one you love, you look forward to, and get your body moving! If you don’t know what you love, try walking, running, yoga, aerobics, classes, biking, hiking, swimming, lifting weights, or others. And, if you can, get outside! Whether it’s just a short walk or a ride on a bike, God has given us a huge gift: the outdoors elevate our moods. Not only is any activity good for our muscles, hearts, and brains, outdoor-activity specifically has been shown to improve mood and depression (13). What’s more, if the sun is shining, your body will make Vitamin D, an immune- stimulating vitamin, while enjoying the immune-enhancing benefits of exercise itself (14). JULY: CHECK YOURSELF – ARE YOU LAUGHING EACH DAY? Let’s add a joyful habit. Laughter. Have you ever wondered why we laugh? Why did God give us this gift? It is an amazing health-promoting habit. The more you can build laughter into your daily life, the more you’ll reduce cortisol, improve your mood, and decrease depression (15, 16). These, in turn, will encourage healthy immune function. Interestingly, multiple studies show that the benefits of smiling and laughter are experienced whether it’s real or fake. So, fake it if you need to, and get in a good belly laugh each day. AUGUST: CONNECT WITH OTHERS At least once per year, make sure you feel good about your connections. Far-away friends, local friends, family, and groups. God has created us for relationships, and they are important for overall health and healthy immune function. In fact, positive relationships can improve your mood and decrease stress. This, in turn, can promote a strong immune system (17). To maintain relationships even when you can’t always be with each other in-person: Invest in the relationships within your household, neighborhoods, and towns. Head to a park for a pick-up game, watch movies together, take walks, invite friends for simple gatherings, and create other ways to make great memories together. Stay in touch with loved ones however you can. Write letters and send cards. Use technology to video-call, send videos to friends, and keep in touch. Social media can be a negative addiction if left unchecked, but it can also be a great way to feel a sense of community if you’re away from loved ones. Be proactive and initiate re-connections if you’d like! Maintain the relationships that are important to you. It’s good for your health and immune function! SEPTEMBER: ADD NATURE’S BEST STRESS-RELIEF Almost every habit on this list reduces stress. Reducing stress is a foundational health habit that promotes health throughout your body (17). It’s a top habit for your healthy new year You can take it to the next level. In addition to healthy daily habits, add nature’s best stress relief. It’s Hemp Oil. Hemp oil, specifically nano-particle oils like those in Dr. Colbert’s Nano-Science Hemp Oil, promotes health across the body’s systems. It is a broad-spectrum hemp oil that is organically grown, vegan, and GMO-free. In terms of health, Hemp Oil has been shown to support healthy, stable moods (18), promote stress relief and normalized cortisol levels, support comfortable, healthy joints (19), encourage healthy sleep habits (20), promote healthy skin with fewer irregularities and blemishes (21), support healthy brain and nervous system functions (22), and encourage healthy cardiovascular functions and normalized inflammatory actions (23). What an amazing oil for overall health and stress! OCTOBER: STRETCH FOR A YOUTHFUL BODY AND A HEALTHY NEW YEAR Stretching and maintaining (or improving) flexibility can literally change your body and your life. Amazingly, just 3-5 minutes of stretching can be enough. Stretch in the morning or before bed. Believe it or not, as you gain flexibility in your spinal cord, you’ll improve your posture, range of motion of your limbs, and support cardiovascular health. There’s more. It turns out that trunk flexibility directly represents the flexibility of your arteries. As crazy as it sounds, researchers have found that poor trunk flexibility is associated with stiff arteries. This means that keeping your body flexible enough to touch your toes means better artery health and blood pressure (24). NOVEMBER: LET GRATITUDE AND OPTIMISM RULE If you’re interested in your health, let gratitude and optimism rule. One great way is to start (or restart) a gratitude journal. You may have started one during the Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season in previous years. Or, this idea may be new to you. Gratitude journals, focusing on small daily blessings, are powerful. Being grateful is associated with better mental, emotional, and physical health and immunity (25). To start a gratitude journal, first simply get a pen and a paper, or a journal. Next, write 5-10 “gratitudes” per day. They can be big or small things. You can write them throughout the day, or at the beginning or end. It’s time to let gratitude rule. Choose to focus on simple gratitudes each day as one of your new year lifestyle habits. DECEMBER: PRAY THROUGHOUT THE DAY FOR A HEALTHY NEW YEAR Prayer is not a last-ditch effort for health or spirituality, but a foundation for your relationship with God. It also affects your mental health, physical health, and entire well-being. In fact, prayer releases control from you and...

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Vitamin D Helps Us Fight Covid-19, Major Study Finds

AHA Publisher — Sun, 02 Aug 2020 07:00:43 +0000

ISRAEL21c Staff via Israel21c – A low level of vitamin D in blood plasma appears to be an independent risk factor for Covid-19 infection and hospitalization, say scientists from Israeli HMO Leumit Health Services and the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine of Bar-Ilan University. The researchers came to their conclusion using real-world data and an Israeli cohort of 782 Covid-19 positive patients and 7,025 Covid-19 negative patients. “The main finding of our study was the significant association of low plasma vitamin D level with the likelihood of Covid-19 infection among patients who were tested for Covid-19, even after adjustment for age, gender, socio-economic status and chronic, mental and physical disorders,” said Dr. Eugene Merzon, head of Leumit’s Department of Managed Care. “Furthermore, low vitamin D level was associated with the risk of hospitalization due to Covid-19 infection, although this association wasn’t significant after adjustment for other factors,” he added. The scientists’ research follows a few worldwide studies that have shown the pronounced impact of vitamin D metabolites on the immune system response and on the development of Covid-19 infection by the novel SARS CoV-2 coronavirus. “Our finding is in agreement with the results of previous studies in the field. Reduced risk of acute respiratory tract infection following vitamin D supplementation has been reported,” said Dr. Ilan Green, head of Leumit’s Research Institute. As for the amount of vitamin D required, Merzon says it should be “personalized and take into account patients’ age, gender, race and ethnicity, nutritional status and health condition.” Their report on the study was published in The FEBS Journal and is expected to make a wide impact because of the study’s size and population-based structure. Fascinating Findings Dr. Milana Frenkel-Morgenstern, leader of the Azrieli Faculty of Medicine research group, added that the analysis showed people who were Covid-19 positive were older than non-infected people. “Interestingly, the two-peak distributions for age groups were demonstrated to confer increased risk for Covid-19: around ages 25 and 50 years old,” she said. “The first peak may be explained by high social gathering habits at the young age. The peak at age 50 years may be explained by continued social habits, in conjunction with various chronic diseases.” Leumit Chief Medical Officer Dr. Shlomo Vinker said he was surprised to discover that “chronic medical conditions, like dementia, cardiovascular disease and chronic lung disease that were considered to be very risky in previous studies, were not found as increasing the rate of infection in our study.” However, he added, “this finding is highly biased by the severe social contacts restrictions that were imposed on all the population during the Covid-19 outbreak. Therefore, we assume that following the Israeli Ministry of Health instructions, patients with chronic medical conditions significantly reduced their social contacts. This might indeed minimize the risk of Covid-19 infection in that group of patients.” Now this joint Israeli research team is planning to evaluate factors associated with Covid-19 mortality in Israel. “We are willing to find associations to the Covid-19 clinical outcomes — for example, pre-infection glycemic control of Covid-19 patients — to make the assessment of mortality risk due to Covid-19 infection in Israel,” said Merzon. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Israel21c click here.

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How I Protect My Employees With Bone Broth

AHA Publisher — Sat, 23 May 2020 07:00:59 +0000

Al Sears, MD, CNS – Every other Friday, I have a catered lunch delivered to the office. As you might imagine, it’s a Paleo menu. But the favorite part of this tradition isn’t the food… it’s the bottles of bone broth I pass out afterward. I created my own “Immune System Enhancing Broth,” and the entire stock disappears within minutes. Today, I’ll share the recipe so you can make it at home. And I’ll show you just how powerful this ancient brew really is… There’s a reason humans have been harvesting bone marrow for thousands of years. It powers up your immunity like nothing else. Even Animals Understand the Power of Bone Marrow In the animal kingdom there is great wisdom. After a kill, animals always go for the organs first… and they’ve developed techniques for cracking the bones to extract marrow. Even birds will grab pieces of bone in their beaks and drop them onto rocks to get at the marrow inside. Tragically, our modern culture has largely vilified bone marrow since the 1950s. Ever since Ancel Keys tried to convince us fat was “bad” and erroneously concluded fat was the cause of disease, bone marrow was considered “junk food.” That shows you how divorced from reality our medical establishment has become… bone marrow is a rich factory of life-giving biological factors like red blood cells, most white blood cells, and two forms of stem cells. The bone marrow is such a rich source of nutrients, it’s one of the foods that allowed our ancient ancestors to evolve into the modern humans we are today. Our big brains are the result of consuming bone marrow and organ meat. Our hunter-gatherer ancestors would take otherwise indigestible animal parts like bones, hooves and knuckles and boil them down into a broth they could drink. That was one way they could extract the marrow and share it with the tribe. The rich mixture of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and healthy fats in bone broth not only nourish your body, they help protect you from outside pathogens. 4 Ways Bone Broth Helps You Fight a Virus Reduce inflammation: Bone broth contains several inflammation-reducing compounds that heal your gut. Since 80% of our immune system is directly linked to the health of our gut and our gut lining, a healthy gut means a better ability to fight infection. This in large part is due to the glycosaminoglycans (or GAGS). They help to restore the intestinal lining. They also play a role in maintaining collagen and elastin content between tissue fibers.1 Clear your respiratory system: One notable study showed that bone broth diminishes the presence of white blood cells associated with inflammation in the upper respiratory system. This encourages a more effective immune response and helps symptoms clear up more quickly. Helps you breathe more easily: Bone broth contains two powerful amino acids. The first, cysteine, effectively breaks down mucus to help clear out passageways so you can breathe more easily. Another amino acid called glycine increases the production of immune cells to reduce inflammatory responses that may damage your lungs.2 Boost immune cells: And another compound in bone broth known as mucopolysaccharides has been shown to increase the function B and T cells. These are two of your body’s most important immune system cells.3 Here’s the Recipe for My Own Immune System Enhancing Bone Broth: Ingredients: 2 pounds of grass-fed lamb and 2 pounds of pastured chicken bones, including the chicken’s neck, feet and wings 3 celery stalks, chopped 1 medium onion, quartered 3 carrots, chopped (feel free to throw in other vegetables) 6 garlic cloves 1 tsp. each of parsley, thyme, sage, rosemary and Pau D’Arco 1/2 cup of shiitake mushrooms 1 tsp. each of turmeric and ashwagandha 1 Tbsp. whole peppercorns 4 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar 2 bay leaves Pink Himalayan sea salt to taste 10 pints of cold water Directions: Place all ingredients in a 10-quart stock pot. Cover with water. Let sit for around 60 minutes. Bring the pot to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Skim off any impurities that rise to the top. When nothing else rises to the top, add water to keep the level just above the bones. Simmer for 15 to 24 hours. Then turn up the heat just a bit for the final simmer-down. This will concentrate the nutrients. Turn down the heat and let simmer for another hour or two. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Discard solids and strain remainder through a colander. To read the original article click here. For more articles from Al Sears, MD click here. References: 1. Aquino RS and Park PW. “Glycosaminoglycans and infection.” Front Biosci (Landmark Ed). 2016;21:1260–1277. 2. Wheeler MD, et al. “Dietary glycine blunts lung inflammatory cell influx following acute endotoxin.” Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol. 2000;279(2):L390-L398. 3. Wrenshall L, et al. “Modulation of macrophage and B cell function by glycosaminoglycans.” J Leukoc Biol. 1999;66(3):391-400.

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