"It's Fruit! That's much better than Sugar."

When asked "What is a healthy diet?" most will respond, "a diet with lots of fruit and vegetables!" Well, that is half true!


While that is much better than the typical North American diet, loaded with processed foods, sodium, and "pseudo-foods," too much fruit can cause the same imbalances as having too much processed sugar.

Many will say, "But fruit is healthy because it is naturally high in anti-oxidants." That is also true, but often the damage of too much sugar outweighs the benefit of anti-oxidants with massive fruit consumption. We will do much better to eat dark leafy greens and get a large amount of anti-oxidants, fiber, and minerals in a low sugar way.

There is as always an exception to the rule; if your blood sugar is stable and you have already eliminated processed fats, processed sugars and grains, the body can then handle the sugar in fruit quite well. In fact, it is how nature intended us to eat!

I have been mentioning this concept in the clinic when people complain that they are feeling sluggish, foggy-minded, and tired. After examining their diet a lot of people realize they are consuming more sugar than they realized through increased fruit consumption. Eat healthy and remember to eat more "greens" than fruit.

Here is a link where you can get to know how much sugar is in the fruit that you are consuming.

Carb Counter

~Think Vitality!~

Alert on Allergies

A very common question that comes up this time of year is, “What can I do about my allergies?” When I suggest moving to the Antarctic, it never seems to be much help.

The common symptoms of seasonal allergies are
· Stuffy, runny nose
· Asthma, difficult breathing
· Itchy, watery eyes
· Sneezing
· Skin reactions (such as hives, and eczema)

All of these symptoms are “histamine reactions.” A healthy body would have a normal reaction to allergens by flushing them out by sneezing once or twice, and slightly increasing mucous production. In an unbalanced body there is an “over-reaction” or histamine reaction which gives rise to the irritating symptoms of allergies.

How severe your allergies may be is determined by the pollen count. This year in Victoria, it has been lower than most years due to the strange spring weather we have been having.
You can check Pollen Forecast: Victoria, British Columbia - The Weather Network to see how we are fairing. While patients have complained about allergies a little bit, I don’t think we have seen the worst of the season yet.

What can you do to prevent or treat your allergies?
Well, it may seem obvious but the first thing is to try to reduce your exposure to pollens. You can check the pollen count and if your allergies are severe you may want to consider staying inside days that the pollen count is “high”. Other useful tips are:

Spice it up!
Eat some ginger, onions, cayenne pepper and other spices to help thin the mucous in the sinuses and flush out allergens. Ginger can also dilate the bronchial tubes and help breathing.

Get fat!
That is, get essential fatty acids such as flax seed, Udo’s oil blend, or fish oils. EFA’s are natural anti-inflammatories and can help with allergic reactions.

Query some Quercitin!
Quercitin is a natural flavanoid that counter acts the effects of pollen and has anti-histamine effects. You can get your dose of quercitin from an apple (with the skin on), red grapes, red onions, berries, and black tea.

Boost the Belly
Food intolerance and poor digestion seem to be connected with allergies. A healthy digestive tract will lessen the load on your immune system, thus reducing allergies. Simply add 18-24 ounces of PLAIN yogurt, preferably one with acidophilus in it. I mention “PLAIN” because sweetened yogurts do not have the same effect on the digestion because of the high sugar content. A recent study at the University of California showed that by adding yogurt into the diet reduced allergies symptoms up to 90%.

Of course, acupuncture is very helpful for when you are having an immediate (or acute) attack, or allergies that are a long standing (or chronic) problem. It can balance the immune system, reduce nasal stuffiness, and calm down the immune system. Until next time!!
~Think Vitality!~