Mind-body medicine combines modern knowledge and ancient practices to improve health and boost well-being. Check out the following article to learn about this powerful tool:
http://www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com/blog/what-is-mind-body-medicine/
Posted by: Axiom Health Care Marketing
In recent years, nutritional researchers have made significant progress in identifying the substances in our diets that promote health and those that undermine it. The knowledge they have gathered has given us a greater understanding of which foods do the most to promote overall health and wellness, and how those foods exert their beneficial effects.
Three foods that share the label “superfoods” for their positive influence on many aspects of health, also share the same first letter: B – bananas, blueberries, and beets. Research has identified multiple health benefits from all three of these foods from lowering blood pressure to preventing heart disease to helping detoxify carcinogens in the body.
Bananas for Stress
Feeling stressed after a hard day at work? Don’t have a cocktail, eat a banana! Bananas are very high in potassium, which works to lower blood pressure, while being very low in sodium, which raises blood pressure. In fact, banana producers in the United States now may legally claim that their product reduces blood pressure and lowers the risk of stroke. High blood pressure is also one of the leading contributors to heart disease, so the benefits of bananas extend to the heart as well.
Bananas also have proven to be especially beneficial for kidney health. While a large body of research has indicated that eating fresh fruits promotes kidney function, the fruit that seem to offer the greatest protection against kidney cancer is the banana. A study reported in the January 2005 issue of the International Journal of Cancer found that women who ate four to six bananas per week had half the risk of kidney cancer as women who did not eat bananas.
Blueberries for Aging
Many of us worry about the natural effects of aging and look for ways to try to look and feel as young as possible. Few of us probably realize that having a handful of blueberries every day can help you do just that. Blueberries contain compounds called anthocyanins that research has shown may offer protection from oxidative stress, which underlies virtually all disorders commonly linked to aging – cancer, heart disease, and Alzheimer’s disease to name just a few.
In 2006 the journal Neurobiological Aging published studies conducted at Tufts University in Massachusetts that indicated a diet supplemented with blueberries actually reversed age-related decline in the region of the brain associated with memory formation and storage. More recently, researchers at the University of Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center found that blueberries added to the diet of mice reduced the effects of atherosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries.
Beets to Fight Inflammation
The third of the “superfoods” contains a wide range of compounds that promote optimal health and help fight the chronic effects of aging. Research reveals that beets have particularly powerful antioxidant properties, which aid in repairing cellular damage. They have also been shown to fight chronic inflammation, which is linked to a wide range of diseases associated with aging including heart disease, atherosclerosis, and Type 2 diabetes. The fact that beets show both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects means that a diet rich in beets is highly likely to have a positive effect on reducing the risk of cancer.
Adding fiber to the diet is recognized as an excellent way to promote colon and digestive health, and beet fiber seems to be particularly helpful in this regard. Both beets and another root vegetable, carrots, contain pectin polysaccharides, substances that significantly increase these foods’ total fiber content. As a result, they may provide benefits above and beyond other vegetables in terms of promoting digestion and reducing the risk of colon cancer.
All Over-the-Counter
Perhaps the best part is that all of these super disease fighters are completely natural and readily available in any market. You don’t need a prescription to obtain them and there are no special instructions for taking them – just eat them regularly and in moderation for optimal health benefits. Of course, any time you consider a change in diet it is best to see a professional who can offer you advice on how to get the greatest benefit out of such a move. A specialist in integrative medicine in as excellent choice because he or she can help you incorporate diet as one part of a fully integrated and healthy lifestyle.
References:
Bobek P, Galbavy S, Mariassyova M. The effect of red beet (Beta vulgaris var. rubra) fiber on alimentary hypercholesterolemia and chemically induced colon carcinogenesis in rats. Nahrung 2000 Jun;44(3):184-7. 2000.
Clarke, JD, Riedl K, Bella D, Schwartz SJ, Stevens JF, Ho E. Comparison of Isothiocyanate Metabolite Levels and Histone Deacetylase Activity in Human Subjects Consuming Broccoli Sprouts or Broccoli Supplement. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, 2011; 110930085450000 DOI: 10.1021/jf202887c
Elbandy MA and Abdelfadeil MG. Stability of betalain pigments from a red beetroot (Beta vulgaris). Poster Session Presentation. The First International Conference of Food Industries and Biotechnology & Associated Fair. Al-Baath University, North Sinai, Egypt. Available online at: www.albaath univ.edu.sy/foodex2010/connections/ Posters/6.pdf. 2010.
Galli RL, Bielinski DF, Szprengiel A, Shukitt-Hale B, Joseph JA. Neurobiol Aging. 2006 Feb;27(2):344-50. “Blueberry supplemented diet reverses age-related decline in hippocampal HSP70 neuroprotection.” Neuroscience Laboratory, USDA-ARS Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University, 711 Washington St., Boston, MA 02111, USA.
Lee CH, Wettasinghe M, Bolling BW et al. Betalains, phase II enzyme-inducing components from red beetroot (Beta vulgaris L.) extracts. Nutr Cancer. 2005;53(1):91-103. 2005.
Rashidkhani B, Lindblad P, and Wolk, A. Fruits, vegetables and risk of renal cell carcinoma: A prospective study of Swedish women. International Journal of Cancer. 2005 Jan; 113 (3): 451-55.
Wu X, Kang J, Xie C, Burris R, Ferguson ME, Badger TM, Nagarajan S. USDA Arkansas Children’s Nutrition Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR 72202, USA. J Nutr. 2010 Sep;140(9):1628-32. Epub 2010 Jul 21. “Dietary blueberries attenuate atherosclerosis in apolipoprotein E-deficient mice by upregulating antioxidant enzyme expression.”
Posted By: AXIOM Health Care Marketing
According to WebMD, integrative medicine can be summed up as a “whole-person approach — designed to treat the person, not just the disease.”[i] In fact, while there might be some nonconventional medical therapies used within the integrative medicine approach, the main tenant of integrative health is to implement therapies, both conventional and alternative, to heal the mind, body and spirit. Simply defined integrative medicine takes Western medicine and complements it with natural and alternative treatments including herbal medicine, yoga, stress reduction strategies, massage and acupuncture. Miami Integrative Medicine works with every patient, every day to deliver the most complementary medicine. [i]
Integrative medicine improves overall health because it focuses on a comprehensive approach to health from head to toe. When a health problem is discovered, rather than looking at it from a completely medical perspective, it considers all factors that may have contributed to the condition. Factors include how the mind-body connection can directly influence the performance of the body’s immune system.[i] Taking a comprehensive look at one’s emotional, spiritual and physical health, with an emphasis on the relationship between patient and practitioner, integrative medicine looks for all causes and all cures.
Nutrition is a cornerstone of integrative medicine and thus should be followed to promote optimal health. As part of a maintaining one’s spiritual and mental health, nutrition is another way to complement one’s integrative medicine treatment. According to Dr. Andrew Weil, eating a diet based on integrative medicine principles can both prevent and treat cancer. Eating a wide variety of fruits and vegetables, in as many colors as possible, are some concrete recommendations to prevent and treat cancer. Cruciferous vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage and broccoli have a natural chemotherapy type compound. Berries are loaded with antioxidants and phytonutrients. Generally speaking, Dr. Weil believes that along with the fruits, vegetables and berries, eating nuts, whole grains, and cold-water fish rich in omega-3 fatty acids is the best way to complement an approach to integrative medicine.[ii]
Dr. Andrew Weil, consistent with the integrative medicine approach, believes nutrition can only go so far. Hence, there is a need for the complementary approach found with integrative medicine. He believes that a lot of physicians do not spend enough time with their patients going over prevention methods and how to live a healthier life. Since the traditional-only medical community focuses on the causation and fix formula, integrative medicine can provide a hybrid traditional and holistic approach to staying well. Therefore along with eating a wide variety of minimally processed organic foods[iii] and the need for physicians to spend more time educating their patients, found in integrative medicine, Dr. Weil believes following the integrative medicine formula is a good start.[ii]
Proper nutrition can be accomplished by eating foods, but also by nourishing the mind and spirit. Those suffering from serious diseases, including cancer, along with their traditional forms of treatment, receive treatment for the mind, body and soul. As WebMD puts it, “As she puts it, the service is designed to ‘deal with everything but the tumor.’ That means helping patients with stress, pain, and anxiety, as well as providing them with ways to manage symptoms and increase their sense of well-being.”[iv] The services the patient receives include message, acupuncture, music, nutrition, supplement counseling, meditation, self-hypnosis and much more. The patient became intrigued by it and noticed her pain, stress and anxiety were markedly reduced because her treatment focused on her cancer and her entire body, mind and soul. Now, tying everything together, one can see that integrative medicine takes a comprehensive survey of sicknesses and treats them with not just on approach, but a multi-prong approach.
Dr. Jorge Bordenave practices Integrative, Preventive & Clinical Cardiology.
He is NOAA / UHMS Certified Dive Medical Examiner, Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine, FIU Medical College and Clinical Assistant Professor of Medicine, Nova Southeastern University.
Website: www.miamiintegrativemedicine.com
Posted by Axiom Administrative Services
AXIOM CORPORATE INFORMATION 69 Appaloosa Lane, Bldg C, Ste. 201 Ormond Beach, Florida 32174 Phone/Fax: 800-888-6348 Website: www.axiomadminserv.com Integrated Healthcare Marketing ServicesEndnotes