Category: Nutrition

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Dallas Alternative Nutritional Supplement Source Tim Wallace, of Dallas Health Helpers, recommends more vitamin D.

Dallas Alternative Nutritional Supplement Source Tim Wallace, of Dallas Health Helpers, recommends more vitamin D.

Previously considered a nutrient of minimal importance, vitamin D has recently been the subject of much research and investigation.  Most of us think of vitamin D as that “thing that milk is fortified with” to increase sales.  The fact is that vitamin D is important for the assimilation of calcium into the body.

New research has revealed that vitamin D, actually a hormone, is an important factor in many other functions of the body.  Of great interest is its effects on the respiratory system.  One study showed that children who had high blood levels of vitamin D were 33% less likely to experience a cold or upper respiratory infection.

Other beneficial implications for high blood levels of vitamin D include the risk reduction for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia.  The vitamin D seems to inhibit prostate growth in BPH patients.

In cancer, Vitamin D tends to inhibit inappropriate division of cells and metastasis, regulate proteins that effect tumor growth and reduce blood vessel formation around tumors.  Bladder, brain, breast and colon and rectal cancers are showing evidence that vitamin D is beneficial in those cases.

Vitamin D has also been shown to help the body maintain adequate insulin levels.  Suggestions are that supplementation can increase insulin levels in those with type 2 diabetes.  Prolonged use of supplementation may help reduce blood sugar levels.

The list goes on and on and is still growing.  Keep watching the news, papers and magazines.  You will see more and more about the benefits of Vitamin D.

While the recommended daily intake in the United States is 400 i.u. of vitamin D, research indicates that more is more effective.  One supplement company feels so strongly about the importance of Vitamin D that they have increased the amounts in their multivitamin to 1000 to 1200 i.u.

The bottom line is that Vitamin D is becoming a household word and will soon have the respect that vitamin C enjoys.  So consider spending a little time in the sun each day without sunscreen and using a high quality natural Vitamin supplement with lots of vitamin D.

Dallas Health Helpers is dedicated to providing useful information and assisting persons to a live a vital and productive life.  We are located in Uptown Dallas, but our reach is world wide.

Dallas Alternative Nutritional Supplement Source, Tim Wallace of Dallas Health Helpers is located in Uptown Dallas, but our effects are far reaching.  We have been in the health field for over 26 years.  We offer nutrition counseling, massage therapy and licensed professional psychotherapy counseling.

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Dallas Nutrition Advisor discusses preventable threats to survival.

Dallas Nutrition Advisor discusses preventable threats to survival. We all are concerned about living longer, healthier lives.  Death is inevitable, but we can take steps to stave it off as long as possible.

There are certain risk factors that are under each individual’s control.  Many of these risk categories are nutritionally related.

The top ten risk factors in the United States are:

  • High Blood Pressure
  • Smoking
  • Physical Inactivity
  • Excess Weight
  • High Blood Sugar
  • High Salt Intake
  • High LDL Cholesterol
  • Low Intake of Omega-3 Fats
  • High Dietary Trans Fats
  • Low intake of Fruits and Vegetables

The top two factors, high blood pressure and smoking accounted for just over one-third of the 2.5 million deaths in the United States in 2005.

Paying attention to these risk factors could help more people live longer and healthier lives. It is interesting that many of these concerns are heart health related.

Dallas Health Helpers offers solutions to individuals who want to take preventative action to avoid health concerns in the future and have a more energetic, productive life now.  We are a springboard for building a foundation of good health that will propel one into a future of vitality.

Dallas Health Helpers has been involved in natural approaches to health for 26 years.  We are located in Uptown Dallas, but our influence is nation wide.

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Texas massage therapist talks about posture and it’s relationships to other areas of your life.

Texas massage therapist talks about posture and it’s relationships to other areas of your life.

How do you feel when you are sitting in a chair and are just relaxed?  Take a look at how you are sitting in the chair.  Are your legs crossed?  Are your arms crossed?  Is your whole back against the back of the chair, or is it just the upper back that is in contact with the chair?  What are your shoulders doing?  Are they resting low? Are they curled forward?  How about your head?  Is it set forward, in front of your chest?  Is it drooping foward or to one side?

I was sitting in church this morning and realized that when I correct my posture, I was more receptive to the message being offered.  I know this is true and have experienced it before, but today it really seemed to be so obvious.  I felt better overall when I “straightend up”. I could feel better bloodflow and I felt more alert.

I am sure a lot of this comes from my Pilates training.  My instructor is a real drill sergeant, but I appreciate her diligence at watching every move I make and every posture I am supposed to assume.  This proper positioning (or lack of it) really comes to light when I am doing Pilates on my own during the week between my sessions with her. 

I encourage each and every one of you to be aware of your posture.  It is so important in your current health and what you work on today (or don’t work on) will definitely show up in the future. Improper positioning or posture may feel more comfortable and forcing yourself to stand erect is often a challenge and may feel very awkward.  Think of it as a mini exercise to hold your head up, pull your shoulders back and down and contract those abdominals.

So, heed your mother’s words to “sit up straight.”  And eat your vegetables!

Dallas Health Helpers is located in Uptown Dallas, but our effects are far reaching.  We have been in the health field for over 26 years.  We offer nutrition counseling, massage therapy and licensed professional psychotherapy counseling.

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Uptown Dallas Nutritionist writes about diabetes, its effects and actions to take.

Uptown Dallas Nutritionist writes about diabetes, its effects and actions to take.  

Diabetes affects more than 10% of the American adult population.  Some statistics say 13%, with 40% of them not even knowing they have diabetes.  An estimated 57 million more have prediabetes, putting them at a high risk of developing full blown diabetes.  Just as with many medical conditions, early testing  is the key to controlling this difficult condition.

Many aspects of the body and its functions are effected by diabetes.

  • The brain is effected often by depression, causing normal living functions to be difficult.
  • The eyes are often a toll taken by diabetes because of high glucose levels and high blood pressure that can damage tiny blood vessels causing vision loss and even blindness.
  • The heart is a target with diabetics who are twice as likely to develop heart disease or stroke than non-diabetics.  These conditions seem to occur at younger ages than in other people.
  • The stomach is often damaged in that nerves designed to help control digestion are impacted.  Food remaining in the stomach longer than it should-gastroparesis-causes heartburn, bloating, nausea and vomiting.
  • Digestion, bowel and bladder functions as well as urinary tract infections are also a result of nerve damage caused by diabetes.
  • Kidney failure, 44% of it, is brought on by diabetes, sometimes taking years of slow decline to be noticeable.  This can lead to the need for dialysis or a kidney transplant to treat it.
  • Sexual response is lessened by diabetes and 35 to 50 per cent of diabetic men experience erectile dysfunction.
  • Legs become weak and painful due to, once again, nerve damage.
  • Hands and feet in diabetic individuals, 60 to 70%, become weak, painful and loose sensation, causing open sores, ulcers, and infections that the patient may not even be aware of having.

Some important, generalized steps to take right now include:

  1. Regular blood glucose checkups can establish a pattern of your levels, which should normally be between 70 and 100.  
  2. A healthy diet and regular exercise are key to avoiding diabetes. 
  3. Be aware of your family history and take extra precautions if there is evidence of this in your family.
  4. Maintenance of a healthy body weight is also very key.  Be certain your Body Mass Index is within the desired level.

Eating a low-glucose diet is very important.  Healthy eating is not only low calorie eating. Look at the foods you are using to fuel your body.  Check the glycemic index of your foods.   One weight reduction program that concentrates on maintaining muscle mass and low glycemic foods is available online.  Click here to learn more.

Dallas Health Helpers offers solutions to individuals who want to take preventative action to avoid health concerns in the future and have a more energetic, productive life now.  We are a springboard for building a foundation of good health that will propel one into a future of vitality.

Dallas Health Helpers has been involved in natural approaches to health for 26 years.  We are located in Uptown Dallas, but our influence is nation wide.

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Dallas Nutritionist recommends others along with calcium.

Dallas Nutritionist recommends others along with calcium.  Most people know that calcium is important. But is the total picture clear to everyone? There are things that help calcium be better absorbed and more effective.


 Osteoporosis is a major health issue.  Americans consume more dairy products and calcium than any other population in the world, but we still have one of the highest rates of this debilitating disease. Half of women and a quarter of men over age 50 will have an osteoporosis-related fracture in his or her lifetime.

And while osteoporosis can strike at any age, it is often thought of as a disease that affects the elderly.    Think of calcium as the bricks in the bone-building process because it doesn’t work alone to build and maintain strong bones.  Bricklayers know that a house is only as strong as the mortar that holds it together.  And the nutritional “cement” for building and maintaining strong bones includes vitamins D and K, magnesium, boron, zinc, copper and manganese.

Nearly half a million older adults were followed by National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers who found that increasing calcium consumption in women was associated with a lower risk of developing cancer. The beneficial effect seemed to peak at about 1,300 mg of calcium daily.  Perhaps because women were more likely to take a multivitamin/mineral supplement that contained calcium, and much more likely to take a calcium supplement regularly, a similar effect on total cancer wasn’t seen  in men .

But men and women were found to be in agreement on at least one thing. A lower risk of developing cancers of the digestive system, including colon cancer was associated with a diet rich in calcium from foods and supplements.  In fact, men and women with the highest calcium intakes had a 16 and 23% lower risk respectively for digestive system cancers compared to those with the lowest calcium intakes.

 Who can benefit from supplementing with calcium and the other nutrients for bone health?

  • Individuals concerned about building strong bones and maintaining long-term bone health
  • Persons whose diet may be low in key bone-building nutrients, particularly women age 30 and older, teenagers, and the elderly.
  • Smokers, those who have high intakes of alcohol, or frequently drink soft drinks —lifestyle habits that can limit or interfere with the utilization of calcium
  • Women who experience PMS symptoms
  • Those concerned with issues of retaining normal blood pressure
  • Anyone who finds calcium supplements too chalky, too big, or hard to swallow

What does a calcium supplement need to contain to be truly effective?

  1. 1,000 mg (100% DV) of elemental calcium from nature’s most concentrated and easily absorbed sources
  2. 400 mg (100% DV) of magnesium to help incorporate calcium into bone and help strengthen bones
  3. 400 IU (100% DV) of vitamin D to stimulate calcium absorption
  4. Boron in a clinically supported amount to aid bone metabolism
  5. Vitamin K to help bind minerals to form bone matrix
  6. Manganese, copper, and zinc – co-factors that activate enzymes that help build bone mass

 You can purchase these supplements individually, but I recommend Osteomatrix,a single supplement that fills the bill easily.  It is recommended that calcium supplementation’s daily dosage be spread over at least intakes to allow for better absorption.
 
Dallas Health Helpers has been in the nutrition business for 26 years.  Our offices are in Dallas, but our reach is nation wide.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

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