millie says stay well over the holidays with potent tea

Just a quick blog about Damian Rogers health column in the current Eye Weekly, where she’s asked a few notable holistic practitioners their take on how to fight off the bugs.  when you feel something coming on…hunker down and give yourself a day or two rest from the party….it’ll pay off by triggering your immune system to fight back before the real deal of a cold comes along, giving you more time for merriment overall.  Feel free to borrow from my personal bag of tricks, here:
http://www.eyeweekly.com/wellness/article/47803

xox dr millie lytle nd

millie says balance

for every day mood regulation, stimulants must be kept in check.  while reliable stimulants such as caffeine, methamphetamines, cocaine, pseudoephedrine, ampakines, dopamine and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors and nicotine do the job of increasing mood, alertness and energy in the moment, the longer-lasting effects cause exhaustion on the system as a whole.  what does this have to do with mood?

for example, while one small coffee per day has shown health benefits in terms of concentration, focus and liver health, more than ein Kaffee has the opposite effects and causes fatigue, energy reduction, agitation and irritability.  as with sugar intake, the end result drives the stress hormone cortisol up so that sugar is released into the blood, insulin increased, and fat stored.  on the whole, this has an exhausting effect on the system, tiring out the mind and body in the long term.  Ayayaye.  so if sleep, anxiety, irritability or restlessness are a problem, be your own doctor and have your ‘meds’ checked.

wishing you the best in health and BALANCE for 2009!

xox dr millie lytle nd

millie says eat good, often

starting at breakfast and every 3 hours, the brain and stomach in a healthy body are looking for fuel.  if fuel consumed in the prior meal was of moderate quantity, containing protein, fat and fibre then the stomach and brain will seek it out a the same time, likely in moderate quantities and in moderate sweetness, saltiness and fattiness.  if the meal eaten prior was too short or too long ago, too big, too sweet and did not contain protein, fat and fibre, then the brain and the stomach will be imbalanced.  the brain may want food the does stomach not, the brain may want more food than the stomach can hold, the brain and stomach may want more food than they can handle!!…sets up the whole messy argument again.  which one are you?

increase your appetite for small regular meals by eating small regular meals, and training your brain and stomach to obey.

xox dr millie lytle nd

millie says complicate your breakfast meal

studies show that eating a GOOD breakfast within 1/2 hour of waking is the BEST thing for maintaining concentration, energy and good humour throughout the day.

breakfasts with a whole lot of simple sugar like instant oats, lucky charms, special k, rice crispies, skim milk, coffee and juice might seem like the low fat way to maintain a slim waist line, but this breakfast is not fit for the birds, and could be as bad as no breakfast at all as they both lead to high sugar release then crash…hypoglycemia…AKA “bad mood in a meal”.  by the end of an hour or two the brain is starving again, fatigue and/or irritability settle in.

on the sunny side of life, a breakfast with complex carbohydrates (containing fibre) and protein (containing tryptophan-precursor to serotonin) provides a slow source of glucose for the brain, the body’s hungriest organ.  although the brain is hungry it likes to go for the slow burn, the slower the better.  fibre, fat and protein found in dark rye, quinoa or whole grain toast, smoked salmon and salad OR whole/steel cut oats, Red River, fibre1, all bran with psyllium, nuts and flax seed, fresh fruit and berries, whole yogurt or milk slow down the digestion, releasing just enough sugar for the brain over hours, keeping the tummy full, and the mood satisfied.

ps: dont’ starve the brain!

xox dr millie lytle nd

nice blog!!
http://www.dietmindspirit.org/2008/02/09/healthy-organic-breakfast-ideas/
http://www.ezhealthydiet.com/healthy-breakfast-recipes.html
http://www.tarladalal.com/FastFood.asp
www.breakfastblogger.com

millie says drink hot lemon water first thing in the morning

The liver is the workhorse of the body.  it works and slaves and cleans everything out for you so your body can function well.  it responds happy and healthy to sour and bitter foods such as lemon, limes, green apple, grapefruit, dark leafy greens, dandelion, milk thistle, green tea, beets and apple cider vinegar.  the more of these you consume the more your liver will love you by performing its multitude of tasks.  if you find yourself craving or avoiding these foods that’s a good sign that your liver needs lovin’.

this might not sound very ’scientific’ but in eastern philosophies the liver is the organ that holds the anger.  over time without the help of bitters and cleansing to get rid of all the garbage from the past, and especially when genetically linked from birth or the child of an alcoholic, the liver might have a problem performing its 505+ functions, getting behind in its work and therefore affecting the rest of system; mood, digestion, menses, stress levels, headaches,energy, sleep and overall performance.

so drink hot lemon water (or appropriate substitute); the lemon to stimulate the flow of bile, the warmth to bring blood flow to the area sooner and let your liver spread the love, otherwise it’ll be mad as hell and looking for revenge.

xox dr millie lytle nd

5 major liver functions:

• The liver secretes bile that aids in the digestion of fatty food; without it digestion could not take place.

• The liver detoxifies the blood of all substances and stores glucose, (i.e. sugar) the chief source of energy for the body.

• The liver acts as storage for numerous vitamins and minerals.

• The liver makes various substances that aid in the clotting of blood.

• The liver regulates the body’s metabolism

• The liver regenerates itself.

note: if curious or concerned, the liver’s function can be tested through enzymes in the blood.

skip the whites unless it’s cauliflower or yogurt

if you’re at a loss with the term ‘whole grains’ then it might not strike you to eat them, huh? so let us deconstruct

a) whole means non-processed or in tact with all three layers being present; bran, germ and starch. the bran contains the minerals and fibre, the germ contains the protein and the omega 3s and the starch is the sugar and what the plant uses to feed itself. that’s the white part.
b) a grain is usually an edible cereal grass such as rye, oats, barley, spelt, rice, wild rice, teff, amaranth, buckwheat, kamut and of course….wheat.

if you’re eating white rice, instant oats, white bread, pasta, bagels, special K etc then you’re just getting the high calorie sugar part of the grain, without the fibre (the filling part), minerals, omegas and proteins (the nutritious parts).

eating processed grains as opposed to whole grains introduces less nutrition and more hunger despite more calories, more blood sugar and insulin stimulation leading to obesity, diabetes, anxiety and depression. whoa!

principle numero 1. now clean out your cupboards and restock with the whole grain version.

xox dr millie lytle nd

image from: www.volcorn.com/against_white_bread.jpg

millie says follow principles

follow principles to stay on mental track. just like naturopathic medicine is based on principles such as do no harm, treat the cause and doctor as teacher… The Food for Mood Diet is based on a parallel foundation. today i’ll let you in on the very important principles, and in subsequent days extrapolate on each one.

1. eat whole grains almost always (no white bagels, rice, pasta, bread or cereal)
2. drink hot lemon water first thing in the morning
3. eat complex carbs and protein at breakfast upon waking.
4. eat every 3 hours (either 5-6 small meals or 3 meals and 2-3 snacks)
5. limit stimulants to 0 or 1
6. eat protein at every meal (include vegetarian and probiotics)
7. limit added sugar and sweeteners
8. drink 1/2 your body weight in pounds, in ounces of water
9. eat 7-10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day
10. eat omega 3 fatty acids daily (fish oils, cold water fish, flax, hemp, salba, pumpkin, etc.)

might seem overwhelming but we’ll break it down over next 2 weeks.

xox dr millie lytle nd

millie says food does matter

…and then some. currently statistics predict that

1) for the first time in human history we are moving in the opposite direction in life expectancy. the current generation should expect to die 5 years younger than their parents
2) by 2020 depression will be the most common illness in the west, and second worldwide.
3) in that time incidence of diabetes type 2 will double.
4) dr millie’s ‘food for mood diet’ will be preventative and treatment for all 3.

xox dr millie lytle nd