Tag Archives: Blood sugar

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings

July 1, 2015

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Putting sugar addiction to check

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings can be very effective in bringing sugar cravings to manageable levels

There is no doubt about the sweetness of sugar and naturally sweet things are liked by many globally. No one would want to associate with nasty and horrible taste because that is how we are, the human nature in us. The problem comes when one begins to take sugar excessively to the point that they cannot do without it. When we begin to crave for sugar, then its usefulness and sweetness is altered to addiction which can come along with other health conditions which may be chronic in nature for human life. Experts at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care recommends that when one begins to get into this stage of usage then such a person should seek for help immediately from the medical experts. The consequences of not taking action in good time can be very endangering as we will be able to see in the course of this discussion. In the meantime, doctor Dalal Akoury will be taking us through the discussion focusing on the natural means of fighting sugar cravings as follows:

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Diet tips to fight off sugar cravings

The consumption of refined sugar all over the world is sky rocketing and this is a great point of concern for many experts. Take for example in the US it had been estimated that an average American citizen is consuming up to 160 pounds of refined sugar yearly. Can you imagine that? This high consumption of sugar is not just in America, but also in most of the western countries. As a matter of facts, studies have positioned western world to be leading in the prevalence in the number of health conditions which are associated with sugar consumption. Some of those health conditions may include the following: diabetes, certain forms of cancer, obesity and overweight, and tooth decay. Besides that, it is also very important to note that the consumption of too much sugar can also have an impact on individual’s mood causing them to feel tired, irritable, anxious and aggressive.

These complications can really bring you down with a lot of discomforts if treatment is not sought for in good time. With these conditions, one would wish to take action immediately but unfortunately, it is often very difficult to cut back on sugar. This is because human beings have a natural tendency to like sweet things a nature’s trick to save us from poisonous plants which usually have a bitter taste. A sweet tooth was valuable to the survival of our ancestors also because sugary foods provide a quick source of energy. The problem these days is that we eat far more sugar than our ancestors ever could. Also the type of sugar we tend to consume makes us more vulnerable to health problems: rather than indulging in healthy sweet treats like berries or fruit we often opt for unhealthy snacks containing concentrated amounts of white table sugar. This highly refined sugar has little nutritional value; yet it is high in calories. With that said and done let us now get to the natural means of fighting sugar cravings, and remember that the presentations we are going to give only represent diet related tips to help you fight off sugar cravings but are not in any way substitute the professional medical or nutritional advice by the professionals.

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Increase brain serotonin levels through diet

The chemical known as serotonin is responsible for the communications between the cells and other nervous system cells. It functions like the neurotransmitter that helps in the transmission of communications to the brain. Some of the perfect sources of serotonin may include walnuts, pecans, plantains, pineapple, bananas, kiwi fruit, plums, and tomatoes.

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Eating sufficient of tryptophan-rich foods

Tryptophan is an essential amino acid found in protein rich foods. It normally serves as a precursor to serotonin and therefore an adequate intake of tryptophan rich foods can help with sugar cravings. To get the most out of tryptophan, one should try to increase the blood levels of tryptophan, relative to the blood levels of the other essential amino acids, as other amino acids compete with tryptophan for entry to the brain. One way to do this is to consume some healthy carbohydrates together with the tryptophan-rich meal. It is important to note that carbohydrates stimulate the production of insulin, a hormone which lowers the blood levels of all the essential amino acids, except tryptophan.

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Consumption of plenty of foods rich in B vitamins

B vitamins can be helpful for fighting sugar cravings. Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine), found in a variety of foods including beans, meat, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables, can be particularly beneficial due to its role in the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin.

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Ensure an ample supply of glutamine

Glutamine is an amino acid that provides energy in the brain and helps build and maintain muscle. It is commonly used by body builders to help reduce muscle deterioration during and post workout. Glutamine may also help reduce cravings for sugar and carbohydrates. This is likely to be a result of glutamine’s stabilizing effect on blood sugar levels: when the levels are low, glutamine suppresses insulin to prevent further decline of the sugar levels. It also stimulates the release of glycogen to help increase the blood sugar to normal levels. Glutamine is found in many protein rich foods such as fish, chicken, beans, and dairy as well as in vegetables such as raw parsley, spinach, cabbage, and beets.

Finally remember what I had said above that these are only tips to help you fight off sugar cravings but are not in any way substitute the professional medical or nutritional advice. The communication behind this statement is that when you are following these natural tips, you will still need the services of professionals to help you out from time to time. It is because of this gap that lead to doctor Dalal Akoury to make a decision of forming a medical center whose main objective is to transform each individual’s life through increasing awareness about health and wellness and by empowering individuals to find their own inner healing power. Dr. Akoury’s practice focuses on personalized medicine through healthy lifestyle choices that deal with primary prevention and underlying causes instead of patching up symptoms. With visionary experts like this, you should not continue to suffer because of any kind of addiction. Therefore you may want to schedule for an appointment with this great addiction professional to help you address all your known concerns.

Natural means of fighting sugar cravings: Putting sugar addiction to check

 

 

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Controlling addiction to sugar and sweet foods

July 1, 2015

Controlling addiction to sugar and sweet foods: Essential diet tips to fight sugar cravings

Controlling addiction to sugar and sweet foods

Controlling addiction to sugar and sweet foods is not going to be easy if we do not change our attitude towards sugar consumption

We all like to associate ourselves with sweet food that taste appealingly well to our desires. Because of the nature of humans feeding style, a lot of food businesses are so much concentrated around sweet food. In other words the world today is feeding literally on sugar without knowing the health consequences they are putting themselves into. If this is becoming a way of life, is there anything that can be done to salvage the situation? The steps of sugar addiction are increasing daily and today it is not a single step that begun the journey but miles and miles covered all for the wrong direction. We have a passion as experts from AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under the able leadership of doctor Dalal Akoury who is the MD and founder of the facility to make a difference in controlling addiction to sugar and sweet foods. And so we ask are you tired of this life full of sugar consumption and you are looking for effective ways to beat sugar addiction? Here you will find a whole slew of nutrition-related resources for people who want to break free of an addiction to sugar and sweet foods.

Doctor Akoury founded this facility primarily to help you cope with whatever form of an addiction you may be struggling with. We are aware that sugar addiction causes over-indulgence in sweets and other sugary treats which can lead to many health complications in the long term, including obesity, diabetes, tooth decay, heart disease, and certain types of cancer. And that is why we want to help you all the way to complete recovery says doctor Akoury. Remember that just in the short term, a high consumption of sugar is likely to cause mood swings and make you feel tired or irritable. Some of the negative effects of sugar are linked to its effect on the hormone insulin and its high calorie count like for instance a table sugar also known as sucrose, has 387 calories per 100 grams or 3.5 ounces, while others are linked to the impact of sugar on vital nutrients. Remember that refined sugar is void of vitamins and minerals, so your body will have to borrow these nutrients from healthy cells in order to be able to metabolize the sugary food. The direct effect of this is that your body will be depleted of its minerals, enzymes and vitamins stocks especially vitamin C and the B complex vitamins.

Controlling addiction to sugar and sweet foods: The addictiveness of sugar

Even though sugar is food but when it comes to addictiveness, just like any other drug sugar can be very addictive and sometimes seen even as being more addictive than other drugs since it is legally allowed for consumption. This accessibility and the fact that it is sweet make sugar to be the preference of many at the expense of possible health complications attached. It is sincerely worrying that even with the knowledge we have today about the negative indulgence of sugar on health, many people and more so in the western nations are comfortably making marry with sugar. If you were to get access to various individuals house hold, you will notice that many families are very comfortable adding sugar to their foods, and we indulge in store-bought foods which contain tons of added sugar. And besides that according to various research findings, it has been estimated that the average people and in American for example consumes 125-160 pounds of sugar every year.

With this experience, the question that comes in mind is that “why is it so difficult to beat an addiction to sugar and sweets?” This is actually a direct question whose answer can be traced anciently from the evolution periods. History has it that the early human beings lived in an environment where quick sources of energy were scarce, and thus their taste buds evolved to like foods that provide an abundance of readily available energy. That food which could deliver energy timely at that time was sugar. In both times anciently and currently sugar is still an excellent source of energy and any sweet taste would typically indicate that the food in question is actually rich in sugar. And again looking at the feeding habits then, people were using lots of vegetation where non-poisonous plants were the favorites to many because of their sweet taste nature while poisonous plants were typically bitter. This habit may have also encouraged our ancestors to develop a natural preference for sweet foods. It is therefore possible that the addictive nature of sugar is not just a present happening but has been there time immemorial further complicating the effectiveness in controlling addiction to sugar and sweet foods.

Controlling addiction to sugar and sweet foods: The stimulant factor of sugar

Doctor Akoury says that at a cellular level, sugar and other sweet substances appear to stimulate the brain’s beta-endorphin receptor sites, these are the same chemicals that are activated whenever a drug addict intoxicate himself or herself with heroin or morphine. It is important to note that even though the addictive properties of sugar are nowhere near the effects of illegal substances, it may essentially be difficult to eliminate those sweet cravings. Nonetheless to help you break free of a sugar addiction, AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center under Doctor Akoury’s care will be here for you to ensure that all your concerns about sugar addiction are professionally addressed. Besides that we will be discussing in the next article certain essential diet tips which are very helpful in fighting sugar cravings. This is a discussion you don’t want to miss. So stay tune on the link and keep the knowledge flowing so that you can learn more about how to fight sugar cravings naturally by revamping your diet explicitly with the professionals. You can also schedule for an appointment with doctor Dalal Akoury to have a one on one discussion about any topic about all kinds of addiction, healthy living and weight loss programs.

Controlling addiction to sugar and sweet foods: Essential diet tips to fight sugar cravings

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Essential Fatty Acids (EFAS) For Addiction Treatment

April 24, 2015

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAS) To Treat Addiction

After a prolonged use of drugs of abuse, the brain chemistry becomes altered. The brain becomes damaged. Entirely the nervous system is the target of many drugs, they inhibit the coordination between the nerves and after a long time of drug use some neurotransmitters like dopamine becomes depleted to an extent that by natural release the level of dopamine can never be enough for optimum functioning of the brain and the entire nervous system. Eventually the effect of the breakdown in communication in the nervous system is exhibited in poor health and behavioral misnomer. By the time this abnormal behavior is seen in a person the brain has become addicted to the drug of abuse that it won’t operate normally without it. This causes such feelings of anxiety and stress. However dangerous the effect of drug abuse is it is made worse with poor nutrition, stress, inflammation and excess oxidation. Drug abuse destroys nerve cells and disrupts neural circuitry. Obviously, this aggregate damage can affect behavior, mood, memory, impulse control, cognitive functioning, and decision making. Fortunately, the brain is forgiving and nerve cells can regenerate and rewiring takes place through a process known as neuroplasticity. Though psychotherapy stimulates growth and repair, healing will be compromised and slowed without the addition of critical nutrients and sound dietary practices; your choice of meals may worsen or help you overcome addiction.  Researchers have shown that eating foods that are rich in some essential fatty acids can help in treatment of addiction disease.

Essential Fatty Acids

The Essential Fatty Acids

For a long time fats in a diet have been fought for no apparent reason. Everybody is going for a low fat diet forgetting all the benefits that can be drawn from some essential fats. I am not saying that you can just eat any fat anyhow, it is just that the name fat has been associated with serious health problems like obesity and the irony is even after evading fats and going for the low fat foods, the number of people dying from obesity are still increasing. The truth however is there are unhealthy fats but also healthy fats are not extinct.

EFAS are Essential

Essential fatty acids also known as EFAS are as essential as the name suggests meaning that without them then a person’s health will be deteriorated and he will be prone to many infections. EFAs should not be avoided as they help rather than interfere with the body’s metabolic function and significantly aid in weight loss. Unlike the unhealthy fats that you are always told to sweat off, these essential fatty acids will help to build your fuel-burning metabolic machinery. So eating these fats can actually help you become leaner and healthier as they provide your body with adequate energy to keep the cells nourished and rejuvenated. And establishing a proper ratio and intake of EFAs will reap you other major benefits as well, including increased athletic performance and better mood and brain function which are known to be deficient in most addicts.

There are three main EFA substances that work together to promote health. The first is omega-3 fatty acid, or alpha-linolenic acid. The second is omega-6 fatty acid, or linolenic acid. When these EFAS are taken in the right ratios they will help the body the producing other important derivatives like the omega-9 fatty acids. The other group of EFAS include these substances that are also very essential for cognitive functions and general wellbeing, they are; lecithin, carotene, chlorophyll and vitamin E, among others they are important for their valid health contributions.

The most commonly EFA associated with its ability in addiction treatment is Omega-3 fatty acid. Omega-3 fatty acids are one of three categories of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) important in human biology. The other two PUFA categories are omega-6, and omega-9 fatty acids. . Some drugs of abuse such as tobacco have been found to be a major cause of peroxidation that is why most cigarette smokers are having low levels of omega- 3 fatty acids. When the levels of omega-3 PUFAs are low, the neurogenerative process is accelerated leading to slowed nervous transmission in mesocortical areas of the brain, disrupting pathways involved in reward and punishment. As a result, the craving for nicotine is reinforced, interfering with smoking cessation therapy. While this mechanism constitutes a vicious cycle, a group of Israeli researchers found that omega-3 supplementation can bring the cycle to an end.

Essential Fatty Acids

EFAS contribution to cell energy goes a long way in helping in addiction treatment. Most addicts suffer since their mitochondria have been severely affected to an extent that production of energy needed by the body is altered. By enriching the body with energy such withdrawal effects like anxiety, depression and stress can be effectively taken care of.

For addicts who are low on these EFAS it is advisable to supply sufficient omega 3 fatty acids from fish oils, nuts, flaxseed each day for nerve cell repair and maintenance. These essential fatty acids are critical to nerve cell receptors because they make the membrane more flexible to capture the chemical messengers known as neurotransmitters. Fats make up 60% of the brain’s dry weight and the majority of this fat is an omega 3 called docosohexanoic acid (DHA). Fats also speed up the transfer of electrical information by severing as insulation (myelin sheath) for the brain’s wiring system, it is therefore necessary to supplement the EFAS during addiction treatment.

Lastly, Here at AWAREmed we are dedicated to finding the best solutions to addiction and dependence on substances. We are located at Myrtle Beach. Contact Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) for help.

Essential Fatty Acids (EFAS) To Treat Addiction

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Facial Rejuvenation

March 24, 2015

Adipose Derived Stem Cell Therapy for Facial Rejuvenation

Facial RejuvenationBeauty is in the eye. I’d rather stop it at that rather than completing the common say. Women know this better than men do and this is why they invest so much in their appearance. Their faces ought to be at their best, glistening, moistened and generally healthy. To every woman beauty is an important factor that not only determines how she is perceived but also how she will interact with people herself. When a woman knows that she is beautiful her level of confidence is heightened, she believes in her abilities and will not be deterred by any other factor. Despite our women doing much to enhance their beauty, there is more that they can’t easily handle by themselves and needs medical assistance. There are hormones that are very essential to ensure that women are in good shape and appearance, these hormones has much to do with their weight, the glowing of the skin and their flawlessness. However as women approach 50 years of age a lot will change about them. This is because the production of these hormones will be low or will stop and their input in ensuring that women’s beauty is maintained will no longer be attended to. He names estrogen and progesterone are not new to anybody and their contributions in beauty are known. Today we are looking at another factor that can be utilized so as to help achieve beauty by rejuvenating the face: the stem cells.

Why stem cells for facial rejuvenation?

The face is exposed to all sorts of danger ranging from sunburn to degenerative diseases. As a person is growing old it has always been seen that their faces will tend to lose their lusture and flawlessness, the face will become rough, dried and discolored. This is evidence that some cells are maimed and have malfunctioned or worse still have died. The stem cells’ most popular characteristic is that they have the ability to become any type of cell in the body and so can be used to replace cells that have died or have malfunctioned and this will help restore the face leaving it beautiful and rejuvenated. Therefore ways of supplementing stem cells into the affected tissues can be utilized to ensure that the stem cells are in optimum levels so as to take care of the damaged tissues.

The adult stem cells especially the mesenchymal stem cells are good for this procedure; these stem cells can be collected from the adipose tissues of the patient. When the stem cells are withdrawn from the individual on whom they are used again, it is referred to as autologous stem cell therapy. The best thing with autologous stem cell therapy is that you do not need any donor and secondly the stem cells are from the same individual and so there are no chances of the body rejecting them. There is no risk of any dangerous reaction that may occur when the antibodies begin fighting the stem cells supplemented as foreign bodies. The stem cells are from you and can never be foreign.

Facial rejuvenation with adipose Derived stem cells does not require surgery. The procedure is safe as it avoids any incision in its quest to rejuvenate the face and leave the skin healthy. The stem cell therapy will not only replace the worn out or dead cells on the face just to restore its youthful contours but will also help in restoring the shape of the face. As mentioned earlier, aging interferes or rather degrades the skin quality, exposure to sunlight will also lead to ‘cooking of the face’ a condition known to many as sunburn, with adipose stem cells therapy, the quality of the skin can be restored and is the color irregularities that are caused by exposure to sun and other environmental factors.

facial rejuvenationAnother advantage that a patient can get when she has undergone facial rejuvenation with stem cells therapy is that she will not need some of the frequently used maintenance procedures like the botulinum toxin and cosmetic filler injections. the stem cells ability to rejuvenate the face is owed to the regenerative capacity of the mesenchymal stem cells that divide many times giving rise to highly differentiated cells of different types. Due to their importance in the regenerative medicine, of all the trillion cells in the body, the stem cells have since been regarded as the most important category of cells. They are among the few cells in the body that are specialized and have the potential to become a particular cell type and replace worn and damage cells.

The adipose or fat tissues contain large numbers of the stem cells and several studies have shown that these stem cells can be used to heal degenerative diseases as they can survive when removed from the adipose tissues and planted into affected areas where they will work by either correcting the defects in the cells or replacing the worn out cells all together. Stem cell therapy is a safe and effective approach to facial rejuvenation. When transplanted into the affected areas the adipose Derived stem cells help to restore lost fats, enhancing the volume of the face, and skin elements which would improve both the quality and texture of the skin hence improving health of the skin and beauty.

Finally, the pursuit of beauty has seen many women suffer when they chose to go for some dangerous surgeries; by choosing stem cell therapy you are choosing a safer approach. Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD), founder of the AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Center Located at Myrtle Beach, North Caroline is an expert in the treatment of degenerative diseases. Call on her for help.

Adipose Derived Stem Cell Therapy for Facial Rejuvenation

 

 

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Alternative to Joint Replacement Stem Cell for Joint Diseases

February 28, 2015

Safe and Time-Proven Alternative to Joint Replacement Stem Cell for Joint Diseases

Joint diseases are common these days maybe because of poor eating habits that depletes the most important nutrients in the body. The most common joint diseases are osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. These joint diseases have maimed many people as they interfere with motion and movement around the joints. These diseases may occur as a result of wear and tear that happens around the joints. The bones in the joints are supposed to be separated from each other by cartilage however when there is wear on the cartilage the bones may begin grinding interfering with normal movements and leading to pain. there has been several ways through which the joint diseases were fought some pharmaceutical products have been in use for a good time some of which has yielded great results while some have not been very efficient . In cases of extremes a person may have a joint operated on, surgical treatments are mostly used after the pharmaceutical products have failed to yield any desirable fruits and the pain is unbearable.

Another promising approach to treatment of joint diseases is by utilization of the stem cells. The stem cells have become useful in regenerative medicine owing to the fact that they are able to differentiate into other types of cells that play crucial roles in the body. These stem cells can differentiate to give rise to daughter cells that are of their same type or give rise to even more differentiated cells forming bones, cartilage, tendons, and muscles among others. Due to this rare ability they have been targeted for treatment of not only joint diseases but also other diseases like cancer, diabetes, autism among other disorders. Mesenchymal stem cells that are found in large quantities in the adipose tissue and the bone marrow are useful in treatment of regenerative diseases. The treatment through stem cells is also safer with autologous mesenchymal stem cell transplant, which means that the stem cells are from the body of the patient and therefore there is no risk of the patient’s body rejecting the stem cells transplanted. With several research institutions working on the stem cells medicinal abilities there is hope that treatment of bone diseases will be much easier. however the technology that may make stem cell transplant a reality may not be available in some countries or worse still may not afforded by a particular patient therefore there are other natural ways that have been in use over the years to manage joint diseases.

Joint Disease

Here are some of the natural alternatives of treating joint diseases

Use of supplements

We eat foods that we may get essential nutrients that may help us to fight against certain diseases. When our body fails to acquire these nutrients in the foods we eat it is logical to seek the nutrients from the supplements. There are quite a number of supplements that have been used for joint diseases. A combination of glucosamine and chondroitin is believed to help reform and repair worn or torn cartilage. Omega-3 fatty acids found in fish oil or flaxseed oil are anti-inflammatory agents. Studies have found that SAMe (s-adenosyl-L-methionine) can help reduce osteoarthritis pain. Early evidence has shown that the natural vegetable extract called avocado soybean unsaponifiables (ASUs) could be an effective osteoarthritis treatment that might even slow progression of the disease. Therefore you may consider shopping for appropriate supplements that can help you in case you are suffering from this disease.

Practice Mind-Body Medicine

Body and mind medicine may help you to reduce the pain on the joints. There are practices that encourage stretching the muscles and straightening the joints while relaxing the mind and shifting the mind from the pain. These practices include yoga and Tai chi. Yoga can improve your flexibility and strengthen muscles important to the support of arthritic joints. Tai chi also can relieve osteoarthritis symptoms. There is not enough literature to show the benefits or the effectiveness of these practices but there is a study published in the British Journal of Rheumatology that found that people with rheumatoid arthritis who participated in a yoga program over a three-month period had greater grip strength than those who did not practice yoga. Another study published in the same journal reported that people who practiced yoga showed a significant improvement in pain, tenderness, and finger range of motion for osteoarthritis of the hands. The benefits of exercises are known and yoga and tai chi are exercises that are even more effective that they also emphasize body mind connection and wellbeing.

Use Acupuncture

stem cellAcupuncture has been in use for centuries now. This practice was common in the ancient Chinese medicine. It involves inserting thin needles into specific parts of the body to help relieve pain. Several clinical trials have shown that acupuncture can be very effective in relieving pain though most doctors believe that it cannot be used solely for long-term healing goals. Be it for short term pain management it is effective and so its use is encouraged.

Include anti-inflammatory foods in your diet.

Joint diseases are characterized by persistent inflammations. It is these inflammations that mostly cause the unbearable pain. There are a number of foods that can help to reduce these inflammations and quell the pain that arthritic patients go through. Some of these foods include the following; horseradish, mustard, garlic, onions, watercress, parsley, celery, pickles, lemon, and rose-hip tea. The omega-3 fatty acids in nuts, seeds, and fish also can reduce inflammation. Using natural means to manage joint pains may be beneficial but again you need help of an integrative medicine expert, Dr. Dalal Akoury (MD) an expert in integrative and regenerative medicine will be able to help. Visit her at AWAREmed Health and Wellness Resource Centre at Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.

Safe and Time-Proven Alternative to Joint Replacement Stem Cell for Joint Disease

 

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