Eureka Natural Foods Eureka Natural Foods

Spring has sprung, the birds are singing, and Mother’s Day is upon us. This month, the Wellness department is featuring probiotics. As our largest department staple, probiotics play a vital role in the human microbiome. listen to learn more about this amazing supplement and how it aids everything in the body!

It’s the changing of the seasons and the temperatures around here are all over the place! Blossoming plants and frigid weather mean allergies, colds and flus are happening all at once. Many are experiencing a hacking cough and plugged sinuses. The ever popular Humboldt Hack is making quite the appearance this season as well. So, without further ado…
“An allergy is an inappropriate response by the body’s immune system to a substance that is not normally harmful.” (Balch, 2010; p. 177). Allergies are the result of the body’s immune system misidentifying a non-toxic substance as toxic. The results are the varying allergy symptoms that most of us can relate to: nasal congestion, sneezing, coughing, wheezing, itching, shortness of breath, headache, fatigue, hives, and other skin rashes. These are just the seasonal allergy symptoms! On the other hand, almost all people are allergic to mold. Here in Humboldt, I think we can all agree that we are no strangers to mold. (Quick tip: Invest in mold eating houseplants such as English Ivy and Peace Lillies.)

Now, if you have symptoms like itchy red eyes, watery discharge from the nose and eyes, sneezing, fatigue, and nervous irritability, you probably have Hay Fever. Hay Fever is an allergy to the pollen trees, grasses, mold or some plants that adversely affects our mucous membranes in the nose, eyes, and air passages. There are 3 ‘Hay Fever Seasons’, which vary climate to climate in the time of the year, but first are the tree pollens; next are tree, grass, and weed pollens; lastly is ragweed season in fall. Hay Fever sufferers can also contract these symptoms from animal hair, feathers, dust, mold spores and even other environmental triggers. Unfortunately, Hay Fever symptoms can perpetuate for weeks on end, especially if the person is particularly sensitive.

This season, we had a random warm front, that let all our flowers get ready for spring, and then our groundhog promptly turned around told us 6 more weeks of winter and it did indeed frost again! Now we are experiencing the resurge of colds and flus going around! The common cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. Though the virus isn’t caused by cold weather, it thrives and multiplies in cold weather, hence why we all tend to ‘catch’ them in winter. Cold symptoms include: head congestion, nasal congestion, sore throat, coughing, headache, sneezing, and watery eyes. Unfortunately, there are over 200 viruses that cause colds!

Like a cold, influenza, which we call ‘the flu’, is also a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract. The flu, is also highly contagious in comparison to a cold. Influenza causes an acute infection of the in the middle ear, nose, throat, bronchial tubes, and lungs. Common symptoms are close to the common cold and include: cough, fatigue, body aches, headaches, and hot and cold sweats. While colds can continue from 5 to 10 days, flus can go on after 12 days. Fevers are also common in flu as well as nausea and vomiting. Weakness and the inability to move very much or eat at all are other symptoms of the flu. Contracting the flu also makes us more susceptible to ear infections, pneumonia, and serious sinus issues.

*Weight loss Diets

-What are the different diets?
So first we have the Atkins Diets that was most popular from 2003 to 2004. This is a branding on a general low-carb diet. Atkins was the reason for the low-carb lines from multiple food companies. The gist of the diet was to restrict or eliminate carbs. Now there are several variations of this diet.
 
The Keto or Ketogenic diet has been a huge diet across the world and is showing some amazing success. Keto involves a high healthy fat consumption, adequate protein and very low-carb intake. The point is to make the body start burning fat instead of carbs for energy. Now for the science behind this diet: the Ketogenic diet was originally created in the 1920s to treat epilepsy in children. In the 1960s, an MCT (medium chain triglycerides) version was founded and subsequently in 1971 a diet consisting of 60% of daily calories coming from MCT oil was included in the childhood seizure treatments. 1994 saw this medical diet revival with fantastic results. Several small case studies have linked the diet to treatment of Autism, depression, migraines, PCOS, and Type 2 Diabetes. Recently a clinical trial began using the Ketogenic diet for cancer therapy.
 
Recently, the big diet for heart health and cholesterol has been the Mediterranean Diet. The diet includes an active lifestyle, low red meat, sugar, and saturated fats. Instead it is high in produce, nuts, olive oil, beans, grains, legumes, fish and seafood. It does allow for a moderate amount of dairy and poultry. Studies conducted in 2008 using this diet and moderate calorie restriction resulted in substantial weight loss and even weight loss in people with diabetes.
 
The Paleo Diet has recently been gaining some speed. Firstly, this diet does not allow dairy, grains, sugar, legumes, pressed oils, salt, alcohol, or coffee. It focuses on vegetables, fruits, nuts, roots, and meat. This is a high protein diet that does not allow processed or refined foods. Currently, there is a sub- category of paleo which allows someone to use the key allowed foods to create imitation versions of processed foods. For instance, nut milks instead of dairy or homemade almond bread instead of grains. There is huge resources for doing this pseudo-paleo diet. This is one of the cleanest diets out there.
 
Next there is vegetarianism, flexitarianism, or veganism. There are a lot of versions of these diets. Veganism is the simplest to explain: produce and any purely plant foods. The main principle of veganism is to not consume any animal meat or animal by-products. Vegetarianism can allow for dairy and eggs. Flexitarianism is mostly vegetarian but with some flexibility for fish, seafood, and poultry. Due to the foods being eaten in these diets there is a reduction in calories.
 
The Raw Food diet is maybe one of the most straight forward. It follows the belief that cooking or heating food above a certain temperature destroys the nutrients and natural enzymes of the food. The diet involves raw fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and sprouted grains. It does allow for blending, use of a food processor, and dehydration. This is one of the most effective forms of vegetarianism and veganism, and is widely used by vegans. The diet also claims to clear chronic headaches and allergies, boost immunity and memory, as well as reduce inflammation.
 

-

You may have noticed it's 2018! And with the new year comes a renewed focus on health. With that in mind we are launching a new podcast centered around health and wellness with the goal of answering all of your wellness queries. So listen in and if you have questions of your own send them our way and maybe we'll answer them in an upcoming episode.

For our first episode we are focusing on the differences between detox, cleanse and fasting. If this topic has vexed you then this episode is for you!

Cleanse v. Detox v. Fast
-What is the difference?
Cleanses are the most common and their main function is to clean out the digestive tract, which in turn eliminates toxins, fecal matter, parasites, and harmful bacteria. Detoxification is a natural bodily process by which toxins are converted into waste to be eliminated. A detox eliminates toxins in the body by enhancing natural elimination pathways, such as the liver. A fast, in turn, is a form of detoxification by which you are restricting yourself to a fluid only diet.
-What do each of these involve?
A Cleanse requires a clean diet, whole foods are very important to cleanses. This includes NO dairy, eggs, gluten, soy, corn, sugar, alcohol, or caffeine. Rest, exercise and plenty of water is of the utmost importance when doing a cleanse. Often, cleanses include support supplements and a regimen of colon cleansing fibers.

A Detox requires the same dietary rules as a cleanse, but includes a supplemental and food support regimen. Detox kits available can also be organ specific, such as liver or kidney detoxes. During a detox it is good to take a fiber supplement or colon cleanse to clear out toxic debris from the digestive tract (i.e. colon).

A fast involves a severe restriction of calories by only consuming juices or water. Due the extreme restriction, some fasts require the consumption of a nutritional powder while others prohibit any supplement, vitamin, or herbal intake. One issue with a fast is a lack of fiber; fasts, such as the Master Cleanse, require a tea based laxative to ensure bowel movement.
-How do I do it?
Depending on what your goal is by cleansing or detoxing, there are a number of comprehensive herbal blends available. If the goal is kickstarting a weight loss regimen, there is the Renew Life Flush and be Fit. Colon cleanses mostly come in the form of comforting herbal blends mixed with fiber to clear the digestive tract, such as the Yerba Prima Colon Cleanse or Himalaya Comfort Cleanse. If you are cleansing because of constipation issues, you will find there are a few herbal blends which are gentle daily cleanses, which support healthy bowel movements, like Irwin Naturals Daily Gentle Cleanse. You want to choose a program that benefits your needs then follow the general protocols of a cleanse, detox, or fast.
-What can I expect?
Generally, when you do a cleanse or detox you want to start the dietary changes immediately and up your water intake. If you are using supplement support, it is good to make sure you are taking a good omega, multi-vitamin and probiotics. Probiotics will be discussed more in the next podcast. Most people can expect the first day and up to three days of fatigue, this is your body working harder to expel toxins and opening up natural detoxification pathways. There are also generally some changes in bowel movements and stool.

Disclaimer: We are not doctors and we are not diagnosing you. Statements have not been verified by the FDA. Please consult doctor. We cannot recommend or prescribe anything for medical treatment. If you are thinking of making major lifestyle changes you should consult your physician first.