More talk about healthy summer practices…What do  you do to protect your skin from too much sun once you have spent 20 minutes without sunscreen to get Vitamin D? First look at what you should avoid in a sunscreen. it is important to avoid these unhealthy sunscreen ingredients – oxybenzone, octyl methoxycinnamate (OMC), parabens, phthalates, retinyl palmitate, and synthetic fragrance. Look for non-nano particle sized zinc or titanium based mineral ingredients. Look for protection against UVB and UVA rays and avoid spray sunscreens if you can. Make sure you have access to some shade if you are going to the beach so you can protect your skin and get out of the heat.

If you go overboard and get too much sun, aloe vera gel from the plant can soothe and heal your tissue  if applied topically. Homeopathic remedies that you can try for sunburns include Cantharis, Urtica urens, or Belladonna depending on your unique picture of a sunburn. It is safe for you to use a 30c potency and dose five pellets 3- 6 x daily. For best results, see me for an individual consultation about your sunburn if you have one.

In terms of summer eats, cooking meats by frying, grilling, roasting or barbequeing can cause the formation of heterocyclic amines which are carcinogenic. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are formed when fat drips on a heat source causing excess smoke. Make sure you cut off the blackened parts of meats and any charred pieces of meat. People’s average risk of cancer goes from 1 in 500 to 1 in 50 if you are eating large amounts of muscle meat (pork, beef, fish, poultry) regularly and consistently. Marinating your meat before grilling or broiling, reduces heterocyclic amines by 90 percent. You could marinate your meat in red wine or dark beer for 6 hours or marinate in lemon juice or vinegar. Add fresh herbs or berries to increase antioxidants. Make sure you cut off fat before grilling. You can also cook meat partially before grilling; flip burgers more often or cook high quality meats rare or medium rare versus well done to make your summer barbecueing a bit healthier. 

What about Hot Dogs? Look for uncured varieties that contain no nitrates. Choose varieties that say 100% beef or 100% chicken. Avoid those that contain MSG, artificial flavors/color, preservatives, high fructose corn syrup. Any type of processed meat that has been smoked, cured, salted or preserved with chemicals does increase risk of bowel cancer (hamburgers or sausages preserved with salt or chemical additives espescially nitrates). Do be mindful of your consumption of these products. 

What about alcohol? The pros first- does contain antioxidants, increases HDL cholesterol. The cons- hard on your liver, causes weight gain, disrupts the gut microbiome and increases your risk of cancer with chronic consumption. Drink iced Rooibos tea. Rooibos has been shown to increase levels of glutathione in your liver which is your strongest antioxidant in your body. Drink iced green tea also for its antioxidant activity and anticancer qualities. It is important to eat foods that support liver function such as beets, artichokes, broccoli, apples, turmeric, dandelion greens, dandelion root tea (which can positively influence phase 2 liver eynzymes).

Milk thistle is a good supportive supplement for people that drink chronically. It has powerful antioxidant activity and helps protect your liver from damage by quenching free radicals. Take as directed on the label. Being mindful about all these things can create a healthier summer for you and your loved ones. Enjoy your summer!! For more specific help with your unique health, book a consultation with me at Parallel Wellness in downtown Calgary. Dr. Vinge 4032321283

 

 

The Sun is Shining and life feels much better at this time of year despite the ongoing pandemic. I thought I would share information from a lecture I did a few years ago on healthy summer practices so you can feel empowered to have a better summer. Let us start with reminding ourselves of the benefits of Sunshine. Sunshine acts as a natural analgesic (pain reliever). Sitting in the warm sun causes the release of endorphins which are feel good chemicals that we all need after a long winter spent indoors.

Sunshine exposes you to ultraviolet rays both UVA A rays and UVB rays. UVA rays are always present and can come through glass like a window. These rays damage skin and cause wrinkles. This is why selective sun exposure is important versus excessive.  UVB rays are produced by the sun hitting your skin and are highest from 10 am to 2 pm. These rays are lowest in the morning and evening. UVB rays produce Vitamin D in your body.

Sunshine gives you Vitamin D which is often deficient in our northern latitude. Vitamin D is important for bone health. It is also a potent immunomodulator which is critical in managing autoimmune disease. Improving Vitamin D levels can also support and encourage anti-cancer protection. Vitamin D helps maintain proper cell growth.  In fact, improving levels of Vitamin D may reduce your risk of cancer by 30 to 50%.  Vitamin D if deficient can make you more at risk for having a heart attack. You can ask your doctor to check your Vitamin D to find out what your level is.  I recommend checking Vitamin D 25(OH) once a year in the spring.  I can order this but it does cost money. To maximize Vitamin D presently, I recommend exposing your body (arms, legs, abdomen and back) to the sun without sunscreen for 20 minutes, three days a week between 10 am and 2 pm. Protect your face with a wide brim hat. If you do this from April to September you will be getting enough Vitamin D.  Be sure to check your levels with your Doctor though first. People that are very deficient may need to supplement Vitamin D3 in special cases. Apply sunscreen after your twenty minute exposure to protect your skin. Vitamin D toxicity is rare but the first sign is high calcium level in the blood. I am not going to talk about supplementation because it is very individual and you would need to talk to me about it in a consultation.

One thing I want to mention though if you are taking Vitamin D3 in a supplement, you need to also supplement Vitamin K2. K2 tells your body to put the calcium in your bones vs the blood vessels. If you are supplanting with Vitamin D, you should ensure you are also taking Vitamin K2. The recommended daily allowance of Vitamin K2 is 90 mcg/day. A comprehensive bone support would also have magnesium and other minerals such as boron. Book an appointment with me to talk further about bone health if you would like more specific information. Food sources of K2 include fermented foods such as natto, goose liver pate, gouda and brie cheese.

Protection from the Inside from Sun Exposure. Astaxanthin is sunscreen in a pill. It is a red carotenoid that has strong free radical scavenging activity. It is produced by the microalgae Haemotococcus pluvialus when it is exposed to the sun. This carotenoid protects the microalgae from excessive sun exposure so it protects us too. 2 mg is a typical starting dose for Astaxanthin. It can be dosed up to 4 weeks to protect your skin when you are getting regular sun exposure and want extra sun protection. Hope this is helpful for you. Book an appointment with me if you want to talk specifics. Thanks, Dr. Vinge 4032321283

 

I just did a lecture on the Microbiome and Mental Health for Cenovus in the last month. The more I research and study the more I want to pass on to you.  So the health of your gut is imperative to all of your physiology as I have talked about in previous blogs. If you eat a poor diet, high in saturated fat, sugar, processed food you essentially create a gut that is more likely to be colonized by pathogenic bacteria. If you have gut dybiosis which can be looked at via tests such as the GI Map or can be discerned via the symptomatic picture (gas, bloating, abdominal pain, diarrhea or chronic constipation, brain fog, anxiety, depression for instance), you are more likely to be colonized by gut pathogens. 

Because the gut is connected to the brain by the enteric nervous system and by the vagus nerve (this is believed to be the case at this time) and because gut bacteria have been shown to create many metabolites inclucing neurotransmitters, they may play a big role in how we feel on a daily basis. Gut bacteria that are pathogenic that have been associated with depression include Clostridium species, Alistipes,E. Coli, Shigella, Salmonella, Vibrio, Campylobacter, Yersinia, Enterocolitica, Aeromonas, Listeria for starters. How is it proposed they influence the brain and how we feel? Research has shown that chronic infections induce T cell activation, inflammatory cytokine formation, macrophage activation, and increased oxidative stress which may impairs neurotransmitter function. Working to improve your gut health may improve your brain and mood feasibly.

How can we eat to improve our mood with diet? Patients with depression show reduced levels of Lactobacilli and Bifidobacteria which are essentially lower levels of good bacteria.  Diets with lower levels of omega 3 fatty acids, lower in fish, nuts, beans, and whole grains were associated with higher incidences of depression. If you consume a healthy diet such as a low glycemic Mediterranean Diet, rich in prebiotic foods and probiotic foods, high in fibre especially the Microbiota Accessible Carbohydrates, fermentable fiber for the gut bugs such as resistant starch, you will positively influence your microbiome. All these factors will improve the production of short chain fatty acid, which in turn, will support the growth of healthy good bacteria in the gut and will contribute to neuroproctection and attenatuate inflammation.  Aim for fibre to be greater than 50 grams (In Africa they eat 70-120 grams daily), low saturated fat, high in omega 3 fatty acids (chia, hemp, flaxseed, wild seafood). Emphasize polyphenols (unsweetened whole berries, raw nuts, unsweetened cocoa, green tea, apricots, olives, etc) which increase good bacteria and suppress the growth of bad bacteria. 

if you work every day on improving your diet and eat for your microbiome, surely you will notice a difference in or your ability to maintain a better attitude, cultivate better relationships with others and improve your daily disposition. If you are interested in improving your health status,  talking more about your diet and your microbiome, please book an appointment with me at Parallel Wellness downtown Calgary. Kind regards, Robin

References: Gut Bowels and Behavior: The Groundbreaking Story of the Gut Brain Connection C:2013. The Pyschobiotic Revolution: Mood, Food, and the New Science, Scott C. Anderson, John F. Cryan, Ted Dinan Dec. 2019