Year: 2018

If a food usually gives you indigestion, does that mean you have a food allergy?

Food allergies seem to be getting more common all the time. Experts agree that this is true but are currently not clear on exactly why it is happening. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 4% of adults are affected by food allergies and even more children; as many as 6%. Possible reasons for the increase range from pollution, vitamin deficiency and gastrointestinal tract issues to changes in the weaning practices of babies. 

There is a difference in food intolerance and an actual food allergy. Lactose intolerance, a reaction to dairy, is a good example of food intolerance. It creates digestive issues, which can also be symptomatic of an allergic reaction, but a true food allergy affects the body’s immune system. Even a tiny amount of a particular food can be perceived as a threat by the immune system which immediately mobilizes to protect the body by creating antibodies specifically for that food. The next time it is eaten the resulting reaction can create a range of symptoms that can reach the level of life-threatening.

In the U.S., roughly 200,000 people end up in the emergency room every year due to food allergies, with the most common reaction being to peanuts. The other foods that top the list of common allergens are shellfish, cow’s milk, eggs, soy, wheat, fish and tree nuts.

Food Allergy Symptoms

Symptoms can vary, depending upon the individual and type of food, but some of the more common symptoms include:

• Dizziness or a feeling of being lightheaded
• Swelling, typically in the lips, tongue and throat, but can be experienced in other areas of the body
• Tingling in the mouth
• Itching sensation in the mouth
• Hives
• Eczema
• Difficulty breathing, sometimes experienced as wheezing
• Nasal congestion
• Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting or diarrhea

Types Of Food Allergy Reactions

The most serious and frightening result of a food allergy is anaphylaxis. Symptoms typically involve a closing of the airways, severely swollen tongue, rapid drop in blood pressure and the possibility of coma and even death if not treated in time. Anaphylaxis is more commonly seen with peanut and nut allergies. 

We have come a long way on our journey of discovering how the different parts of the human body work together. While there is no question that this is true, there is a real paradox in effect because it seems that the more we know the less we understand. Perhaps this isn’t true with medical professionals, but it sure feels that way for most everyone else. Headlines today are disputing, if not totally disproving, what were deemed to be the recommended practices of yesterday.

This confusion is true with general health topics and, perhaps, even more so when it comes to food issues, especially weight loss, which we at least now understand is far more complex than simply cutting calories and getting on the treadmill. Overwhelmed with conflicting health programs and diet books and discouraged from failed attempts to get body weight under control, many people are seeking professional guidance in understanding their metabolic profile. Discovering food allergies is a part of this process.  

The Southern California Center for Anti-Aging focuses on the practice of advanced, preventive and regenerative medicine. We strongly believe correcting imbalances and deficiencies in nutrition, along with improving fitness and balancing and restoring hormones with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy, can help with creating the foundation for a healthier and happier life. We use a wide range of advanced testing and analysis, including food allergy testing, to ensure the best results for our clients. To learn more about our programs or if you have questions about any of our services, take advantage of our Free Consultation by filling out our convenient online form below.

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Does lack of sleep have anything to do with weight loss?

There are a lot of reasons that we should get a good night’s sleep. Starting with childhood, parents have always attempted the herculean task of getting their children to bed at a reasonable hour. This is despite the ever-increasing array of distractions that produce variations on the same pleas that have been used for generations. Some of these include,  “just five more minutes”, “just one more story”, or even “just one more video game”. The struggle continues through the teenage years and, if we are honest, remains with many of us throughout our adult lives.

There is a ton of research that tries to convince us of the benefits of good sleep habits. Despite this, it is estimated that somewhere in the range of 40% of adults in the U.S. get less than the recommended minimum of 7 hours of sleep each night. What is especially interesting is that, according to the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), almost the exact same percentage, 38.9%, of U.S. adults are classified as obese. What are the chances that this is nothing more than coincidence?

There have always been people who brag about their ability to function at a high level with very little sleep. These are undoubtedly the same ones who profess to enhanced productivity through multi-tasking. Haven’t we always believed, on some level, that both of those claims were suspect? We do better when we bring our full focus on a single task. In addition, our overall health, performance and well-being is enhanced when we get an optimum amount of sleep. This is true in multiple areas. Not only do we experience positive impacts on mental concentration and cognition, our athletic ability is improved and so are our social interactions. Lack of sleep has been linked the following:

• Heart disease
• Stroke
• Depression
• Blood sugar imbalances leading to diabetes and impaired immune system function.

How Sleep Affects Weight Loss

However people are starting to realize that sleep IS important. Not getting the proper amount of sleep is also strongly believed to be a major factor in weight gain and the inability to lose excess weight. Studies point to poor or an incorrect amount of sleep as contributing to the following:

Too little sleep:

• Slows the body’s metabolism
• Causes the body to produce more insulin and cortisol. Thus, resulting in increased fat storage – usually in the area of the abdomen
• Affects hormones that regulates hunger (ghrelin) and the feeling of being full (leptin)
• Poor sleep is linked to increased cravings for sugar, fat and carbs

Too much sleep:

• Increased levels of depression, anxiety and mood issues. This can lead to excessive eating
• Less physical activity
• Disruption of body’s biorhythms

So What Is The Connection Between Sleep and Weight Loss? (Conclusion)

We lead extremely busy lives, and there are times when it really is difficult to get the recommended 7 to 9 hours of sleep every night. Healthcare professionals recognize that this is inevitable but caution that doing so consistently will be detrimental to health. This includes our physical, mental and emotional well-being. Furthermore, it also has a major impact on our ability to reach and maintain our most healthy body weight. It is time to add “consistently getting a good night’s sleep” to our list, right next to a proper diet and sufficient exercise.

The Southern California Center for Anti-Aging focuses on the practice of advanced, preventive and regenerative medicine. We strongly believe correcting imbalances and deficiencies in nutrition. This is in addition to improving fitness. Furthermore, balancing and restoring hormones with Bioidentical Hormone Replacement Therapy can help with creating the foundation for a healthier and happier life.

To learn more about our programs or if you have questions about any of our services, take advantage of our Free Consultation by clicking here to use our convenient online form.

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Is it possible to get older without having to experience all of the usual symptoms of aging?

We often think of the search for eternal youth beginning in the 16th century with Ponce de León. Whether the accounts were totally factual or not, it is believed that the Spanish explorer was seeking the mythical fountain of youth when he stumbled upon Florida. In fact, for as long as there have been people on the planet, there has been the desire to remain young and avoid, not just death, but the stages leading up to it.  

The saying about “nothing being certain but death and taxes”, usually attributed to Benjamin Franklin, does not seem as popular as it used to be. Perhaps that is because the taxes part of the statement is subject to a fair amount of resistance. This may be the result of activist movements that claim the government does not actually have the authority to levy taxes or because so many people go to such great lengths to avoid them. Death, on the other hand, is still universally believed to be inevitable, and, with it, all of the unpleasant stages and symptoms of aging.

While few argue that death can be escaped, there are growing numbers of people, professionals included, challenging the belief that aging is something we have no control over. This has nothing to do with magical fountains or deals made with the devil, like the Oscar Wilde novel in which Dorian Gray remained young while his portrait aged instead. Today, we are using cutting-edge science and research focused on reversing the effects of aging caused by a wide range of contributors, some of the more common being stress, environmental factors, weight, smoking, alcohol consumption, poor diet and DNA damage.

Studies on the Aging process

Particularly promising, researchers at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) believe that they have discovered a way to reverse the effects of aging by improving the ability of DNA to repair damage. As we get older, the body’s DNA is constantly undergoing damage and repair but, the older we get, the less efficient the repair part of the process is. The UNSW team has identified a substance that, when enhanced, restores the DNA’s former level of ability to make repairs. This research has generated a lot of excitement, including with the folks at NASA who are always working on better ways to keep the astronauts healthy during extended periods of time in space, where the effects of aging are dramatically exaggerated.

The UNSW study is just one of many programs working on the issue of slowing aging and reversing what we have always assumed to be the inevitable consequences of growing older. It simply isn’t true anymore that we have to accept limitations and decreased quality of life. Traditional medicine has done a good job of keeping us alive longer, but what is the point if we do so without being able to enjoy those extra years? The young do not have exclusive rights to good health. Don’t you owe it to yourself to find out just what is available to make you feel, act and look your best?

The Southern California Center for Anti-Aging focuses on the practice of advanced, preventive and regenerative medicine. We strongly believe preventive health should be customized to the individual  in testing and correcting  any chemical, nutritional and hormonal imbalances in the body. Therapy can help with creating the foundation for a healthier and happier life. Getting the body into balance is key to maintaining health. At our clinic, a program will be designed for each patient which might included but not limited to:

• Weight management
• Nutritional counselling
• Vitamin and mineral supplementation
• Exercise
• Detoxification
• Hormone balancing and stress management

Conclusion:

So is aging inevitable? Well, the short answer is yes. Humans have yet to find a real life fountain of youth or defy the restrictions of our mortality. This is probably a good thing. That being said, we have learned how to slow down the inevitable and add quality to our years. To learn more about our programs or if you have questions about any of our services, take advantage of our Free Consultation by filling out our convenient online form below.

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