How putting a spring in your step heals your body and mind . . .

Optimal health is more than just what you

eat.  While whole foods are a cornerstone to achieving long-term health, it is not enough to maximize your health if you do not include other important practices, like relaxation, meditation, or regular exercise.  Exercise and moving your body on a consistent basis is a key strategy to help you optimize your health and avoid several chronic health problems.¹ If you struggle with your health, you may have an adverse reaction to the word exercise.   

This probably is because you assume that exercise consists only of lifting weights or long-distance running.  The reality is that any type of movement is beneficial as long as you do it consistently.  The key to exercise is finding the best type of movement for your body and lifestyle.

Generally speaking, there are many different kinds of exercise such as resistance training and strength conditioning, low intensity cardio, and flexibility and stretching exercises.  There are also high intensity programs that incorporate brief intervals and jumping movements like plyometric exercises.  All types of movement can benefit you and enhance your health.   What is important is that you strive for a flexible program of exercise that you can start and commit to consistently.  Below are many different types of exercise and some of their key benefits.

• Non exercise movement: Simple everyday activities and house duties such as cooking, working on your garden and doing laundry and cleaning are all types of movement.  Several studies suggest that prolonged sitting increases your risk of diabetes and heart disease and many other chronic health conditions even if you exercise vigorously on a consistent basis.  Sitting or being inactive for a prolonged period of time has also been found to be associated with reduced life expectancy.  Fortunately, if you find yourself sitting for an extended period of time (e.g., working a desk job), you need only stand periodically to undo the negative effects of sitting.  Try stretching and moving about 2 to 3 times every hour to promote optimal health.
• Low intensity cardio exercises: Any movement that maintains you at 50 to 70% of your maximum heart rate, such as brisk walking or jogging.  It improves your cardiovascular condition, lowers your resting heart rate and blood pressure, helps to increase your HDL, preserves your cognitive functioning and lowers your risk for many chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes and heart disease. When you walk or jog, aim for 30 to 60 minutes, 3-4 times a week.
• Strength training: Lifting weights or doing full body weight exercises is important and necessary for optimal health. Adding a strength and conditioning program to your exercise program is key to preserving lean muscle mass. Strength training helps you to improve your metabolism, strengthens your bones, elevates your mood, helps you to sleep better and increases levels of endogenous opioids that decrease pain.  Strength training can also help to optimize your hormone levels.  Lifting heavy weights with brief rest periods will help you to produce more growth hormone and testosterone. It is a known fact that levels of important hormones like growth hormone decline with age. Engaging in strength training twice a week is all that is necessary to preserve muscle tone.
• High intensity, brief exercises: Doing sprints or high intensity interval training has several distinct advantages.   First and foremost, it saves you a whole lot of time. Doing 6-8 rounds of all out sprints for 15-30 seconds and taking 1-2 minute rest periods will amount to no more than 20 minutes. Anyone can squeeze 10 to 20 minutes during their day. In addition, brief, high intensity exercises may help you to enhance your metabolism, burn fat, increase your production of human growth hormone and elevate your cardiopulmonary capacity more so than long periods of low intensity cardio exercise.  If your goal is to lose weight, incorporate high intensity interval training 2 to 3 times a week.
• Flexibility training programs: Yoga or Pilates have a number of key benefits as well.  They can help you to stay limber, strengthen your core, improve balance, attention and concentration, reduce pain and elevate your mood. Many studies have found that adding a yoga practice reduces feelings of anxiety and depression.²

There are several other benefits to consistent exercise. Research has found that regular exercise can also help you to reduce systemic inflammation by enhancing your body’s production of the anti-inflammatory, cytokine interleukin (IL)-10.³ Cytokines are chemical messengers that work to orchestrate your body’s immune system and inflammatory response. Strive to exercise for 30 to 45 minutes, four to five times per week to achieve optimal physical and mental health. And, remember to have fun and play with your workouts. Vary your workouts, avoid sitting for an extended period of time and try adding brief, intense exercise routines a couple times a week.

To your health,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

1.      Metzl, J (2013). The Exercise Cure: A Doctor's All-Natural, No-Pill Prescription for Better Health and Longer Life. 
2.    . Ratey, JJ (2013). Spark: The Revolutionary New Science of Exercise and the Brain.  
3.     O strowski, K, Rohde, T, Asp, S., Schjerling, P, and Pedersen, BK “Pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokine balance in strenuous exercise in humans.” Journal of Physiology. (1999), 15; 515(Pt 1): 287–291. 

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.  

Are you spending enough time outdoors? . . .

With the spring season officially having started, our days are now

longer and we naturally seek to spend more time outdoors.  Modern conveniences (e.g., cars, planes, buildings), work and multiple commitments that demand our attention, however, frequently limit our ability to be outside to enjoy the sun’s radiance and warmth.  In the past, our ancestors evolved in an environment vastly different from today's world.  Before the advent of agriculture, clothing and buildings, we spent the majority of our time outdoors fully exposed to the sun.   

An important strategy to optimize your health then is to balance the added conveniences of our modern technologies and embrace our ancestral heritage by spending more time outdoors.  Our bodies function at their best when our serum vitamin D levels are in an optimal range.  This is particularly important considering that more than 70% of Americans are vitamin D deficient.

Vitamin D3 is really a prohormone that regulates the expression of over 2,000 genes in your body.  Having insufficient  levels of vitamin D increases your risk for several autoimmune conditions, diabetes, heart disease, various forms of cancer and depression¹.  Some studies have also linked prenatal vitamin D3 levels to schizophrenia.   

Above and beyond the production of vitamin D3, the sun’s ultraviolet rays help to reset your body’s circadian rhythms.  Your circadian rhythms regulate your sleep/wake cycle, appetite, satiety, concentration, attention and even influences your cravings for certain foods.²

 

Regular sun exposure also helps your skin to produce sulfur: cholesterol sulfate, and vitamin D3 sulfate.  Sulfur is a molecule that has an important role in the structure and biological activity of many proteins and enzymes, including your body’s detoxification pathways.  Sulfur deficiency is associated with obesity, heart disease, and autism.³ 

Sensible sun exposure is a simple practice that can enhance your vitamin D3 levels and reduce your risk of many health conditions. Spending 15 -30 minutes outdoors with your arms or legs exposed and without sunscreen can help you to raise your vitamin D3 levels,  sulfate levels and optimize your health.

To your health,

Dr. Sandoval 

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

1. Holick, M.F. (2011). The Vitamin D Solution: A3-Step Strategy to Cure Our Most Common Health Problems
2. Wiley, TS. & Formby, B. ( 2001). Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival.
3. Seneff, S.,  Davidson, R. & Mascitelli, L.  "Might cholesterol sulfate deficiency contribute to the development of autistic spectrum disorder?" Medical Hypotheses, (2012), 8, 213-217.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion. 

Are you in need of a Spring cleaning and detox . . .

If you experience fatigue, irritability, problems concentrating or disturbances in

your sleep, you may benefit from a Spring cleaning.  Spring is looked upon as a season of renewal and rebirth.  Likewise, your low energy, mood swings, sleep disturbances and difficulties concentrating may be indications of a buildup of toxins and need to clean-up your diet and detox.

Instead of making a shopping list and buying several vitamins and/or supplements, focus on avoiding environmental toxins (e.g., second hand smoke, smoking, chlorine in pools that research shows combines with urine to form dangerous chemicals, fumes) invest in whole, organic foods that are raised without herbicides, pesticides and other synthetic chemicals that damage your health and animals that are raised humanely and safe to eat.  Not only will you keep your exposure to toxins to a minimum, you will help to build your body’s natural defenses and experience an increase in vitality, clear focus, sound sleep and sense of renewal.   

You can build up your body’s defenses, support your immune and detoxification systems by ensuring that you eat adequate amounts of the foods that will give you the building blocks to create glutathione.  Glutathione is an intracellular antioxidant that supports your body’s immune and detoxification systems.  It is made from three amino acids: l-cysteine, l-glutamatic acid, glycine and sulfur. The sulfur in glutathione makes it act like fly trap paper, stick to toxins and safely remove them from your body.  

Sulfur containing foods

• Garlic
• Kale
• Onions
• Broccoli
• Water cress
• Cabbage
• Asparagus
• Brussel sprouts

Foods containing the amino acids l-cysteine, l-glutamatic acid, glycine

• Unpasteurized milk (i.e., ideally grass-fed, organic and hormone/antibiotic free)
• Raw eggs (i.e., from chickens that are pasture raised)
• Undenatured, cold processed whey protein
• Tomatoes 
• Avocado 
• Spinach 
• Meats (e.g., beef, lamb, bison, chicken, turkey, wild caught, pasture raised, grass fed, wild caught)

Exercise also helps you build up glutathione.  Aim to get moderate levels of exercise (i.e., 30 minutes several times a week). Stress depletes your body of glutathione so it is important that you learn to manage your levels of stress effectively.  By taking these simple steps, you will reduce your exposure to environmental toxins, help build your body’s natural defenses and experience a renewed sense of vitality.

To your health,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.drjosesandoval.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.  

 

How to get back in sync with your body’s need for sleep . . .

If you are like many people, the shift in time

and “springing our clocks forward” with the passing of day light savings time arrived with a loss of an hour of sleep, a decrease in energy, forgetting important meetings you had planned to attend and the inconvenience of having your day hit by an unexpected “detour.”    

More than a simple inconvenience, the consequences of inadequate sleep are very damaging to you as adequate sleep is essential for you to regulate numerous hormones in your body, like testosterone, estrogen, melatonin, leptin and ghrelin that help you to lose weight.^1,2 Insufficient sleep also increases your risk for many mental health problems like depression and cognitive problems like ADHD.³  Getting sufficient sleep is also important for you to minimize the damaging effects of stress, support your brain’s detoxification system and repair your body.  Making sure that you get adequate sleep will also reduce your risk for many types of cancer, like prostate cancer (i.e., melatonin acts as a very powerful antioxidant). 

Before I talk about simple strategies to help you improve your sleep, there is no “magic” number of hours that you need. Listen to your body. Your needs for sleep will vary according to the cycles of nature (e.g., with the spring season now beginning and the summer approaching the days are longer and there is more sunlight; in the fall and winter the days are shorter and there is less sunlight) because your sleep and wake cycles are regulated primarily by your exposure to external cues that influence your circadian rhythm and your lifestyle.⁴   

Exposure to sunlight during the day (or high lux artificial lights) suppresses your secretion of melatonin and helps to reset your circadian rhythm.  More than practicing sensible sun light exposure, having good sleep hygiene is important.  So if you have tried different approaches and still experience problems getting back in sync with your body's needs for sleep or wake up in the middle of the night, follow my simple recommendations below: 

1. The most effective and simplest strategy to improve your quality of sleep is going to bed at the same time each evening and waking up at the same time every morning.
2. You also want to develop a night time ritual to help you transition into sleep. Try reading or meditating (e.g., Mindfulness Meditation or Loving Kindness Meditation) an hour before you go to bed. 
3. To help you sleep more easily, it is also important to avoid certain stimuli and avoid drinking or eating within 3 hours of your bed time.   Eating before you sleep can interfere with restful sleep as your body is still digesting food. 
4. As a rule of thumb, you also want to dim the lights in your room or house 2 hours before bed time to help your body produce more melatonin.  
5. Wear a sleep mask or install black out curtains in your bedroom to keep artificial lights from interfering with your sleep.  
6. Minimize or avoid your use of electronics like your T.V., computer or smartphone as they emit a blue spectrum light that can interfere with your body’s secretion of melatonin. 
7. If you must work and use a computer or your smartphone, use software like f.lux to reduce the interference on your computer and IPhone or EasyEyez for Android. Or wear orange or red tinted sunglasses like BluBlockers to protect you from blue spectrum lights. 
8. Set your smartphone on “airplane mode” and unplug your Wi-Fi router at home as you will not be using the internet during your sleep and the EMFs produced by your phone and Wi-Fi router may interfere with your sleep. 
9. Set the ambient temperature in your bedroom down to at least 70 degrees Fahrenheit or lower. Your core body temperature drops during sleep and setting your climate control higher can contribute to restless sleep.

Upon waking, take a moment to notice how you feel. If you feel refreshed and alert, make a mental note of what you did the prior night and repeat the cycle.   Ideally, you will wake up without the need for an alarm. Otherwise, you need more sleep and need to adjust your schedule so that can go to bed earlier. It’s best to set your intention and go to bed by 10:00 pm and allow for eight to nine hours of sleep.

To your health,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

1. Czeisler, CA, Klerman, EB. “Circadian and sleep-dependent regulation of hormone release in humans.” Recent Progress in Hormone Research. (1999). (54):97-132.
2. Van Cauter, E, Knutson, K, Leproult, R, and Spiegel, K. “The Impact of Sleep Deprivation on Hormones and Metabolism.” (2005). Medscape Neurology. (7):1.
3. Ilardi, S. (2010). The Depression Cure: The 6-Step Program to Beat Depression without Drugs.
4. Wiley, TS & Formby, B. (2001). Lights Out: Sleep, Sugar, and Survival.
5. Stalgis-Bilinski, KL, Boyages, J, Salisbury, EL, Dunstan, CR, Henderson, SI, and Talbot, PL. “Burning daylight: balancing vitamin D requirements with sensible sun exposure.” Medical Journal of Australia. (2011).194(7):345-8.

How to cool the flames wrecking havoc on your health . . .

Several chronic diseases are mediated by your

body’s inflammatory response. Conditions such as multiple sclerosis, depression, anxiety, arthritis, obstructive pulmonary disease, cardiovascular disease and even obesity are mediated by chronic inflammation.^{1, 2,3} When you experience an acute infection or sustain an injury to your body, your immune system mobilizes an inflammatory response to neutralize the infectious agent or initiate a healing response.  Your body cannot combat acute infections or heal damaged tissues without inflammation. Conditions like heart disease, however, are the outcome of low grade, “silent” inflammation that is systemic and chronic.  

Many over the counter and pharmaceutical medications (e.g., NSAIDs like ibuprofen, COX-2 inhibitors such as Celebrex) exist to reduce inflammation in your body.   While these drugs do lower inflammation in your body, they bring with them several side effects (i.e., ranging from mild skin reactions and stomach ulcers to more serious conditions such as heart attacks, thrombosis and strokes).  Thankfully, you can balance your immune system and modulate your body’s inflammatory response by changing your lifestyle.

Evaluating your body's response to and avoiding common food allergens (i.e., shellfish, soy, dairy, corn, gluten, peanuts, citrus, mold, fermented foods) that set off an alarm in your immune system as well as  balancing your ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids will go a long way towards balancing your body’s inflammatory response.  Your body’s inflammatory system is regulated by your immune system and hormone-like substances known as prostaglandins.  

Prostaglandins are enzymatically derived from fatty acids and exert their physiological effect at localized tissue sites.  Omega 6 fatty acids act as the building blocks for inflammatory prostaglandins.  Omega 6 fatty acids are found primarily in nuts and seeds, processed vegetable oils, grains, legumes and conventionally raised animal foods.   Omega 3 fatty acids help your body to produce anti-inflammatory prostaglandins.  Rich food sources include small cold water, fatty fish, grass fed and pasture raised animals, dark green, leafy vegetables and some nuts and seeds.  Ideally, you will eat a 3:1 to 1:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids.  Unfortunately, the average American eats very SADly (Standard American Diet) and consumes a 16:1 ratio of omega 6 to omega 3 fatty acids.⁴

In order to decrease your levels of systemic inflammation, prevent many chronic diseases and optimize your health, you must reduce your intake of unnecessary omega 6 fatty acids.  Processed vegetable oils used for cooking and in most processed foods are often high in omega 6 fatty acids.  Instead, cook with animal fats or plant sources of saturated fat that are more stable and do not oxidize easily.  Tallow, suet, butter or ghee (grass fed) and coconut oil are healthy choices.  In addition, make sure you increase your intake of long chain omega 3 fatty acids (i.e., EPA and DHA) by including food rich sources at least twice a week.  While long chain omega 3 fatty acids have powerful anti-inflammatory effects in the body, plant sources of medium chain omega 3 fatty acids such as ALA are important for optimal health.  Nuts, seeds and leafy dark greens are rich sources of medium chain omega 3 fatty acids.  Make sure you include several servings a week.

To reduce systemic inflammation and optimize your health, you must also reduce your intake of refined and starchy carbohydrates.  Excessive consumption of quickly digested carbohydrates (i.e., high glycemic index) contributes to the production of pro inflammatory Advanced Glycation End products (AGEs) that wreak havoc inside your body.  AGEs are formed when simple sugar molecules bind to protein or fat without the enzymes necessary to control the reaction.  You can also reduce AGEs by using low heat cooking methods such as steaming or light sautéing and reducing your consumption of animal proteins that have been browned or charred.

Regular exercise can also help to further reduce systemic inflammation by enhancing your body’s production of the anti-inflammatory, cytokine interleukin (IL)-10.⁵ Cytokines are chemical messengers that work to orchestrate your body’s immune system and inflammatory response.  Aim to exercise for 30 to 45 minutes, four to five times per week to achieve optimal results.    And, remember to have fun and play with your workouts.  Vary your workouts and try adding brief, intense exercise routines a couple times a week.

Healthy Fats

• Long chain omega 3 fatty acids: grass fed, pasture raised animals or wild caught, cold water, small fish. (e.g., sardines, herring, anchovies, sock eye salmon, bison, beef, venison, lamb).

• Medium chain omega 3 fatty acids: dark leafy greens, walnuts, seeds (chia, flax, hemp, sacha inchi).

• Omega 6 fatty acids: nuts, seeds (black currant, chia, flax, hemp, sesame, sacha inchi, pumpkin).

• Saturated fats: grass fed, pasture raised animals, butter, ghee, tallow, suet, coconuts.

• Monounsaturated fats: avocados, olives, grass fed, pasture raised animals, nuts (almonds, macadamia, cashews).

To your health,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation. 

1. Perry, VH.   "The influence of systemic inflammation on inflammation in the brain: implications for chronic neurodegenerative disease." Brain, Behavior, and Immunity. (2004), 18 (5): 407–41. 
2. Salim, S, Chugh, G, Asghar, M.  "Inflammation in anxiety." Advances in Protein Chemistry and Structural Biology. (2012.) (88):1–25. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-398314-5.00001-5. 
3. Sin, DD and Paul Man, SF.   "Why Are Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease at Increased Risk of Cardiovascular Diseases? The Potential Role of Systemic Inflammation in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease." Circulation. (2003), 107:1514-1519. 
4. Simopoulos, AP. "The importance of the ratio of omega-6/omega-3 essential fatty acids." Biomedicine and Pharmacotherapy. (2002), 56(8):365-79.
5. Ostrowski, K, Rohde, T, Asp, S, Schjerling, P, and Pedersen, BK.  "Pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokine balance in strenuous exercise in humans." Journal of Physiology. (1999), 15; 515(Pt 1): 287–291.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.fullofradiance.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.   

How to nourish and cherish the love in your life . . .

With Valentine’s day around the corner, you may

With today being  Valentine’s day you may have big plans with your partner (e.g., boyfriend, girlfriend, wife, husband, etc.) to celebrate the love that you both share.  If you are single, you may experience the anticipation, excitement or nervousness of your first “big date” with someone you recently met or you may dread the occasion as a “Hallmark” holiday that affirms that you are unlovable because you have no special date.  Whether you already have special plans, look forward with optimism or would simply prefer that Valentine’s day did not exist, there are several important qualities that you can develop to love your partner, remember your “first date” or affirm and love yourself. 

Learning to communicate openly and directly is both effective and demonstrates your vulnerability to your partner, allows you to be authentic, “voice” your emotions and is affirming to your partner.  Many “mishaps,” misunderstandings and resentments are avoidable by simply learning to speak clearly.  If you’re single and alone, introspection and honestly “asking” yourself what nourishes you and helps you to experience your life as “sweet” requires both self-compassion and “facing your demons.” 

Do you experience shame and feel “unworthy” because you believe that no one could ever love you if they knew the “real” you?  Instead of acting and behaving as your mind tells you you “should,” being kind and gentle with yourself allows others to connect with you.  Being authentic with yourself and acknowledging your needs is important in recognizing your own “humaneness.”  By learning to be authentic and vulnerable, you cultivate a sense of belonging, acceptance and connection with your partner, other people and yourself.  

In order to sustain and cherish the love in your life, it is important to also learn to notice, pay attention and forgive. We all commit errors, make mistakes and act in ways that only with the perspective of maturity and growth we later regret or feel contrite about in life.  As the English poet Alexandar Pope has eloquently stated “to err is human; to forgive, divine.”  

You cannot avoid the pain that invariable comes from acting in a manner that you now would act in differently.  In seeking to minimize or avoid your pain, you also cut yourself off from experiencing human virtues like joy, love, appreciation and gratitude.  So in order to cultivate and nourish these “feel good” emotions, you must be willing to make room for the pain in your life.  So whether you are celebrating Valentine’s with the love of your life or are alone, learn to notice how you feel, allow and make room for all emotions and authentically “voice” your experiences in order to make this year and the rest of your life special.

To your health,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.  

 
The information, published and/or made available through the www.fullofradiance.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.

How to recover from your post holiday indulgances . . .

If you experience fatigue, irritability, problems concentrating or disturbances in

your sleep after indulging on sweets during the holidays, you may benefit from a cleansing. Your low energy, mood swings, sleep disturbances and difficulties concentrating may be indications of a buildup of toxins and need to clean-up your to cleanse and detox.

Instead of making a shopping list and buying several vitamins and/or supplements, focus on avoiding environmental toxins (e.g., second hand smoke, smoking, chlorinein pools that research shows combines with urine to form dangerous chemicals, fumes) invest in whole, organic foods that are raised without herbicides, pesticides and other synthetic chemicals that damage your health and animals that are raised humanely and safe to eat.  Not only will you keep your exposure to toxins to a minimum, you will help to build your body’s natural defenses and experience an increase in vitality, clear focus, sound sleep and sense of renewal.   

You can build up your body’s natural defenses, support your immune and detoxification systems by ensuring that you eat adequate amounts of the foods that will give you the building blocks to create glutathione.  Glutathione is an intracellular antioxidant that supports your body’s immune and detoxification systems.  It is made from three amino acids: l-cysteine, l-glutamatic acid, glycine and sulfur. The sulfur in glutathione makes it act like fly trap paper, stick to toxins and safely remove them from your body.  

Sulfur containing foods

• Garlic
• Kale
• Onions
• Broccoli
• Water cress
• Cabbage
• Asparagus
• Brussel sprouts

Foods containing the amino acids l-cysteine, l-glutamatic acid, glycine

• Unpasteurized milk (i.e., ideally grass-fed, organic and hormone/antibiotic free)
• Raw eggs (i.e., from chickens that are pasture raised)
• Undenatured, cold processed whey protein
• Tomatoes 
• Avocado 
• Spinach 
• Meats (e.g., beef, lamb, bison, chicken, turkey, wild caught, pasture raised, grass fed, wild caught)

Exercise also helps you build up glutathione.  Aim to get moderate levels of exercise (i.e., 30 minutes several times a week). Stress depletes your body of glutathione so it is important that you learn to manage your levels of stress effectively.  By taking these simple steps, you will reduce your exposure to environmental toxins, help build your body’s natural defenses and experience a renewed sense of vitality.

To your health,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well-being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.fullofradiance.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.  

How to build a better brain with physical exercise.

If you’re like most people these days, you probably know that regular exercise does your

body good.  You know that exercise can help you gain physical strength, lose weight, improve your cardiovascular endurance and obtain that “beach body” that you’ve been dreaming about in your sleep.  You may also know about the various benefits of exercise for your health such as how it will help you to lower your cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar levels.   It certainly is all over the news these days on T.V., online and media advertisements.  You rarely hear, however, about how the benefits of exercise extend far beyond building gaining strength and your heart health.  More than just having that  “beach body” you desire and being great for your heart, exercise is important for preserving and building your most important muscle – your brain!

Several human and animal studies strongly suggest that exercise induces neurogenesis (i.e., the production of new brain neurons and synaptic connections), protects your brain against strokes, and helps you to preserve your memories to avoid having those senior moments.^1,2,3  Exercise promotes the production of brain derived neurotropic factor (BDNF) and other nerve growth factors, helps to raise the circulating levels of proteins like FNDC5 and helps to stimulate angio­gen­e­sis (i.e., the formation of new blood vessels that help  to improve cerebral blood flow) so it will help to repair damaged brain cells.⁴   Many of these effects have been demonstrated in people with Parkinson’s disease and Multiple Sclerosis.^{5, 6}

So if you’re concerned about preserving your brain health and want to avoid having those  regrettable senior moments, it is important that you exercise regularly.  Although the research suggests that more vigorous exercise like sprinting seems to lead to greater benefits, simply walking briskly 3-4 times a week for 30 minutes will help you to build a better brain. 

  

To your health,

Dr. Sandoval

To learn more about how working with a psychologist  and holistic health coach can help you to enhance your health and well being, call or email Dr. Sandoval to schedule a free consultation.

1.  Cotman, CW &  Berchtold, NC. “Exercise: a behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity.” TRENDS in Neurosciences.  (2002). 25 (6), 295-301. 
2. Hayes, K, Sprague, S, Guo, M, Davis, W, Friedman, A, Kumar, A, et al. “Forced, not voluntary, exercise effectively induces neuroprotection in stroke.”  Acta Neuropathologica. (2008)115, 289–296. 
3. Praag,H, Kempermann, G & Gage, FH. “Running increases cell proliferation and neurogenesis in the adult mouse dentate gyrus” Nature Neuroscience. (1999). 2, 266 – 270. 
4. Huh, JY, Panagiotou, G, Mougios, V, Brinkoetter, M, Vamvini, MT, Schneider, BE, et al.   “FNDC5 and irisin in humans: I. Predictors of circulating concentrations in serum and plasma and II. mRNA expression and circulating concentrations in response to weight loss and exercise.”  Metabolism. (2012) 61 (12), 1725-38. 
5.  Ahlskog, JE.   “Does vigorous exercise have a neuroprotective effect in Parkinson disease?” Neurology.  (2011). 77 (3), 288 – 294. 
6.  Gold, SM, Schulz, KH, Hartmann, S, Mladek, M, Lang, UE, Hellweg, R, et al. Basal serum levels and reactivity of nerve growth factor and brain-derived neurotrophic factor to standardized acute exercise in multiple sclerosis and controls  Journal of Neuroimmunology. . (2003). 138, (1–2), 99-105.

The information, published and/or made available through the www.fullofradiance.com website, is not intended to replace the services of a physician, nor does it constitute a physician-patient relationship. This blog is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. You should not use the information in this post for diagnosing or treating a medical or health condition. You should consult a physician in all matters relating to your health, particularly in respect to any symptoms that may require diagnosis or medical attention.  Any action on the reader’s part in response to the information provided in this blog is at the reader’s discretion.