Probiotics: Strengthening the Immune System Against Infections

These friendly bacteria help fight microorganisms that can harm us

Immune Defense

In the early 1900s the Russian immunologist Elie Metchnikoff theorized that taking yogurt with lactic-acid producing microorganisms throughout life could be the primary factor explaining the difference in life expectancy among various ethnic groups.

In a study published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemistry (JAC), researchers explain the idea that bacteria in fermented products help to balance out unhealthy microorganisms. This helps the normal human microflora to continue to act as a strong barrier against illness-causing microorganisms from both internal and external sources.

Every day people around the world come into contact with millions of microorganisms that can cause infections. Thanks to the human immune system we’re normally able to successfully battle these infections. The immune system is a network consisting of cells, tissues and organs. White blood cells or leukocytes proactively destroy the microorganisms that cause disease or infections.

The two basic types of leukocytes are phagocytes, which destroy infections, and lymphocytes, which help your body to recognize organisms you’ve been exposed to previously and to destroy them. Lymphocytes are the cells that produce the antibodies, which continue to reside in your body and make you immune to a particular disease or infection.

According to the JAC study, probiotics play several roles in boosting the immune system and preventing or treating infections, beyond increasing the amount of healthy bacteria. Probiotics limit the colonization or multiplication of disease-causing bacteria. They also produce antimicrobial substances such as bacteriocins, organic acids and peptides.

The study also indicates that some strains of bacteria such as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG) have adjuvant-like effects. Basically this means that they make the immune system respond more effectively to infections.

Studies show that probiotics can prevent or treat infections in the gastrointestinal tract such as ulcers and viral gastroenteritis (or stomach flu). Other research shows that LGG and Saccharomyces boulardii are also very effective in treating children with diarrhea caused by rotavirus. Lactobacillus GG is also an effective treatment for diarrhea caused by antibiotic use.

Another study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated that taking the probiotics L. rhamnosus GR-1 and L. fermentum RC-14, which exist in the intestine and vagina, orally can help to treat infections of the urogenital tract, and keep it healthy.

The most common species of probiotics used in foods and supplements are Lactobacillus or Bifidobacterium, or Streptococcus thermophilus. However, in many cases the probiotics in food have been killed. When you’re choosing probiotics to boost your immune system and fight infections, look for those with “live bacteria.”

Sources:

Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy (2002) 50, 625-627. Probiotics in human infections
Å. Sullivan and C. E. Nord.
http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/50/5/625#DKF194C6

American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 73, No. 2, 437S-443s, February 2001 Probiotic agents to protect the urogenital tract against infection. Gregor Reid.
http://jac.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/50/5/625#DKF194C6

Nutritional Coaching

nu·tri·tion / n(y)o͞oˈtriSHən/ Noun:   The process of providing or obtaining the food necessary for health and growth. Food; nourishment.

Everything you put in your mouth has a benefit or a consequence. When we eat nutrient-dense, properly prepared whole foods our bodies thrive. When we eat processed, chemically concocted foods, our bodies suffer. Our bodies get confused by all of the weird, unnatural, hard to pronounce “ingredients” we eat on a daily basis. Your body does its best to adapt, but eventually it will protest by giving you all sorts of problems and symptoms that look like this:

• ALLERGIES
• ECZEMA
• SINUS INFECTIONS
• FATIGUE
• SLEEP DISORDERS
• PSORIASIS
• MIGRAINES
• ANXIETY
• MUSCLE CRAMPING
• ACNE
• ACHY JOINTS
• HEMORRHOIDS
• BLOATING and GAS
• DIARRHEA
• CONSTIPATION
• MENTAL SLUGGISHNESS
• DIFFICULTY LOSING WEIGHT
• REPRODUCTIVE ISSUES
• HORMONAL IMBALANCE
• MENSTRUAL DISORDERS
• MOOD SWINGS
• DEPRESSION
• TEETH CLENCHING
• DARK CIRCLES
• HEARTBURN
• FOOD CRAVINGS
• DRY SKIN
• DEPRESSION
• DECREASED LIBIDO
• ASTHMA…. 

just to name a few.

Make the connection between food and health.

A Nutritional Coach evaluates your health profile to find what macro and micro nutrient deficiencies may be contributing to your health issues. The uniqueness or “bio-individuality” of each person means that there is no one-size-fits-all nutritional plan. A Nutritional Coach will work with you to create a personal protocol to fit your particular needs and goals. Getting the appropriate nutrients transported effectively throughout your body means better health and overall wellness. To consider if Nutritional Coaching is a good fit for you, Google "Nutritional Coach", and make sure you read their reviews, check their bona-fides, and consider setting up an appointment.

How To Become A Nutritionist | Dietitian Definition

A Registered Dietitian: The Nutrition Expert

A registered dietitian is a food and nutrition expert who has met the minimum academic and professional requirements enabling an individual to possess the credential "RD." As members of the health care team, RDs provide an essential component of medical care—medical nutrition therapy (MNT).

Medical Nutrition Therapy

MNT is the assessment of the nutrition status of a client followed by therapy, ranging from diet modification to the administration of specialized nutrition therapies such as intravenous or tube feeding. MNT includes review and analysis of medical and dietary history, laboratory values, and anthropometric measurements. It involves management of appropriate nutrition intake and self-management training.

RD Requirements

• Complete an approved program in dietetics and a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university
• Complete supervised practical experience in an accredited dietetic internship, program in dietetics, or professional dietetics practice program
• Pass a national registration exam
• Maintain continuing education credits

Areas of Practice

Registered dietitians are trained to work in many areas of practice:

• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Digestive diseases
• Enteral and parenteral nutrition
• Heart disease
• Perinatal care
• Pressure ulcer management

Employment Settings

• Hospitals
• Clinics and ambulatory care centers
• MCOs
• Physician practices
• Private practice
• Consultation
• Community and public health programs
• Extended and long-term care facilities
• Home care

State Regulation

Many states and commonwealths also have laws regulating dietetics practitioners. These laws safeguard the public by establishing and enforcing minimum competency standards for persons working in a regulated profession, and those researching how to become a nutritionist.

The State of California has registration. Registration is an entitlement law that prohibits use of the title "dietitian" by persons not meeting state-mandated qualifications.  

Nutritional Education & Preventative Measures

The American Heart Association states that the best approach to preventing illnesses like heart disease, diabetes and stroke is diet and exercise. This is great because what is in our own control can be changed in as short a time frame as a matter of weeks. if you have a family member/loved one who has had heart surgery at a relatively young age, with lifestyle choices being a contributing factor, learning from that can provide first-hand experience that changing our eating and exercise habits has an immediate impact on our body and it’s metabolism. Even though the weight loss may not show as immediately as we wish, the blood chemistry begins to improve immediately and so our overall health will follow.

In the past 7 years, there has been a noticeable increase in the number of people eating according to the guidelines given in the American Diabetes Association nutritional resource guide. Eat according to their guidelines to give yourself the best chance at a long life of wellness. Canola oil is one of our best choices for use in food preparation since it has the highest amount of omega 3 in its composition, compared to other available cooking oils. This means less saturated fat consumption and more of the “good” fat. Habits are created by repeating the same behavior time and time again. Whether we make the right choices or develop the right habits is totally within our control.

American Diabetes Association Resource Guide

We all have favorite foods we eat time and time again. All we need to do to make a very substantial positive change to our personal health is to find about 10 favorite dishes from The American Diabetes Association nutritional resource guide and make those our favorite recipes to eat repeatedly, while retiring our unhealthy favorites.

Olive Oil and Balsamic Appreciation

NOTE: (Gross) Vegan Recipe submitted by Cal State Bakersfield Nutritionist student Alexandria Woodbridge :

Olive oil and balsamic vinegar are two products that vegans eat every day or every week, and yet most of us know too little about the range of possible flavors in both products. Since I can’t recommend a vegan cheese tasting party because in my mind, vegan cheese isn’t quite good enough at this point to warrant one, this soiree will allow vegans to appreciate olive oil and balsamic in a similar way.


To get more information on the range of flavors for olive oil, please visit The Olive Oil Source website and look at their tasting sheets for olive oil. You can print out a few of them as a reference for your guests at this party. As far as tasting balsamic vinegar, it is very similar to wine tasting as it is also made from grapes. Learn a bit more about balsamic vinegar by visiting its Wikipedia page.

Now to get down to the nitty gritty of this soiree.  Purchase three bottles of fine olive oil and three bottles of fine balsamic vinegar from an Italian food store. As these products keep for quite some time and are always a necessity in the kitchen, don’t feel guilty about the splurge.

Now arrange small bowls or dipping plates around your home with the oils and vinegars in them. Some can be in the kitchen, some on the windowsill, some on the balcony, etc…  The reason I like the oils and vinegars scattered is that it allows people to move around your home instead of being stuck in one place.

Place each bottle besides the bowl or plate containing the product, so that guests can note the ones they really enjoy. Now scatter lots of bread baskets around the house as well, containing a nice range of baguettes (some soft, some toasted), foccacia bread, and other types of light colored breads that will allow the full flavor of the oils and vinegars to come through.

This soiree is very simple and can be the vegan equivalent of a wine and cheese. Make sure to provide some good background music, wine, and the menu below which uses balsamic vinegar and olive oil as ingredients in the dishes.

Menu

Drinks

Red and White Wine

Appetizers

A myriad of baguettes and other lovely breads to dip in olive oil and balsamic vinegar.

Baked Portobello Mushroom and Tomato Salad

Preheat the oven to 350.
Scrape the gills from portobello mushroooms caps using a spoon.  One per person.
Fill mushroom cap with 1 Tbs of pesto (recipe to follow) and top with breadcrumbs.
Bake for about 10-15 minutes, or until the mushroom is very fragrant.  You can broil the breadcrumbs if you’d like them a bit more golden.
Now serve on a plate with a few slices of tomato drizzled with olive oil, balsamic, salt, and pepper.

To make the Pesto: In a blender, food processor, or bullet, blend 1 bunch of fresh basil with a few handfuls of either pine nuts or walnuts, a few Tbs of vegan parmesan cheese, 1 clove of garlic, a drizzle of olive oil, a few splashes of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper to taste. There are many possible variations to pesto, including the use of sundried tomatoes, spicy eggplant, or fresh black olives. You can use this recipe for many things, including the traditional use, served over pasta.

Main Course

Fiddlehead Risotto

Fiddleheads are baby ferns that haven’t yet unfurled.  They have a very distinctive taste and work well in this risotto.


In a medium or large cooking pot, fry 3 cups of cleaned and trimmed whole fiddleheads, 1 bunch of  chopped green onions, and 8 tofurkey slices cut into thin strips in 2 Tbs of olive oil.

• When everything is golden, add 2 cups of risotto rice (arborio rice) and continue to fry for a few minutes to give the rice a bit of color.
• Prepare 6 cups of cold vegetarian stock (I like to use vegetarian chicken stock from the Trader Joe's) making it only mildly salty in a large mixing bowl.
• Now using a soup ladle, ladle 1 spoonful of the stock into the rice and stir until the liquid is absorbed.  Now repeat, adding the stock 1 ladle-full at a time and giving the rice a few minutes to absorb the stock each time while stirring constantly.  Continue to add stock until the rice is cooked thoroughly, stirring constantly.  This process will take about 20-25 minutes.
• Once the rice is cooked, stir in 1/3  cup of plain flavored soy coffee creamer, 3 Tbs of pesto (recipe above with the Baked Mushroom Salad recipe), 1/4 cup of vegan parmesan cheese, and pepper to taste.  You probably won’t need to add salt.

Serve topped with a bit of finely chopped green onion.

Dessert

Olive Oil Chocolate Cake with Candied Mint

For this recipe, prepare the candied mint at least a day before you plan to serve the cake.

• Preheat the oven to 350.
• In a 10-inch round springform cake pan or any other 10-inch round baking dish, mix together with a whisk;
• 1 1/4 cups of white or pastry flour
• 1 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of cornstarch
• 1/4 cup of cocoa powder
• 1 tsp of baking soda
• 1/2 tsp of cinnamon and 1/2 tsp of salt
• Whisk dry ingredients until they are well mixed.  Now to the dry ingredients, add;
• 1 cup of soymilk
• 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1 Tbs of lemon juice
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
• Whisk until batter is smooth, wipe edges of cake pan with a paper towel, and bake for 40 minutes (or until a toothpick comes out clean.)

To make the candied mint:

Melt 2 Tbs of honey or other liquid sweetener in the microwave for 15 seconds in a small bowl.
Working quickly, brush 8 nice mint leaves and 1 mint sprig (the tip of the plant) with the honey and dip them in fine sugar. Allow them to dry for a day or two. Arrange the 8 pieces of mint in a circle around the chocolate cake and put the sprig in the middle. Serve the cake with vanilla soy ice cream.

How To Become A Nutritionist | Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes Insipidus

Diabetes Insipidus is a disease classified as diabetes but not related to the common types of diabetes. It is the result of the body not producing, storing or releasing a key hormone ADH (antidiuretic hormone also called AVP arginine vasopressint. This is the hormone that affects the kidneys). The kidneys are unable to respond to this hormone causing a deficiency resulting in the condition known as diabetes insipidus. The kidneys are most effected therefore diabetes insipidus is primarily a kidney disease. The characteristics of diabetes insipidus are excessive severe thirst (usually the person cannot get enough water and they mostly crave very cold water, ice water or just ice) and excretion of large amounts of urine that is severely diluted. Persons with diabetes insipidus can excrete if the condition is mild, up to 2.6 quarts of urine per day or if severe up to 16 quarts and this will go on day and night frequently having to go to the bathroom. Even if the person has a reduced fluid intake this will not have an effect on the amount of urine excreted.

Diabetes insipidus includes two different types with the most common being central diabetes insipidus or CDI as it is called, caused by a deficiency of arginine vasopressin or AVP, the hormone that affects the kidneys also known as antidiuretic hormone or ADH. Nutritionist students study ADH in great detail. The second type is called nephrogenic diabetes insipidus. This is a disease of the kidney caused by an improper response of the kidney to the antidiuretic hormone (ADH) leading to a decreased ability of the kidney to concentrate urine. Diabetes insipidus is classified into four different classifications. They are: neurogenic diabetes insipidus also known as central diabetes insipidus. This condition caused by a lack of vasopressin production in the brain is the most common type. Nephrogenic diabetes insipidus is the inability of the kidneys to respond to the antidiuretic hormone ADH. Dispogenic diabetes insipidus is due to a defect or damage in the hypothalamus of the brain that regulates thirst, and gestational diabetes insipidus only occurs in pregnancy when the pregnant woman produces too much vasopressin in the placenta thereby breaking down the antidiuretic hormone ADH resulting in an extreme form of gestational diabetes insipidus. The good news is that this type of diabetes generally leaves the woman within 4 to 6 weeks of giving birth. However in some instances medical treatment is necessary.

Diagnosis of diabetes insipidus includes a battery of medical tests to determine if the patient has the condition and if so at what stage of severity has diabetes insipidus progressed to. The common tests conducted are: the blood glucose test to determine the level of blood glucose in the blood, the bicarbonate (chemical acid) test to check for acidic levels in the blood, and the calcium test to detemine calcium levels. Blood electrolytes are also measured and a urinalysis taken to determine diabetes insipidus present in urine. Unlike diabetes mellitus where there is a sweet smell of urine due to excessive amount of glucose or polysuria with diabetes insipidus there is no smell of sweetness in the urine. Persons with any of the common symptoms of diabetes should immediately be checked out for the possibility of diabetes insipidus or any other form of diabetes.

Treatment for diabetes insipidus is based on a drug regimen predicated on what classificaiton of diabetes insipidus the patient has. With central and gestational diabetes insipidus the treatment is with the drug desmopressin which is a synthetic replacement for vasopressin. For nephrogenic diabetes insipidus treatment is with the diuretic hydrochlorothiazide a drug that acts to inhibit the kidney’s ability to retain water. Dispogenic diabetes insipidus the drug carbamazepine is used because it is a anticonvulsant and mood stabilizing drug.

Easy Breakfast Ideas for Diabetics

There is a saying that goes, “Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a pauper.” However, this saying is not really applicable for diabetics, given the nature of their disease. Much thought should be given to a diabetic’s breakfast eating plan, since there are studies showing that a balanced breakfast can help control a diabetic’s blood sugar levels later in the day. Remember that diabetes is a chronic illness; therefore compliance with regard to dietary modifications and lifestyle changes in general is of utmost importance.

The key to a diabetes diet plan is to eat a balanced nutritious meal at moderate amounts and at fixed and regular times throughout the day. Skipping breakfast, therefore, is definitely not an option if you want to manage your blood sugar levels effectively. There should be a balanced amount of carbohydrates in a diabetic’s breakfast every morning, around 45 to 60 grams to jump-start the day. In order to help determine your caloric intake, you can consult your nutritionist regarding your diet. However, there are simple preparations that you can do for breakfast that have been proven to be diabetes-friendly.

Cereals and oatmeal are recommended as foods for diabetics because they contain just the right amount of carbohydrates for diabetic people. You can consume these cereals either as hot or cold, depending on your preference. You can couple these cereals with a cup of milk and a piece of fruit for a totally healthy and yummy breakfast. One consideration that you need to take note of is that you should choose unsweetened cereals with lots of fiber. This is extremely beneficial to diabetics since this will help keep blood sugar levels in check.

A diabetic diet plan for breakfast can also include sandwiches, specifically the egg sandwich, since eggs are rich sources of protein. Egg sandwiches are often enough to satisfy the appetite of diabetics. Moreover, the wheat bread that you use for a sandwich can be a good source of carbohydrates for diabetics. Another creative way to eat eggs is through cooking it into an omelet so as to provide variety to your daily breakfast. You can also put the omelet in an English muffin together with lean ham and mustard for a tasty breakfast treat. Again, you can pair your sandwich with a fruit and a cup of milk. Diabetics also often suffer from high cholesterol levels, so it is advisable to get rid of egg yolks and just eat the white part of the egg instead. However, occasional intake of egg yolks is not bad, probably just one to two times per week to keep your cholesterol levels within acceptable limits.
As for your drinks, you can create a smoothie made from your favorite fresh fruits. You can mix a cup of skim milk with two servings of the fruits of your choice. Another alternative to skim milk is nonfat yogurt. Make sure that you do not add extra sweeteners to your smoothie. Hydration is also important for diabetics, so you should also consume lots of water for breakfast.