The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recently released their latest National Diabetes Statistics Report— and the news is not optimistic. The report indicates that one in 10 (30.3 million) US adults has diabetes, while more than one in three–or 84.1 million–has prediabetes. What is even more disconcerting is that 90% of those with prediabetes are not aware of their condition!  As the CDC report notes, most people with prediabetes do not know that they are at high risk to progress to…

by Bianca Garilli, ND “Treat the gut” and “breast is best” are both common mantras in the Functional Medicine practitioner’s office offering insight into the primary location of foundational imbalance for many chronic illnesses (in the gut) as well as a potential mechanisms to prevent these imbalances in the first place (breastfeeding). Delving into both of these areas more deeply, it has been shown that human breastmilk reduces permeability of the infant’s intestine and its predominant antibody, sIgA, gives immunoprotection…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN The importance of vitamin D in diverse organ systems and biochemical processes is ever-growing with novel research findings. From calcium absorption to extraskeletal health processes such as immune function- vitamin D is essential. The role of vitamin D in pain management is a newer area of investigation that has not been fully established. It is estimated that 25.3 million American adults experience pain every day, with nearly 40 million experiencing some form of extreme pain.1 Annual…

by Ashley Jordan Ferira, PhD, RDN Most people have heard of, or know somebody who suffers from irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IBS is not a single condition but rather a group of symptoms associated with the gastrointestinal (GI) tract that includes abdominal pain and changes in bowel movements such as constipation or diarrhea.1 IBS affects 10-15% of US adults, with women being twice as likely as men to develop IBS.1 Costs associated with treating IBS symptoms are estimated to  be $1.7 billion and $10…

A recent article  published in a recent edition of Preventing Chronic Disease: Public Health Research, Practice and Policy proposes a shift from discussing BMI and weight loss with patients in the provider’s office, to focusing on the topics of awareness and education surrounding healthy life habits, physical activity in particular.  Authors Emily Dollar and team encourage an emphasis on cardiorespiratory fitness over body size to minimize the risk of stigma associated with overweight and obesity and increase collaboration between patient and provider.…

The mornings are brisk and the sun is setting earlier- it’s definitely fall out there. With the seasonal change also comes a change in the local produce that is available. The markets start to fill with apples, pears, pumpkins, acorn squash, brussels sprouts, cauliflower, broccoli and other delightful fall produce. While we will miss the high levels of antioxidants present in fresh berries and cherries that are now not easily available, this season’s produce offerings still have lots of health…

Summer has ended and school is back in session- which means most of us are in the thick of balancing classes, healthy eating on the go, exercise and sleep. Here are some tips and things to consider to keep the year calm, cool, and healthy. Schedules can get pretty stressful between work meetings, deadlines, school obligations, side projects and just plain keeping the house clean. Studies have shown that increased stress can lead to poor quality of sleep, and increased rates…

A 2009 publication, obesity-induced insulin resistance and hepatic steatosis are alleviated by omega-3 fatty acids: a role for resolvins and protectins can be downloaded here. In this paper, the authors discuss omega-3-polyunsaturated fatty acids (omega-3-PUFAs), which have well-documented protective effects that are attributed not only to eicosanoid inhibition but also to the formation of novel biologically active lipid mediators (i.e., resolvins and protectins). In this study, we examined their effects on ob/ob mice, an obesity model of insulin resistance and…

Novel Pro-Resolving Mediators and Mechanisms in Inflammation presented by Jesmond Dalli, PhD for ASPEN Clinical Nutrition Week 2015 This presentation, entitled Novel Pro-Resolving Mediators and Mechanisms in Inflammation: Immunoresolvents is delivered by Dr. Jesmond Dalli and Dr. Charles N. Serhan. They are preeminent researchers in the field of inflammation resolution and share their insights at ASPEN 2015. They have recently published some of their findings on inflammation resolution along with the mechanisms they have uncovered regarding inflammation. The talk focuses…

by Bianca Garilli, ND In recent years, the benefits of adopting a plant-based diet to both prevent and treat cardiovascular disease has become well accepted in the health care community. Atherosclerosis is commonly associated with high dietary intake of animal products, fat and processed carbohydrates and continues to be the leading cause of mortality in the US. Protection from atherogenesis however, may be possible through increased intake of plant-based foods high in polyphenols and antioxidant effects.1 What foods a plant-based…