How to maintain healthy gut health

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Did you know that your gut houses the majority of the cells that make up your immune system? That explains why inflammation happens in your stomach when you aren’t feeling well. Maintaining gut health is essential to a whole body approach to healing. 40185967_M

Having a healthy gut means having a healthy body, and a strong immune system. But how do you get there? It’s easier than you may think.

First, start with food. Your gut is largely affected by the foods you eat, so identifying food intolerances might be a good place to start your journey towards healing.

Typical culprits: sugar, dairy and gluten.

No matter what you discover, a diet rich in fiber and plant-based foods is usually a really good idea. Leafy green vegetables provide vitamin K, which is linked to multiple health benefits, including the prevention of inflammatory diseases and the proliferation of good bacteria. Eat more and your gut will thank you.

To continue to make your gut happy, consider taking a probiotic. Probiotics work to help your gut maintain equilibrium and a microbial balance. Contrary to popular belief, you do not have to take a supplement to get your dose of probiotics (although you could!); you can also supply yourself with some of the good stuff by eating fermented foods. One of the most common fermented foods is yogurt, or you can try kimchee, pickles or kombucha.

The key to maintaining great gut health doesn’t just lie in the gut itself, but in your habits and lifestyle. Are you stressed? Are you getting enough sleep? Feeling stressed can trigger immune responses that cause inflammation in your gut, among other body organs, and potentially cause immune diseases. So, lower your stress for strong gut health and keep your microbiome happy.

When it comes to sleep, studies show that having insomnia or a broken sleep cycle can affect your intestinal microbes, making them unhappy and prone to inflammation. Getting consistent sleep can create a nice balance.

Because whole-body health is largely impacted by our gut, maintaining a healthy gut is critical. Follow these steps and see the wonders that is complete gut happiness.

Lyme disease – causes and prevention

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27280556_SThe history of Lyme disease can be traced to rural Connecticut. In 1975, a cluster of children and adults residing in Lyme, Connecticut developed atypical arthritic symptoms. Within the next two years, the first 51 cases of Lyme arthritis were recorded. More importantly, the transmission of the disease was linked to the Ixodes scapularis (black-legged) tick. Today, about 30,000 cases of Lyme disease are reported to the CDC in the US every year. Some estimates place the ‘actual cases’ to be as high as 300,000, making Lyme disease the most common vector-borne disease in the United States. In this article, we’re going to explore what causes Lyme disease and how to prevent yourself from it.

What causes Lyme Disease?

Lyme disease is an infectious caused by the Borrelia bacterium. In the United States, Borrelia burgdorferi and Borrelia mayonii may cause it, while Borrelia afzelii and Borrelia garinii are the main causes of Lyme disease in Europe and Asia.

While these bacteria naturally reside in birds, deer, squirrels, mice, and other small animals, ticks become infected after they feed on infected animals. Since ticks are as small as a pinhead, they’re very difficult to spot.

Once an infected tick bites you, the bacteria permeate through the skin until it reaches the bloodstream. For transmission of the Lyme disease to be successful, the deer tick has to be attached to your skin for up over 36 hours.

Since ticks spend up to two hours on a host’s body before attaching themselves, quickly removing tick reduces the risk of infection. However, if you locate a swollen tick attached to your body, it’s a strong indication it has fed on your blood for long. If it’s an infected tick, there’s a greater chance of infection.

Risk Factors

Contrary to popular belief, ticks do not live on their host. Instead, they live close to their host so that they can attach themselves whenever they want to feed and detach themselves once done. The following are some of the common risk factors:

Staying for too long in wooded and grassy areas

Ticks are commonly found in wooded and grassy areas because of its humid and moist environment. Therefore, if you live in these kinds of places and you spend a long time outdoors, there’s an increased risk. So, activities like hunting, camping, and hiking are risk factors.

Exposing your skin

Ticks cannot fly or jump. Instead, they rub off your body as you wander past tall weeds and grasses. Having your bare flesh exposed in a tick-infested area significantly increases the risk of infection.

Prolonged attachment of ticks

The longer the tick stays attached, the higher the risk of transmission. If you’re able to spot and remove the tick from your body in less than 36 hours, it’s unlikely that you contract Lyme disease.

Symptoms

Lyme disease generally occurs in three stages which include:

Stage 1: Early Localized Infection

At this stage, the infection is still localized and hasn’t spread throughout the body. After being bitten by an infected tick, after about one to two weeks, a bull’s eye rash begins to appear at the site of this bite. However, in a few instances, it might appear elsewhere. This rash is formally called Erythema migrans(EM) and about 80% of Lyme infection cases experience it. It’s usually not painful or itchy.

Other symptoms that may arise at this stage include:

Fever, sore throat, fatigue, headaches, chills, enlarged lymph nodes, vision changes.

Stage 2: Early Disseminated Infection

This stage begins several weeks or months after the tick bite. The infection begins to spread to other areas of the body, explaining why rash might appear in other areas than the bite spot. Also, there’s a general sense of uneasiness in the patient. Common symptoms include:

1) Disruption in heart rhythm

2) Neurological conditions like numbness, cranial nerve palsy, and meningitis.

3) Multiple erythema migrans.

Stage 3: Late Disseminated Lyme Disease

If treatment hasn’t been received, the condition devolves into stage 3. Stage 3 can begin years after a tick bite. Common symptoms include:

1) Numbness in arms and legs; hands and feet.

2) Arthritis of multiple joints

3) Brain disorders like short-term memory loss, mental fogginess, and sleep disturbance.

It is crucial to note that these boundaries aren’t clear-cut. The symptoms you experience depends on several factors like your health history, and can widely vary or even overlap.

Prevention

Preventing Lyme Disease is as easy as keeping ticks off of your body. That means staying clear of tick-infested areas, especially wooded areas or bushy areas with long grass. Here are some major things to keep in mind to help with that.

Cover your body when going outdoors

When moving in bushy or wooded areas, ensure that you wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants tucked in your socks, shoes, a hat, and gloves. Always stay along the trail and keep your dog on a leash so it doesn’t wander through low bushes and long grass.

Make your yard unattractive to ticks.

Ensure that you keep underbrush to a minimum. Mow your lawn regularly. Store woodpiles in sunny areas to discourage tick-carrying rodents.

Apply Insect Repellents

Using insect repellent to your skin will help keep ticks off. Once applied, you’d be protected for a couple of hours. DO NOT apply repellents on your children’s face and hands.

The oil of lemon eucalyptus is also a good repellent but it isn’t suitable for children under the age of three.

Be Vigilant!

Always be on alert anytime you’re in a tick-infested area. Since ticks are so tiny, spotting them can be challenging. That’s when you come back indoors, take a shower within the next hour. Within this time, the tick wouldn’t have attached itself to your body, so showering can help remove unattached ticks.

What To Do If You Find A Tick Attached To You Skin.

Remove It with Tweezers

If you find a tick on your body, put tweezers near the head of the rick and gently pull it out. Sometimes, only part of the tick gets detached. That’s why you have to check to ensure that all parts, including the head, have been removed. Thereafter, you can flush the tick down the toilet or drown it in alcohol.

After removing the tick, cleanse the area with alcohol or mild soap and water. Then thoroughly wash your hands with soap and water.

Seek Medical Attention

If you suspect that the tick has stayed on your body for long, or you begin to develop a rash or other symptoms, get medical attention. At the early stages, common antibiotics like doxycycline, amoxicillin or cefuroxime, are sufficient to stop it from spreading.

Remember that the key is to act promptly to avoid serious complications! Also, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us for more information. We look forward to helping you!

What does our gut bacteria have to do with lupus?

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61378324_MWe already know a great deal about how the bacteria that live on and within us play a huge role in our overall level of health and wellness. They are more than just simple passengers along for the ride. They play a critical symbiotic relationship with the rest of our bodies by interacting with our cells and playing host to many vital bodily functions.

Now, researchers are discovering that our gut bacteria may play a role in the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus. More commonly known as lupus, this is an autoimmune disease associated with many different systems that occurs when the body’s immune system attacks healthy tissue and causes joint problems, tiredness, and rashes. Pain is associated with inflammation of the kidney, lungs, and even brain.

For a long time, little was known about what caused lupus, but a new study published in the journal Science Translational Medicine finds that one of the potential contributing factors might be the bacteria in the gut. While researchers have not stated gut bacteria may be the primary cause, factors associated with it may play a part in aggravating the condition.

The mechanism governing the actions behind lupus is the Ro60 protein, which can be found in some bacteria that lives in soil. When lupus flares up, it attacks this protein. When researchers examined whether gut bacteria produce this protein they discovered it does. For those who have lupus, the presence of Ro60 might trigger an immune response.

Researchers took bacteria that produce a similar protein in mice bred without gut bacteria. The resulting reaction was like what is seen in people who have lupus. Until now it has been assumed that lupus results from a combination of genetics, hormones, and environmental factors. It could be that those who have a genetic susceptibility to the Ro60 hormone may also be at greater risk, as the presence of this protein will put their immune system into overdrive.

As researchers continue to find the triggers responsible for autoimmune and other chronic conditions, it is likely that answers will likely continue coming from unexpected places.

How advanced peptides can aid in healing and restoration

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95130023 - red heart with stethoscope, heart health, health insurance conceptEver since the advent of insulin therapy in the 1920s, peptide therapeutics have continued to play a crucial role in medical practices. From its ability to cure bones, to its ability to act as a skin anti-aging agent, peptides have exploded in popularity.

Peptide drug discovery that was once focused on endogenous human peptides has advanced to identify peptides from many other natural sources and even medicinal chemistry approaches. Today, the United States has approved over 60 peptide drugs and over 150 have entered the human clinical trial stage. However, in recent decades, a new wave of advanced peptides that promise healing and restoration in an unprecedented manner is rising.

What exactly are peptides? How do they function? What makes them suitable for use? Do they have any associated side effects?

What Are Peptides?

Peptides are short chains of between 2 and 50 amino acids, linked by peptide bonds. Since proteins consist of over 50 amino acids, peptides can be seen as a shorter version of proteins. Like proteins, peptides are biological molecules that are produced from the transcription of a sequence of genetic code.

Every cell and tissue in a human body contains protein and peptides that perform a wide range of functions. Millions of proteins buzzing in the body serve as the machinery that directs chemical reactions, gives cell their shapes, and even help to transport useful materials around the body. However, they are limited for some functions due to their large molecule size.

Due to their diminutive size, peptides are suitable for targeting at a cellular level, making them important biological entities capable of killing microbes, treating diseases, reversing aging, reducing inflammation, bone regeneration, among many others. Scientists are only beginning to unlock the full potential of bio-active peptides.

Healing and Restoration Abilities of Advanced Peptides

Peptides have been applied to several aspects of regenerative medicine because of three major properties:

  1. Peptides can easily target a single receptor on a specific tissue with impressive accuracy.
  2. They aren’t metabolized in the liver or kidney. This prevents unwanted interactions that are associated with metabolism type drugs.
  3. They are highly selective in function, with minimal side effects.

Here are five areas where peptides have seen great advances.

Increasing Growth Hormones

Peptides like Sermorelin, GHRP 2, and GHRP 6 have long been used for increasing growth hormone levels. High growth hormone helps to maintain, build, and repair healthy tissue in the body’s organs. Advanced peptides that now finding application in this niche include:

CJC 1295 and Ipamorelin

These advanced peptides are suited for increasing growth hormone levels and Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1).

CJC 1295 stimulates growth hormone (GH )secretion and its benefits include protein synthesis, reduced body fat, improved recovery, and better immune. CJC 1295 is the next generation Sermorelin – similar in structure but more effective with smaller doses.

Ipamorelin is one of the safest GH restoration used for GH deficiency treatment protocols. Unlike GHRP 6, Ipamorelin doesn’t affect the release of cortisol, aldosterone, prolactin, and acetylcholine, therefore minimizing potential side effects.

Some of the benefits of CJC 1295 and Ipamorelin include:

  • Improved energy and strength
  • Decreased body fat.
  • Increased muscle mass.
  • Enhances calcium retention.
  • Increases physical and mental performance.
  • Healthier and youthful skin.
  • Improved sexual performance.

By the time we’re 40, our growth hormone levels begin to drop. These peptides hold the promise for us to beat the susceptibilities that are associated with old age.

Anti-Aging

One key feature of old age is the deterioration of the skin. Naturally, the body produces collagen – a protein type – that helps to strengthen the skin. However, we lose 1% of our remaining collagen per year after we reach the age of 30. By slathering peptides into your skin, it signals the body to heal itself by producing more collagen where it’s most needed. That’s why a plethora of skin-care products contain peptides.

Some peptides – referred to as hexapeptides – can relax the facial muscle, thereby minimizing the formation of wrinkles. Other peptides like palmitoyl tetrapeptide-7 and oligopeptide are better suited for stimulating skin growth and repair, protection against UV damage, and fighting inflammation. Melanotan II is an advanced peptide that also provides safe tanning of the skin.

Increasing Libido

Hypoactive sexual desire disorder (HSDD) is a form of sexual dysfunction that results in a long term disinterest in sex. People with high HSDD tend to have lower libido which negatively impacts their sexual relationship with their partners.

Peptides are have also been found to enhance the sexual drive in both men and women. Some examples include:

Melanotan II

Originally tested for its ability to serve as a sunless tanning agent, Melanotan II also demonstrated the ability to stimulate sexual desires. This peptide is administered via injection into the skin. It increases libido through the brain. It increases the desire to have sex in women and it also helps men to achieve stronger erections. Minor side effects may include nausea and headaches.

Bremelanotide

This peptide is similar to Melanotan II, except that it isn’t suited for skin tanning. Bremelanotide is also injected into the skin. Within 45 minutes, its libido-enhancing effects start to become visible. Bremelanotide has been extensively tested and is very safe with minimal or no side effects.

Restoring Immune Function

The immune system is crucial for helping the body fight against diseases. One common peptide that helps to restore immune function is Thymosin a1.

Thymosin a1

It restores and regulates immune function by augmenting T-cell function. T-cells are one of the main components of the adaptive immune system that aid in killing infected host cells, activating other immune cells, and regulating immune responses.

Patients with CIRS or Lyme have an unstable immune function and Thymosin a1 can be beneficial in helping them regulate the immune system and increase melanocyte-stimulating hormones (MSH).

Bone Healing and Regeneration

Over the past few decades, bone tissue engineering research has shown several peptides to support and stimulate bone healing responses. One common example is BPC-157.

BPC-157

BPC-157 is a synthetic peptide, whose peptide chain consists of 15 amino acids. Research has shown that BPC-157 has regenerative effects that can help to accelerate bone and joint healing and growth rate. For instance, experiments have confirmed its ability to help heal transected rat Achilles tendon.

Moreover, BPC-157 has been shown to benefit ulcers in the stomach, intestinal damage such as fistulas and inflammatory disorders.

Conclusion

Advanced peptides are becoming more important because of their ability to help with a wide array of medical conditions. Because of their preciseness in targeting specific cells on the tissue, their side effects are generally minimal. We are just at the beginning of a thousand-mile journey in understanding the full potential of peptides and harnessing its power to further improve the quality of life of the human species.

At Proactive Wellness Centers we understand how confusing health and well-being can be for an individual to fully comprehend. Let us simplify the process for you. Reach out to us today for more information.