Quantum Health
  • Home
  • Products
    • Services
  • Location & Hours
  • About
    • Local Delivery
    • Newsletter
  • Promotions
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
  • Home
  • Products
    • Services
  • Location & Hours
  • About
    • Local Delivery
    • Newsletter
  • Promotions
  • Contact Us
  • Blog
quantum health & wellness blog

Why Probiotics Are Essential for Back to School

9/1/2015

0 Comments

 
Probiotics are beneficial bacteria or yeast organisms that populate in our digestive tract, providing numerous benefits. Here is why parents should consider supplementing with probiotics especially when going back to school.

1. Probiotics help boost the immune system – With students now heading back indoors and spending large amounts of time in classrooms with each other, there is a dramatic increase in germ exposure and potential for kids to fall prey to illness. In one study, 326 children aged 3-5 years were randomly assigned to receive, in double-blind fashion, probiotic supplementation. Treatments were given twice per day in divided doses for 6 months, including the winter season. Compared with placebo, the probiotic group had the following results; fever reduction 53-73%, cough reduction 41-62%, decreased runny nose 28-59%, decreased need for antibiotics 68-82%, reduced absence from school 28-32%.

2. Probiotics help with allergies – The rates of childhood allergies are growing all the time. Heading back indoors can trigger many students who are especially allergic to dusts and moulds. With regard to asthmatic children with allergic rhinitis, studies have shown that the use of probiotics resulted in a significant reduction in the inflammatory immune chemistry produced by peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Further studies have shown specific down-regulation of T cells (immune cells) which beneficially alter the balance of pollen specific antibodies in seasonal allergic rhinitis. In short – probiotics lower the allergic load and decrease the “gunk.”

3. Probiotics help with mood – This is quite a new discovery on the probiotic front. The incidence of learning challenged students continues to rise. Everything from ADD, AD/HD, Asperger’s and Autism along with students experiencing anxiety and depression in school settings, can prove challenging for both parents and teachers. Recent research is showing new gut-brain connections, as happy gut ecology seems to make for happier brains. In one particular study, anxious mice dosed with probiotics showed lower levels of anxiety, decreased stress hormones, and even increased brain receptors for neurotransmitters vital in curbing worry, anxiety and fear. With better mood comes greater ease and ability to learn in school settings and beyond.

If you are thinking about a probiotic to try for any or all of the above reasons, remember that not all probiotic supplements are created equal. Many of the inexpensive varieties have much lower strains of beneficial bacteria and as such are often clinically ineffective.

As discussed in this article, probiotics are very helpful for kids going back to school. Probiotics are a great preventative medicine to help ensure your student’s health and wellness throughout the year.

Stop by Quantum Vitamins to discuss which probiotic is best for you and your family and follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for a chance to win our Back to School Giveaway including probiotics, vitamins and greens.
Quantum Vitamins Probiotics

Sources:

Leyer, GJ et al. Probiotic effects on cold and influenza-like symptom incidence and duration in children. Pediatrics 2009; 124-179.

Walker, WA. Mechanisms of action of probiotics. Clin Infect Dis. 2008; 46 (Suppl 2): S87-91.

Yang, G et al. Treatment of Allergic Rhinitis with Probiotics: An alternative approach. N Am J

Med Sci. Aug 2013; 5 (8): 465-68.

Javier, AB, Forsytthe, P & Cryan, J. Ingestion of Lactobacillus strain regulates emotional behavior and central GABA receptor expression in mice via the vagus nerve. Proc Natl Acad Sci

USA. Sep 20, 2011; 108(38): 16050-55.

0 Comments

Heal Your Gut, Heal Your Allergies

5/12/2015

0 Comments

 
Allergy symptoms frequently begin with poor digestive function. When a person has indigestion, heartburn, bloating, pain, diarrhea, constipation, irritable bowel disorders, etc., their immune system is compromised and the body becomes more sensitive. It overreacts to things it shouldn’t, including pollen, grass, and other triggers associated with spring.

What causes allergy symptoms?

Several factors contribute to the digestive problems that give rise to allergy symptoms, including:

  • Dysbiosis: A very common scenario, bad bacteria in the gut overwhelms beneficial bacteria. Processed foods, a diet lacking in cultured and fermented foods, and antibiotic use all contribute to dysbiosis.
  • Gluten and other food intolerances: Eating foods one may be sensitive or allergic to can constantly provoke the immune system and damage the lining of the intestines.
  • Low stomach acid: Low stomach acid often underlies heartburn and acid reflux. When stomach acid is low, undigested food backwashes into the esophagus (heartburn), bacteria overtake the stomach, improperly digested food degrades the intestinal lining, and bacteria and other pathogens are able enter the intestines. Stomach acid is also necessary to trigger the gallbladder to release bile and the pancreas to release enzymes, two important processes for digestion.
  • Poor liver detoxification: Gut damage causes chronic inflammation, which keeps the immune system on red alert and overburdens the liver. As a result, the liver can’t adequately detoxify pathogens that escaped through the damaged intestinal lining into the bloodstream, another factor that triggers the immune system and leads to allergies.

Repairing gut health varies from person to person depending on his or her needs. The starting point is always an anti-inflammatory diet that removes food intolerances and calms inflammation, helping to restore balance to an overactive immune system.

  • Probiotics and fermented foods improve digestion, support detoxification and tame an overstimulated immune system. They can also help repair the gut and hence the immune system.
  • Digestive Enzymes - Many of us do not have sufficient digestive enzymes to help break down the foods we eat and therefore causing digestive distress. Consuming a digestive enzyme with each meal helps your digestive system to break down the fats, proteins and carbohydrates, enhancing your immune system.
  • Chewing mechanically breaks down very large food molecules into smaller particles. Food is then exposed to saliva that contains enzymes to aid in digestion.
Your immune system resides in the gut, and when digestive problems set in, immune problems are sure to follow.

By Michelle Pascal, Registered Holistic Nutritionist
Picture
0 Comments

Cleansing 

5/5/2015

0 Comments

 
The liver's main role in the body is for detox, by taking in blood from the digestive system and filtering out toxins like alcohol, medication and processed foods to be excreted. It also helps in the maintenance of energy in the body by breaking down fats for use, as well as helping to maintain a healthy blood sugar level.

Focusing on the health of your liver is the foundation of vitality.

The liver purifies the blood. If the liver is stagnant, the blood purification may be inadequate, leading to the release of toxins through the skin causing acne, eczema, acidosis and allergies. Toxic blood feeds all degenerative conditions such as cancer and arthritis.

  1. Digestion and elimination are the first steps toward a healthier liver. If you are not eliminating daily, that becomes the focus. Once you have established that your bowels are working, it is now time to increase digestion.
  2. Promote elimination by including fibre and hydrating. The goal is to have one bowel movement at least once a day. If constipation is chronic, you can take 150 to 300 milligrams of magnesium citrate twice daily in capsule form. You can take more if you need to go to the bathroom. If you get loose stools, cut back.
  3. Take daily probiotics — approximately 50 billion CFUs of lactobacillus and bifidobacteria and drink eight glasses of water daily.
  4. Improve digestion: Promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestines, so that they can keep potentially harmful bacteria in check. Probiotics can also be supplemented.
  5. Mind/body wellness: Stress can impair the body’s detoxification systems and lead to digestive ailments, impaired immunity, and have wide-ranging effects on health. A detox diet is a time not just to let the body heal, but to allow the mind to rest.

Probiotics Are Essential after A Cleanse

A cleanses flushes your intestine, taking the Candida yeast, bacteria and everything else with it. The right probiotic will rebalance your gut flora, boost your immune system and help maintain the correct acidity in your digestive system.

Signs of Toxic Overload
  • Bad breath and coated tongue
  • Foul smelling breath caused by unhealthy/bad digestion from a backed-up colon or periodontal disease.
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Constipation/Digestive complaints
  • Irregular or insufficient bowel movements 
  • Use of pharmaceutical drugs and antibiotics
  • Weight gain
  • Acne – skin breakouts are often a sign of toxicity in the blood or the liver
  • Excessive body odour
  • Belching and bad gas
  • Chronic constipation
  • Lack of energy – could be environmental toxicity, allergies, sluggish liver
  • Inflammation and pain/fibromyalgia – joint pain (over-acid body)
  • Mental fog, poor concentration
  • Allergies
  • Depression headaches (includes sinus)

Foods to avoid when detoxing include dairy, wheat, gluten-containing foods, sugar and artificial sweeteners, fried and processed foods, deli meats. Eat plenty of fresh vegetables and fruit (avoid tropical fruit), include brown rice, quinoa and other gluten free grains.

By Michelle Pascal, Registered Holistic Nutritionist

Quantum Vitamins Whistler
0 Comments

    RSS Feed

    Michelle Pascal

    Michelle, owner of Quantum Vitamins, is a Registered Holistic Nutritionist (RHN) and chef who lives in beautiful Whistler, British Columbia. >>More

    Categories

    All
    ADD
    Adrenal Support
    Allergies
    Blood Analysis
    Blood Cells
    Bone Health
    Bones
    Bonk Breakers
    Breakfast
    Cacao
    Calcium
    Cleanse
    Cordyceps
    Dairy
    Dandelion Root
    Detox
    Digestion
    Dysbiosis
    Enerex
    Energy
    Essential Fatty Acids
    Flu
    Flu Season
    Fungus
    Goji Berries
    Gout
    Hammer Nutrition
    Healing
    Health
    Healthy Fats
    Herbal Practitioner
    Immune System
    Inflammation
    Ironman
    Ironman Canada
    Joints
    Kefir
    Kids
    Leaky Gut
    Liver Health
    Maca
    Milk
    Milk Thistle
    Minerals
    Mood
    Mushrooms
    Nutrition
    Omega 3
    Osteo
    Probiotics
    Quantum Vitamins
    Recipe
    Rhodiola
    Rhoziva
    Salt Stick
    Smoothie
    Spirulina
    Stinging Nettle
    Superfoods
    Supplements
    Vaccination
    Weight
    Weight Gain

    Archives

    January 2017
    December 2016
    March 2016
    November 2015
    September 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    August 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.