5 Signs of Healthy Detoxification

Most people don’t think about this👉👉

Truth is that our bodies are busy processing and eliminating toxins all day every day.

We feel healthy when our detox pathways are keeping pace with those toxins and are not overburdened.

Here’s how to know you have healthy detoxification:

✔️ Fresh breath (without needing gum or mints!)

✔️ Clear skin (without rashes or outbreaks)

✔️ Easy bowel movements (every day)

✔️ Sound sleep (without waking at 3am)

✔️ Mental clarity (without brain fog!)

If you can’t check all those boxes, it’s okay!

There are simple things we can do with food, lifestyle, & functional medicine to support detoxification and get to the root cause.

Tag a friend and follow along to learn more about detoxification! 💚

Berries May Reduce Mortality (NEW Study!)

🫐🍓I’ve always loved berries, but this new research study cinches it!

Looking at a national sample of adults in the US, the research compared berry consumption with mortality rates over 8 years.

The results?

👉 People who were considered “berry consumers” had a 21% lower risk of all-cause mortality than “non-berry consumers.”

(PMID: 38184200)

Also, more specifically:

Cranberries supported ❤️ heart & metabolic health

Blueberries supported 🫁 respiratory health

Berries are a rich source of antioxidants and also contain fiber, vitamins, and minerals that support health.

Pro tip:

Frozen berries are equally nutritious and an excellent option when fresh berries aren’t in season!

Like this post ❤️and be sure to tap FOLLOW if you want to see more about natural and root-cause ways to optimize your health.

Reference

Zhang L, Muscat JE, Chinchilli VM, Kris-Etherton PM, Al-Shaar L, Richie JP. Consumption of Berries and Flavonoids in Relation to Mortality in NHANES, 1999-2014. J Nutr. Published online January 5, 2024. [link]

The Real Disease Burden of Plastics…

YIKES!! ➡️ Here’s a study I wish weren’t true…

The study found that the annual healthcare costs resulting from exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) were almost $250 billion in the US alone.

☠️ EDCs are chemicals in plastics and also hide in:
Flame retardants
Food packaging
Can linings
Non-stick cookware

When these chemicals get into the human body, they disrupt our hormone systems and increase the risk for cancer, diabetes, infertility, preterm birth, and more.

The good news is that 💥we have the power💥 to make choices every day that minimize our exposure to EDCs.

We also have ways to support our body’s natural detoxification systems.

These are just some of the things we consider when working with our patients to optimize their health. If you want a root-cause approach to health that actually looks at the whole picture...

📅Schedule an initial visit today!

💻www.elementsnatmed.com

PMID: 38213907

Reference

Trasande L, Krithivasan R, Park K, Obsekov V, Belliveau M. Chemicals Used in Plastic Materials: An Estimate of the Attributable Disease Burden and Costs in the United States. J Endocr Soc. 2024;8(2). Published 2024 Jan 11. [link]

Nuances of the Low-Carb Diet [new research]

👀 WOW ➡️If you’ve ever thought about trying a low-carb diet, this new study says it all.

The headline on Medscape reads:

👉👉“For Weight Loss With a Low-Carb Diet, Quality Matters”

The study looked at weight change in 123,332 people following a low-carb diet over 4 years.

Their diets were categorized by food quality, based on diet questionnaires.

The results?

✅ Those who followed a low-carb diet that had more healthy fats and plant protein with less refined carbohydrates experienced the most weight loss over 4 years.

❌ Those who followed a low-carb diet that had more unhealthy fats, animal protein, and refined carbohydrates experienced the opposite: weight GAIN.

This study was conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health and published in JAMA Network Open (PMID: 38150249).

If you’re tired of the hype and mixed messages around food and nutrition and want to figure out what YOUR body needs to feel it’s best…

Schedule an initial visit with Dr. Cantrell today! Let's get started on your journey to wellness!🍃

Reference

Liu B, Hu Y, Rai SK, Wang M, Hu FB, Sun Q. Low-Carbohydrate Diet Macronutrient Quality and Weight Change. JAMA Netw Open. 2023;6(12):e2349552. Published 2023 Dec 1. [link]

Food Sensitivities: Then What?!?

💥 Let’s figure out why!

If you’re dealing with food sensitivities, this post is for you.

Did you know there might be fixable issues that are driving food sensitivities or making them worse?

That’s right:

Research 📚 has linked food sensitivities to changes in:

👉 Gut Microbiome

👉 Intestinal Permeability (“Leaky Gut”)

👉 Gut inflammation

So…

Gut support makes a lot of sense.

Keep following along if you want to learn more about how I can help with a root-cause approach to health 🙌

References

Caminero A, Meisel M, Jabri B, Verdu EF. Mechanisms by which gut microorganisms influence food sensitivities. Nat Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2019;16(1):7-18. [link]

Ohtsuka Y. Food intolerance and mucosal inflammation. Pediatr Int. 2015;57(1):22-29. [link]

Ventura MT, Polimeno L, Amoruso AC, et al. Intestinal permeability in patients with adverse reactions to food. Dig Liver Dis. 2006;38(10):732-736. [link]