Healthy with Jodi

Understanding Auto Immune disorders

    Who understands auto immune disorders and how they affects us and our loved ones?  Here is a brief overview of what it is and a link if you want to research correct information further.

    When an intruder invades your body—like a cold virus or bacteria on a thorn that pricks your skin—your immune system protects you. It tries to identify, kill, and eliminate the invaders that might hurt you. But sometimes problems with your immune system cause it to mistake your body’s own healthy cells as invaders and then repeatedly attacks them. This is called an autoimmune disease. (“Autoimmune” means immunity against the self.)

    Autoimmune diseases can affect almost any part of the body, including the heart, brain, nerves, muscles, skin, eyes, joints, lungs, kidneys, glands, the digestive tract, and blood vessels. The classic sign of an autoimmune disease is inflammation, which can cause redness, heat, pain, and swelling. How an autoimmune disease affects you depends on what part of the body is targeted. If the disease affects the joints, as in rheumatoid arthritis, you might have joint pain, stiffness, and loss of function. If it affects the thyroid, as in Graves’ disease and thyroiditis, it might cause tiredness, weight gain, and muscle aches. If it attacks the skin, as it does in scleroderma/systemic sclerosis, vitiligo, and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), it can cause rashes, blisters, and color changes.

    Many autoimmune diseases don’t restrict themselves to one part of the body. For example, SLE can affect the skin, joints, kidneys, heart, nerves, blood vessels, and more. Type 1 diabetes can affect your glands, eyes, kidneys, muscles, and more.

    KEY WORDS

    Acquired immune system. The part of the immune system that develops as a person grows. It employs antibodies and immune cells to fight harmful substances.

    Antibody. A special protein produced by the body’s immune system that recognizes and helps fight infectious agents and other foreign substances that invade the body.

    Antigen. A foreign substance that triggers the production of antibodies when it is introduced into the body.

    Autoimmune disease. A disease that results when the immune system mistakenly attacks the body’s own tissues.

    Corticosteroids. Potent anti-inflammatory hormones that are made naturally in the body or synthetically (man-made) for use as drugs. They are also called glucocorticoids. The most commonly prescribed drug of this type is prednisone.

    Diabetes, type 1. A condition in which the immune system destroys insulin-producing cells of the pancreas, making it impossible for the body to use glucose (blood sugar) for energy. Type 1 diabetes usually occurs in children and young adults.

    Graves’ disease. An autoimmune disease of the thyroid gland that results in the overproduction of thyroid hormone. This causes such symptoms as nervousness, heat intolerance, heart palpitations, and unexplained weight loss.

    Immune system. A complex network of specialized cells and organs that work together to defend the body against attacks by foreign invaders, such as bacteria and viruses.

    Thyroiditis. An inflammation of the thyroid gland that causes the gland to become underactive. This results in symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, weight gain, cold intolerance, and muscle aches.

    Vitiligo. A disorder in which the immune system destroys pigment-making cells called melanocytes. This results in white patches of skin on different parts of the body.

    The National Institutes of Health (NIH)—The Nation’s Medical Research Agency—includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It is the primary Federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH visit:

    https://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/

    Potassium Info & Top Ten Foods highest in this essential nutrient

      Potassium Rich Foods-Top ten

      Potassium is an essential nutrient used to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance in the body.
      Potassium is the third most abundant mineral in the body and is a required mineral for the function of several organs including the heart, kidneys, brain and muscular tissues.
      Potassium also plays an important role in keeping the body hydrated and works with sodium to support cellular function with your bodies sodium-potassium pump.
      Potassium deficiency symptoms can include severe headaches, dehydration, heart palpitations and swelling of glands and tissues.
      Also, potassium deficiency can lead to:
      * Fatigue
      * Irritability
      * Muscle cramps
      * Weight gain
      * Increased blood pressure
      * Cellulite buildup

      The main culprits that can cause low levels of potassium are endurance cardiovascular exercise without proper hydration, vomiting, diarrhea and a diet low in fruits and vegetables.
      Unless you are on dialysis, or have a special condition, overdose of potassium from natural sources is very rare.
      The RDA for potassium is 4700 mg/day.
      Keeping in mind Sodium should be 2300mg.
      Think Double potassium for your sodium intake!

      Consuming these 3 servings of this high potassium foods list daily to ensure optimal levels of potassium.
      Top 10 Potassium Rich Foods List
      1) Avocado. 1 whole: 1068 mg (30% DV)
      2) Spinach. 1 cup: 839mg (24% DV)
      3) Sweet potato. 1 medium: 952 mg (27% DV)
      4) Coconut Water. 1 cup 600 mg (17% DV)
      5) Kefir or Yogurt 1 cup: 579 mg (15% DV)
      6) White Beans ½ cup: 502 mg (15% DV)
      7) Banana 1 large: 422 mg (12% DV)
      8) Acorn squash 1 cup: 899 mg (26% DV)
      9) Dried apricots ½ cup: 755 mg (22% DV)
      10) Mushrooms 1 cup: 428 mg (27% DV)

      Potassium Health Benefits
      Cramps
: One of the main benefits of consuming high potassium foods is decreased muscle cramping and improved muscle strength.  Muscle cramps are a common side effects of low potassium levels.  This can happen if an athlete becomes dehydrated and isn’t consuming enough potassium rich foods before and after exercise.
      Reduced Risk of Stroke
: Several observational studies have found that those with high potassium levels experience a lower risk of stroke. The health benefits of potassium are likely through reduction of blood pressure combined with a diet high in fruits and vegetables.
      Alleviation of High Blood Pressure (Hypertension): 
Studies show that a diet high in potassium, especially potassium from fruits and vegetables, lowers blood pressure. This is especially true if the increase in potassium foods is not accompanied by an increase in high sodium foods.
      Reduced Cellulite Appearance
: One of the main causative factors of cellulite buildup is fluid retention.  Most people consume far too much sodium and not near enough potassium.  Sodium brings nutrients into your cells where potassium helps flush excess waste out of your cells.  For this reason, if you reduce sodium intake and start consuming potassium rich foods you can reduce the appearance of cellulite.

      Osteoporosis Protection
: Several studies have found a relation between increased bone density and increased intake of dietary potassium. These studies were true even for post- menopausal women and older men.

      https://draxe.com/top-10-potassium-rich-foods/

      Amino Acids-Benefits & Facts

        Purium Super Amino 23

        100% Vegetarian

        Vegan Friendly

        Superior for Athletes

        Super Amino 23 is pre-digested 100% vegetarian and vegan protein that has been featured in the Physician`s Desk Reference* and is comprised of non-soy legumes.

        Benefits:
        Aids in normalizing protein synthesis
        Assists with the stabilization or recovery of muscle strength, endurance, and volume
        Helps keep body tissues firm
        Helps minimize body fat
        May support a weight loss regimen

        Interesting Facts:
        Super Amino 23 is PREDIGESTED protein and it is 400% to 500% more nutritionally effective than isolates from whey casein and safer than soy. “Pre-digested” means Super Amino 23 does not enter the intestines and is absorbed into the lymph system; thus, Super Amino 23 produces no fecal residue. Because it is pre-digested, it is available to the body within 23 minutes of ingestion.

        Super Amino 23 has 99% NNU or Net Nitrogen Utilization, which is why there is no burden on your kidneys or liver like other proteins. This is because the liver and kidneys do not have to clear catabolic waste that comes with the digestion of common dietary protein.

        Super Amino 23 has over 30 clinical studies published on its uses and is listed in the Physician`s Desk Reference.

        Super Amino 23 is protected by 27 international patents and available in North America. (US Patent no. 5,132,113)
        There have been 8 years of field trials on the Super Amino 23
        18 years clinical trials: Super Amino 23 was first used for patients with stomach removed because of cancer. Then, elderly patients were given it for nutrition and recovery of lean tissue. Now, the terminally ill are also given Super Amino 23 to improve their quality of life.

        Medical doctors use Super Amino 23 to maximize protein utilization and minimize the negative effects of protein diets.
        Olympic athletes and fitness buffs around the world use the Super Amino 23.

        Super Amino 23 is also used by the Vatican (through its Caritas Foundation) to treat malnutrition & the effects of starvation in developing countries.

        Super Amino 23 is an all-natural way to build muscle mass, it also maximizes strength & endurance, minimizes body fat, and reduces recovery time.

        The Super Amino 23 formulation can be used for different purposes; as nutrition for people who need more and better protein, as part of a weight control program, for strength building, and as a muscle mass enhancement.