COVID-19 101

SARS-COV-2 is the virus that causes the Coronavirus Disease 2019 aka COVID-19. The virus is of a zoonotic source, this means that the transmission occurred as a result of a non-human animal or insect, to a human. Symptoms range from mild to severe and may appear at any time after being exposed, up to two […]

Brain Health & Function

June is national Alzheimer’s and Brain Awareness Month, so we have decided to put together some information about various factors that can have a positive or negative impact on brain health and performance. Alzheimer’s disease is a brain disorder that leads to problems with behavior, memory and thinking. It is common in individuals over the age of 60 and is more common in females. Research over the last decade has revealed how certain lifestyle choices can lead to or […]

Type 2 Diabetes

In the year 2000, it was reported that diabetes mellitus (DM) affects 171 million adults worldwide (O’Hagan, De Vito, & Boreham, 2013). By 2030, this statistic was estimated to increase an upward of 4.4 % to 366 million (O’Hagan, De Vito, & Boreham, 2013).

Probiotics: What Are They and Should I Be Taking Them?

Our microbiome consists of mostly bacteria and resides in our small intestine and colon. Its purpose is to fight off pathogenic microbes, help maintain the integrity of our gut lining, metabolize drugs and other foreign substances and aid in immune defense (Sanders, 2004). An unbalanced gut microbiome, also known as dysbiosis, has been linked to chronic diseases such as obesity, type II diabetes, colorectal cancers, cardiovascular diseases as well as other digestive conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), Crohn’s disease, and ulcerative colitis (Carding et al., 2015; Hills et al., 2019).

Obesity Epidemics

Obesity is one of the largest epidemics of modern times, and has been linked with several life threatening diseases such as Type 2 Diabetes and heart disease (Expert, 2014). In the United States, the prevalence of overweight and obesity has steadily risen over the past several decades. Between 1999-2016, obesity rates rose from 30.5% to 39.8% among adults ages 20 and older (Hales, Carroll, Fryar, & Ogden, 2017). Many factors have led to this increase, one of which is the overabundance and availability of convenience foods, and another the decline in cooking skills and nutrition knowledge (Saksena et al., 2018).

IBS: Nutrition and Exercise Recommendations

Irritable Bowel Syndrome, or IBS, is the most commonly diagnosed gastrointestinal disorder. IBS symptoms include, but are not limited to, bloating, constipation, nausea, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Severity of symptoms vary from person to person but can be managed or slightly controlled through nutrition and exercise practices (Nutrition Care Manual, 2020).