Spotlight on Wellness
Slow Down on the Sugar
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It's officially holiday season and that means sweet treats are plentiful - from office parties to family gatherings. While we may likely consume a few sweets over the next few weeks, Dr. Levitt reminds us that too much sugar can trigger inflammation. We have shared with you over the past few months how damaging inflammation can be to our bodies. So let's dig into a few ways we might still be able to enjoy the jolly season without taxing our health too drastically.
According to the
American Heart Association, the average American adult consumes 22 teaspoons of "added" sugar per day - far exceeding the guideline of 6 teaspoons per day for women and 9 for men. Added sugars translate to anything that's been added to processed foods, it does not include sugars found naturally in fruits and vegetables.
Here are few ways you can navigate the holidays to ensure "added" sugar or "empty" calories don't lead to unintended health consequences:
- Say NO to nog - if it's fully loaded, the average cup of Eggnog contains 19 grams of fat per cup and is 343 calories. Hot chocolate makes a great alternative. It actually has fewer calories and contains antioxidants.
- Eat a healthy snack before the party. Then when at the party, choose healthier options such as crudites, shrimp cocktail or mozzarella and tomato skewers.
- Turn down the tunes - that's right, the softer and slower the music, the less you'll feel inclined to eat.
- Scoop up hummus or salsa for dips.
- Back away and survey the spread - standing closer to the snacks compels us to eat more, plus choosing 2-3 healthy choices to fill up on is much better than picking one of everything at a buffet.
- Make your own cranberry relish - Simmer 2 cups of fresh cranberries with ½ cup each of honey and water or orange juice until thick. Cover and chill for 30-60 minutes. You'll skip 21 grams of sugar with this tasty recipe.
Last, but certainly not least, go to your gatherings with a focus on people. Think about all the people you want to connect with, meet and learn from. Make that a gift to yourself. It's the people in our lives who ultimately offer the best sweetener for a good life. |
Food For Life
Too Good to be Low in Sugar
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Desserts can't taste good if they are low in sugar - said everyone! Believe it or not, there are some gems out there that contain just the right blend of natural ingredients to trick your taste buds into thinking it's getting a sugar fix without any corn syrup, oils, or preservatives.
Perfect for the holidays, this recipe for
Coconut Dark Chocolate Truffles uses 10 ingredients, is low in sugar AND is vegan, gluten-free, low sodium and high in fiber! And the bigger bonus is that they can be made ahead of time and frozen until a few hours prior to serving.
Bon Appetite!
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Healing Therapies
Just a Few Steps Can Ease Back Pain
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Another thing that happens around the holidays is a lot of standing, sitting, stretching
and lifting as we shop, wrap presents, put up decorations and get together with family. A few simple steps to protect our core can assist with easing back pain.
The key to all of this: consistency. If you consistently engage in strength and wellness activities, you'll prevent most of the challenges and pain you'll likely face. And as we know, prevention is a far better path than having to heal.
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Innovative Primary Care is pleased to welcome a new provider to the office to compliment the offerings of our other medical and wellness providers.
Dr. Josh Reilly has been supporting several office practitioners on a part-time basis and will now be here full time to support your needs.
Originally from New Jersey, Dr. Reilly first came to the Desert Southwest to work as a Biologist in 1997 and fell in love with New Mexico and Arizona. He decided to return after graduating from Bastyr University with a degree in Naturopathic Medicine. Reilly's practice specializes in Pain Management, Digestive Health, Physical Medicine, Sports Medicine, Family Wellness and Integrative Counseling.
"I believe in client education, and building strong therapeutic relationships through active listening, integrative medicine and motivational counseling," said Dr. Reilly when asked about his approach to patient care.
Dr. Reilly is very proud of his greatest accomplishment - his kids, Ben and Josie.
Innovative Primary Care encourages you to schedule a visit with Dr. Reilly if you've been looking to improve your nutritional intake, athletic performance, cognitive processing, digestive or reproductive health. Dr. Reilly believes the transformational healing that can happen when you create the environment necessary for the body to heal itself is truly amazing!
Learn more about Dr. Reilly on our website or call our office to schedule a visit.
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Supplement Support
New Offerings on the Horizon
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Innovative Primary Care is about to unveil a number of new supplement offerings in response to patient needs. As always, the supplements we provide have been safely-sourced to ensure the highest quality product. We'll feature these new offerings in our January newsletter.
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