Nancy Guberti's Key to Health

AC: Tell us what is functional medicine?

NG: Functional medicine addresses the underlying causes of one's health issues, utilizing scientific systems-based approaches engaging the patient and practitioner in a therapeutic partnership. The concentration is in the research and investigating of the underlying causes of disease to uncover the root of one's health issue. Functional medicine practitioners look at the complex web of interactions of one's medical history, lifestyle and physiology that can lead to illness. Utilizing the latest functional medicine laboratory testing provides an integrative, science-based healthcare approach in creating a customized regime for the patient to reach optimal balanced health. Imagine gaining insight into one's cellular metabolic functioning allowing individual tailoring of nutritional interventions as opposed to guessing and taking any supplement!

What do we need to watch out for now winter is approaching?

Remember to make your health and wellbeing a priority. The most powerful determinant of whether or not you will get sick this winter depends on the status of your immune system. To strengthen our immune system we must consume nutrient-dense foods, reduce toxins (i.e. food additives, processed foods, pesticides, tobacco, excess alcohol, sugar), get adequate sleep, incorporate stress reduction strategies and stay hydrated with pure water. Since many people are deficient in Vitamin D and majority cannot gain significant exposure to sunshine and absorb Vitamin D during the winter months, then it is important to incorporate an immune boosting nutraceutical regime including Vitamin D, non-corn sourced Vitamin C, probiotics, and immune boosting herbs. Listen to your body and realize when you need to rest as opposed to running yourself into adrenal fatigue and burnout. 

What are three tips to make our holidays more healthy and holistic this year?

Three tips to make the holidays more healthy and holistic this year:

1. Keep your energy up by eating wholesome foods, adding superfoods like spirulina and a customized nutraceutical protocol, reducing sugar intake, and staying hydrated. Bite for bite, organic whole foods provide the most nutrients, so avoid processed fast foods. Choose immune boosting foods like vegetables, fruits, seeds, nuts, herbs, spices, and healthy lean proteins. Reduce or avoid all the white starches that convert into sugar, such as pasta. white bread, white rice, and white potatoes. Drinking sufficient amounts of pure water will help improve one's health. Alcohol causes dehydration and has depressive effects throughout one's nervous system, but organically produced red wine is considered to improve blood circulation and contain antioxidant properties. Remember to drink extra water if drinking alcoholic beverages and opt for organic and drink in moderation.

2. Keep your stress down by incorporating non-negotiable 'you' time, pamper yourself with a massage, Reiki, reflexology, meditation, exercise, and journaling. Slow down and enjoy the holiday season. Treat yourself to a relaxing Epsom salts bath with essential oils of lavender, geranium, lemon citrus and sandalwood. Essential oils are a wonderful way to manage stress during the holidays.

3. Follow a healthy detoxification regime by starting the day with pure water, squeezed lemon and splash of apple cider vinegar. The lemon and apple cider vinegar will help balance your pH levels keeping your body alkaline, boosting immune functioning and providing increased energy. Apple cider vinegar can also help control your appetite and regulate your blood sugar levels. This daily morning drink will help eliminate internal toxins, regulate kidney and digestive tract functioning, help fight infections of the respiratory tract, sore throat and inflammation. Additionally, the lemon water will provide your body with electrolytes hydrating you with potassium, calcium and magnesium.  Perfect, just in case you had too many of liquid holiday cheer or caffeine.

How have you created a holistic and healthy space in your kitchen and home?

Creating a holistic and healthy space in your kitchen and home can be achieved by setting the ambiance along with family traditions. Lighting sets the mood throughout a home, so add some candles, strands of white lights, and tea lights to brighten one's mood. Streaming in a little holiday cheer with music will get everyone in the holiday spirit. You can create kitchen, dining and living spaces centered on healthy living empowering your guests with food that is healthy, tasty and fun to eat! First, I'd recommend de-cluttering the area, bringing vitality and peace of mind. Make the kitchen's purpose centered around preparing healthy meals in a relaxing, bonding atmosphere as opposed to microwave-zapped meals.  Display the food in festive, creative dishes sparking elegance and comfort. Clean the rooms with essential oils (bergamot is antibacterial) and eco-friendly cleaners or keep it simple with old fashioned baking soda, and white distilled vinegar. To enhance rooms with the perfect blend of sweet and spice aroma, combine essential oils of orange citrus, cinnamon, ylang ylang and lemon citrus. Diffused frankincense sets a mood of familiarity and recollection of happy memories of holiday time. Load up the refrigerator with organic food that is free of pesticides and toxins.  Let the food provide the best aroma and homemade desserts to balance out the holiday fun. Just like a wedding, I always have something old, something new and something borrowed when celebrating the holidays with family and friends. Creating your own holiday traditions make you feel truly alive and creates the best everlasting memories.

by Anjie Cho

Nancy Guberti is a Functional Medicine Specialist, BioNutritionist, Gluten-Free & Casein-Free Diet Expert, Defeat Autism Now Practitioner, Motivational Speaker and passionate to empower others to become their own health advocate and learn how to live a healthier lifestyle. She is the founder of Total Wellness Empowerment, 9 Steps to a Healthier You, Biomedical & Nutritional Interventions for Autism Spectrum Disorders, and Positively Powerful Parent program. You can sign up to receive her detox podcast at nancyguberti.com and keep the conversation going by following her on Twitter, Facebook, Google+, Pinterest and LinkedIn. Remember your health is worth it because You are worth it!

Adjusting to Fall Equinox: Angela Mastoris

Just in time for fall equinox, my bestie and esteemed Chinese Medicine expert, Angela Mastoris, is back with another set of tips, this time for dealing with the physical and emotional stress put on us by the changing seasons from summer to fall. 

Check out her advice on meditation, yoga and dietary changes to ease transition into our next season! 

AC: Can you tell us a little about fall equinox?

AM: In Chinese Medicine, there is a school of thought called Five Elements Theory. The general idea is that each of us has, within our own body, a microcosm, like our planet. Each element has its own set of meridians and special qualities associated with it.

The fall season is part of the Metal Element. Metal rules the Lung and Large Intestine meridians, as well as the skin, which is not a meridian, but very important, because if you have a skin issue- it is not easily ignored. 

How does the fall equinox affect us as humans?

Think about what happens to the earth at this time: she begins her process of death, so she can come back to life in the spring. This also happens in our own bodies. There is a bit of grief always associated with change. People inherently have difficulty with transition; they have trouble letting go.

Do you have any tips for dealing with that transition?

If someone is having a hard time with a change or transition, or any other emotion in excess, mysterious physical symptoms show up and a person may not know why.

In general, at this time of year, meditation, yoga, eating appropriate foods and treating your body gently is a great place for all of us to begin preparing ourselves for the great introspection and internal growth of Winter. 

Does the fall equinox affect us physically?

Absolutely. This time of year is almost as much of an assault on our immune system as the springtime. The environmental change causes a change in your body’s defense mechanisms, or immune system.

What sort of dietary changes can assist in adjusting to the fall equinox?

The diet should get heavier and more cooked, less raw, as it gets colder. Omnivores- you’ll be eating more meats and dairy products. Vegetarians- lots of grains, some nuts, beans, seeds, as well as more dairy and eggs if you are lacto-ovo vegetarian. Vegetarians can warm it up. If you want to warm up the body, root veggies are great- ginger works wonders in food and as a tea.

As it gets colder, you want to eat heavier foods. You can all eat in accordance with how you want to live, but some great additions to the fall diet are: baked squash, pumpkin, wild rice, brown rice, mushrooms, soups in general, vegetable barley soup, root vegetables: carrot, turnip, onion and garlic; cooked greens: celery, comfrey, dandelion, kale, watercress, and spinach; sea vegetables: dulse, kelp or nori seaweed; miso paste for broth base; seasonings: rosemary, cayenne, and ginger. Pumpkin seeds are really good for the intestines. 

Detoxing is good this time of year. You can wean yourself off sugars easier because they become less a part of the diet when it gets colder; you have less fruit in your diet normally, because it's not as available.

Cutting back on caffeine, sugar, and alcohol is also helpful, as these substances aggravate irritated skin. They also cause changes in our metabolism that our body has to readjust to afterwards, which further taxes the immune system. If you drink less caffeine and eat less sugar temporarily, you will give your body a break, so your immune system can go on fighting off the new Autumn pathogens in the air. It helps your skin and immune system to clean up your diet temporarily, or forever!

How do these changes help?

In between seasons, you always want to eat foods that are gentle. They tell us in Chinese Medicine that you always want to return to the earth element, our earth, our digestive system, between the seasons, because our bodies are literally weakened by the environmental change. If you eat gentle, easy to digest foods (cooked and not too cold or too spicy) you make the body’s job easier and more energy can go to balancing out your immune system and adjusting to environmental changes.

by Anjie Cho

Angela Mastoris

Angela Mastoris is a certified Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner, health educator, writer, research assistant and lecturer. She is a Diplomat of Asian Bodywork Therapy (NCCAOM). Health education and acupressure was the approach of her private practice in the past, as well as creating self-care routines that match her client’s bodies specifically. Angela facilitates the healing of physical, mental, emotional and spiritual issues using Traditional Chinese Medicine, Five Element Theory, Indigenous medicine, and shamanism.

Her career goal is to participate in projects that include Chinese Medicine and scientific research, combining and utilizing her experience as a holistic medicine practitioner, a western medical research assistant, and her writing skills, honed at the University of California at Berkeley as an English department graduate.

Contact her at:  sevensistersha@gmail.com

Find her on Facebook at:  Seven Sisters Healing Arts