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Fibromyalgia Monthly Newsletter
Cell Signaling – The Key to Improved Health
Have you ever been to a family gathering where everyone is talking all at once, and no one (but you) is listening? Is there real communication going on? Or, have you ever been to business meeting where one person is doing all the talking and everyone else is not paying attention? Is any good going to come of this meeting?
As these problems in communication occur in our own daily life, they can also occur between our own body systems. When one system is stressed and wants all the attention, the others can talk back with their own problems, or they cannot pay attention at all. When you are in pain one of your organ systems is signaling that they NEED HELP NOW! Are they going to get it?
The benefit of high quality nutrition from foods or supplements helps to improve the communication, or cell signaling between organ systems. With the right amount of support the communication will be clear and the nervous system will not have to act out to get some attention, as often found in people with Fibromyalgia.
What Nutrients are needed to Improve Cell Communication?
Bioflavonoids found in fruits and vegetables are the key. There are numerous bioflavonoids that are very potent phytochemicals that act as antioxidants. They actually protect the plant from stress, disease, and ultraviolet light. They also protect us from free radical damage that can cause many of the diseases we find today, especially autoimmune reactions such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.
Anthocyanins are the strong red, blue and purple pigments found in fruits and vegetables such as raspberries, strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, bilberries, plums, eggplant, red cabbage, red onion, and grapes (red and purple) and red wine. Anthocyanin-rich strawberries and blueberries have demonstrated protection against nervous system disorders, as well as supporting a stressed liver and immune system. Anthocyanins in bilberries have the ability to protect the eyes from development of age-related macular degeneration. And, cranberries have been found to counteract many health challenges including liver weakness, kidney stones, gum disease and urinary tract infections. In combination these red, blue, and purple fruits have a greater effect on preventing on Heliobacter pylori infection, which is linked to development of gastrointestinal ulcer, than do each individual berry.
Red wine and its grapes contain anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins, and play a role in preventing heart disease, cancer and inflammation by decreasing free radicals. Grape seed extract is a powerful concentrated antioxidant with a phytochemical called resveratrol, known to reduce nervous system stress and protect against the loss of mental ability due to excess free radicals.
Bioflavonoids in Fresh Fruits
A combination of fruits containing bioflavonoids taken on a daily basis help improve cell signaling, shown by reducing the common causes of chronic health symptoms we deal with daily. Do you get these bioflavonoid fruits in your diet daily? I know during the summer months this is easy to do. In Michigan we have strawberry season in June, blueberry season in July, peach and plum season in August, and apple season starts in September. So for about one month each year we get these fresh fruits in our diet. The rest of the year we can get some fresh fruits, but we either pay a high price or we have to get them from other countries where we do not know how long since they have been picked.
Freezing or cooking these fruits reduces some of the bioflavonoid content. The more processed the fruits, the less the beneficial content. Flavonoids are absorbed quickly in the small intestine to be taken by the blood to the cells that need support. They need to be made so that they are truly bioavailable – from fresh ripe raw fruits that have not been processed with heat or cold.
With my new Limbic Stress Assessment testing, I am able to test a variety of products on my clients. Since I have been testing for about 6 months now, I am beginning to see patterns in the how certain supplements help clients. Whole food supplement with blueberries, bilberries, blackberries help improve circulation and immune system function.
Watch Out For Pesticides!
Also, during recent testing I have found many clients with pesticide sensitivities. This means that they are reacting to pesticides because they are currently in their system. A variety of insecticides are the most common pesticides on the list that comes up. Remember to get organic when possible or wash your fruits and vegetables well!
Since this is the season for fresh fruits and vegetables – what do you do to get rid of any pesticide residue that is probably on your non-organic fruit and vegetable purchases? I recommend using apple cider vinegar mixed with water (about ¼ cup of apple cider vinegar to ½ gallon of water). To see how well this works try it with red or green grapes. Often the grapes before washing will have a bitter taste. After soaking for 10 minutes, they will have a different taste. More sweet and less bitter.
Also when you buy apple cider to drink during this fall cider season, make sure it does not have bitter taste to it. If it does that indicates that there are some pesticides in that brand. Pesticides and other chemicals can build up in the body increasing free radical activity that causes immune system and nervous system disorders.
Make sure you are getting your 9 to 13 servings of fresh fruits and vegetables without the side effect of pesticides. The variety of colors in these fruits and vegetables provide different bioflavonoids that we all need.
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