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DME HEALTH CONNECTION – WHO ARE WE? March 13, 2010

Posted by Mary Ellen Iafrate in : Alternative Health, Credentials, Nutrition, Services offered , comments closed

Mary Ellen Iafrate

I am a Certified Holistic Health Counselor and a member of the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.  I completed my studies in nutrition counseling through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in June, 2007.

I am also a Level 2 Lymphatic Decongestive Therapy technician and am currently completing courses in Touch for Health Kinesiology (TFH).

When I am asked which of the services I provide is the most important to my clients, I alway say “nutrition is the fundamental basic of good health”.  I also believe that keeping an indivdual’s lymph system de-congested and flowing properly as well as maintaining the body’s balance through TFH are equally important.

My philosophy for healthy living is simple:

To learn more about Michigan-based DME Health Connection and the services available, please click on the “About Us” section above.

DME PARTICIPATING IN WHOLE FOODS TOUR! February 28, 2010

Posted by Mary Ellen Iafrate in : Nutrition, Services offered , comments closed

WHOLE FOODS TOUR

March 29, 2010

6:00 PM 

Location

Whole Foods Market

2918 East Walton Boulevard
Rochester Hills, MI 48309-1418

Tour guided by:  

Mary Ellen Iafrate

Certified Holistic Health Counselor 

and 

Michael Hack

Marketing & Community Relations Specialist

 Whole Foods Market 

Learn what differentiates Whole Foods Market

from conventional grocery stores 

Coupons, recipes and samples will be available throughout the store

SPACE IS LIMITED

RSVP required

DME Health Connection

586-405-8242

WE ARE WHAT WE “CHOOSE” TO EAT! January 19, 2010

Posted by Mary Ellen Iafrate in : Nutrition , comments closed

 What we eat can be influenced by lifestyle, personal, religious and cultural preferences. 

A good example may be a person who frequently orders pizza.  The advertising media has proven that it’s easy to have pizza delivered while it’s still hot and tasty.  Having pizza delivered can make a person’s life simpler so the decision to eat this way is a “lifestyle” preference. 

Studies have shown the benefits of Omega-3 in our diets.  Eating fish two-to-three times a week is an easy way to absorb Omega-3.  However, some people abhor the taste and smell of fish.  If our body does not consume enough Omega-3, an individual can become susceptible to depression, cardiovascular disease, type II diabetes, fatigue, dry and itchy skin, brittle hair and nails, have an inability to concentrate, and can experience joint pain.  Even knowing all the benefits, not consuming fish is that individual’s “personal” preference. 

 Some religious faiths are fundamentally-based on the absence of certain foods in a diet.  For example, the Jewish faith requests that its followers do not consume pork and shellfish.  This is an example of eating according to “religious” preference. 

In many cultures, certain foods are mainstays and can identify that specific society.  Pasta with tomato-based sauce can identify the Italian culture just as homemade perogies can be a staple in Polish homes.  Eating according to ethnicity is a “cultural” preference.

 It is a known fact that we are what we eat.  All “preferences” aside, there are fundamental dietary guidelines to reaching and maintaining good health:

 Eat smaller meals 3-5 times per day.

Want to learn more?  Contact DME now!  586-405-8242

HEAL FROM THE INSIDE OUT December 6, 2009

Posted by Mary Ellen Iafrate in : Nutrition , comments closed

As the “About Us” profile in the DME Health Connection blog states, I am a Lymes disease survivor.  Before being diagnosed, each day brought new pain and health issues. 

The antibiotics my medical doctor prescribed to me were effective.  However, after taking the medication for several years, I knew I had to find an alternative way to heal my body.  I discovered good nutrition, in conjunction with occasional meds, was my path to wellness.

When I read the following article in To Your Health, I knew I had to share it with DME’s readers.

I hope you find the content of the article as important as I did because I can attest to its validity and significance.

To your good health,

Mary Ellen Iafrate, HHC

HEALTHY FROM THE INSIDE OUT 

What does it take to make a life-changing decision to improve one’s health?  For some people, it’s illness, a near-death experience or even the loss of a loved one.  For others, it might simply be the unpleasant realization that an unhealthy lifestyle will one day catch up with them. 

A commitment to exercise and improved nutrition is often the best therapy.  Unfortunately, the multibillion-dollar beauty business is a great cover-up for an unhealthy lifestyle. 

One of the simplest and most important things we can do to revive our appearance, physical health and mental acuity as we age doesn’t involve cosmetic changes or a trip to the spa; it’s as easy as supplying our body with the nutrient-rich food and physical activity it so desperately needs.  Beauty literally comes from the inside, and it takes responsible day-to-day choices to ensure this translates outwardly.  Here are some suggestions on what you can do starting today to cultivate beauty from the inside out. 

Control the Inflammation 

One of the best ways to reclaim and maintain health, and even take years off your appearance, is to control something called inflammation. Simply put, inflammation is heat, swelling or pain.  When it is chronic, inflammation can make us age prematurely, and has been associated with diabetes, heart disease, arthritis, depression, cognitive decline and other conditions.  Sources of inflammation in American’s lives include stress, obesity, smoking, drugs and sedentary lifestyles. 

One of the leading inflammatory triggers is unhealthful food, including sugars, red meat, artificial ingredients, gluten, trans fats, and alcohol.  Packaged and process foods, especially those laden with hormones, antibiotics and preservatives, also contribute to inflammation.  An inactive lifestyle, combined with a diet favoring inflammatory foods, can lead to free-radical damage, which might spur disease and appear on the skin as lines and wrinkles. 

The first step toward looking and feeling better is an improved diet that includes plenty of vegetables, lean protein sources, green drinks, beans and raw foods.  It’s also important that inflammatory grains, such as pasta and bread, be replaced with foods such as quinoa, buckwheat and wild rice, which are more easily digested by most people. 

Make Healthy Lifestyle Choices

In addition to eating nutritious foods and getting the proper enzymes and probiotics, we suggest the following: 

Remember!  You’re worth it!!

 The above is an excerpt from “Healthy from the Inside Out”;  published in To Your Health, November, 2009; authored by:  Peggy Raikes, MTOM, Lac, Encinitas, CA, www.acupunctureforms.com.

Power Foods That Boost Your Immunity September 10, 2008

Posted by Mary Ellen Iafrate in : Nutrition , comments closed

Each passing day is bringing us closer to Fall and temperature and climate changes.  Preventive Magazine has some tips on eating to stay healthy and boost our immune system to fight off colds and viruses. 

It takes more than an apple a day to keep viruses at bay.  You can ensure your body and immunity run smoothly by getting your daily servings of fruits and veggies and eight to ten glasses of water a day.  The following can add extra flu-fighting punch to your winter meal plan.

Garlic

Garlic contains the active ingredient allicin, which fights infection and bacteria.  British researchers gave 146 people either a placebo or a garlic extract for 12 weeks; the garlic takers were two-thirds less likely to catch a cold.  Other studies suggest that garlic lovers who chow more than six cloves a week have a 30% lower rate of colorectal cancer and a 50% lower rate of stomach cancer. 

Optimal dose:  Two raw cloves a day and add crushed garlic to your cooking several times a week.

Yogurt

Probiotics, or the ”live active cultures” found in yogurt, are healthy bacteria that keep the gut and intestinal tract free of disease-causing germs.  Although they are available in supplement form, a recent study from the University of Vienna in Austria found that a daily 7-ounce dose of yogurt was just as effective in boosting immunity as popping pills.  In an 80-day Swedish study of 181 factory employees, those who drank a daily supplement of Lactobacillus reuteri–a specific probiotic that appears to stimulate white blood cells–took 33% fewer sick days than those given a placebo.   Any yogurt with a Live and Active Cultures seal contains some beneficial bugs, but Stonyfield Farm is the only US brand that contains this specific strain. 

Optimal dose:  Two 6-ounce servings a day.

Chicken Soup

Cold symptoms are a response to the cells’ accumulation in the bronchial tubes.  The amino acid cysteine, released from chicken during cooking, chemically resembles the bronchitis drug acetylcysteine.  Additionally, the soup’s salty broth keeps mucus thin the same way cough medicines do.  Added spices, such as garlic and onions, can increase soup’s immune-boosting power.

Optimal dose:  Have a bowl when feeling crummy.

PREVENTING HEART DISEASE – FEEDING THE HEART August 22, 2008

Posted by Mary Ellen Iafrate in : Exercise, Nutrition , comments closed

A long-term preventive measure against heart disease – and stroke and high blood pressure – is to review your eating and drinking habits and compile a healthy eating program that includes enjoyable food and moderate alcohol if you like it.

Try to establish a routine of eating for a healthy heart so that you automatically choose the healthier option.  If you do this slowly and gradually, eventually your body will no longer crave salt, sugar, and fats. 

Try the diet advocated below:

Exerpt from Alternative Medicine, pg 171

HOLISTIC NUTRITION IS INDIVIDUALIZED August 9, 2008

Posted by Mary Ellen Iafrate in : Nutrition , comments closed

An important part of living a holistic health life style and adhering to the principles of holistic nutrition is getting to know your body and what it needs.  Different people need different things.  It all depends on your particular body chemistry – your biochemical make up.

You can learn a lot about your body by becoming very attentive to your thoughts, feelings and reactions to specific foods and supplements.  Tune into your body and learn to read the messages it provides you.  Keep a journal of physical and psychological symptoms and then research their relationship to diet and nutrient levels.  However, it can also be helpful to have some biochemical blood work done that can help you pinpoint specific deficiencies or disorders, or allergy testing to identify hidden food allergies.

Holistic nutrition is very individualized, personal and specific to your needs.  It takes into account a person’s overall medical and physical health, as well as the issues that he or she is trying to improve or heal.  It also considers the underlying issues that are going on with your health as well as how ill a person is or how aggressive they want to be with obtaining the results that they want to achieve.  Different illnesses, conditions or diseases have different nutritional requirements and each responds to diet and nutrition uniquely.

There is not a “one size fits all diet.”  Some people thrive on a macrobiotic diet, while others may not be able to function at all with that many carbohydrates.  A vegetarian diet is perfect for some body types and yet it can leave other body types in a heap on the floor.  Some people function most optimally on a high meat diet while others do better with mostly vegetables.

You do not want to follow a diet or supplement plan that was created for someone else.

Note:  Always preceed any changes you make in your diet or supplement plan by seeking professional advice.

The above is an excerpt from “Holistic Help”, article dated 9/9/2007.

READY OR NOT, FALL WILL BE HERE SOON August 9, 2008

Posted by Mary Ellen Iafrate in : Exercise, Nutrition , comments closed

Invariably, with a change in seasons and new weather patterns, colds and influenza (or flu) can hit each of us and lay us low. 

Prepare your body for the seasonal changes by remembering to always eat healthy.

The Complete Guide to Alternative Medicine has the following to say about “Common Viral Infections”.

Over 200 viruses have been identified as being responsible for the many varieties of cold and influenza that are now widespread throughout the world.  The most common, accounting for about a third of all infections, is the rhinovirus.  Conventional medicine has no cure.

The main aim of most natural therapies is to speed up the process or alleviate the symptoms and, in the longer term, to help boost the immune system to fight off infection.

Cold symptoms may include a runny or blocked nose, sore throat, headache, watery eyes, and a cough.  Influenza sufferers may also run a fever and have general aches and pains in muscles and joints.

Should you become ill…

SELF-HELP

Drink plenty of fluids, especially water and natural fruit juice, to replace fluid loss, and eat extra citrus fruit for vitamin C, or take a vitamin C and zinc suplement.  Hot honey and lemon or cider vinegar drinks are also excellent.

Keep your space clean and dry.  Do not share toothbrushes, facecloths, or towels.  Avoid nuts and chocolates, and eat plenty of wholegrains, vegetables, fruit, lean meat and fish. 

Caution:  See your physician if the symptoms of your cold/flu last longer than ten days.