Welcome to Wellness Wednesdays with Dr. Claudia Coen

Welcome to Wellness Wednesdays with Dr. Claudia Coen                       

 

In today’s world, relying solely on your health insurance is not enough because it is no more than prepaid medical expenses.  The only guaranteed insurance you have is the steps you daily to ensure your own health.  Being healthy and staying healthy is a process. To stay on track, many of us need the support, vision and long-term partnership that come from a comprehensive wellness team dedicated to our particular health and wellness goals.

As a nutritional physiologist, I specialize in customized nutritional therapy and integrated counseling programs to help you achieve your optimum health goals.  I have a Ph.D. from Cornell University, a certificate in health counseling from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, board certification from the American Association of Drug Free Practitioners, and membership in the International College of Integrative Medicine.  My practice is dedicated to guiding clients, patients and health professionals implement nutritional programming as a front-line approach to well being and as a lifelong defense against disease and illness.

            Dr. Solomon and I are committed to comprehensive patient care and your individual well-being.  We share a common approach rooted in integrated medicine and a common core philosophy rooted in the basic definitions of the words “health” and “wellness.”  The definition of “health” is the condition of being sound in body, mind, or spirit with freedom from physical disease or pain. The definition of “well-being” is to be in a flourishing condition.

            Our objective is to see you flourish, which means your physical and mental condition is sound, your life is balanced and you are free of pain and illness. To help you achieve this state of “optimum health”, I consider how all areas of your life are connected and affecting your current state of health. Then, together, we develop a customized program to meet your specific needs and goals. I seek the root causes of your symptoms and we work together to resolve or alleviate them. We provide your body with tools and time to heal or recover so that you can achieve optimum health in a flexible, fun and rewarding manner in an environment that is comfortable and judgment free. My clients are committed to a path of improved health and quality of life. 

            Nutritional therapists use whole, natural foods and supplements, in conjunction with positive lifestyle, to help you reach and maintain optimum health.  The core principle is that proper nutrition is key to good health.  Practiced alone or in co-therapy with modern medicine and other treatments, nutritional therapy is a safe and effective form of healing and prevention from many diseases today.  It is appropriate for people of all ages, and at all life stages.  Just as bricks and mortar form the structure of a building, so basic nutrients provide the essential elements and building blocks of the body.  Available in the correct forms and concentrations, nutrients allow the body to function at maximum capacity for optimum health. The body defaults to a balanced state and becomes the lean, mean machine it is meant to be.  Most of us poison our bodies daily with inappropriate “foods”, yet our bodies continue to function.  But, eventually they do become “bogged down” or “gummed up” and we get ill.

            Through years of study and experience, I understand the difference between feeding your face and nourishing your body at the cellular level. Health counseling is a way to apply this information in a program customized to your specific needs.  This approach allows the practitioner to treat the “whole” person over a period of time with on-going support.  I provide ongoing support and guidance as you set goals and make sustainable changes.  I listen carefully and help you navigate the world of contradictory nutrition advice so you can determine what changes are necessary for you.  Together we will explore concerns specific to you, your body and discover the tools you need for a lifetime of balance.

            At Solomon Family Chiropractic, our chiropractic and nutrition team has a variety of powerful tools and skills to help you regain mind/body/life balance including Meridian Energy Analysis and Electromagnetic Stimulation.  Results are reduced pain, stress, illness and medications, benefits are improved health, immune system function, physical and mental energy, vitality, sleep patterns and a significantly greater happiness factor in your life.

            Could one conversation change your life?   

For a free, no obligation consultation, in a friendly and supportive environment, call Solomon Family Chiropractic at 315-789-2602 or 315-945-4564.

If you don't live in our area, its no problem, no matter where you live we can work together very effectively on Skype from the comfort of your home or office.  The most important thing is that we do work together to get you healthy and well and feeling great so that you can live your  best life.  Contact me via e-mail at drcoen@natureandnurturenutrition.com

To Supplement or Not To Supplement?

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday with Dr. Coen

1.  Do You Take Nutritional Supplements?
2.  Should You Take Nutritional Supplements?
3.  Do You Take The Right Nutritional Supplements?
4. Do You Take Too Many Nutritional Supplements?

    Our technological world bombards us daily with advertisements, promotional materials and new-found scientific evidence for the benefits of nutrient supplements.  How do we navigate the endless and conflicting nutritional information?  How do we know whether we should be taking supplements, which supplements are right for us and how much we should take?
    Rule number one is to follow the current advice of your primary care physician or health specialist.  If you have been prescribed a vitamin, mineral or supplement, take it according to the directions, and follow-up with your physician at regular intervals to track your status.
    There are three primary schools of thought on the role of nutrient supplements. (1)  Individuals with The Minimalist View  believe that all nutritional requirements can be met by food alone.  Underpinning this view is adherence to a highly balanced and seasonal diet of locally grown and whole foods that are free of pesticides and chemicals. You should drink filtered water free of contaminants, be in good health, exercise regularly, manage stress well and live a balanced life.  In other words, you should be in a state of optimum health.  I am awed by the people I meet who can achieve this.  Sadly, few people can actually sustain this lifestyle or state of well-being.
    (2) Individuals with the The Enthusiast View believe that supplements can cure most ills, maintain youthful vigor and support a longer life.  The foundation of this view is that supplementation is absolutely essential for absolutely everyone.  When used correctly, supplements can indeed prevent, alleviate or cure many of your ills.  They can help to slow the aging process of cells, and thereby the body.  If your body is healthy and well-nourished at the cellular level, with sufficient anti-oxidants and omega III oils to meet its needs, it will age more slowly and gracefully.  I have met well-informed enthusiasts who have a thorough understanding of their supplement regimes.  Regrettably, most others end up over supplementing themselves, overlapping nutrients across supplements, and spending far too much money on supplements they do not necessarily need.  Their best approach would be to visit a nutritional physiologist, naturopath, integrative medicine practitioner or other similarly qualified doctor to implement a balanced diet and lifestyle that is supported by a supplementation regime effectively tailored to the specific needs of the individual.
    (3) Individuals with The Temperatist View (moderate) believe that supplementation is a valuable and necessary health practice, but one that must be custom fit to each bio-individual. Joshua Rosenthal at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition uses the term “bio-individual” to express how each of us functions biologically differently from others, and how our biological function changes over time.  Your current state of health, age, lifestyle, nutrition, stressors, emotional and mental well-being, for instance, determine your biological function and your need for supplements or not.  These needs  change over time as our bodies and circumstances change. I subscribe to this view.
    Given the modern challenges of our world - high stress, little down time, environmental pollutants, processed foods, inactive lifestyles - I seldom meet an individual who would not benefit from supplemental vitamins, minerals, omega IIIs and anti-oxidants. But I do not believe in unnecessary supplementation or taking supplements that are poor quality or have low bio-availability.  I believe that the core source of all nutrients must be a well-planned and well-balanced diet.  There is no substitute for fresh, whole foods prepared at home.  All nutrients require co-factors to function optimally in the body.  The quality and utility of nutrients from a pill, gel or powder is far inferior to that from fresh food.  Different foods working together inside the body offer greater benefit than single nutrient supplements.  Sadly, most of us are not eating well-balanced, whole food diets, nor living calm, low stress lives. Many of us take multiple prescription medications.  Therefore we should consider supplementation as an informed approach to our nutritional gaps.
    There is no one-size-fits-all regime. Come and see me. Bring your bottles and jars.  Bring your concerns about whether you should be taking a supplement, whether you are taking too many supplements or if the supplements you are taking are the right ones for you.  We will spend an hour  assessing your supplementation regimen and ensure that it is meeting your specific needs.  No matter where in the world you live, you can contact me, we can work together very effectively over skype.  The most important thing is to give you the support and information you need to empower you to be healthy and well so you can live your best life.

Call me at Solomon Family Chiropractic, Geneva, NY, 315-789-2602 or contact me via e-mail at drcoen@natureandnurturenutrition.com

Chew Chew Chew

Welcome to Wellness Wednesday with Dr. Claudia Coen

I have made it a rule to give every tooth of mine a chance, and when I eat, to chew every bite thirty-two times. To this rule I owe much of my success in life. -William Gladstone

CHEW CHEW CHEW

When it comes to increased health, it’s not just what we eat but how we eat. Digestion actually begins in the mouth, where contact with our teeth and digestive enzymes, such as amylase in our saliva begins the chemical process of digestion. Amylase is an enzyme that catalyses the breakdown of carbohydrates. These days most of us rush through the whole eating experience, barely acknowledging what we’re putting in our mouths. We eat while distracted—working, reading, talking and watching television—and swallow our food practically whole. On average we chew each bite only eight times. It’s no wonder that many people have digestive problems. If food does not reach our stomachs sufficiently broken down into small enough pieces AND sufficiently exposed to amylase then it cannot be properly digested in the acid environment of the stomach.
There are many great reasons to slow down and chew your food.
Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a sweet taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food becomes, so we don’t crave those after-meal sweets.
Chewing reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food.
More chewing produces more endorphins, the brain chemicals responsible for creating good feelings.
It’s also helpful for weight loss, because when we are chewing well, we are more apt to notice when we are full.
In fact, chewing can promote increased circulation, enhanced immunity, increased energy and endurance, as well as improve skin health and stabilize weight.
Taking time with a meal, beginning with chewing, allows for enjoyment of the whole experience of eating: the smells, flavors and textures. It helps us to give thanks, to show appreciation for the abundance in our lives and to develop patience and self-control.

The power of chewing is so great that there are stories of concentration camp survivors who, when others could not, made it through with very little food by chewing their meager rations up to 300 times per bite of food. For most of us 300 chews is a daunting and unrealistic goal. Often, the first thing people experience when they go to a Buddhist monastery, is the exercise in chewing. Given a bowl of rice and a pair of chop sticks, they are required to chew each mouthful 100 times before swallowing. You can experience the benefits of chewing by increasing the average 8 chews per bite to 30 chews per bite. Try it and see how you feel.
Try eating without the TV, computer, Blackberry, newspaper or noisy company. Instead just pay attention to the food and to how you are breathing and chewing. This kind of quiet can be disconcerting at first, since we are used to a steady stream of advertising, news, media, email and demands from others. But as you create a new habit, you will begin to appreciate eating without rushing. You have to eat every day—why not learn to savor and enjoy it?
If you suffer from digestive disorders, indigestion, daily gastric pain, GERD…medications may not be the only remedy. Understanding the fundamentals of digestion, the importance of fluid nutrition and how to use food as your medicine can go a long way to healing your pain and discomfort. Perhaps a conversation with me could set you back on the path of enjoying food as friend rather than foe.

Call me at Solomon Family Chiropractic 315-789-2602 if you think my approach could help you.
© Integrative Nutrition