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Your Compass MONTHLY
JUNE 2018
A BALANCED GUT IS A HEALTHY GUT The Importance of Probiotics and Prebiotics
FROM THE DESK OF Ty Wilson
I must brag in this newsletter about my daughter. My daughter Natalie was Peter Pan in “Peter Pan, Jr.” at her school. I could not have been prouder of her when I heard she got a lead role. They practiced and practiced and practiced just like the old joke, “How do you get to broadway? Practice, practice, practice.” My son was also in the play for a small part. Anyway, my parents came in from out of town to see Natalie and share this special day. The play was amazing. It was so fun to watch these kids come together and put on this show. Everyone did a great job. I was really impressed with what everyone’s hard work produced. I was proud when I heard Natalie got a lead role, but I am even more proud with her composure on stage. However, I am sad to say that apparently the school board has decided that children do not need drama classes for the next three years.
In recent years, science has gained a better understanding of the critical role that gut health plays in overall health, and society is starting to pay attention. Most people know that probiotics aid in digestion, but few people understand how. While probiotics are gaining popularity, prebiotics have flown largely under the radar. According to health experts, most Americans don’t consume enough prebiotics every day, which can result in indigestion, higher levels of inflammation, increased likelihood of weight gain, and increased risk for various chronic diseases. Although research is fairly new in this area of nutrition, here is what’s known for sure. Probiotics Probiotics are good bacteria (live cultures) naturally found in your gut. It is believed that probiotics boost immunity and promote gastrointestinal and overall health. Besides aiding regular bowel movement, probiotics have also been used to manage symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). To add more probiotics into your diet, eat fermented dairy foods like Greek yogurt, kefir products, and aged cheeses. All of these foods contain a significant number of live cultures. If you are dairy-intolerant, try eating kimchi, sauerkraut, miso, tempeh, and cultured, nondairy yogurts. Prebiotics Prebiotics are natural, nondigestible fiber compounds that promote the growth of helpful bacteria in your gut. Prebiotics pass through the upper part of the gastrointestinal tract undigested. Once they reach the colon, they are fermented by gut microflora, promoting the growth of probiotics. Prebiotics keep good and bad gut bacteria balanced, improve gastrointestinal health, and may even enhance calcium absorption. The best way to
Next month we will discuss my son’s baseball team. I do not want to jinx them at this point.
Stay safe,
-Ty Wilson
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... continued from cover naturally include more prebiotics in your diet is to eat fructooligosaccharides and galactooligosaccharides. In other words, eat more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains such as acacia gum, raw dandelion greens, raw jicama, underripe bananas, raw or cooked onions, raw garlic, raw leeks, raw asparagus, Prebiotics and probiotics work together in your gut as part of a tiny ecosystem. Probiotics feed on prebiotics to maintain a balance of good and bad bacteria. If there aren’t enough prebiotics to feed the probiotics, the bacteria can become unbalanced, which can result in a number of conditions, from indigestion to heart disease. Together, prebiotics and probiotics battle inflammation and lower overall disease risk. Health Benefits Gut health is closely tied to many other bodily functions, which is why it is essential to maintain a healthy balance of good and bad bacteria. When probiotics metabolize fibrous foods, they and Jerusalem artichokes. The Dynamic Duo
produce short-chain fatty acids that improve the health of the intestinal lining. When your intestinal lining is healthy, your body can better regulate electrolyte levels, digest food properly, and prevent diarrhea. A healthy intestinal lining is also essential to immunity. Prebiotics and probiotics improve your body’s ability to absorb important nutrients and trace minerals from food. They also lower the pH in the gut, which is vital for preventing urinary tract infections, vaginal yeast infections, digestive disorders, colds, and even colon cancer. Finally, research suggests that mood-related disorders like anxiety and depression can be tied to gut health. Your mood and hormone balance are affected by many internal and external factors, one of which is the state of the bacteria living in your gut. Your gut helps absorb and metabolize nutrients from the foods you eat, and these nutrients are used to support neurotransmitter functions that create the hormones that control your mood. Without a balanced gut, your body can’t absorb and use these nutrients correctly.
Supplementation Although there are many pills, supplements, and cleanses available to those who want to incorporate more probiotics and prebiotics in their diet, supplementation is often unnecessary. Probiotics and prebiotics are natural ingredients in everyday foods, and if you eat a healthy, balanced diet, there’s no reason for you to take supplements, unless you suffer from certain food allergies. Meals that contain both probiotics and prebiotics are called “synbiotics.” So eating bananas with yogurt or stir-frying asparagus with tempeh will cover all your bases. While research is still relatively new, health experts can confidently say that a balanced gut as a result of a diet enriched with probiotics and prebiotics is beneficial to your overall health. While probiotics seem to currently soak up the spotlight, make sure you are also eating enough prebiotics for optimal intestinal health. Remember, a balanced gut is a happy and healthy gut.
NONPHYSICAL BENEFITS OF Physical Therapy
Stress Relief
It’s not uncommon for physical therapy (PT) to focus on the strictly physiological aspects of your health; after all, the word “physical” is right there in the name. But while PT is an incredible recovery tool, it provides a number of other benefits that are often overlooked.
Stress caused by an injury can derail your body’s homeostasis, piling up and creating a catastrophic landslide in your life. By actively participating in regular physical therapy, your mindset will change, and the stress caused by your injury will gradually begin to decrease.
Emotional Well-Being
Confidence Boost
The emotional impact of PT cannot be overstated. An injury can cause feelings of helplessness, fear, and uncertainty, which can suffocate even the most iron-willed individuals. After a major surgery, it feels defeating to wake up every day with severe limitations. PT helps you take proactive steps toward recuperation, putting the power back in your hands.
Perhaps the most substantial nonphysical benefit of PT is what it does for your confidence. When you’re on the path to recovery, you don’t have to feel vulnerable anymore. You are in control of your destiny, and that will give you the peace of mind and confidence to achieve your goals. Physical therapy may feel daunting in the beginning as you teach your body to relearn proper movement and work through an injury. But if you stick with it and follow your physical therapist’s instructions, you’ll come out the other side feeling better physically and emotionally.
Sleep Quality
Before pursuing physical therapy, many patients experience varying levels of sleep deprivation. This can lead to a slew of other health complications and a decrease in quality of life. When you start physical therapy, you push your body to its limits, and the natural effects of exercise will help you sleep better. You’ll also sleep better once pain no longer keeps you tossing and turning at night.
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IMPROVE COGNITIVE FUNCTION IN MINUTES
How Meditation Helps You Maintain Brain Health
The Hippocampus
Meditation has often been touted by New Age gurus as a way to find inner peace and stillness. But what if meditating could reduce the effects of aging on your brain? According to research, taking a few minutes out of your day to meditate may improve cognitive function. As meditation’s popularity has spread, so have studies of the practice. The results of 100 studies examining the cognitive effects of meditation all show evidence of improvements in psychological and cognitive functions. Some of the results are intuitive, such as how meditation helps us deal with stress. But other results are incontrovertible, such as scans showing that meditation causes structural changes in the brain. For people facing age-related changes like memory loss, the results of these tests are especially relevant. The studies point to evidence that meditation can strengthen certain areas of the brain — the prefrontal cortex, the hippocampus, and the amygdala — that weaken as we age.
Your hippocampus helps you process and form new memories, and it’s very sensitive to stress. In fact, research shows that your hippocampus will shrink in response to stressful situations and chronic stress. The remedy? Meditation. Dr. Lazar’s study showed a positive correlation between meditation and a higher concentration of gray matter in the left hippocampus.
The Amygdala
Often called the fear center of the brain, the amygdala is triggered by stressful situations. But unlike the hippocampus, which shrinks in response to stress, the amygdala has been shown to become denser. In one study, people who attended mindfulness meditation classes showed a smaller stress response in brain scans compared to those who did not attend the classes. Meditation may help to decrease the density of the amygdala and therefore increase your ability to handle stress. Of course, in addition to these benefits, there’s a good chance that five minutes of meditation each day will simply make you feel better. People who meditate report an increase in overall well-being. Why not give it a try?
The Prefrontal Cortex
Your prefrontal cortex thins with age, which is associated with decreased cognitive function in your later years. However, meditation may reduce this age-related thinning. Dr. Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist specializing in the effects of yoga and meditation on cognitive and behavioral function, reports that long-time meditators don’t show a decline in the thickness of the prefrontal cortex.
Take a Break!
SPICY CHIMICHURRI
Grilled Cheese
Add a nutritional punch and plenty of flavor to this classic American dish by swapping out white bread and processed cheese for something a little more creative.
INGREDIENTS FOR CHIMICHURRI
FOR SANDWICHES
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1 tablespoon olive oil
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2 jalapeños
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1 ripe avocado, cut into slices
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4 green onions
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2–4 ounces fresh mozzarella
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1/2 cup cilantro
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4 slices whole-wheat bread
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1 clove garlic
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2 tablespoons olive oil
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Juice of 1 lime
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2 teaspoons honey
DIRECTIONS 1. Pulse chimichurri ingredients in a food processor or blender until combined but not pureed. Add extra olive oil as needed. 2. Heat grill or skillet to medium- low. Brush outsides of bread with olive oil. Smear 1 tablespoon
chimichurri on each slice of bread. Place a layer of avocado and cheese between slices. 3. Cook gently until bread is crisp and cheese is melted. 4. Slice and serve.
Recipe courtesy of naturallyella.com
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Inside This Issue From the Desk of Ty PAGE 1 A Balanced Gut Is a Healthy Gut PAGE 1 Physical Therapy Is More Than a Physical Journey PAGE 2 HowMeditation Can Help the Aging Brain PAGE 3 Spicy Chimichurri Grilled Cheese PAGE 3 Take a Break! PAGE 3 3 Fathers Who Risked It All for Their Kids PAGE 4
FATHERSWHOPUTTHEIR LIVESON THE LINE FORTHEIR KIDS
Brian Munn gave his son a liver transplant.
bear finally released Gabriel, Greg threw rocks until it fled. His son was hurt, but made a full recovery in the hospital over the coming weeks. Artur Magomedov saved his daughters from ISIS. Artur Magomedov was devastated to discover that his wife had taken his 3- and 10-year- old daughters from their home in Dagestan under the cover of night, flown to Turkey, and crossed into Syria to join ISIS. But he resolved to get his kids back. After a long, hazardous journey, he arrived in Tabqa to embrace his two daughters. To leave the caliphate — under penalty of death — they hitched a ride to the border one night and crawled along a railway line until they were within 70 meters of the border. Then they ran under fire from Turkish border guards until they could scramble into tall grasses. After some help from the Russian consulate in Istanbul, they made it back home, together again and safe.
When doctors discovered that baby Caleb Munn had a rare disease called biliary atresia, they told his parents that he was unlikely to survive past age 2 without a liver transplant. Luckily, his father was a perfect match, and he eagerly donated part of his liver in March 2015 to save his son’s life. Greg Alexander battled a bear for his son’s life. Alexander was startled awake at dawn by the screams of his 16-year-old son, Gabriel. He rushed out of his hammock to see a black bear dragging his son away by the head. Without hesitation, he kicked the beast in the side, and when that didn’t work, he leapt onto its back and started punching it in the face. When the While camping in the backcountry of Great Smoky Mountains National Park, Greg
This Father’s Day, thousands of dads will receive a “No. 1 Dad”mug to sip coffee out of at the office. But the following dads took that “No. 1” to a new level.
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