Primo Health Blog

We have been examining the function and disorders of the thyroid gland, the butterfly shaped gland just below our skin and surrounding our throat. As we get older we become more susceptible to disorders of the thyroid. Unfortunately, most thyroid conditions are not diagnosed early enough to prevent deterioration of the gland and its function. A dead or dying thyroid will impact the quality of one's life. Identifying and preventing damage to this gland will ensure healthy thyroid function.

In part 2 of our series Healthy Thyroid Function we will learn what a healthy thyroid is supposed to do (Read Part 1). This complicated little butterfly shaped organ is quite remarkable in its function and influence on our health.

The butterfly shaped organ that wraps around our throat is called the thyroid gland. This seemingly indescript organ can actually have a tremendous effect on our health. It's function is somewhat complicated, and disorders of the thyroid are very often overlooked or downplayed. This occurs in spite of the prevalence of thyroid disorders in our society.

No nutrient rich food I can think of has been given a worse reputation than chicken eggs. Well, maybe raw milk is getting the boot now, but eggs are right there with them. The poor chicken egg has been blamed for high cholesterol, high fat and bacterial poisoning. But this stigma is rightfully and hopefully disappearing while the truth about eggs prevails.

Eggs are a storehouse of nutrients all contained in a built-in protective package. Unless you've chosen a vegan/vegetarian approach to food, I highly recommend incorporating eggs into healthy diet. But not just any eggs, as you will see below, but the highest quality eggs you can find. And let me explain why.

As humans we share many commonalities, starting with our genetic code found tangled up in our DNA. It is common for us to try to prescribe practical measures towards things like health and nutrition that we try to apply to everyone. However, the concept of biochemical individuality has taught us that in spite of our many similarities, each one of use has a uniqueness that deserves a less general approach to our health and well being. We each are biochemically unique and have unique health requirements.

You may be surprised to see an article about quinoa by a grain-free guy like me. But in actuality quinoa (pronounced keen-wah) is not a grain but a seed. It is one of the least problem-causing "grains," can be  tolerated by most gluten sensitive individuals and is even accepted by some Paleo eaters (those who stretch the rules). It is a gluten-free grain that is versatile and has many health benefits with its strong nutrition status.

Quinoa is actually the seed of an herbaceous plant related to spinach and Swiss chard. The most popular seeds are a tan or yellow color. But several varieties and colors exist from black, to red, orange purple and pink. It has a rich nutty flavor with a tasty crunch.

Prostate cancer is a male cancer starting with abnormal cell growth in the prostate gland that may metastasize and spread to other parts of the body.  It is typically comprised of many very small slow-growing tumors and it strikes approximately one out of six American men (“About Prostate Cancer”, 2010).  Prostate cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in American men, yet it is highly treatable and preventable (Rakel, 2007, p. 848).

This week I've dedicated my blogging to the health practice of juicing vegetables for optimal health. If you've missed Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3 of Tips For Juicing For Optimal Health, I suggest you back up and read those first.

By now I hope you're convinced you want to try juicing and you're pretty comfortable with knowing what you need to make a delicious, nutritious high quality juice. I only have a couple tips left and mostly want to help you with choosing the right equipment. If you've ever shopped for a juicer, I'm sure you know that the options are endless as are the price differences. Hopefully I can make the process of selecting the right juicer a little less daunting. But first I want to discuss something that always comes up when we discuss juicing vegetables.

I hope by now you are realizing the many health benefits of drinking nutritious fresh raw juice. I hope you've either dusted off your old juicer or are considering buying one to boost your nutrition. If you don't have a juicer yet, I will discuss choosing the best juicer in Part 4 of Tips For Juicing For Optimal Health. If you missed Part 2 or Part 1 of the series, please go back and read those first.

Juicing does not cancel out a bad diet. It is important to build a diet around whole foods that are clean (organic), unadulterated (non-GMO) and fresh! Juicing organic vegetables is a way to augment that diet and be able to incorporate even more healthy nutritious disease preventative nutrients found in our rainbow of vegetables. Here I'm presenting a few more tips to make your juicing experience most palatable and beneficial.

I've received a lot of interesting feedback on Part 1 of Tips For Juicing For Optimal Health. Mostly great feedback from people who love to juice as a part of their healthy diet. Then there are some who don't believe that juicing is a natural way to consume vegetables. The way I see it is if I can get people to eat more vegetables by juicing or by "hiding" vegetables in some of their foods (i.e., add spinach to spaghetti sauce), then I've done a great job of encouraging a healthier diet. Here is Part 2 of this series.

In Part 1 of this series I discussed what vegetables are good to start with. As you get accustomed to juicing and drinking liquid that is not sweetened, you can start to incorporate other nutrient dense vegetables.  The following are the vegetables recommended by Dr. Joseph Mercola in progressive order: