New Omega-3 Blood Test Now at Optimum Function.
Have you always wondered why everyone is recommending fish oils and other forms of omega-3 essential fatty acids? Well, there’s a new test that you perform at home and send out to my lab that can test your omega-3′s and give you an omega-3 to omega-6 ratio. This information is incredibly important and is called the Omega-3 Index and you can come into Optimum Function; my Portland, Oregon chiropractic, nutrition, hypnosis and functional medicine clinic to grab your test kit and find out what you Omega-3 Index is.
Have You Checked Your Omega-3 Index?
The Omega-3 Index is the new measure of heart health. It may be the most important number you’ll know.
The Omega-3 Index is a stronger predictor of heart disease risk than cholesterol. Individuals with a high Index have a decrease in the relative risk for sudden cardiac death by as much as 90%!
Are you getting the right types and amounts of omegas in your diet? How much do omega-3 you need? What about omega-6?
Now you can check your omega scores with this convenient at-home omega 3 blood test kit which includes two important measures of omega-3s in your blood, your Omega-3 Index and your Omega-6 to Omega-3 Ratio, an important factor associated with chronic, whole body inflammation
Knowing your omega levels can help you proactively make changes to your diet to reduce your risk of heart disease and other conditions associated with chronic inflammation.
Taking the omega 3 blood test is easy. Simply follow the instructions in this convenient at home test kit to collect a drop of blood and return your blood sample in the enclosed return envelope. Within about two weeks, you will receive your lab results by mail along with a customized report, explanation of results and resources to help you make and sustain changes to your diet that will positively impact your omega scores.
The cost of the test is $129.95 and this includes my evaluation and diet and/or supplement recommendations if any are needed.
Contact me at info@OptFunction.com or use the contact form to the left of this post for more information or to schedule a time to come pick up your test kit!
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum Health
Another Article About Health Food or Health Fraud…..
I have posted a couple of blogs about the seemingly fraudulent advertisements that tout certain unhealthy food as “health food”.
Here’s another article about the topic; you’ll be surprised to read about a certain yogurt company settling a suit for claims that their product “helps to keep you regular”. Health Food … or Health Fraud?
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthIs it a Cold or H1N1?
Having had a few patients come in to my chiropractic, nutrition and functional medicine clinic in Portland and email me with this questions, I thought I’d write a blog with some info and a couple of resources to help answer this problem. This blog is not meant to diagnose or treat anyone with any type of ailment and is written for information purposes only. If you truly want to differentiate between H1N1 and a cold, you should go see a healthcare provider or call a local nurse hotline.
Here’s some info to help you differentiate between H1Ni and a cold:
Fever
- Fever is rare with a cold.
- Fever is usually present with the flu in up to 80% of all flu cases. A temperature of 100°F or higher for 3 to 4 days is associated with the H1N1 flu.
Coughing
- A hacking, productive (mucus- producing) cough is often present with a cold.
- A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with the H1N1 flu (sometimes referred to as dry cough).
Aches
- Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold.
- Severe aches and pains are common with the H1N1 flu.
Stuffy Nose
- Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week.
- Stuffy nose is not commonly present with the H1N1 flu.
Chills
- Chills are uncommon with a cold.
- 60% of people who have the H1N1 flu experience chills.
Tiredness
- Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold.
- Tiredness is moderate to severe with the H1N1 flu.
Sneezing
- Sneezing is commonly present with a cold.
- Sneezing is not common with the H1N1 flu.
Sudden Symptoms
- Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days.
- The H1N1 flu has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. The flu hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains.
Headache
- A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold.
- A headache is very common with the H1N1 flu, present in 80% of flu cases.
Sore Throat
- Sore throat is commonly present with a cold.
- Sore throat is not commonly present with the H1N1 flu.
Chest Discomfort
- Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold.
- Chest discomfort is often severe with the H1N1 flu.
Here are some more resources about H1N1:
Cold? Flu? H1N1? How can you tell the difference?
Is It Cold, Flu or H1N1? How to Tell
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthEat Healthy, Whole Foods or Risk Depression
I wanted to pass this article on to you all, it’s about how unhealthy eating (a diet of processed foods) can cause depression and how depressed individuals make unhealthy food choices. It becomes a vicious cycle. Here’s the link: Depression, Lifestyle and Processed Food
I am a BIG proponent of eating real, minimally processed foods, not too much and mostly vegetables Here’s a link to my Portland, Oregon chiropractic, nutrition, functional medicine and hypnosis clinic, Optimum Function
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthNovember is Vitamin D Month at Optimum Function in Portland!
For those of you who caught my last video update a couple of days ago, I talked briefly about vitamin D and how important it is to have adequate levels. I also mentioned that, to figure out your levels, we can do a blood test in my Portland, Oregon chiropractic, nutrition functional medicine and hypnosis clinic, Optimum Function.
The test is inexpensive, in fact, for a limited time, I am offering it for $49! This includes my interpretation, report and recommendations if any. My optimal ranges for vitamin D are 60-100ng/dl, levels below 35ng/dl or so are usually considered deficient but levels above 60ng/dl seem to be best for overall health.
Here are some vitamin D facts:
- Most (probably all) cells in the body can synthesize Vitamin D
- 20% to 80% of Americans may be vitamin D deficient
- Vitamin D deficient patients can absorb only 1/3rd as much calcium as those with adequate levels
- Adequate Vitamin D may prevent cancer (prostate, colon, breast); the process of conversion from inactive to active Vitamin D is a growth regulating process in cells.
- SPF 8 blocks body vitamin D production by 97.5%
- SPF 15 blocks body vitamin D production by 99.5%
Vitamin D Research:
RELATED DISEASES – “The role of vitamin D deficiency increases the risk of many common and serious disease processes including some common cancers, type 1 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis… Vitamin D deficiency is often mistaken or misdiagnosed as fibromyalgia… It is reasonable to perform annual Vitamin D testing to monitor for deficiency. Holick, MF, Vitamin D: importance in prevention of cancers, type 1 diabetes, heart disease, and osteoporosis. Am J Clin Nutr. 2004 Mar;79(3):362-71.
MAYO CLINIC STUDY – 150 Patients with persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain for 4 consecutive months were virtually all found to be vitamin D deficient (< or = 20 ng/ml) level and many were severely deficient. They concluded that: All patients with persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain are at high risk for the consequences of unrecognized vitamin D deficiency, including those considered at low risk for such deficiency. Vitamin D testing for such individuals should be standard practice. Plotnikoff GA, Quigley LM, Mayo Clinic Proc. 2003 Dec; 78(12):1463-70 Prevalence of severe hypovitaminosis D in patients with persistent, nonspecific musculoskeletal pain.
LOW BACK PAIN – A study of 360 patients (where 90% were Saudi Arabian women where most women are veiled) experiencing low back pain with no obvious cause for 6 months found 83% of the patients had abnormally low vitamin D levels. Spine. 2003 Jan 15;28(2):177-9. Vitamin D deficiency and chronic low back pain in Saudi Arabia
Here’s a list of condition associated with inadequate levels of Vitamin D from sunlightd.org
Every body needs sunlight and vitamin D. Deficiency or insufficiency has been associated with:
- Adrenal insufficiency
- Alzheimer’s
- Allergy
- Autoimmune disorders
- Cancers of the colon, breast, skin and prostate
- Depression
- Diabetes, Type 1 and 2
- Gluten intolerance
- Heart disease
- Heavy metal toxicity
- Hypertension
- Infertility
- Learning disorders
- Lectin intolerance
- Misaligned teeth and cavities
- Myopia
- Obesity
- Osteomalacia
- Osteoporosis
- Parkinson’s
- PMS/PMDD
- Psoriasis
- Rickets
- Seasonal affective disorder
- Metabolic Syndrome/Syndrome X
- and more…
So….. Vitamin D is not just important for bone health; get yours tested today!
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum HealthVideo Update: Vitamin D
Hey everyone, I just uploaded another video update about vitamin D. Come on in to my chiropractic, nutrition, functional medicine and hypnosis clinic, Optimum Function in SE Portland and I’ll order a vitamin D test for you and help you optimize your levels.
How to Balance Your Fats
Patients at Optimum Function and people in general know that getting enough omega-3 fats is extremely important. What many people do not realize is that we also need omega-6 and even omega-9 fats. The key is a healthy balance. This article is about how to improve you omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. In general processed foods are laden with omega-6 fats and therefore the balance between the 2 has been skewed. It has been estimated that the average person consumes between 10-30 times more omega-6 fats than omega-3’s. One of the most important things to do when trying to balance fat intake is eat more vegetables and fruits. While they contain only small amounts of fat, the omega ratios are optimal.
I wrote an article for an upcoming lecture I am going to give called Omega Fats: Clearing up the details and balancing Omega 6 and Omega 3 Fats. Click on the following link for the article: Portland, Oregon Nutrition – Omega Fats: Clearing up the details and balancing omega-6 and omega-3 fats.
For more nutrition information in Portland, Oregon or for some custom nutritional counseling; leave a comment here or contact me at 503-866-9739
Yours in Health,Tim Irving DC, MS, LMTOptimum Function: 819 SE Morrison St. ste. 215, Portland, OR, 97215Optimum Function = Optimum Health