Vida Holistic Health

07/04/2025

Happy 4th of July from my family to yours.

07/03/2025

Find a healthy hobby/activity and make it part of your weekly routine. These things usually provide an outlet for your stress and help you reset. We live in a stressful environment and it can affect our sleep, digestion, focus, hormones, etc if you don't take time to release it somehow. Better if it's a combination of outdoor and indoor activity and physical and relaxing (e.i. hiking and reading a good book).

The last week, I watched a free movie outdoors with a friend while getting to appreciate the moon, enjoyed a relaxing day at the pool getting free Vitamin D, and got to appreciate the beautiful sky right before sunset on my way home from work.

Doesn't need to be complicated.

06/17/2025

This is very important and can go a long way to figuring out how to potentially treat or prevent autism in babies/children.
https://www.u-fukui.ac.jp/en-research/99092/
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/162e3MkvuM/

Researchers from the University of Fukui in Japan may have uncovered a key biological factor associated with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).

In a groundbreaking study, they identified a strong link between specific metabolites in umbilical cord blood — particularly dihydroxyeicosatrienoic acids (diHETrEs) — and the later development of autism-related traits.

These fatty acid derivatives, produced during pregnancy, appear to influence early brain development, especially in areas related to social and behavioral function.

Higher diHETrE levels were correlated with increased social difficulties, while lower levels were tied to repetitive behaviors — making them potential early biomarkers for ASD.

This discovery could transform autism screening and intervention. Testing newborns for diHETrE levels might help predict ASD risk, enabling earlier support and personalized treatment strategies.

The findings also open the door to potential preventive measures during pregnancy, though further research is necessary to confirm these possibilities.

Importantly, this is among the first studies to utilize preserved human umbilical cord blood, bridging the gap between previous animal research and human-focused autism studies.

06/13/2025

As tensions get high and stress elevates because of our finances, jobs, family issues and/or our health (physical, mental, emotional), please remember to take a moment even if it's just 5-10 min to take deep breaths and commune with nature whereever you are, so that we can decompress and reset for whatever happens the next 30 min.

05/31/2025

I have been warning my family, friends, and patients off sucralose (aka Splenda) for over 15 yrs for this same reason. I did a presentation on this artificial sweetener comparing it to high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) while still in school and discovered it was just bad all around. And it's now found in most zero sugar foods, candy and drinks. You'd do better consuming regular sugar than this chemical.

A recent brain imaging study finds that sucralose, unlike sugar, increases activity in the hypothalamus and boosts hunger, suggesting that calorie-free sweetness may confuse the brain’s appetite control system.

05/05/2025

As the weather warms up, let's plan to do activities that brings us joy outside. Whether it be dancing, gardening, or just enjoying a slow walk through the nature trails.

04/09/2025

An easy 15-20 min healthy breakfast.
1) Sauté tomatoes, bella mushrooms in butter for a few minutes.
2) Add Arugula, Spinach mix, and cook for 1-2 min.
3) Add your scrambled eggs (I added salt and garlic powder to my eggs) and cook until fully cooked. You can add chopped fresh green onions, too, at this point for taste.
4) Add avocado and toasted sourdough bread to complete your breakfast.
Enjoy!

03/08/2025

Happy International Women's Day!

02/14/2025

Happy Valentine's Day!
Talking of matters of the heart. Make sure to time in stress reducing habits like exercise, decompression, talking/writing in a journal of whatever is bothering you, enjoying healthy food and nature, etc. Stress is the top killer of Americans in the United States. It might be the reason for your clogged arteries, high cholesterol, and/or high blood pressure among others.
https://www.yalemedicine.org/news/stress-affects-your-heart

02/07/2025

It's a stressful time for many people right now. Make sure to take a break from the news, phones, social media, etc and step out into nature to reset your mind and help balance your cortisol (stress hormone) levels.

02/05/2025

Don't wait to address your health concerns if you're already noticing something is wrong.

02/03/2025

As we enter February, some of you are trying to figure out how to stick to an exercise program or even the right diet. It's not a one size fits all thing and sometimes things like vitamin deficiencies and hormones can get in the way of progress. I would love to help you in your journey especially if you're starting to feel stuck or tired.