One of the core principles of functional medicine is to nourish the body and ensure it is getting the appropriate balance of nutrients to stay healthy. Traditionally, this was achieved in a hunter-gather diet by eating colourful whole foods and by practicing “nose-to-tail” eating of meat, which included the consumption of skin, cartilage, marrow, tendons/ligaments, and other parts of the animal that are now typically discarded. Unfortunately, much of this practice has been lost as a result of prepared meats, microwaves, and canned soups over homemade stocks. As a result, our diets have become deprived of an important protein, known as collagen.

      There is a lot of noise in the health industry lately about collagen supplementation. The concept of supplementing collagen attempts to regain what we’ve lost from our primitive diet, but the question becomes if supplementation has any benefit.
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Benefits of Collagen
I’ll admit that when I first heard about the trend of supplementing collagen, I wasn't on board. It made no sense to me. Collagen is a tissue found in our bodies made from amino acids, vitamin C, etc. So how could supplementingthe end product collagen benefit us? But as it turns out, research in mice shows that hydrolyzed collagen peptides (from gelatin) have a 95% absorption rate at 12 hours after intake, and it distributes in the body similar to that of raw amino acids, with the exception of cartilage (1). Collagen was seen to concentrate more than twice as high in cartilaginous tissue that raw amino acids (1), giving collagen some unique benefits. So, I jumped on the bandwagon.

Bone broth is a rich source of nutrients. It contains protein, cartilage, gelatin, and minerals, especially calcium. It’s easy for our body to digest, tastes delicious and fills a home with an aroma of goodness while cooking. Bone broth is inherently calming, consoling, and restorative to our energy and spirit. The gelatin in bone broth also has been shown to have numerous benefits on the cartilage in our joints, the integrity of our gut membrane, the detoxification of our livers, and the health of our skin!
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BASIC BONE BROTH MAKING

1. Bones - poultry, fish, shellfish, beef or lamb
   - cooked bones from a previous meal, with or without skin or meat
   - raw bones, with or without skin and meat (can be browned first for flavour)
   ​- use a whole carcass or just parts (good choices include feet, ribs, necks and knuckles)
2. Water - cold
   enough to just cover the bones or 2 cups water per 1 pound bones
3. Vinegar - any kind
   a splash (1-2 tablespoons), or substitute lemon juice for vinegar
4. Vegetables (optional) – skins, ends and tops or entire veggie
   traditional choices include celery, carrots, onions, garlic and parsley, but any will do

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      Our skin provides us with a wonderful reflection of what’s occurring below its surface. Contrary to popular belief, acne is not a result of improper facial hygiene. It typically presents itself as the unfortunate indicator that there's an internal problem. And while most reach for the latest and greatest topical products that promise results, many forget to ask the important question of "why is this happening in the first place?"

The root to acne formation is centered on the oil gland, known as the sebaceous gland. Hormonal changes, inflammatory foods, disrupted skin pH, etc. can lead to changes in the quality and amount of sebum produced, creating low level inflammation. This inflammation can plug the follicle, creating little papule-like lesions called closed comedones. Bacteria see these comedones as honeymoon destinations, and the more overgrown with bacteria these blocked follicles become, the larger and more cystic the resulting "pimple". If the cyst ruptures below the dermis, the lesions last a lot longer and are more likely to trigger scarring.

So how do we manage it? Since lesions are most commonly the result of oxidative damage and hormonal imbalances, the trick is to work from the inside out. 

Join us for the next 6 weeks as we challenge each other to incorporate healthy habits into our lifestyles. Share with a friend to challenge them with you!
 
Health Habits Challenge: No Electronics 1 hour before bed
Our bodies are made up of millions of electrons that are constantly subjected to stimulation: more specifically, light stimulation. 
The reception of light into our optic nerve emits a signal to the brain to indicate daytime, and therefore mounts a release of our wake/stress hormones, cortisol, dopamine and noradrenalin.
This tells our brain that we should be awake and active, not restful and sleepy.

Furthermore, research out of Thomas Jefferson University shows that the light emitted from our devices is “short-wavelength-enriched,” meaning it has a higher concentration of blue light than natural light. Blue light has been shown to affect levels of melatonin (our sleep-inducing hormone) more than any other wavelength.

Instead, dim the lights, power down all the electronics, and relax in bed by listening to a podcast, chatting with your partner, or reading a good ol' fashion paperback novel. Choose relaxing reading materials that have nothing to do with work! Stop all your work-related activities at least 2 hours before bed!

And no, night mode doesn't count.