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Gluten may not be your Friend
by Pat News
Celiac Disease (CD) is a genetic auto-immune disease which renders a person unable to metabolize gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, oats and barley. If they are exposed to this protein, it can be disastrous to their health and lead to a lifetime of illness. The category of "gluten intolerance" can also effect health and general well being.

Because wheat has been hybridized over the last 50 years, it contains 50 to 400 times more gluten and has led to a rise in gluten intolerance occurrence. Although this reaction would not be as severe as if you had CD, it can wreak havoc on every system of your body and cause a long list of symptoms.

This list can include skin rashes, mouth sores, muscle aches, joint pain, fatigue, depression, brain fog, irritability, and many gastrointestinal complaints including abdominal bloating, constipation, diarrhea, acid reflux and increased gas.

While gluten may not be the only reason that these symptoms might occur, it should be considered as a reason for these complaints, especially if several of them are experienced by a patient. In this New Year maybe that can be your resolution - get tested to learn if gluten is a friend or a foe. Call to schedule an appointment for an evaluation of your gluten status.
Pat News, RNC, NP, MSN of Pat News Health Care 799-7000

Free Retainers, Custom Whitening Trays & Tooth Contouring with Invisalign Purchase
Invisalign straightens teeth without the need for disruptive braces, all while solving other oral health issues like bad breath, periodontal pocketing and dental trauma. Now, you can gain all those benefits while also taking advantage of a limited-time free offer: Retainers, custom whitening trays and tooth contouring are free with your Invisalign treatment!
Santa Clarita Advanced Dentistry 200-0677

E-Learning Courses for Family Caregivers Coping with Dementia Now Available
There are nearly 16 million adult family caregivers caring for a loved one with Alzheimer's disease or another form of dementia. Often family members are the primary caregivers themselves, or are responsible for making decisions about the care, and about care-related expenses. However, it's a steep learning curve for family members who, more often than not, have no time to prepare for the stress involved and the strategies needed to care for their loved ones.

To ease the stress and support family caregivers, Home Instead Senior Care has partnered with the Alzheimer's Association to create five e-learning courses, each of them 5 to 15 minutes in length, to provide basic information and savvy techniques for improving the quality of life, both for caregivers and for their loved ones. From understanding dementia to encouraging engagement, these brief classes are essential to helping family caregivers become more confident...and more effective. Log on to helpforalzheimersfamilies.com/learn/alzheimers-education/ for access.
Home Instead Senior Care 254-8701

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Nature Deficit Disorder & your Health
In the 2005 book, "Last Child in the Woods," by Richard Louv, a new term launched a renewed public consciousness about the importance of natural spaces: Nature Deficit Disorder (NDD). The basic premise is that our modern world, filled with lots of sitting under artificial lights, has caused many of us to suffer from mental and physical illness. Symptoms like negative moods and reduced attention spans can come on especially strong in the winter, when already-limited outdoor time often gets an additional cut. The cure? More time outdoors.

Specialists argue that nearly any interaction with nature and/or green spaces have at least some potential to improve moods - and that when you increase the scale and frequency, benefits also grow.

So, how to get a big nature "bang" for your limited-time "buck?" A winter trail ride through the Santa Clara river bed might be the answer. Join your family and friends on a private, slow-mosey flat trail on the back of an experienced trail horse. Take advantage of SCV's mild winter weather, get some vitamin D from the sunshine and disconnect from technology for an hour while your nervous system relaxes while surrounded by the natural world.
Santa Clarita Valley Equestrian Center 296-9995