If your 2022 resolutions include losing weight and/or enhancing mental sharpness, lowering carbohydrate intake is a good place to start; then, you can easily expedite your efforts by adding MCT oil. This natural, coconut additive can effectively curb your appetite, enhance energy and fuel brain cells when coupled with a healthy low-carb diet.1,3 Medium chain… Read more »
The sweet smell of cinnamon and sugar can bring back fond memories of grandma’s kitchen, especially this time of year. But too many of her holiday treats can leave you stuffed as a stocking and sleepy as a sugar plum fairy. If baking is on your Christmas list, why not consider natural sweeteners that taste… Read more »
There are few foods more comforting and versatile than butter. Although butter has been renounced by the medical and health community for years, it isn’t all bad. It’s true that butter is predominantly a saturated fat, and there is strong evidence that correlates the overconsumption of saturated fats with obesity and heart disease. However, maybe… Read more »
Fruit, by definition, is the sweet and fleshy product of a tree or other plant that contains seed and can be eaten as food. This has been a favorite point of gained knowledge for all my children around the fourth grade. They are fascinated that cucumbers and tomatoes are actually fruits, and not vegetables, and… Read more »
Microscopic nutrition is the study of your blood, cells and plasma. It offers the opportunity to see how healthy these life liquids are and what is really going on inside your cell body. The process involves a small prick of the finger to obtain a few drops of blood, which is then viewed under a… Read more »
Have you ever noticed the red and yellow bulbs growing on cacti? Did you know that these colorful little gems are prickly pear, a nutritious superfood that grows abundantly in our desert? They sprout from the fantail cactus and ripen from July through September. However, they earn their name, and harvesting can be a bit… Read more »
There are many popular diets – Zone, ketogenic, Mediterranean, DASH, Whole30 and more. But what if you’ve tried these programs and still have health problems that fail to go away, or stubborn pounds that refuse to come off? You may need to try the lesser-known, but very effective, elemental diet. The main constituents of food… Read more »
Due in part to the popularity of the paleo and keto diets, I am often asked by patients if they should avoid lectin-containing foods. The conversation is usually around whether the patient needs to forego all beans and legumes to achieve optimal health. Lectins are proteins found not only in plants but also in… Read more »
Which one of the following is your favorite food? 1) pizza, 2) chocolate desserts, 3) chips, 4) cookies, 5) fries or 6) ice cream. Did you have trouble picking just one? If so, it’s no surprise. These are the most addictive foods, according to the Yale Food Addiction Survey. It’s not uncommon to crave these… Read more »
Heartburn medication is the fifth most purchased over-the-counter medication. Dyspepsia or indigestion affects 21 percent of people, commonly women and smokers. The most common symptoms include abdominal discomfort, burning pain, bloating, nausea, or getting full as soon as you start to eat. There are a variety of reasons one may have indigestion, including infection, ulcers,… Read more »
To my knowledge, no one knows nutrition history better than Gary Taubes. As a science writer, he has been studying the subject matter full time for over 25 years. Taubes helped launch the modern low-carbohydrate healthy fat understanding with his 2002 cover article in the New York Times Magazine entitled “What If It’s All Been… Read more »
Home sweet home. We’ve all gotten well acquainted with our digs over the last year, more so than ever before. How about your kitchen? Gotten to know every nook and cranny, I’m sure, as cooking is on a path to becoming the new normal post COVID. In fact, according to a recent study by the… Read more »
The controversy over dietary fats began in the 1940s when research started to link high cholesterol with heart disease. High dietary fat was blamed for high cholesterol, and many people avoided all fatty foods – even those that are health-promoting – for decades. We now understand the relationship between dietary fat intake and cardiovascular disease… Read more »
Making healthier choices doesn’t mean giving up everything you love and crave; it’s about finding satisfying, convenient alternatives and getting creative! In this new column, I’ll share ideas and favorites. Today’s topic: SALTY SOLUTIONS Who doesn’t love salt? We know it’s something to be consumed in moderation, but we all crave it, and unfortunately, the… Read more »
The upcoming flu season is causing concern for many people, compounding their worries about contracting coronavirus. Fortunately, the same behaviors that prevent transmission of COVID-19 – avoiding in-person gatherings, physical distancing when in public and wearing face masks – also protect you from the flu. Flu statistics and projections. The flu affects 3-10 percent of… Read more »
The devastating loss of human life from COVID-19 has recently highlighted the immense power of tiny, invisible microbes to shape our human experience. Microbes are microscopic organisms, including a variety of widely diverse species of bacteria and viruses. Bacterial species are highly adaptable to surviving almost any habitat, be it boiling geysers, the depths of… Read more »
Ashwagandha is a revered herb in India, and it’s a workhorse of traditional Indian medicine known as Ayurveda. Indeed, its name means “smell of horse,” both for its aroma and its ability to make one as strong as a stallion. Ashwagandha can be given to emaciated children to restart growth and to adults to increase… Read more »
The medicinal mushroom craze has arrived. Long used in traditional Chinese medicine for their potent health benefits, these superfoods can now be found, not only in health food stores, but also in coffee shops serving up chaga chais, cordyceps lattes, and lion’s mane matcha teas. There is even the “Shroom Room” in Venice Beach, one… Read more »
In our vastly expanding world of information, it is no secret that what we choose to eat can directly affect our overall health. Chronic diseases continue to be a critical health concern across America. In 2018, the Centers for Disease Prevention and Control (CDC) conducted a study estimating that 85 million adults consume fast food… Read more »
Electrolyte hydration drinks are big business. The market is valued at $1.5 billion per year and growing due to increased awareness about health and fitness, along with a desire to avoid carbonated beverages. But before you gulp down a Gatorade or Emergen-C, let’s discuss what electrolytes are, whether you need to supplement them and potential… Read more »
