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 »
Nutrition
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 »
Reducing Food Cravings Naturally
- By Jessica Needle, ND
- March/April 2021
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 »
Moving Beyond PPIs
- By Amy Patel, ND
- March/April 2021
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 »
The Case for a Low-Carb, Healthy-Fat Diet
- Book Review by Joseph E. Scherger, MD, MPH
- March/April 2021
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 »
Gotta Love Garlic
- By Janet Zappala
- March/April 2021
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 »
Are You Eating Your Healthy Fats?
- By Jenny M. Wheeler, MD
- January/February 2021
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 »
Salty Solutions
- by Lauren Del Sarto
- January/February 2021
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 »
Working in Harmony with Your Microbiome
- By Jenny M. Wheeler, MD
- November/December 2020
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 »
The Many Benefits of Ashwagandha
- By Jessica Needle, ND
- September/October 2020
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 »
Mad About Medicinal Mushrooms
- By Diane Sheppard, PhD, LAc
- September/October 2020
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 »
Mighty Microgreens
- By Mario Garcia
- September/October 2020
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 »
Do We Need Electrolyte Drinks?
- By Jessica Needle, ND
- July/August 2020
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 »
Supporting Our Warrior White Blood Cells
- By Amanda Beckner, CN, HHP, PhD
- May/June 2020
While white blood cells (WBC) account for only one percent of our blood, they have an enormous impact on our entire system and protect the body from illness and disease. Moving within our bloodstream, they work with our immune system as little warriors constantly doing battle to fight infections, bacteria and other foreign invaders. Most… Read more »
Customizing Your Carb Count on Keto
- By Michelle Borthwick
- March/April 2020
The ketogenic, or keto, diet is a low-carb, high-fat diet growing in popularity due to the many health benefits it can offer. The concept is to drastically reduce carbohydrate intake and increase healthy fat intake which puts your body into a metabolic state called ketosis. When this happens, your body becomes very efficient at burning… Read more »
For a while there, it seemed that kale was at the top of the superfood kingdom…on nearly every menu and making its way into practically everything. Even fast food eatery Chick-fil-A rolled out a superfood kale salad. The ubiquitous McDonald’s also incorporated the healthy green, offering a kale breakfast bowl. Now in 2020, it seems… Read more »
Why Keto is Taking the World by Storm
- By Michelle Borthwick
- November/December 2019
Who’s heard of Keto? At this point almost everyone, even if they aren’t completely sure what it is and how it works. Celebrities like Gwyneth Paltrow, Halle Berry, Tim Tebow and Lebron James didn’t start the ketogenic, or keto diet trend, but they’ve certainly added fuel to the already-hot fire. Keto is taking the world… Read more »
Raw Vegan in The Valley
- By Stacey Bendfelt
- November/December 2019
What is a raw vegan diet and why the heck would anyone follow it? I’ve been doing so for over 12 years now and can’t imagine eating any other way. A raw vegan diet includes fruit, vegetables, nuts and seeds not heated over 115 degrees. There is an elegant simplicity to eating raw vegan. Meal… Read more »
These Are a Few of My Favorite Things
- By Lauren Del Sarto
- November/December 2019
If you’ve decided to cut down or eliminate sugar, I salute you. It isn’t easy. It’s in almost everything which you quickly learn when you give it up. And with the holidays here, temptations are sure to grow. Sticking with Mother Nature’s bounty and reading labels is the only way to stay true to your… Read more »
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