Those gut microbes are one busy “organ!” Aside from honing our immune system, balancing our metabolism, protecting our gut lining, neutralizing pathogens, and helping our brain function, did you know that these little critters are also making nutrients for us to use… One such nutrient is folate, which is a critical nutrient for methylation pathways…
Details“Your cholesterol number is high…” a phrase still scary enough to many of us. Cholesterol is still so controversial these days. Yet, for the first time, the scientific advisory panel for the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans suggests that we should no longer advise the public to be concerned about their cholesterol intake from food.…
DetailsMany folks are “dissing” beans these days, be them lentil, refried, kidney, soy or black. We’re so concerned about the capacity of some of the bean compounds (called anti-nutrients), such as lectins, saponins, protease inhibitors and phytates to induce damage that we forget about the copious bean benefits, including the cheap cost, protein, fiber and…
DetailsI’m sure it’s no secret to anyone reading this that sugar consumption has risen in the last few decades, and that many experts have connected this trend to major public health issues and health costs in the US and other countries. But here’s the conundrum: in the face of such overwhelming data, why does this…
DetailsWhy it be so hard to give up sugar? Hmmm, could it be something to do with how pervasive and immediately-available sugar-laden foods are in our society?! Certainly this is a BIG obstacle, but did you know that biological sugar addiction is also a real phenomenon? No more feeling guilty about our ‘dwindling’ willpower! Here’s…
DetailsAs I’m sure many of you are well aware, BPA (bisphenol A) is a known endocrine disrupter, altering hormone-related activity even at low levels of exposure. Studies have linked BPA toxicity to adverse effects on reproduction, the nervous system and behavioral development (including aggressiveness and hyperactivity). A recent human study has even shown that BPA…
DetailsYou know, we are SOOO busy when we sleep. Contrary to popular belief, good quality sleep is an active experience where our bodies are engaged in really important metabolic work. For instance, during sleep hours we are detoxifying up a storm. In fact during sleep, the brain dumps loads of neurotoxins including beta-amyloid, the protein…
DetailsObviously, the plants around us make pollen- the bane of the seasonal allergy sufferer’s existence. But did you know that because of our planting habits in the US we’ve drastically increased the amount of pollen-producing plants, significantly contributing to the epidemic that is seasonal allergies? Pollen producers are pretty much always male plants. And male…
DetailsToday I want to highlight a cooking concept that I think is absolutely invaluable to anyone who needs to start cooking all meals from scratch and finds it hard to make the time to cook extensively at each mealtime. It is this: “feeding” your refrigerator (and freezer) with leftovers and prepped, ready-to-cook ingredients. Once you…
DetailsJune 10, 2013 – I want to introduce you to an exquisite book that I’ve been reading. It’s called Almost Finished. It’s a memoir by Justine Bowen-Jones. Justine lost her father to pancreatic cancer when she was six years old. Before he died, her father– poet and English professor Jim Bowen–wrote her letters to accompany her through her life. This book contains his letters and her responses.
DetailsOn the first day of Christmas, my true love pondered: Of all the supplements out there, fish oils are one of the best accepted and most widely used because the research on it is so plentiful
DetailsI had the privilege of presenting an overview of Functional Medicine at the 8th annual Nutra India Summit in Mumbai, India, a few weeks ago, some of which is available on YouTube.
DetailsI was hanging out at Whole Foods Market (WFM) last night. It was the grand-opening day. Kind of embarrassing to admit such a thing would get me going, but it did.
DetailsDid you know that the CDC just reduced the exposure limit in kids for lead to 5ug/dL? It was 10ug/dL before that.
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