When it comes to living a healthy lifestyle, it’s one thing to be told what you’re supposed to do and quite another to know exactly how to do it. One recommendation that is commonly made by doctors and nutritionists is to eat more dietary fiber. According to The National Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Medicine, men under the age of 50 should consume an average of 38 grams of fiber per day. Women in the same age group are supposed to strive for 25 grams. These figures are slightly lower for individuals above the age of 50, but they still far exceed what most people typically consume. Today’s column provides some new evidence that will hopefully nudge you into eating more fiber-rich foods, as well as a very simple way to meet your daily fiber quota. Read more »

Many years ago I attended a health conference where Dr. Julian Whitaker was giving the key note presentation. He mentioned that he was a strong believer in choosing at least one healthy habit and practicing it every day. In his case, Dr. Whitaker mentioned eating an apple once daily without fail. His reason for doing so was more than the obvious “An apple a day keeps the doctor away” philosophy. The broader point he was trying to make is that engaging in healthy lifestyle choices and/or eating nutritious food works best if we do it religiously. Sometimes having a specific goal in mind can assist us in doing just that. Read more »

I’m always on the lookout for signs that things can change for the better. It’s very easy to fall into the trap of only seeing the faults that are inherent in a world run by infinitely fallible human beings. But where does that get us? Instead of simply getting angry or frustrated at the current tide, we can all look for evidence of even the smallest victories and try to build upon them.
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Many years ago I worked as a consultant for a number of health food stores. One day a customer remarked to me that his faith in herbs was largely based on the fact that human beings have grown up in the presence of medicinal plants since the beginning of time. He noted that the same could not be said for modern day medications. That’s certainly a valid but, ultimately, incomplete point. A more balanced view might be that humans have historically occupied this planet along side both dangerous and healing botanical neighbors. Read more »

As a big fan of movies, quotations from films are often in the forefront of my mind. One line of dialogue that’s made an indelible impression on me is from the 2005 box-office bomb, The Weather Man. In the film, the esteemed actor Michael Caine offers some prescient words of wisdom to his adult son, played by Nicolas Cage. “Do you know that the harder thing to do and the right thing to do are usually the same thing? Nothing that has meaning is easy. ‘Easy’ doesn’t enter into grown-up life”. That advice was given with regard to a failing marriage, but it I think it applies to almost every aspect of life and, quite specifically, to natural medicine. Read more »

It probably comes as no surprise that I’m generally not a big fan of pharmaceutical medications. However my actual position may be a bit more nuanced than I’ve let on. My overall view on prescription drugs falls somewhere between absolute acceptance and universal avoidance. I believe that certain medications, such as antibiotics, can be lifesavers. On the other hand, I’m deeply concerned about the chronic use of multiple medications. At a bare minimum, I believe that most prescribed drugs should be categorized by allopathic physicians much like nutritional supplements are by holistic practitioners. By that, I mean that medications should only be used if, and only if, there isn’t a more fundamental approach to addressing a health issue, such as diet or lifestyle modification. Read more »

The best way for me to learn is to understand the logic behind a lesson. I need to comprehend not only what is happening, but why. This helps me quite a lot when it comes to the study of natural medicine and nutrition. It’s not enough for someone to tell me that fruits and vegetables protect against cancer or that exercise “does a body good”. I have to be aware of the mechanisms that justify such statements. Very often, these explanations are based on incomplete information and, therefore, need to be modified over time. But even so, at least they provide a reasonable underpinning upon which one can hang a concept. Read more »

It’s too bad there aren’t lobbying groups that represent specific foods, practices and supplements. If there were, I could sit back in my office and take meetings all day long. An advocate for wild Alaskan salmon might drop by one afternoon and fill me in on the latest news about the healthiest ways to cook this prized fish. Or maybe a cheerleader for magnesium could make an appointment to reinforce the case for including plenty of this essential mineral in women’s diet in order to discourage cardiovascular disease. I’d even welcome a visit from a good, old fashioned dentist touting dental floss as a way of boosting brain performance in seniors. But alas, this type of lobbyist simply does not exist. That’s why I often travel around (offline and online) to track down such information. I am, in essence, an unpaid lobbyist for all of these causes. Read more »

Perhaps you’ve seen the series of commercials promoting Lipitor (atorvastatin) while watching your favorite TV shows. Lipitor is a cholesterol lowering medication that, according to the October 2009 edition of the AARP Bulletin, had sales of over $5.88 billion in 2008 alone. Needless to say, that buys a lot of advertising time. One of the major points made in these “heart to heart” adverts is that this prescription drug can lower “bad” (LDL) cholesterol levels by 39%-60%. The implication is that lowering LDL cholesterol can help reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. But there’s an emerging body of evidence that suggests that another measure of cardiovascular health should come to the forefront when assessing heart attack risk. Read more »

The wisdom that comes only after many years of living and learning is generally a desirable by-product of the aging process. On the other hand, many of the physical changes that are a part of the equation are almost always unwelcome. A similar dynamic occurs in the maturation of food. A certain degree of ripeness is necessary in order for most fruits and vegetables to be edible. But if they’re left to ripen for too long, they’ll spoil. However, there are certain instances where prolonged aging of food can yield medicinal properties. One example is the unique aging process that Allium sativum (garlic) sometimes undergoes. Read more »

Some people like to play board games, watch sporting events or knit in their spare time. Me? I like to browse around the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention web site. I sometimes search around there for statistics that help shape the content that ends here. The other day I found a few interesting facts and figures. I already knew that heart disease is the “leading cause of death for both women and men in the United States”. But I was still stunned by a few other statistics. In 2005, 7.6 million people’s lives ended prematurely due to coronary heart disease. In 2003, almost 40% of adults exhibited two or more of six risk factors for heart disease and stroke (diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, physical inactivity and smoking). These figures have probably only gotten worse in the time since they were compiled. This is evidenced by the most recent figure available: “In 2009, heart disease is projected to cost more than $304 billion dollars, including health care services, medications and lost productivity.” Read more »

I believe that the cornerstone of good health is a constructive relationship between patient and physician. It’s a real gamble to remain passive and simply hope that doctors will ask all the right questions and pass along every piece of pertinent information that is currently available. That’s simply too great a burden to place on any type of “healer”. But beyond that, I think all patients have a responsibility to share what they’ve personally learned in order to improve the quality of their own care and, possibly, the care of fellow patients. The following information may be relevant to many who would like to take a more pro-active approach in their own wellness program. Read more »

While conducting some research this morning, I made an unexpected connection between meditation and politics. When meditating we are often instructed to gently observe our thoughts, no matter where they lead. They’re simply benign messengers of the subconscious mind. In politics, ideally we strive to observe current events, then dispassionately incorporate that information into our political views. I think the application of scientific research should be approached in a similar manner. In a nutshell, I believe we need to be aware and open to new research that both supports and, occasionally, contradicts our points of view. I discovered an example of this while reviewing the most recent data on the effects of dark chocolate on hypertension. Read more »

Anniversaries are occasions to celebrate and reflect upon special times in our lives, typically relationships, weddings or work related milestones. But these occasions also occur in the field of medicine. In 1999, research began appearing in medical journals on a culinary substance known as red yeast rice (RYR), a richly pigmented paste or powder that is commonly used to add color to Chinese and East Asian foods. It has also been used in the traditional practice of Chinese medicine for over 1,000 years to support healthy digestion and proper circulation. The reason for the modern Western interest in RYR has to do with its similarity to a relatively new class of cholesterol lowering drugs known as “statins”. Read more »

Perhaps you’ve recently heard or read the news: Garlic doesn’t help support heart health. At least that’s what many conventional doctors and nutritionists maintain nowadays. I was thinking about it this afternoon and wondered how it could be that so many natural health experts and traditional healers could have been so wrong about garlic for so long. I think I’ve come up with an answer to that question. Or to state it more accurately, it appears that science has discovered a possible reason for the controversy about garlic and cardiovascular health.
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One of the great obstacles in making dietary changes is the lack of assurance as to what the outcome will be. Will the effort expended to change translate into real world results? In certain instances scientific testing can help quantify objective improvements derived from lifestyle modification. Examples include regularly testing your blood pressure, blood sugar or cholesterol levels. But before even considering new health practices, most people would like to know the basis for making such a change.
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