I’m not sure how I feel about the concept of meaningful coincidences or synchronicity. But that doesn’t stop me from assigning significance to patterns that seem to crop up for whatever reason. In the past few weeks several people that I know have expressed a concern about the estrogenic properties of soy foods and supplements. I’ve covered this issue in previous columns, but thought this might be a good time to report on the most recent evidence available on this controversial topic. Read more »

Marinated olives are a staple whenever we entertain company. Not only are olives an excellent low carb source of antioxidants and nutrients, but they’re also incredibly versatile. They can be mild or spicy, plain or stuffed, served as a tapenade or as whole fruits. We typically offer them along side an assortment of fresh cut vegetables and dip, raw cheeses and nuts and of course, a selection or biodynamic or organic red wine. But I must admit that olive leaves never seem to make the cut. I suppose we could serve olive leaf tea as a beverage option, though the bitter taste is probably a bit too acrid and unfamiliar for us and most guests. This is likely a shame because emerging research is revealing some rather noteworthy attributes for olive leaf extract (OLE).
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When I’m asked to speak about natural medicine there’s an expectation that I’ll discuss something that’s out of the ordinary. It’s not enough for me to detail the merits of eating a whole food diet, exercising regularly or sleep hygiene. There’s got to be a “hook”. In this way, my current profession is similar to my prior one as a motion picture screenwriter. Many films stick to a familiar formula – they begin with a dramatic opening sequence that demands your attention and draws you into the story that is to follow. A health presentation entitled, “Magic Mushrooms” makes a bigger impression than a lecture about “Promoting Wellness with Fruits and Vegetables”. The reality is that there’s nothing especially magical about mushrooms apart from the fact that they may improve a variety of disease states. That’s why my Healthy Monday tip of the week is to include more mushrooms in your daily diet.
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By now, most health conscious consumers understand that eating potato chips regularly does not contribute to long term wellness. This truism even extends to cleverly marketed brands that feature alluring package claims such as, “All Natural!”; “Baked, Not Fried!”; “Featuring Organic Potatoes!” and “Now With Sea Salt!”. The intrinsic problems with potato chips still remain even if the finest ingredients are used. First and foremost, potatoes are high-glycemic vegetables which can cause harmful fluctuations in blood sugar. The baking and/or frying process is also part of the problem. It generates a carcinogenic chemical compound known as acrylamide. But the desire for something crunchy and salty to snack on runs deep in people throughout the world. What to do? Perhaps it’s time to think outside of the box and consider something entirely different, but equally delicious: seaweed. That’s right – seaweed.
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There are many different writing styles. Some health reporters seek out a specific niche and stick to it. Others mine a more diverse topic base from which to select material. I tend to fall between the two camps. While researching, I allow the material that I come across in my daily life to dictate what I cover. At times this gives me the luxury of presenting a broad cross-section of information. But occasionally, what I discover prompts me to revisit select topics on a regular basis. Such is the case with research involving Vitamin D. Currently, there is a tremendous amount of scientific attention being paid to this humble “sunshine” nutrient. Some of the more dramatic data makes the evening news. Much of it does not. The latter category is the subject of my column today.
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I’m not sure how I feel about the concept of meaningful coincidences or synchronicity. But that doesn’t stop me from assigning significance to patterns that seem to crop up for whatever reason. In the past few weeks several people that I know have expressed a concern about the estrogenic properties of soy foods and supplements. I’ve covered this issue in previous columns, but thought this might be a good time to report on the most recent evidence available on this controversial topic. Read more »

This edition of Twitter Thursday truly embraces the concept of holistic wellness. Without a healthy body, you can’t expect to have a truly balanced mind. Likewise, a tormented spiritual life can offset many of the benefits of productive lifestyle choices such as eating nutritious food, getting enough sleep and proper stress management. It’s a question of symmetry. Find the areas of yourself that are out of proportion and augment them for improved health and quality of life. Several of my favorite “tweeple” have some thoughts about how to accomplish this goal. Read more »

While preparing today’s column I did a search on the phrase, “differences between men and women”. Any guess on how many hits this query turned up? 10,000? 100,000? 1,000,000? Try 17,700,000! One of the sites I stumbled upon contained a quote by the comedian Bill Cosby. He summed up the general sentiment conveyed by noteworthy figures throughout the ages: “Men and women belong to different species, and communication between them is a science still in its infancy”. I’m sure many of you nodded your head while reading that and with good reason. The tales my wife could tell! However, I believe our similarities far outnumber our differences. The same holds true if one were to examine the inner workings of the female and male body. Read more »

There’s a place in my mind that’s permanently devoted to natural health. It’s a living, breathing metropolis that has a cast of characters numbering in the hundreds. The foods, practices and supplements that make up of the population of this fictitious land are very similar to the bit players, heros and villains that inhabit any good story. In short, they need to constantly evolve and reveal more about themselves in order to remain interesting to readers and viewers alike. Read more »

Certain foods tend to get a bad rap across the board. These so called “dietary offenders” generally fall into two camps: foods that are rich in cholesterol and saturated fat, and desserts, drinks or snacks that are abundant in simple carbohydrates. I can’t think of a good argument for sugar laden treats, but I do believe that many foods containing cholesterol and saturated fat are, in fact, healthy. This point of view is often shared by nutritionists and physicians who have adopted a low-carbohydrate philosophy. However, the vast majority of conventional doctors and nutrition advisors disagree. One of the reasons why I personally think that foods such as beef, eggs and pork can be healthful additions to the average diet is because they’re loaded with an essential nutrient known as choline. Read more »

Kids often times wonder why things are the way they are. Parents know this phenomenon all too well. Rarely does a word strike as much dread in a father and mother’s heart as the word “why”. The answer to such a question usually isn’t that complicated. But rather it’s the understanding that any answer given will often prompt the follow up question – “But, why?”. I think I may be able to help out with this. The next time you instruct your daughter or son to eat their broccoli, Brussels sprouts or cauliflower and they ask you why, you can simply tell them that: “Cruciferous vegetables contain glucosinolates that assist the body in detoxifying xenochemicals and discouraging aberrant cellular and hormonal processes that can ultimately result in malignancies”. Works every time! Read more »

One of the top news stories of this past week involved a proposed change in the current breast cancer screening protocol. Mammograms have been generally recommended for all women 40 years and up. However, new guidelines announced by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force now suggest that routine testing begin a decade later, at age 50. At the moment there is a passionate debate about whether or not this recommendation and others, such as only having a mammogram every two years instead of one, would result in equivalent or improved health outcomes in older women. But controversy is no stranger to the field of breast cancer research. The topic of breast cancer prevention is perhaps the hottest issue in this category. Some experts are confident that dietary and lifestyle factors can, in fact, impact the odds of a women developing breast malignancies. Other researchers subscribe primarily to the notion of “genetic destiny”. In their minds, whether you get cancer or not is a essentially a roll of the dice. If you happen to have a family history of breast cancer, the dice are loaded against you. Read more »

Red wine has a mixed reputation in the medical community. Some health authorities cite evidence that indicates it may be the one form of alcohol that provides actual health benefits. Generally speaking, the positive research regarding red wine has to do with its impact on cardiovascular health. In recent years, scientists have begun to analyze the specific chemical make up of this popular beverage. In doing so, they’ve discovered several phytochemicals that could be the reason why fermented grapes discourage heart disease. Furthermore, some of these substances have exhibited benefits in other arenas, such as anti-cancer activity in animal models and in-vitro (test tube) experiments. However, these laboratory findings are often at odds with population studies that find negative associations between alcohol consumption and cancer incidence. Today I’ll examine the most recent findings regarding the alcohol cancer connection. Read more »

I think almost anyone who uses the Internet can relate to this scenario: You receive an e-mail from a family member or friend alerting you to a health threat that isn’t very well known, but potentially deadly. In recent years, one of the most frequently circulated e-mails of this type has focused on the supposed connection between eating grapefruits and breast cancer risk. As with many of these chain e-mails, there is some basis for the concern. But the question is: How alarmed should we be? Read more »

The distinctive yellowish color that is often associated with Indian and South Asian dishes is derived from Curcuma longa or turmeric. This rhizome (underground stem) is part of the ginger family, but it doesn’t possess the same pungent flavor or odor. Turmeric does however contain a group of antioxidant pigments known as curcuminoids. The primary curcuminoid is curcumin, a name often used interchangeably in alternative medicine when describing turmeric extracts. Read more »

I believe there are several core principles to eating a healthy diet. One of the easiest guidelines to remember is “eat like the rainbow”. The naturally occurring pigments that produce the emerald greens in kale and spinach, the deep blues and purple in berries and the vibrant reds in cherries and tomatoes all possess a broad spectrum of health benefits. Now is the perfect time of year to enjoy the wealth of colors that nature provides. Another reason to include more of these foods in your diet is that science is continuing to find additional reasons to do so. Read more »