Posts Tagged ‘Insulin’

Cold Weather Therapy

December 19, 2017 Written by JP

“Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful.” So goes the famous, opening line of the holiday classic, “Let It Snow”. If you’re reading this somewhere in the northern hemisphere, you may well relate to the ‘frightful’ part of the tune. But, it is the ‘fire’ lyric I’d like to focus on today.

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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Diabetes, Diet and Weight Loss | 3 Comments & Updates

Questions and Answers: Dr. David Ludwig

December 29, 2015 Written by JP

This is a follow up to my recent review of Always Hungry?, Dr. David Ludwig’s powerful, new diet and wellness book. In today’s blog, Dr. Ludwig is kind enough to clarify and expound upon some key points he originally made in the book. Specifically, I asked questions on the subjects I thought you would be interested in knowing more about. But, if I missed something, please let me know in the comment section below. I’ll do my best to get the answers. Lastly, before delving into the Q&A, I’d like to point out the above photo. Dr. Ludwig is seated next to his talented wife, Dawn Ludwig, a gourmet, natural health chef and creator of the delicious recipes contained in the book.

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Posted in Diet and Weight Loss, Interviews, Nutrition | 12 Comments & Updates

PCOS Alternatives

May 9, 2015 Written by JP

PCOS or polycystic ovary syndrome is estimated to affect between 5 – 10% of girls and women of childbearing age. Signs of PCOS vary, but are typically characterized by several of the following symptoms: acne, abnormal menstrual cycles, hair loss and/or excessive body and facial hair growth, infertility, mood disorders, ovarian cysts, overweight and sleep apnea. The commonality among most of these symptoms is an overproduction of male sex hormones (androgens) emanating from the ovaries. Insulin resistance is another factor in PCOS. Therefore, the conventional treatment of this prevalent condition usually involves birth control pills to moderate sex hormone concentrations, diabetes medications to improve insulin sensitivity and fertility aids for women who have difficulty getting pregnant.

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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Nutrition, Women's Health | 40 Comments & Updates

Prescription 2015: Coffee for Liver Health

April 27, 2015 Written by JP

If you put any given food under the microscope, you’ll typically find some good elements and some not so great things. The proportions of each vary, but a mixture of both is to be expected. Coffee presents a fitting example of this gastronomic truism. On the one hand, some health authorities point to the supposed dark side of java. They note that coffee may contribute to and/or instigate cardiovascular complications, gastrointestinal symptoms, poor bone density and sleep disorders. On the flip side, coffee’s proponents proclaim that it’s one the leading sources of antioxidants in the modern diet. This inconvenient reality may explain why coffee drinking populations tend to demonstrate a lower risk for a number of diseases, including dementia and select cancers.

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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Diabetes, Food and Drink | 26 Comments & Updates

Tagatose Sweetener

September 17, 2013 Written by JP

Tagatose is a sweetener currently making its way onto the U.S. market. And, I want you to know more about it before it starts showing up in your local health food stores and markets. Personally, I’m interested in tagatose because it’s all natural, low glycemic and may even impart some significant health benefits. In addition, it’s a prebiotic, meaning that it selectively promotes the growth of healthy gut bacteria. If this sounds like something you’d be interested in as well, look for products with names like PreSweet and Tagatesse.

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Posted in Diabetes, Diet and Weight Loss, Nutrition | 4 Comments & Updates

Fermented Soy Research

May 23, 2013 Written by JP

Twitter is one of the mediums I use to spread the good word about evidence-based natural medicine. There, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of meeting people from all corners of the globe who share an interest in holistic healing. Recently, I was contacted via Twitter by Dr. Han Bok Kim of Hoseo University in South Korea. In our correspondence he was kind enough to share his ongoing research on Chungkookjang (CKJ), a fermented soybean extract that is well known in Korea, but relatively unheard of in the United States and elsewhere.

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Posted in Diet and Weight Loss, Food and Drink, Heart Health | 7 Comments & Updates

EGCG and Breast Cancer

July 16, 2012 Written by JP

EGCG, a naturally occurring chemical in green tea, is the star of two new publications focusing on breast cancer. The first trial examined the role of epigallocatechin-3-gallate as an adjunct to radiation treatment in breast cancers patients. The second study investigated the potential of a purified ECGC “drug” to modulate hormones which fuel breast cancer growth.

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Posted in Alternative Therapies, Food and Drink, Women's Health | 6 Comments & Updates

Vitamin C and Diabetes

January 23, 2012 Written by JP

The pressing issue of type 2 diabetes recently took on an unexpected spokesman: Paula Deen. Ever since the highly publicized announcement of her illness and related drug endorsement, a hailstorm of negative and positive reactions has made its way to all forms of media. Instead of adding yet another voice to the chorus, I’ve decided to share some breaking information for Ms. Deen and other type-2 diabetics that may improve their health care prospects.

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Posted in Diabetes, Nutrition, Nutritional Supplements | 10 Comments & Updates

Questioning The Grapefruit Diet

February 11, 2011 Written by JP

In “Black Swan”, the Academy Award nominated film, there’s a scene where a ballet dancer, played by Natalie Portman, sits in front of a half grapefruit for breakfast. That grapefruit is a reminder of how dietary trends tend to stick around in one incarnation or another. In the 1970’s, The Grapefruit Diet was one of the most popular weight loss programs around. Some forty years later, you can still find articles, books and even nutritional supplements that feature grapefruit as some sort of weight loss wonder worker. Today’s column examines the actual research behind the weight loss claims involving this citrus fruit. Read more »


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Posted in Diet and Weight Loss, Food and Drink, Nutrition | 1 Comment

Best Of The Gingivitis Diet

January 27, 2011 Written by JP

Every now and then a story appears on the news about the house that’s the neighborhood eyesore. The lawn is dying and overrun with weeds. A rusted, broken down car is parked in the driveway. Paint is peeling from the walls and windows are boarded up. In such instances, the lack of care of that residence impacts the entire “health” of the neighborhood. The same is true of the human body. If one part of the anatomy isn’t properly cared for, it frequently affects many of the neighboring organs and systems. Read more »


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Posted in Dental Health, Exercise, Food and Drink | 16 Comments & Updates

Dark Chocolate Controversy

July 22, 2009 Written by JP

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 »


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Posted in Food and Drink, Heart Health, Nutrition | 15 Comments & Updates

Preventing Breast Cancer

January 1, 2009 Written by JP

Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of malignancy in women. That is a hard fact. But should women just hope they won’t add to those statistics? Or, are there ways to be proactive and increase the odds of steering clear of cancer altogether? Today, I want to highlight a strategy that may help put you in the “steer clear” camp. Read more »


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Posted in Diabetes, Women's Health | 1 Comment